This afternoon, USyd interview offers were released. I got one, which was pretty much expected I guess. The GAMSAT cutoff rose a lot though, due to USyd pulling out of the consortium, from 62 to 67 (about 79th percentile to 93rd percentile). I wonder how many of those will decline an offer for a GEMSAS place in the end. I would if I get a place in unimelb MD.
I'm excited to have an opportunity, although I'm not exactly that confident for the interview. Especially since they assign a minimum interview pass mark unlike Melbourne. That said, at the moment I have watched a few videos on ethics, and will watch more in the coming days.
I'll be going up to Sydney by car with some others in the family then. First time in just over ten years. This should be interesting.
In other news, there's 1-2 weeks left until uni results come out. I hope they come out before I go up to Sydney, but if not, then no big deal I guess.
Friday, June 24, 2011
Wednesday, June 22, 2011
Speed limits for provisional and learner drivers
In Victoria, learner and provisional licence drivers both have the same maximum speed limits as full licence drivers. However, in some other Australian states, such as New South Wales and Tasmania, learner drivers are limited to 80 km/h whenever the posted speed limit is higher and provisional licence (P-plate) drivers also are limited to speeds lower than the posted maximum.
While the rationale for any difference in maximum speeds is because less experienced drivers would find the car easier to control at lower speeds, the difference in speeds in practice causes a situation where full licence drivers repeatedly are required to overtake learner drivers, which increases the risk of crashing. It is usually safest for cars to drive at the same speed as other cars in traffic. As such, it is questionable that different speed limits would actually make the road more safe.
Furthermore, when the provisional licence driver turns into a full licence driver, they would then have a higher maximum speed limit. If they don't have experience driving at those speeds under supervision or while on a provisional licence, it potentially makes it less safe when they first drive at those speeds as a full driver.
The other thing is that it wastes time, not only for the driver, but also for those around the driver who may be required to slow down behind them. 80 km/h is 28% slower than 110 km/h, so driving 330 km would take just over four hours at 80 km/h instead of three hours at 110 km/h. While this effect may be relatively small for short distances, it is considerable at large distances. Given that the safety of such a policy is questionable already, this should also be taken into consideration.
The different speed limits for provisional licence and learner drivers in some non-Victorian states, while designed to make driving safer, may actually make it less safe. The different speeds may lead to more crashes in itself, and the lack of experience from driving at higher speeds as learner or provisional drivers may lead to more dangerous driving at the higher speeds as a new full licence driver. And as 80 km/h is 28% slower than 110 km/h, it also wastes valuable time.
(note: this assumes that people stick to speed limits, which may be more relevant in the Australian context than an American one. I do think that a lot of speed limits in Australia are too low, especially if compared to European ones, but that's another issue. The reason why I thought of this issue now is because of the USyd interviews.)
While the rationale for any difference in maximum speeds is because less experienced drivers would find the car easier to control at lower speeds, the difference in speeds in practice causes a situation where full licence drivers repeatedly are required to overtake learner drivers, which increases the risk of crashing. It is usually safest for cars to drive at the same speed as other cars in traffic. As such, it is questionable that different speed limits would actually make the road more safe.
Furthermore, when the provisional licence driver turns into a full licence driver, they would then have a higher maximum speed limit. If they don't have experience driving at those speeds under supervision or while on a provisional licence, it potentially makes it less safe when they first drive at those speeds as a full driver.
The other thing is that it wastes time, not only for the driver, but also for those around the driver who may be required to slow down behind them. 80 km/h is 28% slower than 110 km/h, so driving 330 km would take just over four hours at 80 km/h instead of three hours at 110 km/h. While this effect may be relatively small for short distances, it is considerable at large distances. Given that the safety of such a policy is questionable already, this should also be taken into consideration.
The different speed limits for provisional licence and learner drivers in some non-Victorian states, while designed to make driving safer, may actually make it less safe. The different speeds may lead to more crashes in itself, and the lack of experience from driving at higher speeds as learner or provisional drivers may lead to more dangerous driving at the higher speeds as a new full licence driver. And as 80 km/h is 28% slower than 110 km/h, it also wastes valuable time.
(note: this assumes that people stick to speed limits, which may be more relevant in the Australian context than an American one. I do think that a lot of speed limits in Australia are too low, especially if compared to European ones, but that's another issue. The reason why I thought of this issue now is because of the USyd interviews.)
Friday, June 17, 2011
[update] All exams complete! (first semester 2011)
Today I have finished my last exam for the semester! It was not particularly easy or difficult for a university exam for a bioscience subject I thought, although as for most uni exams, I'd rather have done a GAMSAT section 3 again in place of it.
So now I have a break. Apart from that though, I might start reading up ethics and interview skills soon. Results should be out by 8 July for uni (they are shown through the internet once they are released though for each subject, rather than all on a certain day), although the USyd interviews are from 4-8 July.
Hopefully I'll get the uni results for this semester before the interviews start though, so I don't have to check them over in Sydney. Well, that's assuming that the GAMSAT cutoff for an interview in USyd doesn't rise to 84 or more or that I fail a crucial subject this semester that I can't repeat next semester.
So now I have a break. Apart from that though, I might start reading up ethics and interview skills soon. Results should be out by 8 July for uni (they are shown through the internet once they are released though for each subject, rather than all on a certain day), although the USyd interviews are from 4-8 July.
Hopefully I'll get the uni results for this semester before the interviews start though, so I don't have to check them over in Sydney. Well, that's assuming that the GAMSAT cutoff for an interview in USyd doesn't rise to 84 or more or that I fail a crucial subject this semester that I can't repeat next semester.
Friday, June 10, 2011
[update] Three exams down, one to go.
Yesterday and today I had three of my exams for this semester. The one yesterday went reasonably well I thought, although there were six essay type questions which required answers out of seven, and I was writing almost non-stop from start to finish.
As for today's ones, one of them (a math subject) I felt went reasonably well too, although I couldn't answer a few parts of the questions. Also, that subject has a lot of rigorous analysis involved and you get marks deducted just for not explaining one of your steps as well as you could, even if you get the right answer. So I hope I put down enough.
As for the other one today, it was quite weird. Not totally unexpected given the type of the subject though; it was a written exam for a prac subject, and it involved coming up with hypotheses to support the data for some questions. So I'm not sure if I got what they were looking for there.
Anyway, today was also the last day for applications to medical and dental school for locals though ACER. It seems like I haven't applied to Melbourne dentistry, since it would cost an extra $100. If it didn't have the extra cost, then I would have applied as an extra option for if I didn't get into medicine this year (or if I decided to change my mind and do dent as a last minute decision). Melbourne DDS applicants are a bit lucky compared to med... no interview...
So that's all for now. Last exam this semester on Friday next week, then I might read up and watch videos on some ethics.
As for today's ones, one of them (a math subject) I felt went reasonably well too, although I couldn't answer a few parts of the questions. Also, that subject has a lot of rigorous analysis involved and you get marks deducted just for not explaining one of your steps as well as you could, even if you get the right answer. So I hope I put down enough.
As for the other one today, it was quite weird. Not totally unexpected given the type of the subject though; it was a written exam for a prac subject, and it involved coming up with hypotheses to support the data for some questions. So I'm not sure if I got what they were looking for there.
Anyway, today was also the last day for applications to medical and dental school for locals though ACER. It seems like I haven't applied to Melbourne dentistry, since it would cost an extra $100. If it didn't have the extra cost, then I would have applied as an extra option for if I didn't get into medicine this year (or if I decided to change my mind and do dent as a last minute decision). Melbourne DDS applicants are a bit lucky compared to med... no interview...
So that's all for now. Last exam this semester on Friday next week, then I might read up and watch videos on some ethics.
Friday, June 3, 2011
UQ (lower preference) issue: possible resolution?
Someone has informed me that UQ has updated their page about what happens after application. http://www2.som.uq.edu.au/SOM/FUTURESTUDENTS/MBBS/ADMISSIONS/DOMESTICSTUDENTS/IVEAPPLIED/Pages/default.aspx
Notably, now there is direct reference to a second round of offers after the other universities have interviews. To quote:
"The University of Queensland's offers will be released in the week of 25-31 August, 2011. QTAC will be contacting the...
At the end of the year (mid December) when the other graduate medical schools' interviews have taken place and their offers have been released, subsequent offers may be made for The University of Queensland."
Of course, whether the issue is really resolved would depend on if they still decide to try to fill their quota from the first round, or if they actually do try to leave places for the second round. In any case, I'm not relying on this, and I do want to get into Melbourne anyway. This "UQ issue" would have been resolved definitively if they pulled out of the consortium like USyd did though.
Anyway... back to study.
Notably, now there is direct reference to a second round of offers after the other universities have interviews. To quote:
"The University of Queensland's offers will be released in the week of 25-31 August, 2011. QTAC will be contacting the...
At the end of the year (mid December) when the other graduate medical schools' interviews have taken place and their offers have been released, subsequent offers may be made for The University of Queensland."
Of course, whether the issue is really resolved would depend on if they still decide to try to fill their quota from the first round, or if they actually do try to leave places for the second round. In any case, I'm not relying on this, and I do want to get into Melbourne anyway. This "UQ issue" would have been resolved definitively if they pulled out of the consortium like USyd did though.
Anyway... back to study.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)