[update] Midsemester 2 + population health assignment + CSL marks released

Today the marks for the second "midsemester test" (actually at the end of the semester) were released. I did better than I thought that I might, but I did do a bit worse than last time, at least in part due to the proportion of the test being pharmacology (my major) being less. However, it was still at H1 standard, so I'm reasonably happy with how it went. I do wish we knew what we got wrong though.

Anyway, for further breakdown:

MST 2 (non-prac section) total: 42 out of 50 (class mean 34.98, median 36)

Anatomy: 11/14
This is worse than last time when I got 10/10 for anatomy. I guess I didn't read the textbook as much for these two blocks.

Pathology/Histology: 8/10
That is not too bad I guess, although it could be improved. My Pathology score for the prac/image based section was not that great though!

Biochemistry: 5/5
I think the biochem questions were reasonably easy.

Microbiology/Immunology: 9/10
I guess I got that parasite question wrong. Apart from that, it seems like MIIM is one of my better topics.

Physiology: 6/8
I thought it would be higher. I wonder what I got wrong.

Pharmacology: 3/3
There really wasn't much pharmacology in that test!


Then for the prac section: 41 out of 50 (class mean 34.11, median 35)

Anatomy: 14/14
I wasn't that sure with a few of the picture questions, but I guess my knowledge was correct. I wish we could actually touch the specimens rather than look at pictures though haha.

MIIM: 13/15
Not too bad, but I wish I knew what I got wrong.

Physiology/Pharmacology: 3/4
I wish I knew what I got wrong here too.

Pathology/Histology: 11/17
Now this is where I lost most of my marks for the prac section! 6 marks out of the 9 I lost in the prac section. It was still an overall "pass" for this subsection though. I actually opened my copy of Robbins and read about 1.5 chapters in the holidays though, so perhaps I should continue doing that to rectify this.


CSL tutorial: 15 out of 20 (class average 16.54, median 17)
It seems like I'm a bit below the average for this (about 5-10%).

Collaborative Learning: 7/10
Knowledge and reasoning: 8/10


Population health assignment: 81/100 (average 79.25, median 80)
It seems like I got just a bit above the average here. Anyway, I'm happy that this is our only assignment this year for FBS, and that I have gotten my other "assignment" (for the student conference) out of the way now too.


Anyway, overall, it seems like my FBS is going OK but I should be practicing more for PCP. I had my first PCP session for the semester today, but I don't know when the remedial tutorials will be held yet.

[update] About 3 weeks until GEMSAS offers, 50% waiting over!

It is now about three weeks left until GEMSAS offers; a bit each way depending on whether it's closer to 9th or 12th of November. This means if you interviewed at Melbourne, about 50% of our waiting time after interviews is over!

During the past week, I handed in (online) what will hopefully be my last assignment for my undergrad course, and I completed an online test today. Now after there are no more assessments left until the exams. Just one more week of classes left this semester.

So... last week of learning biomed next week, if all goes to plan. I hope I can get this degree completed well. But I don't feel like leaving university just yet. Hopefully I get to stay studying at uni for the next four years after this year in medicine, and I hope to do that at Melbourne. It has been nice studying here for the past three years. Three weeks left to find out.

[update] About 4 weeks until GEMSAS offers...

About four weeks to go now. So about 1/3 of the wait for GEMSAS offers for unimelb interview people is over. It is a bit frustrating knowing that last year by this time people would already have received offers from some of the consortium unis with interviews including UniMelb. However, that said, the GEMSAS is a fairer system than last year. I hope those next year don't have to wait so long, due to them not having to put too much new coding for their software etc. Leaving offers this late gives applicants little time to arrange things like honors or applying into other courses next year if unsuccessful.

Anyway. My last assignment for this year is due on the coming Friday. Then after that there is no significant assessment until the exams. I don't particularly like assignments, and it is quite relieving to see that the only assignment in the first year MD course in UniMelb, if they don't change it next year, from the main subject is worth only 10% and no more.

[update] back to uni tomorrow, final 4 weeks (sem 2, 2011).

Tomorrow, I'm back at uni for what will be the final four weeks of undergrad coursework if all goes to plan. I just finished one of my assignments worth 5% too, and made an online submission. Now there's only one assignment left, which is worth 15%.

Meanwhile, I'll have to do quite a bit of catching up with course content before the end of semester exams. Thankfully, I only have three subjects.

[update] Midsemester test done (semester 2, 2011)

I've completed my midsemester test today. I already know I got some wrong. I think I did reasonably OK, but it was not a very comfortable test, although it doesn't feel too dissimilar to a lot of bioscience tests I've done in the past in terms of how hard it felt during the test. I hope the results come soon, especially because it was all multiple choice so it shouldn't take too long to mark.

Anyway, it looks like for that subject with the test, there is no more assessment before the midsemester break (when interviews are held). For one other subject, there seems to be a "workshop question" assessment of 2.5% (almost nothing) and for the other one (biomed core) there are 2 assignments worth 5% each; a group assignment and a prac report.


I mention before that I handed in my clinical school preferences already. Initially I put down a GAMSAT ID number on the form where it said "GMAC ID" but I wondered if I put down last year's one instead of this year's, so then I emailed them once to confirm this year's one in case I wrote it down wrong. But then it seems like the GMAC ID is separate, and refers to the so called "transaction ID" in the GMAC application confirmation email... so... I emailed them again. I haven't received a reply yet, but I guess they're probably sifting through a lot of email with the interview offer release.

EDIT: it seems like some people have been told that GAMSAT ID was supposed to be put in the place where it said GMAC ID... so maybe I did the right thing after all...

[update] Midsemester test next week, and assignment due too.

There is a midsemester test next week for one of my major subjects. There is also an assignment due too for another subject (the same one where the draft was due last week), and there is a prac this week for that subject too (which is the only prac this semester), and I have to write up a prac report. So there are quite a few things which need to be done in the next two weeks.

Anyway, today I surveyed the level 7 medical building at unimelb, since apparently some interviews have been held there. I felt that maybe I should get a feel of how the place is like, so I could be less nervous on the day. I had been there in first year once when I had nothing to do and decided to explore all the levels of the medical building, but I didn't spend that much time analyzing any particular level.

I also finished my volunteering commitment for the Student Appeal today. The Student Appeal raises money for students who live on campus and are finding it difficult to pay their bills and living expenses, and donations of $5 or more are matched by the university. It felt nice to be part the team raising money for a good cause. I also have something to say now for volunteering questions during future interviews or if I have to submit a CV, apart from saying that I have helped people in person and online with their VCE studies and GAMSAT practice questions without asking for money.

It seems like GAMSAT interview offers and UQ offers are going to be out soon. 2-8 days. I'm interested in what the UQ cutoffs will be, and also the interview cutoffs of the other unis.

[update] Almost missed the draft submission date for an assignment... oops

This weekend, like I said earlier, had some time spent catching up on past lectures. So I am a bit more up to date, but not completely. Ah well.

I was totally unaware that a draft copy of an assignment was going to be due on Tuesday (16 August). I only found out that there might be an assignment due soon from someone's facebook update saying they had to look up a lot of articles for some assignment. Then I checked the online blackboard/learning management system and saw that it was due on Tuesday!

It's not so bad though since the draft is only marked as pass/fail (20% of the assignment mark), but I might have started it earlier if I knew the draft was going to be due this soon. The reason I did not know though was that I can't be bothered reading the messages on the online blackboard/LMS and I think the assignment was not discussed in lectures. Looking back at my emails, it seems like I didn't receive a notice about the assignment either. I should have read the LMS properly though, but usually when I use it I just go straight to the lecture notes to print them off without reading any of the news.

Anyway, I'm about 3/4 complete as far as the minimum word count is concerned now, and I'll probably finish the rest tomorrow. Lucky I happened to read facebook though; otherwise 3% of my overall mark for that subject could be gone just like that. Usually I don't like assignments and I prefer exams as assessment, but this assignment seems to be about searching up articles in journals, so I guess it's a bit hard to make it into an exam.