• Congratulations to the Class of 2024 on your results!
    Let us know how you went here
    Got a question about your uni preferences? Ask us here

how to get into medicine ??? (2 Viewers)

Reanna

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
76
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
i've heard some people say that there are 'back door' ways to get into a bachelor of medicine apart from ATAR.

i know about the interviews and umat but atar is still considered

what are some of these other ways

xx
 

Reanna

Member
Joined
Jan 31, 2009
Messages
76
Gender
Female
HSC
2010
how to get into medicine

how to get into medicine aside from an amazing atar ???

i've wanted to do medicine since like eva but am not sure i will get the atar i need so any advice on how i can still become a doctor

thanks guys :)
 

b00m

Active Member
Joined
Nov 12, 2008
Messages
2,776
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2014
Re: how to get into medicine

Unfortunately, getting an 'amazing atar' may not be enough. Many people fail to impress in the interview.. i believe. Whilst others do not display themselves as 'campassionate enough' - i was told this by a teacher.

Apparently, you have to actively involve yourself in community service etc.
 

Dr_Fresh

U MAD??
Joined
Sep 30, 2008
Messages
1,524
Location
Adrenal Cortex
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
apply for UQ. all u need is 94 ATAR (provided u do the right subjects) and a very very mediocre UMAT (only top 30% for entry in 2009). or perhaps UWS (if u are from the western sydney area) or Newcastle. they dont require very high ATARs, just a good UMAT and a good interview.
 

nottellingu

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
385
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
i've heard some people say that there are 'back door' ways to get into a bachelor of medicine apart from ATAR.

i know about the interviews and umat but atar is still considered

what are some of these other ways

xx

From the final year of high school you can apply each year at various med schools around Australia. Unfortunately they are all pretty competitive. Medicine is not an easy course to get into and every pathway into the degree will attract a lot of bright students. Work hard and don't look for shortcuts.
 

nottellingu

Member
Joined
Jan 22, 2007
Messages
385
Gender
Male
HSC
2008
Re: how to get into medicine

how to get into medicine aside from an amazing atar ???

i've wanted to do medicine since like eva but am not sure i will get the atar i need so any advice on how i can still become a doctor

thanks guys :)
If medicine is such a passion you should have started researching a while ago.
Have a look at university websites under the 'future students' sections and you will find a lot of information.
 

Dosu

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
58
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
i don't think there's any easy way into medicine or any back doors for that matter. you will have to sit the UMAT/GAMSAT no matter what and chances are unless you're rural you will need a pretty high score depending on your performance in an interview + ATAR score. that being said, if you don't have the capacity to get a decent ATAR score (assuming you aren't handicapped) then i really don't see how you can make it through medicine... i know getting in is considered quite difficult but imo it's the EASIEST part of your medical career.

as for whether you'll need a high ATAR... on the whole yes (unless you're rural). at most universities that take ATAR into their final selection for offers you will need at least 99 for an unbonded offer (bonded sucks btw, the scheme was made considerably worse in 2010). However, UNCLE and UWS only use the ATAR as a hurdle (you'll need about 95, once you pass that it won't have any effect on the selection process). that being said, UWS generally has a very high UMAT requirement to be selected for an interview (even for GWS residents the UMAT is still in the mid 80%iles). UNCLE this year required a UMAT of only around 175 and once you reached that it was 100% interview.

in order to be eligible for griffith, UTAS and UQ you will need 50 raw score in EACH SECTION (these universities are a little different to the others). no exceptions. this is why their UMAT scores are generally lower than other unis (low 170's i believe). the 50 raw score in each section culls a huge number of applicants but as for whether it's harder to get into these unis than regular unis... that's up to the individual.

oh and if you're not from tasmania, the cutoff for interstaters is extremely high (~215 raw?) so.... yeah.
 
Last edited:

GUSSSSSSSSSSSSS

Active Member
Joined
Aug 20, 2008
Messages
1,102
Location
Turra
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
i don't think there's any easy way into medicine or any back doors for that matter. you will have to sit the UMAT/GAMSAT no matter what and chances are unless you're rural you will need a pretty high score depending on your performance in an interview + ATAR score. that being said, if you don't have the capacity to get a decent ATAR score (assuming you aren't handicapped) then i really don't see how you can make it through medicine... i know getting in is considered quite difficult but imo it's the EASIEST part of your medical career.

as for whether you'll need a high ATAR... on the whole yes (unless you're rural). at most universities that take ATAR into their final selection for offers you will need at least 99 for an unbonded offer (bonded sucks btw, the scheme was made considerably worse in 2010). However, UNCLE and UWS only use the ATAR as a hurdle (you'll need about 95, once you pass that it won't have any effect on the selection process). that being said, UWS generally has a very high UMAT requirement to be selected for an interview (even for GWS residents the UMAT is still in the mid 80%iles). UNCLE this year required a UMAT of only around 175 and once you reached that it was 100% interview.

in order to be eligible for griffith, UTAS and UQ you will need 50 raw score in EACH SECTION (these universities are a little different to the others). no exceptions. this is why their UMAT scores are generally lower than other unis (low 170's i believe). the 50 raw score in each section culls a huge number of applicants but as for whether it's harder to get into these unis than regular unis... that's up to the individual.

oh and if you're not from tasmania, the cutoff for interstaters is extremely high (~215 raw?) so.... yeah.
u serious??? WOW there are heaps of interstaters that ive met, THEY MUST BE FUCKING GUN!!!
 

Dosu

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
58
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
u serious??? WOW there are heaps of interstaters that ive met, THEY MUST BE FUCKING GUN!!!
nonstandard interstaters aren't discriminated against. chances are they are non standard (only requires a UMAT in the mid 80 percentile IIRC)

i also forgot to add that tasmania also uses a threshold ATAR system. that is, once you get 95 your ATAR isn't taken into account and applicants are ranked solely on umat (no interviews)

btw gus... aren't you at UNSW though? UNSW doesn't discriminate interstaters
 

emmcyclopedia

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
391
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
i don't think there's any easy way into medicine or any back doors for that matter. you will have to sit the UMAT/GAMSAT no matter what and chances are unless you're rural you will need a pretty high score depending on your performance in an interview + ATAR score. that being said, if you don't have the capacity to get a decent ATAR score (assuming you aren't handicapped) then i really don't see how you can make it through medicine... i know getting in is considered quite difficult but imo it's the EASIEST part of your medical career.
Actually, I've been told by a few of my med friends and mentors that getting in is pretty much the hardest part.

Medicine is soft compared to engineering in terms of workload
^^Yeah.

People tend to put medicine on this pedestal of impossibility, but from what I've gathered you just need to put in a solid, consistent effort... it's doable for shizzle.

I never knew Engineering had such a big workload? Is that only some types of Engineering degrees, or does that span across all types?
 

shuttle_bus5

Active Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2009
Messages
1,055
Location
Newcastle
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
Actually, I've been told by a few of my med friends and mentors that getting in is pretty much the hardest part.



^^Yeah.

People tend to put medicine on this pedestal of impossibility, but from what I've gathered you just need to put in a solid, consistent effort... it's doable for shizzle.

I never knew Engineering had such a big workload? Is that only some types of Engineering degrees, or does that span across all types?
I have a cousin doing med (3rd year possibly) and he says its not that tough. I don't know anyone who thinks engineering is easy and yes i think it spans across all disciplines
 

Dosu

Member
Joined
Feb 8, 2009
Messages
58
Gender
Undisclosed
HSC
N/A
Actually, I've been told by a few of my med friends and mentors that getting in is pretty much the hardest part.



^^Yeah.

People tend to put medicine on this pedestal of impossibility, but from what I've gathered you just need to put in a solid, consistent effort... it's doable for shizzle.

I never knew Engineering had such a big workload? Is that only some types of Engineering degrees, or does that span across all types?
i wasn't just talking about the workload at university, i was talking about stresses in the career as a whole.

but personally i found getting in to be relatively easy compared to the med workload at university.
 

shuttle_bus5

Active Member
Joined
Oct 2, 2009
Messages
1,055
Location
Newcastle
Gender
Male
HSC
2009
i wasn't just talking about the workload at university, i was talking about stresses in the career as a whole.

but personally i found getting in to be relatively easy compared to the med workload at university.
Heaps of stress hay.
"Doctor i have a cold"
"Seems like an up chest viral infection to me"
"Can you give me anything for it?"
"Its a virus..."
*Doctor goes home and slashes wrists over stress of job*
 

redkelah

New Member
Joined
Mar 13, 2010
Messages
5
Gender
Male
HSC
2006
dont become a doctor, choose IT or something else. Its lotsa hard work and sacrifice for about 12-13 years from year 1 med school till specialist qualifications.

Finished 6 years med school, 2 years basic, and 5 years more training left, still earning less than a nurse my age..
 

emmcyclopedia

Member
Joined
Oct 7, 2008
Messages
391
Gender
Female
HSC
2009
dont become a doctor, choose IT or something else. Its lotsa hard work and sacrifice for about 12-13 years from year 1 med school till specialist qualifications.

Finished 6 years med school, 2 years basic, and 5 years more training left, still earning less than a nurse my age..
lol, that's terrible advice! don't you think it's worth a bit of effort to pursue a career you enjoy and are intellectually capable of?

i think the total study/internship period varies depending on where and what you study, it can be as little as 8 years until specialist qualifications.

what made you get into med in the first place? are you now considering an alternative career path?
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 2)

Top