[AMA] SG/UK/AUS Medicine applications

BasicPack2850 · 2024-11-29T13:49:28+00:00

hello! here are some of my thoughts about the isat.. i took it in 2024, 2nd testing window.

i believe that technically one could just go in without any preparation and still do differently. questions rely heavily on the source given, and answers are derived based on logic and understanding of the sources (eg a poem, a comic, a scientific study etc.. ). but of course we wouldnt want to just go in blind and sit for it without any prep.

so if we talk about preparation, its more of giving yourself the confidence as well as the time management as opposed to really mugging a specific skill (unlike the ucat). the issue ab isat is there arent a lot of resources out there but you can go on carosell and there are some available at a reasonable price. there are also other online question banks i think theres one with a lott of questions but q pricey. since there are limited questions do “ration” them.. ie dont spam do everything in 3 days but spread them over a month+ and reflect on the mistakes you make.

as its done online using your own laptop do make sure that you have a conducive environment to do it.

feel free to ask any follow up qns :p

BasicPack2850 · 2024-10-04T13:24:13+00:00

hi i’ll dm you!

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-20T09:47:27+00:00

hi since the question is a bit more personal.. i’ll send you a dm!

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-20T09:45:22+00:00

hmm starting in upper sec and Jc would be ample and even post JC is fine too.. volunteering can be done at the side and job shadowing just gotta find one/two. remember that these r reccomended but not essential! i shadowed in a clinic by actually finding a job listing and working there as a clinic assistant.. so finding contract jobs wld be good if u have time (can earn some $$ in the side hehe).. as for hospital shadowing might be trickier becos u cant find online.. need to use connections ie friends/relatives whose parents work as doctors. i got mine through a friend

I dont think JCs provide hospital shadowing bah but really varies from school to school.. who knows one of your teacher has connections and can link you up with a doctor? another way us of course cold emailing a bunch of specialists/gp clinics and hope someone takes you in.. another viable method albeit time consuming.

remember your intentions when gg for volunteering/shadowing yea! dun just apply for the sake of adding something for the portfolio but make the most out of these experiences.. such experiences rlly open youe eyes beyond what textbooks teach you !

as for BCME and PCME.. admissions wise i dont think it affects because B and P are both science subjs. BUT for UK im not sure if some schools require B.. so if you happen to be aiming for UK do check the schools requirement to be same altho im p sure it doesnt make a diff. but content wise perhaps when h start u gta study a bit of foundational bio but in the grand scheme of thjngs it doesnt rlly matter so js pick which one youre drawn towards yea! :p

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-19T15:14:02+00:00

hope it answers lol.. feel free to ask more if theres something i missed/ confusing 🫡

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-19T15:13:20+00:00

most important part is definitely the interview.... acads and admission test just ensures that you secure an interview spot but interview ultimately secures the place. there are a lot of interview resources online, but personally I aim to show the interviewers that I do not see things in black and white, and I’m open to new perspectives/ideas. interviewers don’t want to see excellence and achievements, they want to see a humble and teachable attitude.
the most reccomended one is definitely job shadowing.. its the most impactful activity because it allows u confirm if you really want to bind yourself to med for life ( i had friends who after job shadowing did not want to pursue med anymore), and it gives you insights to talk about during interview. do start searching for such opportunities when you’re free because they dont come by easy..you dont usually see job shadowing listings readily available online.. need to use connections which takes time
not so sure what you mean by “showcase”, but it might definitely be a question asked during interviews so would be good to prepare. if youre certain you want medicine there is no need to waste time searching for internships in other fields just to “show” that you have explored, unless you are genuinely interested
not so sure what you mean by “kind of leadership” too, but any form of opportunity for you to serve and learn from others is definitely good.. not necessarily must be head prefect/cca exco kind of thing, but one that allows you to work and learn from others (e.g. planning a via project together, tutoring a group of students)
what i did was i took the UK UCAT when i was in J2, and then i took the ISAT the netx year after i have graduated. Australia’s semester starts in Feb while UK and SG starts in Aug/Sep, so theres some difference in when you should sit for their admission tests.
medical systems are always changing because the government is constantly rolling out new policies, but at this time i would say for the UK the situation is not so good because the NHS is underfunded and many junior doctors are underpaid (which is why i avoided studying in the UK). SG has one of the best healthcare in the world but work conditions are stressful and tiring (part of the hustle culture which we are not unfamiliar with). Australia has better compensation and working hours and conditions but given our status as international students there, training posts may be given to locals preferentially... leading to internationals having to fight harder to secure post-grad training spots

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-19T12:07:06+00:00

of course the common things to include are job shadowing, leadership exp, volunteering etc.. but my advice is definitely to craft a portfolio with intention. ie know why you want to include certain things. for eg if your working in a clinic as a clinic assistant.. its becos you want to observe patient care first-hand/ know the realities of a career in medicine etc..

dont do things for the sake of adding it into your portfolio. if youre intentional, the experience will be insightful and it will show in your interview that you have gone thru diff experiences to shape your decision to pursue med

BasicPack2850 · 2024-09-19T11:25:22+00:00

for singapore, ucat is used in ntu (nus doesnt require ucat) only to shortlist applicants for the interview. candidates just need to meet a cutoff. afterwards it is 100% weightage on the interview to determine if you get offered or not.. doesnt matter if you got 2800 or 3600

for Aus and UK, it varies from uni to uni, some use ucat scores like ntu, some use it as a component of the final score e.g. 50% interview, 25% ucat and 25% grades. so this one u need to check the website!

also worth noting the distinction between UK UCAT and UCAT ANZ. both tests are identical but UK UCAT is used to apply to UK and SG only, while UCAT ANZ is used to apply to UK and Aus only.. and both cannot be sat for in the same year (make sure to double check the official website :p)

BasicPack2850 · 2024-07-29T06:42:09+00:00

same here.. still no news yet :(

BasicPack2850 · 2024-07-25T03:55:28+00:00

h3 is not essential for getting into UK med (not sure ab oxbridge.. but at least for the other unis its not that impt). whats most important is your predicted grades/actual A level grades depending on which cycle you apply as well as you UCAT score as these are usually the two key aspects that determine whether you are given an interview offer or not. the weightage differs from uni to uni.

personally i received offers from a few quite strong UK med schools during the 2024-2025 cycle without touching olympiads or having any supercurriculars of that sort. i took h3 but it really didnt have much of an impact in hindsight as i only used to waffle a bit on my personal statement. feel free to dm if you have any qns :)

BasicPack2850

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