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Graduate Entry Medicine - GAMSAT vs UKCAT

I'm pretty familiar with and intend on sitting the UKCAT, can anyone provide me with any recommendations about GAMSAT? Is it worth me doing that as well? What sort of topics does it cover? How do I get hold of practice questions/papers?
Thank you!

Reply 1

Democracy

Original post by Alexicon294

Only if you need/want to go to a medical school that requires it.

Personally, I avoided it like the plague. The UKCAT is easier, cheaper and you get your results on the spot so you can apply strategically (which is very important, especially for GEM).

More info here:

http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/wiki/gamsat
http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/gamsat-uk/

Reply 2

emmaaa88

I'm planning on taking the UKCAT in early July and then if that doesn't go well enough to make UKCAT cutoffs for interview, I'll sit the GAMSAT as I'll have 2 months to prepare. Therefore it's probably a good idea to take the UKCAT early to give yourself that option. :smile:

Reply 3

Gambrinus

GAMSAT is farking hard. The only reason I'm doing it is because I really want to go to Swansea. Website http://www.gamsatuk.org/

You should be able to find a sample paper by googling "gamsat sample pdf" or similar. Then you will want to whimper a bit and have a very large drink.

You really need to know organic chemistry- I recommend the Organic Chemistry for Dummies book (can be found on Amazon if you can't find it in a real bookshop). Also need to look at the pagingdr forums (I think you need to register with them before reading). They're Australian, but very very thorough on GAMSAT material (unsurprisingly).

There's also poetry analysis, general english comprehension, and picking the most suitable layout of rooms for a church. So pretty much everything. And you also have to write two (2) essays by hand in an hour. No idea how I'm going to do that.

Reply 4

Zway2

Original post by Alexicon294

It depends entirely on which university you want to go to, and how you want to play the game.
You won't get your GAMSAT score until after you have sent off applications (if you sit the summer one) so there is a huge risk you have wasted them entirely. The score is, however, valid for 2 application cycles.

I sat GAMSAT this summer with about 5 weeks of extremely intensive prep and managed an average of 62, which this year was above all of the cut-offs for interview.

I sat UKCAT straight after and achieved a fairly high score so didn't bother applying to any GAMSAT uni's and went for the UKCAT heavy ones (Newcastle, King's, Barts etc..)

GAMSAT is basically 50/50 on Science and English, which includes 2 essays and a verbal reasoning section. The science paper is a mixture of chem/bio/physics (the former 2 being heavily weighted).

If you get a very good UKCAT early on, I would not bother with GAMSAT if I were in your position as it's expensive, time consuming and can drive you to insanity.

Reply 5

cactus_farmer

I'm not sure, I think that the GAMSAT is a good exam to take if you're naturally unintelligent (like me) - as you can overcome inherent stupidity with hard work. This is empowering.

I managed to meet the cut-off for all GAMSAT universities this year, granting me 4/4 interviews, and if I can do it, anyone can, trust me.

(edited 10 years ago)

Reply 6

sampowell92

How long did you study for the GAMSAT? and did you do the UKCAT as well?

I'm only going to have 2.5 months before the GAMSAT date to study for that and the UKCAT. I'm not sure whether that will be long enough to do both...?