So basically, I'm in year 11 (term 3) now, and out of nowhere I've recently have been interested to study medicine after highschool, as of subjects I do Methods, Physics, Bio, Econ, Digi, English. My friends who wanna do Med are all doing similar subjects however they do chem too. Chem is my weakest science, im not very good at it tried last year results were not good. Anyways they all say my subjects are good however chem is important, how can i do chem, like the get knowledge you'd need and try to get into med, its too late to switch now. So could anyone please guide me on how i fulfill that knowledge, or what are my pathways, im also considering doing Med international. Pls pls help, thanks!

    Akhi22
    Hey Akhi22,

    That's great to hear that you are interested in med! Your friends are correct in SOME way that chemistry is quite important, in that chemistry is usually known as the "central science". Additionally, it does scale pretty high so it does help you in the ATAR aspect too. In some universities such as JCU, it is even a subject pre-requisite for you to have completed chemistry. However, most unis DO NOT require chemistry knowledge and ONLY require you to have completed English such as UQ or Griffith [assumed knowledge is: Mathematical Methods (Units 3&4, C); One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Units 3&4, C)].

    So what I am trying to say is that if you didn't do chemistry and you have no option to do it now, I don't think there is any reason for you to stress. As someone who graduated only two years ago and going through medical science right now, they teach chemistry in uni from the ground up (just at a faster rate) so there is nothing to worry at all. Right now, UCAT and ATAR should be your biggest worries for you to get into med.

    TLDR: Chemistry would have been beneficial if you did it BUT you still have an equal chance as anyone to get into med.

    Let us know if you have any more questions and hope that helps!!

    • PP

          PhytoPlankton thank you so much for the fast reply, but if i do a bridging course for chem at UQ then do health sciences, in the mean time im going to try study for GAMSAT or maybe international test such as MDCAT in pakistan or the chinese one. A lotta of my family friends are doing this, they are going overseas, most of them did one science tho, bio. Achieved an 90 Atar are now going overseas. So is bridging course an option in order to obtain the required knowledge? Thank you again!

              Akhi22
              Happy to help! You can certainly do a bridging course to get the chemistry knowledge. However, I find it unnecessary to do the bridging course as it is not "required" knowledge and they will teach you chemistry in uni. The reason I say that is because it may take you even longer to get into med if you do the bridging course and med already takes a long time when you take the optimal pathway.

              • If you are unwilling to take the GAMSAT and UCAT and want the smoothest way in, obviously get an ATAR of 99.80+ for Griffith/USC OR get a lower ATAR and with enough leadership/service/rural experience, you could get into JCU.
              • If you are willing to do the UCAT, then try and get above 93% and higher than 95 ATAR and you can get into UQ/CQU/USQ med.
              • If you are willing to do the GAMSAT, my recommendation is this: do Biomed at UQ and then do the GAMSAT and you can get into med in the same number of years as the method above.

              The difference between the first two and the last one is that the first two are what you call "provisional entry" and the last one is "graduate entry". Provisional entry means you get into med in grade 12 (basically) and all you have to do is maintain a certain GPA (usually, GPA of 5) in your undergraduate degree to get into med. Graduate entry means you can get into med anytime after grade 12 but you have to do the GAMSAT and study/finish a related degree.

              I hope that makes sense and let me know if you have any questions!

              • PP

                  PhytoPlankton
                  Yep i understand, so it should be alright to leave the chem bridging. Also i was wondering what's benefical about health science, a lot of people are doing health science and then do GAMSAT for med, is that another optimal pathway. A lot of smart smart people from my school did not do well for UCAT which kinda scares me. Im from Pakistan, back home theres a brand new medical collage literally a 5 minute walk from my house, i've been considering moving there after grade 12, it takes 5 years, requirements are you need to be able to understand/write/speak english fluently and have grades in english and any sciences you do above 70%, theres a test too but i think thats only for students who live there. I'll be honest with you, if i had gotten this med mindset from the start of the year i woulda swtiched into chem asap, thanks to my parents, friends who kinda talked to me about the benefits of med, have now gotten me to hustle and grind into it, i was literally thinking either IT, Pharmacy , Economics after grade 12, but now none of them are satisfying to me lol. But yeah thank you so much for helping me out about this topic, i became very nervous and thought this was probably the end of it. Outta curiosity are you doing MED in QLD?

                      Akhi22

                      I think it depends on what degree you like better and what degree you could imagine yourself with if in the case, you do not get into medicine. Most people I know do biomed and then do GAMSAT but you can certainly do health science as long as you meet the subject prerequisites of medicine. These questions are best if you straight up call UQ or whatever other uni and ask them directly so you have the full reassurance of your plan.

                      It's not intelligence that helps you go far in UCAT. Of course it helps, but UCAT is a skill-based exam so as long as you practise and improve your skills, you can do well. And certainly now in Grade 11, you have more than enough time to work hard and improve your skillset for the UCAT.

                      And yeah, I am doing med in QLD but I am still doing my undergraduate degree right now but I have provisional entry into medicine.

                      I'm happy to hear that it helps and feel free to ask any more questions in the forum!

                      • PP

                          PhytoPlankton
                          Hey,
                          Thank you so much for replying and providing me with lots of beneficial information, it's helped me a lot. I just wanna ask now if you could give me some study tips, more specifically Methods. What are some ways i could really enhance my understanding and smash questions in tests. I know practice and practice, but any more tips which helped you get to where you are now.
                          Thanks again for clearing my doubts and questions, I'm extremely grateful for you taking your time and answering them in depth. I hope you continue to succeed further!

                          Regards,
                          Zee22

                              Akhi22

                              Hey Zee22,

                              Sorry for the delay in the response but I'm glad I could be of help, and I'm more than happy to share some study tips with you to enhance your understanding in Methods. Here are some additional tips that might benefit you:

                              1. Understanding Concepts: When you encounter any concept, understanding is key. There are a few methods of understanding but a very good method in maths is to do real-life problems and applications of the question. It tests you if you really know the concept well and will help you grasp the entire concept better.
                              2. Practice with a Variety of Problems: While your textbook questions are valuable, don't limit yourself to just those. Incorporate a diverse range of problems from different sources, including past exams, textbooks, and online resources and especially exam questions from other states. This will expose you to various question formats and prepare you for anything that might come up in your tests.
                              3. Teach Others: One of the most effective ways to solidify your understanding of a subject is to teach it to someone else. You could study with a friend or family member and explain concepts to them. Teaching forces you to organize your thoughts and helps identify areas where you need to improve.
                              4. Practice Under Time Constraints: As you practice problems, make sure to time yourself occasionally. Time constraints mimic exam conditions and help you improve your speed and accuracy.
                              5. Analyze Mistakes: When you make mistakes in practice questions, don't just move on. Take the time to understand why you went wrong and what concept you need to review. Learning from mistakes is crucial for progress.

                              Regarding the specific topics in Methods, I would say focus on the second derivative and stats and not as much on trig. Give them the attention they deserve but remember to have a solid grasp of all the essential concepts in the syllabus.

                              Finally, I can't emphasize enough the importance of meditation. It can improve focus, reduce stress, and enhance cognitive abilities. Find some time every day to meditate and clear your mind—it will likely have positive effects on your overall well-being and academic performance.

                              I wish you the best of luck in your exams! Feel free to ask any more questions!

                              • PP
                                a year later
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