Med sci at UNSW or Usyd? Aiming for postgrad med @ Usyd (1 Viewer)

Paperclip83

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
17
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Hey guys,
Pretty much what the title says; what are the pros and cons of medsci at UNSW and USYD if I was undertaking the course with an intention to do GAMSAT and hopefully end up in Usyd's post graduate medicine? Also, does Usyd look at ATAR when judging people for post graduate med?
Thanks
 

Trans4M

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
1,225
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2016
I am not too sure on the pros and cons sorry but just thought I made a post. Not sure if this still exists. I believe there are 15 spots guaranteed for students doing Med Sci at UNSW to then transfer to the UNSW Med Program. You still need to do UMAT and go through the interview process but you are not competing with high school students.
 

Paperclip83

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
17
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
I am not too sure on the pros and cons sorry but just thought I made a post. Not sure if this still exists. I believe there are 15 spots guaranteed for students doing Med Sci at UNSW to then transfer to the UNSW Med Program. You still need to do UMAT and go through the interview process but you are not competing with high school students.
Do you know if they take atar into consideration for that?
 

Trans4M

Well-Known Member
Joined
Apr 13, 2009
Messages
1,225
Gender
Male
HSC
2010
Uni Grad
2016
Do you know if they take atar into consideration for that?
Looks like they reduced the number from 15 down to 10. They only consider your university mark (WAM), UMAT and Interview. So to answer your question ATAR isn't considered. You apply during your second year I think. If you are successful you still complete the medicine program within roughly the same time frame as you have already completed the introductory courses.

Further information can be bound here https://med.unsw.edu.au/selection-criteria-local-applicants
 

fizzbylightning

Active Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
367
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2020
Looks like they reduced the number from 15 down to 10. They only consider your university mark (WAM), UMAT and Interview. So to answer your question ATAR isn't considered. You apply during your second year I think. If you are successful you still complete the medicine program within roughly the same time frame as you have already completed the introductory courses.

Further information can be bound here https://med.unsw.edu.au/selection-criteria-local-applicants
I can vouch for this - I've gone through the process before!

Though why don't you consider resitting the UMAT during your undergraduate degree? That would give you more chances of getting into medicine! If it's an issue of more years of uni overall, my take on the matter is that 1 or 2 years give or take is going to be insignificant when you consider that medicine is a lifelong journey of studying.

I can't say much for USYD Med Sci or the admission process of USYD post-grad medicine, but I think that UNSW Med Sci would be generally more competitive with the added lateral entry program. For me, I didn't really feel the competitiveness but I know other people did. Do you thrive on competition? The UNSW program is structured for the first two years which was good for me because I was an indecisive high school leaver who wanted decisions like choosing subjects to be done by another. UNSW has changed from graduating students with a "specialisation" to a "major" from 2016 onwards (which just means now your graduation certificate will state what your major is instead of not doing so).
 

Paperclip83

New Member
Joined
Jul 16, 2015
Messages
17
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
I can vouch for this - I've gone through the process before!

Though why don't you consider resitting the UMAT during your undergraduate degree? That would give you more chances of getting into medicine! If it's an issue of more years of uni overall, my take on the matter is that 1 or 2 years give or take is going to be insignificant when you consider that medicine is a lifelong journey of studying.

I can't say much for USYD Med Sci or the admission process of USYD post-grad medicine, but I think that UNSW Med Sci would be generally more competitive with the added lateral entry program. For me, I didn't really feel the competitiveness but I know other people did. Do you thrive on competition? The UNSW program is structured for the first two years which was good for me because I was an indecisive high school leaver who wanted decisions like choosing subjects to be done by another. UNSW has changed from graduating students with a "specialisation" to a "major" from 2016 onwards (which just means now your graduation certificate will state what your major is instead of not doing so).
Hi there!
Thank you! I'm currently in a toss-up between Advanced Science and Medical Science. I'm not too fussed about number of years I'll have to study. I had a look through each courses and the majors they offered and was curious what the difference between a similar major in 2 different courses would be? I.e A major in Anatomy in Adv Sci vs Major in Anatomy in Med Sci?
 

fizzbylightning

Active Member
Joined
Oct 12, 2011
Messages
367
Location
Sydney
Gender
Female
HSC
2012
Uni Grad
2020
Hi there!
Thank you! I'm currently in a toss-up between Advanced Science and Medical Science. I'm not too fussed about number of years I'll have to study. I had a look through each courses and the majors they offered and was curious what the difference between a similar major in 2 different courses would be? I.e A major in Anatomy in Adv Sci vs Major in Anatomy in Med Sci?
No worries :) I believe you need to complete more units of credit (ie. complete more subjects within that major) in order to graduate with that major in an advanced science degree than a medical science degree. Up until 2016, they had students in medical science graduate with a specialisation and we only had to complete 3 subjects (18 units of credit) in anatomy to graduate with a specialisation in anatomy. I'm not sure if this will change now that medical science students graduate with a major from 2016 but I don't think it will as I don't think they are changing the degree structure that much or at all.
 

Queenroot

I complete the Squar3
Joined
Sep 11, 2011
Messages
7,507
Location
My bathtub
Gender
Female
HSC
N/A
Do you know if they take atar into consideration for that?
I believe you need a minimum of 96

Hi there!
Thank you! I'm currently in a toss-up between Advanced Science and Medical Science. I'm not too fussed about number of years I'll have to study. I had a look through each courses and the majors they offered and was curious what the difference between a similar major in 2 different courses would be? I.e A major in Anatomy in Adv Sci vs Major in Anatomy in Med Sci?
Same shit tbh, except in Med Sci, all your subjects are set out for you and you have to do them (also it is a specialisation not a major). In Adv Sci you can pick and choose.

I do Adv Sci (anatomy)
 

Aysce

Well-Known Member
Joined
Jun 24, 2011
Messages
2,394
Gender
Male
HSC
2012
Hey guys,
Pretty much what the title says; what are the pros and cons of medsci at UNSW and USYD if I was undertaking the course with an intention to do GAMSAT and hopefully end up in Usyd's post graduate medicine? Also, does Usyd look at ATAR when judging people for post graduate med?
Thanks
Hi,

I did medical science at USYD and have recently graduated. I will offer to you what my personal pros and cons were:

Pros - Generally well-structured courses in 2nd year where you undertake medical science specific units, degree is essentially structured for you, tightknit cohort in 2nd year where all the bmedsci kids study together

Cons - 2nd year was challenging for many since it involved learning ALL the fields of human biology e.g. microbiology, anatomy, physiology etc., it is quite rigid and adv sci offers more flexibility, no lateral entry scheme

Either taking medsci or adv sci will help you with the GAMSAT. Essentially, they're both good options but with the power of hindsight, I would've done a bachelor of science or adv sci for that added flexibility.

No, USYD doesn't look at ATAR when judging people for postgrad med. They look at your GPA which needs to be 5.5, your GAMSAT score and your interview score. Best of luck with your decision-making.
 

Users Who Are Viewing This Thread (Users: 0, Guests: 1)

Top