NIE is now half way through the busy and stressful interview process for entry into medicine, dentistry and other Health Science Courses.
Whilst enrollments for our 2012 UMAT program are well under way, I thought it timely to pass on some interesting developments in the arena of UMAT and health science selection.
Firstly, due to public pressure, it is great to see UWA in full swing with their assured pathway entry system for both medicine and dentistry. After dropping the undergraduate entry program recently, it is a relief for year 12 leavers that the assured pathway program offers an alternative for students wishing to study medicine and dentistry at UWA. Other than waiting to be assessed via the graduate entry system (and sit the GAMSAT), year 12 students can now still sit the UMAT with the hope of securing a seat. After successfully completing 3 years of a general science program at UWA, these assured pathway students will then be accepted into their respective courses (similar to the conditional entry used for many years at UQ).
During 2011, around 3000 students sat the UMAT in Perth, 900 applicants were assessed for UWA Medicine and Dentistry entry and an undisclosed number (just over 100) were selected for interviews. 42 of these students will be accepted into the assured pathway for medicine, but only 5 for dentistry. Considering that less than a year ago there was no such pathway, this is a very positive step forward for year 12 leavers in WA.
Secondly, Yr12 UMAT candidates (and NIE) are still reeling in shock at the actual cut off score required for an invite for interview at Monash University (medicine). Whilst we expected a cut off in the high 93rd percentile or possibly the 94th, the resultant 95% cut off was incredible. 2012 will see this cut off rise again with the expected number of UMAT candidates swelling to around 23000…a ridiculous situation.
The follow on from this increasing pressure is that students are rightfully wanting to be as competitive as possible and hence we are seeing a number of changes within the UMAT preparation market. We now field far more enquiries from students as young as year 9 who realise that starting early may give them the edge required and we are also under increasing demand to be running ongoing tutoring within the area. 2011 saw us testing the waters with check groups in both Adelaide and Sydney undertaking regular group and individual private UMAT tuition and the results clearly demonstrated the value in partnering quality hardcopy books with ongoing tuition. As a result, we are now offering regular ongoing tuition for UMAT in Adelaide, Sydney and Melbourne. Classes are already underway for 2012. For more information, please contact myself directly.
Finally, and in an effort to support our new 2012 students, we have extended the offer of our Early Bird Special into December. Students who book in for our DLP or Premium programs will also recieve a bonus 3 books valued at $390. Containing an extra 900 practice questions, this generous offer is a great way to kick start a student’s preparation. For more information, please visit http://www.nie.edu.au
UMAT NIE 