UWS Advanced Science

So I just got an early round offer for B Science (Advanced Science) - Parramatta. I plan on re-doing UMAT next year hoping I can get a better score. I also read that this course reserves up to 6 interview positions for MBBS provided specific criteria is met. I must also maintain a GPA of 5.0 or above. So my question is, is this degree worth it? What sort of criteria do I have to meet. Is it hard to maintain a GPA of 5.0 (I don't plan on repeating HSC study patterns all over again next year). Do the reserved interview spots make a difference? Also, does completing a first year in this degree knock off any MBBS subjects if I was successful for a 2012 entry?

p.s. I was also offered a $20,000 scholarship @ UWS having attained an ATAR of 97.90.

From my perspective...
Do it! First year uni is not that hard, you have a lot more time to do the work you need to do and a GPA of 5.0+ is a walk in the park for someone that can get an ATAR like that.

Not to mention the scholarship. It may not seem useful now (or it may seem very useful), but $20,000 is a crapload of money that will go a long way in helping you get through med when you get in in 12.5 months time

Edit: or do a gap year - for different reasons

For that sort of money, take it!!!

Haha thanks for the replies. Can't I hold on to the scholarship for a year :P without taking a gap year. Because I'd rather do a 'real' degree for 2011 such as Engineering of some kind so that if I wasn't successful in UMAT + Interview next year I wouldn't have wasted a year.

I doubt it would knock off any years though.

Hi, Im not 100% sure on this but I have heard that for the rare few people that do decide to go through with Advance Sci, and get through the interview process they may have knocked off one of their years. That is to say I've heard about it.
I think zyvx knows something on this

hey ibbi,
From what I've heard of the advanced science ppl who get into med, although you will not reduce the number of years required for the MBBS (that is, if you do Adv Sci in '11, apply and make it in '12, you will still graduate 5 years later in '16 because you start in year 1), it may make first year life easier. Because you are also aiming to make it into medicine with this pathway, you will not want to get 5.0 GPA, you want to get ABOVE 5.0 - essentially, study as hard as you can; if it hasn't changed since the last I saw of it (a year ago), you need to be in the top x of your course to get that interview, and that often requires a 6.0 GPA. The reserved interview spots probably do make a difference, it's just that once in the interview process you have equal chance as everyone else - i.e. no favouring in the actual interview.

Congrats on the scholarship - $5k a year is certainly nothing to be dismissive about. However, there are probably significantly more important things to be considering at the present, such as whether you want to perhaps do something else, and whether you'd be interested in completing a science degree in the event that you don't make it in.

UMAT would still be required in that case anyway, amirite? If this is true then I can do any first year degree for '11 and if do well enough in UMAT then I'd get an interview regardless of my GPA of said degree whereas if I do Adv Sci I'd have to be wary of my GPA. If I don't do well in UMAT I wouldn't have wasted a year doing Adv Science because it doesn't exactly get you anywhere without post grad. That's my dilemma xD. Thanks for the advice.

There's still a 5.5 GPA hurdle if you apply as a uni student I think, but yes, you'd be wanting to aim high in Adv Sci (not that you wouldn't want to elsewhere, but for the sake of discussion of Adv Sci). Also, the UMAT requirement is lower than the general UMAT requirement. However, I still don't think many will recommend you to go into Advanced Science if it's just for the pathway.

What sort of career can be lead by taking an adv sci degree at UWS?