Med and Dent - 2018 Entry (Place Offers and Discussion)

[Silver01]

Course Type: Medicine
Offer Received: Yes
University: UAdel
UMAT: 85th %ile
ATAR or GPA: 99.55
Special Considerations: None
Offer Type: BMP

Got the email this afternoon from satac. SO HAPPY I FINALLY RECEIVED AN OFFER!!!

 

[Deleted member 32959]

Gap year students are eligible to re-apply to all unis except USyd, and UQ which says you can only apply in the year you are completing Y12.



Why not try for Unsw again? You'll need 93ish %ile for WSU, that with 99.20 would give a decent chance for Unsw despite not getting an offer this year.

Thanks for your advice. I will take this on board and work towards achieving a better UMAT score than the current tone. Skipping a year in Elementary level (from 4 to 6 supported by Principal helps) so I don't lose much. If I get about 93-95% in UMAT, I stand a better chance at UNSW, JMP, WSU and maybe UTAS (?). My classmate got the UNSW offer with 99.25 and 94% UMAT. Should have allocated more time towards UMAT last year...but that's ok. I am now on it already. Cheers . btw, I do have a doubt if UNSW does not call anyone with less than 99 ATAR...is that true? The UNSW Admissions conveyed that the median acceptable scores were ATAR 99.5 and UMAT 96% for the offers in 2017 when I enquired this year.

 

[A1]

I do have a doubt if UNSW does not call anyone with less than 99 ATAR...is that true? The UNSW Admissions conveyed that the median acceptable scores were ATAR 99.5 and UMAT 96% for the offers in 2017 when I enquired this year.

The 99.6 & 96%ile were medians of the successful non-rural applicants, meaning half of them were below these levels. Going by the 98.2 / 84%ile cutoffs imposed on interstate students last month I'd say these were the lowest scores (individually not together in one applicant) that got place offers. It quite agrees with the collated data in LMG's post : there's a 98.6 albeit with 98%ile and a 88%ile but with 99.60

For your target setting a few 99.20s succeeded with around 92-94%ile, and if you can get >94%ile it puts less a burden on your interview performance.

 

[Deleted member 32959]

The 99.6 & 96%ile were medians of the successful non-rural applicants, meaning half of them were below these levels. Going by the 98.2 / 84%ile cutoffs imposed on interstate students last month I'd say these were the lowest scores (individually not together in one applicant) that got place offers. It quite agrees with the collated data in LMG's post : there's a 98.6 albeit with 98%ile and a 88%ile but with 99.60

For your target setting a few 99.20s succeeded with around 92-94%ile, and if you can get >94%ile it puts less a burden on your interview performance.

Thank you so much. Great. This gives more insight. The itch was I got over 95%ile in the MedEntry one day trial test and consistently scoring over 93%ile in the practice tests but floundered in the actual game where it mattered most. I will give it full steam to achieve that target as I am on "Gap" year and have nothing else but this to work on. I accepted an offer for the UK Medicine program to join in mid-Sep 2018. I would have completed UMAT 2018 and possibly got the results (Aug 2018) as well before I board the flights. The next hurdle comes to attending the interview(s) if offered (need to travel from there ditching some classes). I still can not lose the study in the UK until the results are announced in Jan-Feb 2019 here. No revisiting Bond again!!! :yes:

 

[esh]

Any one know when the last offers from Griffith come out aka top up offers? Probably too late - but i'm still hopeful lol

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Thanks for your advice. I will take this on board and work towards achieving a better UMAT score than the current tone. Skipping a year in Elementary level (from 4 to 6 supported by Principal helps) so I don't lose much. If I get about 93-95% in UMAT, I stand a better chance at UNSW, JMP, WSU and maybe UTAS (?). My classmate got the UNSW offer with 99.25 and 94% UMAT. Should have allocated more time towards UMAT last year...but that's ok. I am now on it already. Cheers . btw, I do have a doubt if UNSW does not call anyone with less than 99 ATAR...is that true? The UNSW Admissions conveyed that the median acceptable scores were ATAR 99.5 and UMAT 96% for the offers in 2017 when I enquired this year.

You will possibly need a UMAT at the 100th%ile to be competitive for UTAS (based on this year). Just as an FYI...

 

[Ian Naga]

Thank you so much. Great. This gives more insight. The itch was I got over 95%ile in the MedEntry one day trial test and consistently scoring over 93%ile in the practice tests but floundered in the actual game where it mattered most. I will give it full steam to achieve that target as I am on "Gap" year and have nothing else but this to work on. I accepted an offer for the UK Medicine program to join in mid-Sep 2018. I would have completed UMAT 2018 and possibly got the results (Aug 2018) as well before I board the flights. The next hurdle comes to attending the interview(s) if offered (need to travel from there ditching some classes). I still can not lose the study in the UK until the results are announced in Jan-Feb 2019 here. No revisiting Bond again!!! :yes:

Regarding bond, I know somebody who accepted the interview offer yesterday and declined it a day later (today) at 4:30pm. So perhaps, there is still hope for you and others due to late declines. Regarding Tasmania, forget it unless you are a local or have a local address. The same applies to UWA. It may help to take the "gap year" in Tassie or WA if you are interested in these. Your UK route is a good option. With Brexit, internship opportunities will open up to non-EU citizens and it shouldn't be problem returning home after speciality training and board certification.
Best wishes!

 

[A1]

Any one know when the last offers from Griffith come out aka top up offers? Probably too late - but i'm still hopeful lol

It's not too late. Not just Griffith but other unis have made offers 1-2 weeks after semester starts, thanks to a few idiots who accepted their offers then don't turn up, or quickly withdraw like I did.

Last GU top-up offer we saw here was 99.65, if you are close to that mark it does no harm to call GU Med (not Admissions) to let them know you are keenly interested.

Regarding Tasmania, forget it unless you are a local or have a local address. The same applies to UWA.

Your remark on UWA seems unfounded to me, can you back it up with some info?

 

[jade11]

When is orientation for uni Adelaide? I know it is already started orientation . Then what will happen to 3 rd round offers ? How do they catch up for missing lectures?

 

[Ian Naga]

Your remark on UWA seems unfounded to me, can you back it up with some info?

They deliberately offer interstate students interviews at the end of January at which point most students have decided their arrangements with other Universities (e.g signed accommodation/job etc). UWA excuse is that it helps to cut down on the expense for students flying in from far away. But it cuts down on the numbers of interstate students.

The admissions office at UWA or TISC will not give a breakdown of the number of successful interstate direct pathway Medicine students but said on the phone that it is embarrassingly low. Also, MSO sample has no interstate entry (though there might have been one or two interview invites but late interview policy/offers kills any actual entrance). I guess it is all anecdotal evidence. Are you able to get that information from UWA.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

They deliberately offer interstate students interviews at the end of January at which point most students have decided their arrangements with other Universities (e.g signed accommodation/job etc). UWA excuse is that it helps to cut down on the expense for students flying in from far away. But it cuts down on the numbers of interstate students.

The admissions office at UWA or TISC will not give a breakdown of the number of successful interstate direct pathway Medicine students but said on the phone that it is embarrassingly low. Also, MSO sample has no interstate entry (though there might have been one or two interview invites but late interview policy/offers kills any actual entrance). I guess it is all anecdotal evidence. Are you able to get that information from UWA.

Don’t many universities “deliberately” offer (non rural) interstate students interviews in late January? This isn’t something punitive used only by WA. As a Tasmanian applicant, my UNSW interview was Jan 23rd, almost 2 months after I received an offer from UTAS, 1 month after I received an offer from WSU*, and 2 weeks after I received an offer from JMP*.

(* I was considered rural for JMP and WSU so interviewed earlier, but non rural interstate applicants would ALSO have interviewed in late January for those two universities. Monash and Curtin also had interview rounds in late January for non rural interstate students, I believe.)

 

[mso_parent_5072]

There are 2 basic models in use - the one which says you are all equal and the one which says we are trying to save you unnecessary travel and costs. Adelaide interview all comers up front based on UMAT, so large numbers of interstaters go and get interviewed. But anecdotally they also have high numbers of first round non acceptances - cos if you are interstate and get a home state offer you will probably accept it. UNSW (and others) interview interstaters after they have received their home state offers and potentially save them the travel $ - but wear the perception (incorrectly in my view) that interstaters are disadvantaged. Which model is better?

 

[Mana]

When is orientation for uni Adelaide? I know it is already started orientation . Then what will happen to 3 rd round offers ? How do they catch up for missing lectures?

This happens every year in pretty much every medical course. People get offers several weeks into term etc. They get caught up (or just told to check the previous content published), but it is quite annoying for all involved.

 

[Mana]

There are 2 basic models in use - the one which says you are all equal and the one which says we are trying to save you unnecessary travel and costs. Adelaide interview all comers up front based on UMAT, so large numbers of interstaters go and get interviewed. But anecdotally they also have high numbers of first round non acceptances - cos if you are interstate and get a home state offer you will probably accept it. UNSW (and others) interview interstaters after they have received their home state offers and potentially save them the travel $ - but wear the perception (incorrectly in my view) that interstaters are disadvantaged. Which model is better?

Theoretically the second system can be done without compromising the fairness to all applicants, with the assumption (which is likely incorrect anyway because of the effect of practice) that any candidate's interview performance in the first round and in the second round would be hypothetically the same.

This is what UNSW seems to aim for - overall I would say the larger disadvantage for interstaters interviewing in UNSW second round is that it clashes with Monash's second round interviews. UTas and UWA do however do have heavy weighting towards in-state applicants, but this is nothing new - every state has at least one university which directly or indirectly advantages its in-state (or part of them, anyway) applicants (other than the ACT, anyway).

 

[Ian Naga]

Don’t many universities “deliberately” offer (non rural) interstate students interviews in late January? This isn’t something punitive used only by WA. As a Tasmanian applicant, my UNSW interview was Jan 23rd, almost 2 months after I received an offer from UTAS, 1 month after I received an offer from WSU*, and 2 weeks after I received an offer from JMP*.

(* I was considered rural for JMP and WSU so interviewed earlier, but non rural interstate applicants would ALSO have interviewed in late January for those two universities. Monash and Curtin also had interview rounds in late January for non rural interstate students, I believe.)

Yes indeed. I was just mentioning UTas and UWA as an example but many Universities (with the only exceptions being Queensland universities) have similar practices for interstate students including the likes of UNSW, Monash etc. JCU and UQ have rural quotas but you can be rural anywhere in Australia and be included in the quota. JCU interviews everybody at the same time (regardless of rurality and location). I think older Universities like UNSW , UWA and Monash should move away from this practice and leave it to the likes of WSU, UTAS etc to practice affirmative action. I fully support affirmative action but it has to be done the fairer way like JCU and UQ and not deliberately setting the interview dates so late in the process. That is a sneaky way! Anyway, why is there a quota for Western Sydney residents at WSU . I thought Sydney has about 6 medical schools and if any affirmative action was needed, it was for NSW rural and ATSI! That's my thought.

 

[woodsy]

Yes indeed. I was just mentioning UTas and UWA as an example but many Universities (with the only exceptions being Queensland universities) have similar practices for interstate students including the likes of UNSW, Monash etc. JCU and UQ have rural quotas but you can be rural anywhere in Australia and be included in the quota. JCU interviews everybody at the same time (regardless of rurality and location). I think older Universities like UNSW , UWA and Monash should move away from this practice and leave it to the likes of WSU, UTAS etc to practice affirmative action. I fully support affirmative action but it has to be done the fairer way like JCU and UQ and not deliberately setting the interview dates so late in the process. That is a sneaky way! Anyway, why is there a quota for Western Sydney residents at WSU . I thought Sydney has about 6 medical schools and if any affirmative action was needed, it was for NSW rural and ATSI! That's my thought.

There is not a quota for GWS residents at western Sydney, rather a lower atar and umat cutoff. even if there was a quota, this is justified as the greater western Sydney region is an area of great need for doctors, and so by having this they are serving the local community as people who grow up in the gws area are more likely to go back and work in these areas of workforce shortage. Just like JCU has a large proportion of rural students because its curriculum is aimed towards issues in rural areas, so it’s students go back and work rural areas in need; WSU has a curriculum focused around the unique health issues of WSU (e.g. due to the large migrant population, some may not speak English or may not be used to aus medical practice) meaning it wants students who not only understand these issues but also want to go back and work there. Sure sydney itself has 4 medical schools, nearly 5 :/ , but it has a very large population which is growing very fast, and many hospitals so it can accomodate for them. However, WSU is the only one is western Sydney, and this is very necessary for the state. I myself who lives in western Sydney would struggle to travel into the Sydney medical schools each day (4hrs travel each day) thus WSU is very needed as it provides access to medical school for many students who would miss out on it previously due to distance , as well as those from lower socio economic backgrounds who would not be able to afford living on campus.

 

[A1]

I fully support affirmative action but it has to be done the fairer way like JCU and UQ and not deliberately setting the interview dates so late in the process. That is a sneaky way!

It seems stuck in your head that interstate students doing 2nd round/late interviews is unfair. But you can't support with any concrete evidence. I can name at least 3 MSO members who got UWA interstate interviews with 99.x & 88ish %ile, which is typically the scores required of WA students too. All three declined the invites thus we see no UWA interstate offers on MSO.

Let's say hypothetically these were invited to 1st round interviews, spent over $1000 travel expenses to later on decline UWA thanks to getting home state offers. How would that help make the process fairer?

Otoh I and many other students went to interstate/2nd round interviews and got place offers from them. Ironically the one interstate interview I did early (at Adelaide) didn't result in a 1st round offer. My own experience is totally opposite to what you claim about fairness.

 

[mso_parent_5072]

Otoh I and many other students went to interstate/2nd round interviews and got place offers from them. Ironically the one interstate interview I did early (at Adelaide) didn't result in a 1st round offer. My own experience is totally opposite to what you claim about fairness.

I also have first hand knowledge of both scenarios. After missing out on a home state offer, an interstate interview at UNSW that did not occur until late Jan 2017 resulted in a 2nd (or was that 3rd) round offer 1 week later. AND - a home state offer before the cut off date to accept the later UNSW interstate interview resulted in saving airfares and accommodation which would otherwise have been 100% spent if UNSW did it like say Adelaide.
So to summarise, I think the way UNSW (and others like it) treat interstaters works - it did for us.

 

[Ian Naga]

It seems stuck in your head that interstate students doing 2nd round/late interviews is unfair. But you can't support with any concrete evidence. I can name at least 3 MSO members who got UWA interstate interviews with 99.x & 88ish %ile, which is typically the scores required of WA students too. All three declined the invites thus we see no UWA interstate offers on MSO.

Let's say hypothetically these were invited to 1st round interviews, spent over $1000 travel expenses to later on decline UWA thanks to getting home state offers. How would that help make the process fairer?

Otoh I and many other students went to interstate/2nd round interviews and got place offers from them. Ironically the one interstate interview I did early (at Adelaide) didn't result in a 1st round offer. My own experience is totally opposite to what you claim about fairness.

Perhaps you can provide the evidence to show that there were even a handful of enrolment from interstate students into the direct pathway at UWA, even anecdotal evidence is fine. I doubt you can provide that. For many, the offer of an interview came too late in the game to be of any consequence. (for many reason including commitments like accommodation contracts which had to be committed well before all these interviews, so what chance do they have of considering UWA equally). Regarding $1000 for travel, I believe students coming from WA would have spent as much to attend JCU interviews but there was a sense of faireness. Ask the WA students who attended the JCU interviews. But it is the student's choice. Give everybody the same option. It is up to the student to prioritise. That is fairness

My own experience is opposite to your experience. I will agree to disagree!

 

[biom]

My own experience is opposite to your experience. I will agree to disagree!

Ian Naga What are your plans for the year?
Did you get an offer or hanging out for the last few over the next week or so and working on your plan B?

Good luck!