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Otago HSFY chat - archive
- Thread starter jeavey
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I don't know if you'd call it flexibility - you get less choice in your papers than you would with a BSc. At the same time, the papers you did take would let you experience a wider range of the health sciences.
SASOL
Regular Member
Yeah thats what I was trying to say...just didnt turn out
. I kinda wana do a bit of anatomy, pharmacology and physiology, without having to do so many papers needed for a physiology major that I can only do a few of the other areas.....if you get what Im on about.
Anyone know if BBiomedSc is more or less recognised than a BSc, and if I did that would it be less favoured than using a BSc to be selected for post grad med? Assuming my marks are good enough, or do they have no preference?
. I kinda wana do a bit of anatomy, pharmacology and physiology, without having to do so many papers needed for a physiology major that I can only do a few of the other areas.....if you get what Im on about.Anyone know if BBiomedSc is more or less recognised than a BSc, and if I did that would it be less favoured than using a BSc to be selected for post grad med? Assuming my marks are good enough, or do they have no preference?
Yeah thats what I was trying to say...just didnt turn out
Anyone know if BBiomedSc is more or less recognised than a BSc, and if I did that would it be less favoured than using a BSc to be selected for post grad med? Assuming my marks are good enough, or do they have no preference?
Yeah well BBiomedSc definately looks like it'd enable you to evenly mix anatomy, physiology and pharmacology. I very much doubt that Otago would prefer one degree over the other for graduate med - they both involve the same papers after all.
Your second comment does bring up an interesting point though. The admissions office advises heavily against designing a degree around the easiest possible path into graduate med, because if you don't get in, you're going to have to do something with that degree. What I'm saying is that it'd definately pay to think about where you want your degree to take you. That is of course for you to work out, and in this case in particular, to think about where a BBiomedSc could take you as opposed to a BSc...
I have no idea about the prestige of a BBiomedSc compared to a BSc - if someone on this forum does, I'd be very interested to know.
Oh - and just checked - results have been confirmed.
SASOL
Regular Member
Hey dct, um may apply to both NZ and aussie med schools. Yeah I've read up about the new melbourne MD program, and it says biochem is a needed....do know if this is set in stone or not? Not keen on taking biochem as a paper, but melbourne seems most appealing of the aussie med schools at the moment. Other than that I don't really know much about the other med schools over there. Though ive heard Monash doesnt take graduates?
Thanks for your advice too greenglacier.
Thanks for your advice too greenglacier.
Remember the first 2 sections are most important, not the overall scoreIf there are any Otago med students hanging around, they might be able to provided somewhat informed guesses as to the cut-off mark. I'd agree with you that you are looking somewhat unlikely with that low average, but you do have a very good weighted UMAT.
I have heard of people just scraping into med (after a long time on the waiting list) with ~88 average and 80th percentile UMAT, but that is just rumour (and strikes me as being somewhat low - I definately know of someone who got 90th percentile UMAT and a similar average but didn't get in).
Nevertheless, if indeed someone did get in with those results, and assuming that their weighted UMAT was the same as their original, and hence 56, this would give them a ranking score of 77.3.
Your ranking score is 77.2
Now - I don't know if I have achieved anything by doing this: all I have done is played around with a rumour and made significant assumptions (not least that the cut-off mark will be the same this year). So yeah, take out of it what you will, but I'd say realistically to decide your alternative plan for next year (different professional course, BSc, BBiomedSc - aiming for graduate entry or not), hope for a waiting list spot and be prepared for potential acceptance right into February. Then again, you might get in. If you do, be sure to post here - I'd be somewhat interested to know.
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Ranking score for entrance to Otago medicine from HSFY =
Average mark across best 7 papers*2/3 + weighted UMAT/3 =
(Mark in best paper + ..... + Mark in 7th best paper)*2/21 + (raw mark in UMAT S1*0.45 + raw mark in UMAT S2*0.45 + raw mark in UMAT S3*0.1)/3
Average mark across best 7 papers*2/3 + weighted UMAT/3 =
(Mark in best paper + ..... + Mark in 7th best paper)*2/21 + (raw mark in UMAT S1*0.45 + raw mark in UMAT S2*0.45 + raw mark in UMAT S3*0.1)/3
The scores in themselves are meaningless, with no references to define how good they are.
However, starting pretty soon, the admissions office will go through everyone who applied for med from HSFY, and calculate the score. They will then rank all of us by our score, and from this take however many people they are going to admit, resulting in a cut-off - those with a score above it get into med.
They also use the score to determine the waiting list - who is on it, and in what order.
This cut-off is what I was speculating on before. I think it may be around 80 each year, but this is based on patchy evidence, as the admissions office do not release it. Maybe some current med students could enlighten us as to what they think it is?
Hey everyone,
Haven't read MSO for a week. Congrats to everyone for the great results. Guessing cutoff scores is so dodgy since they never release them. I've heard some cutoff scores only to find out later they were entry via rural or Maori too which complicates the situation.
My very vague feeling is that something like 85% average and a 56 UMAT (80th percentile) would be really borderline but may just get in via waiting list.
Chama932, I think a combination of 84.6% and 62.45 UMAT would give you a decent shot of getting into med. And SASOL, with your semester 2 scores I definitely wouldn't count out getting into med too, especially if the marks are used instead of grades.
Greenglacier, if that is how they calculate the ranking score, then having a low UMAT isn't really that bad. For instance, my weighted UMAT was 56, and unless a student did exceptionally well in the UMAT, their score isn't going to be that much higher than mine. Looking at the paper marks side, there is real potential to pull ahead of others by getting a very high percentage like you guys have done in second semester.
That whole Epi muckup sounds horrible. I would hate for my mark to be changed and lowered by so much. Speaking of marks, I found out I passed second year which is a relief. It wasn't a pass with distinction but I'm very very content with just a pass!
Haven't read MSO for a week. Congrats to everyone for the great results. Guessing cutoff scores is so dodgy since they never release them. I've heard some cutoff scores only to find out later they were entry via rural or Maori too which complicates the situation.
My very vague feeling is that something like 85% average and a 56 UMAT (80th percentile) would be really borderline but may just get in via waiting list.
Chama932, I think a combination of 84.6% and 62.45 UMAT would give you a decent shot of getting into med. And SASOL, with your semester 2 scores I definitely wouldn't count out getting into med too, especially if the marks are used instead of grades.
Greenglacier, if that is how they calculate the ranking score, then having a low UMAT isn't really that bad. For instance, my weighted UMAT was 56, and unless a student did exceptionally well in the UMAT, their score isn't going to be that much higher than mine. Looking at the paper marks side, there is real potential to pull ahead of others by getting a very high percentage like you guys have done in second semester.
That whole Epi muckup sounds horrible. I would hate for my mark to be changed and lowered by so much. Speaking of marks, I found out I passed second year which is a relief. It wasn't a pass with distinction but I'm very very content with just a pass!
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I don't know if I ever came out as saying that UMAT has a huge influence, but if I did, I'll just add here that I completely agree with skyglow. The difference between a 100th percentile UMAT and a 30th percentile UMAT is very significant in its impact on entry into medicine, but the difference between 60th and 95th percentile (which is a "normal" sort of range I've noticed for this year) only corresponds to a difference of 5% in the paper mark average. While this is definately enough to have a significant impact, and is equivalent to some pretty bad paper marks, it is certainly not disastrous to be at the bottom of the range. A UMAT that seems terrible can be overcome with a very good set of results for your papers - a fact that I have (often unsuccesfully) tried to tell to people at my hall this year. The number of people that have let a UMAT of 50-65th percentile get to them, and cause them to pretty much give up on their papers is quite saddening, when they would have been likely to get in, even with that UMAT, if they had kept up, or improved slightly on their first semester marks. I have total respect for you SASOL in the fact that despite a mediocre first semester average, and poor UMAT, you found the motivation to really pick up your game and get those awesome second semester marks.
But anyway, this is why there is some huge variation in the UMAT marks of med students.
Oh, and I should add that if there is any doubt, I am 99% certain that the equation I posted earlier is the one used for ranking purposes for entry to medicine.
Also - I just remembered another couple of facts that may help in guessing the cutoff mark:
1 - I have heard from Melany Wilde that this year, the 2nd year med students from HSFY had an average of 93%/80th percentile UMAT.
2 - I was talking to one of the staff members at my hall a couple of months ago. She mentioned that from her experience with med students over the last 2-3 years (earlier than this the entry standard starts to change), while there were some who got in with lower than 90% average, they tended to get in off the waiting list. No mention of UMAT - but this justs fits in with the fact that UMAT doesn't have a huge influence.
As skyglow said however, it is very hard to guess cutoffs, and all we really can do is wait another 3 1/2 weeks for the emails from the admissions office.
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Oh no sorry greenglacier, I didn't mean to imply that. Last year I was guessing the formula would be the one you have posted, and I realised that even though my UMAT looked pretty crap amongst all the amazing 95+ percentile ones, it didn't actually matter that much if I kept up my good paper marks. And definitely the difference between 65 and 95 percentile may look huge but it's not something that can't be overcome. And your comment about students giving up after a poor UMAT is so true. I think a lot of that comes from the hype and stress students have about the UMAT, and how big the 1/3 weighting appears.
If you're 99% certain it is the formula then that's that
Must've saved me from my not so great UMAT last year because everyone bunches up around the 50 to 70 raw mark range anyway.
Edit: Oh SASOL you're rural too? I'd say now that you have a better than average chance of getting in then! And greenglacier, average of 80th percentile is shocking! The 93% average sounds about right, but I thought the UMAT average would be around 90 percentile. Most of the students I know in my tutorial groups got 90+ percentiles in UMAT without trouble.
If you're 99% certain it is the formula then that's that
Must've saved me from my not so great UMAT last year because everyone bunches up around the 50 to 70 raw mark range anyway.Edit: Oh SASOL you're rural too? I'd say now that you have a better than average chance of getting in then! And greenglacier, average of 80th percentile is shocking! The 93% average sounds about right, but I thought the UMAT average would be around 90 percentile. Most of the students I know in my tutorial groups got 90+ percentiles in UMAT without trouble.
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D
Deleted member 4350
Guest
SASOL, if you're applying through rural entry you're chances of entry are dramatically increased. You're competing with a 'weaker' cohort of students. My friend who's applying through rural did only slightly better than you in UMAT (66th percentile), although he got a 90th percentile for section 1, but averaged a GPA of about 83% (compared to your mammoth 94%). I think he stands a very good chance of entry, but if it were a choice between you or him, you'd easily be the pick.
I'm not one to give people high expectations or a false sense of hope, but I can honestly say you have a VERY good shot at rural entry
P.S. congrats skyglow on you're successful completion of MB ChB II. I'll congratulate you in person sometime these holidays hopefully
I'm not one to give people high expectations or a false sense of hope, but I can honestly say you have a VERY good shot at rural entry
P.S. congrats skyglow on you're successful completion of MB ChB II. I'll congratulate you in person sometime these holidays hopefully
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SASOL
Regular Member
Hmmm I wouldn't say rural has a weaker cohort, I know plenty of people going for rural entry who have high UMATs and GPA, because Otagos definition of rural is not really a good one in my view. Im just hoping they take into account the letter and stuff we had to write saying why we would be a good candidate for rural etc, but I have more of a chance with rural than if I wasn't I guess.
I think my first section of UMAT was about 87th percentile which isn't too bad, its just the other 2 were low. Oh well no point spectulating really
I think my first section of UMAT was about 87th percentile which isn't too bad, its just the other 2 were low. Oh well no point spectulating really
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