How do I get into Medical School at Deakin?
Nufail Khan | First Year Medical Student 2014
Having completed the first two months of Medical school at Deakin University, and even in my late 20s, I feel like I have finally reached the starting line for my future. Studying Medicine at Deakin is an amazing experience, but before I detail why, I wanted to provide some perspective into my journey into this course.
If you are prospective medical student, there are some hurdles you need to be aware of. The first is to ensure you have a grade point average (GPA) of above 5, and to be competitive at this initial hurdle its perhaps best to have a GPA of 6 or above.
When it comes to the second hurdle, the GAMSAT, there is one way to know what its like; to actually sit one. I would highly recommend, if it is financially and temporally possible that you apply to sit a GAMSAT even if the next year you do not intend to apply for Medicine. As much as someone explains how you should prepare, there is no better preparation than sitting the GAMSAT itself. Nonetheless, it is important to stress that the GAMSAT is unlike other examinations you may have sat during school or university. It is not a summative assessment to ensure you can remember content, it is to assess how you can reason and interpret information provided. I did not take courses for either occasion that I sat the GAMSAT, but friends have. I would recommend understanding basics of biology, and learning some simple concepts/formulas of chemistry and physics only to ensure you can follow a question in the science section more easily and to save time from reading a question multiple times. It will be also good to do a lot of reading (newspapers, novels) to increase or refresh your knowledge about grammar and structure for the essay section of the GAMSAT. This may also help the humanities section of the GAMSAT. Overall, I would highly recommend sitting the GAMSAT more than once. This enables you to grasp exactly what you need to do, to achieve a competitive result (usually between 50-65).
Finally, make sure you apply for as many medical schools as possible, and of course it would not be a bad idea if you placed Deakin high on your list. If you are fortunate to receive an interview, ensure that you enter the room without any preconceived notions of what interviewers want to hear. You need to be yourself, and show your true thoughts, values and concepts. Most of all, be relaxed Remember, you are simply trying to show who you are, so use that to calm your nerves. A final thought is to remember to be flexible in your answers, as certain questions guide your answers in a certain direction, but upon further information from an interviewer, it may change your mindset. This is should always be encouraged. After all, the best decisions are made with the most information, and not necessarily from the first idea formed.
Deakin is at the forefront of training medical professionals who not only possess all the skills and knowledge of other medical students, but also the capacity and ability to positively influence Australias rural and regional health. The course also has a unique opportunity to learn in great depth, the ethics of medical practice, as well as the values of public health medicine. The opportunities therefore provided by Deakin University is at current peerless, and could not be more highly recommended, especially from someone currently studying in the first year of Medicine.
Having completed the first two months of Medical school at Deakin University, and even in my late 20s, I feel like I have finally reached the starting line for my future. Studying Medicine at Deakin is an amazing experience, but before I detail why, I wanted to provide some perspective into my journey into this course.
If you are prospective medical student, there are some hurdles you need to be aware of. The first is to ensure you have a grade point average (GPA) of above 5, and to be competitive at this initial hurdle its perhaps best to have a GPA of 6 or above.
When it comes to the second hurdle, the GAMSAT, there is one way to know what its like; to actually sit one. I would highly recommend, if it is financially and temporally possible that you apply to sit a GAMSAT even if the next year you do not intend to apply for Medicine. As much as someone explains how you should prepare, there is no better preparation than sitting the GAMSAT itself. Nonetheless, it is important to stress that the GAMSAT is unlike other examinations you may have sat during school or university. It is not a summative assessment to ensure you can remember content, it is to assess how you can reason and interpret information provided. I did not take courses for either occasion that I sat the GAMSAT, but friends have. I would recommend understanding basics of biology, and learning some simple concepts/formulas of chemistry and physics only to ensure you can follow a question in the science section more easily and to save time from reading a question multiple times. It will be also good to do a lot of reading (newspapers, novels) to increase or refresh your knowledge about grammar and structure for the essay section of the GAMSAT. This may also help the humanities section of the GAMSAT. Overall, I would highly recommend sitting the GAMSAT more than once. This enables you to grasp exactly what you need to do, to achieve a competitive result (usually between 50-65).
Finally, make sure you apply for as many medical schools as possible, and of course it would not be a bad idea if you placed Deakin high on your list. If you are fortunate to receive an interview, ensure that you enter the room without any preconceived notions of what interviewers want to hear. You need to be yourself, and show your true thoughts, values and concepts. Most of all, be relaxed Remember, you are simply trying to show who you are, so use that to calm your nerves. A final thought is to remember to be flexible in your answers, as certain questions guide your answers in a certain direction, but upon further information from an interviewer, it may change your mindset. This is should always be encouraged. After all, the best decisions are made with the most information, and not necessarily from the first idea formed.
Deakin is at the forefront of training medical professionals who not only possess all the skills and knowledge of other medical students, but also the capacity and ability to positively influence Australias rural and regional health. The course also has a unique opportunity to learn in great depth, the ethics of medical practice, as well as the values of public health medicine. The opportunities therefore provided by Deakin University is at current peerless, and could not be more highly recommended, especially from someone currently studying in the first year of Medicine.
For more information about studying medicine at Deakin University click here.
