Gradmed gamsat prep course? Worth it?

PeadarGalway

I wasnt sure whether I should post this in the gamsat 2012 so I'll make it into a new thread for now!

So, I'm sitting gamsat in 2012 and I'm studying away like a mad yoke, but Ive heard a lot about the gradmed notes, and they seem to be like gold-dust! I really want to get in to UCD next September so I'm considering doing the course in January. I emailed them though, and the full prep costs over 3500 euro!! Quite a stinger, but I would actually take out a loan for it if it meant that it would equip me to get through the gamsat intact and securely!

So, for anybody who did it, would you recommend it, or should I just try to get the notes of somebody?

Thanks in advance

tiredcity

Unfortunately nothing is going to equip you with a definite gamsat score! I borrowed grad med notes from someone when I was studying and the thing I found most useful personally was having extra sample papers. If you are going to go for it, I'd avoid the full prep and focus on the areas you most need help with. If you have a science background I'm not sure how useful they'd be. If you don't, then getting the science notes as a good starter overview will be beneficial but nothing you couldn't put together yourself. I'm from an Arts background and didn't get much out of the english stuff but that was what I was strong in already. The reasoning section was alright but really only to orientate you towards the kind of red herrings they like flinging in there.

It's a lot of money.

I'd try hunt down the notes first and see if they're going to be useful for you personally. The classes, from what I've heard, are just a series of intensive lectures so unless you've already been studying or know the relevant material, you're not gonna get much out of them immediately and have to work through that deluge in your own time. You'd be better off studying in the general area first of all and then seeing what you've missed but tbh, I think if you've gotten that far then you may as well go whole hog on your own. You could do 10 gamsats for a gradmed course I'm kidding of course, but ultimately if you're putting in the hours and actually progressing then I'd give it a shot in march. Worst comes to worst, you re-do in the UK or next year. The info I found here, on paging dr and new media medicine was more than enough to get a decent jump on things. Add in some current affairs reading (New Yorker, Economist) and lots of practise essays and you should be quite well set up tbh. You're probably going to have a massive loan to shoulder once you start college so I'd be cautious about adding any more to the pile at such an early stage but if you really want to do it, by all means go for it. The notes are good, particularly as I said if you're non-science, but it's a convenience thing more than anything.

PeadarGalway

Thanks for your answer tiredcity, you've given me lots to think about! I'm from an arts background myself, English and French BA, so I'm not too worried about the first two sections yet, it's mainly the science that I'm worried about so I'll keep trucking along and see how I am mid- December. I'm lucky in that that I'm able to study for this full time, but I'm just afraid of messing it up somehow, ie not focusing on the right topics, or going into enough detail. Last thing I want is to find myself post-gamsat with a balls of a score, especially since I've taken a year out to do it...
There is also the revision course they offer for a grand, so that could be an option too I suppose.

Are you in gradmed at the moment tired? Where did you go? I'm hoping for UCD

tiredcity wrote: »

Unfortunately nothing is going to equip you with a definite gamsat score! I borrowed grad med notes from someone when I was studying and the thing I found most useful personally was having extra sample papers. If you are going to go for it, I'd avoid the full prep and focus on the areas you most need help with. If you have a science background I'm not sure how useful they'd be. If you don't, then getting the science notes as a good starter overview will be beneficial but nothing you couldn't put together yourself. I'm from an Arts background and didn't get much out of the english stuff but that was what I was strong in already. The reasoning section was alright but really only to orientate you towards the kind of red herrings they like flinging in there.

It's a lot of money.

I'd try hunt down the notes first and see if they're going to be useful for you personally. The classes, from what I've heard, are just a series of intensive lectures so unless you've already been studying or know the relevant material, you're not gonna get much out of them immediately and have to work through that deluge in your own time. You'd be better off studying in the general area first of all and then seeing what you've missed but tbh, I think if you've gotten that far then you may as well go whole hog on your own. You could do 10 gamsats for a gradmed course I'm kidding of course, but ultimately if you're putting in the hours and actually progressing then I'd give it a shot in march. Worst comes to worst, you re-do in the UK or next year. The info I found here, on paging dr and new media medicine was more than enough to get a decent jump on things. Add in some current affairs reading (New Yorker, Economist) and lots of practise essays and you should be quite well set up tbh. You're probably going to have a massive loan to shoulder once you start college so I'd be cautious about adding any more to the pile at such an early stage but if you really want to do it, by all means go for it. The notes are good, particularly as I said if you're non-science, but it's a convenience thing more than anything.

tiredcity

2nd year RCSI

I know it's tough studying the science somewhat blind, but this really isn't like any other exam. I'd concentrate on getting a broad overview of concepts and more importantly, being able to apply them, than an exhaustive knowledge of anything. Use the forums and definitely the acer papers to guide your study but keep one full paper to do timed the weekend pre:gamsat. Don't listen to the hype too much and just keep focused but you need to not place too much emphasis on this 'one' shot or you'll just end up horribly stressed. Some of us are lucky and get it first time, others dont. Nobody cares once you're actually in the course!

SpiderP

I did the more intensive course that runs over four weekends - taking chem, bio, phyics/maths and section I/II. Are they still offering this? It was significantly cheaper than the full course. They send you out a list of topics to be covered in advance of the start of the course recommending you do some prior reading before attending. Having done this I found them brilliant. While they are intensive lectures, what they are incredibly useful for is going through questions and teaching you strategy and how to approach GAMSAT style questions. This I found particularly useful, and is in my own opinion far more worthwhile than trying to learn a large volumes of organic chemistry etc. Coming from a science background, I actually found the section I/II weekend the best. Some people didn't like the guy doing that weekend but he was in my own opinion brilliant. The way he teaches how to approach the essays in particular was great, and having stuck to his format and stuck to the preparation that he advised I actually performed best in this section.

Having said all this, many people get great results in the GAMSAT having not done these preparation courses, so they're by no means the holy grail. I just found it useful for giving me direction in my preparation, which I was doing while working full time.

Cailleachdubh

Just as a word of warning, I'm also from an Arts background and was freaking out about the science section last year so was willing to fork out a significant sum of money for the short courses. There is another company doing courses., though, that are significantly cheaper than GradMed, so I decided to go with that option.

However, the course was cancelled at the last minute (apparently I'd been sent an email but I never got it...) and I had travelled to Dublin especially and stayed up the night before. To be honest, I wonder at the professionalism of some of these courses. They are hugely expensive but their sense of responsibility is quite poor.

Anyway that was just my experience. I got a refund and ended up doing no course in the end, but managed to get in anyway. I was lucky though. I'd be sick if I had taken out a loan to do a Gradmed course and then had the burden of that hanging over me as well as my 100K loan!!

Roger_that

tiredcity wrote: »

2nd year RCSI

I know it's tough studying the science somewhat blind, but this really isn't like any other exam. I'd concentrate on getting a broad overview of concepts and more importantly, being able to apply them, than an exhaustive knowledge of anything. Use the forums and definitely the acer papers to guide your study but keep one full paper to do timed the weekend pre:gamsat. Don't listen to the hype too much and just keep focused but you need to not place too much emphasis on this 'one' shot or you'll just end up horribly stressed. Some of us are lucky and get it first time, others dont. Nobody cares once you're actually in the course!

I would very much agree with tiredcity... an exhaustive knowledge won't get you a good score. Know the exam inside out and the TYPE of question asked and key concepts such as inverse square law, feedback loops, punnet squares, redox reactions etc. rather than specific information as they can and will ask you anything. This year in London there were two (I think) sections on the gait patterns of animals expressed in graphical form. I don't think you can prepare for that.

Coming from a science background my POV is obviously biased but I found that consistent work at ALL aspects of the exam and a little bit of luck with the essay topics got me a good score.

I hope this helps... best of luck.

Wisco

I agree with a lot of the other posters- if you can study the stuff on your own, you're better off working through sample papers. I'm also from an arts background, so I still worked on my strong suits (verbal reasoning and essays) in addition to science. I found that this really brought up my S1 and S2 scores, which fortunately compensated for my lowish S3 score (overall 58). I found Organic Chemistry for Dummies + Workbook good, as well as MCAT Examkrackers stuff, especially 101 passages in verbal reasoning. MCAT is definitely a different style to GAMSAT, but it got my mind ticking in the right direction. And buying a couple books from eBay was a helluva lot cheaper than a few grand!!
Good luck, I was happy with my result and got my place on my first try.

Whats Next

Hi Guys,

Sorry if I'm jumping onto to this thread, I'm new to this forum and not entirely sure how it works! I've been searching the net for info on the Gamsat and stumbled on this. I'm considering sitting the Gamsat in March 2012 but I have still not commited to it. At this stage, do you think it would be too late to aim for March? (I have literally not started any study yet, nor do I have notes!) There are so many forums about the Gamsat, it's almost overwhelming and its hard to decipher what's necessary to know from the junk! Would really appreciate any advice here on where to start....

Mucho gracius

ice zombie

Whats Next wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Sorry if I'm jumping onto to this thread, I'm new to this forum and not entirely sure how it works! I've been searching the net for info on the Gamsat and stumbled on this. I'm considering sitting the Gamsat in March 2012 but I have still not commited to it. At this stage, do you think it would be too late to aim for March? (I have literally not started any study yet, nor do I have notes!) There are so many forums about the Gamsat, it's almost overwhelming and its hard to decipher what's necessary to know from the junk! Would really appreciate any advice here on where to start....

Mucho gracius

You're definitely not too late, I sat it in Bristol in September with two months of study and got a 63. I used the 3 GAMSAT ACER papers and studied areas that came up often in college textbooks. I'd definitely recommend you understand rather than just know the organic chemistry and practise writing about anything at all, throwing in other's opinions to show you read stuff.
Also do a practise test, something I constantly put off doing and ran out of time in 2 sections.
It's a strange test, it feels like a test of how well you can guesstimate, expect to leave cursing it, exhausted and thinking you've done atrocious.

Cailleachdubh

Whats Next wrote: »

Hi Guys,

Sorry if I'm jumping onto to this thread, I'm new to this forum and not entirely sure how it works! I've been searching the net for info on the Gamsat and stumbled on this. I'm considering sitting the Gamsat in March 2012 but I have still not commited to it. At this stage, do you think it would be too late to aim for March? (I have literally not started any study yet, nor do I have notes!) There are so many forums about the Gamsat, it's almost overwhelming and its hard to decipher what's necessary to know from the junk! Would really appreciate any advice here on where to start....

Mucho gracius

No, you're not too late at all - I only decided to go for it at Christmas last year and got in on my first attempt.

You do need to commit though on a fairly full-time basis! Which I imagine would be hard if you had other things going on (study or work). I was unemployed when I decided to do it so I just focused on it full time for the few months after Christmas.

Good luck

Whats Next

Thanks a million guys really appreciate the feedback. At least I know its possible now, I'm gonna follow your lead ice zombie, and work from the acer papers. I do work fulltime but I should be able to commit 3-4 hours a day to study also - well, here's hoping anyway!!

Cheers

Cailleachdubh

It's do-able alright! Just tell all your friends you won't see them til March!!;)

LoveSick

To say that illness and medicine have had profound impact in my life is an underestimation of the highest form.I have lost my boyfriend and my Dad to cancer, and for as long as I can remember I have wanted to be a doctor.
I just want to share my GAMSAT story with you and hope that you can give me some help please.
Realising I would not get enough points in my Leaving Cert I settled on primary teaching...During the 2nd year of my 3 year B.Ed degree I began researching how I could access medicine as a mature student. Graduate entry medicine was just being set up and although I was going to complete my teaching degree, I set myself the goal of achieving a 2.1 to ensure I meet the graduate medicine requirements.
As I began my final year my beautiful boyfriend was diagnosed with synovial sarcoma, a rare soft tissue sarcoma, or cancer. I was completing 3rd year as my sweetheart endured treatments aimed at arresting his disease by cutting, burning and poisoning. All of his suffering and sacrifices were not enough.
After graduation I did not want to accept any teaching job. I was devastated and completely heart-broken. Yet on my parents and my boyfriend’s parent’s advice I took a job in a local primary school.
My best friend and deepest love slipped away in March 2009.

In August 2009 my Dad was diagnosed with adenocarcinoma, lung cancer with metastases to brain and bone. A terminal diagnosis. My Dad’s illness was even more complicated that my boyfriends...
My lovely Dad slipped away in June 2011.

I have lost so much; I have felt pain and sadness beyond words and anything I ever dared to imagine. My world has been turned upside down.

In spite of this, I managed, at a whim, to sit the GAMSAT in London in 2010, just as sort of a practice and to see how I would actually get on. Between my grief at losing my boyfriend and caring for my Dad I did not have much time or energy for preparing or for studying for the exam. I didn’t tell anyone that my dream to study medicine was still in focus. I think it’s a bit like doing your driving test; it you tell people you’re doing the exam, not getting a place is basically like failing... But my desire to become a doctor is even stronger than ever....

Anyway I scored a 53. (S1 = 56, S2 = 70 and S3 = 43)
It was not good enough, but almost.... I think Limerick was 54 last year? I had not even written one full essay. I didn’t do any courses. I got the Griffiths Gamsat Review book, became familiar with the exam, kindly got some help from my friends with the science section, and that’s about all. So I was very actually very happy with my score. There was/is hope that one day I would/will make it.

I decided that I did not have a lot of time left with my Dad, but a lot of time to get into medicine, so I dropped the idea after doing the exam in Sep 2010, only feeling strong enough to try to take it up now again. But I need your help.
When I did the exam last year, I did not put any pressure on myself; it was just a trial run. Now though I am very serious about trying to get a place for college in Sep 2012. I am applying for a career break from my teaching job; I have to do that by a certain deadline which is actually before I sit the exam. I have to do well enough this time around...

I do have some good Biology books belonging to my sister who is a nurse, as well as access to the UCC library, a leaving cert Chemistry book, Chemistry for Dummies, Organic Chemistry for Dummies and Rapid Revision Physics. But I am completely overwhelmed with all the other resources available.
I am planning on doing the GradMed intensive revision course for Biology, Chemistry, and Written Communication. Although the only thing putting me off is that I’m not from Dublin, so it will mean travelling and staying overnight etc...for 3 weekends. Do you think it will be worth the time and effort and loss in time for study??
I am also thinking of getting the Des O’Neill notes on the verbal reasoning and the essay practice package. Or I have just read about the new essay preparation package offered by Griffiths Gamsat Review, though this is new, so there is no real feedback. It’s hard to know which one to go for?
I will buy the Examkrackers for the verbal reasoning... What else can or should I do?
I am just seriously worried about section 3, especially all of the chemistry. 43 is such a poor result, I’m hoping the extra notes from the courses will be a help as it is very hard opening up books and studying blind.
Hopefully having sat the exam already will stand to me, but what if my score actually goes down this time?

My experiences have brought me to the furthest reaches of sorrow. Everything has been impossibly difficult the past few years.
Doctors watch the wheel of life and death turn in front of their eyes as they welcome newborns into the world and hold the hands of others as they leave. I want to be a part of it all, the science, the care, the ugly, and the joy.
I am determined to draw from my personal experiences and develop the skills I have already acquired and to transfer them into a future career in medicine. I may have been powerless when I lost loved ones to cancer, but I refuse to be helpless in what I can do to perpetuate purpose in my own life.

This is the first time in so long that I am a little hopeful for the year ahead. I am not content as a teacher; I want to be a doctor more than ever. I would really appreciate any help you could offer. Thank you!

Viral Vector

I did a Masters in London last year and a few people in the class decided to do the GAMSAT. One of the guys in the class gave me his notes in pdf form and told me to give it a go but I wasn't too confident in my abilities and I thought it would be a waste of €300!

Last night I finally decided to give GAMSAT a try....

(P.S - My friend is now doing graduate entry medicine in Poznan although he didn't have enough for entry in Irish courses, another friend of mine didn't get into graduate entry medicine in Poznan because he didn't do any aptitude test!)

mgtp45

Hi Viral vector,, Im also considering doing the Gansat exam,, would you consider sharing your gamsat notes with me,, Im doing nursing in Limerick UL,, and absolutly broke cannot not afford to purchase the gamsat book for another while yet.