UMAT is EVIL EVIL EVIL! (1 Viewer)

[Jessica_00]

I posted this on the general board too but Im guessing this would be a more relevant forum where you guys have all had the benefit of being told about crap in High school before anything bad happened. I reccently wrote a letter to UMAT and a few departments in Uni about this dilemma and they just said ...oh well good luck in 4 years pretty much.

The thing is if a student wished to study Medicine at Uni, he/she should have done a UMAT test in July of their grade 12. The most stupid thing about this is most of the yr 12s of the public schools (unlike you most privilleged private school kiddies who get all your yr 12 resrouces in what...like Kindergarten??? ) are given absolutely zippo info on anything about UNI, gosh we wouldnt have even known what UAC was until October. AND UMAT EXPECTS US TO TAKE SUCH AN IMPORTANT TEST IN JULY??? A once is 4 years chance?????? yes it is held each year on one single day, but it will only let yr 12s do it, not yr 11, not first year uni students!


No no,, wait its gets better! :burn: :burn:

If you miss out of this UMAT test, guess what you wont be able to take it for atleast 3-4 years, or until you have actually gotten a bachelor!!! So what does this mean, basically depriving disadvantaged, uninformed intelligent future doctors of their chance to study medicine because UMAT wont let us take the test during our First year in UNI!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!



ARGGHH I am so pissed. So now no tonly do I have to wait 4 more years until I can actually begin my long path in Psychiatry... but all the other kids like me, whose schools didnt tell them jack crap about anything will have to miss out too.


Well done UMAT! :burn:


PS. and if youre going to say " Med students should have known what they wanted to know since agess ago...like in year 6" GET REAL!
even if you knew your passion....it doesnt mean that you knew that therre was a test besides the HSC which was just as important....no happens to mention it often do they????!!??!
__________________
WHERE DO I GET MY SOURCES TO SAY THAT UMAT IS EVIL???



Quote:
The Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) has been developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) in conjunction with the Consortium of Graduate Medical Schools to assist in the selection of students to participate in the graduate-entry programs.
GAMSAT is available to any student who has completed a Bachelor degree or who will be in the penultimate or final year of study for a Bachelor degree at the time of sitting the test.

GAMSAT is designed to assess the capacity to undertake high level intellectual studies in a demanding course. The test is offered once a year only.

GAMSAT evaluates the nature and extent of abilities and skills gained through prior experience and learning, including the mastery and use of concepts in basic science as well as the acquisition of more general skills in problem solving, critical thinking and writing. If your first degree is in a non-scientific field of study you can still sit GAMSAT and succeed in an application for admission to one of the graduate-entry programs. A science degree is not a prerequisite and academic excellence in the humanities and social sciences is encouraged and recognised. However, it must be stressed that succes in GAMSAT is unlikely without knowledge and ability in the biological and physical sciences, however this is acquired.

From http://umatweb.acer.edu.au/

Quote:
What is UMAT? UMAT consists of a battery of three tests developed each year by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER) on behalf of the UMAT Consortium universities. The tests are used specifically to assist with the selection of students into medicine and health science degree programs at undergraduate level at the universities listed on this website.
Prospective applicants to graduate-entry programs in medicine or dentistry must take the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT).
Read more... When will the next UMAT be held? UMAT is held once a year only. UMAT2007 will be held on Wednesday 25 July 2007. When can I register for UMAT? Registrations for UMAT2007 will open in early April 2007. Who should sit UMAT? UMAT is available to any candidate whose educational level at the time of sitting the test is final year of secondary schooling (Year 12 in Australia; Year 13 in New Zealand) or higher. Candidates registering for UMAT2007 should have already completed, or plan to complete their final year of secondary schooling in 2007.

 

[IMTB]

ouch that sux man! which school did you go to? I mean its on every year and I think I read somewhere that if u miss a year u can do the one next year? wat uai did u get? I cant believe u missed the Umat! SHIT I feel for u

 

[hotpot]

a) ur career advisor would have known about umat/gamsat etc
b) u can do the umat next year, and use a combination of uni+uai to reapply for med next year. Or just take a year off if ur uai was good.
c) gamsat is different to umat, and u sit gamsat after u complete (on the last year of) ur uni degree. U can sit for umat anytime u want. Gamsat is for graduate entry medicine (meaning they have finished a degree) whereas umat is for undergraduate med (meaning no uni record/imcomplete uni record/complete uni record).

 

[hotpot]

btw umat is also mentioned in the uac booklet... under requirements.
I have pm u... reply and i'll explain transfering in more detail. You dont need to wait a whole 3 years.

 

[Kabbasi]

Oh noes! I'm so sorry for you, you must have been so shitty when you found out. I found out about UMAT as an accident and then looked it up when my careers advisor made a remark about it and in that moment I just realised I could have cruised along year 12 only to be denied a course in med. You're right; I'm sure many people miss out because they haven't been informed of the UMAT examinations properly and don't understand what it is. I hope (but then,what does hope really do?) that this clears up for you and you find luck in another course. Hugs for the new year.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

u know ... you are a lil shortsighted

1/ you can sit the UMAT in 1st/2nd/3rd yr of uni.. to enter UNSW UMelb UTasmania UWS UWA Newcastle and a couple of others etc.. they now take ure GPA instead of ure UAI into account..

2/ you can take the yr off and do the UMAT then apply to all the uni accepting school leavers (all above plus monash/adelaide)

3/ by doing a BPsych(hons) you will only be 2 yrs longer in uni (and only 1 yr longer if u dun do the Honours and get a spot) if u do a grad entry course.. compared to some yr 12 leaver.

4/ Psychiatry takes a long while.. 4-6 yrs of medical school, then u need minimum of 2yrs of work, then your fellowship for 5 yrs.. then ure a psychiatrist..

wats another 1-2 yrs?... basically if u dun learn the things nows.. ull find out that the minimum 2 yrs work exp isnt long enough..

5/ I have a personal dislike of psychiatry.. so how do u know u arent goin to end up lik the majority of graduating students.. and going into general practice and counselling instead?..... earning ure medicare benefit schedule of well lik 150/hr.. thats peanuts considering ur debt and ure things u need.. dentist charge more too .. and their insurance is less..

6/ in the defence of the UMAT.. the UAC book clearly states it.. yes ure right.. schools didnt tell u.. but then very few schools tell their students to do it.. and "uninformed intelligent future doctors" is sumfing noone look forward to.. cos those same ppl are synonyms for medical dropouts and dr death..

you need to research.. YOU SERIOUSLY CANNOT EXPECT TO BE SPOONFED IN UNIVERSITY.. let alone medicine.. CMON... do u know that lik all courses expect a level of "self-directed learning" (aka.. fuck off and find out for ureself..)

that said.. i think u were careless.. and mabbe not mature enough to have foresight of looking up how to do these things... u cannot blame it all on others.. u need to learn to be responsible..

if u posted a msg here or anywhere on BoS.. then someone would hav told u too..

if you got a 99+ mark id be disappointed cos u had an average chance..and how do u know u wouldnt have fucked up the interview with ur careless attitude and lack of foresight.. u really need to learn from this.. possibly a blessing in disguise..

also wats 2 yrs in the grand scheme of life.. honestly not much.. and in medicine its prolly less.. don't sound so catastrophic and just chin up..

 

[Jessica_00]

u know ... you are a lil shortsighted

1/ you can sit the UMAT in 1st/2nd/3rd yr of uni.. to enter UNSW UMelb UTasmania UWS UWA Newcastle and a couple of others etc.. they now take ure GPA instead of ure UAI into account..

2/ you can take the yr off and do the UMAT then apply to all the uni accepting school leavers (all above plus monash/adelaide)

3/ by doing a BPsych(hons) you will only be 2 yrs longer in uni (and only 1 yr longer if u dun do the Honours and get a spot) if u do a grad entry course.. compared to some yr 12 leaver.

4/ Psychiatry takes a long while.. 4-6 yrs of medical school, then u need minimum of 2yrs of work, then your fellowship for 5 yrs.. then ure a psychiatrist..

wats another 1-2 yrs?... basically if u dun learn the things nows.. ull find out that the minimum 2 yrs work exp isnt long enough..

5/ I have a personal dislike of psychiatry.. so how do u know u arent goin to end up lik the majority of graduating students.. and going into general practice and counselling instead?..... earning ure medicare benefit schedule of well lik 150/hr.. thats peanuts considering ur debt and ure things u need.. dentist charge more too .. and their insurance is less..

6/ in the defence of the UMAT.. the UAC book clearly states it.. yes ure right.. schools didnt tell u.. but then very few schools tell their students to do it.. and "uninformed intelligent future doctors" is sumfing noone look forward to.. cos those same ppl are synonyms for medical dropouts and dr death..

you need to research.. YOU SERIOUSLY CANNOT EXPECT TO BE SPOONFED IN UNIVERSITY.. let alone medicine.. CMON... do u know that lik all courses expect a level of "self-directed learning" (aka.. fuck off and find out for ureself..)

that said.. i think u were careless.. and mabbe not mature enough to have foresight of looking up how to do these things... u cannot blame it all on others.. u need to learn to be responsible..

if u posted a msg here or anywhere on BoS.. then someone would hav told u too..

if you got a 99+ mark id be disappointed cos u had an average chance..and how do u know u wouldnt have fucked up the interview with ur careless attitude and lack of foresight.. u really need to learn from this.. possibly a blessing in disguise..

also wats 2 yrs in the grand scheme of life.. honestly not much.. and in medicine its prolly less.. don't sound so catastrophic and just chin up..

Well I didnt know about being able to re sit it, so basically I'm not that traumatised anymore. Please please do not assume that just because my school told me nothing, and that yr 12 had more issues for me to deal with than I am willing to bring out to argue with you about the validity of my victimsation, that I was just cruising through HSC's like a bum...or on my way to becoming dr death. Also i did do much of my "fuck off and research yourself" . All I am angry about is that during all those countless of boring year meetings, assemblies and newletters, they have mentioned the UMAT altogether : ZILCH times. I heared some kids are told about it since year 6, and thats for those rich private school kids. (nothing against them)

Also, I don't think students are to blame if they missed out of UMAT, that is they have a deep passion for something and didnt know that there was something else as important than working their butts off for HSC.

Yes I did my research on Psychiatry, and I know I'd have to become a GP before anything. Are you saying Dentists have smaller debts? Well to be specialist, you'll earn a lot more than a GP, therefore I don't mind to pay the debt because it does balance out between income and hecs.

My UAI is mid 90s, I especially I don't want to say it because I have friends roaming these premisis and some have come dramatically lower than me...I just don't want to say at the risk of ... anywho. You can tell just looking at my siggy anyway.

Anyway, the thought knowing that I would be able to sit for UMAT again is comforting...I'm ok with it then. The thing is everyone... I love Psychology and unlike others who are afriad they will break down after a year or two of hearing about peoples problems all day, I have to say that its not the case for me, having dealt with not only family's problems of all day, but I had to dealt with a wopper share of my own during year 11/12.


Any anyway, don't surgeons, GPs, nurses, phyisos, dentists and so fourth deal with peoples problems all day too? Its all the same bizz.

 

[aussiechica7]

pointdexter's right, you can resit umat next yr, and there r SO many schools that could accept u. (also, JCU in townsville doesn't use UMAT at all- there's a plus!)

i didn't have a career advisory teacher tell me what to do. i just looked up the websites of every uni that offered med and saw what they required of me. i basically did it like this: i knew nsw had uac and vic had vtac, so i googled and found out that qld had qtac, s.a. and n.t. have "satac", w.a. has "tisc" and utas just has utas. so then i looked at each of these bodies (the uac, vtac, etc.) and did a search 4 every uni that offered med. i wrote these unis down, then googled their med courses. by looking at the uni websites i found out all the stuff i had to do- i.e. send in a "registration of interest" to unsw, stuff like that.

i already knew about the umat- i can't remember how i first found out about it- but i somehow knew umat was part of it. i probably heard from my friends and its hard if your friends don't know.

can i give u some advice? sign up to this website: http://www.medstudentsonline.com/forums/ . It's like BoS but focused ONLY on medicine and health sciences, and people check it and reply to threads quite regularly. If you check it, say, once a week, you should be pretty up to date with everything you need to do for all the med schools as they also have a "calender" with important dates on it. remember, however, that the final responsibility for it all rests on u.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

ill address ure points

Well I didnt know about being able to re sit it, so basically I'm not that traumatised anymore. Please please do not assume that just because my school told me nothing, and that yr 12 had more issues for me to deal with than I am willing to bring out to argue with you about the validity of my victimsation, that I was just cruising through HSC's like a bum...or on my way to becoming dr death. Also i did do much of my "fuck off and research yourself" . All I am angry about is that during all those countless of boring year meetings, assemblies and newletters, they have mentioned the UMAT altogether : ZILCH times. I heared some kids are told about it since year 6, and thats for those rich private school kids. (nothing against them)

See to ure credit you tried..
but i think that a more useful resource is the web.. and the ppl in it. .

I was lucky i had a 'trying for med' buddy in school.. we did all the things together.. and then we both got in .. not ideal for either of us.. but they were reasonable offers..

I went to my careers adviser at the end of yr 10.. and he was clueless.. so I yahoo'd it (google wasnt big for another lik 7 months).. found out that UNSW was the only school within 100km of me tat would take me.. then i found Newcastle etc..

Here's a tip.. dun rely on others to tell u.. seek your self.. i still dun believe what ppl tell me in medical school until i research it..

I didnt go to a rich private school.. you didnt have to..

reality is that you think that they do to.. but they dun... if u want the schools that tells u.. hang out with baulko.. and rusers and NSGHSers..

Also, I don't think students are to blame if they missed out of UMAT, that is they have a deep passion for something and didnt know that there was something else as important than working their butts off for HSC.

But how deep?.. r u saying me and countless others didnt work my butt off by researching this and we arsed around??

Yes I did my research on Psychiatry, and I know I'd have to become a GP before anything. Are you saying Dentists have smaller debts? Well to be specialist, you'll earn a lot more than a GP, therefore I don't mind to pay the debt because it does balance out between income and hecs.

No you havent.. that first sentence tells me u didnt.. you have again tried to arse ure way thru without reading the fine print.. as a specialist you will be surprised what u earn.. and u will find out its not proportional to ure education.. if u think that the money is so good.. it aint bad but sure isnt close to corporate sector...

My UAI is mid 90s, I especially I don't want to say it because I have friends roaming these premisis and some have come dramatically lower than me...I just don't want to say at the risk of ... anywho. You can tell just looking at my siggy anyway.

thats fair enough..

Anyway, the thought knowing that I would be able to sit for UMAT again is comforting...I'm ok with it then. The thing is everyone... I love Psychology and unlike others who are afriad they will break down after a year or two of hearing about peoples problems all day, I have to say that its not the case for me, having dealt with not only family's problems of all day, but I had to dealt with a wopper share of my own during year 11/12.

Thing is .. thats personal.. "wopper share" ... is v. different from a professional job..
I admit professional is sometimes easier cos u dun go home to it.. but its not pleasant hearing about the extremes.. and unless ure personal life is full of the depressed, the manics, the schizophrenics, the drugged up and the psychotics ..

wait till u try it.. i barely look forward to it at uni.. cos there is so little that can be done when its hard.. very untextbook-like usually

Any anyway, don't surgeons, GPs, nurses, phyisos, dentists and so fourth deal with peoples problems all day too? Its all the same bizz.

yes but they get to distract themselves by touching the patient and giving them physicals... and palming any 'hard' (aka.. no physical signs) cases off..

You have a particular arrogance that will either make med school a very fun place.. or one that will make u suffer countless embarassment.. if u dun sit and listen..
you may be a high achiever in school but wait till uni.. u aint even in the big leagues yet..

 

[inasero]

i'll address YUOR little points:

1) i like cheese

2) you still have not managed to acquire a tax exempt status for my illegal dealings in smoked cod

therefore

3) you suck

i am teh win!

 

[~shinigami~]

I sympathise with you but to be honest I feel as though any candidate of Medicine or Dentistry should and would have researched this thoroughly and early. How else do Universities get bombarded with thousands of applicants each year? Personally, I began my research in Yr 11.

Just to reinforce what others have said. This is not the end, you still have many chances to get into undergraduate Medicine and possibly Postgraduate if it is truly your passion then waiting won't really be detrimental. In fact, this could be a good thing where upon you may reflect if Medicine is truly your calling.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

i'll address YUOR little points:

1) i like cheese

2) you still have not managed to acquire a tax exempt status for my illegal dealings in smoked cod

therefore

3) you suck

i am teh win!

you sir are a cheese loving cod sucker.. :wave:
hope ure project works.. stop sleeping like a f**kin hobo..

~shinigami~: so far the count is that i know about 20 ppl tat have dropped out in the last 3 yrs.. (friends/classmates/family friends).. and
-u get ZERO credit for medicine subjects when u goto anything after.. even biomedical or medical science..
-you fail ... you repeat the whole yr.. not just 1 subject or semester..

 

[~shinigami~]

~shinigami~: so far the count is that i know about 20 ppl tat have dropped out in the last 3 yrs.. (friends/classmates/family friends).. and
-u get ZERO credit for medicine subjects when u goto anything after.. even biomedical or medical science..
-you fail ... you repeat the whole yr.. not just 1 subject or semester..

+Po1ntDeXt3r+, sorry for my ignorance but I don't understand why that particular information is being directed at me?

The information is enlightening though.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

oh i wasnt picking on u..
but when u wrote "In fact, this could be a good thing where upon you may reflect if Medicine is truly your calling."

i think some ppl dun know that medicine/dent and some other professional courses are now integrated.. so if u drop out before u graduate..u basically 'wasted' it cos u cant use the credits in any other course..

if i drop out now.. and start BMedSc in sydney or dent in qld or even my uni.. id start at 1st yr.. with only my gen eds filled .... transfers happen.. but usually you need to talk to each faculty..

noone seems to know that.. until it happens.. i know ppl tat have basically started in 1st yr in another field after 2-4 yrs in medicine.. i think you need to consider it before you take its "calling".

 

[~shinigami~]

oh i wasnt picking on u..

I know you weren't and I was afraid that it might come across like that while I was typing my repsonse before. I was only curious as to what part of my post you were replying to. Sorry, I get confused some times.

EDIT: Wait, I just realised I'm still confused.

Are you agreeing or disagreeing with my statement? Just curious is all.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

yep i agreed and was reinforcing .. with reasons u should think about it hard

 

[~shinigami~]

yep i agreed and was reinforcing .. with reasons u should think about it hard

Great advice from someone in the know. Thanks +Po1ntDeXt3r+.

 

[stella8h8chang]

Hey! Don't panic! Don't beat yourself (or other people) up for this mix-up. Bureaucracy will always be evil; particularly in medicine they want to find more excuses to weed people out. As Bill Gates said, "Life is unfair. Get used to it."

On a more positive note, I guess what I have to say has largely been said by persons above. Just sit it this year. One of my mates is actually resitting the umat in 2007 - doing Advanced Science for now and going to try transferring.

And Graduate Medicine is definitely a great option. I believe everything happens for a reason - perhaps you are meant to do graduate med because something amazingly special awaits you at that particular university. Okay so I'm being romantic and idealistic, but don't we have the right to dream?

Anyways, good luck on your medical journey

 

[~shinigami~]

As Bill Gates said, "Life is unfair. Get used to it.")

What the hell hasn't Bill Gates said? There seems to be a quote from this man for every situation.

Don't worry, you'll achieve what you want. All you need is hard work.

"Get'cha ass up; you know it, if you really want it: - Bill Gates*

*The statement is no way affiliated with Bill Gates.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Poor thing wasted a year though...

so? in life its only.. 1 yr.. its not anything special