Offers for medicine and dentistry have started rolling out and as is the case every year, inevitably, the majority of applicants will get disappointing news – rejection. It’s natural for you to question yourself, doubt yourself and feel unsure about your future direction. I’ve felt the same!
Without delving too much into the personal side of things, I’ll quickly summarise my story for context. I came to Australia as a 12-year-old with no prior education and not knowing a single word of the English language. Learning the language during the first few years in itself was a huge challenge for me, let alone dreaming of going to medical school. All odds were stacked against me when I made the decision to want to study medicine towards the end of year 12 (2016) upon reflecting back to poor health care system that I was brought up in. I still remember desperately hoping to get into medicine at the end of year 12, despite knowing deep down that it was Mission Impossible. Various things impeded my ability to get into medicine but to be honest, much of it was my own failure to stay on top of school. I only really understood how competitive getting into medicine was, after failing to get in at the end of year 12.
After finishing high school, I kept trying my luck for entry into undergraduate medicine as a non-standard applicant while doing a different course at university. I attempted UMAT a few times, and just couldn’t do well. My confidence was lower than ever when it came to UMAT and gaining entrance into medical school in general. No entry into med school for me after completing first year. Second year of university, still no entry. After several tries and 3 years of tertiary studies, I managed to gain entry into graduate medicine.
With the benefit of hindsight and reflecting back to everything that has happened to me over the past 3-4 years, I am so thankful for not getting into medicine after finishing high school. I am so thankful that I failed UMAT and got the ATAR I did, for all of these experiences have allowed me to learn about myself, about the importance of patience, resilience and perseverance. In the last 4 years, I have gained immense knowledge. Not just academically but leadership wise, I’ve had more opportunities than I would have ever imagined, have had opportunities to be part of many volunteering and social services groups, be part of advisory groups for several organisations, build networks, travel and even study overseas. I truly believe I would've missed out on these opportunities had I been accepted into medicine earlier. Not getting into medicine at the end of year 12 genuinely ended up being a blessing in disguise for me.
What should you do now?
Regardless of the outcome today, even if you are hurting, you should take a few days to celebrate and reflect. Completing high school and moving into tertiary education is an important milestone worth celebrating. You have done extremely well to get to this stage and for that you should be very proud of yourself. You gave it your best, and that’s all anyone can ever ask for. If you didn’t give it your best, this is your opportunity to learn.
Look at other options outside of medicine or dentistry that you’d enjoy and try to understand what those careers entail. Remember that you can always try again for medicine or dentistry from any other careers and/or degrees. Don’t do health science/medical science/biomedical science or the like just to have a crack at medicine again. All the reasons outlining why you shouldn’t do them are listed in this thread: Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants
Make the most of your time at university if you intend to get started with your Plan B this year. There are so many opportunities at university. I remember walking through different stalls during O-Week and I literally said yes to anything and everything they had to offer. I joined a bunch of different clubs and societies and initiatives and a year later found myself starting my own society.
Seek out volunteering and/or extracurricular activities that may interest you. This, in my opinion, is extremely important. Volunteering and/or extracurricular activities provide you with opportunities to create friendships and long-lasting networks and gain heaps of new skills. Honestly, nothing beats the feeling of gratification from giving and contributing to better the lives of others, even in a small way.
Finally, remember that no matter how smart you are or how hard you work, there will be times when you doubt yourself, and most likely hit rock bottom. You will without a doubt go through phases that feel like they’ll never change for the better. With the little experience I now have, I can assure you, you have the ability to change them. It's during tough times that you pick yourself up, back your abilities and keep going which truly transforms you as a person. Getting rejected by medical school this year does not mean you are incapable at all; it is the imbalance of supply and demand. Simply put, the number of capable applicants far outweighs the number of places available.
So this thread is dedicated to all the hopefuls out there, and to those of you who couldn't get into your desired course, remember: you can always try again and succeed. Don’t discount your resilience and your capacity. Go forth and rule the world.
Without delving too much into the personal side of things, I’ll quickly summarise my story for context. I came to Australia as a 12-year-old with no prior education and not knowing a single word of the English language. Learning the language during the first few years in itself was a huge challenge for me, let alone dreaming of going to medical school. All odds were stacked against me when I made the decision to want to study medicine towards the end of year 12 (2016) upon reflecting back to poor health care system that I was brought up in. I still remember desperately hoping to get into medicine at the end of year 12, despite knowing deep down that it was Mission Impossible. Various things impeded my ability to get into medicine but to be honest, much of it was my own failure to stay on top of school. I only really understood how competitive getting into medicine was, after failing to get in at the end of year 12.
After finishing high school, I kept trying my luck for entry into undergraduate medicine as a non-standard applicant while doing a different course at university. I attempted UMAT a few times, and just couldn’t do well. My confidence was lower than ever when it came to UMAT and gaining entrance into medical school in general. No entry into med school for me after completing first year. Second year of university, still no entry. After several tries and 3 years of tertiary studies, I managed to gain entry into graduate medicine.
With the benefit of hindsight and reflecting back to everything that has happened to me over the past 3-4 years, I am so thankful for not getting into medicine after finishing high school. I am so thankful that I failed UMAT and got the ATAR I did, for all of these experiences have allowed me to learn about myself, about the importance of patience, resilience and perseverance. In the last 4 years, I have gained immense knowledge. Not just academically but leadership wise, I’ve had more opportunities than I would have ever imagined, have had opportunities to be part of many volunteering and social services groups, be part of advisory groups for several organisations, build networks, travel and even study overseas. I truly believe I would've missed out on these opportunities had I been accepted into medicine earlier. Not getting into medicine at the end of year 12 genuinely ended up being a blessing in disguise for me.
What should you do now?
Regardless of the outcome today, even if you are hurting, you should take a few days to celebrate and reflect. Completing high school and moving into tertiary education is an important milestone worth celebrating. You have done extremely well to get to this stage and for that you should be very proud of yourself. You gave it your best, and that’s all anyone can ever ask for. If you didn’t give it your best, this is your opportunity to learn.
Look at other options outside of medicine or dentistry that you’d enjoy and try to understand what those careers entail. Remember that you can always try again for medicine or dentistry from any other careers and/or degrees. Don’t do health science/medical science/biomedical science or the like just to have a crack at medicine again. All the reasons outlining why you shouldn’t do them are listed in this thread: Common pitfalls to avoid for year 12 school leavers and other medicine applicants
Make the most of your time at university if you intend to get started with your Plan B this year. There are so many opportunities at university. I remember walking through different stalls during O-Week and I literally said yes to anything and everything they had to offer. I joined a bunch of different clubs and societies and initiatives and a year later found myself starting my own society.
Seek out volunteering and/or extracurricular activities that may interest you. This, in my opinion, is extremely important. Volunteering and/or extracurricular activities provide you with opportunities to create friendships and long-lasting networks and gain heaps of new skills. Honestly, nothing beats the feeling of gratification from giving and contributing to better the lives of others, even in a small way.
Finally, remember that no matter how smart you are or how hard you work, there will be times when you doubt yourself, and most likely hit rock bottom. You will without a doubt go through phases that feel like they’ll never change for the better. With the little experience I now have, I can assure you, you have the ability to change them. It's during tough times that you pick yourself up, back your abilities and keep going which truly transforms you as a person. Getting rejected by medical school this year does not mean you are incapable at all; it is the imbalance of supply and demand. Simply put, the number of capable applicants far outweighs the number of places available.
So this thread is dedicated to all the hopefuls out there, and to those of you who couldn't get into your desired course, remember: you can always try again and succeed. Don’t discount your resilience and your capacity. Go forth and rule the world.
