Griffith Griffith Medicine: Medical Science/MD Provisional Entry Q&A

[Lyyrre]

Not a practical option^ though. The GEMSAS schools that accept Griffith's 2-year accelerated MedSc only allow to apply after you have completed it not during the final year. You'd be applying the year you already started BMP Y1 and signed the contract, unless Griffith allow a gap year.

A1 I think you might be misinformed, we currently have a few second year B Med Sci. that have received offers from UniMelb and USYD, and others who are applying for Flinders etc., whom sat the GAMSAT in the recent March session. I'm aware a few of the first years sat GAMSAT too in the most recent September session.

 

[Crow]

A1 I think you might be misinformed, we currently have a few second year B Med Sci. that have received offers from UniMelb and USYD, and others who are applying for Flinders etc., whom sat the GAMSAT in the recent March session. I'm aware a few of the first years sat GAMSAT too in the most recent September session.

Yes, a couple of the GEMSAS schools do accept them on the year of completion - I believe Wollongong and UWA do, and Melbourne does "at the discretion of the selection committee". The remainder either don't accept them, or will only accept them if they're complete at the time of application. Flinders and USYD aren't GEMSAS schools so aren't relevant to this discussion.

 

[A1]

Yes, a couple of the GEMSAS schools do accept them on the year of completion - I believe Wollongong and UWA do, and Melbourne does "at the discretion of the selection committee". The remainder either don't accept them, or will only accept them if they're complete at the time of application. Flinders and USYD aren't GEMSAS schools so aren't relevant to this discussion.

I've just read a recent GEMSAS Guide, they have relaxed this rule compared to 2-3 years ago. Most GEMSAS schools now accept a 2-year accelerated degree if it is completed by 31 Dec the year they apply. So a 6-semester arranged into 6-trimester with the last being a Nov-Jan trimester won't do. With Griffith compressing it into 5 overload trimesters it's fine.

 

[UpTheGunners]

Does anyone have any idea of what was the cutoffs for the past few years for Griffith Medical science students (provisional entry to MD) to get a (non-bonded) CSP position in the MD course?
I know it has to be a high GPA, but how high?
I understand that the bottom portion of the students will be allocated a Bonded Medical Place (BMP).
Anyone know what is the percentage? 25% or 28.5%?

Hmmm, I’m a local 1st year medsci student but I have a few friends who are in 1st year MD (finished MedSci in 2018 last year) who said the cutoff for the unbonded spots was 6.82-6.86 for their year (between that range since the cutoff for unbonded was a maximum of 3 or 4 distinctions out of the 22 graded subjects where the rest were high distinctions). So if my friends were being legitimate, the competition for maintaining an unbonded GPA is very high and this is also corroborated by my personal experience in first year where the majority of the domestic cohort after 1st year are on 7.0 GPA’s still...

 

[A1]

Hmmm, I’m a local 1st year medsci student but I have a few friends who are in 1st year MD (finished MedSci in 2018 last year) who said the cutoff for the unbonded spots was 6.82-6.86 for their year (between that range since the cutoff for unbonded was a maximum of 3 or 4 distinctions out of the 22 graded subjects where the rest were high distinctions). So if my friends were being legitimate, the competition for maintaining an unbonded GPA is very high and this is also corroborated by my personal experience in first year where the majority of the domestic cohort after 1st year are on 7.0 GPA’s still...

That's insane. My GPA is lower than even the lowest bonded there, and I'm at a uni with 80+ HD

 

[UpTheGunners]

That's insane. My GPA is lower than even the lowest bonded there, and I'm at a uni with 80+ HD

Yeah ahah, the unbonded MedSci cutoff may actually funnily enough, be comparable to the average GPA for GAMSAT/GEMSAS Griffith applicants

 

[Lyyrre]

Hmmm, I’m a local 1st year medsci student but I have a few friends who are in 1st year MD (finished MedSci in 2018 last year) who said the cutoff for the unbonded spots was 6.82-6.86 for their year (between that range since the cutoff for unbonded was a maximum of 3 or 4 distinctions out of the 22 graded subjects where the rest were high distinctions). So if my friends were being legitimate, the competition for maintaining an unbonded GPA is very high and this is also corroborated by my personal experience in first year where the majority of the domestic cohort after 1st year are on 7.0 GPA’s still...

The irony is that every year we expect the bonded cutoff to be even higher, so we work even harder and it just keeps getting higher every year. What was only 6.75 a few years ago is soon to become 6.95 hahahaha.

 

[eggwah123]

Hmmm, I’m a local 1st year medsci student but I have a few friends who are in 1st year MD (finished MedSci in 2018 last year) who said the cutoff for the unbonded spots was 6.82-6.86 for their year (between that range since the cutoff for unbonded was a maximum of 3 or 4 distinctions out of the 22 graded subjects where the rest were high distinctions). So if my friends were being legitimate, the competition for maintaining an unbonded GPA is very high and this is also corroborated by my personal experience in first year where the majority of the domestic cohort after 1st year are on 7.0 GPA’s still...

Anyone have more info. please share. This makes parents very nervous indeed

 

[Lyyrre]

Anyone have more info. please share. This makes parents very nervous indeed

I think that’s as much as knowledge as we’ll get, and I can affirm that Upthegunner’s post is quite accurate.

Bonded cutoff will vary year, the most you can do is to try your best, there is never any point in worrying about the outcome when you’ve tried your best, and accept whatever result you get (it should also be something that you are concerned about, and not your parents because in the end it affects you, not them).

In any case, going rural is a valuable experience in itself.

Realistically, you should expect the cutoff to be around 6.85 to be safe (21 HDs, 3 Ds). However, even with this knowledge, it doesn’t change anything. If the cutoff was 6.5 instead, you wouldn’t think to just slack off and not try, you’d still try to get a really high GPA and give yourself the best chance of getting a CSP. So the most we can give you, is to not worry about the cutoff and just try your best.

 

[eggwah123]

I think that’s as much as knowledge as we’ll get, and I can affirm that Upthegunner’s post is quite accurate.

Bonded cutoff will vary year, the most you can do is to try your best, there is never any point in worrying about the outcome when you’ve tried your best, and accept whatever result you get (it should also be something that you are concerned about, and not your parents because in the end it affects you, not them).

In any case, going rural is a valuable experience in itself.

Realistically, you should expect the cutoff to be around 6.85 to be safe (21 HDs, 3 Ds). However, even with this knowledge, it doesn’t change anything. If the cutoff was 6.5 instead, you wouldn’t think to just slack off and not try, you’d still try to get a really high GPA and give yourself the best chance of getting a CSP. So the most we can give you, is to not worry about the cutoff and just try your best.

I am the parent
I will not talk to my kid about this. Don’t want to increase the stress. That’s why I seek more info in the forum

 

[ucatboy]

I am the parent
I will not talk to my kid about this. Don’t want to increase the stress. That’s why I seek more info in the forum

I think it's in your kid's best interests to know about the level of competition he/she'll face to secure a CSP at Griffith, that way he/she won't be in for any nasty surprises and can reconsider and re-evaluate his/her order of preferences.
After learning how competitive the cohort is I think I might just put UQ above Griffith in my QTAC preferences.

 

[A1]

After learning how competitive the cohort is I think I might just put UQ above Griffith in my QTAC preferences.

Also don't forget Griffith's 24 units are compressed into 5 trimesters of 5/5/4/5/5. I'm amazed these students can take 25% overload and still score 4 HDs out of 5 every trimester.

 

[tleb]

Moved from my home state to Gold Coast this year for medical science. Yeah the above posters are definitely right about the unbonded cut-off hovering around 6.8-6.9 for the year above us and it definitely sounds very difficult and intimidating for a prospective student. I knew about this before entering the course and I was quite taken aback. However from my experience:

a) maintaining a high GPA isn't impossible, I've been able to maintain a 'high GPA' consistent with what was stated above whilst maintaining a social life, going out with friends on the weekend having fun etc - however yes it does require a consistent work ethic but it shouldn't be something which deters someone from the course

b) even if you did get bonded, as others have said it is by no means a bad thing, you learn so much and get valuable experience which wouldn't be attainable otherwise!!

Particularly as you progress towards the end of the course the subjects become more interesting, I haven't heard of anyone over the past ten years of the course not getting into MD.

Take home message is to enjoy the ride, their is definitely a hard work culture, but their are many people like me who are enjoying themselves and maintaining a 'high gpa' ☺

 

[UpTheGunners]

Moved from my home state to Gold Coast this year for medical science. Yeah the above posters are definitely right about the unbonded cut-off hovering around 6.8-6.9 for the year above us and it definitely sounds very difficult and intimidating for a prospective student. I knew about this before entering the course and I was quite taken aback. However from my experience:

a) maintaining a high GPA isn't impossible, I've been able to maintain a 'high GPA' consistent with what was stated above whilst maintaining a social life, going out with friends on the weekend having fun etc - however yes it does require a consistent work ethic but it shouldn't be something which deters someone from the course

b) even if you did get bonded, as others have said it is by no means a bad thing, you learn so much and get valuable experience which wouldn't be attainable otherwise!!

Particularly as you progress towards the end of the course the subjects become more interesting, I haven't heard of anyone over the past ten years of the course not getting into MD.

Take home message is to enjoy the ride, their is definitely a hard work culture, but their are many people like me who are enjoying themselves and maintaining a 'high gpa' ☺

Lyyrre we’re not all geniuses like tleb

 

[tleb]

I think it's in your kid's best interests to know about the level of competition he/she'll face to secure a CSP at Griffith, that way he/she won't be in for any nasty surprises and can reconsider and re-evaluate his/her order of preferences.
After learning how competitive the cohort is I think I might just put UQ above Griffith in my QTAC preferences.

Would like to clarify that falling below the cutoff means a bonded spot and not non-CSP. All MD spots are CSP places regardless (not full fee).

 

[Ian Naga]

Also don't forget Griffith's 24 units are compressed into 5 trimesters of 5/5/4/5/5. I'm amazed these students can take 25% overload and still score 4 HDs out of 5 every trimester.

FYI: This causes problems for internationals who come to this course with not-so-high ATAR. For the 1st time in the history of the program, we were told that someone got a GPA below 5.0 last year and this year 2 people got GPAs below 5.0. It turns out all were internationals. They will not be progressing to the MD part.

 

[Kaitlyn]

Hello, I was wondering if Griffith gives subject adjustment factors for the medical science course

 

[Crow]

Hello, I was wondering if Griffith gives subject adjustment factors for the medical science course

No, they don’t - I believe the only ATAR adjustments made for admissions are for rural applicants.

 

[stargirl1]

Hi I just graduated with an ATAR of 99.80 (Victorian student), what are my chances of gaining acceptance into Griffith provisional medicine? Do they look at my UCAT? (Score of 2830)
Thank you

 

[Logic]

Hi I just graduated with an ATAR of 99.80 (Victorian student), what are my chances of gaining acceptance into Griffith provisional medicine? Do they look at my UCAT? (Score of 2830)
Thank you

Griffith only look at ATAR. With a 99.8 you should be getting an offer there. Last years data courtesy of LMG!: “Lowest ATAR Gold Coast: 99.75, lowest ATAR Nathan: 99.70”