Top of class..? (University Medal, Dean's Medal) (1 Viewer)

[kpop lover]

Hello,

Hope everyone is well!

I was wondering how hard it is to get the University Medal or Dean's Medal? Like how many hours of study each week are we talking..? Also if you would need HDs in most subjects..?

If you know anyone who graduated with a University Medal or a Dean's Medal, how hard did he/she study?


For a bit of context, I will be doing Med Sci this Autumn at WSU.

 

[jimmysmith560]

If you are not completing an Honours component as part of your degree, which you will not be since the Bachelor of Medical Science is not an Honours degree, and if you are not studying a Master of Research (which you are not), then you are not eligible for the University Medal.

You are, however, eligible for the Dean's Medal. This award requires you to have a GPA of 6 as the bare minimum. Where there are 50 or more graduands, you must place in the top 2% of your school's cohort (in this case, the top 2% of the School of Science), and where there are 49 or less graduands, you must have the highest GPA of your cohort, which again starts from the minimum requirement of 6.

Essentially, a GPA of 6 means that you are on a distinction average (i.e. you typically score marks between 75 and 84). The good thing is that having a GPA of 6 or higher places you on the Dean's Merit list for the academic year, which is also a good award. You can be on the Dean's Merit list as many times as the full-time duration of your degree. In the case of the Bachelor of Medical Science, you can be on the Dean's Merit list up to 3 times.

To answer your question, the Dean's Medal will obviously require a GPA significantly greater than 6 (closer to 7) since you will be competing with the smartest students in your cohort. What I am not entirely sure of is whether you will only be competing with students studying the Bachelor of Medical Science or with both the Bachelor of Medical Science and Bachelor of Medical Science (Advanced), which I believe is now called the Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science. If the latter is true, then it is likely that the Dean's Medal will be more difficult (but of course not impossible) to achieve given that the Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science is intended for high-achieving students and has an ATAR requirement of 95, considerably higher than that of the standard Bachelor of Medical Science.

It is therefore reasonable to expect that you will indeed need high distinctions in as many subjects as possible in order to have the highest possible GPA, allowing you to maximise your chances of receiving the Dean's Medal.

I hope this helps!

 

[kpop lover]

Wow .

Thank you so much for the detailed info. I did not know about the Dean's Merit List!

But top 2% sounds EXTREMELY difficult. I like it.

Again thank you so much for the info! You are a legend . I will later on try to find out if students from the Bachelor of Medical Science and the Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science are part of the same cohort competing for the Dean's Medal.

Thanks again!

 

[idkkdi]

Jimmy I have a 7 GPA how do I apply for this thing

u dont apply u just get it

 

[jimmysmith560]

Wow .

Thank you so much for the detailed info. I did not know about the Dean's Merit List!

But top 2% sounds EXTREMELY difficult. I like it.

Again thank you so much for the info! You are a legend . I will later on try to find out if students from the Bachelor of Medical Science and the Bachelor of Advanced Medical Science are part of the same cohort competing for the Dean's Medal.

Thanks again!

No worries, you can do it! All the best!

Jimmy I have a 7 GPA how do I apply for this thing

First of all, massive congrats on your GPA!

idkkdi is correct. Additionally, the Dean's Medal is awarded to graduands (i.e. students who have reached the end of their degree/about to graduate). You are about to start your second year and the only (and essential) thing that you should do as you start your second year all the way through to the end of your third year is to do your utmost to try to maintain or ensure a similar standard of performance in all of the subjects that you take.

 

[jimmysmith560]

Ah okay so they hand it at graduation. Content wise and exams it’s pretty simple to maintain the 7 GPA. My biggest concern is how 2nd and 3rd year focuses less in exams and more in assessments. Like genetics doesn’t have any exams just 2 quizzes

I am not entirely sure if they are awarded during the actual graduation ceremonies but definitely around that time or the stage at which the student would be pretty much done with their degree, which would be once their final results/GPA are released.

My degree was similar in that regard. I think that the reason for this is that assignments can be designed in such a way that makes them more complex/demanding (and consequently more difficult) than exams. Exams tend to contain a few questions directly assessing the content, whereas assignments may require a combination of content knowledge, research and (I believe) practical applications in your case. In my case, preparing for exams was definitely a more straightforward process compared to completing assignments, especially in my second and third year.

As far as I am aware, a GPA of 7 becomes more difficult to maintain each subsequent year due to the increasing difficulty of higher-level subjects. Of course, this does not necessarily mean that you will not be able to have a GPA of at least 6.5 as you approach the end of your degree. From this point, the higher your GPA, the higher your chance of receiving the Dean's Medal.