[Undergrad] USYD Combined Medicine Interviews

[Matt]

I agree with Scarah, you'd really be better off doing maths first. I'm sure you'd have no trouble keeping up the GPA and $10,000/yr sounds very nice. Keep in mind that there is a massive influx of med students though and, in that sense, the sooner you graduate the better.

That said, not a bad idea to do a bit of bartering with UNSW

 

[magic]

heyy ssglain.... if i can ask u this.... what was ur UAI... pretty high??

 

[ssglain]

UNSW called on the day UAIs were released to offer $10000/yr for the duration of any degree I want to do so the value of the USYD scholarship won't really be the determining factor here.

I've sought advice from a range of people including my teachers and a family friend who lectures at USYD. I think I'm more inclined to take up the USYD offer. I agree with both of you that I'm probably better off doing the B Sc (Adv) degree first. It'll be better than locking myself into a 6 year degree.

Michael Cowling (head of maths/stats at UNSW) was very keen when I talked to him on the phone. He said he will discuss my interests with people who make the executive decisions and give me a definitive answer before change of preferences closes.

@ Magic: 99.95 - not as high as you could go, but yeah, pretty high. ^_^

 

[~shinigami~]

[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]

[offtopic] Yo V, you know I wish what you said is true man. My maths marks were terrible and my English was my highest scoring subject. Asian? Yes Good at maths? Hello no! [/offtopic]

 

[beks29]

COngrats ssglain on the offer... i have a few friends doing the combined med degree at Usyd and they quite like it because currently in undergrad it offers flexibility and availablility of choice of subjects, whereas in MBBS at many other unis this is not available. Also, 2 of my friends are currently on international exchanges - one to berkeley and the other at glasgow, which also most MBBS courses dont allow unless its for Med Sci

Veon,
ppl choose to do certain subjects based on a variety of reasons - enjoy the subject, do well at it or due to scaling
However, for those that choose it due to high scaling - if they suck at it and dont get such a good result, they dont get scaled up much so it doesnt really work in their favour

Btw, I'm chinese too, i did well in maths but hated it (even got HD in uni in maths without studying much). Not all asians like maths, most do it i think due to parents expectations

 

[ssglain]

Thanks beks29. I think I want to major in maths for my B Sc (Adv) degree, but I will take some elective subjects that will later be useful in MBBS. But who knows, I'm still leaving the options regarding my major open.

And as usual, I'll stay out of the Asian people & maths argument.

 

[woozy]

Eww yuk maths, has anyone here gone for a B Arts(Adv Hons)/MBBS interview at Usyd?

 

[ssglain]

Eww yuk maths, has anyone here gone for a B Arts(Adv Hons)/MBBS interview at Usyd?

Have they called you yet?

I'm slightly annoyed that UNSW runs MBBS/BA as a standard combo yet not MBBS/BSc.

 

[Saviola7]

Have they called you yet?

I'm slightly annoyed that UNSW runs MBBS/BA as a standard combo yet not MBBS/BSc.

I think it's done for a reason, to produce a doctor with skills ranging from the scientific process and medicine through to humanities and communication. For example at the university of Auckland we are forced to do a general education paper well out of our degree of specialisation, so this year while i was studying biomed, i did philosophy as well.

It makes sense that whilst a Bsc can be fairly different from an MBBS, the reason why it is not offered in preference to a BA is to develop a well rounded medical student and not one completely engulfed with science, or in your case mathematics. If that makes sense.

 

[woozy]

Have they called you yet?

I'm slightly annoyed that UNSW runs MBBS/BA as a standard combo yet not MBBS/BSc.

My Uai wasn't good enough im going to try to enter the BA/MBBS program at UNSW next year.

They used to run BSc/MBBS and B Med Sci/MBBS they stopped last year because it was pointless in founding a well rounded scientific course for a med student and besides Usyd started offering it, while UNSW has NIDA so the BA/MBBS program couldn't be scrapped and was revamped as course 3841. https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2008/3841.html

I don't think UNSW will bend the rules for 1 student, esp since they have configured schedules for B Med Sci (hons) med transfers(starting last year) and BA/MBBS students. I highly doubt that you'll get the approval of both deans from Med and Science faculties and admin to do this.

The old BSc and BA/MBBS program: https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2008/3801.html
https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2008/3821.html
https://www.handbook.unsw.edu.au/undergraduate/programs/2008/3840.html

 

[Kyle]

You might want to check the UNSW scholarship, normally the scientia scholarship is $10,000 a year for students with outstanding UAIs who want to study any degree at UNSW EXCEPT medicine.

 

[ssglain]

@ Saviola7 & woozy:
Oh I perfectly understand the necessity for the MBBS/BA combo to be offered. Medicine is as much a study of the humanities as it is of the sciences. Effective communication, teamwork, interpersonal skills are absolutely essential, but a BA isn't the only means through which these can be developed.

I have a lot of interests outside of science/maths - foreign literature/poetry, classical music, philosophy for example. I have no wishes to pursue tertiary study in any of these areas, but it doesen't mean that I will not pursue these interests at my own leisure. Maths on the other hand is also an area that has fascinated me since a young age. However, in addition to being just a leisurely interest, I think a solid, systematically developed understanding of maths will be an advantage to my future career in research and teaching.

As for the possibility of MBBS/B Sc at UNSW, I agree - it's hardly likely. Although the head of maths/stats is particularly keen on seeking approval from the uni, I don't think it will come to anything at the admisitrative/executive end. I'm not depending on it. But hey, like what's said in Saviola7's sig: Ambition leads to either success or failure, but it is the risk of trying that separates the powerful from the weak. I'm not someone who lets chances pass by without trying. I don't believe in waiting for opportunities to come to me - I make them for myself. Plus, there has been no risk whatsoever involved in trying to bargain with UNSW.

Thank you all for your advice and contribution. I very muchly appreciate all of your input.

Oh and woozy: as for people who opted for other MBBS combos - a friend of mine applied for USYD's B Mus/MBBS and attended the audition/interview, but unfortunately she hasn't been offered a place in the program.

 

[ssglain]

You might want to check the UNSW scholarship, normally the scientia scholarship is $10,000 a year for students with outstanding UAIs who want to study any degree at UNSW EXCEPT medicine.

Yeah, I got the Scientia letter from UNSW. It said "A limited number of Scholarships may be availabe to students enrolling in MBBS program." If my sources are correct, only 2 MBBS students were granted the scholarship last year. More reason/less regret for me to opt for USYD.

 

[KFunk]

I don't think UNSW will bend the rules for 1 student, esp since they have configured schedules for B Med Sci (hons) med transfers(starting last year) and BA/MBBS students. I highly doubt that you'll get the approval of both deans from Med and Science faculties and admin to do this.

They're more likely to bend for one student than a whole bunch. If you can find a way to make an alternative program work then, with a bit of pushing/organising, you can have some success. For example, I am enrolled in the BA/MBBS program at UNSW and have found a way to not only do an honours year with the arts faculty (thus far I haven't met another UNSW student who has done this, though I have met one who noted the possibility), but also to do it all in 7 years. Similarly I have found a potential way to do BA/MedSci(hons)/MBBS without too much hassle. Once you have enough familiarity with the (assuredly odd) structure of the program you can more easily determine how to shift things around.

While they don't formally offer a BSc/MBBS program, I wouldn't be suprised if they tried to accomodate a particularly exceptional or committed student - even more so if the science school in question wanted to poach the student. In any case I wouldn't say 'never' - a sound proposal sent to the right people surely wouldn't hurt.

 

[magic]

does anyone know if the cut-offs were lowered ? 99.95 is kinda faar away for me

 

[ssglain]

does anyone know if the cut-offs were lowered ? 99.95 is kinda faar away for me

I don't know for sure, but apparently it's the same for B Sc (Adv)/MBBS at least because a number of my friends who got 99.90 didn't get offered interviews. But I heard the rumour about the cut-off being lowered from the friend who went for the B Mus/MBBS interview. She sounded pretty damn sure. Maybe the lower cut-off only applied to that particular combo? Where are you hoping to go for med?

 

[woozy]

They're more likely to bend for one student than a whole bunch. If you can find a way to make an alternative program work then, with a bit of pushing/organising, you can have some success. For example, I am enrolled in the BA/MBBS program at UNSW and have found a way to not only do an honours year with the arts faculty (thus far I haven't met another UNSW student who has done this, though I have met one who noted the possibility), but also to do it all in 7 years. Similarly I have found a potential way to do without too much hassle. Once you have enough familiarity with the (assuredly odd) structure of the program you can more easily determine how to shift things around.

While they don't formally offer a BSc/MBBS program, I wouldn't be suprised if they tried to accomodate a particularly exceptional or committed student - even more so if the science school in question wanted to poach the student. In any case I wouldn't say 'never' - a sound proposal sent to the right people surely wouldn't hurt.

They already offer BA(Hons)/MBBS in the program outlines for 3841, i meet a few people on open day who'd dropped from BA/MBBS to just an MBBS. BA/MedSci(hons)/MBBS you'd be stuck there for ages and is this via the B MedSci transfer? If so there's only 15 spots minus DFEE, and international.

BTW you might also want to look into the mathematics at ANU and they have provisional entry for combined MBBS, due 10th of Jan 08 https://medicalschool.anu.edu.au/documents/admission/provisional_adm_2008.pdf

 

[Yoke]

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.

A package like that would make many people jealous! Great work!

 

[ssglain]

I spoke with USYD's dean of medicine at their high achievers' reception yesterday. Let's officially clarify some of the rumours I'd heard:
1. Cut-off for interview remains 99.95 UAI for BA or B Med Sc or B Sc (Adv)/MBBS - I don't know about B Mus.
2. The intake quota has been pumped up for 2008 (it was 10 in 2007 because that was the first year they ran the Combined Medicine Program). In 2008 they are taking a total of 20 for B Med Sc or B Sc (Adv)/MBBS, 4 for B Mus/MBBS - I don't know about BA.

---

I also spoke with UNSW's dean of medicine at their reception about the possibility of doing maths and medicine. The final answer is that it is not possible to do B Sc/MBBS any more, and if I wished to study maths, I can do so in 2 pathways:
1. The B Med Sc (Hons)/MBBS graduate entry stream would allow me to do the compulsory maths/stats subjects at advanced level plus up to 30 credits of maths, as well as an honours year doing research in mathematical modelling for medicine, for example. He gave me the contacts of one Miles Davenport who leads a team that specialises in maths applied to medicine.
2. If I were to go into undergrad MBBS now, I will be allowed to do half a semester's worth of credits in the school of maths and stats. In the 4th year I can do my Independent Learning Project with Miles Davenport, provided I have continued to study maths on my own.

I have just 13 hours to figure out what I ought to do. :mellow:

 

[Matt]

wow tough decision...