Contest - Get a free course
You can win a free copy of GAMSAT preparation - The Guru Method 2009 edition.
Now this isn’t a random contest… to qualify for the contest, you need to post a comment to my blog and tell me WHY you want to be a doctor/dentist and how you are going to prepare for the GAMSAT. If you look at the bottom of this blog entry, there is a link that says “Comment »”. Click on that link and type in your entry.
I will be picking the best entry as the winner… and it will be based on my sole judgement.
I will give you this hint… when you are telling me why you want to be a doctor/dentist and how you are going to prepare for the GAMSAT, remember I love to help out people who are committed and dedicated to achieving their goals.
I will be announcing the winner on Sunday night (September 21st).
So go ahead right now - tell my WHY you want to be a doctor/dentist and how you are going to prepare for the GAMSAT.
Michael Tan
September 15th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
write your contest entries below
September 15th, 2008 at 11:26 pm
I want to be a doctor because I want to love to go to work everyday. I want to have a life long career of learning, challenge, and reward. I want to work with my hands and with my mind, and I want to be able to work wherever I am needed.
I will become a doctor after many years of study and hard work.
I will earn the privilege of that study and hard work after more study and hard work. To be competitive in the GAMSAT will be my first hurdle, but one that I can clear by learning what I am not great at, and then by training to clear those hurdles as fast as I can.
September 16th, 2008 at 12:01 am
A few years ago I was doing some volunteer work in the pacific islands where I spent some time teaching in the schools and helping in the local hospital. It was just heart breaking, the lack of doctors to treat patients and the lack of medical supplies. I just wanted to help, I new I could do more and I wanted to do more. I wanted to make difference.
I have always wanted to be a doctor, when i was 12 years old we had to write down in a year book “What will you be doing in 2010″, there it was -DOCTOR. I mention this because I found this book when i was cleaning out my room looking for my uni transcripts.
So I started doing some research and there it was graduate entry medicine. Woohoo. (I never realised graduate medicine existed, I thought i had missed the boat when i didnt get in after year 12). My dreams can come true. Just one small hurdle (well maybe a large one), the GAMSAT. I have already taken small steps to get me started by getting a tutor and buying some year 12 chem/biology and physics books. I have planned out my timetable on what to study and when by. I haven’t studied in 7/8 years so using the Guru Method would be fantastic preparation for me.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:04 am
I want to be a doctor to be able to do more to help others in greatest need and where help is hard to come by. I love to be able to impart whatever that I learn through skills acquire in the medical school and to use those skills to help others along the way. To be able to help and be of service to others in their life will be a tremendous achievement in line of duty of care and to offer moral support to those who need those support. To make others’ life a little bit better in this world is a challenge in itself and where possible, where there is will to succeed and attain my goal to become a doctor, there will be a way to reach my ultimate goal of becoming a doctor.
So, in order for me to reach my sole target of joining the medical fraternity to help others, I will use the Guru Method to help me along the way to do smart learning in my preparation for GAMSAT.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:21 am
I studied hard for four years to become a primary school teacher and was so excited this year to have my very own class of cherubs to nurture. It was during my first year out that I realised I wanted to do more to help change the lives of children.
One child in my class had very severe learning difficulties, another was diagnosed with a life threatening illness and many more had emotional issues making them disinterested in school. All of these problems made learning virtual impossible, these children we unable to learn until their basic needs of health and safety were met.
I dedicated hours and hours outside of school, planning ways to cater to all these children and felt such joy when I saw any success.
In June this year I had to leave me very first class. I was crushed, what were these high needs children were going to do? I felt as if I was leaving them in their hour of need. My mentor, a very well regarded colleague said to me ‘they’ll move on quicker than you can imagine, you will be lucky if they remember your name next January, and consider yourself very fortunate if you have had a lasting impact on any of those children.
I realised I wanted to have a lasting impact on every child I encounter, I want to change their lives and thus change the world for the better. I believe that medicine is the answer; I want to be the person who is making children better, not forcing them to learn their timetables before their next hospital stay. Education is an important field but educators can’t do their job properly until the student’s have their basic needs met, and I want to help met these needs.
I have kept in touch with my mentor and sadly have been told that my high needs students have been placed in the too hard basket by their new teacher and are learning less than before.
This news has made me more determined to become the best paediatrician I can be, and make the world a better place for the children in my care.
I have begun preparing for GAMSAT by studying high school chemistry, biology and physics texts to familiarise myself with the topics. I then plan to use the Guru Method to ensure I am not only studying the correct content but also studying the right way. Also, I volunteer at a hospital and have arranged for some interns to help me prepare. I hope to undertake as many practice questions as possible and have ordered the available material from ACER. My major goal is to improve my science knowledge and hone my problem solving skills. Lastly, I have designed a timetable to ensure I have adequate time each day to study as well as take care of my mind and body, through exercise and personal reflection.
September 16th, 2008 at 7:15 am
I spent my entire childhood and teenage years in hospital. I knew I wanted to be a doctor when I was about five because I very quickly learnt that it was the person in the white coat that could take my pain away. I am not quite as naive now and I know that I wont be able to ’save’ every one but I can’t think of a more amazing career where I would have the knowledge and the skills to at least try and save a life or ease someones suffering.
I have had to fight to be alive today and It is without a doubt that my dream of one day graduating from medical school has got me through some of most difficult and painful days of my life.
I have met hundreds of doctors and there are those that come and do what they need to do and go on to the next patient but there are some doctors that walk into the room and you instantly feel better becuse they are there. I want to be one of those doctors. I want to connect with people and make them feel safe and my personal experinces of being a patient and undergoing surgeries and tests will help me have an unspoken connection with my patients.
I have begun my preparation for gamsat by making it a priority in my life. I have allocated time everyday within my current schedule of part time work and university study. I am working through first year university physics and chemistry material and I am looking forward to going working through the guru method and learning the tips and skills I need to study ’smartly’ for this crucial exam.
September 16th, 2008 at 10:06 am
I have always wanted to be a doctor since i was doing my 3rd year of nursing degree, and my passion has never stopped even now i am working full time as a Theatre nurse. The reason I wanted to be a nurse was genuinely that I wanted to help people. However, as soon as I started my nursing clinic placement and the time being work with doctors, I realised I really wanted to join them to make decision, diagnosis of disease and be able to walk into any suituaton and take control it. Now, I am working in Operating Theatre, my desire to be a doctor is growing even stronger, because I believe that I can do more to help those sick patients besides passing surgeon those surgical intruments. I want to be able to think at the end of the day that how many lives that i have saved and helped.
Being a doctor, it gives me high responsibilities but I believe I have the determination, practical skills, combination of my nursing knowledge and instinct needed to succeed.
As a full-timer and a shift worker, I study mostly on my days off and sacrifice my time for TV. English is my second language, so I have always put a lot of effort into it by reading novels in order to improve my written essay section. I have started my revision on first year university biology and going to start year 12 physics and then first year university chemistry. My target for my GAMSAT is 2010, which would give me plenty of time to do revision and study Guru GAMSAT material if I stick to my current study time-table. I am anticipating using The Guru Method 2009 edition to prepare my GAMSAT!
I hope everyone here would get an awesome result in GAMSAT and get into your dream Medical School becoming a compassionate, excellent and professional doctor!
September 16th, 2008 at 10:25 am
With a background as a nurse in one of the developing countries in Africa, I encountered quite a number of disorders and health-related problems. At the end of each shift, I felt happy, especially, when I knew I have saved someone’s life.
Briefly, I have two short but important reasons why I want to be a doctor.
First, there is no any other interesting profession which gives me much contact with patients, keeping me busy and over which I may be able to take control. Interaction with people, saving someone’s life, contributing to community health, etc are keywords of my life.
You may ask yourself why I can’t continue working as nurse, but the answer is simple. A nurse has little to do with direct life-saving procedures, like emergency operations in which I am definetitely interested.
Second, I lived at leat ten years in a refugee camp, where my life was completely dependent upon UNHCR. This sounds a bit nonsens, but I can certainly tell that the experienced life difficulties and suffering have completely changed my thinking, and gave me a big interest of helping others as I was helped by people that I did not know. Indeed, I came to Australia under refugee protection, so why can’t I save Australian community in the areas of high needs!
So, how I am going to achieve it.
There is NOTHING to stop me from being a doctor. I know it is hard but on the other hand it is easy if you are committed to it. If you are not able to pass GAMSAT, then you are not worthy of being a doctor because that what GAMSAT is designed for. For this reason, I definetely rely on training and work as much as I can to make my dream become true. Thanks to GURU method which i believe will guide me with my training. I am not worrying too much about section three, but section one and two. I have to work on it seriously. Once again, being a doctor is not something I not only WANT to be BUT something I HAVE TO BE. Nothing to stop me!!.
September 16th, 2008 at 1:45 pm
The main reason that i would like to be a doctor is because i love Medicine. I love dealing with patients, finding out the potential disease and come out with a treatment to cure the patient. Of Couse to be a doctor you can save patient’s life, but it is the process that i am really really fascinated about.
I used to be a patient myself, a very very sick patient. I was not satisfied with how i was treated. I didnt know what i would be required to do, what would be the consequences or even how the little bacteria was making me sick. Thus i want to be a doctor that i would like to have when i was a patient. A doctor who is kind, have “patience” and willing to explain to the patient the detail of the disease instead of how many people with the same disease can cured or died. A doctor that you know he cares about you, remmeber your name, not neccessarily to cheer the patient up but to tell them the truth that they konw.
I have a degree in Medical Science and i am doing research as a honours student. Therefore, i am confident with the science section of GAMSAT, and i would spend most of my time to improve my english ( i am an ESL). I keep on reading Newspaper (SMH) on an everyday basis, as well as Times magazine. I have also borrowed lots of poems, Dramas, Fiction…etc from the library so that i could read them on the bed before i sleep every night. About 3 monthes prior to GAMSAT, i would also start to revise all the concepts in science.
Anyway, i know i will be a doctor, i would be a good doctor as long as i am healthy enough to do so.
September 16th, 2008 at 3:56 pm
There’s something about coming to medicine as a uni graduate that invariably speaks of a passion for the area. Passion for med - for the information and the knowledge, for the ability to help people and make a substantial contribution - is something all of use who’ve posted on this blog most probably have in common. Actually, that sense of being amongst others who share a similar passion for med provides me with additional motivation to realise my dream of becoming a doctor.
When I was growing up, I had my fair share of medical problems and missed a whole heap of school as a result. I’m sure such an experience is not uncommon among people who have an interest in health.
My desire to understand what was happening within my own body, coupled with my memory of how difficult it was to feel out of control of one’s own physical health, has grown into a more general interest in the human body. My experience has also left me with a deep empathy for those who’re going through health problems, be they physical or psychological.
But I don’t just want to study medicine to help patients individually, although of course that is an extremely worthwhile undertaking! I am particularly interested in the seemingly complex and multifaceted area of chronic, lifestyle-related health problems (e.g., cardiovascular disease, metabolic-type health problems, diabetes). Part of my interest is around the influence of factors like socioeconomic status and childhood illness on an individual’s trajectory of health over their lifespan. Studying medicine would provide me a level of expertise that is not possible to gain any other way, about mechanisms through which chronic health problems impact on the body and are exacerbated by behaviour and lifestyle. This expertise would enable me to get in there and help improve the long-term health of individuals and groups within the community.
These are just some of the reasons I am so passionate about studying medicine.
As for how I’ll prepare for the GAMSAT… No.1, I will keep in mind my passion and commitment, and I’ll be disciplined and not give into the little “I’ll never remember all this” voice, which brings me to No.2 Remember Tim’s advice from the special report! I’ll focus on the core abilities being tested rather than being bogged down rote learning every detail. With that in mind, my major preparation: systematically apply myself to practicing gamsat-like questions and from this practice, better understand and swat the core knowledge that’s essential if I’m to improve at gamsat-like questions. I’m hoping the guru method’ll fast-track this process!
Good luck everyone.
September 16th, 2008 at 5:09 pm
Thank you, for this opportunity,
I believe that having the first degree and all the discipline, pressure , commitment is a crucial element. Being passionate to make the difference in other people lives we need a lot of personal growth in terms of understanding ourselves and the whole big picture i.e the society we live in. To prepare for GAMSAT is attitude, values, through a long period of time.
September 17th, 2008 at 12:38 am
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September 17th, 2008 at 2:25 am
I want to be a doctor because it’s a f**king honour to be a doctor.
September 17th, 2008 at 8:46 am
My reasons are many and varied, as I am sure my contemporary’s reasons are, it is comforting to read their stories. The list is; The idea of medicine just seems to have been in my mind forever. I truly do like helping others and therefore feeding my ego is a positive thing by seeing their benefit from an action of my doing. I wish to work until I am at least 75 years old or beyond if I can, this requires a job that can become a life-style and (eventually) not take too much out of me. I wish to work for myself, I have had too many ‘managers’ in my life that used to be very good at what they do but go out of their depth in positions above their commitment and therefore they are forced to ’sell themselves out’ to the company i.e. the dollar and we loose the effectiveness of the task we are trying to achieve. In my time I have been a carpenter, teacher (rural as well) and in the Army Reserve, I wish to bring my experiences from this to medicine and hopefully be able to address some of the issues that seem to be apparent in the health system by ‘thinking outside of the square’ and be a sort of ‘doctor for the people’. I have had no negative feed back from friends, family and colleagues whom all seem more desperate for me to achieve than I am. Finally, in all honesty and selfishness, I would like a vocation that allows me to move around geographically or otherwise, live comfortably and have the ability to earn more and improve my skills if I wish i.e. specialty. I just want to be the best human I can be for society, my family and my own satisfaction.
My prep is this; Doing a large ‘feeling out prep’ last year which included going to a tutor for the ‘new to me’ science (she was very good, thanks Kim), Des O’s home practise questions, test and essay course (very close to the real thing), other practise questions and many practise tests (esp. ACER) on every Sat. leading up to the test, sitting 2008 GAMSAT (great fun, not a high score)
This year is; reading many biographies and learning philosophy (studying the dictionary as I go) for S1 and as useful support for essay arguments, a chemistry bridging course and my tutor for science revision, as many practise questions and essays are possible, the ACER publication ‘Practise Now’, sitting DULSAT for S1 practise, as many practise questions and essays as humanly possible, GAMSAT GURU (hoping for great things!), searching the net is a wealth of information if you have the patience (even found live anatomy!), not going to any movies, bbq’s, etc and as many practise questions and essays as possible. This is difficult whilst still teaching, but, I have nothing to loose and complainers are just wasting time. Good luck all.
September 17th, 2008 at 2:43 pm
When reading over everybody’s reasons for wanting to do medicine, it lightens my heart to know that there are so many passionate and giving people in our community who are concerned with society’s health and well being. I too have always wanted to do Medicine. The reasons are many and varied ranging from a general interest and feeling of duty to society and include more recently the belief that I can make a real difference to peoples’ lives.
After not getting in at the end of year 12, I did not give it much thought again, thinking the dream had past, thinking it would be too difficult, too much burden on my family, thinking that I would be too old.
My current position is in the health industry and gradually over the last few years, my passion and interest in Medicine has renewed and the feeling of wanting to be more involved in people’s health and the clinical aspects of diagnosis and treatment are now less scary and they now feel possible regardless of the obstacles.
I now know that the skills I have acquired in my current profession (listening skills, empathy, drug knowledge etc) have made me more ready to study medicine and become a good doctor, more so than I ever would have been after year 12. I look forward to the challenge of studying while working full time and having a young family because it will make it all the more worth while if I get in.
My preparation for the GAMSAT is based on an extensive revision of the sciences required by old text books. The completion of practice and sample questions and practice essay writing by one of the correspondence courses.
All in all I want to go into this knowing I have given it everything and that way I know I will have no regrets.
Good luck to all
September 17th, 2008 at 10:40 pm
I am studying bachelor of nursing and doing good at it. I don’t wanna finish my studies at just this level. I never knew that i would be doing some medical related course, than some how i got into nursing and than loved studing biology, anotomy and physiolology of human. when i went on clinicals i found the proffesion as a surgeon is of my interest. i ve done mathematics, physics and chemistry in year 11 and 12. And just need to refresh my mind. i am listening to the radio and SBS, ABC documentaries to prepare for essay part. I have promised myself to be a doctor before 2015. thanks.
September 18th, 2008 at 10:59 pm
the reason why i want be a doctor is because i’ve seen nowadays doctors are to stuck up, arrogant and think they smart enough to cure people. I grew up in one asians country which health olny can be affored by rich people. because the price for health is really expensive so poor people can’t afford it. doctor become commercial and most of them proud on their white coat. those things motivate me to be a non commercial doctor and doctor that down to earth. also be a doctor is my dream since i was young. like people said it’s good to have a dream but u can reach it with hard working. i know i’m not smart enough but i have faith of myself through hard working and my determination to achieve my goal. people said gamsat test its really hard but i’ll keep on trying till i get it. michael jordan said “i’ve failed over and over and over again and that’s why i successed”. and after i be a doctor i just dedicate my life to the people that need it.
September 18th, 2008 at 11:23 pm
I love helping people and I couldnt imagine a more rewarding career than saving someones life or helping them through one of the toughest times.
I know I want this, I have wanted this my whole life. I couldnt be more focussed in getting what i want and that is to be a doctor. I have always wanted to be a doctor since I was a child. After being plagued with illness for the past 5 years, I am finally on my way to recovery to do something about it.
I have experienced what it is like to be a patient, which I believe will help me empathise and understand what it is like to be on the other side.
I am focussed and dedicated in achieving my goals, and this, the GAMSAT is just the begining.
To prepare me for the GAMSAT I have dug out some old biology and chemistry text books, and plan on some tutoring for physics. I have also borrowed an english essay book on how to construct essay’s (it’s been awhile since I have written one). Using the Guru method will also be my major study preparation, guiding me through each section and having the support of the staff to answer those questions (You know the ones).
September 19th, 2008 at 3:28 am
I think that to me, being a doctor is way more then just helping or interacting with people, for Gods sack i could have been a lollipop lady or gone in to retail. However being a doctor meaning so much more to me because i have a great passion for medicine , the biological sciences and the pathology in relation to the human body just runs an electrical pulse through me. I love the exictment of a job that is forever engaging , hands on and mentally and phyiscally challenging. I love the fact that there is a great dimension to medicine and that it is forever expanding , and not a job that is a reptition day in and day out. I also think that for all i have been through in my life and the fact that im where i am day , being a doctor is a great way to give back to not only to this community but also the wider Australian community and to the world , because for where ever this life leads me i will always continue to contribute to those around me.
i will study for the GAMSAT like no other exam. I have already started by basically reading old classic`s, updating myself with the current affaires, structuring my essays and will soon start on my chemistry, biology and physics. However i plan to get my theory study over and done with by december and from then on untill the exam will do nothing but practising for the exam, in oder to get my timing for each section right and to also make this a routine so that come exam day it will hopefully be like second nature to me. This is where the Guru method would be of great help , as getting practise material and guidence through this hurdle would be of great help. thankz
September 19th, 2008 at 9:18 am
Few years ago I was earning good money, living a life that a young adult always dreamed of. The comfortable lifestyle I had was a far cry from where I was in the past. Raised in a remote village, survival was a daily battle. People who got sick in that village turned into traditional healers and witches because real doctors were rare and out of reach. I have witnessed women giving birth in the hands of their husbands, old people on their deathbeds and wounded farmers treating themselves. The thought of having a surgery or a doctor in our village has been just a dream away. In fact, I was 17 when I first got to see a doctor. Most all, my mother died few years because in a preventable illness. Only if she made it to the hospital, things would have been different. But she died on the way to the hospital which is 150 kilometers away.
In 2005, I was in South Africa on a business travel. Part of the itinerary was to visit the townships just outside Cape Town. When I first came into the township, the level of poverty was comparable to where I came from, so I thought they’re alright. But as we visited some families, my whole mentality changed. There were very young kids who were sick with AIDS and their parents have AIDS, too! That was a devastating sight. That moment, I wished there was something I could do, Afterall, my folks have better lives than these people. The whole scene has sent me home contemplating, thinking, praying and reevaluating my priorities and plan for the future. Since then, I have been thinking about my village, my families and those AIDS sufferers.
Few months after arriving that experience, I handed in my resignation letter and enrolled in a bachelor’s degree. Because I was educated overseas in a different system, I could not just start medicine. Going back to studying undergrad was the only option.
Yes, you can get financial and job security being a doctor, but you can also get this from doing something else that requires less commitment. I will be a hypocrite if I say money is not a driving force in my decision to be a doctor, it is one of them but not the top reason. Life of a doctor is hard, the lifestyle and family life can be compromised. I want to be a doctor not only because I have the opportunity to do, but most of all because I want to make a difference in those places and people that I came contact with. I cant save the world, but I can help my village in my own ordinary ways. It will be a great thought to go back there and be of great use to people whom I played with when I was little and to the older ones who taught me a thing or two.
So how am I going to study GAMSAT? Well, first thing is to plan it well and give more attention to areas that I have little knowledge of, like Physics and Chemistry but not ignoring the other aspects. I will devote a time each week to review. I will practice thinking logically in simple tasks each day. I am planning to use the GAMSAT reviewers. Most of all, I am intending to use Guru’s method! I wont stop, I will persevere until I get to the place where I want to be — a doctor with a cause
September 19th, 2008 at 9:50 am
I want to be a doctor for all those corny reasons that everyone always says. Beacause i want to help people, i want to be rewarded knowing that i have helped someone when they needed me the most, for the self satisfaction of knowing that i am making a difference in the world and that my existance is justified. I have always known that i wanted a career that was based around helping people and where i was constantly learning and expanding my knowledge, and facing challanges head on and winning; a cruisy desk job is definatley not for me.
These are all valid answers, and i you had of asked me this question 18 months ago, this is what i would have replied, and while i still feel and believe all these things, loosing someone very dear to me recently has put a whole new perspective on things for me.
I sat GAMSAT in 2006, got ok marks and got offered an interveiw. Unfortunatly things didn’t progress further then that, and i was gutted. I thought my life was over, that i would never amount to anything and that i was a complete failure and i’d let my family down.
But as it turns out life has a funny way of looking out for itself. Not a few months later, my Mum was diagnosed with a very aggressive form of cancer, and given 6 months to two years to live.
I wasn’t ment to get into med school that year, i was supposed to take care of my Mum. And i did.
Although loosing my Mum to cancer has been the hardest thing i will ever go through, i am lucky as it has made me realise that i am MENT to be a doctor. I have more determination now to make it then ever before, because i know that it’s not the end of the world if i don’t get in, cause i can always try again and again and again, cause i won’t stop trying until i succeed.
This determination is going to keep me on track with my preperation. It’s going to help me stay focused when i’ve had enough of studying and it’s going to drive me to do my very best come test day.
September 19th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
i feel the most important quality for a chosen career path should be its level of challenge. no matter what i do, i want to know that i am being challenged to the greatest of my capacity, in order to extract the best of my strenghts. nursing is my current vocation, and while i enjoy it immensely, i feel i can do more, i can give more, i have the capabilty to brave a higher undertaking. i believe medicine is that very undertaking and i intend to give it my most valiant effort.
September 19th, 2008 at 3:22 pm
Doctor… I can’t imagine any other pathway as it’s the one i’ve been manipulated into and therefore, taken many of the appropriate steps to get there. However long I continue to study, I continue to dedicate myself to a dream of others and what they expect of me. For something I had completely underestimated and not cared for myself. I’ve never been smart - never first, but I always manage to skim over the line, With all the extra help I can get. GAMSAT Exam is just another step in the process, However the step is so much bigger than normal, and every resource needs to be utilized. THE GURU METHOD sounds extremely promising as a resource that will Help my preperation, of broad study, numerous practice essays and a long summer.
The Irony of this is you may think by now I do not want be a doctor, I plotted along in life until I realised that where i’ve ended up is exactly where I want to be right now, even though I may not have realised it on the way here.
I can only look foward to being able to help somebody with the most valuable thing they atain, their life.
September 19th, 2008 at 4:48 pm
I don’t think I was one of those people who has absolutely dreamed of being a doctor since I was a small child. Part of this I believe was due to my upbringing. Coming from a predominantly farming background where although successful in their own right, there wasn’t a huge emphasis on pursuing an academic career. In fact no-one in my entire family had ever been to university.
I progressed through school, doing well, somewhere in the middle of the bell curve. I had several jobs whilst I was at school and found myself urging on the side medicine. When I began university I still didn’t see myself becoming a doctor, to be very honest I think I felt it was out of reach. However, whilst studying Psychology and Neuroscience I began working as a carer for people with a wide range of disorders and disabilities. It was only then that I realised that this had been my passion all along, and the more I learned the more I craved to learn.
After I finished my degree I decided to sit for GAMSAT, though I was poorly prepared and really had no idea about the magnitude of prep I had to do to seriously compete with other students.
I then pursued a career in Vascular Sonography, which I have been working in for the past 5 years. I have learnt alot , not only medically but also personally about what a career in medicine entails and requires. There are wonderful benefits but also a lot of sacrifices. Now more than ever I am sure that I want a career in medicine, I LOVE working with people every day and am constantly amazed at the plethora of knowledge today in medicine. I stress the LOVE when it comes to people, as people are generally not themselves when they are sick, anxious or hurt and I have found it can be quite demanding and draining at the best of times, so if you LOVE them in the beginning at the worst of times you hopefully will still really enjoy your job.
Prep for GAMSAT. Where do I start, well I have just been trying to research all of the materials out there. I definitely believe its about getting as much practise at GAMSAT style questions. I am quitting full-time work and am going to work part-time for the 3 months leading up. The Guru method sounds great, and will hopefully be the basis, with a lot of hard work to gaining entry into Medical school.
September 19th, 2008 at 7:31 pm
I used to think that being a doctor was all about cold hard science. After actually meeting a few doctors, and being in hospital myself, I realise that that’s not the case. A good doctor can make so much difference to the patient’s well-being.
And for myself, I want to come home every day from work and know that what I did mattered. Whether it was saving a life, or being the person who held someone’s mother’s hand as she passed on, or even the one who did someone’s bowel evacuation without embarrassing them too much.
At school, I steered away from sciences, and studied languages. It took me until my Master in Translation Studies to realise that my interest didn’t lie solely in the language, but in the people themselves, their thoughts, and how those thoughts were formed. This led me back into biology, which I hadn’t studied since high school. And I remembered how much I enjoyed it.
So I began thinking about it. And I mentioned this to a girl I work with. She’s a medical student, and she told me about graduate entry into medicine. So I started researching it, and found out that despite a fairly average 3rd year in my undergrad, I had the necessary GPA (though I will need a pretty good GAMSAT score to get their attention). Then I started researching the GAMSAT. I am quite confident that with my advanced understanding of language and people, and my own personality, I could ace the first two sections.
However, I haven’t studied the science. That is my major problem. So I have bought textbooks to fill in the gap between where I stopped studying, and where I need to be. I’ve attended 1st year lectures at my university and taken notes. The Guru Method guide will (I’m hoping) give me some insight into the style of question asked. My factual recall is pretty good, but from all accounts, the questions aren’t designed to test your memory, they’re designed to test your thought processes.
On a personal level, I need to be learning. In every job I have had, I have mastered my job and been searching for something more. For me, medicine is the perfect place to be. Not only is it constantly challenging, but no-one can ever master it. There is always something new to learn, whether it’s science, or something more about humans in their startling complexity.
I would be honoured and beyond thrilled to win this contest, but if it is not to be, that certainly won’t stop me from improving my science skills so I can take and pass that exam. I hope to see every other entrant there.
September 20th, 2008 at 12:41 am
Why do you want to be a doctor [of Medicine]?
This has been the recurring question that’s been haunting me since I was four years old. The first question started in a hospital in my home country where I was being blood tested. There I was, lying in my hospital bed, innocent and ignorant, glancing at a young “ghost with a white coat” who was trying to thrust a syringe needle through my brachial artery. At first, my mom told me that I howled for ages due to fright and that neither she, nor anybody near could stop me. However, this ghost soothed me by making funny faces at me, giving me a toy to hold on to and explained in “kid language” that it will just be like an ant bite and that it needs to be done to know what’s wrong with me (I was having symptoms of high fever and dehydration). Then, without realizing, I succumbed to the ghost’s bait and comfy words - the ghost proceeding with grace and precision, tying a band around my arm and squeezing it gently but tightly as I gazed at the incoming sharp object ready to pierce through my “once upon a time” baby skin. Ironically, I didn’t cry during the whole process and in fact was curious on that red liquid that this ghost was gathering from me while sharing a chuckle with my new friend.
The same ghost sent my mom to chills when shortly after, she was told that I had complications from Typhoid Fever but then was relieved due to the ghost’s assurance of my good chance of survival given the right treatment plan. That day was the day when I decided to be like this friendly ghost when I grow up - the ghost who was visiting me frequently in my room daily, giving me “bitter candies” for me to feel better, with the “elephant nose” smelling me around my chest area and tickling me in the process; the ghost who was playing and enjoying with me even though I was bedridden; more importantly the ghost who saved my life.
Since then, I started to love visiting hospitals via my regular immunizations/vaccinations or confined relatives, exploring their wide corridors, getting curious with their medical equipment, operating rooms and chatting with other “ghosts with white coats”. While I was growing up in elementary (primary) and high (secondary) school, I developed an utmost interest on the sciences. It was during that time when I was very glad to find out that I wasn’t homophobic when doing a blood type test experiment in chemistry, or that I didn’t freak out or vomited when shown a human cadaver during a science exposure trip in a medical campus unlike most of my fellow classmates – I even volunteered to touch the fascia and the orbit with my hands!
Although my parents and relatives who are doctors didn’t support me into studying medicine due to the tremendous cost and time that they would burden coupled with the conservative traditional method of training doctors in our country (Philippines) with outdated medical technology and instruments, I was still determined to be a doctor - I had always remembered my friend ghost. They decided for me what degree to take in college since it was their hard earned money that paid for the tuition fees and expected me to do well above average as a “return on their investment”. Despite my lack of leverage to decide for myself, it was a good thing that I am very competitive, a quick enthusiastic learner and love continuous learning – traits that I harnessed during my childhood years of quenching my thirst for scientific curiosity, that I was able to complete my Bachelor’s Degree in Commerce - Major in Business Management, graduating with honors and, not to mention achieving above average grades in audit courses like inorganic and organic chemistry, zoology, comparative anatomy and psychology.
Two years ago, my family decided to migrate to Australia in the hopes of living a better life. Realizing that Australia, being a developed country, is known to have relatively advanced medical training and equipment as compared to my home country, I then thoroughly researched on admissions, the GAMSAT, the several “scholarships” or places offered by various universities and med school in Australia in general. It was then that a bright opportunity of making my dream a reality arose. I decided for myself to look for a job that suits my qualification in the hopes of hitting two birds from one stone: 1. A chance for me to “try before I buy”- to realize first hand if this career that my parents chose for me suits me well or that I may experience satisfaction with this type of profession in one way or another, and 2. Save as much money as possible from the compensation and use this to pay for med school in the near future as the favored option.
Indeed, I was accepted to an entry level management trainee position due to my outstanding academic achievements and, after six months - a production engineer position that I am currently on. Even though I got promoted quickly, I didn’t feel any personal satisfaction with this career of maximizing efficiency/profits/numbers – no matter how promising it seemed to be. I want to maximize someone’s health and well-being both directly (patient) and indirectly (patient’s relatives) – just like my childhood friend ghost. Even though I do my best and generate (even exceed) results that my motivating superiors expect, I didn’t feel motivated by them – I feel motivated by the compensation that would give me a ticket to med school. The product of my indecision during college is this current event in my life that is comparable to shaping a peg round and, due to circumstances, trying to hammer it to a square hole. Fortunately, I will be able to minimize the damage done and stop trying to drive the peg through by deciding to look for that round hole – that best fit which I believe is a career in Medicine.
Then, there is the “first strike” of the hammer that would drive that round peg into the round hole – the GAMSAT exam. The GAMSAT, as I’ve found out in the Guru Method special report, is a problem based exam designed to test one’s problem analyzing and solving capabilities given the time constraints. In theory, the test would aid in screening candidates that will be conducive to a problem-based curriculum of teaching commonly found in modern medical colleges nowadays. In my opinion, GAMSAT candidates and medical professionals utilize the same basic framework in dealing with problems: The GAMSAT exam focuses on how fast you can relate a problem with your current level of knowledge (study) come up with an analysis (diagnosis), formulate possible solutions (possible treatment) and select the best solution (optimal treatment plan)
Preparing for this exam will be an interesting journey but with a clear and vivid destination. The “journey” will be the “training” or practice of problem identification, problem analysis and problem solving which, I’m certain the Guru Method Manuals would provide guidance for. The “destination” is coming up with the best possible solution from the problem identification and analysis within the given time constraints. What makes it interesting is the fact that the prep wouldn’t constitute the usual study methods which I used to prepare for school exams or final exams, for these exams focus on what you have learned from the inputs – teacher’s lecture, reading assignments, projects, homework, etc. It would primarily involve problem solving drills (Sections I and III) and essay writing drills (Section II) under progressive time limitations until desired target times are achieved without compromising the accuracy of the best solution. I’m firmly certain that the Guru Method will have a major impact on this aspect of my preparation, and eventually my GAMSAT success along with my basic science knowledge complementing it.
Finally, it would be best for me to prepare for the GAMSAT exam with a positive mind guiding me in focusing on the goal of being admitted to my first choice university and ultimately to be a registered medical professional within 5 years after the GAMSAT.
P.S. – Sorry for the length – I guess I got carried away… (”D)
September 20th, 2008 at 5:51 am
I was very surprised and happy with the offer of this competition. It is a offer of making a dream come true. My greatest desire is to become a doctor, not just because I’m compassionate and kind with people, not just because I work in a hospital and I see some heartless professionals around, not just because I’m already 30 and I believe is never too late to follow my heart and make my dream come true…but most importantly because I LOVE to help people and I LOVE medicine, I read about medicine, I watch medical programs on TV and I’m passionate about medicine. I feel in my heart a great desire to relieve the suffering of the sick people and I want to contribute to this world saving lives - Is there anything else to do in life better than saving lives? What is more valuable than a life?
September 20th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
Dear Sir
I am graduate in Art. Can I take GAMSAT for MBBS
Please guide me
September 20th, 2008 at 10:51 pm
I don’t see why not? Go ahead!
September 20th, 2008 at 11:55 pm
Like the scar on my left knee, being a doctor has always felt like a part of me. After six years of travelling the world, I cut my journey short because of the pure hunger to study medicine. I returned with a zero bank balance and an indescribable drive. Within 8 weeks I was studying the pre-requisites to get into my chosen undergraduate course. I am now 31 and starting to prepare for the beast that is GAMSAT.
I do not feel I can completely describe why I want to be a doctor; it is an ache in the pit of my belly. If I were to try, I would say my mother’s blindness has acted as an influence as has her aura of charity. The poverty stricken countries I have visited are reminders of the selflessness that embodies a good doctor. Unfortunately the ill health at our own front doors also acts in the same way. Being able to help others is the ultimate personal reward; I cringe at using this white knight cliché but nonetheless, for me, it is very true.
Helping me prepare for the exam are my new best friends, the ABC and SBS, while the paper gets delivered to keep me up to date with current affairs. The practice questions from ACER have arrived and I have started working on my weaker subjects of chemistry and physics. My local library will shortly know me on a first name basis at which time I will convince them I do not particularly enjoy the Penguin classics, despite appearances. The 14 weeks of the Christmas holidays will be spent studying for GAMSAT full time, no New Years shenanigans for me. Having the support and guidance of a preparatory course is now the missing link I need. I cannot wait to get started!
September 21st, 2008 at 10:25 am
I think the human race short-changes its abilities with its egocentric and materialistic fascination. I believe western cultures get caught up in a whirlwind of self-made distractions and humanity needs to look at the simplicity and beauty in what is given to us everyday… life. I have a profound reverence for this and for human existence itself. It is awe-inspiring and is something that I will never lose commitment for.
I want to be a doctor because of the satisfaction and fulfilment it would bring to me to wake up every morning and be humbled by the fact I am contributing to humanity and the lives of so many people working in a field I love. Specifically I’m looking to go into the field of obstetrician/gynaecology for two reasons: I think there is a community need for more female gynaecologists and secondly the miracle of childbirth! It reminds me that the world isn’t just what we as individuals see it to be but it is always evolving.
I am also passionate about research and the quest for knowledge! So I believe I will be dedicated to continue learning for the rest of my life, which I believe this profession requires. I am conscious of the every present threat that this may turn into an unintended essay, however you have asked me about the one question that I have the most passion for!
How will I study for GAMSAT 2009? I graduated from a B. Medical Science in June 2008, so I am confident that section III will not be the most difficult. I am notorious however for poor essay writing and expression!! So what am I doing? Reading essays, and practice practice practice!!! I would be appreciative of a free Guru method 2009 package for financial reasons, which I’m sure we can all relate to- to some degree, all being past students ourselves!
September 21st, 2008 at 2:13 pm
I did not want to be a doctor. I wanted to be a dentist.
But, during combat in the Middle East as a military medic where I got to treat a lot of traumatic combat injuries with the US Marines and the Navy, I realized my true calling.
I was in my final year of dental school when I met an amazing woman and I could not wait to start my life with her. So, I quit school and joined the Navy.
My ASVAB test put me in Medical instead of Dental. I protested at first but soon found I actually ENJOYED medicine. My superiors and surgeons noticed this and encouraged me to take the MCAT, and become a doctor.
I did and actually finished the first 2 yrs of medical school. However, in my last visit in Australia, my father passed away and now I have to look after my mother. Because Australian medical schools do not accept transfers with advanced standing, I have decided to REPEAT med sch from Day One.
Not an easy decision but i do NOT mind mastering medicine since I plan to treat people until the last day that I’m alive. Medicine to me is NOT work at all. It is what I love doing!
I plan to study for the GAMSAT like every pre-med info is important to each of my patients’ well-being.
- Angel Gener
September 21st, 2008 at 4:04 pm
Hi,
I also wanted to be a doctor and help people through reseach and treatment of serious diseases.
Below is my story:
My name is Bill and I have been suffering from non-Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, which was first diagnosed in 1977. I received 4 weeks of radical dose radiotherapy, in a mantle distribution after the removal of nodular moderately well differentiated and lymphocytic type, having presented with a rapidly growing mass in my right axilla. I have had three subsequent re-occurrences since in, 1982 (splenomegaly), 1989 and 1993. In each instance underwent surgery and massive doses of chemotherapy.
Since then I have also experienced autoimmune diseases (hyper-immunity)including Thrombocytopenia and Haemolytic Anaemia in 1997 and 1999 respectively. Again I received massive doses of chemo and cortical steroids.
In 2000 I was diagnosed with Hypogammaglobulinaenia and have to receive monthly transfusions of human antibodies(Intragam).
2007 I had a quadruple bypass operation because I sustained damage to my arteries, thyroid gland, lungs and heart due to the radiotherapy treatment in 1977.
I also had dreams of becoming a doctor one day, but all my hopes were shattered when I realized that most doctors these days are more concerned in ‘making money’ and becoming successful.
The true reality is that they treat people like slabs of meat rather than human beings. There is no empathy or even sympathy. Gone are the days when doctors really helped the needy and sick, as they actually swore and practiced the Hippocratic oath like the late Dr. Fred Hollows and Dr Charlie Teo to mention a few.
September 22nd, 2008 at 10:13 am
No1 Quintessence of A Physician
The absurdity of doctor as a profession always fascinates me when I was little. You are sick; you go to doctors; you wait patiently (maybe that is where the word “patient” come form) with agony, thinking when is it ever going to start? And when they do see you, they cut you, bleed you, and pierce you; you start to think: when is this torment ever going to end? At end of the day, you pay them and thank them for the pain with a kindness on your face, hoping you will never see them again. Yes, they may occasionally spare you a candy, hoping you will stay quite the next time you go to their clinic.
In 1993, Patch Adams, the movie or at least the person portrayed in movie, change my view about doctors completely.
Dr. Patch Adams inspired me the kind of person I want to be. He has passion, guts, kindness, and persistent strife to the best of his ability to attend to patient’s comfort. Medicine to him is not just statistics, hierarchy, and mechanical routine. Dr. Patch Adams believed in “humanistic medicine” ? more than a sense of hope, but a sense of dignity and caring that I would want for my families in hospital when they are ill.
By masking himself as clown and entertain the patients, he believes it is one of the best ways to serve his patients. As the Dr. Patch Adams in explained in his speeches:
“(Deep down) You can say that is fake performance because you are really hurting; so what is true in the formula I am talking about is the intention that is true, and performance is serving the intention.”
But I also believe that there are countless true passionate doctors out there who serve tirelessly with mask and share the same do-good-intention, in surgery, in anesthesia, in oncology, and even in abortion and euthanasia. They too, just in different kind of disguise, giving fake performance to hide the fact they are hurting; and the fact they are powerless, frustrated and helpless in battling against ethical dilemma, disease and futility of death and staggering cut of funding, regardless of their gender, age and their level of obstinacy. Not one doctor who is not compassionate and kind, I genuinely believe, is willing to go through the grueling years of medical schooling and hospital training, starting with painstaking gamsat or umat and interview.
But good intention without an objective is futile. I believe to be a doctor you need more than just do-good-intention, ambition, obligation, commitment; a doctor above all others need to have an intrinsic passion and intuitions to serve patient as you would like how your families to be served, because personalities and abilities alone do not provide a doctors’ explanation to your own existence and motivation. The qualities mentioned above are merely the basic attributes of doctor to facilitate them to do a proper job and in fact to do any other job, which coming even with practice and training: social worker with good intention, politician with ambition; police with obligation; and even thief with commitment (if you think it is a job). An answer to explain the rationality of doctors’ role is of importance and greatly needed before any one who wish eagerly to become one.
See, we all will die one day; and doctors are not curing-death-almighty; and all death is inevitable and imminent. So why doctors? Why would I even want to become one?
This can only be explained by this code: how we perceive we are treated in the hospital is really something special; something that I would genuinely like to offer to future patients, as of what I would like to offer to my family, with a fake smile on my face and a true intention. This is my No.1 quintessence of physician.
p.s.
I thought I wasn’t going to post this, but Michael’s relentless email bang me into it!
Cheers to everyone in their preparation and enjoy the process!
October 18th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Hi Michael,
I want to become a doctor because of my passion for medicine. I am from India basically and due to the heavy competition back home, I couldn’t achieve becoming a doctor. Well, without losing my passion for medicine, I learnt “Perfusion Technology” and became a Clinical Cardiac Perfusionist working with the Heart Lung Machines, to keep the heart alive while Open Heart Surgeries. I thought I had achieved something within the medical field, but after 12 years in Perfusion, this year I had the shocking revelation that I still have that never ending passion for doing medicine. This revelation was after coming to Australia, when I heard about Post grad entry and the GAMSAT. So, now, I am just prepared to leave my 12 year successful career life and carrying the burden of a family with my 2 children to sit for the GAMSAT exam in (say, crazy) full confidence and hope to achieve my goal in life.
Well, for the preparation of GAMSAT, I have stopped my studies since nearly 9 years. So, I don’t really know how to start and where to start. But after viewing the comments from different people and also enrolling in the 10day mini course with you, I have some idea of how to prepare for the GAMSAT. Again coming from a ESL background, I will be giving equal importance to all the three sections. I am going to train myself for the 80,30 and 92 that you have taught me. Please, wish me good luck. Thank you for the beautiful support that you are providing to guide us.
Cheers,
Viji.
November 3rd, 2010 at 12:58 am
Hi Michael,
I want to become a doctor because of my passion for medicine. I am from India basically and due to the heavy competition back home, I couldn’t achieve becoming a doctor. Well, without losing my passion for medicine, I learnt “Perfusion Technology” and became a Clinical Cardiac Perfusionist working with the Heart Lung Machines, to keep the heart alive while Open Heart Surgeries. I thought I had achieved something within the medical field, but after 12 years in Perfusion, this year I had the shocking revelation that I still have that never ending passion for doing medicine. This revelation was after coming to Australia, when I heard about Post grad entry and the GAMSAT. So, now, I am just prepared to leave my 12 year successful career life and carrying the burden of a family with my 2 children to sit for the GAMSAT exam in (say, crazy) full confidence and hope to achieve my goal in life.
Well, for the preparation of GAMSAT, I have stopped my studies since nearly 9 years. So, I don’t really know how to start and where to start. But after viewing the comments from different people and also enrolling in the 10day mini course with you, I have some idea of how to prepare for the GAMSAT. Again coming from a ESL background, I will be giving equal importance to all the three sections. I am going to train myself for the 80,30 and 92 that you have taught me. Please, wish me good luck. Thank you for the beautiful support that you are providing to guide us.
Cheers,
Viji.
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