UCAT
5 min read

My Journey to Becoming a Doctor So Far

Published on
July 17, 2024
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What Initially Attracted Me To Medicine

Growing up, I loved learning and looking into further details about things around me. A core value I was raised around was being helpful and making a positive difference to others in my community and that led me to focusing on a career in the health science field, which I knew held very rewarding roles that would constantly keep me busy helping the people around me.

What led me to set my sights on becoming a doctor was the idea of being able to learn a wide range of topics and be the connecting link between health services that patients could fall back on and refer to.

I think that the people who make the best and most successful doctors are the ones with their hearts and intentions in the right place. The number of years dedicated to studying medicine and the countless hours of work that need to be put in is all proof of the commitment required to pursue a career in medicine. 

My Medicine Application Process

I decided to pursue undergrad med because I knew that I wanted to dive head first into the world of medicine and I couldn’t wait to begin. At the start of Year 11, I had the intention of keeping my options open to doing medicine in Australia or Singapore and decided to do Chemistry and Physics in year 12 because it was a requirement to do more than one science in order to apply for medicine in Singapore.

However, in the end I decided to focus on pursuing medicine in Australia and dropped Physics to focus on my other ATAR subjects. Most universities in Australia offering undergraduate medicine seemed to have Chemistry and Math Methods as prerequisites, but the application processes varied amongst the different universities.

Most simply required a form to be filled out and approved by my year coordinator and a few required additional short answer responses to various questions regarding my views on health and my passions. I sat the UCAT in Year 12 and based on that score and my predicted ATAR, I was offered a few interviews at the various universities I had applied to across Australia, which was really lucky!

My Interview Experience

The universities I interviewed with had similar formats in that they used Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs). Honestly, I found this slightly nerve-wracking because I had no idea the types of questions I was going to be asked. Each university had a very different style of questions. Some were very focused on my own personal thoughts and my experiences while others adopted a more roleplay scenario where I had to explain how I would respond to a situation.

Personally I preferred the latter style of interview because I thought that I was able to better demonstrate my qualities rather than awkwardly try to convince the interviewer with my words that I had these qualities.

Studying Medicine Is Difficult

Studying undergrad med is just as difficult as I thought it would be, if not more difficult but I love the challenge. I think that it’s a true battle of perseverance and hard work but I absolutely love that I am learning something every day. It is a never ending learning experience that keeps me on my toes and in awe of the miracle that is the inner workings of the human body. 

Some Med Application Tips To Share

Looking back on my journey to medicine, I think that a crucial understanding to have of the process is what exactly each step is asking of you and how you can deliver what they are looking for.

Essentially there are three components to getting into undergrad med in Australia - the UCAT, the ATAR, and the interview. The UCAT is testing various thinking methods and the ability to process in a short amount of time. The ATAR required for medicine reflects your determination and perseverance. Lastly, The interview is a demonstration of your personal strengths and qualities and your ability to communicate them to someone in front of you. 

Recognising this and then finding a way to ensure you can deliver on the day in my opinion is the key to getting into med.

Where To From Here?

This article is unlike our conventional informative blogs and instead highlights personal struggles and emotions that influence one's journey to becoming a doctor. We trust that you could gain some insights from this experience and implement it in your life to build a successful medical journey. 

Having mentioned that, here's a list of Free Resources and Tools created by Fraser's to provide guidance and support throughout your course to enter medical school.

Make sure to check out our latest guides titled 'How to apply for undergraduate medicine in Australia?' and 'What is GEMSAS?' The information within these guides are highly detailed and can help you with your medical application process