EPTI got an offer for doing medicine YAY! Currently drinking vodka for the first time haha. Thanks to everyone for their support.
Results are out!!!
So yeah I just checked my results like 10 minutes ago:
Section 1 66 - 96 percentile
Section 2 45 - 30 percentile (ouch!) i.e. I got beaten by 70% of everyone in this section
Section 3 57 - 70 percentile
My section 2 was horrificly bad. I think it's the worse score I've heard out of everyone so far, but luckily my section 1 will pick up the slack for me. When I combine these with what I think will be my paper marks I get 83% which is alright and I think it'll be enough to get me into medicine, but I'll only know for sure on December 23rd where the letter they send me will either make for a very happy christmas or the worst christmas of my life so far.
Thanks to everyone who gave me support. Hopefully I'll be reporting good news on the 23rd
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On this fateful day I will be sitting UMAT, or the undergraduate medicine and health sciences admission test (another, and probably more appropriate, name would be unbelievable mental anguish and trauma test). It was made and is run by a company called ACER. It's meant to test skills that you've acquired over your time at school and so you can't really study for it (although you can prepare by doing past questions etc.)
As you can guess this test is Australasia's equivalent of the MCAT, but more gay in so many many ways (from what I've heard of the MCAT anyways). It consists of 3 sections:
Section 1 - logic and reasoning
Section 2 - understanding people
Section 3 - non-verbal reasoning
The logic and reasoning section is very similar to the equivalent section in the LSAT, and I don't have too much trouble with that. A thing to ntoe is that this section is still incredibly difficult and nearly everyone will not be able to complete it in time.
The understanding people section is the gay part. You're expected to read conversations between patients and doctors, and to pick (it's a pure multichoice test) how the patient is feeling in line 10 or if the doctor's response in line 5 was appropriate. Can I get a wtf?
Non-verbal reasoning is just "what comes next in the pattern" sort of questions (think IQ tests) but it hardly counts for my university so I don't really care.
Thousands of people will be sitting this test on this date, including many medicine hopefuls like myself. Worst part is that the understanding people section is worth 45% of my UMAT mark for my university, and that my total UMAT mark from the 3 sections makes up 34% of the mark that decides if I get into medicine or not. That's the equivalent of like 3 and a half papers T_T!! I got a 98% average (thank you lord for scaling and to everyone else for doing so so badly) in my 1st semester papers so I'm all set for my other 66% of my final mark that is taken from my paper average. It's just the bloody UMAT that is standing between me and med (no interview required).
A very easy section 2 example question in the spoiler:
+ Show Spoiler +
Bob’s wife, Mary, has been in hospital recovering from a heart attack. The doctor informs Bob that she is now well enough to return home, although she will need to ‘take things easy for a while’.
Bob: I’m glad she can come home now Doctor, but I’m not sure I can look after Mary by myself. We live on our own, you know.
Doctor: Bob, it’s natural to feel a little anxious, but the best thing for Mary will be to be back in her own environment.
1. In his response, the doctor has
A not realised that Bob is concerned.
B not really dealt with Bob’s concerns.
C responded to Bob’s concerns effectively.
D made Bob feel bad about being concerned.
2. Following the doctor’s reply, Bob is likely to feel
A relieved.
B empowered.
C embarrassed.
D apprehensive.
Answers lol:
+ Show Spoiler +
1. B
2. D
Remember these are like easy example ones and the real ones are shit-yourself-in-your-parts-wtfness.
Some harder practice questions, although still significantly easier than the real thing (but gives a good idea of the format they use):
+ Show Spoiler +
In the real thing you'd want to only spend just over 6 minutes on the following 5 questions. Sorry for typos caused I typed it up real quick without checking.
The follwing script is an extract from a play. Claudia is thirty-nine. Her husband, Martin, has a very low sperm count. Claudia has undergone eight IVF treatments during the last two years in an attempt to conceive a child with her eggs and Martin's sperm. After the most recent treatment, she finally became pregnant for over three months but then miscarried.
Claudia: The doctor said it was safe. Relax he said. You're through the first three months. It's going to happen. Ninety-eight per cent safe. You can talk to the baby. Tell her stories. And I did. Story after story.
She howls with rage.
Martin: It's only a miscarriage.
Claudia: Only? Only?
Martin: We'll try again.
Claudia: Martin, it was a miracle it happened last time. It is not going to happen again.
There's a silence.
Martin: I don't want a sperm donor. If we are going to have a child, I wan it to be mine.
Claduia: Martin, I've been trying and trying to have your child.
Martin: If I'm going to bring it up, I want it to be mine.
Claudia: I totally agree. I've always totally agreed. The only little problem is that you're running out of sperm and I'm running out of quality eggs.
Martin: It'd be like you've been unfaithful.
Claudia: Martin!
Martin: Metaphorically.
Claudia: If all I ever am is metaphorically unfaithful, you're doing okay.
Martin: I'd rather adopt.
Claudia: So the child isn't yours or mine?
Martin: In some weird way, that's fairer.
Claduia: You bloody well know adoption is almost impossible.
Martin: I just don't want to be bringing up another guy's child.
Claduia: You don't want me to have any child!
Martin: That's not true. Absolutely not true. I wanted this kid. As soon as I knew you were pregnant it really hit me. I wanted it as much as you.
Claudia: Yeah, I know. Sorry.
56. How does Claudia perceive Martin's response after she 'howls with rage'?
A sympathetic but clumsy
B confronting but realistic
C comforting and reassuring
D insensitive and thoughtless
57 What is the most significant aspect of being a father for Martin?
A sharing the role of raising a child equally with Claudia
B keeping Claudia happy by fulfilling her need for a child
C being financially responsible for a dependent wife and child
D having the same biological connection to the child as Claudia
58 What does the 'silence' suggest about Martin's understanding of the situation?
A Martin knows what is behind Claudia's comment.
B Martin has finally realised how much he wants to have a child.
C Martin doesn't understand what Claudia is making such a fuss about.
D Martin has not thought about other ways to become a parent before now.
59 How do Claudia and Martin relate to each other?
A They are polite but do not listen to each other.
B They are sarcastic and dismissive of each other.
C They support each other through a difficult emotional time.
D They acknowledge each other but focus on their own needs.
60 Where have Martin and CLaudia got to by the end of the passage?
A Claud has decided to go ahead and use a sperm donor.
B They still cannot work out how to resolve their situation.
C Martin has decided to find out more abiout adopting a child.
D They have both agreed about the next steps they need to take.
Answers:
+ Show Spoiler +
56. D
57. D
58. A
59. D
60. B
Poll: How'd you do?
(Vote): All wrong
(Vote): 2 right
(Vote): 3 right
(Vote): 4 right
(Vote): All right yay!
At my university (Otago University in New Zealand) 1500 students take a first year course, and from that 190 are selected to enter medicine. Because the course is so tough for most people, 500 people have dropped out in the first semester already. A further couple hundred have not gained the minimum 70% in every paper that you need to apply for med, so the actual number of people who are going to apply for med is at a not so scary ~600. Even then, the competition is pretty intense and every mark counts sorta thing.
Anyways enough ranting. I'm sure there'll be a couple others on TL who are gonna sit the test too, mostly in Australia I guess, so good luck to you guys too ^_^ (and screw you ACER for making such a gay as test).
and post the results and maybe some more of these spoiler questions with their answers - I really like that one 
.
