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UNSW Medical Science

Natsaf

Member
I am considering studying Medical Science at UNSW. I read that after 2 years, a small number of students will be transferred to undergrad medicine. However, i don't quite understand what the exact requirements are. Are the only requirements my GPA + Interview? Thank you very much in advance.
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
I am considering studying Medical Science at UNSW. I read that after 2 years, a small number of students will be transferred to undergrad medicine. However, i don't quite understand what the exact requirements are. Are the only requirements my GPA + Interview? Thank you very much in advance.

I have verified that this 2014 doc is still current > https://med.unsw.edu.au/sites/default/files/_local_upload/others/Graduate-Entry-Stream-v7.pdf
Note there's only *up to* 10 places for the hundreds of students in this MedSc course.
CRITERIA FOR ADMISSION AND ENTRY PATHWAY
Assessment for admission to the MD via this pathway is on the basis of:
 the weighted average mark in the BMedSc to the end of year 2; this will be calculated on the basis of core courses and Science electives only
 the UMAT score obtained in year 2 of the BMedSc
 performance in a selection interview, similar to that currently employed for selection into the integrated BMed MD program, to be held late in year 2 of the BMedSc program.

These three components are combined according to the selection algorithm currently employed for UNSW Medicine (standardised scores, weighted equally).
 

Natsaf

Member
Thank you very much for the prompt reply. What about ANU Health Science? What are the chances of being transferred to medicine from Health Science?
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Thank you very much for the prompt reply. What about ANU Health Science? What are the chances of being transferred to medicine from Health Science?

20-30 places out of ANU's MD cohort of ~90 > Bachelor of Health Science | Australian National University
A pathway to medicine at ANU
The Bachelor of Health Science offers a pathway to the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) at ANU without having to sit the GAMSAT. At the end of their second year in the Bachelor of Health Science up to 30 students will receive an offer of entry to the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD), contingent upon their grade point average (GPA), an interview process, and successful completion of the Bachelor of Health Science. Ten of the 30 places in the Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program are reserved for rural and Indigenous students from the Bachelor of Health Science.
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Thank you very much for the information. Please advise: if you were offered ANU Health Science and UNSW Medical Science, which of the two would you suggest to choose if you intended to eventually become a medical doctor? I am from Perth, so interstate either way.

For the purpose I would disregard the UNSW option. A chance of 1 in like 30 plus dependent on UMAT + interview isn't appealing at all.
ANU pathway doesn't require GAMSAT and chance of 1 in perhaps 10 is better, but still quite small.

Noting that MedSc isn't necessary for grad-entry med, your best option is to do an undergrad degree anywhere that (1) would give you a satisfying career should you not get into med, and (2) allows you to achieve a high GPA to be competitive for grad entry. Within this option you'd gain an extra advantage if you study undergrad at Flinders (eligible for other med schools plus Flinders' special quota for Flinders students), or at Monash (eligible for other med schools plus Monash grad school for Monash students only).
 

Natsaf

Member
For the purpose I would disregard the UNSW option. A chance of 1 in like 30 plus dependent on UMAT + interview isn't appealing at all.
ANU pathway doesn't require GAMSAT and chance of 1 in perhaps 10 is better, but still quite small.

Noting that MedSc isn't necessary for grad-entry med, your best option is to do an undergrad degree anywhere that (1) would give you a satisfying career should you not get into med, and (2) allows you to achieve a high GPA to be competitive for grad entry. Within this option you'd gain an extra advantage if you study undergrad at Flinders (eligible for other med schools plus Flinders' special quota for Flinders students), or at Monash (eligible for other med schools plus Monash grad school for Monash students only).

I love Biology and Anatomy, so probably Med Sci is anyway the most suitable choice because even if I don't get into medicine eventually, I'd love to focus on genetics, immunology, etc.. I wish I did well in my UMAT :( 152 was too low for any undergrad entry, even though I have 99.7 ATAR.
 

Crow

Staff | Junior Doctor
Moderator
I love Biology and Anatomy, so probably Med Sci is anyway the most suitable choice because even if I don't get into medicine eventually, I'd love to focus on genetics, immunology, etc.. I wish I did well in my UMAT :( 152 was too low for any undergrad entry, even though I have 99.7 ATAR.
Could you explain what you mean by you'd love to focus on genetics or immunology? Do you mean in a research capacity? I'll just point out that research positions can be very difficult to come by, and even then stable work is difficult to find; often contracts are short and leave people with little work. I would recommend doing medical laboratory science over medical science for these purposes; you'll have the same opportunity to try for medicine as well as research, however, you'll also have placements during your degree and the opportunity for a stable career within laboratory science. Medical science would provide much less of an opportunity to do this. For the record, this is coming from a biomedical science graduate who wishes they did medical laboratory science instead.

ETA: Have you applied at Griffith? You may make the cut with an ATAR of 99.7.
 
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hpfanfiction

Paediatric Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital
Emeritus Staff
Within this option you'd gain an extra advantage if you study undergrad at Flinders (eligible for other med schools plus Flinders' special quota for Flinders students), or at Monash (eligible for other med schools plus Monash grad school for Monash students only).
I agree with everything you said above
But would also suggest doing an undergrad at Curtin for similar reasons (non-standard entry is limited to Curtin students) , especially as Natsaf is from Perth
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
I agree with everything you said above
But would also suggest doing an undergrad at Curtin for similar reasons (non-standard entry is limited to Curtin students) , especially as Natsaf is from Perth

Non-standard, non-complete degree entry is limited to Curtin students. If you have a completed degree, you can apply from anywhere.

(Just to clarify for anyone else reading)
 

hpfanfiction

Paediatric Healer at St. Mungo's Hospital
Emeritus Staff
Non-standard, non-complete degree entry is limited to Curtin students. If you have a completed degree, you can apply from anywhere.

(Just to clarify for anyone else reading)
Yep and to further clarify re: Curtin’s “Course Switcher” pathway - it’s open to current Curtin students studying their first degree , who aren’t in their final year
A Curtin course switcher is an applicant who is enrolled in their rst* course of study at Curtin. They must not have a tertiary record from any other Australian or overseas university or have already completed a degree at Curtin.
Applicants must have completed or be on track to complete a minimum of 200 credits of study at Curtin at the end of the year preceding admission. Applicants must not be in their nal year of study and have a minimum of 200 credits remaining at the end of the year preceding admission.
Course switchers MUST commence the MBBS program in the rst year of the course but may be eligible for some Credit for Recognised Learning. The academic requirement for course switchers is:
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
I love Biology and Anatomy, so probably Med Sci is anyway the most suitable choice because even if I don't get into medicine eventually, I'd love to focus on genetics, immunology, etc.. I wish I did well in my UMAT :( 152 was too low for any undergrad entry, even though I have 99.7 ATAR.

If you wanted to study Biology and/or Anatomy, there are many other clinical degrees that lead to a career which will cover quite a bit of that topic, and give you the ability to apply your knowledge in those areas. This basically describes every allied health degree to some extent - Physiotherapy or Nursing probably being the next most relevant, but courses like Diagnostic Radiography or Pharmacy covering those bases - with obvious clinical career pathways.

These courses as listed above I would recommend much, much more than medical science (which I would stay the hell away from) because they give you a career pathway and are in similar subject areas, give you good clinical experience, and, more so than medical science, facilitate your application to medicine later on (either while completing the degree - i.e. sitting the UMAT again in 1st year nursing/physio/pharm etc and applying as a non-standard.)

I feel like you haven't read the link that I posted above for you to read if you still doggedly want to do medical science.
Frankly, if you don't want to take that advice, at least be aware of what you are doing, the likely outcome that you'll end up at the end of the medical science degree without entry to medicine, and the likely outcome that you'll not be able to find any work (that pays reasonably) in the area of medical research.
 

Natsaf

Member
If you wanted to study Biology and/or Anatomy, there are many other clinical degrees that lead to a career which will cover quite a bit of that topic, and give you the ability to apply your knowledge in those areas. This basically describes every allied health degree to some extent - Physiotherapy or Nursing probably being the next most relevant, but courses like Diagnostic Radiography or Pharmacy covering those bases - with obvious clinical career pathways.

These courses as listed above I would recommend much, much more than medical science (which I would stay the hell away from) because they give you a career pathway and are in similar subject areas, give you good clinical experience, and, more so than medical science, facilitate your application to medicine later on (either while completing the degree - i.e. sitting the UMAT again in 1st year nursing/physio/pharm etc and applying as a non-standard.)

I feel like you haven't read the link that I posted above for you to read if you still doggedly want to do medical science.
Frankly, if you don't want to take that advice, at least be aware of what you are doing, the likely outcome that you'll end up at the end of the medical science degree without entry to medicine, and the likely outcome that you'll not be able to find any work (that pays reasonably) in the area of medical research.

I have read you link, thank you very much! I think I am in denial, kind of, after not being able to get into the undergrad medicine. I got into UNWS Med Sci already and still waiting for (hopefully) other options. So, I am just trying to see a bigger picture here, an welcoming all the perspectives.
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
I have read you link, thank you very much! I think I am in denial, kind of, after not being able to get into the undergrad medicine. I got into UNWS Med Sci already and still waiting for (hopefully) other options. So, I am just trying to see a bigger picture here, an welcoming all the perspectives.

If UNSW Medical Science is your highest non-Medicine preference on UAC at the moment, you're not going to get any other options unless you change them to put some options above it. I sure hope it's further down your list!
 

DrDrLMG!

Resident Medical Officer
Administrator
I have read you link, thank you very much! I think I am in denial, kind of, after not being able to get into the undergrad medicine. I got into UNWS Med Sci already and still waiting for (hopefully) other options. So, I am just trying to see a bigger picture here, an welcoming all the perspectives.

I can confirm that a friend of a friend did the similar BMedRes degree by choice because their dream career was medical research. They’ve had to apply to start a new (career path) degree this year after several years of trying, and failing, to get solid employment post graduating with their BMedRes(Hons). The crunch came when they tried to get a home loan and couldn’t because they were on short, fixed term contracts.

I’m sure there are plenty of people who get a decent job post graduating, but BMedRes and BMedSci come with far from stable job prospects, unfortunately.

In addition to what Mana has suggested, Occupational Therapy (upper limb and neuro- Anatomy in particular) might also tick some of your boxes for an undergrad pathway.
 

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Natsaf

Member
If UNSW Medical Science is your highest non-Medicine preference on UAC at the moment, you're not going to get any other options unless you change them to put some options above it. I sure hope it's further down your list!

Yes, I moved it down. My first choice now is ANU Health Sci. I understand it might be a better option if I have an offer sometime soon...
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
Yes, I moved it down. My first choice now is ANU Health Sci. I understand it might be a better option if I have an offer sometime soon...

Uh, while it gives you a marginally better chance at medicine, the degree on its own merits faces exactly the same shortcomings that we've been hammering at in this thread that you don't seem to be taking any notice of...

I'm not sure what you're looking for here anymore, but if you're looking for validation that your choice to do medical science or health science or biomedical science or any variant of the previous is one that is well thought out, I think you're plain out of luck. It's not a sound decision based on the information that me and multiple other members have given you here.
 

Natsaf

Member
Yes, I moved it down. My first choice now is ANU Health Sci. I understand it might be a better option if I have an offer sometime soon...

In addition, I have Occupational therapy in UQ as my 1st preference. Thank you very much, Mana and LMG (and others), for your guidance!
 

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