Graduate Entry Medicine Advice Requests

[Crow]

I'm fairly sure the Sept 2020 is no good. Either because it's considered more than 2yo for 2023 intake, or ACER has a rule you can only sit Gamsat from the year before final year i.e. not in 1st year of a 3yr course.

To quote the GEMSAS site:

GAMSAT results are valid for two years: i.e. if you sat the March test in 2019 you may use the results obtained to apply for a graduate entry course commencing in 2020 and/or 2021. If you sit the September test in 2019 you may use the results obtained to apply for a graduate entry course commencing in 2021 and/or 2022.

If the September 2019 sitting can be used for 2022 entry, then September 2020 sitting can be used for 2023 entry.

 

[A1]

To quote the GEMSAS site: If the September 2019 sitting can be used for 2022 entry, then September 2020 sitting can be used for 2023 entry.

Can you check if the rule about penultimate year still exists, thanks.

EtA: I just checked, it still exists.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Can you check if the rule about penultimate year still exists, thanks.

EtA: I just checked, it still exists.

Yeah, tbh, this has always been my understanding, too.

 

[Al.]

Hi Everyone,
I recently finished an undergraduate degree in science (in SYDNEY) and my main aim was to get into Medicine. But because of my GPA and GMASAT score that wasn't possible.
Unfortunately with my degree, I won't be able to have a proper career other than a researcher.

Currently I am confused on what to study and should I move onto postgraduate study or do another undergraduate degree in hopes of boosting my GPA and sitting GAMSAT again, so I can get into medicine.

The reason I feel confused is that I don't want to waste another 3 years of my life studying a degree that I can't have a proper career with if I don't get into medicine.

So, I am seeking advice on what degrees you guys might recommend based on your experiences that might help me in getting into postgraduate medicine.
Also, should I study a degree in science to meet the prerequisites for entry into MD or I can study any degree in any area as long as I get a high GPA and GAMSAT score?

Any advice is appreciated
Thanks

 

[Sherlock]

Hi Al. Sorry to hear that you weren't able to get into medicine. It is unfortunately incredibly competitive due to the imbalance of supply and demand with overwhelming number of applicants and limited number of places available.

In terms of recommending degrees, that is not something we can do for you. It is up to you to recognise what you're interested in. However, we can help you in terms of pros and cons, opportunities and challenges of different careers (as we have members with various experiences on MSO) if you can outline what you are interested in first.

Given you have already completed a science degree, it is likely that you have met prerequisites for entry into graduate medicine. Additionally, when you have already recognised that a science degree as the one you've already done only allows you into a career in research, I am not sure why you would want to do something like that again if you don't have a strong interest in research (and if you do, you won't have to do the undergrad degree again!). For most universities (with the exception of two), it is possible to study any degree for undergraduate and get into medicine, as long as you also meet the GPA, GAMSAT and interview requirements.

Note that you can also apply for undergraduate medical schools (UNSW, JMP, JCU, Curtin) if you sit the UCAT and have a GPA above the requirements. I encourage you to read more about non-standard entry here on MSO as well as through the official university websites.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi Everyone,
I recently finished an undergraduate degree in science (in SYDNEY) and my main aim was to get into Medicine. But because of my GPA and GMASAT score that wasn't possible.
Unfortunately with my degree, I won't be able to have a proper career other than a researcher.

Currently I am confused on what to study and should I move onto postgraduate study or do another undergraduate degree in hopes of boosting my GPA and sitting GAMSAT again, so I can get into medicine.

The reason I feel confused is that I don't want to waste another 3 years of my life studying a degree that I can't have a proper career with if I don't get into medicine.

So, I am seeking advice on what degrees you guys might recommend based on your experiences that might help me in getting into postgraduate medicine.
Also, should I study a degree in science to meet the prerequisites for entry into MD or I can study any degree in any area as long as I get a high GPA and GAMSAT score?

Any advice is appreciated
Thanks

In addition to the excellent info Sherlock has already given you, and without wanting to dictate degree types to you, depending on your GPA (feel free to share it with us so we can guide you more accurately), you may want to look into degree pathways that involve doing honours, and then masters degrees that are career oriented and can be entered with a BSci or similar. Degrees such as postgraduate entry dietetics, speech pathology, occupational therapy, etc (and there would be so many more, these are just the ones I'm familiar with off the top of my head) could be options for you to consider given your interest in medicine and the fact there is some crossover here with regard to patient contact and health/medical settings. All the while, you can be applying via non-standard pathways (again, we'd need to know your GPA to guide you on this) as Sherlock has identified.

I only mention this as often people don't realise that, if you're prepared to do more study (and clearly you are), then you can still salvage an undergrad that currently feels pretty directionless and use it towards some really interesting and rewarding professions, so all is definitely not lost!

Again, as Sherlock mentioned, there are quite a few of us here who've entered Med after doing previous tertiary level study, and we can definitely help you out, but also have a look around the forum and, perhaps more importantly, have a bit of a think about career options (besides medicine, because that's a given) that might interest you.

 

[Al.]

Hi Sherlock, thanks for the reply.

My main interest is in the Medical and Sciences field. And I am confused as what degrees to do because I think most of the degrees will lead to a research career.

But, I was thinking about doing Bachelor of Medical Sciences at Macquarie University and then transferring to Postgraduate Physiotherapy within my First year. And Once I complete my Physiotherapy degree, I can still apply to medicine if I meet the GPA and GAMSAT requirements. If I don't get into medicine, I at least have a career as a physiotherapist.

Does this sound like a good pathway?

Also, Can someone please who has done medical science provide an insight into the degree and if you can have a career with it other than research?

Thanks

 

[Al.]

In addition to the excellent info Sherlock has already given you, and without wanting to dictate degree types to you, depending on your GPA (feel free to share it with us so we can guide you more accurately), you may want to look into degree pathways that involve doing honours, and then masters degrees that are career oriented and can be entered with a BSci or similar. Degrees such as postgraduate entry dietetics, speech pathology, occupational therapy, etc (and there would be so many more, these are just the ones I'm familiar with off the top of my head) could be options for you to consider given your interest in medicine and the fact there is some crossover here with regard to patient contact and health/medical settings. All the while, you can be applying via non-standard pathways (again, we'd need to know your GPA to guide you on this) as Sherlock has identified.

I only mention this as often people don't realise that, if you're prepared to do more study (and clearly you are), then you can still salvage an undergrad that currently feels pretty directionless and use it towards some really interesting and rewarding professions, so all is definitely not lost!

Again, as Sherlock mentioned, there are quite a few of us here who've entered Med after doing previous tertiary level study, and we can definitely help you out, but also have a look around the forum and, perhaps more importantly, have a bit of a think about career options (besides medicine, because that's a given) that might interest you.

Hi LMG, thanks for the great information. My current GPA is 4.8.
So, any advice/recommendation is appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Ollie17]

Hi Sherlock, thanks for the reply.

My main interest is in the Medical and Sciences field. And I am confused as what degrees to do because I think most of the degrees will lead to a research career.

But, I was thinking about doing Bachelor of Medical Sciences at Macquarie University and then transferring to Postgraduate Physiotherapy within my First year. And Once I complete my Physiotherapy degree, I can still apply to medicine if I meet the GPA and GAMSAT requirements. If I don't get into medicine, I at least have a career as a physiotherapist.

Does this sound like a good pathway?

Also, Can someone please who has done medical science provide an insight into the degree and if you can have a career with it other than research?

Thanks

The Doctor of Physiotherapy at Macquarie is competitive and you will need to look at the prerequisites carefully. You may find that one year of Med Sci may not give you all the right subjects. I would also definitely check with the university to see if your GPA is high enough. I suspect it may not be. Also you would certainly only be eligible for a fee based course which I believe would cost around $30k per year. It is a 3 year extended Masters degree (called Doctor).

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi LMG, thanks for the great information. My current GPA is 4.8.
So, any advice/recommendation is appreciated.

Thanks

With the exception of JMP, your GPA is definitely not quite there for either grad entry or non-standard Med. The first thing you probably need to do is evaluate why your GPA is what it is, and what you might be able to change going forward, because you don’t want to start something new, not having thought about why your previous GPA was 4.8 (which is not bad, but it’s definitely not Med competitive, which is what you’re aiming for), this would be a recipe for things continuing as they were.

Did the course not interest you? Did you find studying regularly a challenge? What study methods did you use? Was there something specific that dragged your GPA down? Were you fully committed to what you were doing and studied as much as possible, but this was all you could manage (again, it’s definitely not a bad GPA, I’m just thinking in the context of Med and committing to more study to get you there).

It’s also important to know that, for some grad entry unis, you won’t be able to outrun that GPA, and regardless of what extra study you do, they’ll always go back to that degree to determine your competitiveness (unless you do a whole new bachelors degree in some cases, and even then there might be some that will still use your 4.8).

 

[UCATgirl11]

Hi just checking if I finished my 3.5 year degree could I still apply for the JMP or do I have to then focus on post grad medical schools?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi just checking if I finished my 3.5 year degree could I still apply for the JMP or do I have to then focus on post grad medical schools?

You can apply to JMP, WSU, UNSW*, JCU, Curtin, and Bond, depending on your GPA (*and ATAR).

 

[Al.]

With the exception of JMP, your GPA is definitely not quite there for either grad entry or non-standard Med. The first thing you probably need to do is evaluate why your GPA is what it is, and what you might be able to change going forward, because you don’t want to start something new, not having thought about why your previous GPA was 4.8 (which is not bad, but it’s definitely not Med competitive, which is what you’re aiming for), this would be a recipe for things continuing as they were.

Did the course not interest you? Did you find studying regularly a challenge? What study methods did you use? Was there something specific that dragged your GPA down? Were you fully committed to what you were doing and studied as much as possible, but this was all you could manage (again, it’s definitely not a bad GPA, I’m just thinking in the context of Med and committing to more study to get you there).

It’s also important to know that, for some grad entry unis, you won’t be able to outrun that GPA, and regardless of what extra study you do, they’ll always go back to that degree to determine your competitiveness (unless you do a whole new bachelors degree in some cases, and even then there might be some that will still use your 4.8).

Hi LMG,
I think the reason for my GPA was my struggle to transition to university from High school and the study methods that I used. And as I spent more time in Uni, I started to use different strategies to study and I was able to learn what works for me. So, moving forward I feel more confident in achieving a higher GPA.

Also, is there a list for common universities that look at your previous GPA from your previous course even if you studied a new bachelors degree in which you were able to achieve a much higher GPA.

Also, I am bit confused about how GPA works. In particular, if I started studying a new bachelors degree, do I get a new GPA or does my previous GPA carry on. Some clarification on this topic would be appreciated.

Thanks

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi LMG,
I think the reason for my GPA was my struggle to transition to university from High school and the study methods that I used. And as I spent more time in Uni, I started to use different strategies to study and I was able to learn what works for me. So, moving forward I feel more confident in achieving a higher GPA.

Also, is there a list for common universities that look at your previous GPA from your previous course even if you studied a new bachelors degree in which you were able to achieve a much higher GPA.

Also, I am bit confused about how GPA works. In particular, if I started studying a new bachelors degree, do I get a new GPA or does my previous GPA carry on. Some clarification on this topic would be appreciated.

Thanks

If you have a look at the GEMSAS website and the various unis’ requirements, it’ll be listed there. And then at Flinders and USyd separately. For example, for USyd, even though I’d done a doctorate, they were still going to use the GPA from my original bachelor degree to determine my competitiveness. In your case, this would rule you out as they have a 5.00 hurdle, I believe. So doing honours or masters or a grad dip wouldn’t ever make you eligible for USyd.

Really, there’s no easy way to just know how your circumstances line up for each University. You’re going to have to sit down and do some research into the requirements of each and plan your attack from here for graduate entry.

If you start a new degree, that GPA will count for some universities (especially the non-standard ones like JMP and WSU), but not any of the graduate entry ones until you’ve actually finished it (and even then, it may not be used by all).

 

[Crow]

Also, is there a list for common universities that look at your previous GPA from your previous course even if you studied a new bachelors degree in which you were able to achieve a much higher GPA.

If you study a new bachelor degree then as far as I'm aware, that GPA will replace the old one for any medical schools you apply to (noting that this only applies for graduate entry schools once you've completed or are in the final year of the new bachelor degree).

Also, I am bit confused about how GPA works. In particular, if I started studying a new bachelors degree, do I get a new GPA or does my previous GPA carry on. Some clarification on this topic would be appreciated.

Yes, you get a new GPA, but as above, you need to be in the final year or have completed the degree upon application to the graduate entry schools for it to count.

 

[watermelona]

Hello everyone!
i'm currently studying an advanced science degree which is 4 years (final year honours) however i want to sit the gamsat and try to transfer into postgraduate medicine. although the degree is 4 years am i able to sit the gamsat in my second year, that would be next year, and apply the following year for medicine and if im successful to start post grad in 2023, decide to graduate with a bachelor of science, not advanced science, since im not going ahead with the 4th year. i heard they sometimes release late offers in jan so if i am unsuccessful and in 2023 i decide to continue with my honours year and i end up receiving a late offer in jan am i able to disenrol from my honours year and begin post grad in 2023? just unsure about whether i need to complete the full 4 years before further applications.
Thanks!

 

[Crow]

Hello everyone!
i'm currently studying an advanced science degree which is 4 years (final year honours) however i want to sit the gamsat and try to transfer into postgraduate medicine. although the degree is 4 years am i able to sit the gamsat in my second year, that would be next year, and apply the following year for medicine and if im successful to start post grad in 2023, decide to graduate with a bachelor of science, not advanced science, since im not going ahead with the 4th year. i heard they sometimes release late offers in jan so if i am unsuccessful and in 2023 i decide to continue with my honours year and i end up receiving a late offer in jan am i able to disenrol from my honours year and begin post grad in 2023? just unsure about whether i need to complete the full 4 years before further applications.
Thanks!

That sounds like a question best directed to the GEMSAS admissions team. I suspect if you’re officially enrolled in an 4 year degree and apply in your third year, then GEMSAS would render your application void unless they were specifically aware that you were intending on claiming an exit degree after 3 years. However, best to get an official answer from them in writing as it’s pure speculation from me.

 

[watermelona]

That sounds like a question best directed to the GEMSAS admissions team. I suspect if you’re officially enrolled in an 4 year degree and apply in your third year, then GEMSAS would render your application void unless they were specifically aware that you were intending on claiming an exit degree after 3 years. However, best to get an official answer from them in writing as it’s pure speculation from me.

ohh okay i see, thank you!

 

[yeetnees]

Hi guys, first time poster here! Just finished a bachelor of medical science + currently in the 4th year of my degree (now in the masters component). Finished off the undergrad degree with a gpa of 6.66 and I was wondering if this sounds somewhat competitive? I'm in two minds of withdrawing from the masters component as I've heard the gpa from this gets considered in place of the first year of the undergrad degree! I'm sitting the GAMSAT for the first time in march but was considering applying for JCU med (though unsure if the current gpa is good enough).

Thank you!

 

[Sherlock]

Hi guys, first time poster here! Just finished a bachelor of medical science + currently in the 4th year of my degree (now in the masters component). Finished off the undergrad degree with a gpa of 6.66 and I was wondering if this sounds somewhat competitive? I'm in two minds of withdrawing from the masters component as I've heard the gpa from this gets considered in place of the first year of the undergrad degree! I'm sitting the GAMSAT for the first time in march but was considering applying for JCU med (though unsure if the current gpa is good enough).

Thank you!

That is a very good GPA and certainly competitive for graduate medicine. You may find that with generous GEMSAS calculations, that will be closer to 7. I encourage you to read through the GEMSAS guide and this thread as well. As for JCU medicine, that are very limited places for non-standards. With that said, your GPA should be competitive.

Remember that GPA is only one component of the application process. Depending on the unis you apply to, it may not be the primary concern for you.