[Undergrad] Subject Pre-requisites General Discussion

[ThunderDragon]

Have you contacted JCU to check? As I mentioned in the post above yours, requirements vary from uni to uni and you really need to get confirmation directly.

Yep, I've chucked JCU an email. I'll post what they say here too once I get a response.

 

[ThunderDragon]

Email I received:

JCU is offering a short course as a pathway for students who need a pre-requisite to enter their dream course.

The Certificate of Higher Education allows you to complete pre-requisite subjects such as MA0020 Preparatory Mathematics, CH0020 Preparatory Chemistry or ED0195 Bridging Science for Teachers online in short intensive block modes prior to commencing a Bachelor degree the following year. MA0020 will be offered in Study Period 10, which is in time to be considered for a MBBS application for 2022.

If you apply for MBBS in 2022 and are completing MA1020 in 2021 to meet the Maths pre-requisite, please ensure you list the Certificate of Higher Education as current study on your QTAC application.

Applicants can apply direct to JCU for the Certificate of Higher Education.

Further clarification btw between the 2 prereq subject options:

Both MA1020 and MA0020 will meet the Maths pre-requisite for MBBS. However, if you complete MA0020 under the Certificate of Higher Education, as it is a non-award subject, there is no tuition fee, just the Student Service and Amenities fee of $46.95.

If you complete MA1020 under another course (such as Diploma of Higher Education or Bachelor of Science) then you will pay the subject fee (student contribution fee) of $493 also.

If you have any further questions please reply to this email, chat with us online or call the Student Centre on 1800 246 446.

 

[rose4]

Ah absolutely. This why JCU with their personal statement and rural focused curriculum is the most successful in getting doctors in the bush in the country… sadly it’s a pretty work heavy (read: expensive) process to filter applications for *thousands* of applicants… which is why most unis fill their obligation with the government and just move on

JCU is my top choice! I'm a bit worried about pre-requisites as I take Physics instead of Chemistry (I did my subject selections when I still thought I wanted to do Law). I know UTas does bridging courses but I do wonder if I'll just immediately be cut because there will be candidates who are just as good/better than me who fulfil all requirements.

 

[dotwingz]

Looking at the post above yours the Certificate of Higher Education may be your best bet… Chemistry runs in Study Period 10 which runs from the 3rd week of November

https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1140619/SP10-2021.pdf

I’m not sure what the timing of JCU application is like, but it might work out that you will know if you have any shot an an interview before you get started. ThunderDragon did you end up doing the maths course in this? If so any pieces of advice/reviews?

 

[rose4]

Looking at the post above yours the Certificate of Higher Education may be your best bet… Chemistry runs in Study Period 10 which runs from the 3rd week of November

https://www.jcu.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0004/1140619/SP10-2021.pdf

I’m not sure what the timing of JCU application is like, but it might work out that you will know if you have any shot an an interview before you get started. ThunderDragon did you end up doing the maths course in this? If so any pieces of advice/reviews?

I had a chat with the JCU helpdesk and the information they gave me was:

1. Apply for Preparatory Chemistry under the Certificate of Higher Education (apply directly to JCU)
2. List Certificate of Higher Education as "currently studying" on QTAC application
3. Begin studying the course on 22nd of November (a week after externals finish - eek!)

Looking at the 2021 Entry Interview Invite DATA COLLECTION interviews were released on 13/11/2020 so should know if have a shot at interview before starting the course.
No information on when course ends but the census date is 09 Dec 2021. Given that ATARs for 2021 Qld Year 12 students will be released on Friday 17 December 2021, this means that you are pretty much trapped in the course. Therefore it would seem wise to only proceed if absolute certain an offer will be made. Phone call offers for MBBS were released on 09/01/2020 (from Aus Med and Dent Place Offers 2020 - Collated Data).

Some extra information from our convo:
Me: "What happens if I'm not accepted into MBBS - am I still required to complete the course"
Helpdesk: "The certificate of higher education is purely for bridging purposes and you will not graduate with a certificate. You will have completed the subject before offers are made"
Me: "Do other universities count it as a bridging course for their MBBS degrees?
Helpdesk: "You would need to check with the individual universities if they accept our bridging subject for entry in their programs"

I also have the links to the application/subject but not sure how to do that in the forum.

 

[dotwingz]

Wow thanks for all the info.

Eek. Sounds like its a bit of a leap of faith in your application. Either way you have to do chemistry one way or the other if you want to med at JCU.

IIRC JCU does ~700 interviews for about 150 places, so theres about a 1 in 5 chance you will get a spot. If you consider that many of these JCU interviewees will also have interviews elsewhere your odds rise (so maybe 1 in 3.5)

Looking at that calendar I linked beforehand it seems teaching ends on the 1/9, the day JCU offers are announced so theres little wiggle room to give up on the course if an offer wasn't to come your way. That being said I have seen reference that the courses are no where near as long as they seem and can be easily crammed, which JCU seems to confirm with

Plus online study means you can schedule your study to fit your lifestyle. If you only need one subject you could finish in only a few weeks.

also this user seems to think so aswell

Tbh, considering its only $50 I'd sign up for it. If an interview comes your way I'd try to complete it either way, If an interview doesn't come your way you could drop out and get your $50 back. CH0020 Preparatory Chemistry - Subject Search - JCU Australia According to the JCU course guide its about ~130 hours of workload with ~60 hours of content. You will probably find it alot quicker, especially if you have the academic prowess to get into medicine in the first place.

Most uni's stipulate a certain amount of lab hours so the likelihood it will count aswell is minimal.

 

[rose4]

Wow thanks for all the info.

Eek. Sounds like its a bit of a leap of faith in your application. Either way you have to do chemistry one way or the other if you want to med at JCU.

IIRC JCU does ~700 interviews for about 150 places, so theres about a 1 in 5 chance you will get a spot. If you consider that many of these JCU interviewees will also have interviews elsewhere your odds rise (so maybe 1 in 3.5)

Looking at that calendar I linked beforehand it seems teaching ends on the 1/9, the day JCU offers are announced so theres little wiggle room to give up on the course if an offer wasn't to come your way. That being said I have seen reference that the courses are no where near as long as they seem and can be easily crammed, which JCU seems to confirm with

also this user seems to think so aswell

Tbh, considering its only $50 I'd sign up for it. If an interview comes your way I'd try to complete it either way, If an interview doesn't come your way you could drop out and get your $50 back. CH0020 Preparatory Chemistry - Subject Search - JCU Australia According to the JCU course guide its about ~130 hours of workload with ~60 hours of content. You will probably find it alot quicker, especially if you have the academic prowess to get into medicine in the first place.

Most uni's stipulate a certain amount of lab hours so the likelihood it will count aswell is minimal.

Yeah given it's the my first choice for Med (like the rural health aspect, home state, family in Townsville) it looks like I'm going to have to do it. Just need to write a good application! My ATAR prediction is high enough that I should get an interview if they like my written application.
I might write and ask other prereq unis (off the top of my head UTAS was the other strict one) and ask about what they accept as a bridging course.

 

[dotwingz]

I might write and ask other prereq unis (off the top of my head UTAS was the other strict one) and ask about what they accept as a bridging course.

Good idea. I believe Monash and Curtin aswell.

 

[Margaret]

Do you think this sounds clear enough for the QTAC Application. I am reading on here to write certificate of higher education on QTAC application. When I did my application I just wrote Bridging program to be completed At JCU (not cert of higher education). I have emailed QTAC as well to confirm. Hope this is clear enough else I dont think I would have much time to change it given the interviews are so close to release. :/

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Do you think this sounds clear enough for the QTAC Application. I am reading on here to write certificate of higher education on QTAC application. When I did my application I just wrote Bridging program to be completed At JCU (not cert of higher education). I have emailed QTAC as well to confirm. Hope this is clear enough else I dont think I would have much time to change it given the interviews are so close to release. :/

I think this looks clear but obviously I’m not QTAC. It’s good you’ve emailed them, too.

Best of luck!

 

[Margaret]

I think this looks clear but obviously I’m not QTAC. It’s good you’ve emailed them, too.

Best of luck!

Thanks, I thought it was clear enough until I was reading about the ‘certificate of higher education’ specifically. I think I am having the last minute nerves!

 

[Michael 54]

Any review about JCU pre-request subject ( certificate of high education)? anyone here completed or passed the MA 0020 , Ch0020 subjects ?