MedEntry, Australia’s leading UMAT prep organisation, have teamed up with My Health Career to share some tips on how to succeed in the UMAT and Interviews. Please note that this is a sponsored post representing the views of MedEntry, and that My Health Career recommends you do your own research before choosing a UMAT preparation provider.

Congratulations on making the decision to become a health professional! Medicine and other health sciences are fascinating, varied and rewarding careers with the potential to make a significant, positive difference to both individuals and the community.

Many medical students and junior doctors believe that the hardest part of a career in medicine is actually getting in! It is a difficult, complicated and competitive process. Unlike most other courses, medicine does not only need a high ATAR, it also requires you to excel in the UMAT and interviews.

The UMAT

The UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) is a gruelling, time-pressured and stressful three-hour multiple choice exam that tests your skills in Logical Reasoning, Problem Solving, Understanding People and Non-Verbal Reasoning. Unlike school exams, it is not knowledge-based, and for most people, it is the hardest test that they have ever sat! Even if you achieve a perfect year 12 score (ATAR of 99.95) you must still perform well in the UMAT to obtain a place in medicine. Conversely, obtaining an outstanding UMAT score means that you can get into medicine with an ATAR of 90 or less.

Fortunately, you can (and should) prepare for the UMAT. There are specific strategies that you can learn for each type of question, you can understand what the test designers are looking for, and you can improve your performance by completing high quality simulated exams under timed conditions.

MedEntry offers extensive UMAT preparation materials via our state of the art and interactive Learning Management System (LMS). This system is accessible from your computer, tablet or smartphone, meaning you can prepare whenever and wherever you like. MedEntry provides 10 full length, high quality practice exams (with an option to upgrade to an additional 5), guides that cover all aspects of the UMAT and each type of question, drills to develop your skills, an unlimited question trainer, UMAT forums, video guidance, statistics to check your progress and much more.

MedEntry also offers two day courses run by doctors and academics. Students consistently find our courses not only relevant, thorough and focused, but also extremely enjoyable and useful for other aspects of life (including performance in year 12). You can find comments made by students about our courses here: http://www.medentry.edu.au/endorsements/endorsements-workshops

Interviews

To obtain entry into medicine and some other health professions, you will also need to perform well at an interview. There are two main types of interviews: a traditional panel interview and an MMI (multiple mini interview). It is vital that you prepare for your interview by knowing the types of questions that will arise, understanding what the interviewers are looking for, learning how to project yourself in the best possible way, and studying interview technique.

All MedEntry students receive a detailed interview guide that covers these concepts. More specific preparation is offered via our Medical Interview Training Sessions, which are not only valuable for your medical school interviews, but will also be helpful for all interviews throughout your career.

Other services

MedEntry takes a holistic approach to medical school entry, covering all aspects of the process – we are with you every step of the way.

All MedEntry students receive access to a detailed University Admissions Guide, which makes the complex process of applying to universities much easier. We also provide an Application Review service (as some universities also require you to submit a written application) and teaching via Webinars.

All MedEntry students receive continuous support via phone and email. You will be able to speak to a member of our friendly team, or get in touch with one of our expert tutors.

Why choose MedEntry?

There are many companies offering UMAT preparation. Unfortunately many are run by medical students and/or provide poor quality materials.

These are just some of the reasons why MedEntry is the clear leader in UMAT preparation:

• We are the only preparation course run by academics, doctors and health science professionals with expertise in test development, measurement and analysis.
• We specialise in undergraduate medicine and health sciences admission (it’s the only thing we do!). We can therefore provide you with the most up to date, focussed and quality preparation.
• We have an extensive bank of questions, resources and course techniques developed over a period of over 30 years. All students obtain access to over 10,000 high quality questions and over 1,000 pages of preparation materials.
• Our practice exams are comprehensively and meticulously researched and written by experts with a thorough knowledge of the UMAT. They are updated regularly to reflect changes that occur in the UMAT. All questions come with fully worked solutions.
• Our success rate is outstanding. A survey of a random sample of students who have been through our full training program showed that 92% were offered interviews, and 88% were offered places in one or more medical schools. Feedback statistics show that 99.1% of our students would recommend MedEntry to their friends. Over 95% of our students come from word of mouth referrals.

Free resources

You can get a taste of what the UMAT is like by downloading, printing and attempting our free full-length practice exam, complete with worked solutions: http://www.medentry.edu.au/MedEntry-UMAT-Practice-Exam-Questions-with-Worked-Solutions.pdf

The medical school admissions process can be complex and confusing. Our downloadable and printable information pack provides a good overview: http://www.medentry-hpat.ie/MedEntry_files/hpat_info_parents_students.pdf

Final tips

• Because UMAT does not test your knowledge, it is not a test that can be crammed for. Start your UMAT preparation as early as possible to gain an edge over other candidates.
• Year 12 is a busy year! However, it is important to recognise the importance of UMAT and interviews. They are as important, and in some cases even more important in determining your entry into medicine than your ATAR! For example, many universities will not even consider you as a candidate unless you achieve a high UMAT score.
• Once you have an understanding of the strategies required to tackle questions, it’s time to practice, practice, practice! The best way to prepare is to complete full length trial exams under strict time conditions. The vast majority of students who sit UMAT will not finish it comfortably (a horrifying thought for us perfectionists!). Doing trial exams under timed conditions will get you used to this idea and help maximise your score.
• Identify your weaknesses, including which construct and which type of question you are having difficulty with, and work on them. There is no point practicing questions that you are already good at. On the day of UMAT, of course, focus on your strengths!

If you have any questions or would like to enrol in one of our preparation programs, please visit www.medentry.edu.au

Good luck and we hope to see you as a medical colleague in the future!

MedEntry has partnered with My Health Career and submitted this sponsored post.