GAMSAT 2017

debbysoap · 14-09-2017 1:51pm

I was in 216 and there was another column beside mine so I'd say about 250 people, more or less. Good luck everyone!

Celestial12 · 14-09-2017 2:42pm

Thanks Debby! How did you find the exam?

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

I was slap bang in the middle of the 6th row and couldn't see who was behind me. I estimated approx 150 but my head was in such a state I wouldn't trust that number!! I'm drained today. It really wore me out.

I wish I took the day off! :P Apparently everybody gets the questions in a different order in the exam. Not sure if that's true though.

ilovesmecounty · 14-09-2017 3:08pm

Me too. I'm a zombie at work! I have a renewed respect for kids completing that leaving cert marathon.

debbysoap · 14-09-2017 9:38pm

Celestial12 wrote: »

Thanks Debby! How did you find the exam?

I wish I took the day off! :P Apparently everybody gets the questions in a different order in the exam. Not sure if that's true though.

Yeah I wouldn't doubt that it's true cos of the booklet numbers we'd to record on the answer sheets.

I'd say that the overall exam was noticeably different to the sample papers (bar section 2) but there's really nothing worth worrying about at this stage. Just gonna take each day as it comes, I have enough uni work to occupy me anyway haha! Fingers crossed still everyone; we really just won't know how we did until results are out.

ilovesmecounty · 15-09-2017 12:50am

Me too. I'm a zombie at work! I have a renewed respect for kids completing that leaving cert marathon.

Celestial12 · 23-10-2017 11:55am

Did anybody go to the UL Open Day on Saturday? I was really impressed with the place.

So hard to get excited when you're waiting on GAMSAT results though! Most people seem to think the exam was a disaster after they sit it, so although that was the case for me I'm still hoping everything will be OK on results day. :P

ilovesmecounty · 23-10-2017 1:23pm

Hi I had planned on going but the weather was so horrific, I decided it wasn't worth travelling cross country. I actually just relaunced back into the study over the past week, focusing on March. I was too traumatised by September to even oven a book until last Monday!

Celestial12 · 23-10-2017 2:41pm

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

Hi I had planned on going but the weather was so horrific, I decided it wasn't worth travelling cross country. I actually just relaunced back into the study over the past week, focusing on March. I was too traumatised by September to even oven a book until last Monday!

The weather was pretty bad alright! The school looks really good. They had four different sessions on that different groups got to rotate through. One was in the clinical room, there was a PBL session, a brief tour of the anatomy room, and surgery where people had a brief go at using a laproscope ! There was an intro talk in the morning, and in the afternoon after all the different sessions some of the students gave a talk. Really impressed with the place! There's an open day in RCSI on Saturday November 4th I believe. I'm not going to go to it as I'm not based in Dublin, but if you're free it might be worth checking it out.

Well done for getting back into the study! Fingers crossed it will go well for you. I've done absolutely nothing, going to wait for the results. If I have to sit it again I'm going to spend more time practising questions, and getting better at data analysis. I'm also going to learn off essays for section II if I have to do it again.

Celestial12 · 23-10-2017 2:46pm

These were the release dates in previous years:

Year March Sitting September Sitting
2017 May 18, 2017 -
2016 May 12, 2016 November 10, 2016
2015 May 11, 2015 November 12, 2015
2014 May 16, 2014 November 18, 2014
2013 May 17, 2013 November 19, 2013
2012 May 18, 2012 November 22, 2012

May not have too much longer to wait! November 10th is two weeks Friday. :eek:

ilovesmecounty · 23-10-2017 4:30pm

Yeah I had to cos I was on such a backfoot for September. I saw that as a practice run for March really. So being much more systematic in my approach now and hoping to get into the practice questions by December. That should make the difference. I hope. That said, I'm not sure I'll ever get quick enough to deal with Section 3!! I might try to skip along to RCSI, that would be my first preference.

Celestial12 · 24-10-2017 1:24pm

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

Yeah I had to cos I was on such a backfoot for September. I saw that as a practice run for March really. So being much more systematic in my approach now and hoping to get into the practice questions by December. That should make the difference. I hope. That said, I'm not sure I'll ever get quick enough to deal with Section 3!! I might try to skip along to RCSI, that would be my first preference.

Sounds like a good plan. Apparently Section III is designed to slow you down, there's certain question that take too long and you're supposed to just move on from them... I attempted everything on the day though! Just about managed to finish on time, but I was very flustered by the end. I've been trying not to think about the exam since! Can barely remember any of the questions tbh. :eek:

ilovesmecounty · 24-10-2017 4:20pm

The fact you attempted everything is an achievement in itself! I had to guess 40 or so questions, but who knows, my guess might've been better than any attempt I would've made! I am glad I sat it in September though. It was worth it for the experience alone and means I'll be much more prepared for March. It's an expensive mock exam all the same!

Celestial12 · 27-10-2017 10:52am

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

The fact you attempted everything is an achievement in itself! I had to guess 40 or so questions, but who knows, my guess might've been better than any attempt I would've made! I am glad I sat it in September though. It was worth it for the experience alone and means I'll be much more prepared for March. It's an expensive mock exam all the same!

I guessed questions too, but I've no idea how much. I was less than halfway through at the halfway mark, which was the only time I realised I was running late so had to speed up. Annoying as in practice papers I always finished early! Found the questions on the day much wordier or something.

Feel like I'm in limbo waiting for these results. No idea what to expect because the score you get isn't a percentage. Hope we get them in two weeks like they did last year!

GrabTheCREAM · 06-11-2017 12:35pm

Anyone know where your own gamsat result gets posted? So weird to think we’ll know by end of the week..

Celestial12 · 06-11-2017 12:54pm

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

Anyone know where your own gamsat result gets posted? So weird to think we’ll know by end of the week..

I think we'll get an email from Acer to say that the results are available, and then when we log into the account we'll be able to view the results - probably in a similar way to accessing the admission ticket. Not sure what time they'll be up, but surely early in the morning our time seeing as they're based in Australia.

I think they'll be out on Thursday/Friday. I hope it's this week anyway! Sick of waiting. I've barely thought over the exam at all, I can barely remember section I and III. How are you feeling about the results?

GrabTheCREAM · 06-11-2017 1:43pm

Celestial12 wrote: »

I think we'll get an email from Acer to say that the results are available, and then when we log into the account we'll be able to view the results - probably in a similar way to accessing the admission ticket. Not sure what time they'll be up, but surely early in the morning our time seeing as they're based in Australia.

I think they'll be out on Thursday/Friday. I hope it's this week anyway! Sick of waiting. I've barely thought over the exam at all, I can barely remember section I and III. How are you feeling about the results?

Getting a little nervous about results if I’m honest haha just don’t want to have to give the exam again. hoping for any place but would prefer stay in Dublin

Celestial12 · 06-11-2017 1:59pm

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

Getting a little nervous about results if I’m honest haha just don’t want to have to give the exam again. hoping for any place but would prefer stay in Dublin

I'm thinking of UL or UCD. Went to the UL open day and I liked it, UCD have one at the end of the month so I'll go to that too.

Same! Don't want to sit it again. I'll definitely spend a lot more time on practice questions if I have to do it again.

GrabTheCREAM · 06-11-2017 3:38pm

Celestial12 wrote: »

I'm thinking of UL or UCD. Went to the UL open day and I liked it, UCD have one at the end of the month so I'll go to that too.

Same! Don't want to sit it again. I'll definitely spend a lot more time on practice questions if I have to do it again.

The ucd open day was this weekend just past I was working at it, not sure if it’s on again for the GEMs ðŸ€”

I’m only stressed bc I’m doing a 4yr degree and can just graduate w a BSc end of my third yr (this yr) and go straight to med if I get the points so this week is up to if I’ve to wait an extra year or no hahah ðŸ˜…

ilovesmecounty · 06-11-2017 4:21pm

For those of us who are less optimistic about the results, next March's exam date has been released. 28th. Mark it in the diary!

Celestial12 · 07-11-2017 12:22pm

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

The ucd open day was this weekend just past I was working at it, not sure if it’s on again for the GEMs &#55356;&#56340;

I’m only stressed bc I’m doing a 4yr degree and can just graduate w a BSc end of my third yr (this yr) and go straight to med if I get the points so this week is up to if I’ve to wait an extra year or no hahah &#55357;&#56837;

They have an evening on the 30th for graduate entry medicine.

https://www.myucd.ie/visiting-ucd/events/ucd-graduate-entry-medicine-open-evening-30th-november/

Fingers crossed you'll get the score you need! If you get it in the March sitting, can you still finish your degree after three years?

Thephantomsmask · 07-11-2017 12:49pm

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

The ucd open day was this weekend just past I was working at it, not sure if it’s on again for the GEMs &#55356;&#56340;

I’m only stressed bc I’m doing a 4yr degree and can just graduate w a BSc end of my third yr (this yr) and go straight to med if I get the points so this week is up to if I’ve to wait an extra year or no hahah &#55357;&#56837;

Graduating with a 3 year Bsc. is normally a level 7 degree, pretty sure you need a level 8 qualification which would be a 4 year hons. Bsc.

GrabTheCREAM · 07-11-2017 1:48pm

Celestial12 wrote: »

They have an evening on the 30th for graduate entry medicine.
https://www.myucd.ie/visiting-ucd/events/ucd-graduate-entry-medicine-open-evening-30th-november/

Fingers crossed you'll get the score you need! If you get it in the March sitting, can you still finish your degree after three years?

Oh perf, I might go to that myself! See I get the decision to either choose 3yr or 4yr in March so will have to see how I get on

Also it’s ucd engineering I’m In so it’s level 8 both 3yr for BSc then 4yr for BE if needed

Guidance · 07-11-2017 2:45pm

Hi all!

I have set up a FB group for medical applicants based in Ireland - hopefully it can be of use to some!

Just type in 'Ireland Medicine Applicants' and feel free to join

GrabTheCREAM · 09-11-2017 11:31pm

Anyone know at which time the results are released? Seems to be either tonight or tomorrow morning if you go on past dates..

Celestial12 · 09-11-2017 11:35pm

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

Anyone know at which time the results are released? Seems to be either tonight or tomorrow morning if you go on past dates..

Apparently they were out just before 1 am our time last year! Don't think there's a fixed time slot though. Australia are 11 hours ahead of us. Definitely won't be getting much sleep tonight, I have the Acer account set to VIP so my phone should light up if they send the email tonight.

ilovesmecounty · 10-11-2017 12:07am

Oh lads I feel like that kid who knows their Leaving is going to be crappy! ðŸ˜‚
Best of luck to ye!

GrabTheCREAM · 10-11-2017 12:28am

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

Oh lads I feel like that kid who knows their Leaving is going to be crappy! ðŸ˜‚
Best of luck to ye!

Ha I’m the same.. can’t stop thinking bout it at this stage

medennial · 10-11-2017 5:40am

It’s just before 5am and I’m wide awake (typical) and still no email. I just looked on their Facebook too and saw a post on the Acer page where they say results will be released “late November” which will be very disheartening if true. Here’s hoping the email comes at some stage today. Good luck everyone!

medennial · 10-11-2017 6:16am

I take it back l, it take it all back haha!

Results are out.

GrabTheCREAM · 10-11-2017 6:47am

How did everyone get one?? I’m very pleasantly surprised anyway

medennial · 10-11-2017 7:12am

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

How did everyone get one?? I’m very pleasantly surprised anyway

Pleasantly surprised too. I think being relaxed on the day (resigning myself to the fact that it was a practice run and I could do it again in March for real) ended up really helping me. I scored 80 in S2 which I didn’t even think was possible for two topics I didn’t have prepared. I’m delighted.

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 7:15am

I got SI 56, S2 64, and S3 67 for an overall of 63!

Disappointed with SI but I sucked at it the whole way through. Shocked at s3! So happy.

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 7:17am

medennial wrote: »

Pleasantly surprised too. I think being relaxed on the day (resigning myself to the fact that it was a practice run and I could do it again in March for real) ended up really helping me. I scored 80 in S2 which I didn’t even think was possible for two topics I didn’t have prepared. I’m delighted.

Well done! Fantastic score in s2.

medennial · 10-11-2017 7:19am

Celestial12 wrote: »

I got SI 56, S2 64, and S3 67 for an overall of 63!

Disappointed with SI but I sucked at it the whole way through. Shocked at s3! So happy.

Unreal! Congratulations, that’s a great score! Overall I’m at 60 which I’m happy with for my first attempt with very little study (and no science background). It should hopefully be enough for UL which I’m applying to anyway!

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 7:26am

medennial wrote: »

Unreal! Congratulations, that’s a great score! Overall I’m at 60 which I’m happy with for my first attempt with very little study (and no science background). It should hopefully be enough for UL which I’m applying to anyway!

Well done! 60 is a very good score too. I'm 90% sure that I'll choose UL too. Really impressed with it, and it's closest to home (Galway). So nice getting it on our first attempt. We should get in anywhere really, and once you're in the GAMSAT will become like the leaving.

Typical, the section I was happiest on the day ended up being by worst. :P Found section III quite hard, and using the score predictor I was anticipating a score of around 59 based on the practice test results. My essay score ended up being slightly below the second practice test which predicted 65-67.

GrabTheCREAM · 10-11-2017 7:30am

Mine was S1: 58 S2: 61 S3: 59 so overall 59

Probably gonna do it again in March to try and get 60+ to make sure I can get into Dublin but overall so happy!!

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 7:38am

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

Mine was S1: 58 S2: 61 S3: 59 so overall 59

Probably gonna do it again in March to try and get 60+ to make sure I can get into Dublin but overall so happy!!

Well done! I reckon you'll get in with that score but there's no harm to sit it again for the safety net. I was also planning on sitting it again if I got below 60, but I'm not going to bother now. I'm crap at S1 and don't think I'll be able to change that no matter what I do! :P

GrabTheCREAM · 10-11-2017 7:47am

Thanks! Yous did unreal btw congrats!

Also, not sure but a 61 in 2016 would’ve been 80th percentile, in 2017 March would be 50-60th percentile and now it’s 70th percentile.. anyone know what this means in terms of point jumps?

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 8:12am

GrabTheCREAM wrote: »

Thanks! Yous did unreal btw congrats!

Also, not sure but a 61 in 2016 would’ve been 80th percentile, in 2017 March would be 50-60th percentile and now it’s 70th percentile.. anyone know what this means in terms of point jumps?

Not sure, I know people were expecting big jumps in August but they didn't transpire. I think the reason the percentiles have changed is because we are now all grouped together (Australia, IE and UK) whereas in the past each territory was ranked alone.

My percentile was 79, but if I was just compared to the Irish cohort it would probably be higher. Australians tend to do much better than the UK and Ireland.

medennial · 10-11-2017 8:18am

Celestial12 wrote: »

Not sure, I know people were expecting big jumps in August but they didn't transpire. I think the reason the percentiles have changed is because we are now all grouped together (Australia, IE and UK) whereas in the past each territory was ranked alone.

My percentile was 79, but if I was just compared to the Irish cohort it would probably be higher. Australians tend to do much better than the UK and Ireland.

Yeah exactly. It's amazing how just a few points in the difference can make, my percentile was circa 70/75 (can't remember off the top of my head now) with three points in the difference.

I think I might take it again in March just to be on the safe side - I wouldn't mind trying to improve my S3 score.

Celestial12, were you at the UL Open Day, I thought it was great. I have friends there now (and friends who have been through it) and they all rave about the experience. We might end up being classmates, you better be sound ha!

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 8:23am

Irish percentile curve from 2012.

medennial wrote: »

Yeah exactly. It's amazing how just a few points in the difference can make, my percentile was circa 70/75 (can't remember off the top of my head now) with three points in the difference.

I think I might take it again in March just to be on the safe side - I wouldn't mind trying to improve my S3 score.

Celestial12, were you at the UL Open Day, I thought it was great. I have friends there now (and friends who have been through it) and they all rave about the experience. We might end up being classmates, you better be sound ha!

I was at it! Really impressed with the place. I'm going to go to the UCD open day at the end of the month to see what that's like. The program in UL looks really good anyway. 90% sure that's where I'm going to go.

ilovesmecounty · 10-11-2017 8:55am

Oh my god. I just opened mine.
63 in Section 1, 81 in Section 2, and 38 in section 3, which makes me 55!!! I'm so delighted with that considering I couldn't even describe an atom in early August. Motivation to hit the books hard for March.

debbysoap · 10-11-2017 9:04am

Congratulations everyone!!! I’m so happy we’ve all done so well; it almost feels like a group of school-friends getting their results together! This is one giant step closer to bright futures as medical healthcare professionals!

As for me...THANK YOU GOD!!!!!!
Got a 66 overall, just about 90th percentile.

Here’s to much more success!

ilovesmecounty · 10-11-2017 9:16am

Now, bear in mind that despite not making a complete show of myself in the gamsat, I still struggle with sums! How do I calculate my percentile based on that score? Am I using the curve Acer sent us, or is there an Irish specific one?

debbysoap · 10-11-2017 9:41am

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

Now, bear in mind that despite not making a complete show of myself in the gamsat, I still struggle with sums! How do I calculate my percentile based on that score? Am I using the curve Acer sent us, or is there an Irish specific one?

I presume that the curve we received was the general one, so inclusive of Australia and the UK. In fairness, the percentile only really comes to play in roughly gauging your chances of being accepted, but that’s a rough estimate.

You could extrapolate your total GAMSAT score (x-axis) to the y-axis to get your overall percentile

As Celestial12 said, your percentile will likely be slightly higher if you factor in just Irish applicants.

Celestial12 · 10-11-2017 9:48am

Well done Debby! Fantastic score. Have you decided where you want to go?

iLoves, Acer will tell you what percentile your score was for this cohort. Well done! You may get a UL offer with that next year.

ilovesmecounty · 10-11-2017 10:00am

Yeah 55 might... might... get me an offer. But I'll have to resit in march. Which doesn't disappoint me at all as I always assumed I'd have to. The challenge now is to maintain my good s1 and s2 marks. I've been scratching my head all morning trying to remember what I wrote. I remember being happy with my first essay but thought my second was the most tenuous link ever the theme!

medennial · 10-11-2017 10:29am

ilovesmecounty wrote: »

Yeah 55 might... might... get me an offer. But I'll have to resit in march. Which doesn't disappoint me at all as I always assumed I'd have to. The challenge now is to maintain my good s1 and s2 marks. I've been scratching my head all morning trying to remember what I wrote. I remember being happy with my first essay but thought my second was the most tenuous link ever the theme!

I’m the same - I’ve been stratching my head all morning, trying to ascertain what exactly it was about my essays that resulted in the high S2 marks. I have always been a fairly good writer when it comes to essays, so I am putting it down to that for the moment. I was purposely outlandish in the first (I quoted Hitler. Numerous times) and almost poetic in description in the second, which I think probably went in my favour as they may have been different.

I’m so delighted for everyone though. Hope you’re all doing something nice to celebrate!

debbysoap · 10-11-2017 11:06am

Celestial12 wrote: »

Well done Debby! Fantastic score. Have you decided where you want to go?

Well done to you too!
I’ll be applying for 2019 entry and I’m aiming for UCD here. I’m applying in the UK also.

HopefulGEM18 · 10-11-2017 11:08am

Hi guys. I sat in September and got 57. Has anyone got any tips for the science section? It was my lowest one at 45. I haven't got a science background. I got 59 in section one and I'd like to bring that up to so all advice will be more than welcome. Congratulations to everyone who did great first time round.

GAMSAT 2017

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