Auckland OLY1 chat - archive

[hca12]

welcome to MSO Lemons! I personally know a friend who got in last year with an 8GPA, although i suspect he did exceptionally well in the interview. Of course you have a chance, 8 will almost definitely get you an interview, but you will probably be at a (slight) disadvantage to anyone with a higher GPA. Best to knuckle down this semester and try your best from what ive heard the average for entrance in previous years has been around the 8.5-8.75 mark, but who knows whta will happen this year - grade thresholds have changed, and there may be more places too ..

 

[BC mso]

Hi everyone

I'm new here (evident by my post count), but I've actually been following this forum for a while ^_^.

I was wondering if anyone here knows anyone who got into MBChB at Auckland with a core GPA of 8.0? Thanks to POPLHLTH, which I was (ironically) most confident about doing well in, my core GPA plummeted...
Basically, I was wondering if I had any hope :cry: . The standard is so insanely high! I never woiuld have thought that I'd be sad at having a solid A GPA.

Hi lemons......(lemons haha)
in addition to the advice the other members have given you, I recommend not worrying to much with a GPA of 8.0 and putting your focus to MEDSCI as a 8.0 GPA puts you in strong stead for an interview.
With risk of repeating myself from earlier in this forum, auckland interviews approximately double the number of places available therefore ~450 interviews. Having said that, progressing from an interview is another story, in my opinion, the stated 25% interview is an understatement and a half. Having went through the interview process last year for grad entry......the impression I got was that GPA buys you an interview rather than it having a huge impact on admission....
with all that being said, I didnt get in via grad entry so my credibility is questionable haha :wacko:
Regardless, good luck with these semester

 

[Rey]

Thanks to POPLHLTH, which I was (ironically) most confident about doing well in, my core GPA plummeted...

Everyone underestimates it!

I'm not quite sure if it's because they only allow a few to get A+ or because everyone does really well so they scale the A+ threshold massively.

POP111 is really the worst POPLHLTH paper in my opinion.

 

[Lemons]

Personally, Rey, I think they're screwing with us. But then I am, in no way, shape, or form, biased. Whatsoever.

And thanks for the support guys!

Funny you should mention that, BC. I was thinking about it, and came up with a conclusion that has very little basis and thus should be taken with a grain of salt:

So, mark out of 10, accounts for 25% (according to them). Since a 1 and 10 are auto-KO and auto-entry (right?), that leaves 8 marks accounting for 25% (... I think. I mean, why give someone a full 25% if you're gonna take them in anyway? Seems like a waste of time bothering to give them a rank score). But instead of 3.125% per mark, I think that they distribute it differently for each score. Like, the % difference between a 5 and a 6 is different than that between an 8 and a 9, which is in turn different than that between a 2 and a 3? I mean, in all seriousness, I doubt that interviewees were bad enough to get a 4/10. People seem pretty self-aware, or at least the ones that I've met are.

That may explain why people with fantastic GPAs and UMAT scores don't get in, and people with lower UMAT and GPA scores do. Even if you did fodge the interview, the weighting has to be pretty crazy for your GPA and UMAT not to make up for it, considering how they account for 75% of your rank score, combined.

Again, I am very likely sprouting nonsense. I just had way too much time on my hands over the inter-semester break. (yy)

 

[BC mso]

Personally, Rey, I think they're screwing with us. But then I am, in no way, shape, or form, biased. Whatsoever.

That may explain why people with fantastic GPAs and UMAT scores don't get in, and people with lower UMAT and GPA scores do. Even if you did fodge the interview, the weighting has to be pretty crazy for your GPA and UMAT not to make up for it, considering how they account for 75% of your rank score, combined.
(yy)

My basis for this is the subjectivity of the human nature element in the interviews. For example, a candidate could acquire a max GPA, UMAT etc, but if interviewers deem that candidate unsuitable for the medical course (regardless of the reason, lack of passion, misguided intentions etc), then there is no grade that they could have got that would negate the interview process.
Another way to look at it is hypothetically, from a logical point of view, which would they rather, a student with a GPA of 9 who is semi-keen of medicine, or a student with a GPA of 8 with a true passion and empathy suited for the medical course?
In my opinion, if you are selected for an interview, it means they believe you are capable of doing the medical course, it is then down to who is better suited for it, and the interview weeds that out. Sure if it comes down to 2 students that can't be separated in the interview, then grades will play a part.

:blink:
I hope I didnt just type a whole load of BS........haha just sounds logical to me....

 

[Lemons]

No, you're right, it does sound quite logical. It also makes me wonder how harshly they 'reprimand' you for showing any undesirable traits in the interview. Does anyone know or heard of anyone who got a 10/10?

You actually paraphrased (sorta) the lady (goodness knows who she was) from the faculty who went around to high schools to hold meetings for students wanting to learn more information about entry into the health sciences.
She said that, while you have to be smart, medicine is not rocket science, and there is a point of compromise where a candidate with great charisma and a 7.0 GPA is more suitable than another with a 9.0 GPA and an inability to communicate properly. At least that's the gist of it. This was four years ago, so my memory's sloppy. I think she was referring back to the days when they looked at overall GPA?

 

[mshe500]

Hi everyone

I'm new here (evident by my post count), but I've actually been following this forum for a while ^_^.

I was wondering if anyone here knows anyone who got into MBChB at Auckland with a core GPA of 8.0? Thanks to POPLHLTH, which I was (ironically) most confident about doing well in, my core GPA plummeted...
Basically, I was wondering if I had any hope :cry: . The standard is so insanely high! I never woiuld have thought that I'd be sad at having a solid A GPA.

Dont worry man..u r in for an interview...my core GPA atm is 7.66...albeit due to poplhlth..i thought i owned the exam...turns out the it was the other way round lol....according to 2nd yr biomeds, I still have a chance for interview given i get A+ in medsci, so u should, like me , now concentrate fully on medsci!!

 

[4everAlone]

I'd just like to repeat what a few people on here have said.

I don't like putting a figure on it, but my opinion is that if you get 7.75 or above you will definitely get an interview, if you get 7.5 or above you may (/probably will) get an interview, and at 7.25 I wouldn't count on it (but you might!).

Once you've got the interview, obviously you're in with a chance. The medical admissions office has told us that interviews really only affect med school offers for about 10% of interviewees, i.e about 40ish students. Obviously, this means that the higher the GPA you have, the better the chance you have of getting in. I'm of the opinion that umat really counts for stuff all, so I almost write that off.

Basically, aim as high as you can with your GPAs. If you get an interview, then know you are in with a chance. If you have a high GPA then great, if you have a low(ER!!!) GPA then know that you definitely can still sway the interview panel to get yourself a place. I.e EVERYONE SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING ON GETTING AN A+ IN 142! =)

 

[Favour]

welcome to MSO Lemons! I personally know a friend who got in last year with an 8GPA, although i suspect he did exceptionally well in the interview. Of course you have a chance, 8 will almost definitely get you an interview, but you will probably be at a (slight) disadvantage to anyone with a higher GPA. Best to knuckle down this semester and try your best from what ive heard the average for entrance in previous years has been around the 8.5-8.75 mark, but who knows whta will happen this year - grade thresholds have changed, and there may be more places too ..

Hey ... so just picking up on the .."there may be more places too" ..... are they able to potentially offer more places this year?

 

[4everAlone]

Hey ... so just picking up on the .."there may be more places too" ..... are they able to potentially offer more places this year?

I'm pretty sure that's on hold for the time being due to lack of funds...so I don't think your class will be any larger than the current 2nd year class

 

[Hopefully]

I'm pretty sure that's on hold for the time being due to lack of funds...so I don't think your class will be any larger than the current 2nd year class

This^. I remember reading/hearing about that somewhere. They were meant to raise the number of seats this year, but it's been postponed until at least the 2014 intake, unfortunately! >_< (Before that, I thought we were getting more seats...)

 

[hca12]

This^. I remember reading/hearing about that somewhere. They were meant to raise the number of seats this year, but it's been postponed until at least the 2014 intake, unfortunately! >_< (Before that, I thought we were getting more seats...)

Sorry guys, i thought they were increasing the spots this year but i guess not oh well, theres still a lot more places now than there were 10 years ago (only 135 total spots, compared to about approx 200 total last year)

 

[Hopefully]

Sorry guys, i thought they were increasing the spots this year but i guess not oh well, theres still a lot more places now than there were 10 years ago (only 135 total spots, compared to about approx 200 total last year)

Aw yeah, kind of gutted about that! But true, that is the optimistic way to look at it

 

[Rotors]

postponed until at least the 2014 intake, unfortunately!

This works well for me then! .... provided I can figure out the difference between a proton and a neutron that is

/semi trolling but sort of not

 

[Hopefully]

This works well for me then! .... provided I can figure out the difference between a proton and a neutron that is

/semi trolling but sort of not

Don't hold me to that year! (I can't give solid proof that supports what I read, so believe it at your own risk.)

 

[Lemons]

Does anyone know how many seats there are for non-MAPAS, non-rural applicants?

 

[BC mso]

Does anyone know how many seats there are for non-MAPAS, non-rural applicants?

"It is anticipated that there will be approximately 219 government funded places available for entry in 2013.This includes up to 37 places under the regional rural Admission Scheme (rrAS), and up to 53 places under the Māori pacific Admission Scheme (MApAS)."
Plagiarised right from the UMAT 2012 information booklet, pg 23.

219 - 53 - 37 = 129
You should note that 129 includes graduate entry candidates, so the number of places for non-MAPAS, non rural OLY1 is closer to around 80 students.
However these are government funded places therefore it excludes international students.

 

[hca12]

hey guys, does anyone know which australian universities we are eligible to apply to for medicine after OLY if we don't get through?

 

[Rey]

hey guys, does anyone know which australian universities we are eligible to apply to for medicine after OLY if we don't get through?

https://www.medstudentsonline.com.au/f116/oly1-failing-what-next-18901/

^ Might help

 

[Tupac4life]

Non standard entry available in: James Cook University QLD, University of New South Wales NSW, University of Western Sydney NSW, University of Tasmania TAS, University of Newcastle are all I know of currently that accept such candidates though it's best to check up with each of these universities.*:unsure:

hey guys, does anyone know which australian universities we are eligible to apply to for medicine after OLY if we don't get through?