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'What papers should I do at UoO for graduate entry' Chat, Enquiries and Help

Hi,

Have you guys considered all other options/courses also?

I looked into BSc majoring in Pharmacology/Physiology. The 200-level papers requirement are pretty much the same as Biomedical Sciences, just BIOC221 and BIOC223 that I'm not sure about. Will BIOC221/BIOC223 be too much workload? Would you suggest picking up some 100-level papers in place of BIOC? I only picked BIOC221/223 because I really enjoyed BIOC192.
 

Venronux

Member
@QuestionMark and @curiouscrustacean both of your paper choices look really good. I advise doing 4 papers each semester for second year to keep your options open for third year. The workload is tough, but getting A+'s is achievable. It's nice to do 8 papers just in case you accidentally bomb one of the exams... like I did in my second year.
 

asdfdsa

Member
hi there, I'm planning on doing BBiomedSc majoring in Drugs and Human health doing: PHAL211, MIC221, GENE221, ANAT241 in sem1 and PATH201, PHAL212, PHSL232 an MICR223 in second sem. Bit worried the work load will be huge.... want an A+ average as want to do Postgrad Medicine (will apply Auckland and Otago). I got an A+ average in HSFY... just didn't do so great in UMAT lol. Any advice/ insight into these papers would be fabulous!!
 

Stuart

Administrator
Emeritus Staff
hi there, I'm planning on doing BBiomedSc majoring in Drugs and Human health doing: PHAL211, MIC221, GENE221, ANAT241 in sem1 and PATH201, PHAL212, PHSL232 an MICR223 in second sem. Bit worried the work load will be huge.... want an A+ average as want to do Postgrad Medicine (will apply Auckland and Otago). I got an A+ average in HSFY... just didn't do so great in UMAT lol. Any advice/ insight into these papers would be fabulous!!

Hi,

I would personally recommend something else over BBiomedSc unless you really need the degree for future career options that you actually know of. It could be just me but I see more people with near 9.0 scores from another degree. A lot of my friends chose BSc over BBiomedSc and they are glad they did. Some people just jump into BBiomedSc without doing enough research about the course or career opportunities that may follow IN COMPARISON to other degress. However, BBiomedSc is a great degree nonetheless.

In terms of the workload, I would not say BBiomedSc is worse than any other degrees. Most degrees/papers require a lot of effort and they are about the same if you really look into it/take the papers yourself. Essentially, don't choose a degree based on it's workload. After all, you can do the same papers (almost) in a Bsc.

A lot of those papers you mentioned were discussed to some extent on the Graduate Entry sub-forum. Some are a bit outdated but it's a good start for now. I recommend making use of the search function at the top right corner of the website.

Good luck and hats off to your A+ average in HSFY.
 

asdfdsa

Member
Hi,

I would personally recommend something else over BBiomedSc unless you really need the degree for future career options that you actually know of. It could be just me but I see more people with near 9.0 scores from another degree. A lot of my friends chose BSc over BBiomedSc and they are glad they did. Some people just jump into BBiomedSc without doing enough research about the course or career opportunities that may follow IN COMPARISON to other degress. However, BBiomedSc is a great degree nonetheless.

In terms of the workload, I would not say BBiomedSc is worse than any other degrees. Most degrees/papers require a lot of effort and they are about the same if you really look into it/take the papers yourself. Essentially, don't choose a degree based on it's workload. After all, you can do the same papers (almost) in a Bsc.

A lot of those papers you mentioned were discussed to some extent on the Graduate Entry sub-forum. Some are a bit outdated but it's a good start for now. I recommend making use of the search function at the top right corner of the website.

Good luck and hats off to your A+ average in HSFY.

Hey sorry to bombard you with more questions, but why BSC over BBiomedSc? I thought that doing the BBiomedSc would be better, as has fewer compulsory papers, so meant I could do more of the papers that I was interested in?
 

Venronux

Member
Hi @asdfdsa

Firstly, you don't need an A+ average to get into medicine via the post-grad route, but it's great that you've set your standards so high. Doing eight 200 level science papers will demand a lot of time, but it's not extraordinary. Many people do this, and many of them do well. I think you paper selection at the moment is really good. I've done PHAL 211, MICR 221, ANAT 241, PHAL 212, and MICR 223 and liked all of them a lot. I recommend PHSL 233 over PHSL 232. PHSL 233 is a great paper. Note that I didn't actually do PHSL 232, but friends of mine who did both said that PHSL 233 was more enjoyable to study than PHSL 232... unless you really like cardio/respiratory physiology.

There is really no difference between BBiomedSc and BSc regarding career options... you can't get a decent job in science with either. For that you have to do MSc or PhD, and no one will care what your undergrad degree was if you've got a PhD (NB: I'm not too sure if you can do MSc if you've done BBiomedSc???). I signed up for BBiomedSc in second year but switched to BSc in third year because I just really liked pharmacology and wanted to do more of those papers. Yes, the BBiomedSc degree allows you some flexibility in your paper selection... but you have to choose these papers from a list. I didn't really like the sound of the other 300 level papers you could choose for the Drugs and Human Health major, so BSc was a pretty good choice for me. I was able to do more PHAL papers, and the other papers I wanted to do... which wouldn't have been possible if I had stayed in the BBiomedSc degree. The Bachelor of Science is also more well known overseas... not many universities offer a degreed called Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Another thing to be aware of is the structure of the honours course for each degree. For BSc(Hons) you'll do a research project in addition to doing 400 level papers. This means doing assignments, exams, attending lectures etc. For BBiomedSc(Hons) you just do lab work. To my knowledge, there are no extra papers you do... so no lectures to attend, exams etc.

My advice to you is to keep your current paper selection, work hard, and figure out what subjects you like in second year. At the end of second year you will have a better idea of where you stand in terms of GPA, what subjects you like best, and what degree you think will be most appropriate for you. I also highly recommend doing summer school in 2018.

It could be just me but I see more people with near 9.0 scores from another degree
Hi @Stuart , can I ask what degrees these people do?
 

asdfdsa

Member
Hi @asdfdsa

Firstly, you don't need an A+ average to get into medicine via the post-grad route, but it's great that you've set your standards so high. Doing eight 200 level science papers will demand a lot of time, but it's not extraordinary. Many people do this, and many of them do well. I think you paper selection at the moment is really good. I've done PHAL 211, MICR 221, ANAT 241, PHAL 212, and MICR 223 and liked all of them a lot. I recommend PHSL 233 over PHSL 232. PHSL 233 is a great paper. Note that I didn't actually do PHSL 232, but friends of mine who did both said that PHSL 233 was more enjoyable to study than PHSL 232... unless you really like cardio/respiratory physiology.

There is really no difference between BBiomedSc and BSc regarding career options... you can't get a decent job in science with either. For that you have to do MSc or PhD, and no one will care what your undergrad degree was if you've got a PhD (NB: I'm not too sure if you can do MSc if you've done BBiomedSc???). I signed up for BBiomedSc in second year but switched to BSc in third year because I just really liked pharmacology and wanted to do more of those papers. Yes, the BBiomedSc degree allows you some flexibility in your paper selection... but you have to choose these papers from a list. I didn't really like the sound of the other 300 level papers you could choose for the Drugs and Human Health major, so BSc was a pretty good choice for me. I was able to do more PHAL papers, and the other papers I wanted to do... which wouldn't have been possible if I had stayed in the BBiomedSc degree. The Bachelor of Science is also more well known overseas... not many universities offer a degreed called Bachelor of Biomedical Science.

Another thing to be aware of is the structure of the honours course for each degree. For BSc(Hons) you'll do a research project in addition to doing 400 level papers. This means doing assignments, exams, attending lectures etc. For BBiomedSc(Hons) you just do lab work. To my knowledge, there are no extra papers you do... so no lectures to attend, exams etc.

My advice to you is to keep your current paper selection, work hard, and figure out what subjects you like in second year. At the end of second year you will have a better idea of where you stand in terms of GPA, what subjects you like best, and what degree you think will be most appropriate for you. I also highly recommend doing summer school in 2018.

Hi @Stuart , can I ask what degrees these people do?

awesome post, Think i'll stick with that then :)
Thanks so much to both you and @Stuart for your help!!
 

Stuart

Administrator
Emeritus Staff
Hi,

I definitely agree with what @Venronux said - "...Many people do this, and many of them do well...There is really no difference between BBiomedSc and BSc regarding career options...keep your current paper selection, work hard, and figure out what subjects you like in second year...highly recommend doing summer school in 2018".

Hi @asdfdsa
@Stuart , can I ask what degrees these people do?

Pure Language (BA), Statistics (BSc, PhD), Mathematics (BSc), Commerce (BCom), Microbiology (BSc), Human Nutrition (BSc), Psychology (BSc), Neuroscience (BSc), Chemistry (Bsc)

I think my comment <I see more people with near 9.0 scores from another degree> misleading and/or exaggerated. I would say the above people have 8.0 - 9.0 scores. Where as the people I know from BBiomedSc (although I don't know many, just a few) have 7.0 - 8.0 scores. In reality, who knows what the average scores are for BSc Vs BBiomedSc. I would be interested to know.

why BSC over BBiomedSc? I thought that doing the BBiomedSc would be better, as has fewer compulsory papers, so meant I could do more of the papers that I was interested in?

In what way is BBiomedSc "better" than BSc? Is this even a valid question? I don't believe one degree is inherently better than the other. It all comes down to what YOU want/what YOU want to get out of. < has fewer compulsory papers, so meant I could do more of the papers that I was interested in> This is so not true and does not apply to everyone. I think Venronux's case proves that well. It depends on the paper selection which will have a big say in whether BSc or BBiomedSc will suit you better. Like I said, BSc/BAppSc can do the same (almost) papers as BBiomedSc.

From what I have seen, many people change their mind/courses gazillion times and you will be able to switch between degrees/majors during your study but not always. It depends on your paper selection and I think it is a good idea to carefully think about plan B selections. For example, I would suggest taking a variety of papers which will count towards a major but also allow you to switch to a different major/course.

Let me know if I have failed to answer everything (Sorry! I am writing on the run). I would be delighted to hear more opinions also.
 

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Hi I failed Health Science last year failing HUBS192, Bioc192, Pubh192
So this year I am taking Bachelor of Science (Neuro) and I was wondering if those who took these papers could give me some advice/guid lines on how to survive... I want to get into a health professional course through post graduate but I lost all confidence because of last year
Here are the papers: GENE221 MAOR110 PHSL231 PSYC111 ANAT242 BIOC192 PSYC211 PUBH192 HUBS192
And is it possible to do these many 100-level papers and get in through post graduate?
 

Stuart

Administrator
Emeritus Staff
Hi I failed Health Science last year failing HUBS192, Bioc192, Pubh192
So this year I am taking Bachelor of Science (Neuro) and I was wondering if those who took these papers could give me some advice/guid lines on how to survive... I want to get into a health professional course through post graduate but I lost all confidence because of last year
Here are the papers: GENE221 MAOR110 PHSL231 PSYC111 ANAT242 BIOC192 PSYC211 PUBH192 HUBS192
And is it possible to do these many 100-level papers and get in through post graduate?

Hi @daydreamsarefree ,

Welcome to MSO!

It looks like you had a rough second semester but don't you worry because there are still doors left for you to knock on. Quite a few people seem to fail more than one or two papers each semester/year for various reasons. So, you are not the only one.

To start off with, if you haven't checked them out yet, we have a few good reads for those who were unsuccessful at gaining the ticket to the professional course(s). They are mostly relevant and should provide a good motivation-boost.
http://medstudentsonline.com.au/for...ry-via-graduate-category-by-koochkooch.27277/
Guide to Otago MBChB entry via Graduate category - by koochkooch | Med Students Online
Auckland - Quest for graduate entry to Med - my story :) | Med Students Online
Otago Vs Auckland Medicine- Where should I GO? | Med Students Online
http://medstudentsonline.com.au/forum/threads/otago-vs-auckland-medicine-where-should-i-go.30994/
As long as you meet the minimum requirements for a degree, it doesn't really matter how many/what papers you take.

If you have some specific questions about the course/department etc, you might wish to speak to @Oxycodone . However, note that Oxycodone is not around much these days.
Review of my Neuroscience experience at Otago University - MBChB Graduate entry | Med Students Online

I am not sure what your story is but it's important that you get back up and change things around if you really want to study medicine. The next two or more years are going to be tough with many, many ups and downs. Your academic potential maybe high but you have failed to prove that you can cope/handle the work and from what I have seen, things don't change over night. Many people who failed HSFY struggle to maintain a competitive GPA.

It's important that you identify the core problems that prevented you from performing to your potential. Once you have identified them, then you can plan ahead such that they won't interfere with you again. In my opinion, this is the most important step - identification and prevention.

Which professional course(s) are you pursuing, if I may ask?

If you have further questions, feel free to ask me or other members around.
 

Aestusa

Member
Hello!
Last year I did HSFY but only got an A average so didn't manage to make it into medicine. I am planning to reapply postgrad into Auckland (obviously I will apply for both med schools though) so need to get good grades. I was wondering what people thought of the following degree plan, and I was also wondering if majoring in Neuroscience rather than biomed is going to be a disadvantage later on. Here is the plan:

Second year...
SS: Stat110
S1: Psyc111, Phsl231, either Math151 or Anat241
S2: Psyc211, Anat242, Zool223

Third year...
SS: Hunt233
S1: Phsl341/342 (what is the difference?!), Anat336, Psyc313
S2: Anat335, Phsl233, Path201

Thoughts and feelings?
 

Stuart

Administrator
Emeritus Staff
Hello!
Last year I did HSFY but only got an A average so didn't manage to make it into medicine. I am planning to reapply postgrad into Auckland (obviously I will apply for both med schools though) so need to get good grades. I was wondering what people thought of the following degree plan, and I was also wondering if majoring in Neuroscience rather than biomed is going to be a disadvantage later on. Here is the plan:

Second year...
SS: Stat110
S1: Psyc111, Phsl231, either Math151 or Anat241
S2: Psyc211, Anat242, Zool223

Third year...
SS: Hunt233
S1: Phsl341/342 (what is the difference?!), Anat336, Psyc313
S2: Anat335, Phsl233, Path201

Thoughts and feelings?

Hi,

I hope your STAT110 is going alright. Good luck with your final exam.

Could you explain why this is? <Math151 or Anat241>

I would not recommend PATH201 in your third year unless if it's for your interest. Too much workload.
 

Aestusa

Member
Hi,

I hope your STAT110 is going alright. Good luck with your final exam.

Could you explain why this is? <Math151 or Anat241>

I would not recommend PATH201 in your third year unless if it's for your interest. Too much workload.


I am torn between taking Math151 because its meant to be very easy to get an A+ in, but I think Anat241 would be really interesting and more useful. Path201 was just for interest, so may swap it out for a psyc paper :)

Is phsl232 manageable? I was also thinking of taking the Phsl232, prehaps instead of Path201.
 

Venronux

Member
Why don't you take two papers during summer school??

In 2013 when I was applying to the health professional courses as a graduate, you could use 100 level papers done in your third year towards your Auckland med GPA. Check if this is still the same because taking an easy 100 level paper in your third year could boost your GPA... though it won't be included in your GPA calculation for Otago med. I recommend MAOR110.
 

memel0rd

Member
Hey guys,

Just planning out my degree for the year. Got an A+ average last year in HSFY but the competition was too tough. (Smart bunch haha)
Anyway, just wondering if I could get some thoughts/comments re my paper selection for the year?

S1: PHSL 231, PHSI231, STAT110
S2: PHSL232, PHSL233, PHSI232, MATH170

I wanted to do a physiology major and a physics minor. I loved physics at high school and got an Outstanding Scholarship so thats my logic behind that. Any papers I should change? Is 7 ok or should I be looking at 8 papers?

Cheers
 

rustyedges

Moderator
Moderator
Hey guys,

Just planning out my degree for the year. Got an A+ average last year in HSFY but the competition was too tough. (Smart bunch haha)
Anyway, just wondering if I could get some thoughts/comments re my paper selection for the year?

S1: PHSL 231, PHSI231, STAT110
S2: PHSL232, PHSL233, PHSI232, MATH170

I wanted to do a physiology major and a physics minor. I loved physics at high school and got an Outstanding Scholarship so thats my logic behind that. Any papers I should change? Is 7 ok or should I be looking at 8 papers?

Cheers

Don't have anything to add about your papers, but have you considered majoring in physics? Could be a good option , since you're clearly extremely capable, and despite the fact most graduate entry med students did study something bio/medical, you don't actually have to- just something to think about.
 

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memel0rd

Member
I just wasn't too sure about some of the other physics papers with greater involvement in lab assessment etc. I just can't find anything on medstudentonline re the difficulty of the physics papers. Is Physiology considered a relatively fair course? (In terms of marking, lectures etc)
 

rustyedges

Moderator
Moderator
I just wasn't too sure about some of the other physics papers with greater involvement in lab assessment etc. I just can't find anything on medstudentonline re the difficulty of the physics papers. Is Physiology considered a relatively fair course? (In terms of marking, lectures etc)
Yeah, not a lot of people on here would have done much physics I'm afraid. I think all sciences are going to have significant lab components, including physiology. Physiology also has a number of presentations and group work that contributes to your grade, which you might see as not entirely fair. Also, no harm in contacting the physics department to chat about their papers.
 

Stuart

Administrator
Emeritus Staff
Hi,

"Difficulty" of a paper is such a subjective topic. I wouldn't recommend selecting papers based on that alone. That is even if MSO says so.

Which physics paper are you interested in? The second 100-level one is regarded as better by the department and more enjoyable. It's a different environment compared to 191 (not from personal experience) and in terms of fairness of marking, I don't think anything can beat PHSI, STAT and MATH. However, for these papers, the higher level you go, you can't really "wing it" without getting traumatised (exaggeration) by the concepts.

If you like physics, I would recommend taking the other 100-level paper since you are very capable. Alternatively, just major in it. In my opinion, the greater the variety the better.
 

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