Medsci to Medicine (1 Viewer)

[ssejamafone]

So, now that i've got my uai back, i know i have a zero chance of getting into undergrad med next year, so i was thinking that i would do Medsci at UNSW and then transfer through that scheme that they have to get into Year 4 of med with advanced standing. But, i know that a realllly limited amount of places will be available (up to 15) to transfer. Thus, my chances of not successfully applying to transfer to med would be very high, and i would be 'stuck' with Medsci. Now, my question is, how are the employment opportunities for medsci graduates? I'm keen about the sciences, and i've done bio and chem in year 12, and physics in year 11/half of year 12, so i'm thinking i would enjoy/understand the medsci course. Well, i guess what scares me is, what if i don't manage to transfer to medicine, and what if i find out that i actually don't enjoy doing medsci? Who has done/is doing medsci, and can you tell me if you enjoy the course? Coz, i know i may be taking a gamble at doing medsci not knowing whether i'll like the course or not - especially for all those years if i don't manage to transfer to med -, and that there are other ways i can get into medicine (transfer/post-grad).

Blah, sorry for all the questions. >_> I know i have more, but my brain's a bit muddled to remember them all.

Thanks to anyone who can be bothered to help me out. ^_^

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

OK calm down.. take a deep breathe..

1/ Do you really want to be a medical practitioner?
2/ Are you capable?
3/ Is there any other careers you would like/enjoy doing?

im not copping out and telling you u cant do it. You can but do you really want to?
You sound like you have a sound plan and in terms of careers, medical science , like medicine ranges from the brutally mundane to the very interesting.

you need to maintain a stupidly good GPA for a chance at first yr transfer. This is difficult and lots of ppl find this the barrier. I know a couple of ppl that did this.

You are fortunate that there are more medical places now than in 2003-04.. so ure chances are better.

I think you need to think about mabbe a 4yr long course with a career ull enjoy at the end of it ... or MedSc and sumfing else so you can get a job you enjoy. You might find out u hate medicine and this is how a lot of drop outs occur. In some cases ppl with great GPAs find medicine stupid.. very stupid.. the exams can have questions you have never read about and its very disheartening.

My 2 cents from personal and friend experiences.

one last thing.. if its any consolation.. I didnt make it to my 1st choice.. of unis.. for medicine .. I got my 2nd bonded and my 3rd CSP :S... so i took it... it blew hard.. i know ppl tat leave straight after going to the uni.. cos they cant hack it.. homesickness and difficultly.. stress. etc... but im going on my 5th yr.. and so far so good.. and well 2 more yrs till im qualified ...

 

[Survivor39]

It would be really bias for me to teel you whether I've enjoyed Medical Science or not because my interest for course does not align with yours.

Instead of picking medsc, you could consider a general B Science so they have every possible major open to you, like psychology, geology, food tech, whereas in MedSc, these majors would not be available to you. After BSc, you can try graduate medicine.

The best of luck!

 

[inasero]

So, now that i've got my uai back, i know i have a zero chance of getting into undergrad med next year, so i was thinking that i would do Medsci at UNSW and then transfer through that scheme that they have to get into Year 4 of med with advanced standing. But, i know that a realllly limited amount of places will be available (up to 15) to transfer. Thus, my chances of not successfully applying to transfer to med would be very high, and i would be 'stuck' with Medsci. Now, my question is, how are the employment opportunities for medsci graduates? I'm keen about the sciences, and i've done bio and chem in year 12, and physics in year 11/half of year 12, so i'm thinking i would enjoy/understand the medsci course. Well, i guess what scares me is, what if i don't manage to transfer to medicine, and what if i find out that i actually don't enjoy doing medsci? Who has done/is doing medsci, and can you tell me if you enjoy the course? Coz, i know i may be taking a gamble at doing medsci not knowing whether i'll like the course or not - especially for all those years if i don't manage to transfer to med -, and that there are other ways i can get into medicine (transfer/post-grad).

Blah, sorry for all the questions. >_> I know i have more, but my brain's a bit muddled to remember them all.

Thanks to anyone who can be bothered to help me out. ^_^

Hey mate congrats on finishing the HSC! Thanks for asking, that's a great question which heaps of people will be asking right about now.

I can't really give you a recommendation cos I went straight into med after the HSC, but I can tell you what I do know and hopefully you'll be able to come up with your own decision.

I know it must be pretty disappointing to you now knowing how most people invest alot of time and energy into getting into med, but the first thing is to know it's not the end ot the world and hey, it might even end up being a good thing cos it gives you a bit of extra time to find out what you really do enjoy in life and work towards your goal that way. Once you're in the system for a few years you'll realise that there's not necessarily one single hard and fast rule to get where you wanna go in life.

That said, if you're still set on doing med you have a couple of options:
1) Do the HSC/UMAT again and try to improve your scores (not really an option for most ppl, unless the scores are really low);
2) Go into BMedSc and apply for med in first year;
3) Finish BMedSc and apply for med after you graduate;
4) Go into any other course which tickles your fancy and apply for med after you graduate (I'm not sure whether you can transfer after one year so you'll need ot find out from the respective medical faculties).

I think I'm more inclined towards Survivor39's advice- it's true that you don't necessarily have to do BMedSc. It doesn't give you a massive advantage over, say, Arts when you're applying for Grad Med and unless you're happy to stick with BMedSc if you fail to get into Undergrad/Grad med, I don't see any reason to dogmaticaly stick with BMedSc. I reckon do something you'll really enjoy and if things don't work out, hey at least you've still got a backup. Of course, if BMedSc is your thing then by all means go for it!

Good luck and any questions feel free to ask!

 

[Bacilli]

uni's $8000 a year so y not repeat the hsc? also, once you begin tertiary study, a lot of doors close if seeking undergraduate entry (uwa, jsu, usyd etc).

 

[TBU21]

I was in a similar position to you last year.

I had a subpar UMAT and TER. I redid a few TEE (HSC for you) subjects that I thought I could significantly improve in marks (Chem, Physics and Applic Math) and redid the UMAT. I improved both UMAT (not enough) and TER (93.5 to 98.5) and while I won't be entering uni in 2008 to do medicine, I will be doing a course (Com/Law @ UWA) that I'm interested in and would be happy with the job prospects/career pathways upon completion (if I never get into medicine) - so the year wasn't completely wasted for me.

IMO that's the best way to go. Most career advisors/friends/teachers said go to uni and do a biomed/science degree and apply u'grad and grad (when finished), but I didn't want to go down that road as I didn't see good job prospects/future in that field (if I never got into med), as well as the fact it's tougher to get a high GPA than it is to get a high TER/UAI, much less places and unis available for non standards, uni fees are much higher than ~$100 it was to enrol for 3 TEE subjects etc.

Basically if you want to go to uni, make sure you do a degree that would give you job opportunities you would be satisfied with upon completion (if you never got into medicine) - don't go to uni just because everyone else is (I admit this was hard for me to overcome and it can be a bit uncomfortable explaining to people you're repeating). If you have your heart deadset on medicine, then redo some TEE/HSC subjects, UMAT, play sports, do community service, get some relevant work experience, research alternative careers in more detail (if your UMAT turns out subpar again like mine did) etc. - it will give you a much better chance of entering medicine in 2009.

 

[loser101]

medicine at UNSW u only need a UAI of 95 now +interview.

what UAI did you get? even if he gets a higher UAI next year he is not guaranteed a place as it requires an interview. i guess they will still preference those with high UAI's, so even though you require a UAI of 95+ to get an interview, the cut off is still probably 98+

transfer into medicine requires at least a DN average, which is bloody hard!!!

trust me i got a UAI of 95 and only got a high CR average.

not to put u down, but if u couldnt get 95+UAI then i dont think u can get a DN avg at UNSW.

 

[Bacilli]

 

[ssejamafone]

thanks for all the replies, guys! sorry i haven't replied for so long, because i don't really have much chance to access the internet over where i am. =( well, i've been considering 3 possiblities. I originally wanted to do DFEE Bpsych at unsw because i find psychology very interesting, but my parents are kind of unwilling to consider paying for me, but i guess i would have a job by next year, so i would be able to pay for it myself (well, at least most of it). And, then i could do medsci, which i think would probably be an interesting course and relates to medicine... and, then i could repeat year 12, which i actually have seriously been considering since after i did my trial hsc.

soo.. i guess i could do a B science of some sort... could anyone tell me what B Science (Advanced Science) entails? How is it different from a normal B Science course?

But, the option i'm most seriously considering right now is Medsci... so.. yeah... i don't have much time left to think about this... and i've spent so long mulling over my choices... so, i'm mainly tossing between medsci and repeating... except for the factor that i'm not sure whether repeating would be effective for me, because i know just how much work i'd have to put in to get a 98+ (i got 91.90), and.... what if i waste next year like i did this year?

well, as of now, i've got my choices so that Medsci is the course i'm going to get..

so, thanks for all your advice, everyone. =)

 

[krayzie_]

thanks for all the replies, guys! sorry i haven't replied for so long, because i don't really have much chance to access the internet over where i am. =( well, i've been considering 3 possiblities. I originally wanted to do DFEE Bpsych at unsw because i find psychology very interesting, but my parents are kind of unwilling to consider paying for me, but i guess i would have a job by next year, so i would be able to pay for it myself (well, at least most of it). And, then i could do medsci, which i think would probably be an interesting course and relates to medicine... and, then i could repeat year 12, which i actually have seriously been considering since after i did my trial hsc.

soo.. i guess i could do a B science of some sort... could anyone tell me what B Science (Advanced Science) entails? How is it different from a normal B Science course?

But, the option i'm most seriously considering right now is Medsci... so.. yeah... i don't have much time left to think about this... and i've spent so long mulling over my choices... so, i'm mainly tossing between medsci and repeating... except for the factor that i'm not sure whether repeating would be effective for me, because i know just how much work i'd have to put in to get a 98+ (i got 91.90), and.... what if i waste next year like i did this year?

well, as of now, i've got my choices so that Medsci is the course i'm going to get..

so, thanks for all your advice, everyone. =)

B.Medical Science = *sigh*

 

[Survivor39]

What is that suppose to mean krayzie

To ssejamafone:
Your best option is NOT to repeat Year 12 - repeating doesn't guarantee you will get a place in Med even if you get a higher UAI/UMAT.

If you are interested in doing Psychology, consider doing BSc or BSc Adv. and major in Psychology (it's the same as B Psychology).

There is no major difference between B Sc (Adv) and B Sc. The only difference is they expect you to do the advanced version of the subject (where available) and they expect you to do Honours in Adv Science.

If you are determined to major in areas within Medical Sciences, then go ahead and do BMedSc (will give you more chances of getting into Med due to the new MedSc-Med admission pathway).

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

i agree with Survivor39..

considering that they will tell u by 3rd yr .. if u are in the MBBS program.. then yeah.. mabbe transfer and complete other subjects to get the minimum for a psychology accredited degree.. then have a go at MBBS at grad level or proceed to psychology training

basically.. BMedSc 1, 2 --> BPsych---> PhD/MSc or MBBS
or
BMedSc-->MBBS
or
BMedSc--> BSc (psych)--> Honours --> PhD/MSc
or
BMedSc -->Grad dip Psych ($$ tho for 1 year)--> Phd/MSc or MBBS..

lots of options..


http://www.apac.psychology.org.au/Content.aspx?PageID=1048

good luck!

 

[loser101]

thanks for all the replies, guys! sorry i haven't replied for so long, because i don't really have much chance to access the internet over where i am. =( well, i've been considering 3 possiblities. I originally wanted to do DFEE Bpsych at unsw because i find psychology very interesting, but my parents are kind of unwilling to consider paying for me, but i guess i would have a job by next year, so i would be able to pay for it myself (well, at least most of it). And, then i could do medsci, which i think would probably be an interesting course and relates to medicine... and, then i could repeat year 12, which i actually have seriously been considering since after i did my trial hsc.

soo.. i guess i could do a B science of some sort... could anyone tell me what B Science (Advanced Science) entails? How is it different from a normal B Science course?

But, the option i'm most seriously considering right now is Medsci... so.. yeah... i don't have much time left to think about this... and i've spent so long mulling over my choices... so, i'm mainly tossing between medsci and repeating... except for the factor that i'm not sure whether repeating would be effective for me, because i know just how much work i'd have to put in to get a 98+ (i got 91.90), and.... what if i waste next year like i did this year?

well, as of now, i've got my choices so that Medsci is the course i'm going to get..

so, thanks for all your advice, everyone. =)

the thing about repeating is that you dont have to redo every subject.

look at the subject where you could improve the 2nd try and redo them.

alternatively if u did say 3unit maths, you can do 4unit maths this time.

bascially for any subject where u got less than say 85 then it would be worth redoing... there is a UAI calculator somewhere, and you can input what score for each subject u need to get what UAI.

most people have a few dud units, where if they improved on that, it would bump them up 10 UAI points easy.

what i found suprising is that if you get a mark of 90+ in every subject you get a UAI of 98+.

 

[Bacilli]

$30+ thousand a year for fours years with no guarantee you will score a high enough GPA to be considered for medicine admission, and you think that's the better option than repeating year 12? Goose. psychology shares little relation with medicine, and considering the subjects are mostly neuroscience related, I'm guessing psychology is no walk in the park. Once you have your mind set on medicine, there's really no other degree that will satisfy your ambitions to be a surgeon, or physician. Additionally, be aware that first year MedSci is similar to repeating the HSC; you will be studying chemisty, biology, mathematics etc, however the course content is much more complex than HSC topics, therefore consider repeating the HSC because if medicine is where you want to be, repeating is the easiest pathway.

 

[elizaz1989]

hey i got a uai of 95.45 unfortunately missing out on medicine but i really want to get in!! what would u advise for me to do? i was considering choosing medical science at unsw however i know it'd be a risk to take because i wouldn't want to be stuck with a medical science degree if i wont get into medicine. would u advise me to do med sc at usyd or unsw ? what r my chances 4 transferring from med science to undergrad med and also r the chances higher to transfer to grad med as opposed to straight entry into undergrad med after completing hsc? plz help as i have to resolve my preferences in like a week :/

 

[Season]

Remember if you have a tertiary record it will restrict the amount of undergrad unis you're allowed to apply for.

 

[Cookie182]

Hey i got 97.35 ( i know its not really high but it might be ok) but i never did UMAT (dont ask why)

anywayz can i enrol in a degree i would be happy doing, such commerce/engineering but concurrently sit UMAT next july and apply to med schools like a HSC student would for admission in 2009. Or is my UAI too low to try??? What UMAT score would i need? Im guessing 200+ (which is very very very very very hard!!!! my mates tell me)

Is my UAI too low to even bother? I know id never get UNSW but id be happy wit UWS or U Newcastle med- overall i think id like to get into psychiatry or another branch of internal med

lol i should hav sat UMAT this yr!!!!!

 

[Survivor39]

anywayz can i enrol in a degree i would be happy doing, such commerce/engineering but concurrently sit UMAT next july and apply to med schools like a HSC student would for admission in 2009. Or is my UAI too low to try??? What UMAT score would i need? Im guessing 200+ (which is very very very very very hard!!!! my mates tell me)

No. Your UAI is not too low to try. Anyone with a UAI of above 95 and concurrently doing a degree can re-sit the UMAT and hope for an interview in 2008. I'm not sure what UMAT score you will need.

Good luck!

 

[kloudsurfer]

hey i got a uai of 95.45 unfortunately missing out on medicine but i really want to get in!! what would u advise for me to do? i was considering choosing medical science at unsw however i know it'd be a risk to take because i wouldn't want to be stuck with a medical science degree if i wont get into medicine. would u advise me to do med sc at usyd or unsw ? what r my chances 4 transferring from med science to undergrad med and also r the chances higher to transfer to grad med as opposed to straight entry into undergrad med after completing hsc? plz help as i have to resolve my preferences in like a week :/

Are you saying you are missing out on med because of your UAI? Because at Newcastle Uni you only need a UAI of 93.8, and at UWS you need 95 (93 if your a gws applicant). Both UNIs consider the UAI as a hurdle, so once you get over the minimum requirement they no longer use it in the selection process, and selection is based simply on umat and the interview. So your UAI is no hindrance to getting in at those unis, you have as much chance as someone who got 100.

 

[ssejamafone]

okay... this is really stressing me out...

Well, Medicine isn't the only thing i want to do. Actually, i would probably say that i want to do Veterinary science much more than medicine, but my parents think that Vet Sci is a rubbish course, which is why i'm considering all the ways of getting into med. If it were up to me, i'd do a Bpsych in either unsw or uncle, and then i'd try to transfer to vet sci in usyd... And, i've also been seriously considering doing psychology for the sole purpose of becoming a registered psychologist, and not just as a pathway to medicine. So, i'm actually genuinely interested in all my course choices (med, vet sci, psych).

But, i think that, if i really only need to repeat the subjects i did badly in, then maybe repeating would be best for me. But, i'm not sure how this works, though. I've already missed an entire term of work and tests/assignments, so.... how would they take these missed assessments into account? Would it be hard for me to catch up with the missed out work? Well, i guess i have done it all before, and i do have these holidays to catch up.. so, how exactly does repeating work? Because, if i do manage to do well next year (98+), and even if i dont manage to get into medicine, then i'll be able to get into vet sci, which i will be over the moon about.

And, now, after reading through all this advice... yeah, i'm a bit confused... but, i think that if i choose not to repeat, and i choose to do medsci... well, i've seen the 'career opportunities' for medical scientists, and i think that i'd enjoy doing medical research or something along those lines.

And, in the end, i could always attempt to get into graduate medicine.

er... do i seem a bit too insecure?

well, thanks again. sorry for the extra questions. So, yeah, maybe some info on how repeating yr 12 actually works, thanks. ^_^

oh and another short question: is it harder to transfer from one uni to another, as opposed to transferring within a uni?

and, really sorry for all the questions.

actually again.. i don't know how long i've spent typing all this out... but, now i've decided that i want to do Vet Sci. Screw what my parents want me to do. i'll do what i feel passionate about. So, what i think i'll do is either repeat yr 12 and get a high uai to get straight into vet sci, orrrrr.... i'll do med sci in usyd, and then try for a transfer into vet sci.

Lol, i should probably just scrap all that stuff i typed at the top. meh, i spent too long to just delete it all.

soooo sorry for causing all this fuss about this.