Quick Questions Thread #2: 2018-2019

[Michael Wan]

Hi, I am a new member. Do you have the confirmed dates for the Interview week for WSU, UNSW, JMP(UoE) in 2018?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi, I am a new member. Do you have the confirmed dates for the Interview week for WSU, UNSW, JMP(UoE) in 2018?

A single google search found me this: Key dates

I'll leave you to come up with the rest.

 

[A1]

Hi, I am a new member. Do you have the confirmed dates for the Interview week for WSU, UNSW, JMP(UoE) in 2018?

In addition to LMG's reply I found this for WSU
> MD Important Dates and Deadlines | Western Sydney University , which interestingly says

26-30 November 2018 MMI interviews held - for domestic applicants
Note: There will be no interviews held outside these dates

So unlike previous years WSU won't be holding a separate January interview round for interstate students.

UNSW will have some changes too. Previous years they interviewed NSW students in November based on Umat and predicted Atar. I have seen two indications this year they won't do the same - interview invites will be based on actual Atar so will only be issued after Atar results are released on 14-Dec. With the usual one week's notice interview dates will be somewhere from 20-Dec to 08-Jan. (Minus the Christmas New Year period in between my money is on 2nd to 6th January).

 

[Smelly Boy]

Hey A1 for a Unsw interview with about a 50% chance of success, what sort of umat score would I need with 98.55 atar and a 6.2ish GPA + EAS?

 

[A1]

Hey A1 for a Unsw interview with about a 50% chance of success, what sort of umat score would I need with 98.55 atar and a 6.2ish GPA + EAS?

EAS is a big unknown so I don't have a clue. Without EAS I think 98.55 would need around 93%ile to scrape in, mid-high 90s %ile for 50/50 chance.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Just a general FYI so we don't get inundated with hypothetical "what score would I need?" requests prior to UMAT results actually coming out: there will be an entire thread devoted to exactly this the moment results are released and we can provide predictions based on at least one* actual piece of information

(* in most cases. I do acknowledge that some people will be on gap years/already have started uni as above etc and will have additional information.)

 

[Q3]

So this year there will be overlap between JMP and WSU interviews, I don't know if it was the case last year. Given that uni's generally will not let you change the interview date just because it clashes with another interview (correct me if I am wrong), I wonder if the purpose of such a decision is to filter out those who sit the interview just for the sake of it and have no intention of accepting the offer. Although it does impact people who would be open to accepting either offers as it gives them less choice.

 

[A1]

So this year there will be overlap between JMP and WSU interviews

You can selectively book your WSU interview date, so get in book early to avoid the date you are given for JMP.

 

[Crow]

So this year there will be overlap between JMP and WSU interviews, I don't know if it was the case last year. Given that uni's generally will not let you change the interview date just because it clashes with another interview (correct me if I am wrong), I wonder if the purpose of such a decision is to filter out those who sit the interview just for the sake of it and have no intention of accepting the offer. Although it does impact people who would be open to accepting either offers as it gives them less choice.

I don't think there is a purpose at all - the unis decide on the dates that are convenient for themselves. I doubt they coordinate to make sure that they've kept the other unis happy.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

So this year there will be overlap between JMP and WSU interviews, I don't know if it was the case last year. Given that uni's generally will not let you change the interview date just because it clashes with another interview (correct me if I am wrong), I wonder if the purpose of such a decision is to filter out those who sit the interview just for the sake of it and have no intention of accepting the offer. Although it does impact people who would be open to accepting either offers as it gives them less choice.

In addition to what others have said, I know of several reports of people getting JMP interview dates changed very easily, despite official stuff saying it’s hard to do. I’d say they just don’t advertise it (for obvious reasons) but JMP in particular seem pretty reasonable. This may not be the case for other unis.

 

[BethMark25]

In addition to what others have said, I know of several reports of people getting JMP interview dates changed very easily, despite official stuff saying it’s hard to do. I’d say they just don’t advertise it (for obvious reasons) but JMP in particular seem pretty reasonable. This may not be the case for other unis.

LMG! I've heard this too. When I went to my JMP interview they were talking about how many people had not shown up for their allocated time. Multiple staff members/students told me that they didn't understand why, and that if people would just call them they're more than happy to change the dates or times around to accommodate people. But as you said, I understand why they wouldn't advertise it.

 

[entirety]

Hey, has anyone heard of the new La Trobe and UoM collaboration? Apparently it's for rural students, and you study biomedicine at La Trobe and then gain "guaranteed entry" into the MD program at UoM... Next year is the first intake and apparently it was put in place to address the shortage in regional/remote areas.

 

[A1]

Hey, has anyone heard of the new La Trobe and UoM collaboration? Apparently it's for rural students, and you study biomedicine at La Trobe and then gain "guaranteed entry" into the MD program at UoM... Next year is the first intake and apparently it was put in place to address the shortage in regional/remote areas.

What I understand from this > More rural and regional Australians to train as doctors

- UoM will transfer 40 of its current CSP quota to the Shepparton campus. In return the federal gov approves of UoM taking on 40 more FFP/int'l students.

- Of these 40 Shepparton places, 20 will be made available for La Trobe students enrolling in the Bachelor of Bioscience (Medical) in Bendigo and Albury/Wodonga who meet the rigorous entry criteria. I don't see guaranteed entry there.

- Presumably the other 20 places are for non-LaTrobe rural applicants to compete for.

 

[entirety]

What I understand from this > More rural and regional Australians to train as doctors

- UoM will transfer 40 of its current CSP quota to the Shepparton campus. In return the federal gov approves of UoM taking on 40 more FFP/int'l students.

- Of these 40 Shepparton places, 20 will be made available for La Trobe students enrolling in the Bachelor of Bioscience (Medical) in Bendigo and Albury/Wodonga who meet the rigorous entry criteria. I don't see guaranteed entry there.

- Presumably the other 20 places are for non-LaTrobe rural applicants to compete for.

Hmm so basically the biomedical course at La Trobe can take in as many applicants as they want/need and only 20 (not 40) make it into the Doctor of Medicine program after meeting the "rigorous entry criteria"? So it's just post grad medicine except for the fact you can only seem to practice in rural areas. Do you think it's worth applying for it?

 

[A1]

Hmm so basically the biomedical course at La Trobe can take in as many applicants as they want/need and only 20 (not 40) make it into the Doctor of Medicine program after meeting the "rigorous entry criteria"? So it's just post grad medicine except for the fact you can only seem to practice in rural areas.

I have edited in your post from 40 to 20 as reported in the linked article. This can be like the USC model which gives 20 USC MedSc students guaranteed spots in the Griffith MD program. However lacking the word guaranteed I suspect it's like the Monash model that allows only Monash (or LaTrobe in this case) students to compete for, thereby allowing them to take in a lot more than 20 Biomed students.

You will face a tough competition either way. The USC model at the beginning, the Monash model at the end, of the Biomed course.

 

[hopefulgal]

Hi, I am asking a question regarding the JCU written application. How essential are the letters of support? Is one likely to receive an interview offer (provided good GPA and otherwise well-written application) without them? Thanks.

 

[Saintz11]

I have edited in your post from 40 to 20 as reported in the linked article. This can be like the USC model which gives 20 USC MedSc students guaranteed spots in the Griffith MD program. However lacking the word guaranteed I suspect it's like the Monash model that allows only Monash (or LaTrobe in this case) students to compete for, thereby allowing them to take in a lot more than 20 Biomed students.

You will face a tough competition either way. The USC model at the beginning, the Monash model at the end, of the Biomed course.

Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical), Courses and degrees, La Trobe University

"Subjects studied meet the admission criteria defined by the University of Melbourne for the Doctor of Medicine. The University of Melbourne also requires students to have a 75 WAM (weighted average mark) and a continued commitment to country living whilst completing the course in order to guarantee a place in the Doctor of Medicine course."

 

[Smelly Boy]

If we have an MMI interviewer who hasn’t arrived for 15 minutes are we legally allowed to leave?

 

[A1]

Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Medical), Courses and degrees, La Trobe University

"Subjects studied meet the admission criteria defined by the University of Melbourne for the Doctor of Medicine. The University of Melbourne also requires students to have a 75 WAM (weighted average mark) and a continued commitment to country living whilst completing the course in order to guarantee a place in the Doctor of Medicine course."

Thanks for the link, looks like yes there will be guaranteed MD entry for LaTrobe Biomed students (full or partial cohort we don't know). I had a quick read of the Admission Criteria: rural RA2-5 + ATAR 85 raw + Personal statement + MMI interview. Place offers are based on 50% SES-adjusted ATAR, 50% MMI & assessment of rural connectedness from Personal statement.

The UoM link says there are only 20 MD places as such. Difficult to see how LaTrobe can run a Biomed degree course for just 20 students (split between Bendigo and Albury/Wodonga too!). I wonder if they will run it with a mix of some with a guarantee and the majority without, like at UQ UTas UWA.

 

[Saintz11]

How hard is it to achieve a "75 WAM" ?