Otago HSFY chat - archive

[skyglow1]

Yeah I went there. You're in mayad's class? ^^ I emailed the admissions office a couple times asking things like do they use raw scores or percentiles and they gave me a stock "45/45/10 weighting with UMAT scores" answer.

 

[dunnersboy83]

medicine entry?

Hey,

im moving to dunedin next week to study fyhs.. and ideally want to enter med in 2010.
.... and ive got a few questions for anyone whose been through it and got into medicine....

any help is greatly appeciated...

I havent studied science since yr 13 chem (that was 8 yrs ago).. so ive brought myself a yr 13 chem study guide and bio chem for dummys.... and also a micro biology demystifed book.... does anyone have any recommendations for any other text books i should buy to prepare myself?

Also, are the umat study guides worth getting?

and if i failed to get into medicine 2nd yr, how hard is it to enter from a biomedical science degree?

Thanks again in advance!

 

[skyglow1]

I'm assuming you're getting the normal textbooks in addition to those that you listed? The ones on this page:

https://books.unibooks.co.nz/lists.ihtml

If you are then you should be fine. If you haven't got those other textbooks, I'd recommend getting the one listed for HUBS191/192, the one listed for HEAL192, and definitely the PHSI191 textbook written by the university (you'll buy the PHSI191 one from the uni directly). The lecture sldies will have everything you need to know for the all the papers, which is why you don't need all the textbooks but they can help. As a general guide you should concentrate very hard on the material in the lecture slides and only use the textbooks for clarifying/understanding things (i.e. you won't need to learn anything directly out of the textbooks).

I haven't had a look at any UMAT study guides so I can't comment there, and since there's no discussion about pr3p courses on MSO I can't talk about that either lol. It's up to you if you want to use additional materials to prepare for the UMAT. I would recommend at least improving your reading speed for section 1, looking up some emotional vocab for section 2, and online IQ tests where they ask what comes next in the pattern for section 3. Remember though that for HSFY section 1 and 2 are weighted at 45% while section 3 is weighted at only 10%.

I'd say graduate entry is easier than entry through HSFY. You only need 25th percentile in each section of UMAT (whereas for HSFY you'd want a 90+ percentile overall), then after making that cutoff you're ranked against other candidates only through your GPA in your degree. Look under competitive graduate on this page which is last year's admission guidelines:

https://healthsci.otago.ac.nz/admissions/pp09_guidelines.html

 

[McNerdy]

I'd say graduate entry is easier than entry through HSFY. You only need 25th percentile in each section of UMAT (whereas for HSFY you'd want a 90+ percentile overall), then after making that cutoff you're ranked against other candidates only through your GPA in your degree.

However I'd also remind you that there are a lot of applicants applying via this route for a much smaller number of places. Furthermore maintaining a high GPA over 3 years is a lot harder than doing it in HSFY alone which is considerably easier than 3rd level work. Students who've only ever done one year at Uni sometimes forget this detail. It's not just that the work gets more complicated but that the work load gets higher and the sheer stress of that effort wears you down.
To get in via competitive entry this year you needed about an A average across your degree which really is harder to acheive than an A+ average in first year if you did your degree in biomed or something similar.

 

[dunnersboy83]

hey thanks you guys for your advice....

your right about the fact its 3 years to keep the gpa up instead of one....

ill aim to get in from hsfy... and just study like a maniac this coming year

 

[skyglow1]

However I'd also remind you that there are a lot of applicants applying via this route for a much smaller number of places. Furthermore maintaining a high GPA over 3 years is a lot harder than doing it in HSFY alone which is considerably easier than 3rd level work. Students who've only ever done one year at Uni sometimes forget this detail. It's not just that the work gets more complicated but that the work load gets higher and the sheer stress of that effort wears you down.
To get in via competitive entry this year you needed about an A average across your degree which really is harder to acheive than an A+ average in first year if you did your degree in biomed or something similar.

I'm well aware that 200 and 300 level papers are much more difficult. Maybe you've forgotten how big a jump it is from NCEA to university level papers for the average HSFY student Having to worry about UMAT and having twice the workload of more. At least with graduate entry you can sit the UMAT two more times if you really need, and the 25 percentile hurdle is almost not a hurdle at all, leaving time to concentrate solely on your papers. Oh well, I don't really like the "is this one easier or is that easier" comparisons anyway. It depends too much on individual to say with any certainty whether one pathway is easier than another pathway into medicine.

 

[vvvvv]

However I'd also remind you that there are a lot of applicants applying via this route for a much smaller number of places. Furthermore maintaining a high GPA over 3 years is a lot harder than doing it in HSFY alone which is considerably easier than 3rd level work. Students who've only ever done one year at Uni sometimes forget this detail. It's not just that the work gets more complicated but that the work load gets higher and the sheer stress of that effort wears you down.
To get in via competitive entry this year you needed about an A average across your degree which really is harder to acheive than an A+ average in first year if you did your degree in biomed or something similar.

Hi man,

When you say you need an A average. Are you referring to GPA above 8 or GPA between 7.5 and 8.5. I have seen somewhere says A+ average is over 8.5 while A average is GPA 7.5-8.5.

My GPA is 7.86. I dont know if it is A or A-. If it is A-, does that mean I have no chance of getting in through competitive entry?

 

[McNerdy]

I'm well aware that 200 and 300 level papers are much more difficult. Maybe you've forgotten how big a jump it is from NCEA to university level papers for the average HSFY student Having to worry about UMAT and having twice the workload of more. At least with graduate entry you can sit the UMAT two more times if you really need, and the 25 percentile hurdle is almost not a hurdle at all, leaving time to concentrate solely on your papers. Oh well, I don't really like the "is this one easier or is that easier" comparisons anyway. It depends too much on individual to say with any certainty whether one pathway is easier than another pathway into medicine.

Well as someone who has done a HSFY (Auckland which some have intimated is more difficult although I would not) and a full degree I can tell you with certainty that a full degree with a high GPA is vastly more difficult than high grades in HSFY alone. Given my degree was four years including a dissertation I can say that acheiving an A average is no mean feat at all. The jump up from NCEA or bursary is irrelevant since if you can't handle that then you certainly aren't going to get good grades over 3/4 years. It's a jump but it's not ground breaking stuff.
Certainly the UMAT cutoff seems a little odd at 25%, however it does mean that your degree's average GPA must be very high to be competitive since UMAT becomes almost redundant.

As an aside, my entry route was different again with no UMAT required but I did need to have a panel interview. I also had to provide a full CV and references (which I know they checked) so it felt more like a job interview. I believe there were roughly 15-20 places for my category. Unlike UMAT you can't study or re-sit submitting a CV or a panel interview.

I think reflecting on this and your points Skyglow is that there are certainly no easy ways of getting in to Med. Some routes might lend themselves better to some people and not to others but if you get into med I guarantee you've got the smarts to be there.

 

[McNerdy]

Hi man,

When you say you need an A average. Are you referring to GPA above 8 or GPA between 7.5 and 8.5. I have seen somewhere says A+ average is over 8.5 while A average is GPA 7.5-8.5.

My GPA is 7.86. I dont know if it is A or A-. If it is A-, does that mean I have no chance of getting in through competitive entry?

7-7.99 = A-
8-8.99 = A
9.0 = A+

To answer your second question, I have no idea because every year is different and since you will be ranked it depends on how many people get over 7.86. You'll have to hope it isn't more than about 80 people. So if you think that >80 people will be applying with an adequate UMAT and a GPA > 7.86 then you could be out of luck. But YOU HAVE TO BE IN TO WIN!

 

[vvvvv]

7-7.99 = A-
8-8.99 = A
9.0 = A+

To answer your second question, I have no idea because every year is different and since you will be ranked it depends on how many people get over 7.86. You'll have to hope it isn't more than about 80 people. So if you think that >80 people will be applying with an adequate UMAT and a GPA > 7.86 then you could be out of luck. But YOU HAVE TO BE IN TO WIN!

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I am wondering why 80 people? I thought they only take about 40 in otago.

 

[McNerdy]

Hi,

Thanks for your reply. I am wondering why 80 people? I thought they only take about 40 in otago.

Well maybe a long time ago, I believe the class size is approaching the 280 mark these days though. If we assume that veinasian.com is correct then post-grads total comprise about 33% of the class.

0.33*280 = 93ish
93ish-15ish('other category' who you don't compete against) = 78ish

So my rough-ish calculations mean you'll probably have to beat around 80 people.

Edit: I've given you a worst case scenario so I don't give you any false sense of security. Personally I think you have a reasonable chance with 7.86 knowing what I know about someone who was accepted this year through 'comp entry'.

 

[skyglow1]

Class size is such a mysterious thing. They state on the admission guidelines that there are 210 domestic spots across all admission categories for medicine for our year, yet first hand numbers from sources like vein-asian website suggest its way more than this. I guess we'll find out next week

 

[McNerdy]

Class size is such a mysterious thing. They state on the admission guidelines that there are 210 domestic spots across all admission categories for medicine for our year, yet first hand numbers from sources like vein-asian website suggest its way more than this. I guess we'll find out next week

Well you'll spot me with an abacus9000 come next Wed!
I kinda hope it isn't 280 tbh! i'd much prefer a smaller class size, but not as small as my pharmacy one (72 peeps ).

 

[vvvvv]

Well maybe a long time ago, I believe the class size is approaching the 280 mark these days though. If we assume that veinasian.com is correct then post-grads total comprise about 33% of the class.

0.33*280 = 93ish
93ish-15ish('other category' who you don't compete against) = 78ish

So my rough-ish calculations mean you'll probably have to beat around 80 people.

Edit: I've given you a worst case scenario so I don't give you any false sense of security. Personally I think you have a reasonable chance with 7.86 knowing what I know about someone who was accepted this year through 'comp entry'.

Thank you for your help McNerdy. In fact, my GPA keeps troubling me. I took a wrong 27 point paper last year. I thought I could do well on it but I end up getting an A-(The final exam is freaking hard, unlike the previous years). Oh well, there is no point to regret. I cannt change my GPA anymore .

 

[skyglow1]

Well you'll spot me with an abacus9000 come next Wed!
I kinda hope it isn't 280 tbh! i'd much prefer a smaller class size, but not as small as my pharmacy one (72 peeps ).

72?! Health sciences website says 120 waaaaaaah. I think it'll be something close to the number on the vein-asian website, around 250 maybe. Dent's only got 54, that must be cozy lol. May I inquire what an abacus9000 is?

 

[McNerdy]

72?! Health sciences website says 120 waaaaaaah. I think it'll be something close to the number on the vein-asian website, around 250 maybe. Dent's only got 54, that must be cozy lol. May I inquire what an abacus9000 is?

We were the second pharmacy class through Auckland. Class size wasn't that big then (it was meant to be 80 for our year but attrition did its thing). It is officially 120 now for which there were 878 applicants this year. I know they fill the 120 quota for a fact.

 

[McNerdy]

Thank you for your help McNerdy. In fact, my GPA keeps troubling me. I took a wrong 27 point paper last year. I thought I could do well on it but I end up getting an A-(The final exam is freaking hard, unlike the previous years). Oh well, there is no point to regret. I cannt change my GPA anymore .

Bummer. Well stick to your guns and go for Oz too. Brush up on your GAMSAT too. Your 7.86 counts for more over there too due to some retarded transposition rules.

Goodluck!

 

[docca.emb]

I remember reading somewhere on this thread that in Otago, about 500 apply for med each year and 190 is accepted.. Is that correct or did I not read it right? Because HSFY has over 1000 students and I highly doubt only half applies for med.

Oh and I just came back from Dunedin after a quick tour and to sort out colleges and stuff... I really like the environment, can actually imagine myself living there. Although it was a bit cold. Seeing others on the street wearing a shirt and boardies I felt kind of like a wuss with jeans and a woolen jumper.. Will I get used to it?? or am I really a wuss.....

And btw.. Who's going to/living at Knox?? What's it like? It's a bit far huh..

 

[McNerdy]

Oh and I just came back from Dunedin after a quick tour and to sort out colleges and stuff... I really like the environment, can actually imagine myself living there. Although it was a bit cold. Seeing others on the street wearing a shirt and boardies I felt kind of like a wuss with jeans and a woolen jumper.. Will I get used to it?? or am I really a wuss.....

You're a wuss.

 

[skyglow1]

I remember reading somewhere on this thread that in Otago, about 500 apply for med each year and 190 is accepted.. Is that correct or did I not read it right? Because HSFY has over 1000 students and I highly doubt only half applies for med.

Oh and I just came back from Dunedin after a quick tour and to sort out colleges and stuff... I really like the environment, can actually imagine myself living there. Although it was a bit cold. Seeing others on the street wearing a shirt and boardies I felt kind of like a wuss with jeans and a woolen jumper.. Will I get used to it?? or am I really a wuss.....

And btw.. Who's going/living at Knox?? What's it like? It's a bit far huh..

Yup HSFY had 1500-1600 students last year. When I said 500 apply I should've been clearer. I meant that ~500 is the maximum number of people who are eligible to try for med i.e. max ~500 people made the 70% cutoff for each paper. That doesn't mean you can't apply if you didn't make the cutoffs, as I'm sure some people do, but in that case you have 0 chance of getting in.

Knox is a more outgoing/crazy college than some of the other ones lol. There's always rumours of crazy initiations of first years and scary things they do to punish first years but I'm willing to bet none of it is actually true (at least I hope not...) Oh well just concentrate on your studies and you'll be fine.