Otago HSFY chat - archive

[greenglacier]

Oh ok, just someone I know only got something like 91% and got a prize for their paper, but I guess its different for certain departments

Yep - when you're taking non-health sci papers such matters change. I hear rumors of years when no one gets an A+ in LAWS101 for example

 

[skyglow1]

Oh cool so there is a CHEM191 one. The student who told me this said the prize for top in the 191 paper last year was shared amongst 3 people who all got 99% in the paper. The highest mark I heard of in HEAL192 last year was 95%.

 

[greenglacier]

Anyone else get a letter from the biochemistry department?

A little strange - "Congratulations on your excellent academic performance in BIOC 192", and "A BSc majoring in Biochemistry will also provide an excellent foundation for graduate entry into Medical School". I suppose it works, but I'm impressed at the way the letter manages to cover all its bases, and include both those statements - targetting those who get into med school and those who don't.

 

[SASOL]

Nah I haven't, but maybe cos I live up in the wops it will get here in a few days. But I might not get one at all. Just over a week and offers for med will be out!

 

[skyglow1]

Anyone else get a letter from the biochemistry department?

A little strange - "Congratulations on your excellent academic performance in BIOC 192", and "A BSc majoring in Biochemistry will also provide an excellent foundation for graduate entry into Medical School". I suppose it works, but I'm impressed at the way the letter manages to cover all its bases, and include both those statements - targetting those who get into med school and those who don't.

Haha that's awesome. Didn't get a letter like that last year as far as I know.

 

[thefamemonster]

hi yall.
new to mso. though not new to hsfy. just found this website through a friend, and i wish someone had told me about this earlier, would have been nice to talk with you guys during the year (y)

anyway, the purpose of my post is to ask anyone here if they think my grades are good enought to get into pharmacy. i know this is mainly for med student hopefuls, but i thought maybe you guys might know?

CELS191 Cell & molecular biology Semester One 77 B+
CHEM191 Biological chemistry Semester One 84 A-
HUBS191 Human body systems 1 Semester One 89 A
PHSI191 Biological physics Semester One 78 B+
BIOC192 Foundations of biochem Semester Two 80 A-
HEAL192 Foundations of epidemiol Semester Two 79 B+
HUBS192 Human body systems 2 Semester Two 87 A

they may not be the best, but i really worked for these ^_^ i really have my fingers crossed for pharmacy, but i dont know what the ballpark estimates of what the grades are to get in.

anyway. thanks to anyone who responds.

 

[greenglacier]

hi yall.
new to mso. though not new to hsfy. just found this website through a friend, and i wish someone had told me about this earlier, would have been nice to talk with you guys during the year (y)

anyway, the purpose of my post is to ask anyone here if they think my grades are good enought to get into pharmacy. i know this is mainly for med student hopefuls, but i thought maybe you guys might know?

CELS191 Cell & molecular biology Semester One 77 B+
CHEM191 Biological chemistry Semester One 84 A-
HUBS191 Human body systems 1 Semester One 89 A
PHSI191 Biological physics Semester One 78 B+
BIOC192 Foundations of biochem Semester Two 80 A-
HEAL192 Foundations of epidemiol Semester Two 79 B+
HUBS192 Human body systems 2 Semester Two 87 A

they may not be the best, but i really worked for these ^_^ i really have my fingers crossed for pharmacy, but i dont know what the ballpark estimates of what the grades are to get in.

anyway. thanks to anyone who responds.

First off, well done on achieving grades that evidently mean a lot to you. I hope you get accepted (and don't get your place taken by someone doing pharmacy as a fall-back from med).

I have a friend who is very keen on pharmacy (to give you an idea, she didn't even sit UMAT), and from what I've heard from her those grades should be quite sufficient to get in. Do you have preferential entry? Apparently despite everything it does give you an advantage if you selected it on those forms we were given at the start of the year.

Don't know if you'd get in straight away though (I suspect you would) - just thinking of all the people who selected "yes" for as many programmes as possible despite only being interested in med and/or dent - this could potentially have an impact (i.e. a lot of pharmacy students getting in off the waiting list).

Anyone else here have any idea as to the pharmacy entry standard?

 

[SASOL]

I would say you have good enough grades definitely, but as greenglacier says it depends how many med/dent hopefuls use it as a fallback......and then again some of them may not have better grades than you. A friend of mine knows someone who got 69 in one paper and was in pharmcay but they may have had really high grades in other papers.

Good luck!(y)

 

[skyglow1]

I have some friends from first year doing pharmacy now, and I have a vague feeling that those grades are more than enough to get into pharmacy, as my friends' marks were lower.

 

[Razzle Dazzle]

Hey guys just found this site, wish I came across it earlier. From the looks of things, everyone else has a high calibre of results. Well done guys.
Well anyway my results for 2009 are as follows:
HUBS191 - 98
CHEM191 - 84
PHSI191 - 90
CELS191 - 87
HUBS192 - 95
BIOC192 - 91
MAOR102 - 97
HEAL192 - 78
Overall my average is 91.7
UMAT of only 54th percentile though, with a low section 2 and average section 1, high section 3 (can't quite remember exact scores).

SO....does anyone think of a have a chance at getting into med? I'm entering under rural, but quite a few people I know who are going for rural entry have much higher UMATs and GPAs.

Realistically should I be looking at post grad med?

 

[greenglacier]

Hey guys just found this site, wish I came across it earlier. From the looks of things, everyone else has a high calibre of results. Well done guys.
Well anyway my results for 2009 are as follows:
HUBS191 - 98
CHEM191 - 84
PHSI191 - 90
CELS191 - 87
HUBS192 - 95
BIOC192 - 91
MAOR102 - 97
HEAL192 - 78
Overall my average is 91.7
UMAT of only 54th percentile though, with a low section 2 and average section 1, high section 3 (can't quite remember exact scores).

SO....does anyone think of a have a chance at getting into med? I'm entering under rural, but quite a few people I know who are going for rural entry have much higher UMATs and GPAs.

Realistically should I be looking at post grad med?

In all honesty, I don't think any of us here can be of huge help, considering that it isn't that long until offers are released anyway. I did some calculations anyway and from what patchy information I have, I would say you have a respectable chance of entry to med (though quite likely through the waiting list).

In terms of what to do now - you say that if you get an email saying ('declined', or 'waiting list') then, as your backup, you will enrol for the second year of a degree with the intention of applying for graduate entry to med. Such enrolments are due (without financial penalty) by the 15th of January, which doesn't give you much time to plan a degree after med offers come out. So maybe in the next week plan/finalise the degree you will do if you don't get into med. I have a list of possible degrees/major from HSFY (if anyone wants this, let me know), and there are some very attractive ones there - certainly having something like this planned should at the least ease your nerves in the build-up to offers.

Sorry I can't be as helpful as you wanted.

 

[SASOL]

I have a list of possible degrees/major from HSFY (if anyone wants this, let me know), and there are some very attractive ones there

Ooohh would you be able to post that list up here greenglacier?

Cheers(y)

 

[gustavofring]

Hey guys just found this site, wish I came across it earlier. From the looks of things, everyone else has a high calibre of results. Well done guys.
Well anyway my results for 2009 are as follows:
HUBS191 - 98
CHEM191 - 84
PHSI191 - 90
CELS191 - 87
HUBS192 - 95
BIOC192 - 91
MAOR102 - 97
HEAL192 - 78
Overall my average is 91.7
UMAT of only 54th percentile though, with a low section 2 and average section 1, high section 3 (can't quite remember exact scores).

SO....does anyone think of a have a chance at getting into med? I'm entering under rural, but quite a few people I know who are going for rural entry have much higher UMATs and GPAs.

Realistically should I be looking at post grad med?

Also, just remember that the cutoff may (or may not ) reduce a bit since the national government announced they are going to fund for more places in medicine

dunno if the schools can cope with that straight away though..

 

[greenglacier]

Razzle Dazzle and SASOL - the list is attached.

dogtown (and others) - yes, as a result of government action, the number of spaces in 2nd year medicine has increased by 24 (from 210 to 234). This may increase our chances of admission, but keep in mind that we do not know how those extra spaces will be distributed across the different admissions pathways for entry into 2nd year 2010. A reasonable estimate might be that two thirds may go to HSFY admission. This means 16 extra spaces, which is fairly significant (especially if you are one of the 16!), but personally I don't think that it'll have a huge impact on the cut-off (I could of course be quite wrong here).

 

[skyglow1]

Yeah, like at Auckland all their new spots were for Maori and Rural entry, so you can't assume the new spots will help you. The difference it makes is tiny anyway.

 

[SASOL]

With grad entry, can you get in under the rural category?

 

[greenglacier]

The form you have to fill out to qualify for rural origins entry:

https://healthsci.otago.ac.nz/admissions/pdf/pp09_form_c_rural.pdf

Would suggest that you can get in under the rural category for graduate entry.

 

[SASOL]

Just got a letter from the biochem department. They seem kinda desperate I reckon lol

 

[bagel]

hi yall.
just found this website through a friend, and i wish someone had told me about this earlier, would have been nice to talk with you guys during the year (y)

ditto to that. anyways just wanted to wish you all luck... not long now...i think i may spend the day refreshing my email page, and yes i know how sad that sounds:wacko:

 

[Deleted member 4350]

Judgement is nigh. Good luck everyone! It's been a long journey so far...the competition will end for some of us, but will continue for others. Let us know your verdict. I'm very eager =)

GOOD LUCK AGAIN!!!