Gamsat 2013

Hypnos

pc11 wrote: »

I'm always intrigued by these current students sitting GAMSAT (usually in final year). I don't what what cushy course they must be doing, but in my final 2 years given that we had 50+ hours a week of a very demanding course, it would not have been even conceivable to sit GAMSAT and hope to still get a 2:1. In fact, despite the fact the students on my course were often very talented, getting a 2:1 at all was far from standard.

Also, I'm baffled as to how people can afford to go straight from 4 years of college to 4 years of grad med. Different worlds.

I just finished a 4 year chemistry degree in UCD with a first class honors 1.1 degree as of today. And I sat the GAMSAT in March and got a 60. I did sit it in 2012 and was sitting on a score of 58 but went for a higher results to be on the safe side. Used the easter midterm break to study for it instead of writing the thesis like I should have been doing. Although it was the most stressful year by far, I managed to get through it and not barely but almost as good as it could have went. So it is conceivable. If you plan it out properly.

I had the exact same conditions as you. Average of 50hr weeks especially with the research project and everything, but you've made yourself out to be quite an a-hole. Don't know what you have your degree in, but it must be science I guess since you consider other ones to be cushy. So just because you can't or couldn't pull it off, doesn't mean that some of us 4th years can't. I'm sure I'm not the only one who just finished and sat the gamsat in March 2013 and made it through. Not everyone on these forums has an arts degree apart from you.

The majority of people can't afford to go which is why the loan is there. If you get the loan out at the age of 21 or 40, you still have a loan to payback.

Hypnos

beardedmaster wrote: »

As you said yourself, you're a 3rd year. I don't know what course you do, but everything in Trinity is 4 years (I think).
You could easily do it again in September and/or March in your 4th year. Sure, you'll be in final year, but if you try for it, it's achievable.

Still don't understand the UCD comment, by the way.

Oh UCD and Trinity are rival universities so for a Trinity student to go to UCD is considered a betrayal in Trinity. It's just some silly thing that they convince you when you arrive as a first year. They compete in everything.

beardedmaster

Hypnos wrote: »

Oh UCD and Trinity are rival universities so for a Trinity student to go to UCD is considered a betrayal in Trinity. It's just some silly thing that they convince you when you arrive as a first year. They compete in everything.

I've just finished my 3rd year of Science in UCD.
Everyone jokes about the rivalry, but I've never actually met anyone who actually wouldn't go to another college, even if they had the points, just because of it. The only possible reason would be if Trinity also offered a GEM degree... but they don't...
Congrats on your results, by the way. That's fantastic!

Hypnos

beardedmaster wrote: »

I've just finished my 3rd year of Science in UCD.
Everyone jokes about the rivalry, but I've never actually met anyone who actually wouldn't go to another college, even if they had the points, just because of it. The only possible reason would be if Trinity also offered a GEM degree... but they don't...
Congrats on your results, by the way. That's fantastic!

Thank you Was delighted. Hope you got on well yourself.

beardedmaster

Aye! Nothing as fancy as yours, but everything passed comfortably!
Roll on 4th year project.

nomoreexams

Anyone see this:

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/jobs-race-may-force-us-abroad-say-graduates-29326852.html

There are some very annoying comments at the bottom. People clearly have no idea of the financial pressure we're (particularly GEM's) are putting ourselves under!

nomoreexams

Hypnos wrote: »

I just finished a 4 year chemistry degree in UCD with a first class honors 1.1 degree as of today. And I sat the GAMSAT in March and got a 60. I did sit it in 2012 and was sitting on a score of 58 but went for a higher results to be on the safe side. Used the easter midterm break to study for it instead of writing the thesis like I should have been doing. Although it was the most stressful year by far, I managed to get through it and not barely but almost as good as it could have went. So it is conceivable. If you plan it out properly.

I had the exact same conditions as you. Average of 50hr weeks especially with the research project and everything, but you've made yourself out to be quite an a-hole. Don't know what you have your degree in, but it must be science I guess since you consider other ones to be cushy. So just because you can't or couldn't pull it off, doesn't mean that some of us 4th years can't. I'm sure I'm not the only one who just finished and sat the gamsat in March 2013 and made it through. Not everyone on these forums has an arts degree apart from you.

The majority of people can't afford to go which is why the loan is there. If you get the loan out at the age of 21 or 40, you still have a loan to payback.

Very commendable Hypnos! I don't think I could have done it. I work a full time job and I found it difficult but I can't imagine having to study and do assignments as well! You've deffo earned your place on the course. It must have made it all the sweeter to get a high mark. Fair play!

diverboy83

I find it very disheartening when GEMs-in-waiting don't support each other. Anyone who sits the GAMSAT, let alone gets enough marks for a place, irrespective of their circumstances or age, is a testament to dedication, hard work and commitment. There is a place for a competitive spirit, but taking away from an achievement such as GAMSAT, is not fair. We will, hopefully, all be GEMs and interns one day and will need to rely on each other for support (irrespective of whatever course we end up on). Collegiality is important, especially when we will be facing a very intense few years, with a lot of financial strain, and building that collegiality starts here. Who knows who we will be classmates with in a few months!

Flange/Flanders

Hypnos wrote: »

Oh UCD and Trinity are rival universities so for a Trinity student to go to UCD is considered a betrayal in Trinity. It's just some silly thing that they convince you when you arrive as a first year. They compete in everything.

The main point that I heard about rivalry is a mate of mine who went to UCD for a year who didnt like Trinity cos their women were too hard to chat up

Hypnos

nomoreexams wrote: »

Anyone see this:

http://www.independent.ie/lifestyle/education/jobs-race-may-force-us-abroad-say-graduates-29326852.html

There are some very annoying comments at the bottom. People clearly have no idea of the financial pressure we're (particularly GEM's) are putting ourselves under!

Did you manage to get through the comments without hitting your head off the table? Riddled with ignorant a-holes. Everyone blames the middle class workers and people on welfare while bank CEO's have €3 million/yr pensions.
Anyone who thinks that the people on welfare and easy working conditions brought this country down is seriously kidding themselves. It's exactly what the people who did **** it up want you to think. I hear bitching about educated people leaving to survive and people complaining about med students not bending over enough but not many seem to be fazed about the fact that the current CEO of BOI has a 900K salary. I know that means more taxes etc, but it wouldn't hurt to lower their salaries and employ more people.

pc11

Hypnos wrote: »

I just finished a 4 year chemistry degree in UCD with a first class honors 1.1 degree as of today. And I sat the GAMSAT in March and got a 60. I did sit it in 2012 and was sitting on a score of 58 but went for a higher results to be on the safe side. Used the easter midterm break to study for it instead of writing the thesis like I should have been doing. Although it was the most stressful year by far, I managed to get through it and not barely but almost as good as it could have went. So it is conceivable. If you plan it out properly.

I had the exact same conditions as you. Average of 50hr weeks especially with the research project and everything, but you've made yourself out to be quite an a-hole. Don't know what you have your degree in, but it must be science I guess since you consider other ones to be cushy. So just because you can't or couldn't pull it off, doesn't mean that some of us 4th years can't. I'm sure I'm not the only one who just finished and sat the gamsat in March 2013 and made it through. Not everyone on these forums has an arts degree apart from you.

The majority of people can't afford to go which is why the loan is there. If you get the loan out at the age of 21 or 40, you still have a loan to payback.

Wow, defensive much? I was just giving my observations but something I said touched a nerve somewhere, obviously. Which is surprising as it's pretty clear I wasn't referring to you or your course. What you've written reads as a lengthy boast about how superior you are to many of us and yet you are calling someone else an a-hole, that's funny.

We all do GAMSAT under pressure, most with jobs or families or mortgages. And many got much better scores so I'd ease off on that boasting, frankly.

And the loan covers much less than what GEM will really cost. It only covers fees, as you well know.

Congrats on your degree.

Hypnos

pc11 wrote: »

Wow, defensive much? I was just giving my observations but something I said touched a nerve somewhere, obviously. Which is surprising as it's pretty clear I wasn't referring to you or your course. What you've written reads as a lengthy boast about how superior you are to many of us and yet you are calling someone else an a-hole, that's funny.

We all do GAMSAT under pressure, most with jobs or families or mortgages. And many got much better scores so I'd ease off on that boasting, frankly.

And the loan covers much less than what GEM will really cost. It only covers fees, as you well know.

Congrats on your degree.

Nope. You've been called out a few times on your comments already. Other people have taken issue with your comments before and you brushed them off as false interpretation. It happened a few times to you. No most of us sitting the GAMSAT don't have mortgages or families. A few do, but they are a minority.

I wouldn't have mentioned anything if you didn't feel the need to call other peoples degrees as "cushy" and easier compared to yours. If you look back through the posts, 3 people have took issue with the way you speak and instead of blaming people for how they interpret you message try find another way to get your point across without insulting others in the process, which you have done.

It's impressive how you manage to victimize yourself in situations where you are in the wrong. I don't need your praise for my accomplishments nor anyone's here on online forums. It's nice to hear, but that's not the point. The fact that I'm happy with it is enough for me. I don't come here to boards.ie to tell people how I got on to get likes on my post. I know you weren't referring to me, but people in general. You know diverboy was right, instead of chatting about med school I'm here arguing with you, and most likely you'll by my or someone other person's classmate come September.

Nope you weren't giving observations at all. You were giving prejudice judgements. And I'm not bragging about my GAMSAT (a 60 doesn't guarantee me a spot in Dublin. A 62 maybe but not a 60) , I was just making sure that you're aware that that there are people who can get a decent GAMSAT score in their final year and get a 1.1, something that in your previous post you were certain was impossible, unless doing a "cushy" degree. Unlike you, I'm capable of making mistakes and I'll always know that there will always be people better than me, in qualifications, GAMSAT or whatever it may be. If I wanted to brag about my GAMSAT here why then would I say this isn't my first time sitting it? Surely I would have said, "Oh, I got 70 on my first go in my final year". It's the internet after all. I don't even see how you think that a 60 is a bragging score considering I done the exam before.

If you read my post as an opportunity to boast, then good, I didn't expect any understanding from you anyway, since it was directed at you in the first place. No one else. The nerve you touched was the sheer arrogance in your tone in the previous post. I didn't expect that type of attitude from anyone here. I welcome your opinion that I was being boastful but if that's what it takes to get you to stop demeaning other peoples work or effort than that's a fair price to me. It was the only way I could show you that you're previous post was erroneous and presumptuous at best. Other people here apart from me have really earned their place in GEM if they get one hopefully (We'll know in August) and the last thing I want to hear is someone like you demeaning or devaluing their or my efforts to get there, whether they are 20, 25, or 40 years old, coming out of a degree or career and regardless what degree was in or whether its a 2.1 or a 1.1. So stop it.

laurielu

I'm hoping for RCSI/UCD. Anyone up for a house share near there if they get in?

nomoreexams

Hey Laurielu, there's a thread set up for people looking to share:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2056958372

It's relatively quiet at the moment but I'd imagine when the offers come out there'll be more people looking for house mates, me included.

supraspinaswim

Am reapplying for the gamsat in the uk and have a q about the uk test centres. Which one is the more quiet and less stressing ? I read on boards somewhere that bristol is better since its in some hotel there. Any suggesrions ?

Got 55 ,could take ul and head for the swimming coaching too but ucds on the cards so im caught by choice and safety

diverboy83

Safety?

Take a look at the GAMSAT 2014 thread - loads of chat on there about the UK test

supraspinaswim

diverboy83 wrote: »

Safety ?


Ye points go up for ul and i lose my only chance of med next septemberk

beardedmaster

Aren't you only just going into 4th year?

supraspinaswim

beardedmaster wrote: »

Aren't you only just going into 4th year?

Yup and we've a whopper of a research project after christmas so id like to not do the gamsat then.

pc11

supraspinaswim wrote: »

Yup and we've a whopper of a research project after christmas so id like to not do the gamsat then.

I'm a strong advocate of doing the UK GAMSAT, and it sounds like a particularly idea given your timing. I did it in Bristol and it was fine there. Easy to fly there, get a hotel and all that. Loads of Irish sit it there.

Dreamer4

Any one care to hazard a guess at cut offs? Based on the curve and places available...

Jammyc

Dreamer4 wrote: »

Any one care to hazard a guess at cut offs? Based on the curve and places available...

I have no idea what I'm basing this on but I'm going to guess...

UL - 54
UCC - 56
UCD - 59
RCSI - 60

Pulled straight from the air! Anyone have any logic to say they're wrong?

Dreamer4

supraspinaswim wrote: »

Am reapplying for the gamsat in the uk and have a q about the uk test centres. Which one is the more quiet and less stressing ? I read on boards somewhere that bristol is better since its in some hotel there. Any suggesrions ?

Got 55 ,could take ul and head for the swimming coaching too but ucds on the cards so im caught by choice and safety

You afraid you won't have enough with 55 for UL?

cmac28

I hope 55 is safe!!!! Do not fancy doing that absolute goblin of a test again unless I have to!!!!

beardedmaster

supraspinaswim wrote: »

Yup and we've a whopper of a research project after christmas so id like to not do the gamsat then.

Yes, but why not do it in September in the UK?

supraspinaswim

Sorry i mean im intending to it in sept rather in march. think i ve fried my neuronal circuitry from too much study.

Ye its the fear of not getting med. i did the hpat twice and it didnt come back well . like a lot of people i want it badly and have come too far to blow it on a gamble.

Cheers for the advice !

ashbeck2425

Hi

Was wondering if any GEM British application has received an offer from any from the cao or college yet

Agnieszka_88

ashbeck2425 wrote: »

Hi

Was wondering if any GEM British application has received an offer from any from the cao or college yet

You're EU, so you will get an answer at the same time as the Irish applicants.

ashbeck2425

Agnieszka_88 wrote: »

You're EU, so you will get an answer at the same time as the Irish applicants.

And roughly when will that be?

Michael Scofield

ashbeck2425 wrote: »

And roughly when will that be?

http://www.caocourses.ie/cao-2013-timetable/