JCU JCU Medicine: Interview Discussion

[Jason1112]

havent received email omg i sent it on 27th

 

[Crow]

havent received email omg i sent it on 27th

They’ll be sending them out for another couple of weeks, most likely - definitely no need to panic yet. I’d also check your junk folder - a number of people have reported the email went to their junk in the past.

 

[HimpuZ]

Can someone please tell me how JCU's selection process works after they have conducted the interviews. Are successful applicants selected solely on the basis of their performance in the interview or does JCU also take into account their academic results and the quality of their written application?

 

[Crow]

Can someone please tell me how JCU's selection process works after they have conducted the interviews. Are successful applicants selected solely on the basis of their performance in the interview or does JCU also take into account their academic results and the quality of their written application?

As stated in the information booklet (https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/272756/2019-MBBS-Information-Sheet.pdf):

Candidates will be selected for interview on the basis of their written application and academic results (predicted or actual). Applicants will be selected for entry into the James Cook University MBBS degree based on their performance at interview and their academic results.

 

[Michelle Soo]

Hi guys,

I have a question about the predicted atar form for JCU. Isnt it slightly disadvantageous for JCU to accept people based on a predicted atar - one that can hypothetically be exagerated if youre on good terms with a careers advisor or principals rep, etc? The person predicting my atar doesnt like me very much (due to some other stuff that happened at school) and i feel as though this will greatly disadvantage me getting into med. Ive heard that no where near as many people get in for 2nd round as they do 1st round - and 2nd round is based of actual hsc results??? It seems so strange to m - can someone let me know if Ive got this right?

 

[Benjamin]

. Ive heard that no where near as many people get in for 2nd round as they do 1st round - and 2nd round is based of actual hsc results??? It seems so strange to m - can someone let me know if Ive got this right?

You're partly correct, there are undoubtedly people that will get a first round interview offer based on their predicted ATAR that should not have gotten offers. This is usually due to poor prediction or the candidate under-performing in the latter part of the year but as you've pointed out could also be easily biased by the people doing the predictions.

This is mitigated by JCU using an aggregate of your actual scores (interview, ATAR, rurality) in order to determine your actual offer rather than using the predicted score. They reserve second round offers almost exclusively for people that out-performed their predicted ATAR score - very few people actually decline interview offers and open up more spots for the second round. I'll clarify that, your offer of a position is based on your actual ATAR. This may explain (in part) why some JCU offers go out to students with surprisingly low ATAR's ... but I think those are better explained by those students almost always being very rural.

 

[Michelle Soo]

ohhhhhh okay - that sounds a lot fairer. but still, people with a lower actual atar (but high predicted atar) have the chance of doing extremely well in their interview - which lessens the impact of having a lower actual atar. that opportunity isnt given for people with poor predicteds - as our entry depends pretty much only on application and actual atar...

sigh... the bitter injustice of the universe

 

[Michelle Soo]

now that ive a little while to think of this is actually so unfair! im not too read up on jcu discourse, but is this something that other people have noticed too? i mean, for somethign such high stakes as medicine, it seems so crazy that a single form can change whether or not you get into the course!!

i assume she gave me a predicted of about 96, but i know if i smash hsc i can get somewhere in the high 97 - high 98.

 

[A1]

but still, people with a lower actual atar (but high predicted atar) have the chance of doing extremely well in their interview - which lessens the impact of having a lower actual atar. that opportunity isnt given for people with poor predicteds - as our entry depends pretty much only on application and actual atar...
sigh... the bitter injustice of the universe

Those with a poor predicted ATAR but good enough actual for an interview will get invited to the 4th Jan interview round. They will then be put in the same pool with the 1st-round interviewees for the first place-offer round's consideration. Shouldn't be any disadvantage there.

As for the opposites, who knows JCU might exclude those with over-inflated predicted ATAR from place-offer consideration, regardless of their interview performance. That would be a fair action.

 

[Michelle Soo]

thanks a1 that makes sense. ive been told though that many more people get invited for 1st round offers than 2nd round offers - and by the time 2nd round interviews are conducted, most places have already been filled by the 1st round

oh well. im just going to accept that thats the way it is, as theres not a heck of a lot i or anyone else can do about it

 

[Jason1112]

Thank you! I found it in my junk mail.

By the way, when do interview offers get released?

(Edited by mod due to unnecessary use of caps)

 

[A1]

ive been told though that many more people get invited for 1st round offers than 2nd round offers - and by the time 2nd round interviews are conducted, most places have already been filled by the 1st round

With most of the unis that conduct two rounds of interview, 1st-round place offers are for 1st-round interviewees but they reserve a sufficient number of places for 2nd-round offers to 2nd-round interviewees. Quite often even more than enough since they have spares to then back offer to the marginal 1st-round interviewees. (1st-round interviewees receiving a 2nd-round offer has happened a lot of time)

JCU however is different. As I carefully explained in my previous post both 1st-round and 2nd-round interviewees are put in the same pool for offers consideration together. JCU 2nd-round place offers (if any) are more like top up offers, not intended separately for 2nd-round interviewees.

 

[Woo18]

thanks a1 that makes sense. ive been told though that many more people get invited for 1st round offers than 2nd round offers - and by the time 2nd round interviews are conducted, most places have already been filled by the 1st round

oh well. im just going to accept that thats the way it is, as theres not a heck of a lot i or anyone else can do about it

I would find it hard to believe that JCU has filled any positions other than international ones when second round interviews are conducted, both these interview rounds are done to find the best candidates for their medicine programs and I think it is great that they have 3 components that are used in the selection process not just a great OP/Atar. Just because you have a wonderful score does not mean you will make a great doctor. Considering their main focus is Rural, Indigenous and Tropical Medicine they are of course going to select some Students that are from these areas as there is a much higher likelihood that they would return to these areas to practise.

Thank you! I found it in my junk mail.

By the way, when do interview offers get released?

(Edited by mod due to unnecessary use of caps)

For JCU I think it is around the 9th of November for first round and 28th December for second round

 

[Benjamin]

I would find it hard to believe that JCU has filled any positions other than international ones when second round interviews are conducted, both these interview rounds are done to find the best candidates for their medicine programs and I think it is great that they have 3 components that are used in the selection process not just a great OP/Atar. Just because you have a wonderful score does not mean you will make a great doctor. Considering their main focus is Rural, Indigenous and Tropical Medicine they are of course going to select some Students that are from these areas as there is a much higher likelihood that they would return to these areas to practise.

Two things here:
1. There seems to be some idea (despite mine & A1's post) that people from the 1st round are more likely to get offers than those in the second round, there is no reason to think this is the case. Both the first & second round interview invites are pooled after the interviews & their scores are based on the combination of actual atar / interview score / rurality. The only difference a first round interview invite makes is that it is earlier in the process.

2. Yes, JCU allocates more spots for people that are more likely to go rural after graduating - this is literally their reason for existing as a medical school. Classically this has been determined by a rurality score which was a combination of objective (where you grew up, did schooling) and subjective (how likely the interview panel thinks you will go rural) scores.

(Edited to change “offer” to “interview invite” for clarity. LMG)

 

[Rub0ls]

Hey Again! Out of the 150 places offered in JCU MED, does anyone know a rough approximation of how many are from urban areas (I'm from Brisbane). Does JCU try to balance it out in anyway.

 

[Crow]

Hey Again! Out of the 150 places offered in JCU MED, does anyone know a rough approximation of how many are from urban areas (I'm from Brisbane). Does JCU try to balance it out in anyway.

Approximately 20% of each cohort are RA-1 from the last published article I read. JCU “balances” it out by offering the majority of positions to rural applicants, as this aligns with their mission as a med school.

ETA: Looks like those stats have changed a lot since that report based on A1's post below!

 

[A1]

Hey Again! Out of the 150 places offered in JCU MED, does anyone know a rough approximation of how many are from urban areas (I'm from Brisbane). Does JCU try to balance it out in anyway.

A report 5+ years ago showed at the time JCU 20% urban 80% RA2-RA5, however by 2015 that has changed to 56% urban 44% RA2-RA5.
See the table in this post > Non-Rural / Rural intakes by med schools

 

[Jason1112]

how will they determine our rurality, i dont remember filling it on the form?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

how will they determine our rurality, i dont remember filling it on the form?

I’ve never done a JCU application, but for other applications I have done I remember having to list the schools I’d previously attended. And possibly addresses I’d lived at. Did you have to do this?

 

[Crow]

how will they determine our rurality, i dont remember filling it on the form?

Your rurality is determined by the school(s) you attended in primary and high school. Additionally, our JCU veteran Benjamin also says you'll be given a rurality score from your interview (should you receive one) that is based off how likely the interviewers believe you are to work rurally following graduation.