GAMSAT 2014?

pharmacrunch · 19-05-2014 09:07AM

letsdothis wrote: »

Thanks for this. Would love to join this only I'd be outting myself to work colleagues slightly prematurely...

Ditto on the above. Give it another month then I can be as vocal as I want about it

arethesemyfeet · 19-05-2014 09:10AM

It's a closed group so I don't think it would show up but I'm not 100% sure on that so just join us when you can! Congrats on your results!

Hypnos · 19-05-2014 09:10AM

https://www.facebook.com/groups/757671167585114

Here is the GEM 1 group for UCD! Feel free to join if you're set on UCD

It was created by 2nd years.

HopefulGEM · 19-05-2014 09:36AM

letsdothis wrote: »

Well done to everyone that got the results the need, hope to see some of you in UCD (RCSI?!) in September... For everyone else, really consider doing the UK gamsat In September and give yourself two chances for next year.

Now that everyone else has results, seriously feels real for me too! Won't be long now. Also need to think about telling work shortly...

Ucd all the way:P

Mecci · 19-05-2014 11:16AM

Blue_Zebra wrote: »

All the stats are on the CAO website:

CAO > Media and Statistics > points by year

You can choose round 0, round 1 etc.

Thanks for this.. For 2013 round 0 CAO say UL cut-off was 53* and UCD 58*...even though on UCD website it's 57*?

Hypnos · 19-05-2014 11:20AM

Mecci wrote: »

Thanks for this.. For 2013 round 0 CAO say UL cut-off was 53* and UCD 58*...even though on UCD website it's 57*?

It was 58* in round 0. It was 58 in the next round (round 1). There were a couple people in the class who left early in September and as a result there were two people who got in with a 57 score which is why in the end it was 57*. What you see on websites is the final round score. The last round is after term starts (mid-September)

Mecci · 19-05-2014 12:10PM

It's great to have this forum, thanks to those of you who answered my questions so far, it's so long since I applied to cao for my first degree! They're not taking phonecalls at the moment. I got an email from them about two weeks ago saying I need to send in documentation - can I ask if the rest of you submitted a 'certified copy of evidence of conferring'? I thought results from each year of my degree were sufficient but apparently not?
When I look on my cao application online, I can't see any of the scanned results that I previously sent in.. Confused.com.

pharmacrunch · 19-05-2014 12:12PM

Mecci wrote: »

It's great to have this forum, thanks to those of you who answered my questions so far, it's so long since I applied to cao for my first degree! They're not taking phonecalls at the moment. I got an email from them about two weeks ago saying I need to send in documentation - can I ask if the rest of you submitted a 'certified copy of evidence of conferring'? I thought results from each year of my degree were sufficient but apparently not?
When I look on my cao application online, I can't see any of the scanned results that I previously sent in.. Confused.com.

Hey Mecci,

I submitted a copy of my degree parchment. Had to get it stamped by the Uni also! That covered me as a "certified copy"

Poppy1314 · 19-05-2014 12:16PM

Mecci wrote: »

It's great to have this forum, thanks to those of you who answered my questions so far, it's so long since I applied to cao for my first degree! They're not taking phonecalls at the moment. I got an email from them about two weeks ago saying I need to send in documentation - can I ask if the rest of you submitted a 'certified copy of evidence of conferring'? I thought results from each year of my degree were sufficient but apparently not?
When I look on my cao application online, I can't see any of the scanned results that I previously sent in.. Confused.com.

Mecci, I received the same email.. I'm going to submit a uni stamped copy of my parchment and they said that should suffice!

Mecci · 19-05-2014 12:19PM

Poppy1314 wrote: »

Mecci, I received the same email.. I'm going to submit a uni stamped copy of my parchment and they said that should suffice!

Ah brilliant.. glad that's where I went wrong. When I got the email I ignored it because I really didn't think I had any chance of getting a good gamsat score.
So when I looked back at the email just now and saw the word ineligible I nearly died!

scallywaggles · 19-05-2014 12:38PM

I reckon anyone who is on under 60 and wants a chance at Dublin in 2015 should sit again in Sept, just go in with what you know now, you have everything to gain and nothing to lose really. If you get a few points higher it just means a year less of worry, in my opinion its worth it. That said high 50s will prob still get you any course in Ireland for the next few years, at least while the loan system remains what it is...

beardedmaster · 19-05-2014 12:47PM

Round 0 Scores since GEM started. Bear in mind that these are only the points for the first offers, so people went in on less. Most of these were at random selection also.

DroghedaTutor · 19-05-2014 12:52PM

anyone know what caused the higher score requirements in 2009 and 2010? something to do with loan facilities or just a bumper year?

Hypnos · 19-05-2014 01:45PM

DroghedaTutor wrote: »

anyone know what caused the higher score requirements in 2009 and 2010? something to do with loan facilities or just a bumper year?

Back then there was the 100K loan and when the recession hit, a lot went back into education. The drop in points occurred after AIB stopped providing GEM loans and UB and BOI reduced the max loan from 100K to 60K. (That's just my take on the situation

)

pharmacrunch · 19-05-2014 03:22PM

I must start looking into the ins and outs of the loan!!

As a total newbie Q, do you start paying interest from day one i.e. next September when you draw down or is it after your four years are up you start paying the interest?

Hypnos · 19-05-2014 03:29PM

pharmacrunch wrote: »

I must start looking into the ins and outs of the loan!!

As a total newbie Q, do you start paying interest from day one i.e. next September when you draw down or is it after your four years are up you start paying the interest?

Your interest begins to accumulate as soon as you pay your first 15K installment. By the time you graduate your outstanding balance incl. interest is almost 67K. You start working in July of the year you graduate and your first payment is deducted 3 months later Oct/Nov (so they give you a little time to fill up the account). The payments are 700-770e/mo (don't remember the exact number). If you pay it back over the 10 years that the contract is designed for you end up paying back 93K.

All of this information will be explained to you in person when you apply etc..

Lub · 19-05-2014 03:30PM

Edit - Better answer up there ^

pc11 · 19-05-2014 05:12PM

Well done to everyone who got GAMSATs today.

Out of curiosity, can someone post the percentile curve you should have gotten from GAMSAT?

Paddy_mac · 19-05-2014 06:02PM

I've got 54. Either I can't write impressive essays or my handwriting is appalling. Sec II Dragged me right down.

Anyone else having to now consider UL instead of Dublin?

Why is UL 54ish while Dublin is typically 57+ ?
If it's just being down the country or in a less prestegious university that causes the drop in interest, that's ok with me.

But, Is the standard of teaching, facilities or course work measurably poorer than rcsi and ucd? Will school even matter 4 years from now?
Maybe another thread is covering this?

Blue_Zebra · 19-05-2014 06:35PM

Paddy_mac wrote: »

I've got 54. Either I can't write impressive essays or my handwriting is appalling. Sec II Dragged me right down.

Anyone else having to now consider UL instead of Dublin?

Why is UL 54ish while Dublin is typically 57+ ?
If it's just being down the country or in a less prestegious university that causes the drop in interest, that's ok with me.

But, Is the standard of teaching, facilities or course work measurably poorer than rcsi and ucd? Will school even matter 4 years from now?
Maybe another thread is covering this?

One factor to consider is that UL has ~100 places where as RCSI has 30. Lower supply + higher demand = higher points. I know people in UL who love it.

Hypnos · 19-05-2014 08:37PM

Paddy_mac wrote: »

I've got 54. Either I can't write impressive essays or my handwriting is appalling. Sec II Dragged me right down.

Anyone else having to now consider UL instead of Dublin?

Why is UL 54ish while Dublin is typically 57+ ?
If it's just being down the country or in a less prestegious university that causes the drop in interest, that's ok with me.

But, Is the standard of teaching, facilities or course work measurably poorer than rcsi and ucd? Will school even matter 4 years from now?
Maybe another thread is covering this?

There are a few reasons. As mentioned above UL has the most places by far. It's also the youngest program which hasn't found it's footing yet so it hasn't had a chance to build a reputation for itself being a young university and medical program. Also its location is a inherent disadvantage. Universities in capital cities are more sought after by virtue of their location = more points.

They function on a PBL model which has been in a trial phase in the University of London. It's a relatively new method of teaching medicine compared to the traditional method though in almost all places. This makes people weary of it since the traditional method has been thought for a very long time now. They do have the nicest campus in mind for the GEM's in my opinion, having visited them all.

Four years from now it's reputation should only improve and it will probably see a gentle increase in admission points. It also mightn't have yet received accreditation from the Irish Medical Council?!*. From what I've read it's pending* since the program is still under review from the council (on the Irish Medical Times). I don't know about this in any more detail.

It doesn't influence what happens after graduation. You get placed for your intern year just like the rest of the medical students and then you take it from there and pursue your interests. I don't know if it has implications for international placement etc. I can tell you I've met two UL grads who are doing emergency med in Connolly Hospital and they were fond of the undergrad program.

Keep in mind the UL GEM year is longer than the rest. That isn't a bad thing because the workload is spanned across a greater time scale and the workload for GEM is definitely HUGE!

scallywaggles · 19-05-2014 09:10PM

All the GEM courses are accredited by the Irish medical council, don't worry about that. UL has to have its course running for about ten years before it can be covered by US and Canadian government loan schemes apparently as it doesn't have an undergrad course already like the others, so it has less non EU students than the other schools, all the rest of the detail is covered by the above post. Doubt it matters what med school you went to once you are qualified and are competent in your job. If you want to do medicine take UL if you get in would be my advice, if you're not going to do med just because you don't want to go to UL because it is "less prestigious" I'd be questioning whether you should be doing it at all, but that is just my opinion!

DanKnev · 19-05-2014 09:33PM

Congrats to those who got their needed scores today and heads up to those disappointed. I got 58 and will definitely be putting UL first for several reasons. Most people have a fear towards PBL, but having been directly involved with it for years I feel its a pro active model for learning. Although didactic may prove beneficial to some, the PBL style of learning can be easily adopted.

kanurocks · 19-05-2014 10:43PM

Took the GAMSAT for the second time. Like many of you I found section three very hard. I have a 1.1 in physics (which is of little help) but still managed to get a 50 in Section III, which I don't feel too bad about now, knowing how difficult people found it (Cheers lads).

My overall score is 56, which puts me between two stools. I should get UCC/UL based on previous round 0 offers (56 and 53 respectively). However, the caveat for me studying medicine is living at home (or with family) in Dublin... Just cannot afford to do it if I have to pay rent in another city (darn AIB / BoI !!! ).

I know the answer to this, But am I crazy to live in hope that UCD/RCSI may offer at 56 this year?? Especially given the decline in points that's correlated with the decline in finance availability in recent years??

Is it too much to hope that they might drop again this year?? Does anyone know what the volume of exam-takers was like this year???

JC

DroghedaTutor · 19-05-2014 10:45PM

I sat gamsat in cork and it was a small hall. about 130 people. This is probably of no comfort or use to you but I thought I'd reply as I know how anxious the gamsat makes everyone feel! Put them down in order of preference, then cross your fingers.

kanurocks · 19-05-2014 10:56PM

To be honest, just talking to people and getting engaged is the best/only cure for anxiety. So, thank you.

I don't know how other people feel, but I've wanted to study medicine since I was a child. It's always had a magnetic pull on me. I feel that its almost within my reach... Unfortunately, I'll just have to play the waiting game.

Do you need to send you results on to the CAO if you sat the exam this year, or is it done automatically. The verbiage leads me to believe that this is only necessary if you haven't linked your ACER-Results and CAO accounts? OR, you are relying on results from 2013 (IE or UK).

Junoon · 20-05-2014 03:10AM

hi guys ,

i am very disappointed with my march 2014 results ...feeling a lot negative at the moment.

becoming a doctor is my ultimate aim but the GAMSAT didn't work out me earlier also.

This was my second attempt at it.

First I wrote GAMSAT was back in march 2012.

The scores on two occasions were

March 2012 Dublin 54,54,44 overall score 49

March 2014 Dublin 53,38,48 overall score 47

What you guys think? should i repeat ?

will be happy to receive your thoughts...

This time i am really sad because of my sec 2 scores....i never thought that it will go down like this ...

i need serious improvements in that area and this time the topic was too general which made it worse for my chances

thanks in advance guys and congrats for those got thru this time

Blue_Zebra · 20-05-2014 07:22AM

kanurocks wrote: »

Took the GAMSAT for the second time. Like many of you I found section three very hard. I have a 1.1 in physics (which is of little help) but still managed to get a 50 in Section III, which I don't feel too bad about now, knowing how difficult people found it (Cheers lads).

My overall score is 56, which puts me between two stools. I should get UCC/UL based on previous round 0 offers (56 and 53 respectively). However, the caveat for me studying medicine is living at home (or with family) in Dublin... Just cannot afford to do it if I have to pay rent in another city (darn AIB / BoI !!! ).

I know the answer to this, But am I crazy to live in hope that UCD/RCSI may offer at 56 this year?? Especially given the decline in points that's correlated with the decline in finance availability in recent years??

Is it too much to hope that they might drop again this year?? Does anyone know what the volume of exam-takers was like this year???

JC

Not sure how many sat but CAO told me that 672 people have applied to the grad programmes. Any know how this compares to previous years?

Hypnos · 20-05-2014 09:57AM

Junoon wrote: »

hi guys ,

i am very disappointed with my march 2014 results ...feeling a lot negative at the moment.

becoming a doctor is my ultimate aim but the GAMSAT didn't work out me earlier also.

This was my second attempt at it.

First I wrote GAMSAT was back in march 2012.

The scores on two occasions were

March 2012 Dublin 54,54,44 overall score 49

March 2014 Dublin 53,38,48 overall score 47

What you guys think? should i repeat ?

will be happy to receive your thoughts...

This time i am really sad because of my sec 2 scores....i never thought that it will go down like this ...

i need serious improvements in that area and this time the topic was too general which made it worse for my chances

thanks in advance guys and congrats for those got thru this time

If you really want to do med then you have to repeat

No brainier really. You just have to work harder for the next upcoming entrance exam. If medicine is something you have your mind set on then you won't have to think about repeating much because you know you're going to. In Australia its not uncommon for people to sit the exam up to 4-5 times to get in.

So don't feel defeated. Get up and try harder next time

Mecci · 20-05-2014 10:50AM

Hypnos wrote: »

If you really want to do med then you have to repeat No brainier really. You just have to work harder for the next upcoming entrance exam. If medicine is something you have your mind set on then you won't have to think about repeating much because you know you're going to. In Australia its not uncommon for people to sit the exam up to 4-5 times to get in.

So don't feel defeated. Get up and try harder next time

Junoon I'd agree that you should give the GAMSAT another go, perhaps look for private grinds for the areas you're not confident in, or GradMed courses for group tutoring. Alternatively have you considered other options such as the UKCAT or MCAT if you're willing to study in the UK?

GAMSAT 2014?

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