Graduate Entry Medicine Advice Requests

[Crow]

Great news if the two failed subjects were semester one, not so great if they were semester two...

Oops, optimistic assumption on my part! Though it’s good that they choose to drop the lower scoring subjects where possible as opposed to the higher scoring ones.

 

[student2828]

If you’re a NZ citizen this makes you ineligible for BMP places which unfortunately excludes you from a significant portion of places that other applicants have access to; this means that you’ll need to perform higher than the average Australian applicant needs to to have a reasonable chance at admission

Hi Crow,
is it not possible for me to apply for BMP spots if I get an Australian Permanent Resident Visa?
I'm not too sure how it works exactly but I've heard it's possible.

 

[Crow]

Hi Crow,
is it not possible for me to apply for BMP spots if I get an Australian Permanent Resident Visa?
I'm not too sure how it works exactly but I've heard it's possible.

Department of Health | Bonded Medical Places commonly asked questions

The BMP Scheme is open to Australian citizens, permanent residents of Australia and New Zealand citizens who held a New Zealand Special Category Visa on or before 26 February 2001.

Yes, if you're a permanent resident then you are also eligible.

 

[exodus3]

Hi guys just wanting some advice. I am a Nursing student about to graduate and recently sat the gamsat with a score of 51 (not impressive i know). I have a GPA of about 6.1 and have 4 year experience in working with adults with disabilities. Although i don't have an impressive Gamsat score or GPA, i wonder if my portfolio may be enough to be possibly considered for UNDS or whether to just save my money? I am not rural student but i have a parent with a disability, along with my now nursing career i thought maybe this may help. If not, i was considering sitting the UCAT.

 

[A1]

Hi guys just wanting some advice. I am a Nursing student about to graduate and recently sat the gamsat with a score of 51 (not impressive i know). I have a GPA of about 6.1 and have 4 year experience in working with adults with disabilities. Although i don't have an impressive Gamsat score or GPA, i wonder if my portfolio may be enough to be possibly considered for UNDS or whether to just save my money? I am not rural student but i have a parent with a disability, along with my now nursing career i thought maybe this may help. If not, i was considering sitting the UCAT.

Hi welcome to MSO. According to this webpage > Australian Graduate Medical Schools - Admission Requirements | 2019-2020
UNDS/F count GPA+GAMSAT 66% Portfolio 33%, UoW 60%/40%. As such I doubt that your portfolio score will be sufficient to compensate.

The GAMSAT cutoffs for these 3 schools last year were 55-56 & 59.

I think you have better chances with UCAT and applying to JCU, JMP, WSU, Curtin, and UNSW if your ATAR was 98+. All the best.

 

[Smelly Boy]

Hey gang

Just a quick question on preferences. I saw the pagingdr forum compiled 2019 entry scores & the scores across the board have really decreased - I think it’s to do with the gamsat curve shifting to the left more. Also I saw scores a bit lower than mine getting into a few unis of my preferences.

I feel that it’s pretty likely that I get an interview so I was wondering do I preference the unis as I actually want them (just like undergrad where you choose which uni you like best first) or is there a game you have to play with preferences depending on your scores & portfolio strength etc.

If there is a game then don’t worry about explaining it if it’s too complicated. I’ll look it up after my last final exam tomorrow.

My GPA will probably end up being about 6.75 weighted & 6.70 for Melbourne. Gamsat is 66 & 64.33 for Melbourne (57, 64, 72). Also eligible for deakin +2 bonus & maybe melbourne’s Bonus (though Melbourne is a bit more tough to get special consideration for & I think they don’t tell you if you are getting the bonus).

 

[A1]

I feel that it’s pretty likely that I get an interview so I was wondering do I preference the unis as I actually want them (just like undergrad where you choose which uni you like best first) or is there a game you have to play with preferences depending on your scores & portfolio strength etc.

Congrats on your great GPA.

There was a preferencing dilemma with UQ making place offers at the stage the other schools only inviting to interviews i.e. despite a sufficient Gamsat score you wouldn't get a UQ's 1st round offer due to waiting for your #1 pref's interview; then if you missed out #1 post-interview you could miss out UQ too if its 2nd round's cutoff had risen higher. No longer the case I hope.

That aside there is still a difference compared to undergrad - you get one interview instead of multiple for the Gemsas schools. Your prefs are A then B (with B being higher chances). You get an interview at A, miss out a place offer there, your interview score at A is passed to B for consideration. There have been questions whether B would consider your A interview fairly against the applicants they interview themselves at B.

If you trust them to be fair to all, then yeah no difference to undergrad.

 

[Crow]

I feel that it’s pretty likely that I get an interview so I was wondering do I preference the unis as I actually want them (just like undergrad where you choose which uni you like best first) or is there a game you have to play with preferences depending on your scores & portfolio strength etc.

As A1 alludes to above the only past “gaming” the system may have been with UQ but that’s irrelevant now that they are doing interviews like the rest of the schools.

I don’t want to be a downer but I wouldn’t be TOO overconfident about getting an interview if you’re a non-rural - the cutoff scores, while relatively predictable, can catch people by surprise sometimes. A combo of 1.62 is probably on the borderline/low side for a lot of schools, and a lower average GAMSAT for you will probably rule out Melb and UQ (Melb obviously being dependent on the graduate access outcome). Your scores are nevertheless something to be proud of - just want you to make sure you’ve got a back up plan in place should things not go your way.

I’m not sure what you’re currently thinking for preferences but I’d definitely have Deakin and at least one of the portfolio schools in there.

Good luck, looking forward to hearing how you go.

 

[Smelly Boy]

Cheers A1 & Crow. Always so quick to help

I’ll make sure I don’t get too complacent Crow. It’s just that when I was seeing the scores for 2019 entry, there were so many people with <1.60 combo scores getting CSP, non-rural spots in non portfolio schools so it made me feel a bit hopeful.

My preferences FYI:
1. Notre dame Sydney
2. UoW
3. ANU
4. UniMelb
5. Deakin
6. Griffith

Will let you peeps know how my application goes. Thanks again for the replies