Medicine, "getting in" (1 Viewer)

[**<<TeKk>>**]

I have a question for those who know alot about "getting in"

Are extracurricular activities, (eg. sports, work-experience, music) important if ur trying out for med? I mean, Isn't high UAI, UMAT scores and excellent interview, good enough?

 

[+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+]

i don't know a lot about "getting in" lol... but i shall attempt to answer your question...

the thing is, your interviewers want to get to know you - they already know you're a smart cookie, but they want to check that you do have a life outside study.

involvement in sports and other extracurricular activities show you possess teamwork or leadership skills, both of which are essential in the workplace, and more specifically as doctors. With work experience, it also shows that you have considered a medical career seriously, and have taken the effort to find out about it.

But geez... u should be doing out-of-school stuff for the fun of it yeah? Not merely for the sake of an interview...

 

[AK Gumbi]

Originally posted by +:: $i[Q]u3 ::+
But geez... u should be doing out-of-school stuff for the fun of it yeah? Not merely for the sake of an interview...

Yeah i agree. This has already been brought up in a previous thread, but i'll reiterate it: u should do extra-curricular stuff/voluntary work/etc not for the sake of an interview, but for the experience and basically to provide variety to ur 'hectic study life'

 

[inasero]

Isn't high UAI, UMAT scores and excellent interview, good enough?

yes it is...but unfortunately there is this thing called 'reality', so by Murphy's Law, odds are you will probably stuff up at least one of them...
i guess having extracurricular activites would make u desirable to the interview panel- eg if u do sport, means you possess teamwork experience and have a life outside of study...if you learn an instrument, means u have a life outside of study....if you've done work experience, means that you've considered the range of options available to you and know why exactly you're going into medicine.

So yeah...in short active involvment in extracurricular activities will demonstarte that you have the personal qualities required for studying medicine...but forced involvement in such activities will immdiately become obvious as a means of you trying to buff up your CV.

 

[**<<TeKk>>**]

But you know, HSC is a hectic year, and to get those High UAI and UMAT marks, theres dedication and time sacrifice.... How do they expect work experiences and other stuff?
Thats the problem I have this year... i Have no time to do anything else... But i guess in my prior years, Id did some extracurricular stuff.. do they count if its already been 2-3 years?

 

[inasero]

recent things are okay, but to say that

i Have no time to do anything else...

is a mistaken belief...
in yr 12 i juggled school and extracurricular activities, such as helping out at the local meals on wheels centre, vice-captaining the first grade rifle team, learning guitar, christian fellowship and still managed to end up with a decent uai.
it all comes down to time management skills, you won't be studying 24/7 and what you do with your time outside of study is the time that must be spent most efficiently.
in addition, i think you should get out there and do something or you'll become a machine by the end of the year , humans arent designed to handle nonstop study

 

[Lexicographer]

Originally posted by inasero
... Murphy's Law ...

Murphy's law states that if there there is more than one way of doing something, and one of those ways is wrong, then it will always be done the wrong way first.

If you mean "if anything can go wrong, it will" then you are talking about Finagle's Law.

Originally posted by inasero
in addition, i think you should get out there and do something or you'll become a machine by the end of the year , humans arent designed to handle nonstop study

Unless of course you go to James Ruse, the Factory of BOS. Those kids are programmed to give everything up for year 12.

 

[Newbie]

can you just bullshit or exxaggerate your claims during the inteview
like
i play soccer -> i rep CHS
that sort of shit

 

[Lexicographer]

Nah. They're smarter than you, they'll ask you to talk about it so they can be sure they know you're not a faker.

 

[Newbie]

its not hard to bullshit

 

[**<<TeKk>>**]

Originally posted by Newbie
can you just bullshit or exxaggerate your claims during the inteview
like
i play soccer -> i rep CHS
that sort of shit

I think its best to be honest in the interviews... Interviews are a personality contest, not a "whos got the most qualifications" contest, isnt it?
And being in such a nervous state, if they come back to ask about ur qualifications, you might say the wrong stuff and ur GONE...!

 

[**<<TeKk>>**]

Inasero, Seriously.. I have no time for anything... I guess I am bad at time management...

Originally posted by inasero
wheels centre, vice-captaining the first grade rifle team, learning guitar, christian fellowship and

How did u manage to do all that, while at the same time trying to do well in ur Exams and assessments.. U must be a genius!

I think i better rely on my past achievements from 2 years back..
Iv done Peer support, was prefect at skool, did some music........ I hope those are good enough......

BTW when do they ask for ur qualifications? During the interview? In the registration Form for Med?....

 

[Lexicographer]

There are no "qualifications". How could they expect such things from high school students? The point we are broaching is that the interviewers expect you to be be different to everyone else. You must prove that YOU are suitable for medicine, citing experiences and activities that have built you up and directed you.

 

[Not A Carrot]

Originally posted by **<<TeKk>>**
Inasero, Seriously.. I have no time for anything... I guess I am bad at time management...

Medical schools don't want people who do nothing but study (and as a current medical student, I can't reinforce that enough). While achieving high marks is certainly important- as is, obviously, learning about how to treat illnesses when you are a medical student- they are not what make a good doctor. It's the things that you do outside of studying, like sport, volunteering etc, that will give you the qualitites to be a far better doctor- more than multivariable calculus ever will. Remember, the admissions committee have no shortage of applicants who can achieve a high UAI.

 

[Lexicographer]

Yeah...damn them :mad1:

 

[CHUDYMASTER]

Originally posted by Lexicographer
Murphy's law states that if there there is more than one way of doing something, and one of those ways is wrong, then it will always be done the wrong way first.

"If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong." is the exact law.

I got it from www.goodquotes.com - very good site, very funny too.

 

[+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+]

Originally posted by **<<TeKk>>**
I think i better rely on my past achievements from 2 years back..
Iv done Peer support, was prefect at skool, did some music........ I hope those are good enough......

BTW when do they ask for ur qualifications? During the interview? In the registration Form for Med?....

they realise that year 12 is a hectic year... i did most extracurricular stuff up to year 11, then cut it down in year 12.. it's fine just to talk about stuff you've done in year 11... i mean, it's unreasonable to talk about stuff you've done eight years ago, but a year ago is fine~ or so i reckon

the interview is loosely structured on what you've got written in your rego form.. if you've got stuff like "i was a prefect" down on ur form, then they might ask "you've written here that you were a prefect... how did u get along with the group etc"

 

[Lexicographer]

Originally posted by CHUDYMASTER
"If there is a possibility of several things going wrong, the one that will cause the most damage will be the one to go wrong." is the exact law.

I got it from www.goodquotes.com - very good site, very funny too.

Ah yeah...it's been a while since I last had to state it.

 

[sunny]

Interviews aren't about showing them what high marks you have.

You're at an interview because you are already have the marks capable of taking the position - they don't need to hear how good your marks were, they already know that from your application. You're there to show them why you should be selected. This is where extra cirriculars come in.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Originally posted by Lexicographer
Unless of course you go to James Ruse, the Factory of BOS. Those kids are programmed to give everything up for year 12.

huh??? u went and ud kno? pfft .. take a part time job .. play sport .. hang out wit friends..
lexi.. not everyone in the factory listens to the manager..