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GAMSAT 2010...for discussion of all things related to this exam.

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Comments

  • #212
    MicraBoy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 914 ✭✭✭MicraBoy


    The deadline for UK is August 13th, so the first round of offers will be out by then, may be even a second round.


  • #213
    hurdygurdy85
    Closed Accounts Posts: 108 ✭✭hurdygurdy85


    etymon wrote: »
    hurdygurdy, you should look and aim for the nearest toilet straight afterwards if possible. If you get me :D

    That is a very practical suggestion etymon! :) I think I'lll hold out as long as I possibly can (which will be about another 5 minutes). Ill be like total weapon now if I look the results up in work and they're not great. Much better to look it up at home then hit the gym with the good/bad news!!!


  • #214
    etymon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 467 ✭✭etymon


    CAO Offers 4th Aug AFAIK


  • #215
    gem2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭gem2010


    got 61, 69, 59 = 62, whoooooooooooooooo congrats everybody for even SITTING that horrid exam :)


  • #216
    sarah_anne
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 20 ✭sarah_anne


    etymon wrote: »
    (72 - 76 - 59) 66

    proof that taking a year to repeat is worth it

    (last year - (63 - 80 - 42) 57 )

    good luck all :)

    so any advice for me on what you did different the second time around in terms of study... im working so will only have eve and weekends to study til sept


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  • #217
    Biologic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    Still shaking like a leaf here and I've an exam in 3 hours. Congrats to all for finishing one absurdly intense exam.


  • #218
    etymon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 467 ✭✭etymon


    advice will come... eventually... just going to breathe a big sigh of relief and enjoy the weekend for now .

    if anyone out there is disappointed - I was there last year. I know how you feel. And trust me - if you repeat, the year will fly by and at least you can say you gave it a shot. All is not lost. It's a bitch of an exam and you did well to bite the bullet and sit it in the first place.


  • #219
    maggie82
    Closed Accounts Posts: 44 ✭maggie82


    Biologic wrote: »
    Still shaking like a leaf here and I've an exam in 3 hours. Congrats to all for finishing one absurdly intense exam.

    With your results and an exam today I hope youre finished and can go out celebrating tonight!!


  • #220
    limerick_girl
    Closed Accounts Posts: 3 ✭limerick_girl


    I'm gutted, first time doing it. Overall 54. I had my heart set on UL. Won't get anywhere now. I'm in pieces :(


  • #221
    Echani
    Closed Accounts Posts: 109 ✭✭Echani


    Well done everyone, and good luck getting into the program you want :)


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  • #222
    liamodr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭liamodr


    S1: 64
    s2: 71
    S3: 68

    Overall 68, 97th percentile.

    Delighted considering I expected to fail given that I was laughing out loud while writing the self-esteem essay at what drivel I was spewing onto the page.


  • #223
    damal
    Closed Accounts Posts: 5 ✭damal


    SI 51
    S2 60
    S3 58

    Got 57 overall. Not sure if I feel relieved or not, thought I had done much worse as I hadn't prepared too well. I would be delighted to get accepted anywhere. If I had got 55 or less I would have known I'd have to repeat and could have focused on that for the summer, but now I don't know whether to focus on earning money for the summer or study for GAMSAT again, if i'm going to start in september i really need to earn alot of money for the summer! Am getting oldish for hanging around another year. Anyone give a guess to my % chance of getting accepted somewhere in Ireland?
    :confused:


  • #224
    Yillan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 932 ✭✭✭Yillan


    Hi guys. I sat this exam in March got my result today. I'm not from a Science background so my Section III let me down. 61,61,50. The exam this time was just a trial run through with zero preparation, aside from having started doing a science degree. I'm thinking about sitting it again possibly in September and I'll give it a good Summer's go at preparing for it.

    My overall result was 55, but I really did guess a lot of the Science questions. How easy is it to get a result like that up to RCSI standards, circa 60? I read that it's easy to get a result like that, but the way it's marked, the more marks you get, the harder it is to get more marks, if that makes sense.

    Thanks and well done everybody for sitting the exam. On my way out, I heard people saying that they were surprised at how easy it was and that it probably would be marked very hard. Were these people absolute gob****es, or was there any merit to their ****etalk?


  • #225
    liamodr
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭liamodr


    Yillan wrote: »
    Hi guys. I sat this exam in March got my result today. I'm not from a Science background so my Section III let me down. 61,61,50. The exam this time was just a trial run through with zero preparation, aside from having started doing a science degree. I'm thinking about sitting it again possibly in September and I'll give it a good Summer's go at preparing for it.

    My overall result was 55, but I really did guess a lot of the Science questions. How easy is it to get a result like that up to RCSI standards, circa 60? I read that it's easy to get a result like that, but the way it's marked, the more marks you get, the harder it is to get more marks, if that makes sense.

    Thanks and well done everybody for sitting the exam. On my way out, I heard people saying that they were surprised at how easy it was and that it probably would be marked very hard. Were these people absolute gob****es, or was there any merit to their ****etalk?

    They were talking rubbish. I got 68 but found it to be a very difficult exam. Was buzzing for about 3 hours after it cos of the stress of section 3. As to getting your section 3 result up, familiarity with terminology and concepts is all that is necessary IMO. There is no point in learning off loads of formulae. I am from a science background so I was able to eliminate the obvious incorrect options quickly and then make a decent stab at the 2 most likely answers. The best practice for section three I found was just do loads of calculations from the questions at the end of chapters of physics/chem/maths textbooks. Being able to do calculations quickly really helped me complete the section in time.


  • #226
    moncai
    Closed Accounts Posts: 67 ✭✭moncai


    Yo, i'm another one who can attest to repreating and doing better, i went from 53 last year to 59 this year, i'm happy.
    I'll be delighted if i get offered UCD, if not then i think i put cork as my next choice... bit of a risk cos i havent even visited cork to find out about their program!!!

    Anyone know anything about it??


  • #227
    ZombieMed
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 783 ✭✭✭ZombieMed


    Surprised people said it was easy - I found it hard and did well enough to be definitely getting an offer. They're probably the same people who say that during the leaving and just get an average score.

    Seconding liamodr's suggestions, I'd also suggest starting immediately on your study rather than setting a date to begin - start now and organise your plans. Focus on physics and chemistry study, with your biology focus on understanding and interpreting data quickly. I found it helpful to also be wary of calculations - I found it too easy to muck up with units. Being able to quickly calculate an answer accurately gains you marks and leaves you more time with more difficult questions.

    Also, there's no harm even with a good score on verbal and essays to also take at least one similar style test each week (under strict exam conditions) to ensure that you improve or at least maintain your score. No point in bumping up science and coming down on verbal.

    Good luck!


  • #228
    threeeyes
    Closed Accounts Posts: 8 ✭threeeyes


    Holy God. Got a 63 and am shocked and delighted. I've heard a lot of talk about cut off scores going down this year, but also lots of talk about them going up... Do ya'll think 63 is a safe bet for RCSI / UCD?


  • #229
    cailin_fanach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭cailin_fanach


    Ok fairly annoyed with my exam!! Ended up getting 56 but i got 59 in London in Sept (thank God!) Hoping 2 get Cork but really not sure now. Like Cork wz 59 last yr...if the marks go up at all I'm out!! :(

    What are people thinking about the CAO marks? Will they rise?!?


  • #230
    Don Keypunch
    Closed Accounts Posts: 106 ✭✭Don Keypunch


    Nearly everyone who sat the exam in Sept in down marks today, Is there any chance of UL being 55, will everyone with 56 get an offer of UL?


  • #231
    lemonade86
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭lemonade86


    not everyone with 56 got a place last year, but according to head of medicine at ul, the number of places for irish students is to increase to 70 (it's 50 this year), so there may be a chance that 55 will get you in :)


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  • #232
    cailin_fanach
    Closed Accounts Posts: 9 ✭cailin_fanach


    UCD has increased their numbers from something like 25 to 50 and Cork are increasing from 21 to 25. The overall increase should hopefully bring down the points....(hopefully) Depending on how many sat the exam. Does anyone have any idea how many sat it this year in Ireland??


  • #233
    lucy.2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1 ✭lucy.2010


    limerick_girl wrote: »
    I'm gutted, first time doing it. Overall 54. I had my heart set on UL. Won't get anywhere now. I'm in pieces :(

    Im exactly the same, sat GAMSAT for the first time this year and got a 54 aswell!
    Ah well looks like the books will be coming out again


  • #234
    figs86
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 334 ✭✭figs86


    Got 60.

    Pleasantly surprised as I'm in final year of college so focused on college work rather than GAMSAT - gave it a go and got a little lucky I feel.

    Would love if it was enough for UCD or RCSI.

    Oh and opened up results today as I was trying to finalise my dissertation for college (due at 5pm). Shock of a good result almost knocked me off my seat and became a serious distraction! Can't jeopardize my degree now - keep the focus for another 2 weeks.


  • #235
    Yillan
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 932 ✭✭✭Yillan


    Just remembered I forgot to bring a calculator to the exam. If I'd known I was gonna be borderline, I'd probably have bought one at half time.

    I guess I'll know for next time :)


  • #236
    etymon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 467 ✭✭etymon


    lads it's a s*&t hard exam. Anyone who thought it was easy probably got low marks because they were clearly deluded.
    Also there is a bit of trickery in the question choices and if you don't get the hang of them you could well come out thinking you'd aced it when really you'd fallen for every GAMSAT trick in the book!

    congrats to all with competitive scores. Not going to offer my thoughts on what cutoffs might be as (a) my statistical prowess is non-existent and (b) I played that game last year and it's pretty much a heartbreaker if you don't get what you want in the end.

    I know it's easier said than done but if you're in the mid 50's I would advise you to take some time to think about your other options like repeating next year, doing GAMSAT UK in September, applying through UCAS for UK GEP programmes i.e. start thinking about getting work experience in the health services field, etc etc, and have a Plan B firmly in your mind and in progress when CAO offers roll around in August so that if news isn't good, you have something else to concentrate on.

    If anyone is thinking 'another year!' - yeah - I've been there and I am delighted I stuck it out. The year flew by and I have no regrets. If I hadn't gotten a higher score, I would have used last year's for UL this year. I had a backup plan and it made getting the results yesterday a lot easier. (If I hadn't had that option, I probably would have applied to UK schools, for example).

    So give yourself a pat on the back for sitting what is a b&%*h of an exam, dry your eyes and keep on trucking. It's worth it in the end.


  • #237
    MicraBoy
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 914 ✭✭✭MicraBoy


    I went down compared to UK GAMSAT as well which is a bit annoying. So I'll have to send off my other result to CAO. Does any one know is it just a matter of printing the PDF version of the results or is there some stamping and certifying involved with this?
    GAMSAT Results
    • CAO will communicate with ACER in order to obtain the GAMSAT scores for Graduate Medicine applicants.
    • CAO will then write to all applicants who applied by 1 February 2010 and inform them of the results CAO
    has received. You will then have an opportunity to forward your results or a better result to CAO at that time.
    All GAMSAT results must be at CAO by 15 July 2010.


  • #238
    gem2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭gem2010


    What's everybody got against UL ? I got 62 but think I really like the UL teaching style and the fact that there wont be many med students in the hospitals (so you get more of a look in)... especially if our intern year is going to be centralised...

    What's everybody thinking? Why is everybody so dead set on dublin that you would repeat the gamsat (UGH) even if you were accepted to UL ?

    I feel like i'm mad having UL as my first choice... what do you guys know that I don't ? lol...


  • #239
    etymon
    Closed Accounts Posts: 467 ✭✭etymon


    whoa whoa whoa I have NOTHING against UL and think the course sounds fantastic. There are plenty of high scorers who put it down first but because there are so many places there it ends up having the lowest cutoff. I repeated the Gamsat for Dublin because I want to stay here for various personal and financial reasons. I wouldn't have sat it again this year but thought it was worth giving it a second try rather than go to Limerick for four years when I might not have to.
    And when I say 'Limerick' I mean 'down the country'. My view on Cork, which was always fourth on my CAO list, is the same. Purely location.
    If UL's course was in Dublin it would be first on my list. Of course you're not mad to choose it. In fact from feedback on forums current UL students have been nothing but positive.
    Good luck and enjoy UL!


  • #240
    gem2010
    Closed Accounts Posts: 38 ✭gem2010


    etymon wrote: »
    whoa whoa whoa I have NOTHING against UL and think the course sounds fantastic. There are plenty of high scorers who put it down first but because there are so many places there it ends up having the lowest cutoff. I repeated the Gamsat for Dublin because I want to stay here for various personal and financial reasons. I wouldn't have sat it again this year but thought it was worth giving it a second try rather than go to Limerick for four years when I might not have to.
    And when I say 'Limerick' I mean 'down the country'. My view on Cork, which was always fourth on my CAO list, is the same. Purely location.
    If UL's course was in Dublin it would be first on my list. Of course you're not mad to choose it. In fact from feedback on forums current UL students have been nothing but positive.
    Good luck and enjoy UL!


    :) ok deadly, that all makes a lot of sense. yaaay can't wait now :)


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  • #241
    Biologic
    Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 383 ✭✭Biologic


    I'm in the same boat as Etymon. The only reason I didn't seriously consider UL or UCC was proximity. Given that the standard of education seems comparable, I figure 'why make an inevitably difficult course harder with resettlement/commute/possible financial issues?'.


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