Advertisement
If you have a new account but are having problems posting or verifying your account, please email us on hello@boards.ie for help. Thanks :)
Hello all! Please ensure that you are posting a new thread or question in the appropriate forum. The Feedback forum is overwhelmed with questions that are having to be moved elsewhere. If you need help to verify your account contact hello@boards.ie

GAMSAT 2014?

  • 26-04-2013 5:41pm
    #1
    Closed Accounts Posts: 25


    Hi all,

    I am considering taking my GAMSAT next year. Want to start preparing after my upcoming summer exams.

    I'm looking to get my hands on the Gold Standard pack (including the dvds and other media, not just the textbook). Does anyone know any reliable websites I can purchase it from? It's so expensive I want to do lots of research!

    What are you guys doing to prepare yourself for the test and med school in general? I have no clue where to start!

    Thanks for any replies!:)


«13456734

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭pc11


    I have just one piece of advice: sit UK GAMSAT in September.

    To all prospective GAMSATTers, you would be insane not to. Lots of Irish students do this.

    Source: I sat in UK last year just to try it out for Dublin in March. Somehow I got a 67, so no need for Dublin. But even if I had done badly I had the practice and 2 chances, plus a reality check as to whether this is for you.


  • Registered Users Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    briocht wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I am considering taking my GAMSAT next year. Want to start preparing after my upcoming summer exams.

    I'm looking to get my hands on the Gold Standard pack (including the dvds and other media, not just the textbook). Does anyone know any reliable websites I can purchase it from? It's so expensive I want to do lots of research!

    What are you guys doing to prepare yourself for the test and med school in general? I have no clue where to start!

    Thanks for any replies!:)
    I wouldn't recommend gold standard at all. Myself and a classmate checked it out after we did gamsat and thought it was woeful. Plus I really dislike the company that made the book, as outlined in my first post in the link below. The guy has ZERO gamsat experience and has just rebranded his MCAT book to take advantage of a new market.
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=69381050


  • Closed Accounts Posts: 25 briocht


    pc11 Thank you for the advice. I will consider sitting the UK one in September however I don't know that I would be ready for it. I have never done physics or chemistry so I need start with those over the summer. Would be good to get a practice in though, or if I did do well to not have to worry about taking the exam while in my final year of college!

    Biologic thanks for that information! I did wonder if it was something of a rip off and your post has made me wonder even more. Will have to do more research on all the study material available to see what's best. I saw you said you used something called Des O' Neill's GAMSAT prep, where would I be able to get one of these? I haven't come across them before.

    Thanks! :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 21 Mand4990


    I have the new GAMSAT Gold Standard 13/14 hardcover ed. I used it to prep for the exam just gone in March 13. I found it useful and would recommend it:). I purchased it brand new-I did not use the online card and the book is as new-not a mark on it. I can sell it to you for 100 euro if you want it. Let me know, my email address it below. I'm in the Cork area but can post it.

    Amanda [mand4990@yahoo.co.uk]


  • Registered Users Posts: 12 Karlheinz1987


    Hey guys, Ive heard poor enough feedback about the Des O Neill notes. I enrolled in the Gradmed Full Revision course and have the entire GradMed Preparation Course Material. I found them extremely useful. The notes are heavily skewed towards GAMSAT style questioning which is great. I came from non science and am just finishing my 1st year of Graduate Medicine. If anyone is interested, let me know!


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 17 BobbyOLGrinds


    briocht wrote: »
    Hi all,

    I am considering taking my GAMSAT next year. Want to start preparing after my upcoming summer exams.

    I'm looking to get my hands on the Gold Standard pack (including the dvds and other media, not just the textbook). Does anyone know any reliable websites I can purchase it from? It's so expensive I want to do lots of research!

    What are you guys doing to prepare yourself for the test and med school in general? I have no clue where to start!

    Thanks for any replies!:)

    Hi there,

    I'd echo what pc11 said, sit the test in September too if you can. Overall it's not that difficult if you can keep your wits about you and follow a plan.

    As for preparing I'd be hesitant to buy just one book and expect that to cover everything. Unless you're very happy with your English capabilities then you're probably going to need a solid score in the sciences to get through, and I've yet to meet someone who scored highly in S3 who didn't have a good understanding of the basics.

    To be fair this may be my own experience but I would say it's more important to buy a couple of "for dummies" books or A level ones and work from those for a month or two. Once you're happy with those, move onto college level texts and the ACER papers.

    I'm not trying to scare you or anything but this is a serious commitment. You're going to be doing about a years worth of study in a few months, it's not impossible but it is a tough proposition.

    Any other questions, fire away.

    -Bob


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 lulufinn90


    hey guys just wondering if anyone can tell me how long it takes to prepare for the gamsat?

    I will have a degree in science education with a major in chemistry with maths in less than a week :). I have done some biology and physics. Is there enough time to prepare for the GAMSAT in the UK this September?

    Also any suggested resources would be appreciated. from what im reading i hear gradmed notes are a must have but not bother with gold standard gamsat. is this true?


  • Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭pc11


    lulufinn90 wrote: »
    hey guys just wondering if anyone can tell me how long it takes to prepare for the gamsat?

    I will have a degree in science education with a major in chemistry with maths in less than a week :). I have done some biology and physics. Is there enough time to prepare for the GAMSAT in the UK this September?

    Yes. Not a doubt.

    Don't overhype the GAMSAT. It's tough but totally doable. I am 15 years out of college. I did just 49 hours GAMSAT prep while I was quite ill and barely able to focus, and sat UK GAMSAT last September while still unwell, and only as a dry run, and yet somehow got a 67, so I didn't even need to do the Irish GAMSAT after all. And I didn't buy any expensive study material. You should have more than enough science already. Work on your communication skills, reasoning and practice exams. Write essays under test conditions and get them read by someone experienced.

    Register for the UK GAMSAT; it will focus you, give you a realistic practice and give you an idea if grad med is really for you.

    My strong advice is to sit UK GAMSAT, it would be crazy not to. Do not wait till next March to find out. Give yourself this extra shot.


  • Registered Users Posts: 94 ✭✭yesman2000


    pc11 wrote: »
    Yes. Not a doubt.

    Don't overhype the GAMSAT. It's tough but totally doable. I am 15 years out of college. I did just 49 hours GAMSAT prep while I was quite ill and barely able to focus, and sat UK GAMSAT last September while still unwell, and only as a dry run, and yet somehow got a 67, so I didn't even need to do the Irish GAMSAT after all. And I didn't buy any expensive study material. You should have more than enough science already. Work on your communication skills, reasoning and practice exams. Write essays under test conditions and get them read by someone experienced.

    Register for the UK GAMSAT; it will focus you, give you a realistic practice and give you an idea if grad med is really for you.

    My strong advice is to sit UK GAMSAT, it would be crazy not to. Do not wait till next March to find out. Give yourself this extra shot.

    Wow! That's unbelievably impressive.
    Do you mind me asking what exactly your background was previous to this?
    Also, when you say "get them read by someone experienced", how did you go about doing this ? Did you just happen to have a friend in the know or was it some sort of online marking company that did it for you ?


  • Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭pc11


    yesman2000 wrote: »
    Wow! That's unbelievably impressive.
    Do you mind me asking what exactly your background was previous to this?
    Also, when you say "get them read by someone experienced", how did you go about doing this ? Did you just happen to have a friend in the know or was it some sort of online marking company that did it for you ?

    Well, it's either impressive or else GAMSAT isn't all that bad. I have a science background but I work in communications and have experience of writing and editing, so yes GAMSAT should suit me. That said, I didn't expect a score like that, I was shocked in fact.

    I posted a couple of essays to the pagingdr.net website and got some feedback. To me the point is more about getting comfortable writing to be read and judged, and getting over any fear of that. If you have done lots of that already, you're probably set, but for many science people that's a novelty. I practised writing a few essays in 25 minutes, but I really only wrote 10 or 12 I think. If you know you are inexperienced at essays, get help.

    I believe that good grammar, spelling and structure in the essays count for a lot more than people think. Don't get hung up on having a brilliant idea or being super-original, it's more about having a point and expressing it coherently with good English, with a logical structure. Even though I was a scientist for 9 years, I actually scored much higher in the language sections ( > 70).

    I sometimes want to scream at some of the posters here to learn some basic English. I don't know they will pass GAMSAT or make a good doctor if they can't form a coherent sentence, spell words or re-read their post.

    Medicine is strongly about communication as well as science. Strive for this balance. Work on your weakness.

    Here is some more I wrote on my experience:
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showpost.php?p=81926483&postcount=65

    I've considered offering my services as an essay reader; I have good experience of editing, but I'm not a professional proofreader so I don't want to over-promise people.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭Somalion


    Just to chime in on this, I will be honest in that I do not believe the prep courses offer much. I am from a science background myself but I can guarantee you that I did not focus on learning of formulae or methods or tricks or any of this stuff. I just got my results last week and got a 70 overall (Sect. 1 = 66, Sect. 2 = 72 and Sect. 3 = 71) without any of these courses or the likes :) If you need more of a guide I'd be happy to type one up for you!


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    Somalion wrote: »
    Just to chime in on this, I will be honest in that I do not believe the prep courses offer much. I am from a science background myself but I can guarantee you that I did not focus on learning of formulae or methods or tricks or any of this stuff. I just got my results last week and got a 70 overall (Sect. 1 = 66, Sect. 2 = 72 and Sect. 3 = 71) without any of these courses or the likes :) If you need more of a guide I'd be happy to type one up for you!

    Excellent score, well done! I'm preparing to sit the GAMSAT in September and have no intention of sitting a prep course yet have a slight feeling that I'm missing something! Would love to read your guide if you get the chance to type it up.


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    letsdothis wrote: »
    Excellent score, well done! I'm preparing to sit the GAMSAT in September and have no intention of sitting a prep course yet have a slight feeling that I'm missing something! Would love to read your guide if you get the chance to type it up.

    Ah, just spotted the separate thread on this, thanks :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 67 ✭✭Somalion


    letsdothis wrote: »
    Ah, just spotted the separate thread on this, thanks :)

    No bother, I hope it helps out a bit and feel free to ask any questions, not sure how helpful I can be but will try my best!


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 concerted


    I just booked my September test for Bristol. I'm planning on spending the month of September studying for it in Dublin, near Blanchardstown. If anyone wants to group together for a few study sessions and iron out those Organic Chemistry wrinkles feel free to post in.

    Also does anyone know where the exam in Bristol is held, same place every year?


  • Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭pc11


    concerted wrote: »
    I just booked my September test for Bristol. I'm planning on spending the month of September studying for it in Dublin, near Blanchardstown. If anyone wants to group together for a few study sessions and iron out those Organic Chemistry wrinkles feel free to post in.

    Also does anyone know where the exam in Bristol is held, same place every year?

    Good for you. I've been a strong advocate here urging people to do GAMSAT UK, it would be madness not to.

    It has always been held here in Bristol:
    http://www.thistle.com/hotels/united_kingdom/bristol/thistle_bristol_city_centre/location/index.html

    There are good value hotels around like the Novotel which is where I stayed myself.


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    concerted wrote: »
    I just booked my September test for Bristol. I'm planning on spending the month of September studying for it in Dublin, near Blanchardstown. If anyone wants to group together for a few study sessions and iron out those Organic Chemistry wrinkles feel free to post in.

    Also does anyone know where the exam in Bristol is held, same place every year?

    It might be worth emailing ACER and seeing if they will give you an indication of where it'll be held. I've booked for Sheffield and they wouldn't tell me the venue but they did (oddly enough) tell me the street.

    It's all very real now that I've booked my place!


  • Registered Users Posts: 7 concerted


    I was on to Acer myself and they gave no indication of where they are holding it. But if its been held at the Thistle year on year then its probably a safe bet it'll be held again there. Just wanted to make sure so I could stay in close proximity to allow for a stress free morning with no traveling.


  • Registered Users Posts: 973 ✭✭✭pc11


    concerted wrote: »
    I was on to Acer myself and they gave no indication of where they are holding it. But if its been held at the Thistle year on year then its probably a safe bet it'll be held again there. Just wanted to make sure so I could stay in close proximity to allow for a stress free morning with no traveling.

    Don't quote me, but even if it were not held in the Thistle again (which I doubt), you can bet it will be held in central Bristol which is not large. Plenty of options to stay within 10-15 mins walk of there. They only formally confirm the venues about 3 weeks before the exam date, so don't stress waiting for the email.


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    pc11 wrote: »
    Don't quote me, but even if it were not held in the Thistle again (which I doubt), you can bet it will be held in central Bristol which is not large. Plenty of options to stay within 10-15 mins walk of there. They only formally confirm the venues about 3 weeks before the exam date, so don't stress waiting for the email.

    You could always book the Thistle through a website with free cancellation and change, if necessary, once ACER confirm.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭diverboy83


    Just wanted to draw the attention of the thread to this: http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056967957

    The issues are just as relevant, if not more so, to anyone thinking about GEM entry in 2014 as they are for GEM entry this year.


  • Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭BeansandToast


    Hey where's the guide Somalion mentioned? Can't seem to find it. Appreciate it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    Hey where's the guide Somalion mentioned? Can't seem to find it. Appreciate it!

    Here you go:
    http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056957075


  • Registered Users Posts: 53 ✭✭BeansandToast


    Much obliged pal


  • Registered Users Posts: 3 Hopeful Gep


    How are people practicing for S1? Is going through the few ACER papers that are available enough?


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    How are people practicing for S1? Is going through the few ACER papers that are available enough?

    So far I've mainly been using MCAT sources for Section 1 prep. It isn't exactly the same but there's far more practice questions out there than there is for GAMSAT. The passages tend to be longer (can only be good for practice, I think) and limited to comprehension-style questions, whereas GAMSAT S1 is more varied (includes interpretation of graphs, diagrams, poetry, prose, etc.). Doing these questions also helps with developing techniques in taking in information quickly, speed reading, fast and confident elimination of incorrect answers, and so on. There's piles of MCAT questions on The Internets if you need them. Section 1 is 25% of the marks, so 4 sample papers doesn't seem like enough emphasis to me. Of course, I should take some of my own advice when it comes to prepping for Section 2 :(


  • Registered Users Posts: 72 ✭✭diverboy83


    This is more for interest than anything else, The Guardian did a two-page spread in G2 today on UL's Medical School, which is up for the RIBA Sterling Prize; for all of you turning your minds to applications and what not. Best of luck in the test btw.


  • Registered Users Posts: 1,645 ✭✭✭yer man!


    Is GAMSAT Ireland that much more difficult? I was going to apply for the GAMSAT UK but I'm working my ass off in the US at the minute on an internship and don't really have the time to study. I took the decision to just sit the Irish one next year as I'd have loads of time to prepare for it and have more money to pay for it.


  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    diverboy83 wrote: »
    This is more for interest than anything else, The Guardian did a two-page spread in G2 today on UL's Medical School, which is up for the RIBA Sterling Prize; for all of you turning your minds to applications and what not. Best of luck in the test btw.

    Thanks diverboy. Here's the article Limerick's medical school: architecture with a scalpel. The building is stunning from the outside. Looking forward to seeing it at the open day later this year.


  • Advertisement
  • Registered Users Posts: 230 ✭✭letsdothis


    yer man! wrote: »
    Is GAMSAT Ireland that much more difficult? I was going to apply for the GAMSAT UK but I'm working my ass off in the US at the minute on an internship and don't really have the time to study. I took the decision to just sit the Irish one next year as I'd have loads of time to prepare for it and have more money to pay for it.
    It's not about the difficulty of the exam, it's about an earlier chance at 2014 entry with an option to repeat the exam in March in Ireland. The idea being that if you just do the March exam and don't make the cut-off, you've to wait another year to start.


Advertisement