General Interview Discussion and Questions 2020 Entry

[Meddie]

I've only done MMIs (and was successful in 2/2), no panel interviews, but I didn't use medical terminology at all in any response. The stations were not set up to require this as the (obvious) assumption is that you don't have medical training (yet). I don't think it would be disadvantageous to use the terminology (if relevant, don't shoe-horn it into an answer where it's not necessary or you will look like you're trotting out practiced answers - which would probably be the truth), but at the same time, I also doubt medical terminology of any kind would be the 'right answer' on its own. It will be more about the themes and coherence of your total response, rather than your 'dropping' of some specific terminology.

Thanks for the advice! I guess I should just talk about the concepts in general rather than using the terms.

 

[Meddie]

Another question - for Monash, do several applicants go into the interview room at once or do the panels meet one applicant at a time?

 

[A1]

Another question - for Monash, do several applicants go into the interview room at once or do the panels meet one applicant at a time?

It's MMI at Monash so a circuit of 8 applicants go to their 8 stations (one each ofc) at the same time, then they rotate to the next station. There are usually 3-4 circuits happening simultaneously.

 

[A1]

Can you apply to Medicine at schools like UWA, after taking the UCAT in your gap year? Asking this was because my friend was planning on taking the UCAT during his gap year. Is a gap year not considered a non-standard?

A gap year applicant is treated the same as school leavers by all med schools except UQ (must be doing Y12, or some Y12 subjects in the gap year). Also excluded by USyd & UMelb but few 99.95/.90s take a gap year anyway.

 

[medhopeful2001x]

I know most unis get their applicants to sign an NDA, so if my question doesn't allow an answer, please don't feel compelled by any means.

My question however is not about the specific question, rather the structure of the MMI style interviews. I understand there is a scenario, from which you're presented a series of questions. I've heard Monash is highly standardised with 5 questions per station. Is this true of other unis such as UWS & JMP where there is also the 2/8min split per station?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

I know most unis get their applicants to sign an NDA, so if my question doesn't allow an answer, please don't feel compelled by any means.

My question however is not about the specific question, rather the structure of the MMI style interviews. I understand there is a scenario, from which you're presented a series of questions. I've heard Monash is highly standardised with 5 questions per station. Is this true of other unis such as UWS & JMP where there is also the 2/8min split per station?

I imagine all MMIs are highly standardised in their own way to ensure consistent marking, but they definitely differ between universities, and even between stations at the same university. I interviewed at both WSU and JMP a couple of years ago and the stations varied quite widely, both between the two unis and within each uni. You might go from a role play station to a “tell us about a time you experienced X” station to a puzzle-type station, for example. But that didn’t mean they weren’t each highly standardised from a delivery and marking perspective.

 

[Deleted member 37402]

If an applicant were to be offered an interview from UNSW or for the JMProgram, does this means that he has satisfied its UCAT requirement therefore he is at the next stage of the application process?

 

[CatzDreaming]

If an applicant were to be offered an interview from UNSW or for the JMProgram, does this means that he has satisfied its UCAT requirement therefore he is at the next stage of the application process?

Yep

 

[A1]

If an applicant were to be offered an interview from UNSW or for the JMProgram, does this means that he has satisfied its UCAT requirement therefore he is at the next stage of the application process?

Yes but there is a major difference between these two next stages. With JMP the UCAT that got you an interview is no further relevant, with UNSW the ATAR+UCAT that got you an interview still count like two-thirds of place offer ranking. Which means some start this last leg with a big head start while some from way behind the starting line.

 

[Deleted member 37402]

Yes but there is a major difference between these two next stages. With JMP the UCAT that got you an interview is no further relevant, with UNSW the ATAR+UCAT that got you an interview still count like two-thirds of place offer ranking. Which means some start this last leg with a big head start while some from way behind the starting line.

Thank you for answering my query. I'm still being haunted by the ghost of UCAT past. This is worst than the Olympics!

 

[Christina B]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum or has already been asked elsewhere-

What is the go on medical experience or past volunteering (medical or otherwise)?

I'm hoping to get interviews at Western Sydney and Newcastle- do I need to have some experience to discuss in interview? Any advice on getting this experience?

Many thanks

 

[ponyswordz]

How do I submit my GPA to UAC, SATAC and QTAC? I have only done 0.5 FTE and would not know my final 1.0 FTE GPA until early december. Mainly inquiring for the UNSW medicine interviews. I heard about buying some UAC GPA check thing that converts your GPA to a rank but won't it be too late by the time early december comes for my updated GPA? Thanks.

 

[A1]

How do I submit my GPA to UAC, SATAC and QTAC? I have only done 0.5 FTE and would not know my final 1.0 FTE GPA until early december. Mainly inquiring for the UNSW medicine interviews. I heard about buying some UAC GPA check thing that converts your GPA to a rank but won't it be too late by the time early december comes for my updated GPA? Thanks.

It's part of the application fees you pay the TACs. It's their job to use your uni student number to get the grades directly from your uni then do the GPA-to-Rank calculation.

> Qualifications Assessment Service - UAC

UAC will assess your qualifications as part of the standard application assessment process. (Separately) You can have your qualifications assessed before you apply through UAC’s Qualifications Assessment Service if, for example:

• you want to find out if you are likely to be eligible for tertiary study

 

[ponyswordz]

It's part of the application fees you pay the TACs. It's their job to use your uni student number to get the grades directly from your uni then do the GPA-to-Rank calculation.

> Qualifications Assessment Service - UAC

On that note, when does UAC grab the grades from my uni? Is it like an autoupdate thing where as soon as my 1.0 FTE gpa becomes available, they use that in combination with ATAR to send the UNSW invites? How do I know they use the updated gpa?

 

[TKAO]

Sorry if this is the wrong forum or has already been asked elsewhere-

What is the go on medical experience or past volunteering (medical or otherwise)?

I'm hoping to get interviews at Western Sydney and Newcastle- do I need to have some experience to discuss in interview? Any advice on getting this experience?

Many thanks

There is no inherent need to do volunteering. While some people do it to pad their potential content to talk about in an interview, you can test your motives for doing medicine and your interpersonal skills by demonstrating work in other areas. eg. volunteering at a homeless shelter or working in a soup kitchen etc. etc. These are likely to test the same skills that will ultimately show why you want to do medicine.

I'd say that yes you should do volunteering of some kind - does not have to be medical, but do something you enjoy that will ultimately be the BEST way of demonstrating your soft skills. If you go to a hospital to volunteer for the hell of it, don't go at all. Do something you enjoy that you can extract qualities that you've shown from during an interview.

YMMV, but my school offers dozens of volunteering opportunities, and a little bit of a google search around your area will help you find places to volunteer too. Other things could be religiously affliated or part of a larger organisation. Op shops are a good one too. If you want to go to a hospital, that's a lot harder to do just because there aren't very well established systems involved to allow students that are not even medical students to volunteer at. Unless you know someone on the inside or have a good relationship with admin, it would be hard. I'd recommend that if you wanted to do something medical, look at your GP or dentist to help to hook you up. Chances are that they are private and hence would have to cut through less red tape to get anything done.

 

[A1]

On that note, when does UAC grab the grades from my uni? Is it like an autoupdate thing where as soon as my 1.0 FTE gpa becomes available, they use that in combination with ATAR to send the UNSW invites? How do I know they use the updated gpa?

I have read somewhere the TACs (or at least UAC) will do a final round of ATAR/GPA update early January to be ready for offers calculation. Thus UNSW says your academic results must be available by early January to be considered.

As for interview selection my guess is when UNSW releases invites on/around 17 Dec, if your year-end results are not yet available they will provisionally use your 1st semester results. If that's not enough to get an interview but after the UAC January update (with year-end results) you are high enough they will invite you to the interstate round. I vaguely remember it has happened like that.

 

[ABT123]

I have read somewhere the TACs (or at least UAC) will do a final round of ATAR/GPA update early January to be ready for offers calculation. Thus UNSW says your academic results must be available by early January to be considered.

As for interview selection my guess is when UNSW releases invites on/around 17 Dec, if your year-end results are not yet available they will provisionally use your 1st semester results. If that's not enough to get an interview but after the UAC January update (with year-end results) you are high enough they will invite you to the interstate round. I vaguely remember it has happened like that.

Just a thought, but if they don’t have the 2nd sem results by 17 Dec, given that UNSW only looks at GPA when 0.75+ FTE has been completed, could the interview be based solely on ATAR/UCAT in that case?

 

[A1]

Just a thought, but if they don’t have the 2nd sem results by 17 Dec, given that UNSW only looks at GPA when 0.75+ FTE has been completed, could the interview be based solely on ATAR/UCAT in that case?

I don't think so. The 0.75+ FTE rule counts to end of year, even if they don't have your 2nd semester results by 17 Dec they do see your enrollment record showing you've done 1 FTE by end of year.

 

[ABT123]

I don't think so. The 0.75+ FTE rule counts to end of year, even if they don't have your 2nd semester results by 17 Dec they do see your enrollment record showing you've done 1 FTE by end of year.

Damn that’s kinda annoying especially seeing how a 6.5+ GPA converts to a mere 98 for less than one FTE (according to the table), which would pretty much put me out of any real chance with a regular round interview.
Just to clarify though — what do you mean by enrolment record? I assumed UNSW would simply just receive something from UAC with the number of FTE competed and the UAC rank at the time

 

[A1]

Damn that’s kinda annoying especially seeing how a 6.5+ GPA converts to a mere 98 for less than one FTE (according to the table), which would pretty much put me out of any real chance with a regular round interview.

I'd expect them to use your 1st semester's GPA but on 1 FTE basis. Note the keyword provisionally (for the interview invite only), at the offer stage they will have your full-year GPA & equiv Rank.

Just to clarify though — what do you mean by enrolment record? I assumed UNSW would simply just receive something from UAC with the number of FTE competed and the UAC rank at the time

The UNSW team would be too busy to bother with your enrolment record. They let UAC deal with that chore and give them just your UCAT & equiv rank (inclusive of GPA conversion or any EAS bonus), that's all UNSW want.