REASONS TO SIT ANOTHER GAMSAT…AND NOT SIT IT EVER AGAIN

Now that all the interview offers are out, you’re in a pretty clear position whether or not the reality of getting into medical school is happening next year.

Today, I want to discuss the reasons to sit another GAMSAT exam or NOT to sit another GAMSAT.

If getting into medicine is your number one goal in life, then simply put, yes sit another GAMSAT, however lots of conversations I’ve had with those who weren’t successful in getting an interview offer are considering other avenues like further study in Honours or Masters or sitting the UMAT exam as an alternative to post graduate medicine and I just want to talk about why these are either a good or bad idea.

If you are considering to enrol in an Honours year or Masters Degree for next year, consider how this is going to help or hinder your chances of getting into medicine. The most common reason is ‘I don’t have a good enough GPA in my undergraduate, therefore I must do further study to improve it’.

Firstly, if your intention is to work in medicine, yet you’re enrolling into a course that in by part is medical related, please let me know how this is going to help with getting into medical school.

I know lots of rumours suggest that by having a higher degree of study from an undergraduate degree is desirable on your application, however, there is no actual evidence from ACER that is the case.

Secondly, how will you manage the time spent between further study and GAMSAT? Most students struggle with balancing the demands of both uni and GAMSAT (and believe me honours and masters requires more work than an undergraduate degree).

The GAMSAT is the only actual study that is required apart of your medical school entry. Spending another year or two or more on further study is taking you away from the study that actually matters; the GAMSAT.

Now that we’ve covered that, if you’re uncertainly uncertain as to what to do, and whether to sit ANOTHER GAMSAT exam, then go back to the core reason you’re doing this, you want to become a Doctor. If that desire is fading, look at the bigger picture. What’s getting in my way that hindering my GAMSAT studies. Is it work? Is it uni? Is it family commitments? Is it procrastination? Is it a fear of failure? Or is it just not for me?

If any of those are holding you back from giving 110% to the GAMSAT, something needs to change and this may mean not sitting the GAMSAT  ever again because you’ve realised it’s not for you, or holding off for a year or two to work some things out in your personal situation and then re-assessing whether to do it one last time.

I’ve spoken to lots of people who want to smash the GAMSAT and realized that something needed to change in order for them to properly commit to giving 110%.

If that’s you, and you’re unsure where or how to start that process, get in touch with the team. We can help work out a plan specific to your situation of how to make those changes.

If you are planning to sit the GAMSAT again either in March or September 2019, get in touch with the tea, we can help change your study from the previous attempt to make this next GAMSAT, the last one you’ll ever sit.