GAMSAT 2014?

beardedmaster · 10-03-2014 2:22pm

The same info on Medicine is here, on a new article on the front page of the UCD website.

UCD Article wrote:

Medicine fell nationally by 6% and by 3% at UCD.

Can't see the GAMSAT cutoff for UCD rising if the demand is down (though of course this includes undergrad-entry). But I can't imagine the cutoff decreasing too much lower than it already has. I'd say the points will stay 56-58 for UCD, more than likely 56-57.

Confused1987 · 10-03-2014 4:01pm

That's good news about the fall in demand, prob won't do anything significant with the reduction of scores but can't imagine them rising with a falling demand!

Sat my first fully timed full paper yesterday, really highlights how on the ball you have to be for section 3, only managed to get 95 of the questions done and then guesswork comes into play!

letsdothis · 10-03-2014 4:19pm

Confused1987 wrote: »

Sat my first fully timed full paper yesterday, really highlights how on the ball you have to be for section 3, only managed to get 95 of the questions done and then guesswork comes into play!

The first and only time I managed to get anywhere near finished on section three was my GAMSAT itself - don't worry too much about that but do work on your strategy for when you are running out of time. I ended up having to do this for section 1 (again for the first time ever!)

letsdothis · 10-03-2014 4:21pm

beardedmaster wrote: »

The same info on Medicine is here, on a new article on the front page of the UCD website.

Can't see the GAMSAT cutoff for UCD rising if the demand is down (though of course this includes undergrad-entry). But I can't imagine the cutoff decreasing too much lower than it already has. I'd say the points will stay 56-58 for UCD, more than likely 56-57.

Most of the change in medicine applications seems to be in preference rather than first choice. Can't imagine very many GE applicants would put other level 8 courses higher on their choice list but sure there's no accounting for what people do....

...sounds like cut offs will be pretty much as they were last year.

Confused1987 · 10-03-2014 4:58pm

letsdothis wrote: »

The first and only time I managed to get anywhere near finished on section three was my GAMSAT itself - don't worry too much about that but do work on your strategy for when you are running out of time. I ended up having to do this for section 1 (again for the first time ever!)

What strategy did you adopt? Skipping to the questions you knew you could get out quickly?

letsdothis · 10-03-2014 5:27pm

Confused1987 wrote: »

What strategy did you adopt? Skipping to the questions you knew you could get out quickly?

Well towards the last hour, I left a couple of questions on topics that weren't my favourite - but I didn't do a whole lot of this either.

When I was going through the paper, I marked the answer choice on the question booklet but if i wasn't convinced of my choice I put a question mark beside it to remind me to come back to it. When there was only 20 or so minutes left I would go back over the question marks and commit to an answer.

If I was doing a paper and had 5 minutes left and lots to answer, I went with the Griffith's Guide Strategy of all Cs! I did this for 10-15 questions for Section 1 on the day. Didn't need it Section 3, as I said.

SwiftEagle · 13-03-2014 12:59pm

9 days t go gamsatters! Although I am incredibly nervous I am also kinda excited about the big day for some strange reason! But I cant wait until I walk out of the RCSI on Saturday and realize that its over!! (at least for 2 months anyways :P)

pharmacrunch · 14-03-2014 10:29am

SwiftEagle wrote: »

9 days t go gamsatters! Although I am incredibly nervous I am also kinda excited about the big day for some strange reason! But I cant wait until I walk out of the RCSI on Saturday and realize that its over!! (at least for 2 months anyways :P)

Working for most of next week to today will be my last "real" day of study.

Delighted its finally here

:D

SwiftEagle · 14-03-2014 11:12am

pharmacrunch wrote: »

Working for most of next week to today will be my last "real" day of study.

Delighted its finally here :D

I took the week off to be safe. Im still completely clueless about most of the physics so im going to try and cover as much of it as I can from now until the exam!!

Academia · 14-03-2014 11:44am

pharmacrunch wrote: »

Working for most of next week to today will be my last "real" day of study.

I have been on night duty since Monday night and will finish on Monday morning (7 nights), so I will have Tuesday till Friday to do some proper study. When I began preparing about 8 weeks ago, I said I'd ask myself around this time if I had done enough study. I have posed the question and the answer is 'No'. But I am sure I am not the only one. Anyway, I had the occasion of meeting up with a friend of a friend who is actually preparing for the same exam. We discussed at large on a range of topics in preparation for the written section. This guy had a vast knowledge on various subjects including politics and current affairs, very fluent in conversation and well opinionated. But when it came to reading an essay he had written, I found it indecipherable. His writing was in marked contrast with his speaking; when asked what I thought, I replied that he has a 'distinct handwriting'. People hardly write nowadays and most words are typed; whatever typing skills gained has resulted in poor handwriting. I am not even going to talk about poor spelling, total disregard for punctuation marks, illogical admixture of small and capital letters etc. How can the examiners correct essays that are hardly legible? Those people at ACER might not be aware of Bacon's dictum that conference makes a ready man, writing an exact man - for one could say that our friend here is ready without being exact - but they are conscious of the fact that as potential medical practitioners, others should be able to read and understand our writing especially when in a medical chart or drug kardex. What hope do people with terrible writing have for getting a good score in the written section? Or are they expected to depend only on their shading skills for sections 1 & 3? Suffice to say that some will be going into the exam having not practiced shading in timed conditions.

pharmacrunch · 14-03-2014 12:52pm

SwiftEagle wrote: »

I took the week off to be safe. Im still completely clueless about most of the physics so im going to try and cover as much of it as I can from now until the exam!!

Physics is also my biggest problem - I even find that going back over the Acer papers I still find it difficult to do out the physics Q's even tough its my second attempt.

I think key with the physics will just be hope they provide an equation and if they do , do something with it even if you dont have a notion regarding its meaning.

Flange/Flanders · 15-03-2014 9:07am

Hi guys,

First Med in UCD at the moment after doing the gammy 3 times, best of luck to everyone doing it this day week. My biggest advise is to go easy this week, you don't wanna be wrecked come Saturday cos its such a long day. I did my best in the third go after basically doing no study for a year. I did so much better cos I had no pressure on myself, I had limerick and I was taking a year out anyway so I said Id do the gamsat. I was working all week last year and the night before I actually met with mates and went to watch some Ireland game that was on. Also, don't get too stressed in there, you can repeat in September and you wont feel a year passing.

Good luck guys and see some of ye in UCD in September.

RainBow_xo · 17-03-2014 12:46pm

Anybody have any last minute advice?

Abcd1986 · 17-03-2014 11:02pm

Hi all,

Very best of luck to those sitting the exam next week. I am now in first year graduate entry medicine and got through after four sittings. From my experience, the best way you can go in is relaxed. Take the Friday off and make sure you get a good nights sleep. Slow down on the science study this week and do as many practice essays that you can. I did not have a science background and the area that improved the most, hence getting me a place, was my essay section. I had been told to focus on this by others before but felt so overwhelmed by science that I did not pay the essays much heed until my last two sittings. The exams in which I did the best were the ones I was most relaxed in. Bring in ear plugs if they help so you can concentrate better. It is a very ambiguous exam so don't spend lunch over analysing questions with others it will only serve to through you off before your next section. I absolutely love the course and am so happy I pursued the exams as it can be very disappointing when you receive a no. Should you not get the points pick yourself up and apply for the uk gamsat and keep going. It's really worth it. Again wishing you all the very best.

RainBow_xo · 18-03-2014 1:54pm

Abcd1986 wrote: »

Hi all,

Very best of luck to those sitting the exam next week. I am now in first year graduate entry medicine and got through after four sittings. From my experience, the best way you can go in is relaxed. Take the Friday off and make sure you get a good nights sleep. Slow down on the science study this week and do as many practice essays that you can. I did not have a science background and the area that improved the most, hence getting me a place, was my essay section. I had been told to focus on this by others before but felt so overwhelmed by science that I did not pay the essays much heed until my last two sittings. The exams in which I did the best were the ones I was most relaxed in. Bring in ear plugs if they help so you can concentrate better. It is a very ambiguous exam so don't spend lunch over analysing questions with others it will only serve to through you off before your next section. I absolutely love the course and am so happy I pursued the exams as it can be very disappointing when you receive a no. Should you not get the points pick yourself up and apply for the uk gamsat and keep going. It's really worth it. Again wishing you all the very best.

Thank you ðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜ŠðŸ˜Š

rachel12311866 · 18-03-2014 11:47pm

Karlheinz1987 wrote: »

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!

I am interested in buying the GradMed Preparation Course Material, do you still have it all? please email: rachel.m.oconnor@hotmail.com

DoctorDre · 21-03-2014 11:57am

Just wanted to wish everyone the best of luck for tomorrow

letsdothis · 21-03-2014 12:26pm

Good luck to everyone! Take today off, give yourself and break and feel refreshed tomorrow. Had a good big breakfast in the morning - a big bowl of porridge of something - to keep you going through the morning session. Be prepared for a lot of waiting around as they set up in the morning. Don't talk to anyone at lunch! Keep the head if you are finding it tough - do your best. I went into the exam in September thinking I had to ace section one and I found it very difficult - you just need to dust yourself off and focus on the next section. I then found Section II ok and III went surprisingly well. My score for the three sections was very consistent which I suppose reflects the fact that you are scored against others.

Good luck again and let us know how ye get on!

SwiftEagle · 21-03-2014 12:54pm

letsdothis wrote: »

Good luck to everyone! Take today off, give yourself and break and feel refreshed tomorrow. Had a good big breakfast in the morning - a big bowl of porridge of something - to keep you going through the morning session. Be prepared for a lot of waiting around as they set up in the morning. Don't talk to anyone at lunch! Keep the head if you are finding it tough - do your best. I went into the exam in September thinking I had to ace section one and I found it very difficult - you just need to dust yourself off and focus on the next section. I then found Section II ok and III went surprisingly well. My score for the three sections was very consistent which I suppose reflects the fact that you are scored against others.

Good luck again and let us know how ye get on!

Hi! Thanks for the advice!! I was wondering are you allowed to leave the building for lunch to go to the shop or do you have to stay within the building?

Thanks!

letsdothis · 21-03-2014 12:57pm

SwiftEagle wrote: »

Hi! Thanks for the advice!! I was wondering are you allowed to leave the building for lunch to go to the shop or do you have to stay within the building?

Thanks!

You can leave and I suggest you do! Decide in advance where you will eat...nowhere with a long wait! Get some air. Your head will be addled!

MathsMedMixed · 21-03-2014 1:45pm

I suppose we all need luck for tomorrow. I can't wait to start waiting for the results.

Johnnybriggs · 21-03-2014 4:24pm

Hi all,

Just a quick word of advise before the big day tomorrow.

Remember to concentrate on questions you're strong on (especially section III) and MAKE SURE you go through every possible answer and see if it fits the question. GAMSAT testers are notorious for constructing questions where what seems obvious is incorrect. It's a way of ascertaining your observation and reasoning skills under pressure. This method may take more time than expected, but your chances of selecting the correct answer is dramatically increased.

I used this method personally last year and got 82 in Section III - Im now happily doing medicine in the UK! I remember that Id about 30-35 random guess questions with 10 mins to go. However, the 75-80 preceding that were done exceptionally well.

Best of luck tomorrow!!

pharmacrunch · 21-03-2014 6:11pm

Am I correct in assuming we cant use ear plugs during the exam?? I think I remember reading it somehwere but can't find it now again?

DoctorDre · 21-03-2014 6:49pm

pharmacrunch wrote: »

Am I correct in assuming we cant use ear plugs during the exam?? I think I remember reading it somehwere but can't find it now again?

Yeah I don't think they're allowed. Assuming if you were a girl with long hair, it would be quite easy to get away with it?

pharmacrunch · 21-03-2014 7:10pm

DoctorDre wrote: »

Yeah I don't think they're allowed. Assuming if you were a girl with long hair, it would be quite easy to get away with it?

Damn - not the case im afraid

Anyone familiar with RCSI care to shed light on where the exam hall is ?

Is it the basketball court in the basement? Or the big hall up stairs?

RainBow_xo · 21-03-2014 8:08pm

pharmacrunch wrote: »

Damn - not the case im afraid

Anyone familiar with RCSI care to shed light on where the exam hall is ?

Is it the basketball court in the basement? Or the big hall up stairs?

It is the big hall upstairs!

pharmacrunch · 22-03-2014 6:54pm

Well done everyone today ! Hope all the hard work has paid off!

RainBow_xo · 24-03-2014 11:58am

Glad to finally have it over and done with!

Confused1987 · 24-03-2014 5:58pm

How did people find that? I thought it was considerably harder than any practice paper out there, even section 1 was quite tough! I knew it was never going to be easy, but that was a horror show in section 3!

I was chatting to the guy beside me who had a chemistry degree and he was saying just how tough he found it so at least there is some consolation in that!

Can't wait for the London sitting!!!

pharmacrunch · 24-03-2014 10:55pm

Found it very difficult- and to be honest having a pharmacy degree I would have thought the chemistry/biology would be a breeze to me but sadly not a hope

There was far too much guessing going on for my liking !

Confused1987 · 25-03-2014 9:30am

Haha yeah I am in the exact same boat, but I have absolutely no science background!

While I was studying I always enjoyed genetics and the majority of biology yet in the exam just found these next to impossible in the given time!

Mecci · 25-03-2014 9:26pm

I also found it really difficult, way more so than I expected. I have a degree in Biopharmaceutical Science & Physiology but that didn't make the science section any easier. Questions far trickier than the sample/practice papers

DroghedaTutor · 26-03-2014 9:21am

Yes. 500% yes. I had done the sample papers 4 times under exam timings and gone through textbooks to 1st year university standard. I have also taken university level science exams, so I thought I had a good reference point and would be prepared to get my 50% at a minimum and then be bumped up by papers 1 & 2 but as soon as I started the third paper, I knew I was in trouble. felt like I prepared for a french exam, then was handed a russian paper on the day.

how am I ever going to pass this thing if this is the standards of the papers? I have no problem with hard work but have been very thrown by this experience. what are other people doing to pass than I amn't doing?

I got home on Saturday evening and thought, maybe I'm just not intelligent enough for this.

Confused1987 · 26-03-2014 9:39am

Yeah I've been having the same thought process, feel like an idiot after that exam, but then also you have to remember that we don't have the results yet so can't say anything!!

I don't have any science background and dedicated the last 4 months to studying for the exam and genuinely thought I was up to the standard required but alas!

Sure there is no point in pi**ing and moaning until the results come out, the exam is designed to make people feel awful after it so you never know how the results will come out!

DroghedaTutor · 26-03-2014 9:42am

how did you prepare for the exam confused1987?

i'm not so much " pi**ing and moaning" but preparing to have to resit it and asking out loud - what are people who pass doing to prepare for this? if anyone has the answer or tips, please post them. thanks.

Confused1987 · 26-03-2014 9:51am

Sorry I wasn't saying that you were pi**ing and moaning, more talking about myself cause that is all I have spent the last week doing!

I did grinds twice a week and then studied full time in UCD library! Really thought I was prepared but from what I gather there was no amount of work that would truly prepare anyone for that!

The one consolation is that if you look at any forum or talk to anyone who did the exam, everyone found it really tough, and it's bell curve graded so you are marked against everyone else!

DroghedaTutor · 26-03-2014 9:53am

half your message is missing Confused. please repost as I'd welcome your opinion.

Confused1987 · 26-03-2014 9:59am

DroghedaTutor wrote: »

half your message is missing Confused. please repost as I'd welcome your opinion.

Should be updated!

DroghedaTutor · 26-03-2014 10:02am

thanks.

was this your first time sitting gamsat?

was the standard of saturday's paper 3 the norm? it seems a different league to the sample papers.

Confused1987 · 26-03-2014 10:14am

Yeah first time sitting it for me so I can't comment on previous papers, but definitely a completely different league to the sample papers!

I did the purple paper a couple of weeks ago and got 65 or so out of 110 in science and thought that level would see me through but evidently not!

This is something I want to do so even if this time doesn't go according to plan I will definitely try it twice more if required! It was a crap day on Saturday but sure we all could have the points we need for all we know!

DanKnev · 26-03-2014 4:29pm

Sat GAMSAT in Dublin on 22nd March and can definitely say its the toughest Section III I've come across to date. I'd gone through official ACER material and prep course material, and neither was close to the standard on that exam. I've a B.A and PhD in Biochemistry, yet still found the biology questions particularly challenging. Complexity of graphs was very off putting and emphasis on osmosis/genetics was detrimental for anyone not strong in those areas. I feel that Section III will really separate out who's 'passed' GAMSAT or not.

letsdothis · 26-03-2014 4:35pm

Guys don't forget you are being marked against each other so you have no idea how you did in this. I guessed my result after to be somewhere between 40 and 60! Also, you don't know what questions were trial questions or not so you might have done better than you expected.

DanKnev · 26-03-2014 5:24pm

Good point. ACER use Item Response Theory to mark Section I and III, so it's intrinsically linked with how questions are perceived by the exam population (i.e. easy versus hard question). Questions where the majority answered correctly are weighted less than those where the minority got correct. Apparently IRT can also account for the 'guess-ability' of a question, in which case it's weighted in a similar manner to a so called easy question. Irrespective of how the entire exam population scored on the exam, the results will be fit to a sigmoidal distribution in a percentile versus score plot.

Abcd1986 · 27-03-2014 5:14pm

Hi Guys,

I left a post previously about wishing you luck. Well done on getting through it, it is one of the worst exams you will ever do in your life! I see a lot of you are overwhelmed by how tough a paper it was. Easy from the other side to say, but try not to worry. Every single one of the ones I came out of I felt the same every time. I almost believed it was designed to make you question your intelligence!! If everyone found it tough, that's a good thing. Points tend to drop on the years that it is quite tough. You will surprise yourself though, you will have gotten more right than you think! If you're really worried and can afford it do apply for the UK gamsat. I did one in the UK and the rest here and did really notice a difference between the two. I found the UK paper somewhat clearer. Take a break now though and again well done one finishing it, I hope you each celebrated after it and are proud of making it through!

Cosle · 29-03-2014 10:05am

I agree with what the poster before me said, I came out of the gamsat 3 years ago feeling like I had done terrible and had zero chance of making any course, ended up getting my first choice! It's an extremely difficult test, harder then any I've done since and it's very difficult to predict how you did. No-one I know can out thinking they had done anything but awful in the exam.

pharmacrunch · 30-03-2014 7:15pm

What date does one have until to change their mind on the CAO does anyone know off the top of their head? I mean to rearrange their order of choice ?

strangeweather · 31-03-2014 9:22pm

pharmacrunch wrote: »

What date does one have until to change their mind on the CAO does anyone know off the top of their head? I mean to rearrange their order of choice ?

As long as you have all four courses on your application you can rearrange until some time in July as far as I recall!

MathsMedMixed · 01-04-2014 12:00am

DanKnev wrote: »

Sat GAMSAT in Dublin on 22nd March and can definitely say its the toughest Section III I've come across to date. I'd gone through official ACER material and prep course material, and neither was close to the standard on that exam. I've a B.A and PhD in Biochemistry, yet still found the biology questions particularly challenging. Complexity of graphs was very off putting and emphasis on osmosis/genetics was detrimental for anyone not strong in those areas. I feel that Section III will really separate out who's 'passed' GAMSAT or not.

I do not agree with the last statement here. Section III was always going to be difficult; one can do badly in it but still have an adequate score on account of the other two sections.

eeefchief · 01-04-2014 10:43am

So technically you don't need a minimum of 50 in each section ?

Confused1987 · 01-04-2014 11:17am

eeefchief wrote: »

So technically you don't need a minimum of 50 in each section ?

Thats only in the UK that you need to have a minimum score for each section, Irish colleges only look at your overall score!

GAMSAT 2014?

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