Preparing for a career in Medicine

Medicine is an exciting and rewarding career. The training required to accomplish this goal will be extremely rigorous and take at least a decade, often longer, following completion of high school. Entry into medicine is highly competitive. You will need to demonstrate perseverance to complete the training, a strong desire to help others, a true intellectual curiosity about medicine in particular, and a love of learning in general. The following tips may assist to guide your decision.

• Complete Year 12 (high school or college) or your undergraduate degree.
• Complete any pre-requisite subjects. Before selecting your subjects for your senior school years, do your research to identify prerequisites and the courses to which they apply. Completing science prerequisites during high school or your undergraduate degree is important, as it's much harder to complete these pre-requisites after graduation. Remember, choosing high-level mathematics, chemistry, physics, biology and English will stand you in good stead as you study medicine.
• Get involved. Take on leadership roles at your school and in your community to demonstrate you can motivate your peers to action, particularly in ways that benefit the school or community. Consider volunteering at a hospital, free clinic, doctor’s office or with a medical researcher. Volunteer work that is not directly medical related such as with a charity or other community service is also valuable. Medical schools do not judge applications on work experience, but gaining some work experience demonstrates you have considered whether the demands of a caring profession is for you and that you are committed to studying medicine.
• Take the UCAT or GAMSAT. Students interested in studying undergraduate medicine, dentistry and some other clinical science courses at a member university of the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Consortium are likely to be required to sit the UCAT as part of their admissions process. Likewise, students wishing to study a postgraduate medicine degree are likely required to sit the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT). Free guides for both the UCAT and GAMSAT are available. The GAMSAT test is offered twice a year, in March and September.
• Choose a university that fits your needs. To find the right medical school for you, consider academic reputation, size, distance from home, location, cost and of course their medical program. Apply to the medical schools that best suit your ambitions. Scholarships. There is a range of scholarships available to study medicine at an Australian university. For Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students, the AMA Indigenous Medical Scholarship provides financial assistance for completing a medical degree, or search the Aurora Indigenous Scholarship Portal for further opportunities.

To learn more about preparing for a medical career, please visit Study Medicine. This site may assist you to identify and compare Australian university medical degrees - direct entry and degrees leading to undergraduate or postgraduate medicine.

Study Medicine – Medicine Offer Quiz

What are your chances of being accepted into direct entry medicine in Australia? Is your course preference plan setting you up for success? Take the quiz to find out!

Free UCAT Webinars Summer Holiday Study Plan: How to Catch Up on UCAT Prep

21 November 2021 at 1pm - https://www.bigmarker.com/icanmed/summer-plan-1?utm_bmcr_source=website

5 December 2021 at 1pm - https://www.bigmarker.com/icanmed/summer-plan-2?utm_bmcr_source=website