MedView GAMSAT Tutoring: Achieve 3x Admission Success

Skills assessed: Comprehension, analysis, synthesising information and critical reasoning.

Section one includes a variety of graphs, poems, texts and proverbs which require you to understand concepts, interpret them in different ways and apply them to multiple questions.

A lot of students trip up on establishing the difference between what a text says, and what it means. Meaning any answer might be justifiably correct, but not always the most correct. Confused? Our GAMSAT Question Bank package includes access to our diagnostics and 2500+ questions to make sure you develop techniques to succeed.

Skills assessed: Essays, structure and content.

Section two contains 2 prompt sets of essay questions. The first essay requires you to discuss themes of a socio-cultural nature while the second is more reflective, and will require you to think critically and deeply about your own understanding and application of the topic.

If it’s been a while since you finished high school, then this is the hardest section by far, since you have to complete two 500-word essays in an hour. But the speed at which you have to write isn’t the problem. 50% of the mark is what you write, but the other 50% is how you write it. This means you don’t just have to write quickly, you have to write well and you have to think well too. It is essential to have a structure in mind, practice it and stick to it. Speak to an Advisor who can set you up with a GAMSAT tutor who scored in the top 1% to help you develop a structure that is set for success!

Skills assessed: Scientific reasoning and scientific knowledge.

Section three is entirely multiple choice, made up of 40% biology, 40% chemistry and 20% physics questions. An understanding of scientific concepts prior to your exam is essential to be successful.

To get quicker and score higher at this section, the best thing to do is practice, practice, practice! This section is three hours, it’s brain draining and most people don’t finish so you need to make sure you know what to expect, and how to tackle any question that comes your way. MedView’ Question Bank is in my opinion the perfect resource to help you practice! With over 2500+ questions and 3 full length exams you can practice all types of biology, chemistry and physics questions both in your own time and under mock exam conditions.

If you have completed a Bachelor of Honours degree, or if you are going to be in your penultimate or final year of study, then you are eligible to take the GAMSAT exam.

The GAMSAT exam can be sat twice a year - March and September. However, if you are planning on sitting the GAMSAT and using your results straight away, note the results from the 4 examination cycles prior to your May application deadlines are eligible to be used in your application. There is a strategy as too when to sit the exam.

Depending on when you take the exam, you GAMSAT results will be released in either May or November, and will consist of four scores: three section scores marked out of 100, and an overall score which is a weighted average of your section scores.

The cut-offs scores vary each year and between universities, but to give yourself the best chance of admission, you want to score in the mid to high 70s. Isabella, an Alumni of MedView, used the GAMSAT Comprehensive Package and improved her score by 30 points!

In order to sit the GAMSAT you must register on the specified dates as listed on the ACER website. It is important to note that although there are two sittings per year, the September sittings are not run in certain locations such as in New Zealand. The test occurs on both weekdays and weekends and takes approximately 9 hours to complete on the day. To sit the exam it will cost $505AUD which includes a small question book which will give you a taste of what to expect. Most students have to sit the GAMSAT more than once in order to get a score eligible for medical school, and we want to make sure you don’t have to spend $505 to register twice. Save time and money with MedView’s GAMSAT products today!

When applying for postgraduate entry medicine in Australia, there is one centralised online application portal - GEMSAS. The Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admission System. GEMSAS is run by the GAMSAT consortium, which comprises of 10 out the 13 postgraduate medical schools in Australia which include:

• Melbourne University
• Deakin University
• Australian National University
• Wollongong University
• University of Notre Dame
• Macquarie University
• Griffith University
• Queensland University
• University of Western Australia

The three universities that aren’t apart of GEMSAS include:

• Sydney University
• Flinders
• Monash

(Sydney and Flinders require the GAMSAT exam and direct application and Monash requires students to have completed their undergraduate degree at Monash).

This system allows you to choose from three to six medical schools, then uses calculations to allocate an interview and medical school offer based on your eligibility and highest preferred postgraduate medical school. You are offered a maximum of one interview. Your application to GEMSAS is a single online application form, a preference list of up medical schools, as well as your undergraduate degree transcript.

It is important to note all these aspects are considered in your overall application and they work together to bring strengths to weaker aspects.

The portfolio is only applicable to two universities, but plays an essential part in their consideration process. The University of Notre Dame and the University of Wollongong’s consider your portfolio alongside your GPA and GAMSAT score, although the weighting of the portfolio is unknown.

The University of Notre Dame is a catholic institution, meaning the university puts an emphasis on education within the context of catholic values. They welcome students of all religious backgrounds, as long as the student has an understanding for the values of ethical and service based values, such as compassion, respect and social justice. If successful, all students must complete a Bioethics paper.

The University of Wollongong on the other hand, has a strong focus around rural, regional and remote medicine, preparing doctors for a range of settings across Australia and internationally. They chose students who have diverse backgrounds and are comfortable with living in rural settings or have ties to rural communities and schooling.

The University of Notre Dame also requires a personal statement - along with your GPA, GAMSAT and portfolio - where you must outline your reasons for pursuing medicine, as well as why Notre Dame is the best choice for you. It is important to create an application that represents your character while also demonstrating the asking values.

The University of Wollongong requires a video which is similar to a UCAT situational judgement question, used to determine personal and professional traits that are suited for a career in medicine. These include empathy, communication, ethics and problem solving.

Australian National University prefers students who have completed Honours, Masters or PhD study.