When would you stop applying for med? (1 Viewer)

[SpoonSamba]

Just a hypothetical question out of interest,

How many times would you apply for med before giving up? At what age do you think it would no longer be worthwhile?

Just curious given the length of the degrees doing it later in life would really affect your personal circumstances in terms of housing/family etc.

I don't think I would apply later than 23 maybe 24.

 

[Tim035]

I remember a story on paging doctor where a guy failed the interview for Flinder's university 3 years in a row, then on his 4th attempt to get into med he was offered an interview at Usyd which he passed (this is all post grad of course).

A lot of people go back and do med after doing a Phd which puts them at 25-26 years of age.

For me personally, my GPA is in the high 6s so it will take a bad GAMSAT or flunked interview this year round to not get in, at which point I'd probably have one more crack next year at the age of 23 before weighing out my options long term in life.


I think it would put a lot of stress on a marriage or defacto relationship, but otherwise you can scrape by on Aus-Study + rent assist whilst completing med, and whilst it shouldn't be a motivating factor the salary you'll begin to gain once you are done will very quickly marginalize any finanical gain from starting a full time job 4-5 years eariler.

 

[fishfingerz]

I remember a story on paging doctor where a guy failed the interview for Flinder's university 3 years in a row, then on his 4th attempt to get into med he was offered an interview at Usyd which he passed (this is all post grad of course).

A lot of people go back and do med after doing a Phd which puts them at 25-26 years of age.

For me personally, my GPA is in the high 6s so it will take a bad GAMSAT or flunked interview this year round to not get in, at which point I'd probably have one more crack next year at the age of 23 before weighing out my options long term in life.


I think it would put a lot of stress on a marriage or defacto relationship, but otherwise you can scrape by on Aus-Study + rent assist whilst completing med, and whilst it shouldn't be a motivating factor the salary you'll begin to gain once you are done will very quickly marginalize any finanical gain from starting a full time job 4-5 years eariler.

Mate, it's not that simple. The gpa and gamsat are simply a cut-off. If you get lower than the required score then you don't even get a chance at an interview. If you get higher, or much higher, I doubt they would consider you more because it depends more on the interview, a lot more. I mean sure your marks may be higher, but who knows you may have studied perpetually and had no social life or personality, while other applicants may have just got the required gpa/gamsat score but they may have done various extra curriculars or have good social skills, etc.

 

[stampede]

I remember a story on paging doctor where a guy failed the interview for Flinder's university 3 years in a row, then on his 4th attempt to get into med he was offered an interview at Usyd which he passed (this is all post grad of course).

A lot of people go back and do med after doing a Phd which puts them at 25-26 years of age.

For me personally, my GPA is in the high 6s so it will take a bad GAMSAT or flunked interview this year round to not get in, at which point I'd probably have one more crack next year at the age of 23 before weighing out my options long term in life.


I think it would put a lot of stress on a marriage or defacto relationship, but otherwise you can scrape by on Aus-Study + rent assist whilst completing med, and whilst it shouldn't be a motivating factor the salary you'll begin to gain once you are done will very quickly marginalize any finanical gain from starting a full time job 4-5 years eariler.

it will still take you a few years after you're done studying before you get to rake in the money

Mate, it's not that simple. The gpa and gamsat are simply a cut-off. If you get lower than the required score then you don't even get a chance at an interview. If you get higher, or much higher, I doubt they would consider you more because it depends more on the interview, a lot more. I mean sure your marks may be higher, but who knows you may have studied perpetually and had no social life or personality, while other applicants may have just got the required gpa/gamsat score but they may have done various extra curriculars or have good social skills, etc.

and this.

 

[kaz1]

Why would you reapededly keep trying for med. Like seriuosly you get vomitted on, you have to handle blood or even shit and you might also have to examine old peoples genitals.

 

[Tim035]

Mate, it's not that simple. The gpa and gamsat are simply a cut-off. If you get lower than the required score then you don't even get a chance at an interview. If you get higher, or much higher, I doubt they would consider you more because it depends more on the interview, a lot more. I mean sure your marks may be higher, but who knows you may have studied perpetually and had no social life or personality, while other applicants may have just got the required gpa/gamsat score but they may have done various extra curriculars or have good social skills, etc.

I have researched exactly what the entry requirements are for all the different universities; the style you are referring to is consistant with universities like Usyd and Notre Dame where GPA is just a hurdle and then GAMSAT + interview are weighted 50/50. For uni's like ANU the interview is just a pass or fail and GPA is much more the deciding factor. Personally I'm highly interested in the University of Melbourne, which is demanding pre-requiste subjects to have been completed in undergrad and look favourably on having done honours or a PhD. A good friend of mine got in last year with a 51 GAMSAT + 6.64 GPA; she is also an awesome person and I'm sure gave a fantastic interview.

However even at this very moment the whole process of calculating GPA is being reviewed by ACER, as is the interview process and the way you preference schools for post grad med.

Everyone I know in their intern years as a doctor are earning 60-70k right off the bat, that alone is more money then my science degree is ever likely to earn me.

 

[SpoonSamba]

Why would you reapededly keep trying for med. Like seriuosly you get vomitted on, you have to handle blood or even shit and you might also have to examine old peoples genitals.

Because its a nice thing to do with your life. You neutralise to all the gross stuff really quickly and it just becomes a job, same with cops who have to deal with bodies and blood and stuff and plumbers as well. I'd really really like to be a doctor, just wish there was more certainty in ever getting into a course.

And can people posting in this thread actually answer the original question?

 

[Dr_Fresh]

Q: When would you stop applying for med?
A: When you get in.

Simple. If your answer is any different, go do Arts or something.

 

[SpoonSamba]

I am doing Arts actually and I love it but I wanan do med. That said courses are minimum 4 years and then their interny shit and as someone whos in a relationship which will have a mortgage in the near future and who wants babies and everything I cant be studying til I'm 35.

 

[glache]

A good time to stop applying for med is when you realise that there's not enough intern training places. Which is about....now.

 

[fishfingerz]

I have researched exactly what the entry requirements are for all the different universities; the style you are referring to is consistant with universities like Usyd and Notre Dame where GPA is just a hurdle and then GAMSAT + interview are weighted 50/50. For uni's like ANU the interview is just a pass or fail and GPA is much more the deciding factor. Personally I'm highly interested in the University of Melbourne, which is demanding pre-requiste subjects to have been completed in undergrad and look favourably on having done honours or a PhD. A good friend of mine got in last year with a 51 GAMSAT + 6.64 GPA; she is also an awesome person and I'm sure gave a fantastic interview.

However even at this very moment the whole process of calculating GPA is being reviewed by ACER, as is the interview process and the way you preference schools for post grad med.

Everyone I know in their intern years as a doctor are earning 60-70k right off the bat, that alone is more money then my science degree is ever likely to earn me.

How come you didn't try for med at undergrad level? How was your gamsat btw? Also I think the OP is not interested in money. Because I want to do med really badly as well but obviously it's virtually impossible to get in, so I chose to study accounting. Accountants, if you complete your CA as well, also receieve decent salaries, comparable with doctors (at least I think) and any other business degree. I was thinking of sitting the umat this year and try for undergrad but I want to transfer to unsw so I thought I would just focus on getting a high gpa and try for umat next year.

As to answering the question of the thread, I have a cousin who lives in America but is studying med in Poland and is in his 3rd year. He is now 31. He desperately wanted to do med but it's tough getting in the states as well so he went to the carribean to do it lol but came back because he didn't like it there. Yeah so by the time he graduates and becomes stable he'll be mid 30s and then get married. I don't want to do that so I would say the very latest I would commence my med degree (if ever in the 0.0001% chance i get in) would be mid 20s, because i would definietely want to grad before i'm 30.

Good luck OP in attempting to secure a place in med. If you are that keen, you should try interstate as there is more chance. What suddenly changed your mind btw? Because you said you're studying arts atm.

 

[fishfingerz]

A good time to stop applying for med is when you realise that there's not enough intern training places. Which is about....now.

I've heard about that. Someone mentioned to me a few days ago about something called "intern tsunami." Guess Australia's reliance on overseas docs is rapidly abating then?

 

[Dr_Fresh]

I've heard about that. Someone mentioned to me a few days ago about something called "intern tsunami." Guess Australia's reliance on overseas docs is rapidly abating then?

depends which state.

but yes, it will be impossible for overseas doctors to get licensed in a few years time which is why many are desperately trying to pass the licensing exams ASAP.

 

[SpoonSamba]

As to answering the question of the thread, I have a cousin who lives in America but is studying med in Poland and is in his 3rd year. He is now 31. He desperately wanted to do med but it's tough getting in the states as well so he went to the carribean to do it lol but came back because he didn't like it there. Yeah so by the time he graduates and becomes stable he'll be mid 30s and then get married. I don't want to do that so I would say the very latest I would commence my med degree (if ever in the 0.0001% chance i get in) would be mid 20s, because i would definietely want to grad before i'm 30.

Good luck OP in attempting to secure a place in med. If you are that keen, you should try interstate as there is more chance. What suddenly changed your mind btw? Because you said you're studying arts atm.

lol wow 31 is definitely dedicated, I dont think I could make that sort of sacrifice (I think its a bit different for women). Don't get me wrong I love my arts degree, I do a history major and I leave every lecture with my mind blown but it really is just studying for enjoyment, realistically an arts degree has little vocational use (though gives you great life skills in how it makes you think imho), but i started working as a receptionist in a hospital about a year ago and really like the environment and the unpretentiousness of it all , and I always wanted to do something to aid humanity so I put 2 and 2 together and came to the realisation that I would like to do med lol. Not a very sophisticated thought process eh? I think the chances of me getting in are pretty slim but its worth a try.

Sucks about internships, would there be more in like 5 or 6 years though?

 

[fishfingerz]

depends which state.

but yes, it will be impossible for overseas doctors to get licensed in a few years time which is why many are desperately trying to pass the licensing exams ASAP.

Are you absolutely sure though? I read this article on smh: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hospitals-pay-6000-for-kiwi-weekend-warriors-20110326-1cbdn.html

I have no idea why they would restrict overseas docs if they are hiring locums with that sum of money. I'm interested in this because I have the option of studying med overseas next march, in my home country but I have no clue if I should do it now, because I do desperately want to study it but I don't want to come back here after 5 hard years jobless, or have to work overseas instead, plus it would be such a downgrade as well studying overseas, like here you can view lectures online, etc but there it's all old fashioned. In addition, I would have to pass the clinical exam required by overseas docs/grads and if you fail that you can't resit again as you have to wait before you get the chance and I know many people well into their 40s who still haven't passed it yet and are waiting for another chance. You also have to sit an english exam but that would not be an issue for me.

Also, I don't know how to multiple quote but the OP said the hospital environment was "unpretentious?" and it was one of the reasons she chose to pursue med. Thankfully I haven't been to a hospital in a while but all the med students I know, and the ones currently practicing medicine, whether it be at a hospital, etc, are all up themselves, and exude that 'i'm better than you' type of vibe. They act all proud and everything.

To the OP: I desperately want to study med but you have to remember that there are other ways you can benefit humanity, even with your current arts degree. Remember, Julia Gillard has an arts degree as well, and many other politicians who do benefit the world...sort of.

Sorry for veering off into another direction but I cbb making a new thread. Cheers.

 

[Tim035]

How come you didn't try for med at undergrad level? How was your gamsat btw? Also I think the OP is not interested in money.

GAMSAT was alright, the science section was about what I expected, unfortunately the writing section was about affirmative action which didn't fit in too well with many articles and topics I had researched in preparation.

I received a 2nd round interview for UNSW in undergrad but didn't get in, at that point in my life I didn't have the flexibility or money to live away from home, so it was UNSW or nothing in terms of med (in hindsight I should've tried for newcastle uni aswell as my sister is there now and having a great time).

 

[SpoonSamba]

Are you absolutely sure though? I read this article on smh: http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/hospitals-pay-6000-for-kiwi-weekend-warriors-20110326-1cbdn.html

Also, I don't know how to multiple quote but the OP said the hospital environment was "unpretentious?" and it was one of the reasons she chose to pursue med. Thankfully I haven't been to a hospital in a while but all the med students I know, and the ones currently practicing medicine, whether it be at a hospital, etc, are all up themselves, and exude that 'i'm better than you' type of vibe. They act all proud and everything.

To the OP: I desperately want to study med but you have to remember that there are other ways you can benefit humanity, even with your current arts degree. Remember, Julia Gillard has an arts degree as well, and many other politicians who do benefit the world...sort of.

Hi thanks for the response

Yeah I know a shitload of wankers who study med, i have no intention of being an arrogant prick or associating with them either. Some of the surgeons at my hospital are sooo pretentious but the RMO's and all the nurses and physios are all really lovely and caring and I would like to continue to work in that kind of environment - I used to go to drama shcool and couldnt stand being surrounded by HUGE egos so hospital was a big change after that.

Also I'm pretty much an anarchist and don't think governments help anyone, well at the very least they help one person and rape another (I'm doing South East Asian history at the moment and you cant study that without being like fuck the government), plus there is no party in Australian politics that I agree with enough to work for them (If i did agree to just work for the government).

There are other options in health care at USYD you can have an undergraduate degree in anything and do a 2 years masters degree in Speech Pathology, Nursing, Nuclear Medicine Technology, Occupational Therapy and a few other things and become fully qualified. However, whilst all are worthwhile professions I would never be a nurse and the other fields arent really varied enough for me.

And anyone who wants to be a doctor for the prestige and or money is a fuckwit, people do not want bigoted slef righteous pricks examining their genitals. Go do accountancy or something away from human contact please.

 

[sinophile]

And anyone who wants to be a doctor for the prestige and or money is a fuckwit

exactly. i wonder how the fuck people even get through all those years of school and internship based on 'prestige' alone.

 

[fishfingerz]

GAMSAT was alright, the science section was about what I expected, unfortunately the writing section was about affirmative action which didn't fit in too well with many articles and topics I had researched in preparation.

I received a 2nd round interview for UNSW in undergrad but didn't get in, at that point in my life I didn't have the flexibility or money to live away from home, so it was UNSW or nothing in terms of med (in hindsight I should've tried for newcastle uni aswell as my sister is there now and having a great time).

Ah well I'm sure you did fine. So I was wondering if you could give me any sort of advice as to whether I should try for med here, or go overseas? I do, however, have the flexiility and money to study interstate or somewhere else. There is no certainty here though as I'm studying accounting now plus umat murdered me and not sure about gamsat yet. But if I study overseas and come back here I will be classified as an overseas doc and have to go through a lot of shit lol, it's in my earlier post in this thread.

SpoonSamba: yeah nurses have it real tough, you would not believe what they go through and the salaries they receive. Still, if you really want to do something worthwile then it is. You don't have to work at hospitals. Man pretty much everyone I know is studying med for that unfortunately. And their parents come to our house and full brag about their kids and stuff. See for me, I want to do something worthwhile too. My backup plan is accounting, which I'm studying now. I want to work in forensics for a while, which is pretty worthwile.

 

[OmmU]

EDIT for double post >.< Stupid forum.