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The single most important tip to help you adjust to university life.

The single most important tip to help you adjust to university life.

The holiday season is officially over, and it has just dawned on you that your university orientation is… *checks timetable* tomorrow?! No need to hit the panic button yet...

${reading_time(` The holiday season is officially over, and it has just dawned on you that your university orientation is… *checks timetable* tomorrow?! No need to hit the panic button yet, as this new chapter in your life signals a time of optimism. Whether this is your first, second, or third start to the university year, one piece of advice still holds true: “Comparison is the thief of joy”. Your university experience will vary to that of your peers, even to those with identical class timetables. You will meet people from all walks of life, some with subjectively privileged upbringings and others with the hopes of repaying the sacrifices their family made to give them a better chance at life. Yes, I am generalising here, and this list should be exhaustive (nor are the two examples I provided mutually exclusive); but the truth is, that was my experience. Initially, I found it hard to make friends and keep up with the high demands of the degree. I grew to resent other students who I perceived to have a thriving social life and still score well in assessments, something I was naively conditioned to believe was not possible. I had to keep reminding myself I deserved to be here — I received an offer to study at this university just like everybody else. However, this isn’t one of those sob stories, and I am not asking for your sympathy. What I am inferring is that imposter syndrome is real and it’s OK to not know what you are doing. Luckily, it took me only one semester to snap out of this adverse mindset. Over time, I realised that whilst my experience was seemingly different, most students shared universal issues. Now as an academic myself, I can pass on a few tips that I wish I knew before I started university. It’s OK to not make friends immediately or skip social occasions to study. It’s also OK (with reason) to prioritize social events over study. It’s OK to never understand a subject matter, no matter how hard you try — failing a class is not a unique experience and can happen to anyone. The whole point of university is to find out your strengths and weaknesses, and to exploit this knowledge for your future career in the workforce. Naturally, it’s OK to dislike your assignment group members, some people really are hard to work with. Herein lies the university experience paradox: your experiences are unique to other students but instantaneously similar at the same time. This explains why so many students feel disenfranchised with the whole process. It goes without saying that there is no point in comparing yourself to others. Focus and work on your own strengths and flaws, irrespective of those around you. Your time at university will be some of the best years of your young adult life, so try to make the best of it. Whilst comparison may be the thief of joy: “Pessimism leads to weakness and optimism to power”. Enjoy your upcoming university orientation events and good luck in your studies. Power to you, you have earned it. `)} Arror right
Where to access free material to help you succeed in your GAMSAT and MMI

Where to access free material to help you succeed in your GAMSAT and MMI

We have prepared a free mock GAMSAT exam and Section II essay generator to assist in your study, which can be found on our website.

${reading_time(`The Institute of Medical Education has prepared a free mock GAMSAT exam and Section II essay generator to assist in your study, which can be found on our website. If you are further along your medicine journey and would like help with Interview preparation, try our free MMI interview scenarios generator here. And if you are looking for an extended study program, you are welcome to have a read of our updated Pre-Medical brochures here. We hold regular free webinars, and you will be kept in the loop regarding future sessions. In the meantime, you can access our 2022 Webinar Schedule here. For more educational material, search "Institute of Medical Education" on Facebook, LinkedIn, and YouTube — our Instagram (@pre_ime) and TikTok (@IMEmedical) pages are also a good source of fun. We have also released solutions to Section 3, ACER Practice Test 1 and 3 (formerly Green & Pink booklets, respectively). In these videos I explain in detail how to approach and answer each question. You can access the videos in their respective playlists on our YouTube channel.`)} Arror right
A Fun De-Stress GAMSAT Advent Calendar

A Fun De-Stress GAMSAT Advent Calendar

A fun de-stress advent calendar for you to try out in anticipation for the release ofSeptember GAMSAT 2022 results next month.  GAMSAT 2022 is finally over!

${reading_time(`Written by Dr Hassan Choucair GAMSAT 2022 is finally over, hooray! The exam cycle has most likely consumed your life, and yes, that feeling you have right now is called free time — a foreign concept to many candidates. Exam results do not come out until mid-November and the stress is getting to you; so, what should you do to pass the time? Here is a quick list of activities to keep you occupied before your results are released in November. We call it the de-stress advent calendar — the hope is that you receive a favourable GAMSAT score on the 25 th day. Good luck! 1. Make and cook your own handmade pasta.2. Beginners: go for a 2 km jog. Seasoned: add an extra 4 km to your next run.3. Visit a new street or square in your neighbourhood.4. Plant and grow your own herbs or chilies.5. Learn basic music theory and practice your singing.6. Buy a unique piece of clothing from an op-shop and wear it for the day.7. Try yoga, pilates, or stretching exercises.8. Watch the sunrise or sunset and try locating constellations in the night sky.9. Have a picnic in your city’s most attractive park.10. Go to the library and borrow a book to read.11. Visit a museum.12. Buy fresh flowers for yourself, a deserved family member or a dear friend.13. Update your resumé.14. Volunteer your time somewhere or look for volunteer work.15. Explore a new suburb in your city.16. Get a massage or visit your local doctor for a health check.17. Try a cuisine from a culture you are not familiar with.18. Draw, paint or colour a picture book.19. Learn and play a sport you are not familiar with.20. Organise an event or dinner with your friends.21. Reflect and write a short story on your life so far.22. Listen and critically analyse music from a genre you are not familiar with.23. Beginners: go for a swim. Seasoned: add an extra 500 m to your next swim.24. Go to cinema and watch a movie.`)} Arror right
Introducing the Institute of Medical Education

Introducing the Institute of Medical Education

Introducing the Institute of Medical Education. METC Institute is pleased to announce that we have changed our name to the Institute of Medical Education, affectionately known as IME. 

${reading_time(` Introducing the Institute of Medical Education. METC Institute is pleased to announce that we have changed our name to the Institute of Medical Education, affectionately known as IME.  When METC Institute was founded in 2013, our vision was to improve the quality of health care around the world through the provision of comprehensive and affordable education products. After a period of exciting growth and expansion, we have decided to update our brand to better reflect who we are and all that we have to offer. A major catalyst and in this change was our official accreditation with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) to formally conduct PESCIs for International Medical Graduates. In obtaining accreditation, IME will be joining the RACGP (Royal Australian College of General Practitioners) and the ACRRM (Australian College of Rural and Remote Medicine) as the third accredited organisation.  IME is proud to be officially accepting applications for PESCI. Today, we launched this new service alongside our brand new website. Rest assured that our expert educators are enthusiastic about our new brand and we expect minimal disruption to current students. You will continue to receive communication and resources over the next few weeks as we transition from METC Institute to the Institute of Medical Education. We hope you enjoy our new look as much as we do.  Regards, Dr Kenneth Loon MBBS, B.Pharm (Hons), FRACS Executive Director Institute of Medical Education (formerly METC Institute)`)} Arror right
UCAT Abstract Reasoning Tips & Practices

UCAT Abstract Reasoning Tips & Practices

The Abstract Reasoning section of the UCAT tests your pattern recognition skills under tough time constraints. Some units in this section will contain Set A and Set B questions that require test...

${reading_time(`The Abstract Reasoning section of the UCAT tests your pattern recognition skills under tough time constraints. Some units in this section will contain Set A and Set B questions that require test shapes to be matched with their correct set. Pattern recognition is a critical analytical skill required of a doctor, who often must decide if a patient’s set of symptoms fit a particular “pattern” of disease from a selection of many similar disorders. These skills are frequently drawn upon and lucky for you, they can be learnt and developed.  Having a plan for this section is essential. You’ll likely spend your time first working out the pattern in Set A and B and this is the approach we recommend you take first. Try not to look at the test shape first, as this will only distract you from solving the pattern. It may seem excruciatingly difficult to decipher the sequence but take your time and with practice you’ll unravel an increasingly greater percentage of these puzzles. Through practice in a UCAT Preparation program, you will slowly develop an eye for the typical patterns that may appear. They may be the type of shapes that appear in each box, the proportion of colours, or the shapes that are coloured. Many variations exist and your task is to become adept at identifying them. Once you do, assigning the test shape to the set is a piece of cake. Contact us today and we can take on the arduous task of preparing for UCAT together!`)} Arror right
What Is The UCAT?

What Is The UCAT?

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) ANZ is an admissions test for entry into undergraduate medical, dental, and clinical science degrees in Australia and New Zealand. The test is used by a...

${reading_time(`The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) ANZ is an admissions test for entry into undergraduate medical, dental, and clinical science degrees in Australia and New Zealand. The test is used by a consortium of universities as a means of standardising access to their programs. The UCAT is adapted from the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) which is used in the United Kingdom for the same purposes as UCAT. For 2019, the UCAT replaced the previously used UMAT exam in Australian and New Zealand. Along with the student's grades from secondary school and performance in the medicine entry interview, UCAT is used to rank students for entry into undergraduate programs. Students sit the UCAT in the same year that they apply to university, which can only be sat once per year. The UCAT ANZ is a multiple-choice exam. It is split into the following sections which aim to assess a range of mental abilities: Verbal Reasoning – evaluate information that is presented in a written form Decision Making – apply logic to reach a decision or conclusion, evaluate arguments, and analyse statistical information Quantitative Reasoning – evaluate information presented in a numerical form Abstract Reasoning – use convergent and divergent thinking to infer relationships from information Situational Judgement – understand real world situations and identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them The UCAT ANZ 2022 will be held in the month of July 2022 and can only be sat once by each student during this period. Though there is no specific curriculum for the UCAT, the innate skills assessed can be developed and improved through quality practice. Students sitting the exam are required to complete several questions in each section according to set timings spanning two hours. The structure and content of the 2022 UCAT ANZ exam, with scaled score ranges UCAT Subtests Questions Score Range Question Marking Test Time Verbal Reasoning 44 300–900 1 mark each question 21 minutes Decision Making 29 300–900 1 mark each question; 2 marks for multiple statement questions 31 minutes Quantitative Reasoning 36 300–900 1 mark each question 25 minutes Abstract Reasoning 50 300–900 1 mark each question 12 minutes Total Score Range 1200–3600 Situational Judgement 66 300–900 Full marks for correct answers; partial marks for response close to correct answer 21 minutes Candidates sitting the UCAT are scored using a specific system marked on the number of correct answers given, with no negative marking for incorrect answers. Question sets are randomly generated, and all test forms are scaled so that candidates receive impartiality between subsets. For each section of the exam, each candidate receives a UCAT score of between 300 (minimum) and 900 (maximum). A total scaled score of 1200–3600 is produced by adding the individual scaled cognitive section scores of Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Abstract Reasoning. Within the Situational Judgement test, full marks are awarded for a question if your response matches the correct answer and partial marks awarded if your response is close to the correct answer. On average, students sitting the UCAT will achieve scores ranging from 500–700 on each of the cognitive sections of the UCAT exam. Final scores for the exam will be provided to the candidate on the day of the examination. For reference, summary mean UCAT ANZ scores from previous years are shown below. Mean UCAT ANZ scores from 2019–present, with individual scaled scores for each cognitive subtest, total scaled score, and situational judgement subtest. This table was adapted from UCAT Test Statistics. Year Cohort Size Verbal Reasoning Decision Making Quantitative Reasoning Abstract Reasoning Total Cognitive Scaled Score Situational Judgement 2021 ~14,000 586 622 679 650 2537 581 2020 577 635 671 644 2527 592 2019 571 618 663 629 2481 592 Concessions/access arrangements are available for candidates with special educational needs, disabilities, or temporary injuries. Such students may be entitled to extra time or accommodations when sitting the test. Candidates need to register and create an online account via UCAT official to arrange a testing date and are encouraged to book early to avoid missing out on a place at their nearest Pearson VUE testing centre. Results from UCAT ANZ 2022 can only be used to apply for courses commencing in 2023. The current UCAT Consortium universities include: University of Adelaide Curtin University Flinders University Griffith University Monash University University of Newcastle / University of New England University of New South Wales University of Queensland (including Central Queensland University Regional Medical Pathway for provisional entry) University of Tasmania University of Western Australia Western Sydney University / Charles Sturt University The following key dates for the UCAT ANZ 2022 should be noted: Booking opens: 01 March 2022 Booking deadline: 17 May 2022 Late booking deadline (incurs extra fee): 31 May 2022 Testing period: 01 July – 12 August 2022 Results delivered to universities: early September 2022 `)} Arror right
Tips For The UCAT ANZ Exam

Tips For The UCAT ANZ Exam

Students often ask for tips in preparing for their examinations. The following is a list of general UCAT tips prepared by members of the Academic Faculty:

${reading_time(`Students often ask for tips in preparing for their examinations. The following is a list of general UCAT tips prepared by members of the Academic Faculty: Commence preparing for UCAT as early as possible. The work you will need to do to become familiar and competitive in the UCAT is not insignificant and should be commenced as soon as possible. This allows students to spread the workload over a more manageable period therefore minimising impingement on secondary school study Understand the rationale for the examination. By possessing insight into the domains and styles of assessment, candidates can align their thinking with that of the assessment and are therefore more likely to answer correctly Spend at least 100 hours preparing. Most successful students will spend a significant amount of time preparing for the UCAT. Though the UCAT consortium suggests studying for 30-40 hours in the weeks prior to the exam, students seeking higher level performance should intensify their efforts to out-develop their competition. Ideally preparation should be completed over many months rather than concentrated over a few weeks Practice regularly and complete all the official UCAT practice materials. The UCAT ANZ is unique in that the consortium provides students with a significant number of practice questions and materials prior to the official exam. It is essential that students complete these materials as well as critically appraising their performance and addressing areas of weakness Focus on your weaknesses. In an exam where candidates are ranked against their cohort, it is of high-yield for candidates to focus on improving their shortcomings. These can be identified via completion of formal practice examinations and assessing performance in each of the sections both relative to each other, and against average UCAT scores Engage formal assistance in your preparation. Preparing for UCAT in liaison with professionals with experience in the field enables students to focus on areas of importance and avoid common pitfalls. Formal preparation courses and programs should ideally teach students how to approach the questions seen in each section of the UCAT. This is the focus of the Institute of Medical Education UCAT Preparation courses and programs (hyperlink) Practical exam tips and common pitfalls to avoid: Leaving their preparation too late. There is a maximum rate at which candidates can develop and attempting to condense study in a short timeframe is likely to exceed this rate. Leaving study late also impacts on the candidate's capacity for perform on the day Managing time effectively. It is very common for students to lose a lot of time attempting to solve difficult questions. To be competitive, students must legitimately attempt all questions and not leave large amounts of exam sections unanswered Answer all questions. This requires effective time management and exam strategy Read questions carefully - Many candidates will passively move through the exam (rather than actively) making elementary mistakes, which given the competitive nature of the UCAT, can cost them entry into their program of choice Relying on previous experience. The aim of the assessment is to determine the candidate's ability to objectively reason. The answers to the questions are therefore provided in the passages and candidates should not defer to prior knowledge to answer questions Complicating questions. Candidates often complicate questions by attempting to consider them in inappropriate depth. To avoid this, it is important to consider what is the most obvious and therefore most likely answer. Candidates should remember that they are being assessed for entry into undergraduate programs`)} Arror right
The Case For A UCAT Tutor

The Case For A UCAT Tutor

The UCAT does not assess a specific curriculum and the capacities measured lie in the general domains of verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, and situational judgement. The...

${reading_time(`The UCAT does not assess a specific curriculum and the capacities measured lie in the general domains of verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning, abstract reasoning, and situational judgement. The stimuli used for assessment in each section are non-specific and are selected to mitigate any potential biases. The Institute of Medical Education UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the exam. Fundamentally, this involves developing an understanding of the approach to answering questions in each section of the exam. Students are demonstrated these approaches through on-demand lectures and then utilise these techniques in completing the formal UCAT practice materials. With the Institute of Medical Education, all students receive unlimited support from expert UCAT tutors. Our Academic Faculty is staffed by many expert doctors and medical students with experience in medical admissions exams. The best way to determine your necessity to sit UCAT is to contact us today! We can help review the undergraduate programs you wish to pursue on the relevant university websites. Each program will list the requirements for entry including any UCAT cut-off score where relevant. `)} Arror right
How To Perform In The UCAT

How To Perform In The UCAT

The most important insight to be apprehended is the discriminatory nature of the examination. UCAT is likely to be a foreign form of assessment for students who are used to...

${reading_time(`In 2018, it was decided that the UMAT (UCAT predecessor) was inferior to the UCAT for selecting for undergraduate medicine, and in 2019, the first UCAT exam was administered in Australia. Based on the scope of the examination, one can surmise that the move to the UCAT was in part based on the broader capacity for assessment of characteristics seen as befitting a career in Medicine. These include decision-making and situational judgement which were not previously assessed in the UMAT. The shift to the UCAT is a continuation of the trend toward selecting candidates with innate competencies acquiescent to a career in Medicine which are difficult to teach. Decades ago, these capacities were seen as inessential in the practice of a paternalistic form of Medicine. This practice is however all but departed and been replaced by a collaborative model of practice. In this new model, doctors (ergo medical students) are required to possess a more rounded skill set. Candidates are now required to be proficient both technically and in their interactions with patients and colleagues. Performing in the UCAT The most important insight to be apprehended is the discriminatory nature of the examination. UCAT is likely to be a foreign form of assessment for students who are used to secondary school exams where the aim is simply to fail students who do not meet a pre-defined minimum. In UCAT, students compete against each other for limited positions rather than some arbitrary pass mark. Therefore, to perform in the exam students must work exceptionally hard to make continual improvements.  Practically speaking, this means following the below general process: Commencing with a complete list of the curriculum for all subtests of the examination. It is vital students collate this information as it will form the basis of a comprehensive study program Research and collate study resources for the UCAT including official questions, formal preparation programs, and relevant readings From the curriculum and collated resources, draft a study plan to adequately address all aspects of the examination. This study plan will need to consider the amount of time available before the exam and to factor in practice exams, review of those practice exams, and revision tasks Commence working through the study plan keeping note of progress versus time allocated. It is also vital to commence practice exams early, and to systematically review performance in each of these exams to identify weaknesses. Improvement of weaknesses throughout the study process is the most efficient way to improve performance By following the above general process, students will give themselves the best opportunity to perform in the exam. `)} Arror right
UCAT Exam-Taking Strategy

UCAT Exam-Taking Strategy

This blog should only be three words long: practice, practice, practice! Take as many practice exams as possible that you can get your hands on and complete these under timed...

${reading_time(`This blog should only be three words long: practice, practice, practice! Take as many practice exams as possible that you can get your hands on and complete these under timed conditions. Review practice papers and (in particular) those answers you get incorrect to ensure that you identify where you made your error. The UCAT requires quick solutions for a particular set of questions and there is no better way to prepare for this type of exam than in completing similar questions. When I used to play competitive football, at training we would repeat several individual drills to ensure that each individual part or component was perfected. When combined, these techniques contributed to our overall game performance and success. You need to apply this to your UCAT preparation by breaking down each cognitive section into parts, with each part worked on individually. Just like football, improvement in the UCAT is dependent on how well you manage your ego by identifying your weaknesses. Be honest with yourself and realise that there’s nothing wrong with weakness in an area. You just need to put the time in to improve on these areas. Objectively, you could appraise yourself through tallying your practice test marks, or by asking a study buddy their thoughts on where you need to improve. This is the hardest part — nobody enjoys doing something tiresome; however, it is the only way to achieve success. As you will most likely be stressed, you must plan the day of your exam beforehand to make it as comforting as possible. Eat nutritious meals, arrange transport with plenty of time to allow for transportation issues, and have your bag packed with your required items (including ID) the night before. On the day of the exam, read questions carefully and use a process of elimination when required to decide on the correct answer. Treat each question equally, moving on to more feasible questions if you are stuck on a particular brainteaser. Finally, do not self-appraise your performance in the middle of the exam. The exam can be thought of as a marathon rather than a sprint, and any stumbles throughout the performance won’t have much of an effect if you don’t let them. The Institute of Medical Education UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the exam; so, if you have any further questions or would like to see how we can help you with your preparation, contact us today! Good luck in your exam and we look forward to working with you.`)} Arror right
UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips & Practices

UCAT Verbal Reasoning Tips & Practices

Armed with a basic understanding of the types of questions that may be asked, it is time for candidates to move away from passive learning and commit to active learning tasks....

${reading_time(`Armed with a basic understanding of the types of questions that may be asked, it is time for candidates to move away from passive learning and commit to active learning tasks. This includes completing practice UCAT exams under examination conditions, review of these exams, and remediation of areas requiring improvement based on review of the exams. The above three steps are important to be completed in a cyclic manner. In this way, candidates take a reactive approach to improving their performance. For instance, after completion of the passive learning (theory) tasks pertaining to Verbal Reasoning section of the exam, a candidate may then complete a practice examination. After completion of this exam, at a minimum the candidate should review the exam and note the questions they were unable to answer including those they answered incorrectly and those they had to guess. Ideally, the candidate will review the entire exam and for each of the questions categorise them according to question type. From here the candidate should keep a running tally of the types of questions they have attempted, and their percentage success rates for each. As time goes on, trends will develop which orient remedial activities. For instance, a candidate may observe their success rates to be lower for questions requiring a broader vocabulary, or specific types of writing such as in poetry or literature. The candidate can then specifically address this weakness by seeking out further resources to assist.   As well as recording the types of questions attempted and success rates, for incorrect responses candidates should record the reason for their inability to answer. This can be for many reasons; however, it is important that this is recorded. Even for simple things like misreading a question, it is important candidates record this mistake. By reviewing this information regularly, candidates are much less likely to make the same mistake again. To implement this continuous improvement process, it is necessary to have access to many practice questions and formal strategies from a professional preparation company like the Institute of Medical Education. Our UCAT programs focus on building specific competencies required for performance in the exam, so contact us today to kickstart your exam preparation.`)} Arror right
UCAT Decision Making Tips & Practices

UCAT Decision Making Tips & Practices

Medical professionals are often confronted with complex situational tasks that require quick and accurate decisions. They must apply logic to reach a decision, evaluate arguments, and analyse statistical information —...

${reading_time(`Medical professionals are often confronted with complex situational tasks that require quick and accurate decisions. They must apply logic to reach a decision, evaluate arguments, and analyse statistical information — sound familiar? That is because these themes form the basis for the Decision Making section of the UCAT. The questions presented in this section are either multiple choice or yes/no (typically for a series of statements). I have done the awkward part for you and asked the Institute of Medical Education UCAT experts for their recommended approaches in succeeding in this section. Venn Diagram questions. Only need to choose a correct answer from four options. You must either organise the data and select the relevant Venn diagram or select the best conclusion from a set by interpreting the diagram (practice makes perfect) Logical Deduction questions. Interpret a situation and then use logic to deduce the correct answer. Often candidates find trouble in the amount of information provided, which is why we recommend drawing diagrams to assist in organising the information to simplify your selection Probability questions. Present several possible outcomes in which you must select the most likely. We recommend revision of probability mathematics concerning numerical descriptions of how likely an event is to occur, or how likely it is that a proposition is true Analytical questions. Involve interpretation of graphs, charts, and passages of text. Practice with a range of charts and graphs (ideally with a study partner) and start a collection of those you find difficult for review.  Remember, preparation is key. You will have a simple on-screen calculator available for this section in the exam, but it’s useful to use the material provided to draw your diagrams and write rough calculations. Our UCAT Preparation programs comprehensively cover how to successfully approach each question type that you will encounter in this section, so contact us today to get your Medicine journey underway.`)} Arror right

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