Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants

[realmadrid000]

I fully agree with all posts by Mana in this thread (note: I am a biomed graduate myself), and I don’t think it changes depending on the university that one attends.

Yeah I fully agree with them too, however, her points do seem well-founded to myself. Med Sci or even BSci at USYD do seem to put a person in a better position to succeed. If this doesn't happen, its not the end of the world as pharmacy is an avenue.

Just my 2 cents ahaha

 

[ucatboy]

Yeah I fully agree with them too, however, her points do seem well-founded to myself. Med Sci or even BSci at USYD do seem to put a person in a better position to succeed. If this doesn't happen, its not the end of the world as pharmacy is an avenue.

Just my 2 cents ahaha

10% chance of working as a doctor one year earlier and 90% chance of working as a pharmacist one year later.

By the way, wouldn't her employment as a pharmacist help her get through medical school financially? And also, to quote you, "she doesnt fuss starting a year later because she'll end up working as a pharmacist for the next 20 years or whatever lol.", couldn't the same principle be extended to medicine?

 

[Crow]

By the way, wouldn't her employment as a pharmacist help her get through medical school financially?

Not only this, but (obviously this is anecdotal) as a graduate entry student I’ve been fortunate enough to have a pharmacist in all four of my PBL groups, and they by far have outshone themselves compared to the rest of the group (which predominantly consists of medical science graduates) in every way possible - this goes for any physios I’ve been with too. I genuinely believe both of these degrees set you up for medicine better than medical science does.

 

[realmadrid000]

10% chance of working as a doctor one year earlier and 90% chance of working as a pharmacist one year later.

By the way, wouldn't her employment as a pharmacist help her get through medical school financially? And also, to quote you, "she doesnt fuss starting a year later because she'll end up working as a pharmacist for the next 20 years or whatever lol.", couldn't the same principle be extended to medicine?

Yeah most definitely, but working as a doctor one year earlier is in most cases more beneficial than as a pharmacist.

Not only this, but (obviously this is anecdotal) as a graduate entry student I’ve been fortunate enough to have a pharmacist in all four of my PBL groups, and they by far have outshone themselves compared to the rest of the group (which predominantly consists of medical science graduates) in every way possible - this goes for any physios I’ve been with too. I genuinely believe both of these degrees set you up for medicine better than medical science does.

Yeah that seems to be what I have heard.

 

[Deleted member 35034]

Yeah I fully agree with them too, however, her points do seem well-founded to myself. Med Sci or even BSci at USYD do seem to put a person in a better position to succeed. If this doesn't happen, its not the end of the world as pharmacy is an avenue.

Just my 2 cents ahaha

Perhaps both you and your friend should do MedSci or BSci together at USYD and that way you can provide support and reassurance to each other throughout the degree - that your decision is correct. You both seem fairly confident as it is. Hope it works out for you...both.

 

[jebhank123]

Do you think its an ok idea to: do a science degree for a high gpa to apply non standard, and if that doesn't work apply for a degree thatll give me better career prospects?

 

[Mana]

Do you think its an ok idea to: do a science degree for a high gpa to apply non standard, and if that doesn't work apply for a degree thatll give me better career prospects?

No.

Sounds strictly worse than applying for a degree that will give you better career prospects off the bat. If you want to do a degree for the "GPA", you have a better shot at doing it in a career degree (where people are aiming to pass) as opposed to a non-career degree (where people are aiming to get a high GPA for a shot at a second course).

 

[Crow]

Do you think its an ok idea to: do a science degree for a high gpa to apply non standard, and if that doesn't work apply for a degree thatll give me better career prospects?

Why not just do the degree that'll give you better career prospects from the start? There seems to be an idea that studying a science or medical science degree makes it easier to achieve a higher GPA - I haven't seen any data to support that theory though.

 

[Smelly Boy]

So know I have no idea on what to do. And I'll automatically rule out psychology and nursing (for reasons I can't be bothered typing). Any other allied healths I could possible consider??

How about audiology?

Audiology
Being an audiologist sounded very rewarding to me due to my internship at the ‘hearing company’. You become completely immersed into the lives of families and work very closely with people for a long time. When working with cochlear implant (an implant that helps those with profound or congenital deafness/extreme hearing loss hear again) recipients, you are their gatekeeper to good hearing for life really. You adjust the sounds that the implant picks up, adjust the mapping of sounds so that the recipient can better enjoy music they used to love/have grown to love and now they even have an app where you can set the implant into different modes e.g. ignore all sounds coming from behind the recipient or even directly stream movies straight into your ear so that you can listen at full sound without disturbing anyone - how cool is that!? Helping someone get their sense of hearing back is so awesome (from the understanding I’ve gained working at the company) and this market is honestly so under-penetrated. In Australia, 5% of people who can benefit from a cochlear implant actually get one. The other 95% (for the most part) don’t know they even exist! So much exciting potential in audiology in my opinion. As with nursing, I highly suggest getting into touch with an audiologist OR even visiting macquarie uni (they’ve got info week on now & they have an audiology degree which they offer!). You could also call into an audiology clinic & see if the audiologist has time to speak to you

Also your ATAR is not dog shit it’s actually very high & something to be proud of Check out the Facebook VCE/HSC discussion group & see how many people froth over anything above an 85! Medicine entry sometimes makes you feel like it’s ‘dog shit’ and that’s a shame. You’re a very bright student with a fantastic achievement.

 

[Marnie]

So know I have no idea on what to do. And I'll automatically rule out psychology and nursing (for reasons I can't be bothered typing). Any other allied healths I could possible consider?? Someone correct me on my misconceptions? I really have no idea what I should do and the UAC thing closes at 12.

Have you considered paramedicine? I believe the ATAR cut-off is 90 (but don't quote me on that ha!) and from what my friend says, it seems like it's squarely in the medical field, fulfilling, and something that they really enjoy. I think the average 'life-expectancy' is 5 years though, and its high-paced nature tends to scare off students, which is completely fair - just food for thought.

Good luck with your choices!

 

[kaitlin.brown29]

Hi all,
I'm hoping to gain entry as a high-school leaver next year into medicine, however with my UCAT results I definitely think I need to work out an alternative plan. I put down a bachelor of science as my upgrade pathway preference as I was told by my school that this was really the only option. Now after reading this I am definitely second guessing it. I want to have employment options after I graduate, but I'm really stuck on what to add to my preferences. I was thinking physiotherapy as I would be more interested in that but also considering nursing.

My main question is, does anyone have any suggestions on what path they took or any advice? And also, if I didn't do a bachelor of science, would I be academically disadvantaged in terms of GPA, and would I still fulfil the prerequisites to gain entry into medicine. If it helps, I'm looking hopefully towards UQ so any specific advice for there would be great.

Thank you

 

[chinaski]

And also, if I didn't do a bachelor of science, would I be academically disadvantaged in terms of GPA, and would I still fulfil the prerequisites to gain entry into medicine.

Your GPA is largely ascertained by the work you put in and your inherent abilities, rather than the particular course you study per se. As such, you won't be "academically disadvantaged in terms of GPA" based on your degree enrolment. WRT pre-requisites, bear in mind that not all graduate schools mandate any pre-requisites. For those that do, you'd need to ensure you fulfill those requirements (either inside or outside [additional to] your degree).

 

[kaitlin.brown29]

Your GPA is largely ascertained by the work you put in and your inherent abilities, rather than the particular course you study per se. As such, you won't be "academically disadvantaged in terms of GPA" based on your degree enrolment. WRT pre-requisites, bear in mind that not all graduate schools mandate any pre-requisites. For those that do, you'd need to ensure you fulfill those requirements (either inside or outside [additional to] your degree).

Oh ok, so if my specific degree doesn’t cover it I could do it as a elective or something outside of my course?

 

[chinaski]

Oh ok, so if my specific degree doesn’t cover it I could do it as a elective or something outside of my course?

Yes. It's privy to check what the pre-requisites are ahead of time so you're not blindsided. However, bear in mind that no graduate entry course mandates a specific degree be completed. They'll all still consider any degree, provided you fulfill pre-requisites (if applicable).

 

[LouiseDisease]

Oh ok, so if my specific degree doesn’t cover it I could do it as a elective or something outside of my course?

there are many degrees that include the prerequisites needed for Melbourne med, which is by far the most stringent Postgrad med application where subjects are needed. There is no prereques for undergrad/non-standard med applications but JCU, which is chemistry.

Peruse this Prerequisites — MDHS Study and consider your options re degrees that have the subjects you need

 

[Crow]

there are many degrees that include the prerequisites needed for Melbourne med, which is by far the most stringent Postgrad med application where subjects are needed. There is no prereques for undergrad/non-standard med applications but JCU, which is chemistry.

Peruse this Prerequisites — MDHS Study and consider your options re degrees that have the subjects you need

Actually, good news for the OP - Melbourne is removing prerequisites for 2022 entry, so that won't affect any applicants entering university this year or later. Bad news: UQ has just introduced prerequisites. From memory if you study physio or nursing at UQ you can satisfy all prerequisites, but I suggest kaitlin.brown29 checks that via the UQ website to confirm.

Kaitlin: If you think you'd find physio most interesting, then you should do that! Don't ever let the potential for a higher/lower GPA to influence your choice of degree.

 

[KM7]

Hi all,

Anyone know the difference (roughly estimating) between % successful applicants (i.e. number of places against the number of applicants) by secondary school leavers VS higher education pathway (tertiary transfer) for MBBS at Uni of Adelaide?

Tossing up whether to take a gap year and use my high 99 ATAR vs doing a first-year uni course and having more competition at the upper end of GPA (6.5-7.0)...

I understand the pros/cons of the gap year - just want to know rough stats about the % successful applicants through either method.

Thanks in advance.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi all,

Anyone know the difference (roughly estimating) between % successful applicants (i.e. number of places against the number of applicants) by secondary school leavers VS higher education pathway (tertiary transfer) for MBBS at Uni of Adelaide?

Tossing up whether to take a gap year and use my high 99 ATAR vs doing a first-year uni course and having more competition at the upper end of GPA (6.5-7.0)...

I understand the pros/cons of the gap year - just want to know rough stats about the % successful applicants through either method.

Thanks in advance.

The good thing about TT at UAdel seems to be that they have space for “minimum 20” but don’t appear to have a cut off, meaning they could offer more than 20.

Given UAdel’s undergrad interview to offer ratio is about 8-9:1, and that we’ve seen in the past (I haven’t really looked this year, sorry) that the UMAT requirement for TT can be lower than for undergrad, it’s possible the interview to offer ratio is lower for TT students.

You could always try finding out the ‘stats’ from UAdel directly (ie. ask how many TT were interviewed and for how many places).

ETA: is UAdel your only target Uni? (Ie. have you ruled out interstate unis as you can’t/don’t want to move?). Also, if you’re happy to share, what was your UCAT?

 

[KM7]

The good thing about TT at UAdel seems to be that they have space for “minimum 20” but don’t appear to have a cut off, meaning they could offer more than 20.

Given UAdel’s undergrad interview to offer ratio is about 8-9:1, and that we’ve seen in the past (I haven’t really looked this year, sorry) that the UMAT requirement for TT can be lower than for undergrad, it’s possible the interview to offer ratio is lower for TT students.

You could always try finding out the ‘stats’ from UAdel directly (ie. ask how many TT were interviewed and for how many places).

ETA: is UAdel your only target Uni? (Ie. have you ruled out interstate unis as you can’t/don’t want to move?). Also, if you’re happy to share, what was your UCAT?

Is the UCAT requirement actually lower through TT or is that just a thought/rumour?

I have asked the Uni that question you mentioned and am awaiting a reply.

I am also open to considering Flinders. The UCAT I achieved in 2019 was below 90 and not competitive enough for either uni last year.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Is the UCAT requirement actually lower through TT or is that just a thought/rumour?

I have asked the Uni that question you mentioned and am awaiting a reply.

I am also open to considering Flinders. The UCAT I achieved in 2019 was below 90 and not competitive enough for either uni last year.

You’ll note I deliberately wrote “UMAT”, said “historically”, and pointed out that I’d not taken much notice of this year’s UAdel UCAT data. You could check out the preliminary info posted in our collated data thread yourself as a very rough guide for 2020 entry.

So, to clarify, you’re only interested in UAdel and Flinders? (Which is fine, btw, I much preferred a home state offer, too). And one final question, what exactly was your ATAR and are you eligible for UES?

ETA: whoops, that was two questions