All About Otago Med Admissions
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All About Otago Med Admissions
Students who are interested in studying medicine (MBChB) at Otago University in Dunedin can apply through three different categories: undergraduate, graduate or alternative.
The most common one that students will apply to medicine from is the health sciences first year (HSFY) undergraduate pathway, which is predominantly for high school leavers in their first year of university study.
Admission into medicine is based on two admission requirements, your UCAT score and GPA.
Your first month of FYHS determines your year going forward. Make sure you start on the right foot with advice and help from MedView’s FYHS Workshops and Courses.
HOW WE SUPPORT STUDENTS
Undergraduate Category
Health Sciences First Year (HSFY)
All students interested in applying to medicine in their first year of the university must sit in the health sciences first year (HSFY). Once you set all the necessary papers and courses, you then apply to medicine which if successful, will begin in your second year of university study.
The medicine programme is a total of 6 years including your HSFY. In order to gain admission into the HSFY pathway, students must meet the university entry rank score requirements which are 140
HSFY Requirements
There are no subject requirements in order to enter into the HSFY pathway however it is highly recommended that students take NCEA level 3 Chemistry, Physics and Biology (or the equivalent) to help them prepare. For students that have not taken these, Otago University has courses during the summer holidays to help them prepare.
HSFY Structure
Students completing their HSFY are required to take seven core papers that cover a range of sciences (listed below). In order to apply for medicine in your first year, you must achieve a 70% in each core paper however realistically, you should be aiming for an estimated 93-95%+ in each paper to give yourself a more competitive advantage since students are ranked based on their grades.
Semester One
HUBS191 - Human Body Systems I
CHEM191 - The Chemical Basis of Biology and Human Health
CELS191 - Cell and Molecular Biology
PHSI191 - Physics
Semester Two
HUBS192 - Human Body Systems II
POPH192 - Population Health
BIOC192 - Foundations of Biochemistry
Optional 8th Paper
The university allows students to also pick up an 8th optional paper in their second semester to help them explore areas outside of the core papers and/or help them boost their overall GPA. A list of potential 8th paper options can be found here.
English Diagnostic Test
In order to be eligible for admission via the HSFY category, all students are required to sit and pass a compulsory English diagnostic test in Semester One. You have the opportunity to sit it twice in Semester One and if you do not pass either, you must sit ENGL126 in semester two (which means you can not pick up the 8th paper). The test focuses on reading, listening and written comprehension and is reflective of the expectations required in order to progress into a professional programme. More information can be found here.
Medicine Requirements from HSFY
In order to be eligible for medicine, you must:
- Pass the English Diagnostic Test or ENGL126
- Have a valid current UCAT result
- Achieve a 70% (B+) in each core paper (after the first attempt)
Admission into medicine is based on:
Otago is the only university in New Zealand that offers dentistry which is a five-year programme including HSFY. The undergraduate pathway is essentially the same, as students have to complete HSFY before applying however some requirements are slightly different.
In order to be eligible for dentistry, you must:
- Pass the English diagnostic test or ENGL126
- Have a valid current UCAT result
- Achieve a 65% (B) in each core paper and an average of 70% across all HSFY papers (after the first attempt)
- Receive an MMI Interview offer
Dentistry Requirements from HSFY
Every year, the Otago Medical/Dentistry School Admissions Committee determines a UCAT threshold. This threshold can change year to year and is not known to students prior to sitting the UCAT however in the last few years, the threshold for medicine has been 20th percentile for verbal reasoning and 10th percentile for situational judgement & the threshold for dentistry has been similar except it also includes decision-making (roughly the 55-60th percentile). If you meet the thresholds, your admission will be based 100% entirely on your GPA for medicine so your grades in your first year are super important!
In regards to the GPA, admission is based on your GPA from your best seven papers. This means that you have the ability to swap out one of your core papers (given that you met the 70% requirement) for your 8th optional paper. As mentioned previously, all students are ranked until the places are filled through the HSFY category so the higher GPA you receive, the better chance you have of getting in.
Ideally, you should aim for a 93-95%+ average across all your best seven papers which is high however MedView can support you across your core papers in your first year. Just check out our services available to you!
If students are unsuccessful in their applications via the undergraduate category, they can try again via the graduate category, after completing a degree.
UCAT
HSFY applicants must complete the UCAT exam. Your UCAT score weighs 15% of your medical school application. The final score is combined from all five sections:
Final Thoughts
It is important to be well set up for your journey into Otago's medical school so start preparing early and plan ahead. Due to New Zealand only having two medical schools, it is an extremely competitive nature however MedView likes to promote a supportive, supportive and engaging environment.
We recommend that you start working hard in high school to achieve the entry requirements to get you into HSFY and take the recommended subjects, to establish a strong scientific foundation of knowledge prior to beginning your HSFY. In your HSFY, set yourself up for success by taking one of MedView’s courses to help you succeed in the core papers/UCAT, alongside tailored private tutoring to you! If you are interested in hearing more, please click here.
Your first month of FYHS determines your year going forward. Make sure you start on the right foot with advice and help from MedView’s FYHS Workshops and Courses.
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The UCAT
The UCAT, or the University Clinical Aptitude Test is the medical school admission test required for many universities in Australia and New Zealand. The UCAT is designed to assess applicants for the aptitude, attitudes and beliefs required of a doctor. In order to defeat the UCAT - we should understand what it is. First off, it’s a two hour computer based exam. There are 5 separately timed subtests - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement. In this blog we break down each of the sections and offer guidance on how to prepare for this important exam.
Verbal Reasoning
Verbal Reasoning is meant to assess your ability to read something and draw appropriate conclusions. You can see why this would be important to a doctor - you’re part of a multidisciplinary team and will have to communicate effectively. In addition, doctors have to keep current with new research and draw reasonable conclusions from published findings. Decision making involves 11 text excerpts with 4 questions each, meaning this section has 44 questions in 21 minutes - that means an average of 29 seconds per question. That doesn’t even take reading the stem into account!
Decision Making
Decision Making is essentially data interpretation from graphs, tables, text and charts. You don’t need to have background knowledge on any subject, because part of what they’re testing is your ability to understand new information. Can you think of a time a doctor might have to do the same? This section has 29 questions in 31 minutes - an average of 64 seconds per question. Compare the timing of section to verbal reasoning, it’s more than double. Consider the length of time per question as an indication of how much the test writers want you to analyse.
Quantitative Reasoning
Quantitative Reasoning is a straightforward mathematics section - there are nine scenarios each with four questions. You’ll have access to an on screen calculator - which is functional but pretty clunky! You’ll have to strike a balance between using mental maths to be quick, and keeping your wits about you, and staying accurate. This section has 36 questions in 24 minutes - an average of 40 seconds per question. It’s not a lot of time to question your maths abilities!
Abstract Reasoning
Abstract Reasoning is used to evaluate your ability to locate patterns and understand logic, separate from your language abilities. If you’ve seen the guides online with pictures asking you to find a pattern - that’s abstract reasoning. This section is sometimes hard for students to grasp, because it’s such a different set of skills. It’s also probably the biggest struggle with time management. This section has 55 questions in 13 minutes - that’s only 14 seconds per question. Don’t even think about going into this section unprepared!
Situational Judgement
Situational Judgement assesses your judgement and character in different situations - the situations are usually clinical or education based. Either situations you’ve likely been in, or a situation you could be involved in future. Then you’ll have to evaluate the appropriateness, importance or consequences of the situation. It’s one way for universities to evaluate the characteristics that are important for future doctors! Situational Judgement has 69 questions in 26 minutes - an average of 25 seconds per question.
With so much to do - how can I set myself up for success?
Prepare
This sounds like a no brainer, but preparation is the most important thing you can do if you want to succeed on the UCAT. Going over questions is one thing but the most effective thing you can do is to practice under exam conditions. That means doing computer based exams - so when you get to test day, you know what to expect. Luckily MedView has a bank of questions.
Identify Your Strengths and Weaknesses
Time is a precious resource when you’re preparing for medical school admissions - you have to continue doing well in your studies, prepare yourself for an interview, and master a new exam. There’s not infinite time - so you have to learn how to study smarter, not just harder. So many students waste their time by continuing to drill skills that they’ve already mastered. It’s important to identify the weak points that need more TLC.
Learn Skills
Each type of question requires a specific psychometric approach to understand and answer so quickly. Skills and strategies to identify the problem and solve the challenging question are essential for success. MedView has a range of 1:1 tutoring, group workshops, practice exams and questions alongside our spiral learning curriculum to help students develop the skills necessary to succeed in time conditions. Our UCAT students are 5x more likely to receive an interview offer.
Sitting full-length practice exams under simulated conditions is the most effective preparation for developing UCAT skills. As this will familiarise yourself with the extreme time pressures, as well as allowing you to practise concentrating on psychometric skills for two hours. It is also important to practice using the computer-based platform that will be used when you sit UCAT as well.
Seek Help
Find friends that have taken the test before and ask for their experience. Better yet, schedule a free Academic Assessment with MedView today! When you start your journey as a MedView student, you are allocated an Education Coordinator who has experience helping hundreds of students get into med school. They’ll help you stay on track with your goals, offer you support, and help you succeed on your path to medical school.
Next Steps
The UCAT is an important exam that is key to medical school admission for undergraduates. We recommend starting your UCAT preparation early and integrating it into your study load to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. If you’d like to learn more about the UCAT or how to get into Medical School, check out our free eBooks and blogs!
- What is the UCAT?
- How Universities use your UCAT Results
- A Quick Guide to Australia Medicine eBook
- A Quick Guide to New Zealand Medicine eBook
- How to Prepare for the UCAT
- What UCAT scores will get me into med?
MedView offers a range of UCAT preparation courses as well as personalised 1:1 tutoring with our expert team. If you would like to know more about the UCAT and how MedView can help, get in touch today.
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What can you do before the year starts?
Before the year starts, it is vital that you understand that the journey to becoming a doctor is a long and arduous process. Medicine is a life-long commitment whose pathway extends beyond the 6 years of study. It includes a progression from a house officer to a registrar, and application onto training schemes if you opt for the surgical pathway.
The vast majority of people who apply for medicine, do not have a clear picture of what they want to do in the future. This uncertainty is not something to worry about now – you have plenty of time to figure out exactly what you want to do. There is something in medicine for everyone. If you are still uncertain about the medical pathway beyond the 6 years of study, I would recommend doing further research.
Another thing you can do over the summer break is to identify your motivation to become a doctor. If it’s for the money, you may not be in the correct profession - it will be at least 10-12 years until you start earning the big bucks that all doctors are known for! If you have an inherent nature to help people and seek to make our society healthier, then you are on the right track.
Once your head is in the right place, enjoy your summer! The year will belong, and you will have to make social sacrifices to make your studies a priority. Make the most of the time you have by seeing friends and family, as you will inevitably see less of them throughout the year. You are likely to experience burnout sometime during the year, so optimising your rest now is important.
The single most effective way to distance yourself from your competitors is to start early and hard. After you have rested throughout December and into the new year, it is time to get started and get ahead. The Flying Start Course offered by MedView was my ticket to success. It is a highly intensive programme starting in late January that covers the first 6 weeks of content for the three core papers in the first semester. The advantages of this course are numerous:
- The most valuable aspect of Flying Start is the content covered. As the first semester contains 3 out of the 4 core papers, it is so important to get a good start. An early lapse within the first few weeks can completely derail your entire year. Being exposed to similar content ahead of time builds your confidence and gives you the opportunity to begin learning before others.
- There is a radically different teaching style from high school to university. Flying Start emulates the style you are accustomed to, while simultaneously teaching university material. This eases your transition and places students into a more comfortable and familiar environment.
- You can meet other motivated people. You may have heard the horror stories of people sabotaging each other, taking their notes and hiding their bags. While these are mostly exaggerated, there will still be those who resort to other measures to gain an advantage. The people doing Flying Start will be motivated just like you, and eager to get ahead. Working together and building these strong relationships before the year starts means that you have a better support group in place. I have met several bright individuals who were passionate and together, we were able to navigate the difficult year and succeed as a group!
MedView believes in a holistic approach to medical school admissions, meaning we surround the student with a team of experts to help develop their candidacy and skills in all three major pillars in their journey to medical school, and now it’s even more accessible with the MedView Hub App!
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Over the last decade there’s been a mass adoption of smartphones and a shift in the way people behave online and communicate. Australians are spending more time online, often using multiple screens, and consuming vast amounts of content each day. And it’s only going up!
Recent figures show that almost eight out of ten Australians use social media, and 87% of them use their mobile phones to access it. Fifty-nine percent of Australians access social media everyday or most days, and over a third of people check social media more than five times per day.
We often go online to chat with friends and family, share photos, or be entertained by cat videos. But the very same platforms we use to socialise can also be used to gather knowledge that we can apply in our offline lives. One of the areas where users can reap the benefits is online communities. MedView prides themselves on finding the best tutor, strategist or consultant for each student whether they be in Australia, New Zealand or the United Kingdom and having an online community platform allows even more core benefits for our students in a shorter amount of time. Now students can access over 320 tutors, strategists and consultants and get answers to their Synapse questions, interact in exclusive workshops, and most importantly make friends. The meaningful relationships with other members of the community increases knowledge and collective wisdom.
The MedView Hub App is our own online community platform for students, parents, tutors, and alumni to create a network of opportunities to participate in smart, focused conversation on specific medical school admissions topics (unlike the Instagram and Facebook chatter).
Find out more and begin your journey to medical school by speaking with a MedView Academic Advisor for free today!
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