[Undergrad] USYD Combined Medicine Interviews

[ssglain]

I got a call from USYD this morning to inform me that I'm being invited to an interview for MBBS/B Sc (Adv). Anyone else?

To be honest I wasn't expecting interview offers to be released this early because the USYD website says "The Dean of the Faculty of Medicine will select applicants for interview after consideration of UAI rank." Does this mean USYD has already seen the UAIs of all applicants and are now inviting people whose UAIs meet the cut-off?

I've also heard rumours that the cut-off is being lowered from 99.95 to 99.50 for 2008 entrants. Can someone please confirm?

 

[Matt]

Hey ssglain, congratulations on the USYD interview offer, that's an amazing achievement re:UAI.

I remember two years ago a friend of mine got her USyd interview offer before her UAI (99.95 ) so I don't think it's all that unusual.

As far as lowering the cut-off goes, not sure.

I always found the provisional entry thing at USyd a bit scary though, 7 years all up and you have to maintain a fairly impressive GPA throughout the undergrad. With the med student tsunami I'd be favouring a shorter degree.

 

[westenra]

I've also heard rumours that the cut-off is being lowered from 99.95 to 99.50 for 2008 entrants. Can someone please confirm?

congrats on the interview ssglain

if that rumour about the lowering of the UAI cut-off is true, i weep... 2 years too late for me

 

[ssglain]

Thanks for the replies and the encouragements.

I've weighed things up and I don't particularly like the idea that B Sc (Adv)/MBBS at USYD isn't really "combined" in the usual sense of the word. It's more like the bachelor degree plus graduate medicine pathway but minus GAMSAT. So MBBS at UNSW is still my first preference. I've talked to some people from both schools of medicine and maths about the possibility of letting me combine MBBS with B Sc (Adv Maths). Things are looking fairly promising, especially after seeing my hsc results for maths. If UNSW let's me do that then I'm definitely be going to them.

Also, I take your point, animadverted, that a shorter degree is definitely more desirable. I am considering MBBS at UWS for 5 years or UNSW for 6 years, and then pursue maths in a postgraduate degree after I enter clinical practice.

 

[+po1ntdext3r+]

u sicko.... UWS will prolly let u do a MBBS/BSc(Maths) if u wanted in lik 5.5-6 yrs

 

[ssglain]

u sicko.... UWS will prolly let u do a MBBS/BSc(Maths) if u wanted in lik 5.5-6 yrs

Yes I'm quite used to being called that now.

I won't go to UWS for maths. If UNSW makes the exception for me MBBS/BSc(Adv Maths) will take 7 years like their existing MBBS/BArts combo.

---
Is no one else coming to the interview tomorrow?

 

[Veon]

Maths.....

 

[L337]

Maths.....

My thoughts exactly. I mean, why maths? Do you just really enjoy it or something, because I don't think it has that much relevance to med in RL (then again, what do I know, lolz).

 

[+po1ntdext3r+]

in her defense... i also did maths in my med 1...

its good.. and normally ppl in med are very capable... there are exceptions..

hahaha wow.. elitism a lil there?

 

[L337]

in her defense... i also did maths in my med 1...

its good.. and normally ppl in med are very capable... there are exceptions..

hahaha wow.. elitism a lil there?

lolwut?

 

[ssglain]

You were right. I've always enjoyed learning maths.. and playing with maths. I'm not really focusing on the vocational aspects of B Sc (Adv Maths) nor its relevance to MBBS. Despite that being said, ultimately I think my aim is to contribute to research and teaching in the field of medicine and a strong maths background will be an advantage to have in these sectors.

 

[Veon]

Nobody who does Maths in VCE ever goes on to do Maths at uni, which is the single biggest indicator of why the system must be changed to disallow this free ticket for Asians to a high ENTER.
[offtopic]
We can talk nonsense about stereotyping and undermining their success all we want; we all know they find Maths much easier to study than say, English.
Far too much emphasis is placed on Maths in VCE as 'needed' for a high ENTER.
It's why I did Meth/Spesh despite loathing Maths.

Min. 40 for English should apply to Law degrees. Two forced humanities/business/political/legal/other english subjects should also apply on top of the base English. Math/Sci kids should be automatically barred from doing Law. It makes no sense whatsoever, and to me, is unfair, to jump into Law off the back of a high ENTER from Maths.

For Med/Dent, Bio+Chem should be forced.

There are baseline requirements that need to be met, but overall VCE subject requirements should be harshly enforced, so as to reduce the A-5 domination of practically ALL high level degrees.

There are no two other subjects that support eachother like Methods/Spesh do.

I've sidetracked, but my point is; Maths isn't as important as these silly kids think, and despite EVERYONE doing double Maths virtually none of them ever pursue Maths at uni.
[/offtopic]
If a person does Maths at uni, good for them. I do not include them in my hating of those Maths-clowns, Asian or otherwise as they obviously have a genuine interest in it, which is more than can be said for 99% of people who do Spesh, purely because "it's what you do" or because they find they just 'can'.

Maths is total BS in VCE and it needs to change.

I *hate* Maths.


edit2; Btw, mods always jump on this fairly quickly, so I should probably mention i'm Chinese. I did meth/spesh.

 

[blindspot]

[offtopic]

the system must be changed to disallow this free ticket for Asians to a high ENTER.

how is this "ticket" to a high ENTER "free"? It's not as if said "Asians" cheat their way to get a good score for Maths.

[/offtopic]

 

[Matt]

[offtopic]Veon, you really could have made that point without pidgeon-holing asians.

In essence I agree though. Maths in Qld is weighted far too heavily and if a UAI is going to be used universally in university admissions it should probably be derived from a more diverse range of subjects [/offtopic]

 

[kloudsurfer]

Congrats ssglain.

By the way, ANU also does provisional entry like USYD. I think you need 98 plus.

 

[Veon]

[offtopic]



how is this "ticket" to a high ENTER "free"? It's not as if said "Asians" cheat their way to get a good score for Maths.

[/offtopic]

[offtopic]Not sure what state you live in, but in Victoria I know of quite a few people who get pimped scores in Maths then ride off the back of those into high level degrees. 90% of these people are Asian. I'm just making an observation.

We all know that Asians have the reputation for loving Maths and being able to do it. Stereotypes appear not without reason. I'm Chinese, i have many Asian friends and believe me; there is huge importance placed on being good at Maths.

"Oh, that's an okay Chem score but why isn't your Maths better?"

How many Asians do you know of who have Math tutors?
How many do you know that have English tutors?

In fact, how many people do you know of who have tutors in their weakest subjects, as opposed to their strongest?

Maths is always the first subject Asian kids get tutoring for.

Aren't tutors meant to be for people who need extra help, more than for those looking for a competitive edge?

If Maths is the hardest subject, why does it have such high averages? Why is it the one subject where most people get 100% on an exam?

It defies the reasoning of A-5 being 'hard', and that scaling makes everyone equal, if the majority of people that do A-5 subjects get high ENTERs.

It shouldn't be so that you can so easily ride off Math scores to a substantial ENTER.

Far too much emphasis is placed on Maths and i'm sure we all know of many people (who coincidentally are majority Asian) who have pimped Math scores and borderline average in others.

Case in point; guy in my class this year got 39 Methods, 32 Spesh and 18 English, 27 Chem 26 Physics. You guessed it; Asian.
We're not too flash a school so the 'high' score may appear not as 'high' as you often read about in the paper, but a 39 is rather high around here, at a school where the median is 25, so it gives you an idea of how much Maths saves their asses.

All year they would shrug off my advice to concentrate on their weakest subject (being English), doubly important due to English being a forced top-four. Before every Chem/Phys/English SAC it was always 'ah dw, it's just Phys/Chem/Eng' and the playing of cards, etc.

But before even the most minor of Spesh SACs (10% worth) and the entire class is up in the room usually occupied by me alone, during lunchtime, cramming to the very last minute.


[/offtopic]

 

[theangelofdarkness]

in my oh-so-extensive time studying law, the students who did well in maths to get into law did badly at law. university often irons out those people who aren't suited to their degree...

 

[L337]

You were right. I've always enjoyed learning maths.. and playing with maths. I'm not really focusing on the vocational aspects of B Sc (Adv Maths) nor its relevance to MBBS. Despite that being said, ultimately I think I aim is to contribute to research and teaching in the field of medicine and a strong maths background will be an advantage to have in these sectors.

Are you fo' rizzle? If so, well, good luck with it all...

Also, wasn't this thread about USyd or something? lol maths

 

[ssglain]

Are you fo' rizzle? If so, well, good luck with it all...

Also, wasn't this thread about USyd or something? lol maths

Yes, I am very much "fo' rizzle".

I just got a call from USYD 5 minutes ago. I have been formally offered a place in the B Sc (Adv)/MBBS program.. plus an Outstanding Achiever's scholarship of $10000/yr for the duration of the program. I am very nicely surprised, not because I didn't think I'd make it but because I didn't expect offers to be made this early.. I mean, I just had the interivew yesterday!

But yes, it's gone a bit off-topic, hasn't it?

I'm a bit unsure about what to do, to be honest. I don't know how well I will deal with the prospect of delaying MBBS for another 3 years. I think I will call UNSW and see if they can cut me a better bargain.

 

[scarah]

Yes, I am very much "fo' rizzle".

I just got a call from USYD 5 minutes ago. I have been formally offered a place in the B Sc (Adv)/MBBS program.. plus an Outstanding Achiever's scholarship of $10000/yr for the duration of the program. I am very nicely surprised, not because I didn't think I'd make it but because I didn't expect offers to be made this early.. I mean, I just had the interivew yesterday!

But yes, it's gone a bit off-topic, hasn't it?

I'm a bit unsure about what to do, to be honest. I don't know how well I will deal with the prospect of delaying MBBS for another 3 years. I think I will call UNSW and see if they can cut me a better bargain.

Hey I know someone who is an intern this year after doing the grad med course at Syd - he loved that course and couldn't stop telling me how I should GAMSAT and apply for USyd. So I don't think you'd be disappointed in the course, plus i think doing the Maths first would be an advantage because you'll be a little older when you get into the med stuff which helps a lot with the non-academic side (ie. patient contact).
And 10k a year is awesome - I live off about that much in combination of Austudy and working.

So I reckon that offer is pretty awesome!

oh yeah and I think you're very right in trying to fit the maths in - definitely don't give up something you're passionate about.