Auckland OLY1 chat - archive

[blindspot]

Hi guys

i am a Y1 biomed student at AU and hoping to get into med lol just like 500 other students

for me, I think the interview part is the most scary part as english isn't my first language =< Do you guys think I am just hopeless...sighz

Any suggestions are greatly appreciated
Thanks

Actually there are alot more than "500 other students" trying to get into med at AU. I think you might have forgotten about the Health Sci people and the Grad-Entry people.

The interview demands excellent communication skills using the English language, so try hard to improve on that. You need to be able to express whatever you're trying to say concisely, accurately, and also appropriately for the situation.

Try to get rid of a strong accent if you have one (though that isn't as important as being able to communicate effectively using the English language).

If you are more comfortable communicating formally using English than your first language, you should be ok. If not, then you might be in a little bit of trouble.

 

[sunshine123]

Hi there blindspot, I have been told my tone is rather flat and I don't really know how to improve my speaking english besides talking to people in english lol o_o'

this is going to be uber difficult for me as I process things in my head in chinese and it takes some extra time to translate that in to english...

is there anything that can really help me? i even vist ELSAC once a while and speaking real loud in front of the monitor rofl...

and for the 500 students I meant the overlaping first year biomed and healthsci students, i know there are more than 500 people are r wanting to do it but i recall at the end of last year only around 400-500ish people actually applied for it.

 

[blindspot]

Well, just try to speak heaps of English in different situations. Listen to you're "average" Kiwi speaker and imitate their use to syntax etc. I'm no language expert so I can't help you out too much in that regard...

The fact that you process things in Chinese, then translate it into English, might be a problem. This certainly will hinder the pace of communication, and may make your sentences sound artificial.

I know it's too late to say this now, but Otago doesn't have interviews, and many medical students there are really FOB and are hardly articulate in English. Maybe you would've had a better chance there...

Anyway, remember that the interview isn't everything. Get A+s in the core 4 papers (PoplHlth111, Biosci107, Chem110, Medsci142) and you will still have a good chance even if you're interview isn't stellar.

Also, where did you find out that 400-500ish ppl applied last year? You do realise most information regarding MBChB entrance in the Chinese-speaking community are inaccurate rumours...

 

[sunshine123]

lol no no no...there was this presentation this year from the grafton oreientation day for biomed students and they showed us the figures on the number of people who have applied for med and the number who got offered an interview and finally the number of people who got accepted.....in total around 500 people from both biomed and healthsci applied for med i think.

I am hopeless to get a A+ in 107 already -_- I totally hate 107 =D but theres a good chance for the other 3, just hope that i can make it...

 

[blindspot]

lol no no no...there was this presentation this year from the grafton oreientation day for biomed students and they showed us the figures on the number of people who have applied for med and the number who got offered an interview and finally the number of people who got accepted.....in total around 500 people from both biomed and healthsci applied for med i think.

I am hopeless to get a A+ in 107 already -_- I totally hate 107 =D but theres a good chance for the other 3, just hope that i can make it...

Ok cool. Basically don't believe anything about MBChB entrance unless it's provided by the University itself. Many people in the past have stressed (unnecessarily) about rumours they've heard. Eg that the AU interview panel is racist.

Rofl try not to hate 107, because then you might really hate med.

 

[sunshine123]

oh the reason for hating 107 is that there are just too much stuff to read....things outside the course guide that is, I tried to read every further reading specified for every chapters and i ended up lagging behind =.= after the 107 test, i realised that we only need to know stuff IN THE COURSE GUIDE and if you are stuck on something, refer to the readings specified........totally got tricked=<

 

[toaster]

For the Auckland UMAT grades, is it percentiles they use, or the scaled scores?

 

[lordgarlic]

For the Auckland UMAT grades, is it percentiles they use, or the scaled scores?

last I checked it was average of 3 scaled scores converted into a GPA ranking using the same scale as poplhlth111 or whatever it's called these days

 

[toaster]

But isn't it almost impossible to get 90-100, or even 80+...Whats the point of having those grades?

 

[skyglow1]

On a similar note does anyone know if its scaled scores or percentiles that Otago uses? On their website they use the phrase "Umat score" but often also refer to the minimum 25% percentile that you have to have in all 3 sections for entry into dentistry and graduate entry etc, so I'm not sure if they mean teh scaled scores or percentiles that they use.

 

[lordgarlic]

But isn't it almost impossible to get 90-100, or even 80+...Whats the point of having those grades?

I know it's impossible. I don't know why the uni does it haha. My theory is because the uni dislikes the umat, they get a system where basically everyone is clustered together

 

[lordgarlic]

On a similar note does anyone know if its scaled scores or percentiles that Otago uses? On their website they use the phrase "Umat score" but often also refer to the minimum 25% percentile that you have to have in all 3 sections for entry into dentistry and graduate entry etc, so I'm not sure if they mean teh scaled scores or percentiles that they use.

otago have this weird and whacky system of weighting some sections. I don't recall it off the top of my head but it may be in our wiki. Our few otago students aren't around much these days

 

[skyglow1]

otago have this weird and whacky system of weighting some sections. I don't recall it off the top of my head but it may be in our wiki. Our few otago students aren't around much these days

Ya I noticed they don't come online much I found out that its 45/45/10 weighting for the scores from each section but I was wondering if they used the scaled scores or percentiles instead which noone seems to definitely know.

 

[toaster]

Haha that makes some sense...so in what range do most people who get into med, get as a score?

 

[lordgarlic]

Haha that makes some sense...so in what range do most people who get into med, get as a score?

actually varies. Most people in my class are probably in the 170-190 region for total scaled scores as a guess. We have some with < 150 as well

 

[ab1990]

minimum GPA for med..?

so u guys reckon it would be possible to get into Med with a GPA of 7.5-8...? have people got in with something around that?
cheers

 

[lordgarlic]

so u guys reckon it would be possible to get into Med with a GPA of 7.5-8...? have people got in with something around that?
cheers

as far as I'm aware it has been done before. But like with the Australian universities with a low GPA you are scraping the barrel since you start off as the underdog. You would have to do very well in your interview

 

[ab1990]

oh sweet thanks.. so theres still hope... but u reckon interview chances would be pretty stable with an A- average? and any tips on how i could score the automatic entry? im sure theres some extra things that intrviewers r looking for thatd make them go "oh yeah - automatic entry 4 him/her!"

 

[blindspot]

Automatic entry is exceedingly rare; about 5 or so students (out of the ~360 students interviewed) per year will achieve that. Therefore, it's not something candidates should hope to fall back on should they have a low GPA.
With a GPA of 7.5, you probably need to get an A grade* for your interview in order to have a decent chance.

*Assuming the admission process will continue use the following interview ranking:
-Auto entry
-A
-B
-C
-Auto decline

 

[lordgarlic]

well I wasn't suggesting auto entry. I think they may have scrapped that based on what I got out of talking to the admissions officer last time. Not entirely sure

but realistically, saying just get an A interview is a lot easier said than done. An A is a very good interview and most of the undergraduate applicants traditionally get Bs and Cs due to a lack of life experience to draw back on