Australian Doctor Magazine Publishes MedEntry UCAT Sample Questions
1 year ago by Chris
A common question asked by Doctors who graduated from medical school many years ago is, 'So, to get into medical school these days, you don’t just need top school marks?'
The answer is, yes, the medical entry system changed about 25 years ago and school marks (i.e. ATAR) is no longer the only requirement to obtain a place in medical school. There are two other hurdles: a generic skills test (UCAT or GAMSAT) and an interview. These tests developed from the recognition that doctors need to not only be knowledgeable and medically competent, but also need to be able to relate well to patients.
‘Are you still smart enough to get into med school’ series
MedEntry staff have contributed many articles to the popular Australian Doctor magazine over the last 20+ years. The editor of the Australian Doctor magazine felt that their readers, who are doctors, would be interested in the current medical entry system. MedEntry was approached to contribute examples of UCAT questions for current doctors to try.
The Australian Doctor magazine has therefore been publishing a series of sample questions supplied by MedEntry, under the title ‘Are you still smart enough to get into med school?’ These questions give current doctors the opportunity to test their own cognitive and social abilities. An example can be found here: https://www.ausdoc.com.au/picture-quiz/ucat-round-six-are-you-still-smart-enough-to-get-into-med-school/
The Medical Entry system
The UCAT is a computer based-test in which the candidate is expected to answer over 200 multiple-choice questions in 120 minutes. The UCAT has four subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, and Situational Judgement.
Feedback from MedEntry’s medical colleagues is that while UCAT is a tough test, it is a fair test and assesses skills which underpin the cognitive abilities required of any professional.
The medical interview system also changed about ten years ago when most universities moved from traditional panel interviews to Multiple Mini Interviews.
Both UCAT and medical interviews are challenging assessments, and to enter medical school students normally need to be in the top 10% of candidates applying. Quality preparation is therefore essential to success.
