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WAM/GPA for Medicine (1 Viewer)

LesBleus

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Hi,

Have a couple of quick questions:

1) Does anyone here know the WAM cutoff for Honours class 1 for the MBBS program at UNSW ?
2) Re: WAM to GPA conversion, if someone gets 84 or 75 (in WAM terms) for a subject, do they both translate to a GPA of 6.5 (which I believe is a Distinction) ?
Am I correct in my interepretaion of the GPA ? So even if you get varying marks in the distinction range on the WAM scale, they both still equate to the same GPA ??


Thanks,

Quentin
 

+Po1ntDeXt3r+

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ummm about 1)

with the new medical grading systems there shouldnt realli have MBBS (hons.) unless u mean the BSc (Med)(Hons) then its dependent on an HD standard in ure honours yr..

the MBBS (Hons.) at Usyd is the same.. its just a BSc(Hons.) style its based on research merit not ure medical exam marks..

the only uni i know still using GPA's is UWA.. there are others but im not familiar with them.......
u might need to contact the UNSW medical school directly.. or wait for the UNSW meddies for more info...

like at my Uni I dun have a GPA for medicine..
 

Templar

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Your interpretatin of GPA is correct, as long as it is a distinction (or the same grade) the GPA is the same, regardless of the actual mark. Otherwise, refer to the above post, or wait for more knowledgeable people.
 

sikeveo

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+Po1ntDeXt3r+ said:
ummm about 1)

with the new medical grading systems there shouldnt realli have MBBS (hons.) unless u mean the BSc (Med)(Hons) then its dependent on an HD standard in ure honours yr..

the MBBS (Hons.) at Usyd is the same.. its just a BSc(Hons.) style its based on research merit not ure medical exam marks..

the only uni i know still using GPA's is UWA.. there are others but im not familiar with them.......
u might need to contact the UNSW medical school directly.. or wait for the UNSW meddies for more info...

like at my Uni I dun have a GPA for medicine..
That's a little incorrect. Under the old program, there were 3 classes of honours, so HD average would just be for first class. I don't know the exact cut offs, and my sister can't remember, but I do remember a guy who failed first year and ended up getting 2nd class first div honours.
 

LesBleus

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sikeveo said:
That's a little incorrect. Under the old program, there were 3 classes of honours, so HD average would just be for first class. I don't know the exact cut offs, and my sister can't remember, but I do remember a guy who failed first year and ended up getting 2nd class first div honours.

From what I've gathered:
1) IN medicine and dentistry, you need WAM of 85 + for honours class 1.
2) IN ENgineering, Law and Vet Science you only need 75 + for honours class 1.

So are engineering, law and vet science considered "easier" than med and dentistry or is less scaling applied to them or what ?
Do the same proportion of students get honours class1 in each discipline ?
 

+Po1ntDeXt3r+

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sikeveo said:
That's a little incorrect. Under the old program, there were 3 classes of honours, so HD average would just be for first class. I don't know the exact cut offs, and my sister can't remember, but I do remember a guy who failed first year and ended up getting 2nd class first div honours.
oh lols
no no i meant for hte 1st class honours.. = HD standard
there is
2nd class div 1 = D standards
2nd class div 2 = C standards
3rd class
and so forth.. which are pass eqv..

then there is ure fail..

in med there is a minimum expectation u get at LEAST a 2nd class div 1 if u opt for a research yr

the thing is that places lik UNSW now give out... Pass and Pass+...
and in Newcastle its the same.. with a non-std grading
in Adelaide it is currently Banding.. and u get A = high standard... B = Pass... C= borderline pass... etc..

in the old system pre- 10 yrs ago.. all unis gave out MBBS(Hons.) which were based on assessment marks not extracurricular research honours...
so u didnt do any extra research.. but a honours in medicine does not really set u apart in anyway.. its just there to further ure studies..

LesBleus: umm where did u get that information from?
 

LesBleus

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+Po1ntDeXt3r+ said:
oh lols
no no i meant for hte 1st class honours.. = HD standard
there is
2nd class div 1 = D standards
2nd class div 2 = C standards
3rd class
and so forth.. which are pass eqv..

then there is ure fail..

in med there is a minimum expectation u get at LEAST a 2nd class div 1 if u opt for a research yr

the thing is that places lik UNSW now give out... Pass and Pass+...
and in Newcastle its the same.. with a non-std grading
in Adelaide it is currently Banding.. and u get A = high standard... B = Pass... C= borderline pass... etc..

in the old system pre- 10 yrs ago.. all unis gave out MBBS(Hons.) which were based on assessment marks not extracurricular research honours...
so u didnt do any extra research.. but a honours in medicine does not really set u apart in anyway.. its just there to further ure studies..

LesBleus: umm where did u get that information from?

THe ENGineering, LAW and Vet SCience are well documented on the Usyd various faculty websites......dentistry I got for the Uysd dentistry faculty 2003 handbook and I assumed first class honours for med was a WAM of 85+.

I'm just intrigued as to the different benchmarks set by the various faculties for honours class 1 and wondering at the reasoning behind it...that's all.
 

sikeveo

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Newc had honours (at least it did, 3 or so yrs back).
edit; and alvin, it helps to have 1st class if u want phd ;)

lesbleus; honours is worth shit unless you did another yr ;) Yeh i read the same info about eng honours wam also.
 
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+Po1ntDeXt3r+

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hmmmm was this the time of the non-graded passes?
cos sounds strange how ud give medical honours based on tat.. i know that they have a research honours tho..

yeah the minimum for a PhD is Class 2 Div 1 or Class 2A (depending on the uni.. naming it)... ummm i know ppl without the bach honours with the PhD.. cos between graduating and gettin the doctorate its usually 11-12 yrs..

i heard like clinicians that pick up the PhD after the MBBS usually do so after their fellowships... so they have money for it.. unless u are in certain programs then u do the PhD prior to Adv training in the fellows program..

as with honours.. PhD's in Medicine are cos u want to teach/research.... basically... they don't pay u anymore for it (unless u do R&D in private sector..then $$$$ but a MBBS with exp would be enough..)... cos normally u have to do research anyways if u work in hospitals..

im just saying dun get tied up over that.. ull know if u want to do one further in ure career.. and ull get plenty of information about it when the time is right..
 

+:: $i[Q]u3 ::+

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I think with the UNSW "old" course (ie pre-2004), honours were rewarded (though do not quote me on this).
As for the New Course:

HD = 85 and above
D = 75 - 84
C = 65 - 74
P = 50 - 64

I think at the end of our degree honours may be rewarded BUT they are still working out how to award marks etc. Believe me when I say that they are still working things out. Recently we received an email saying they'd figured out a way to grade our exam from January so that it would be fair... -.-
 

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UWA MBBS (Hons) is awarded to students who complete the course with an overall WAM greater than 75.00 who have never failed a subject or sat a supplementary exam.
 

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