Lexicographer
Retired 13 May 2006
You have raised a number of issues in this email. I will attempt to address them both succinctly and in a way that applies to everyone.email said:
"Transferring" into Medicine from another university course
You are correct in thinking that I had to do the UMAT - GAMSAT is for graduates ONLY, and first years are nowhere near that stage (see my flowchart sticky for a clear explanation). What I did can't really be called transferring though, since I didn't move sideways into another course - I really withdrew from one course and started another from scratch. The only difference between me and a school leaver is the school leaver doesn't have a university record for the admissions manager to consider as part of their application.
Low UAI (in terms of medical entry)
I won't lie, this is a big hurdle. Not only in real, academic terms, but emotional as well. When I got 79.10, the only thing that kept me from thinking I was too stupid for medicine was my own stubborness and arrogant self-centredness.
Luckily, I was clever enough to think ahead the whole way through, and looked for other ways into medicine (rather than chucking the idea completely). That is the mistake all too many make - they figure "well, I didn't get in this time so I probably never will" and in my opinion these are the ones who are unworthy of the profession. If you're not willing to persist for your own sake, what's to say you'd put the effort in for your patients? Just be stubborn, and be smart. This point leads me to my next, because as well as being determined, I was clever enough to...Choose the right (alternative) course
Why did you ask about Medical Science? Do you have a passion for the scientific side of Medicine? Do you thoroughly enjoy research? Perhaps you simply like the "medical" part of the course - if this is the case then RUN AWAY! Medical science is NOT medicine. They are only related by the study of the human body, but that is ALL. While in Medicine we focus on looking at patients, medical scientists look at how the body works (and various ways of finding this out). They are WORLDS apart in style, and people who love medicine can totally abhor medical science.
I would strongly recommend you look at courses which truly attract you for reasons totally unrelated to Medicine. The example I know best is myself in choosing Nanotechnology. Although the science I learned was perfect for the GAMSAT (keeping the options open and all that), it was still a course I could see myself happily finishing. It also had the intellectual and financial benefits I was looking for in a career - nanotechnology truly is the king of scientific fields right now. Anyway, nano was fun, and I still miss it sometimes. It was definitely the right choice - not law, advanced science, medical science etc (not that I could get into any of those things, but still...).
Affording the UMAT
If you don't have a job, go to centrelink and get a Health Care Card. The only criterion is your income (NOT your parents) or lack thereof. If you have youth allowance you'll already be entitled to one. It reduces the cost of the UMAT to $50. Bear in mind that the UMAT is the cheapest part of applying for medicine, as flying interstate for interviews costs roughly one firstborn son.
