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Otago HSFY chat - archive
- Thread starter jeavey
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There'll be one in the information booklet for new second years. I've never personally seen a list anywhere else though.
Hi all. So I've ended up on the waiting list for admission into med at Otago... Kinda gutted. I don't want to give up hope but I can't help feel I am unlikely to get entry at all now. Does anyone know the approximate size of the waiting list at Otago, and perhaps what sort of numbers of gain entry via this route? I gather many apply for dentistry and medicine and then choose dentistry only, surely opening up at least a handful of places?
Hi Chris
The safest thing to do now is to plan as though you didn't get in, but don't lose hope. Lots of the MSO members who were on the waiting list last year ended up getting in, right up until class started. Would you mind sharing your average and weighted UMAT? (This could give a rough idea of where you stand on the list).
Hi greenglacier, thanks for the response.
Yeah I didn't do spectacularly by any means but I still held out hope... Got an A average, 86.4%, GPA 7.86. I don't actually know my weighted UMAT... and sadly am away on holiday at the moment and do not have access to it. I did crap in terms of percentiles - third section dragged me down - but my first and second sections were good which is why I think I even got onto the waiting list. If it is any help sections 1 and 2 were about 86-88%ile on the graph, section 3 was something awfully average. Not sure if that helps but it is all I can give at this stage!
Yeah I didn't do spectacularly by any means but I still held out hope... Got an A average, 86.4%, GPA 7.86. I don't actually know my weighted UMAT... and sadly am away on holiday at the moment and do not have access to it. I did crap in terms of percentiles - third section dragged me down - but my first and second sections were good which is why I think I even got onto the waiting list. If it is any help sections 1 and 2 were about 86-88%ile on the graph, section 3 was something awfully average. Not sure if that helps but it is all I can give at this stage!
I agree with greenglacier-plan as though you're not in, but don't give up hope. I just made it in as a grad, and, to be honest, not getting in the first time around is one of the best things that has happened to me. I gained a degree in a subject I'm interested in, and will be useful for med. I gained lots of new skills, like how to critically analyse a research paper. I met heaps of new people. I had time to experience another field to see if med is really for me. I also think the blow of not getting in first time round is humbling, and for me anyway, made me a better person.
For anyone that missed out and wants to apply post-grad, go for it! There is a perception that it's much easier than undergrad. But in my experience, a lot of people underestimate it, so work as hard as you can. There are so many other options apart from med too-you may find an area that you're really passionate about and follow that path. Or, you could bring your new passion into the medical field.
I know finishing a degree sounds such a long way away now, but in my experience, it flies by! I'm happy to answer any questions about the Human Nutrition major for a BSc, or just general questions. PM if you want to chat.
For anyone that missed out and wants to apply post-grad, go for it! There is a perception that it's much easier than undergrad. But in my experience, a lot of people underestimate it, so work as hard as you can. There are so many other options apart from med too-you may find an area that you're really passionate about and follow that path. Or, you could bring your new passion into the medical field.
I know finishing a degree sounds such a long way away now, but in my experience, it flies by! I'm happy to answer any questions about the Human Nutrition major for a BSc, or just general questions. PM if you want to chat.
Alright well I just had a look at the UMAT percentile curves and had a bit of a play around and it does look to me like you're in with a chance given the sorts of scores that have gotten people in this year and how much the cutoff dropped last year after accounting for the waiting list. As a ballpark figure, your ranking score seems to be in the region of 77. Last year the cutoff for direct entry was somewhere between 77.2-77.5, dropping to around 75.5-76 after accounting for people getting in off the waiting list. This year people have gotten in with 78.4 (though the cutoff may be lower than this). Once again though I will reiterate that the safe thing to do now is to start planning as though you didn't get in. Enjoy your holiday and it'd be great if you could share your full UMAT results when you can access them, at the least so that the HSFYers for next year can get a reasonable idea as to the cutoff for direct entry.
Cheers greenglacier and Runaway, really appreciate it.
I will certainly "plan for the worst" - I do realise that is the only sensible thing to do! My brain will surely explode from all this waiting over the next month though!!!
I'll post my full UMAT result when I can, the more information like this available the better. I know it is by no means the end of the world but it would be so disappointing to have made it so very close and yet not close enough!
I will certainly "plan for the worst" - I do realise that is the only sensible thing to do! My brain will surely explode from all this waiting over the next month though!!!
I'll post my full UMAT result when I can, the more information like this available the better. I know it is by no means the end of the world but it would be so disappointing to have made it so very close and yet not close enough!
Hey Chris I would just like to say that I was in the same situation as you last year so I know first hand how hard it is. You should also be proud of the fact that you have gotten so close. I think with your score you definitely got a decent shot but as greenglacier pointed out plan for next year and think carefully about what papers to take. In my opinion you should do what interests you instead of doing papers other people find ''easy''. If you apply for medicine as a graduate a combination of physiology, pharmacology and anatomy would help you with the course content in medicine. Have a read of the post grad wiki it might help. Enjoy your holidays you deserve a good break after hell science lol.
Thanks a lot for letting us know, that's really helpful. Congratulations on getting in! It's looks like the undergrad cutoff was somewhere between 77 and 77.4, which, interestingly enough, is the same as it was last year (especially interesting given the rise in the grad entry cutoff).
I'm kind of this confused what is the 77ish scores people are posting? How are they working it out?
(Mark in best paper + mark in 2nd best paper + ... + mark in 7th best paper)*2/21 + (UMAT S1 mark*0.45 + UMAT S2 mark*0.45 + UMAT S3 mark*0.1)/3
Ben
(╯°□°)╯︵ǝuᴉluosʇuǝpnʇ spǝɯ
Marks are the percentages right? Rather than less specific A-/B+ etc grades?
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