General Medicine Entry Discussion and Advice Requests

[TimesCrawler]

Your highest chance for getting into med is to withdraw from uni first. Don't redo the whole of Y12, only do English (to meet prereqs) plus redo one ATAR subject with the lowest mark. You can improve your ATAR to 99.70+ which will most likely get you Griffith or at worst SCU.

Doing this you then have more time/energy to prep for UCAT, hopefully that will make you more competitive for the other schools too.

EtA: Btw for your info an MSO guy last year redid one HSC subject improved his ATAR from 99.10 to 99.55, and with an excellent UCAT score got four med offers this year.

Just called up a high school career counsellor, and I would need a score of 19.9+/20 in one SACE subject to improve my ATAR to a 99.70. In 2019 my SACE subjects had scores of around 19.8 and 19.7. Griffith has said that they do offer English bridging courses for those who didn't meet the English pre-reqs, but it's a bit of a gamble to assume my ATAR will still be competitive for their 2021 med applications, considering that the cut-off in previous years has been 99.75+.

 

[A1]

Just called up a high school career counsellor, and I would need a score of 19.9+/20 in one SACE subject to improve my ATAR to a 99.70. In 2019 my SACE subjects had scores of around 19.8 and 19.7.

According to this pdf > https://www.satac.edu.au/documents/aggregate_to_atar_conversion_table_2019.pdf

lowest 99.60 was 87.90 lowest 99.70 was 88.30, so you will need to find an extra 0.4 aggregate to improve to 99.70.

It's puzzling that if all your scores were around 19.7-19.8 you would have had 88.80 aggregate (instead of 87.90). Which means you may have had one or two subjects with low 19s from which you can try to gain the extra 0.4 .

99.70s have been known to get Griffith Nathan in previous years. At least it will almost certainly get you USC-Griffith.

 

[TimesCrawler]

According to this pdf > https://www.satac.edu.au/documents/aggregate_to_atar_conversion_table_2019.pdf

lowest 99.60 was 87.90 lowest 99.70 was 88.30, so you will need to find an extra 0.4 aggregate to improve to 99.70.

It's puzzling that if all your scores were around 19.7-19.8 you would have had 88.80 aggregate (instead of 87.90). Which means you may have had one or two subjects with low 19s from which you can try to gain the extra 0.4 .

99.70s have been known to get Griffith Nathan in previous years. At least it will almost certainly get you SCU/Griffith.

Yeah, so my scores were 19.9, 19.8, 19.7, 19.4 (from Spec Maths) with a 9.1 in RP, for an aggregate of 87.90. Sorry for the confusion. I guess I could try and redo Spec and aim for a 19.9..

 

[ucatboy]

Yeah, so my scores were 19.9, 19.8, 19.7, 19.4 (from Spec Maths) with a 9.1 in RP, for an aggregate of 87.90. Sorry for the confusion. I guess I could try and redo Spec and aim for a 19.9..

I think the greatest area for improvement would be RP for you, because that's only a 18.2/20 equivalent. I'm not too familiar with SACE, having done the IB myself, but I'm also from SA and if I recall correctly what my SACE friends said, you can do a fifth full subject to replace the RP? Honestly it's quite difficult to improve on a 19+ which all your other subjects are and any improvement will be marginal, so replacing/retaking RP would be your best bet imo. I may be wrong and it might not be possible though so it's best that you check with your school or SACE themselves.

 

[TimesCrawler]

I think the greatest area for improvement would be RP for you, because that's only a 18.2/20 equivalent. I'm not too familiar with SACE, having done the IB myself, but I'm also from SA and if I recall correctly what my SACE friends said, you can do a fifth full subject to replace the RP? Honestly it's quite difficult to improve on a 19+ which all your other subjects are and any improvement will be marginal, so replacing/retaking RP would be your best bet imo. I may be wrong and it might not be possible though so it's best that you check with your school or SACE themselves.

Yeah, you make a fair point. Thank you so much for your help.

 

[garmonbozia]

Hi,
I'm currently in Yr 12, and definitely feeling underprepared, I may take a gap year to prepare for the UCAT for entry into UNSW Med depending on my ATAR.

I would encourage you to read this thread: Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants

1. Is aiming for entry this way harder than trying to apply straight after school?

No, not necessarily. UNSW doesn't have separate quotas for school leavers / non-standard applicants.

2. I'm wary of transferring from Med Sci, I know there are only 15 spots and it is even more competitive than normal entry.. this wouldn't be recommended right?

You are right to be wary of Med Sci - read the pitfalls thread linked above for a fuller explanation of why it is such a bad idea.

3. Even though last year's LSR was 96.2 that pretty much means u need a crazy ucat score and have wowed the hell out of them at the interview - I take one subjective subject so I'm not sure how the HSC markers will feel about my MW, this may drag my atar down.. should I even bother taking a gap year if my atar doesn't exceed 97.5?.. or please suggest any other score

The lowest selection rank you have quoted includes rural applicants as well as those who enter via the Indigenous pathway, both of which don't require as high an ATAR as the standard pathway. For comparison, the lowest non-rural ATAR (with no other supporting schemes / factors) invited to interview last year was around 99.25. Therefore, if you aren't applying under the rural, Indigenous, or disadvantage schemes, a 97.50 ATAR won't suffice, no matter how high a UCAT score you get.

4. Can I be in first year commerce and apply for the course as a non-standard applicant? How hard is this and do I have to be studying at unsw?

Yes, you can apply to UNSW as a non-standard applicant from any university. This thread might be helpful: Non-standard Medicine Entry

5. I'm aware I should utilise my time volunteering etc during the gap year (which I'm more than happy to do because I enjoy it) - To what extent and how many hours should I aim for? I know it is VERY competitive. It is expected I partake in overseas volunteering etc, I just wanted to know the standard

There is no set quota of hours that you must do, nor is there a requirement that you go on some glitzy overseas "voluntourism" package - that would be ridiculous. (In fact there is no explicit requirement that you do work experience or volunteering at all.) The important thing is that you have done some extracurricular activities which demonstrate (a) that you possess qualities relevant to the practice of medicine, and (b) that you have a passion for medicine. Remember also that basically every applicant will have done some work experience or volunteering (whether at a hospital, a GP clinic, with an ambulance service, in a nursing home, or non-medicine-related, whatever), and so it isn't impressive at all if you simply mention that you did some volunteer work - you need to be able to talk about what you gained from them as a person.

*Sigh is this already a doomed fate? Am I just being stubborn? UNSW only invites 450 students for an interview and only half get accepted.. so why would they even pick me?? I don't want to be pessimistic but there are so many discouraging factors I would appreciate any general advice too

Your figures are slightly off - see this infographic from the Year 12 UNSW Medicine Information Evening 2019:


Also, what do you mean by "aspiring medical examiner" (in your title)?

 

[Wolverine]

To clarify, are you only applying for UNSW med? Or other medical schools too?

 

[son5050]

I would encourage you to read this thread: Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants

No, not necessarily. UNSW doesn't have separate quotas for school leavers / non-standard applicants.

You are right to be wary of Med Sci - read the pitfalls thread linked above for a fuller explanation of why it is such a bad idea.

The lowest selection rank you have quoted includes rural applicants as well as those who enter via the Indigenous pathway, both of which don't require as high an ATAR as the standard pathway. For comparison, the lowest non-rural ATAR (with no other supporting schemes / factors) invited to interview last year was around 99.25. Therefore, if you aren't applying under the rural or Indigenous entry schemes, a 97.50 ATAR won't suffice, no matter how high a UCAT score you get.

Yes, you can apply to UNSW as a non-standard applicant from any university. This thread might be helpful: Non-standard Medicine Entry

There is no set quota of hours that you must do, nor is there a requirement that you go on some glitzy overseas "voluntourism" package - that would be ridiculous. (In fact there is no explicit requirement that you do work experience or volunteering at all.) The important thing is that you have done some extracurricular activities which demonstrate (a) that you possess qualities relevant to the practice of medicine, and (b) that you have a passion for medicine. Remember also that basically every applicant will have done some work experience or volunteering (whether at a hospital, a GP clinic, with an ambulance service, in a nursing home, or non-medicine-related, whatever), and so it isn't impressive at all if you simply mention that you did some volunteer work - you need to be able to talk about what you gained from them as a person.

Your figures are slightly off - see this infographic from the Year 12 UNSW Medicine Information Evening 2019:
View attachment 3325

Also, what do you mean by "aspiring medical examiner" (in your title)?

Hi ! Thank you so much for all the information and wow you answered all of them I'll check out the other threads.
As for the ATAR cut off it was 96.2 for local and 91.45 for rural students... so perhaps I may have a decent chance with 97.5+?
"Aspiring medical examiner" as in my goal is to be an anatomic pathologist, medical examiner

To clarify, are you only applying for UNSW med? Or other medical schools too?

Hi !
I was thinking of WSU and even Unimelb and Monash.. which I know UNSW included are all very competitive

 

[Crow]

As for the ATAR cut off it was 96.2 for local and 91.45 for rural students... so perhaps I may have a decent chance with 97.5+?

I assume the 96.2 for non-rural applicants was for those with EAS bonuses; UNSW set a 99.25 ATAR cutoff to receive an interview this year, so I assume it will be similar next year.

"Aspiring medical examiner" as in my goal is to be an anatomic pathologist, medical examiner

How did you come to this career goal? It's an incredibly specific specialty for you to already be in pursuit of as a Year 12 student!

I was thinking of WSU and even Unimelb and Monash.. which I know UNSW included are all very competitive

Why these unis, but not others in Australia? Your best chance of getting into medicine will be to apply broadly; you're greatly limiting your chances of success by picking (arguably) four of the most difficult ones to get into in the country.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi ! Thank you so much for all the information and wow you answered all of them I'll check out the other threads.
As for the ATAR cut off it was 96.2 for local and 91.45 for rural students... so perhaps I may have a decent chance with 97.5+?
"Aspiring medical examiner" as in my goal is to be an anatomic pathologist, medical examiner


Hi !
I was thinking of WSU and even Unimelb and Monash.. which I know UNSW included are all very competitive

I imagine 96.2 was local with adjustment factors (EAS or SCATS) because UNSW confirmed their lowest non-rural, non-adjusted ATAR was 99.25. 97.5 with no adjustments wouldn’t be even close to an interview, unfortunately. You can also check out the data we collected here.

 

[son5050]

I imagine 96.2 was local with adjustment factors (EAS or SCATS) because UNSW confirmed their lowest non-rural, non-adjusted ATAR was 99.25. 97.5 with no adjustments wouldn’t be even close to an interview, unfortunately. You can also check out the data we collected here.

Oh right...... I guess I've just got to hope the hsc markers like my major work
btw, do you happen to know the stats for WSU or any other unis?

thank you so much for answering !

 

[Crow]

btw, do you happen to know the stats for WSU or any other unis?

Check out the interview and offers sub-forums - all the data is collated there for your viewing.

 

[son5050]

I assume the 96.2 for non-rural applicants was for those with EAS bonuses; UNSW set a 99.25 ATAR cutoff to receive an interview this year, so I assume it will be similar next year.
Oh right...... I guess I've just got to hope the hsc markers like my major work
btw, do you happen to know the stats for WSU or any other unis?

How did you come to this career goal? It's an incredibly specific specialty for you to already be in pursuit of as a Year 12 student!
Actually I've always been very passionate about forensics and in late primary, early hs I wanted to be a detective..at the same time my ultimate goal was to change the world, I want to help with the research, I want to find cures, medicine etc anything ! and as I got into my senior years I realised this was all under the branch of pathology. Plus.. I have a huge huge interest in autopsies

Why these unis, but not others in Australia? Your best chance of getting into medicine will be to apply broadly; you're greatly limiting your chances of success by picking (arguably) four of the most difficult ones to get into in the country.

I think I'm just trying to aim high first and see what I can do from there I think I'm also very worried about employability but idk how all of that really works.. apparently the school doesn't affect it that much?

Also, thank you so much for all your responses !

 

[garmonbozia]

Oh right...... I guess I've just got to hope the hsc markers like my major work

As someone who did a major work during their HSC last year, I don't understand this defeatist fixation on the small element of luck involved in the marking of your major work - in the end, the mark you receive for your major work will comprise only a fraction of the overall mark you receive for that subject, which itself will only be a small fraction of your HSC units of study. Surely it is more fruitful to have a positive attitude and to spread your attentions equally across all of your subjects, rather than being fixated on this one relatively small component of your ATAR. Plus, in my experience, the marking is not nearly as subjective and unpredictable as it may seem from the outside.

I think I'm also very worried about employability but idk how all of that really works.. apparently the school doesn't affect it that much?

If you're planning on working as a doctor in Australia when you graduate, the medical school you got your degree from has absolutely no bearing on your employment prospects at any stage.

 

[whatup245]

what kind of benefits can one recieve for non - standard entry besides indgienous? is EAS still valid?

 

[TKAO]

what kind of benefits can one recieve for non - standard entry besides indgienous? is EAS still valid?

Certain forms of EAS are valid, this varies depending on which university you apply to. E.G I think UNSW uses EAS for undergraduate applicants but SCATS for non-standards so it really depends on how the application process works. Another benefit that is still valid as a non-standard is being rural, but if you weren't rural by the time you applied as an undergraduate, it is unlikely that you are rural now either.

 

[A1]

what kind of benefits can one recieve for non - standard entry besides indgienous? is EAS still valid?

Narrowing down to the 6 schools that accept non-standard entry JCU JMP WSU UNSW Bond Curtin, five of them give no general EAS considerations even to school leavers (other than local factors like GWS resident for WSU, low-SES WA schools for Curtin...). That leaves just UNSW which uses SCATS as TKAO has mentioned.

 

[AspiringMedKid]

I sat the HSC in 2019 and will sit the UCAT this year (didn't sit it last year).

I got an ATAR of 97.65 and won't be studying full-time this year at Uni due to other responsibilities. I'm mainly targeting these Uni's:

UWS
UON/UNE JMP
Monash
UNSW
JCU
Adelaide (not sure if they'd let me apply tho)

Anyone know whether I'd have a good chance of getting into any of these Uni's (especially UWS, UON/UNE JMP, JCU) assuming I get a UCAT percentile between 90-95?
Also, are there other Uni's that'd accept non-standard entry for part-time Uni students?

 

[A1]

Hi, welcome to MSO.

Even if part-time you will have a uni academic record which will exclude you from Monash & Adelaide (unless you are studying there).

You can apply to JCU but with a part-time first year I'm not sure whether they will count your ATAR or GPA. If ATAR there have been the odd success stories with non-rural 97ish, but very few.

UNSW is practically out of reach with 97.65 regardless of GPA. That leaves just WSU and JMP as your realistic options. Best of luck.

EtA: Read the Interview Invites collated data or see this table for the likely UCAT scores you need
> [Undergrad] - (2020 Updated) Med schools Selection Criteria Y12s & Non-standards

 

[ucatboy]

I sat the HSC in 2019 and will sit the UCAT this year (didn't sit it last year).

I got an ATAR of 97.65 and won't be studying full-time this year at Uni due to other responsibilities. I'm mainly targeting these Uni's:

UWS
UON/UNE JMP
Monash
UNSW
JCU
Adelaide (not sure if they'd let me apply tho)

Anyone know whether I'd have a good chance of getting into any of these Uni's (especially UWS, UON/UNE JMP, JCU) assuming I get a UCAT percentile between 90-95?
Also, are there other Uni's that'd accept non-standard entry for part-time Uni students?

Ngl Monash is kinda cooked. If last year is anything to go by, being an interstater (you did the HSC in UNSW right?) means you gotta pass a ~99.5 ATAR hurdle then get ranked on your UCAT, which cuts off somewhere in the ~3000 zone.

Your chances at Adelaide are extremely slim with 97.65 + 90-95 but not zero - a few offers were reported on here with scores in that ballpark.