Monday, January 4, 2010

Of coke and GAMSAT prep

Coca-cola, I was talking about. Not ‘coke’ coke….. Gotcha…. I think. :D

HAPPY NEW YEAR to one and all! Trust you’ve had a great start to 2010! (:

Another decade has gone by. I feel so….. Dusty. Oh. Old, I mean. Haha. Justjared.buzznet.com’s junior website has the effect of making me feel that much older. I mean, like, seriously, (flips hair back with fingers à la reese witherspoon in legally blonde :o ), the ages of the young ‘uns making it big in Hollywood just keeps getting smaller these days. Millionaires before twenty! Nice. No. Wait.

The internet has played a huge role in this cultural change…. If current trends are anything to go by, ‘prodigies’ might soon become a ubiquitous descriptor because our generation has so much resources available to us at the click of a button. That’s prob why experience is not a pre-requisite for fame anymore. It’s a good thing…. Resources in the right hands  can = missions work (:

But I digress. I’m supposed to be writing about prep for GAMSAT (graduate australian medical school admission test) for those on the internet who are interested. exactly 2 years ago I was – rampaged google and yahoo for tips on how to study for the GAMSAT. Haha.

Here goes!

GAMSAT prep:

  • I took the MedPrep course and found it really useful practice especially for sections 1 and 2.
  • Visit pagingdr.net’s forum for helpful GAMSAT, interview prep tips
  • Section 1: I found this really helpful book recommended by a user in the forum… Have forgotten the name – ordered it online from amazon.com and it’s a prose/ poetry practice book that’s based on the American syllabus.
  • Section 2: Keep writing and get someone you trust, with good writing skills, to proof-read your work.
  • Section 3: If you don’t have access to a prep course, visit the library or ask a uni mate to borrow some basic chemistry/ physics/ biology textbooks (with exercises) for you. These should work fine (better than the ones offered by prep courses, in fact)

Just before the GAMSAT:

  • Sleep early the night before
  • Stay healthy – drink lots of water, eat lots of fruits – don’t fall sick like I did
  • Allow ample time to get to the examination venue (there will prob be lots of other candidates travelling to the same place)
  • Pack sufficient water, sweets/ chocolates/ fruits – whatever you need to stay alert
  • Know the allocated times for each section – break them down so you know how much time you have per question

Sitting the GAMSAT:

  • Time is of the essence. Can’t stress that enough.
  • If you can’t answer a question within the allocated time, mark it, circle the most probable answer and move on…. No mark deduction for incorrect answers.
  • Time your toilet breaks. Sounds trivial but…. With at least half the candidates vying for a handful of toilets, it’s almost…. Survival of the fittest. True story…. Plus, eating into your writing time to answer nature’s call’s prob not the best idea.
  • Relax. Better to think clearly than to answer all the questions haphazardly! (:

All the best in your future endeavours, whether you’re aiming for med or dentistry. If you do chance upon this and you’re about to sit the GAMSAT, best wishes to you. (:

[Via http://thevotary.wordpress.com]

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