JCU JCU Medicine: Non-Standard Entry

[SouthPaw94]

Hey LMG!,

Thanks for the swift response.

I have only lived and worked as a physio in remote NT for a cumulative 7 months, so I suppose I don't classify as rural. Is JCU's rural eligibility similar to GEMSAS rural criteria of 5 years consecutively/10 years cumulatively (RA2-5)?

And I am guessing that highlighted offer above is a rural applicant?

Cheers,
J

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hey LMG!,

Thanks for the swift response.

I have only lived and worked as a physio in remote NT for a cumulative 7 months, so I suppose I don't classify as rural. Is JCU's rural eligibility similar to GEMSAS rural criteria of 5 years consecutively/10 years cumulatively (RA2-5)?

And I am guessing that highlighted offer above is a rural applicant?

Cheers,
J

Nope, the rural offers are under the rural sub-heading. You will be able to use your rural experiences when answering the application questions. Just be careful to do so genuinely, and don't shoe-horn random information in that doesn't actually serve to answer the question, if that makes sense.

Best of luck!

 

[SouthPaw94]

Awesome, that's reasurring.

Just with regards to the 'rural' classification, as it is being used on this thread, does any candidate that is living in an RA2-5 region at the time of application to JCU classify as 'rural'? In other words, do I fit the JCU MBBS definition of rural?

Thanks again, I appreciate your help.

 

[A1]

does any candidate that is living in an RA2-5 region at the time of application to JCU classify as 'rural'? In other words, do I fit the JCU MBBS definition of rural?

Most schools put rural applicants into a separate selection pool so one is either in or not in.

JCU apparently does not use this method. They give a rurality index instead which is then combined with your ATAR/GPA & interview for the final ranking. Your rurality index should be higher than city applicants but lower than those who have been in RA2-5 longer.

 

[SouthPaw94]

Thank you, A1!

Most schools put rural applicants into a separate selection pool so one is either in or not in.

JCU apparently does not use this method. They give a rurality index instead which is then combined with your ATAR/GPA & interview for the final ranking. Your rurality index should be higher than city applicants but lower than those who have been in RA2-5 longer.

 

[Bighead12]

Does anyone know if I would have a chance at JCU medicine next year. I have a Gpa of 6.62/7 gemsas weighting. Non rural and from Melbourne University

 

[Crow]

Does anyone know if I would have a chance at JCU medicine next year. I have a Gpa of 6.62/7 gemsas weighting. Non rural and from Melbourne University

Welcome to MSO!

You may do with an extremely high quality written application and interview (if you got one) - but JCU doesn't use GEMSAS GPA, so your actual GPA will likely be lower. You'll need to provide your actual GPA that will be used by JCU - if it's lower than 6.0 then it's worth applying but highly unlikely that you'll be competitive enough.

 

[Bighead12]

Welcome to MSO!

You may do with an extremely high quality written application and interview (if you got one) - but JCU doesn't use GEMSAS GPA, so your actual GPA will likely be lower. You'll need to provide your actual GPA that will be used by JCU - if it's lower than 6.0 then it's worth applying but highly unlikely that you'll be competitive enough.

Thanks man!
Do you know how to convert to a JCU gpa?

 

[Crow]

Thanks man!
Do you know how to convert to a JCU gpa?

Do you have a bare bachelor's degree or a higher degree too? If just a bachelor's it should just be the same GPA as whatever your university has calculated it to be (so whatever your academic transcript says). If you have a masters as well I believe they'll use the master's degree but I haven't taken a close look at JCU's criteria in a couple of years, so you'd best be looking at their admissions guide (and contacting the admissions team for confirmation).

 

[Bighead12]

Do you have a bare bachelor's degree or a higher degree too? If just a bachelor's it should just be the same GPA as whatever your university has calculated it to be (so whatever your academic transcript says). If you have a masters as well I believe they'll use the master's degree but I haven't taken a close look at JCU's criteria in a couple of years, so you'd best be looking at their admissions guide (and contacting the admissions team for confirmation).

I will just have a bare bachelors degree, i'm currently in my final year now melbourne university dont weight the final year x3 so my gpa moves down to 6.52/7

but other unis multiply the last year by 3 so yeah

 

[Crow]

I will just have a bare bachelors degree, i'm currently in my final year now melbourne university dont weight the final year x3 so my gpa moves down to 6.52/7

but other unis multiply the last year by 3 so yeah

Yes, weighted GPAs are only a graduate entry thing - JCU and the other undergraduate entry schools that accept non-standards just use the standard unweighted calculation. 6.52 will definitely be competitive enough provided you have a very high quality written application and interview! They really are the key factors at play.

 

[Bighead12]

Yes, weighted GPAs are only a graduate entry thing - JCU and the other undergraduate entry schools that accept non-standards just use the standard unweighted calculation. 6.52 will definitely be competitive enough provided you have a very high quality written application and interview! They really are the key factors at play.

Actually i think when its completely unweighted so second year or third year isnt worth double its 6.35 :/

is it still worth applying?

 

[Sherlock]

Actually i think when its completely unweighted so second year or third year isnt worth double its 6.35 :/

is it still worth applying?

Really depends on the strength of your application. Worth applying? Absolutely. Have a look at offer scores for JCU in 2020 here: Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2020 - Collated Data

 

[Crow]

Actually i think when its completely unweighted so second year or third year isnt worth double its 6.35 :/

is it still worth applying?

It's been enough for past non-rural applicants to gain interviews and offers (though, not many of them at all, and likely with top quality written applications and interviews). Check out our Interviews and Offers subforums where data has been collated, so you can get a better idea of what scores have landed people interviews and place offers in the past.

It sounds like you'd be competitive for graduate entry, though. Have you sat GAMSAT? Or UCAT for non-standard entry?

 

[Bighead12]

Really depends on the strength of your application. Worth applying? Absolutely. Have a look at offer scores for JCU in 2020 here: Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2020 - Collated Data

Thanks man! but doesnt those stats mean my gpa is not competitive enough haha

It's been enough for past non-rural applicants to gain interviews and offers (though, not many of them at all, and likely with top quality written applications and interviews). Check out our Interviews and Offers subforums where data has been collated, so you can get a better idea of what scores have landed people interviews and place offers in the past.

It sounds like you'd be competitive for graduate entry, though. Have you sat GAMSAT? Or UCAT for non-standard entry?

I havent sat the UCAT, but im sitting the gamsat for the first time soon but i dont think im going to do too well this time around. So just seeing about the possibility of instead of doing an honours year, applying for undergrad med instead

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Thanks man! but doesnt those stats mean my gpa is not competitive enough haha

No, how did you conclude that? A non-rural applicant with a GPA of 5.75 received a BMP. Their written application was likely exemplary, but it shows a low-ish (comparatively) GPA can be compensated for by the written application and then the interview.

 

[Bighead12]

No, how did you conclude that? A non-rural applicant with a GPA of 5.75 received a BMP. Their written application was likely exemplary, but it shows a low-ish (comparatively) GPA can be compensated for by the written application and then the interview.

Oh makes sense i wasnt too sure how to interpret that data. Although, one person doesnt seem too convincing
What sort of things do they look for in a written statement? Sorry new to this forum so not too sure how to use it

 

[Crow]

What sort of things do they look for in a written statement?

JCU Written Application General Questions Start here, and make sure you read the up to date information guides and application forms on the JCU website.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Oh makes sense i wasnt too sure how to interpret that data. Although, one person doesnt seem too convincing
What sort of things do they look for in a written statement? Sorry new to this forum so not too sure how to use it

There are rules posts and introductory posts that you should check out. There are also lots of other thread titles under the JCU heading that will help answer some of your questions. And a search function.

ETA: 1 person out of 3 that posted. That’s not as dire as you might think...

 

[Bighead12]

Thank you so much guys for your help i appreciate it heaps!!

Sorry one last question does it matter that I’m currently in my final year only doing 2 subjects this sem since I underloaded throughout my degree. Will they consider my gpa overall, including this year which I will graduate at the end of sem 2 and first and second year?