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GAMSAT 2018

  • 26-11-2017 5:15pm
    #1
    Registered Users Posts: 4


    I was wondering if anyone had any experience with GRADMED And the course they run and if it’s worth it and useful, any information would be appreciated, thanks


«13456727

Comments

  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    How much does it cost? I've heard people say prep courses are overpriced and not worth it, but perhaps they work for some people. I sat the exam in September and there wasn't any courses available at the time so I didn't do any. I think it depends on your circumstances, are you hoping to start GEM next year? If not, then I definitely wouldn't do a prep course as you'll have more than one chance to sit the exam.

    I found the Des O'Neil material good prep for the exam.


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 louiselennonm


    It costs just over 2000 I think for the science which is where I need the most work as I come from a non science background. The reason I like the idea of the course is structure and guidance on how to go about study etc however if it is a waste I of course don’t want to spend the money. I have the des o Neill prep stuff so will be using that too. What did you get in the exam If you don’t mind me asking?


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    It costs just over 2000 I think for the science which is where I need the most work as I come from a non science background. The reason I like the idea of the course is structure and guidance on how to go about study etc however if it is a waste I of course don’t want to spend the money. I have the des o Neill prep stuff so will be using that too. What did you get in the exam If you don’t mind me asking?

    I got 63 in the exam (SI 56, SII 64 and SIII 67). Work your way through the Des material, Khan academy videos are good too (I used them to brush up on Chemistry). Biology I just briefly bushed up on, my degree was biology based though. Didn't have time to cover physics! I don't think the Des O'Nell notes are great, but their practice tests are. I also briefly used some of the Berkeley (MCAT) notes.

    I think €2000 is very expensive for the course, but if you think you'll benefit then go for it!


  • Registered Users Posts: 4 louiselennonm


    yeah i agree it is a lot! just so unsure how to begin, I'm in 2nd year of a 3 year degree so do have some time and three chances to sit GAMSAT before i finish my degree, just the amount of science there is i find very daunting, well done in the exam!


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    yeah i agree it is a lot! just so unsure how to begin, I'm in 2nd year of a 3 year degree so do have some time and three chances to sit GAMSAT before i finish my degree, just the amount of science there is i find very daunting, well done in the exam!

    Thanks! There's lots of online resources. Did you do any science subjects for the LC? The biology is pretty straight forward in the GAMSAT, a lot of it is data interpretation and any info you need is given in the question. If you're good at section I and II, good scores there can compensate for a weaker score in section III. You'll figure out a strategy that works for you as you get into the study.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 44 medennial


    I got 63 in the exam (SI 56, SII 64 and SIII 67). Work your way through the Des material, Khan academy videos are good too (I used them to brush up on Chemistry). Biology I just briefly bushed up on, my degree was biology based though. Didn't have time to cover physics! I don't think the Des O'Nell notes are great, but their practice tests are. I also briefly used some of the Berkeley (MCAT) notes.

    I think €2000 is very expensive for the course, but if you think you'll benefit then go for it!

    €2000 is definitely very expensive. Doing the exam without a science background is completely possible. I sat it for the first time there in September and scored 60. I did law and finance in undergrad, so have no science backing whatsoever and did very limited study for the GAMSAT. I worked a full time job and started to study about four months before the exam. I found a combination of Khan Academy and Des O’Neill worked really well and it saved me a lot of money rather than shelling out for a prep course.

    You’ll get a lot of great material on Adverts.ie , maybe have a look here before you spend a couple thousand on a course. I’m now using the time before starting GEM to do free chemistry courses to brush up on my own knowledge at an easier pace, rather than trying to cram it for the exam


  • Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭e1994


    This might be a ridiculous question but are you allowed to write on the paper that the essay questions come on? i.e. to make a quick plan?


  • Registered Users Posts: 39 Recap


    medennial wrote: »
    I got 63 in the exam (SI 56, SII 64 and SIII 67). Work your way through the Des material, Khan academy videos are good too (I used them to brush up on Chemistry). Biology I just briefly bushed up on, my degree was biology based though. Didn't have time to cover physics! I don't think the Des O'Nell notes are great, but their practice tests are. I also briefly used some of the Berkeley (MCAT) notes.

    I think €2000 is very expensive for the course, but if you think you'll benefit then go for it!

    €2000 is definitely very expensive. Doing the exam without a science background is completely possible. I sat it for the first time there in September and scored 60. I did law and finance in undergrad, so have no science backing whatsoever and did very limited study for the GAMSAT. I worked a full time job and started to study about four months before the exam. I found a combination of Khan Academy and Des O’Neill worked really well and it saved me a lot of money rather than shelling out for a prep course.

    You’ll get a lot of great material on Adverts.ie , maybe have a look here before you spend a couple thousand on a course. I’m now using the time before starting GEM to do free chemistry courses to brush up on my own knowledge at an easier pace, rather than trying to cram it for the exam
    I just want to reiterate this point. My advice is the following:
    - Get yourself acquainted with the test format and do tons of past papers;
    - Understand the basic concepts in chemistry, physics and biology;
    - I would rather spend the £260ish on sitting an extra session and better grasping the test conditions.


  • Registered Users Posts: 6 AthenaFortuna


    For those sitting in March, can this result be used to apply for courses beginning in 2018? I also sat in September but am resitting to try and improve my mark a bit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    For those sitting in March, can this result be used to apply for courses beginning in 2018? I also sat in September but am resitting to try and improve my mark a bit.

    Yes, you can use the March score. September 2016 & 2017, March 2017 & 2018 can all be used for 2018 entry.


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  • Registered Users Posts: 46 yamadeejit


    I am doing a full time pharmacy internship at the minute so I am finding it difficult to squeeze in study time. Anyone have any advice? Would 2 and a bit months be enough? Starting to lose hope a bit.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    yamadeejit wrote: »
    I am doing a full time pharmacy internship at the minute so I am finding it difficult to squeeze in study time. Anyone have any advice? Would 2 and a bit months be enough? Starting to lose hope a bit.

    It's more than enough time! I'd recommend doing practice questions. Des O'Neill and the Acer questions are good.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    Hi guys, repeat gamsat refugee here. I sat it with very little prep in September (due to full time job) and zero science background. I had to learn what an atom was. So out of my depth completely. But the experience was great to have going into March. So if money is tight, I'd recommend you study as much as you can and give the exam your best go, even if you feel you aren't ready. At best, you might be pleasantly surprised, at worst you repeat with the knowledge of how better to go about it. I scored a 55 and nearly fell out of bed when I opened it. However, my science really let me down, while my essay writing really helped me out. So I'm going again. My progress in science is quite slow. I'm going through the papers, and I've reached the nearly always narrowing it down to two possible answers stage, but I always seem to go for the wrong one :(
    I feel like I understand the concepts, but the way the questions are asked just don't suit my thinking process if that makes sense. I'm also worried that I might lose marks in Sections 1 and 2 due to lack of practice, and my marks were so good (especially in 2) that I can't possibly repeat that performance!


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    Hi guys, repeat gamsat refugee here. I sat it with very little prep in September (due to full time job) and zero science background. I had to learn what an atom was. So out of my depth completely. But the experience was great to have going into March. So if money is tight, I'd recommend you study as much as you can and give the exam your best go, even if you feel you aren't ready. At best, you might be pleasantly surprised, at worst you repeat with the knowledge of how better to go about it. I scored a 55 and nearly fell out of bed when I opened it. However, my science really let me down, while my essay writing really helped me out. So I'm going again. My progress in science is quite slow. I'm going through the papers, and I've reached the nearly always narrowing it down to two possible answers stage, but I always seem to go for the wrong one :(
    I feel like I understand the concepts, but the way the questions are asked just don't suit my thinking process if that makes sense. I'm also worried that I might lose marks in Sections 1 and 2 due to lack of practice, and my marks were so good (especially in 2) that I can't possibly repeat that performance!

    You should get an offer for UL with 55 even if you don't improve. Fingers crossed you will score better second time around. Would you accept an offer from UL? I think I'm going to put it as my second choice, I currently have it third.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    You should get an offer for UL with 55 even if you don't improve. Fingers crossed you will score better second time around. Would you accept an offer from UL? I think I'm going to put it as my second choice, I currently have it third.

    I would yeah. I'd prefer Dublin as my life is here, but the only thing I have against UL is location. Knowing my luck as well there will be a huge jump in scores and cutoff in UL will probably climb to 56 and 57. So I have to retake the thing. Having the prior experience going in is great in that I know what to expect. However, because I know what to expect I have full knowledge of the torture of that ghastly exam!:eek:


  • Registered Users Posts: 43 Limk88


    Hi guys, repeat gamsat refugee here. I sat it with very little prep in September (due to full time job) and zero science background. I had to learn what an atom was. So out of my depth completely. But the experience was great to have going into March. So if money is tight, I'd recommend you study as much as you can and give the exam your best go, even if you feel you aren't ready. At best, you might be pleasantly surprised, at worst you repeat with the knowledge of how better to go about it. I scored a 55 and nearly fell out of bed when I opened it. However, my science really let me down, while my essay writing really helped me out. So I'm going again. My progress in science is quite slow. I'm going through the papers, and I've reached the nearly always narrowing it down to two possible answers stage, but I always seem to go for the wrong one :(


    I feel like I understand the concepts, but the way the questions are asked just don't suit my thinking process if that makes sense. I'm also worried that I might lose marks in Sections 1 and 2 due to lack of practice, and my marks were so good (especially in 2) that I can't possibly repeat that performance!

    I feel your pain ilovesmecounty - I spent 3 weeks learning everything in "Biology for dummies" to find that rote learning is not the best way to tackle the GAMSAT :(  I think I'm going to focus on chemistry topics, basic physics and maths for now while working through the Des O'Neill questions for the next 2 months.  
    This seems pretty good for brushing up on maths for GAMSAT : http://e-gamsat.com/gamsat-videos-maths.html. ; Did you do anything specific for section 1 and 2 for your September GAMSAT sitting?


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    Limk88 wrote: »
    I feel your pain ilovesmecounty - I spent 3 weeks learning everything in "Biology for dummies" to find that rote learning is not the best way to tackle the GAMSAT :(  I think I'm going to focus on chemistry topics, basic physics and maths for now while working through the Des O'Neill questions for the next 2 months.  
    This seems pretty good for brushing up on maths for GAMSAT : http://e-gamsat.com/gamsat-videos-maths.html.  Did you do anything specific for section 1 and 2 for your September GAMSAT sitting?

    Not really. Just the practice questions in the exam papers. I figured I knew how to read and write enough to at least give it a good bash and focused completely on science. I do a lot of writing in my job though, and I had just written an MSc thesis so I had the critical thinking homework done in that sense. Writing any decent essay in an exam is hard, but throw in that time pressure and it's really hard. I'm used to speed reading and writing and even I was writing to the end for the essays and only had about 5 minutes to spare in section 1. Thanks for that. I find the sums often catch me out.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    I would yeah. I'd prefer Dublin as my life is here, but the only thing I have against UL is location. Knowing my luck as well there will be a huge jump in scores and cutoff in UL will probably climb to 56 and 57. So I have to retake the thing. Having the prior experience going in is great in that I know what to expect. However, because I know what to expect I have full knowledge of the torture of that ghastly exam!:eek:

    Hopefully there won't be a points jump! I know what you mean though. I'm on 63, and I'm starting to wonder if I should sit again in March. I have UCD down first, it hasn't been near 63 in years yet I'm starting to worry I won't be secure. :eek::P

    Did you get practice test 3? They released it in November, so it should be more like the real exam. The thing that annoyed me most about the GAMSAT on the day was the Section III seemed much more reasoning focused than in practice papers. I felt I would have been better off if I'd spent more time practising questions, rather than trying to learn concepts!


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    Hopefully there won't be a points jump! I know what you mean though. I'm on 63, and I'm starting to wonder if I should sit again in March. I have UCD down first, it hasn't been near 63 in years yet I'm starting to worry I won't be secure. :eek::P

    Did you get practice test 3? They released it in November, so it should be more like the real exam. The thing that annoyed me most about the GAMSAT on the day was the Section III seemed much more reasoning focused than in practice papers. I felt I would have been better off if I'd spent more time practising questions, rather than trying to learn concepts!

    I have it, I just haven't gotten as far as it yet. I felt I wanted to keep it til last, as hopefully I'll be improving as I go and don't want the psychological kicking of doing badly in it! If the cutoff was 58 last year, I think you're safe enough. It's not going to make that kind of leap. I just am not good at these kind of tests. I've gotten a bit better, but not quick enough.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    Also can I just double check with you guys as I'm really nervous about messing up this CAO application. I've applied, have a number, and I've posted off the original documents. I have updated my ACER account with my CAO number. Is that all I can do? There doesn't seem to be anywhere on the CAO website to add my gamsat score. Thanks!


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  • Registered Users Posts: 71 ✭✭e1994


    63 was a great score to get! Any other advice? :)


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    Also can I just double check with you guys as I'm really nervous about messing up this CAO application. I've applied, have a number, and I've posted off the original documents. I have updated my ACER account with my CAO number. Is that all I can do? There doesn't seem to be anywhere on the CAO website to add my gamsat score. Thanks!

    Fingers crossed you're right and the scores won't change much. That's all I did. I'm also paranoid that I'm going to mess it up. I'd prefer if the system was more like that for other postgraduate courses, and that offers were made throughout the year. I hate that we have to wait until August. The March GAMSAT results are out in May, and most colleges release their results in June so it's a shame that it can't be sooner.
    e1994 wrote: »
    63 was a great score to get! Any other advice? :)
    Not really! I didn't think the exam went well on the day, and felt I got lucky. Section III was my best section. I felt I would have been better off focusing on data interpretation rather than knowledge acquisition. Know how to read different graphs, tables etc. I found a lot of the questions on the day very wordy, and easy to confuse what they were asking for.


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    Fingers crossed you're right and the scores won't change much. That's all I did. I'm also paranoid that I'm going to mess it up. I'd prefer if the system was more like that for other postgraduate courses, and that offers were made throughout the year. I hate that we have to wait until August. The March GAMSAT results are out in May, and most colleges release their results in June so it's a shame that it can't be sooner.
    .

    In total agreement with you here. The results in August leave 2 weeks to find a place to live etc. I know with the Leaving Cert they need the summer to mark their papers but in this day and age, coupled with the housing/rental crisis, the fact that they could tell us earlier is more than a little bit annoying. I really feel for anyone who might be borderline going to Dublin but won't know until the day of the offers, who then have to make their way through the property jungle here. Plus, since we're older, I'm assuming lives take more managing and organisation compared to the Leaving Cert cohorts who can just take off and sleep on a couch if they have to. Oh to be young again! :pac:


  • Registered Users Posts: 5 mesallat


    Hey guys, did anyone on here get a score of 61 in sept, and if so are you repeating in march ?!

    I got 61; I feel that if I got 60 or lower i'd happily repeat, and if I got 62 i'd be pretty happy to sit and wait with that for UCD.

    61 is a tricky one cause it has to be 60 or lower to guarantee place, and it was 59 last year I think and has gone up by 2 pts before (rarely happens tho in fairness). Just wondering if anyone else in that predicament anyway ?

    cheers


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 yamadeejit


    Hi guys, repeat gamsat refugee here. I sat it with very little prep in September (due to full time job) and zero science background. I had to learn what an atom was. So out of my depth completely. But the experience was great to have going into March. So if money is tight, I'd recommend you study as much as you can and give the exam your best go, even if you feel you aren't ready. At best, you might be pleasantly surprised, at worst you repeat with the knowledge of how better to go about it. I scored a 55 and nearly fell out of bed when I opened it. However, my science really let me down, while my essay writing really helped me out. So I'm going again. My progress in science is quite slow. I'm going through the papers, and I've reached the nearly always narrowing it down to two possible answers stage, but I always seem to go for the wrong one :(
    I feel like I understand the concepts, but the way the questions are asked just don't suit my thinking process if that makes sense. I'm also worried that I might lose marks in Sections 1 and 2 due to lack of practice, and my marks were so good (especially in 2) that I can't possibly repeat that performance!

    Thanks for thus post. Was considering giving up and just sitting in Sept due to time constraints of working full time. You are right, it is expensive and I may as well give it my best shot.

    Also- in terms of sending documents to CAO. Can I print off a copy of my transcript and send it off? Is that all that needs to be sent?


  • Registered Users Posts: 103 ✭✭ilovesmecounty


    yamadeejit wrote: »
    Thanks for thus post. Was considering giving up and just sitting in Sept due to time constraints of working full time. You are right, it is expensive and I may as well give it my best shot.

    Also- in terms of sending documents to CAO. Can I print off a copy of my transcript and send it off? Is that all that needs to be sent?


    I've applied to CAO, and have my CAO number, and I've posted off the original documents to their office. Make sure they are original docs and not photocopies, grad med specifically needs original documents. I also updated my ACER account with my CAO number. I didn't send my gamsat score to CAO as I'll be re-sitting and according to their very confusing website, they will get the score from ACER but you need to keep an eye on your account in case it doesn't update.


  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    mesallat wrote: »
    Hey guys, did anyone on here get a score of 61 in sept, and if so are you repeating in march ?!

    I got 61; I feel that if I got 60 or lower i'd happily repeat, and if I got 62 i'd be pretty happy to sit and wait with that for UCD.

    61 is a tricky one cause it has to be 60 or lower to guarantee place, and it was 59 last year I think and has gone up by 2 pts before (rarely happens tho in fairness). Just wondering if anyone else in that predicament anyway ?

    cheers

    You could maybe try to email UCD directly and see if they give you any information. In general, points here don't change much from year to year but the wait is nerve-wrecking!


  • Registered Users Posts: 46 yamadeejit


    What is everyone doing for the biology section? I have been making notes for physics and chemistry using the Gold Standard but I feel this would be too time consuming for biology given the amount of information.


  • Registered Users Posts: 43 Limk88


    Hey Yamadeejit - have you looked at Kahn academy for videos on the different sciences; it might be quicker than reading books...  Personally, I liked the Biology for dummies book.
    Have any of you guys applied abroad?  I stumbled across this today - https://www.nicosia.sgul.ac.cy/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MEDICAL-DEGREE-BROCHURE-November-2017.pdf


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  • Registered Users Posts: 346 ✭✭Celestial12


    Limk88 wrote: »
    Hey Yamadeejit - have you looked at Kahn academy for videos on the different sciences; it might be quicker than reading books...  Personally, I liked the Biology for dummies book.
    Have any of you guys applied abroad?  I stumbled across this today - https://www.nicosia.sgul.ac.cy/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/MEDICAL-DEGREE-BROCHURE-November-2017.pdf

    I didn't apply anywhere abroad. I thought the GAMSAT was a disaster on the day so didn't bother applying to the UK. I probably would have stayed in Ireland anyway, if given the choice. :)


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