Quick Questions 2019/2020

[Doublejjason]

Hey, I'm also a first year university students looking to get into undergraduate med. I understand that I will only be able to apply to some universities, however, whilst I was completing my UAC application, I could not find either WSU or UNSW's medicine courses in the search bar to add to my course preferences. JMP and USyd was available. Is there a reason for this?

 

[A1]

Hey, I'm also a first year university students looking to get into undergraduate med. I understand that I will only be able to apply to some universities, however, whilst I was completing my UAC application, I could not find either WSU or UNSW's medicine courses in the search bar to add to my course preferences. JMP and USyd was available. Is there a reason for this?

I remember in previous years applications for Med opened in August and closed around end of Sept. I just had a quick look on their websites, JMP WSU SATAC UWA ... all say August, notable exception is UNSW with 3rd April.

So I don't know why JMP not until August but course code is already up, but the other way around for UNSW.

 

[wannabesavant]

Hi,

So I'm very aware that medicine is highly competitive and I want to know whether I have a decent chance at getting in.

I'm currently in year 11 and my grade averages are (all ATAR):

Chem: 96
Bio: 93
Methods: 57 (I understand the concepts, I just don't thick I've been putting in as much effort as I should, I'm getting a tutor)
Modern History: 72 (but I'm top of the class??? lol)
Literature: 79
Religion: 80

I'm a friendly person with relatively good people skills. I believe I'm hardworking and want to know whether it's worth trying to give my all to try and get into the direct pathway for med at UWA. I'm very passionate about medical sciences and self improvement of health and wellbeing.

 

[Crow]

So I'm very aware that medicine is highly competitive and I want to know whether I have a decent chance at getting in.

Welcome to MSO

It's impossible to answer this without knowing what your ATAR and UCAT scores will be (which you obviously can't predict at this stage). I'm not well across ATAR calculations in WA (A1 or Ruffle are) but currently for UWA specifically you need a minimum of a 99 ATAR to be eligible for a place offer (which is certainly no easy feat).

Be aware that less than 10% of applicants that sit UMAT (now UCAT) receive a place offer for undergraduate medicine in Australia. As you've pointed out it's incredibly competitive, so it's important to keep an open mind and have a feasible back up plan that will provide you with a career path should you not gain entry into medicine.

Once you've sat UCAT and received your score next year we should be able to provide you a better estimate of your chances

 

[A1]

So I'm very aware that medicine is highly competitive and I want to know whether I have a decent chance at getting in.

UWA gives 40% weighting to ATAR, 20% UCAT and 40% interview. As Crow said minimum 99.0 but since it's weighted 40% you should aim for 99.5+ and 90th+ UCAT percentile to have a good chance. Although 99.0 & 85th%ile can possibly get in it would require a high interview score to compensate.

To get 99.0 you need to average around 85 for the four highest subjects, for 99.5 average around 90. This is a rough guide only since we don't know how the subjects will scale and whether you will achieve the same marks in the actual WACE exams. Have you considered doing a LOTE to get bonus marks added to your ATAR aggregate?

Last but not least you should not limit your options to just UWA. There's Curtin and several interstate schools you could be competitive for, depending on the composition of your ATAR & UCAT. Best of luck.

 

[wannabesavant]

UWA gives 40% weighting to ATAR, 20% UCAT and 40% interview. As Crow said minimum 99.0 but since it's weighted 40% you should aim for 99.5+ and 90th+ UCAT percentile to have a good chance. Although 99.0 & 85th%ile can possibly get in it would require a high interview score to compensate.

To get 99.0 you need to average around 85 for the four highest subjects, for 99.5 average around 90. This is a rough guide only since we don't know how the subjects will scale and whether you will achieve the same marks in the actual WACE exams. Have you considered doing a LOTE to get bonus marks added to your ATAR aggregate?

Last but not least you should not limit your options to just UWA. There's Curtin and several interstate schools you could be competitive for, depending on the composition of your ATAR & UCAT. Best of luck.

I'm doing methods so that i get the 10% maths bonus even it's not in my top 4
I also attend a school that's currently a broadway school so my min ATAR is a 96 but that might change by next year when I'll be applying
I feel like I'll be a lot better at the interview portion of the selection process: would a good interview make me a more considerable candidate if i achieve a lower ATAR/UCAT score? I'm not a genius so I don't think realistically, even with all the studying in the world I'll be able to get the top top marks on those sections.

 

[A1]

I'm doing methods so that i get the 10% maths bonus even it's not in my top 4

A LOTE will give you another lot of 10% (of that subject's marks) bonus.

I feel like I'll be a lot better at the interview portion of the selection process: would a good interview make me a more considerable candidate if i achieve a lower ATAR/UCAT score?

We know the weightings are 40:20:40 so ATAR is as significant as interview score. We can't tell how many marks in one compensate for how many in the other so simply do the best you can. A 97-98 ATAR from a Broadway school with 90th+ %ile can give you a fair chance.

 

[geek]

hi,
was just wondering if we had to apply through "tacs" for a BMP undergrad medical place and list Bmp as one of our preference for Curtin,JCU,JMP,WSU and UNSW Medicine schools?
Or are we automatically considered for a BMP if our total falls short for the csp places
cheers

 

[Crow]

hi,
was just wondering if we had to apply through "tacs" for a BMP undergrad medical place and list Bmp as one of our preference for Curtin,JCU,JMP,WSU and UNSW Medicine schools?
Or are we automatically considered for a BMP if our total falls short for the csp places
cheers

It changes depending on the uni - some you need to specifically nominate that you are willing to receive a BMP, some (most?) automatically consider you for it (e.g. I know JCU is one of these) and for UQ it’s an entirely different preference in QTAC.

 

[A1]

hi,
was just wondering if we had to apply through "tacs" for a BMP undergrad medical place and list Bmp as one of our preference for Curtin,JCU,JMP,WSU and UNSW Medicine schools?
Or are we automatically considered for a BMP if our total falls short for the csp places
cheers

Some schools used to give separate course codes for you to enter into your TAC preference list. This way you can list for example 1) UNSW CSP 2) WSU CSP 3) UNSW BMP 4) JMP CSP etc.

Now most schools don't do that anymore. Just one Med course code for each, then in the direct application to the school they may ask whether you're prepared to accept a BMP offer. If they don't ask or you tick yes to this question you are covered.

This way is a little simpler but you can't nominate prefs as described above. You could be offered UNSW BMP first instead of WSU CSP, you then need to accept the UNSW BMP offer then swap WSU to first pref hoping for WSU CSP in the second round.

 

[MedDream2020]

Hi,

How many seats are allocated for interstate applicants at JMP? And how many applicants get invited for January interviews (Just an approximate)?

 

[A1]

Hi,
How many seats are allocated for interstate applicants at JMP? And how many applicants get invited for January interviews (Just an approximate)?

There has been no evidence JMP differentiate seats by states. Everyone who was above the interview cutoff got an invite regardless of their home state. We understand JMP interviews 700+ applicants over 12 days so roughly 60/day. Nov/Dec round is for NSW/ACT/QLD + all eligible rural applicants, 10 days = ~600, January for the remaining non-rural interstates 2 days = ~120.

 

[MrWhippe]

Hi,

How many seats are allocated for interstate applicants at JMP? And how many applicants get invited for January interviews (Just an approximate)?

I don't think JMP weights interstate allocations. As long as you're domestic, you have equal chance, whether you're from NSW or otherwise.

For the JMP there are ~700 interviews, and ~170 places.

 

[Goldilocks]

Does anyone know where I can access the UMAT cut-offs for last year (specifically UQ)? I just want to get an idea percentile-wise.

 

[MrWhippe]

Does anyone know where I can access the UMAT cut-offs for last year (specifically UQ)? I just want to get an idea percentile-wise.

Here. Effectively, if you're non-rural need +90th for a chance, and ~95th to be highly competitive (as I believe ATAR/OP is a hurdle of 99/OP1, and the remaining weight is 100% on UMAT).

 

[A1]

Does anyone know where I can access the UMAT cut-offs for last year (specifically UQ)? I just want to get an idea percentile-wise.

From the same link above > Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2019 - Collated Data

Email from UQ with cutoff information following first round QTAC offers:
"CSP: 189:67 (95th%le)
BMP: 184:69 (93rd%ile)
Rural: 158:51"

These were ~3 UMAT marks higher than the previous year's 186 CSP & 181 BMP.

 

[LeilahHopkins]

If medicine doesn’t work out, I would like to study Paramedicine. However a Bachelor of Paramedicine would rule out Melbourne Uni as it doesn’t include the prerequisite subjects. Is it theoretically possible to start a science degree, do the prerequisite subjects, and then transfer to Paramedicine?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

If medicine doesn’t work out, I would like to study Paramedicine. However a Bachelor of Paramedicine would rule out Melbourne Uni as it doesn’t include the prerequisite subjects. Is it theoretically possible to start a science degree, do the prerequisite subjects, and then transfer to Paramedicine?

Yes. Keeping in mind, I believe, you'd need to do two years of the science degree to meet the pre-requisites for UMelb, so you'd need to factor that into your 'is it worth it' calculations (it may well be, I'm certainly not making a value call there). That said, you'd also possibly (though, again, this would require some looking into and may depend on the uni you attend) get some RPL when you start Paramedicine.

 

[Crow]

If medicine doesn’t work out, I would like to study Paramedicine. However a Bachelor of Paramedicine would rule out Melbourne Uni as it doesn’t include the prerequisite subjects. Is it theoretically possible to start a science degree, do the prerequisite subjects, and then transfer to Paramedicine?

You can do the prerequisites as stand-alone subjects at some universities (I can’t recall if Melbourne is one of them or not). I’m not sure if you get to do any electives in paramedicine at Melbourne, but if you do, you could knock some of the prerequisites out that way too.

If you can already be studying paramedicine now, it would be a smarter approach to do that first and do the science units during or afterwards, as opposed to the other way around. This would potentially save you time, allow you to see if you’ll be competitive for medicine entry come the end of the degree and after sitting GAMSAT, and provide you with potential employment at the end of it.

 

[EAustralia]

Hi,
I have completed a Bachelor degree. I then began a degree (completed 4 subjects) but did not complete this degree. I am not very happy with the grades from the second degree that I began. For my GPA calculation, will only my completed degrees grades be used?

Regards,
E