Auckland OLY1 chat - archive

[kakarot]

Oh, and I know everyone has their own learning style, but study groups (in my experience) are real time wasters, especially when its with friends

Study groups in my experience also, were absolute time wasters. In the past at school, this was probably due to the fact that I attended them with close friends and we would literally only spend a quarter, or less, of the time actually doing productive study. Having said that, at yesterday's study I did it with people I didn't really know (and the others were not well acquainted either) so once we finished the pizza, it was on-topic the entire time.

But when I think about the hours put into that study group, I don't think it was really worth it. There wasn't any divulging from POPHLTH 111 or anything, we basically recited sections of the GATE notes to each other. I suppose you could argue it was worth it because it was a form of revision...

 

[kakarot]

And by the way, POPHLTH 111 MCQ mid-term test 1 was held today: Most responses afterwards were "easy"/"not much difference to the practice test"/"Maybe 3 or 4 could be wrong, but the rest were pretty much good"

I remember hearing from somewhere (I think it was Dennis Hsu in a lecture), that 2 people got "A" last year for this test. He also said that a lot of people walk out thinking that they did well, then get slapped with a 50% :/

To past biomed students, did the responses from your year also resemble this somewhat? From what I heard today, it seems there will be a surprisingly high number of test participants getting that "elusive B+/A" that everyone said was "so hard to get" prior to the test.

 

[govpop]

And by the way, POPHLTH 111 MCQ mid-term test 1 was held today: Most responses afterwards were "easy"/"not much difference to the practice test"/"Maybe 3 or 4 could be wrong, but the rest were pretty much good"

I remember hearing from somewhere (I think it was Dennis Hsu in a lecture), that 2 people got "A" last year for this test. He also said that a lot of people walk out thinking that they did well, then get slapped with a 50% :/

To past biomed students, did the responses from your year also resemble this somewhat? From what I heard today, it seems there will be a surprisingly high number of test participants getting that "elusive B+/A" that everyone said was "so hard to get" prior to the test.

whoever told you that only 2 people got an A was having a laugh. there were definitely more than that. and i wouldn't call a B+ elusive. That said, i don't remember the responses of the class being so confident last year, though i guess its all just anecdotal anyway and depends on who you talk to.

 

[shmvitt]

Well the poplhlth 111 test was last night and didn't seem that bad really.... only slightly harder than the practise test. Bring on bio and chem!

 

[Kikii]

Hi!
Thanks for your replies

I thought of some more questions for anyone who wants to answer:

1. What are all the reasons why you want to study medicine/become a doctor?
2. If you could give three pieces of advice to some one doing first year Biomed, aiming for Medicine what would it be?
3. Are they increasing the number of spaces for medicine at Auckland? If so, why? So will it increase by a couple for the next few years or just for next year or something like that?
4. Do you ever get sick of studying so much.. or is it fun for you?

Thanks!

 

[lordgarlic]

Hi!
Thanks for your replies

I thought of some more questions for anyone who wants to answer:

1. What are all the reasons why you want to study medicine/become a doctor?
2. If you could give three pieces of advice to some one doing first year Biomed, aiming for Medicine what would it be?
3. Are they increasing the number of spaces for medicine at Auckland? If so, why? So will it increase by a couple for the next few years or just for next year or something like that?
4. Do you ever get sick of studying so much.. or is it fun for you?

Thanks!

1) I have many many reason and many of them personal so I won't share them in public
2) enjoy your first year of university. You'll never have so much free time to make friends and enjoy life again. If you don't get in you can always try something else or try again
3) increasing places is in the pipeline but I'm not sure of the exact target dates
4) of course I get sick of studying. Especially if it's a field I hate

 

[Nealie]

1. What are all the reasons why you want to study medicine/become a doctor?
2. If you could give three pieces of advice to some one doing first year Biomed, aiming for Medicine what would it be?
3. Are they increasing the number of spaces for medicine at Auckland? If so, why? So will it increase by a couple for the next few years or just for next year or something like that?
4. Do you ever get sick of studying so much.. or is it fun for you?

1. My reason are obviously going to be different to yours. But whatever yours are, work them out and practice telling them as a sentence/conversational piece to friends/family who'll listen. It's often the first interview question and it really helps the nerves if you have something prepared mentally in advance. You can be more spontaneous for the rest of the interview, but that first 60sec is hard and I think it's easier to be confident answering that question (albeit a little rehearsed) than floundering around! - BTW - it doesn't matter one bit what your reasons are.. (as along as they aren't totally left field!)

2. Can't really help too much here (did health science) & got in as a grad....

3. The campus renovations will mostly be completed by the end of the year. A staff member last week told us intake would increase starting next year & by a bit too - like 40 places!

4. Only 6 weeks into year 2, but definitely!!!! Second year is not alot of fun - AT ALL. The people are fun and the work is not hard, there's just alot of it & it's pretty boring stuff (for the most part).

Best of luck.

 

[g.walker]

Second year is not alot of fun - AT ALL.

I can only imagine second year without cadavers. But hey, you'll get them in second semester hopefully, not that you'll have any spare time then anyway

 

[govpop]

4. Only 6 weeks into year 2, but definitely!!!! Second year is not alot of fun - AT ALL. The people are fun and the work is not hard, there's just alot of it & it's pretty boring stuff (for the most part).

Best of luck.

i like it.

 

[Nealie]

i like it.

That's great! I didn't mean to say it was boring period....I know that's certainly not the case (it's just my feeling about it). I think I'll be happier as our year moves through school & into more patient focused stuff.

Sorry - didn't mean that last comment to sound so depressing!!!

 

[Kikii]

1. My reason are obviously going to be different to yours. But whatever yours are, work them out and practice telling them as a sentence/conversational piece to friends/family who'll listen. It's often the first interview question and it really helps the nerves if you have something prepared mentally in advance. You can be more spontaneous for the rest of the interview, but that first 60sec is hard and I think it's easier to be confident answering that question (albeit a little rehearsed) than floundering around! - BTW - it doesn't matter one bit what your reasons are.. (as along as they aren't totally left field!)

Okay, thanks! What's "left field" by the way?

40 places increase in one year? Quite a lot. Does this mean places will increase for Biomed/ Health Science as well?


Thanks.

 

[govpop]

That's great! I didn't mean to say it was boring period....I know that's certainly not the case (it's just my feeling about it). I think I'll be happier as our year moves through school & into more patient focused stuff.

Sorry - didn't mean that last comment to sound so depressing!!!

that's ok. i suppose as a grad you've covered a lot of this stuff before whereas for me its all (mostly) new.

 

[g.walker]

Okay, thanks! What's "left field" by the way?

40 places increase in one year? Quite a lot. Does this mean places will increase for Biomed/ Health Science as well?


Thanks.

They wouldnt increase the palces by 40 spots in 1 year, rather gradually. I think they plan to have them all in place by 3-4 more years.

As for biomed/HSC, as long as the classrooms can handle the students then there probably wont be a limit. Also, increased med places wont necessarily mean increased first years. In fact, if im not mistaken, 2009 had ~1200 med hopefuls while 2010 had 900

 

[4everAlone]

They wouldnt increase the palces by 40 spots in 1 year, rather gradually. I think they plan to have them all in place by 3-4 more years.

As for biomed/HSC, as long as the classrooms can handle the students then there probably wont be a limit. Also, increased med places wont necessarily mean increased first years. In fact, if im not mistaken, 2009 had ~1200 med hopefuls while 2010 had 900

I'm pretty sure I read somewhere that there were an extra 80 places for medical students next year to be spread over Auckland and Otago, to which I assume Auckland would get at least 40...I'll try find where I read that =)

 

[greenglacier]

They wouldnt increase the palces by 40 spots in 1 year, rather gradually. I think they plan to have them all in place by 3-4 more years

The Otago domestic intake has increased by 44 in the last 2 years (though the international intake has markedly reduced to minimise the impact of this, so the actual increase was just 30). The 2nd year class size is now 270, and looks set to increase even further. The government is very keen on increasing med student numbers, and Otago has been bearing the brunt of this while Auckland gets renovated, but your turn is set to come. I wouldn't underestimate it, especially as the perception is that Auckland has more potential to expand than Otago (and is hence set to gain the majority of new places).

 

[qbob]

from what I've heard Auckland will have an extra 50 places for the 2012 intake, and a further 50 places for the 2013 intake.

i.e. the 2013 cohort will have ~300 students (the 2011 cohort had 210 students)

 

[4everAlone]

from what I've heard Auckland will have an extra 50 places for the 2012 intake, and a further 50 places for the 2013 intake.

i.e. the 2013 cohort will have ~300 students (the 2011 cohort had 210 students)

That sounds right =) yay for bigger and better lecture theatres!

 

[Kikii]

As for biomed/HSC, as long as the classrooms can handle the students then there probably wont be a limit. Also, increased med places wont necessarily mean increased first years. In fact, if im not mistaken, 2009 had ~1200 med hopefuls while 2010 had 900

Looking at the Auckland Uni site the approved limit for BHSc is 300. And approved limit for BSc (Biomedical Science) is 450. So 750 is the maximum no. of med hopefuls who are trying to get in to medicine as undergrads? So if there were 900 hopefuls in 2010 you are also including the grads and internationals who applied for medicine-- or maybe approved limits were greater then?

And, if 2009 had 1200 med hopefuls then the approved limits for BHSc and BSc (Biomedical Science) must have been much greater then as well??

The website also states that MBChB Year 2 has an approved limit of:
191 Domestic
15 International
Which is a maximum approved limit of 206
(I think this is for this year)

from what I've heard Auckland will have an extra 50 places for the 2012 intake, and a further 50 places for the 2013 intake.

i.e. the 2013 cohort will have ~300 students (the 2011 cohort had 210 students)

So, there will probably be a 50 places increase for MBChB Year 2 -- meaning ~250 places in 2012 at Auckland? Why are medicine places increasing? Because of shortage of doctors? And wow, Otago has quite a lot of places already.

 

[govpop]

Why are medicine places increasing? Because of shortage of doctors?

That's the governments aim, but unless they increase the number of specialist training programmes as well this will have no effect at all. Just make it harder for us to get the jobs we want.

 

[Nealie]

They wouldnt increase the palces by 40 spots in 1 year, rather gradually.

Happy to be proven wrong, but this did come from a staff member at Grafton. Auckland was forced to forfeit an increase in funded places this last intake due to the reno's. Which is perhaps why we are scheduled for a largish increase this coming year.

We have 213 in year 2 this year. 206 approved + 7 repeating students.

that's ok. i suppose as a grad you've covered a lot of this stuff before whereas for me its all (mostly) new.

No, it's new to me too. I just don't enjoy alot of it. A bit scary I know!!!! I have hope for the future tho. ;-)

What's "left field" by the way?

It's a saying that means something really out of the ordinary, totally unexpected. It doesn't always have to be bad, but I meant it as being weird and not good! Like, "I want to be a doctor because God has told me it's the sole plan and purpose of my existence"!!!!!