Work with your personal GAMSAT tutor: GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Program Overview
The METC Institute GAMSAT High Achiever Program is the most comprehensive GAMSAT preparation program available. In fact, the High Achiever Program is more accurately classed as a complete pre-medical program which guides future doctors through their GAMSAT preparation, medical school applications, and medical school interview preparation. The Program can be commenced at any time of the year (regardless of the proximity of the next exam) and assumes no prior knowledge. Each student is paired with a personal GAMSAT tutor who mentors their path into medical school. The overall aim of the program is to prepare students with a holistic, comprehensive and planned approach which provides them with their best chance of entering graduate medicine.
In order to be successful in entering medicine, candidates must demonstrate a high degree of motivation and a sustained commitment to learning while working closely with their GAMSAT tutor. Therefore, the GAMSAT High Achiever Program is by qualification only and an application form must be completed in order to enrol in the Program.
Applying to the Program
All students considering entry into graduate medicine are welcome to apply to the GAMSAT High Achiever Program. Applications can be submitted by completing the below form.
Apply for a position in the GAMSAT High Achiever Program
The only objective requirement for entry is a weighted minimum GPA of 5.0. Other subjective factors are considered (see under the ‘Entry’ tab above) by the Academic Faculty. After submitting an application, all candidates are contacted for an interview discussion to determine their objectives and their correlation with the Program. Candidates are then selected based on their likely ability to collaborate effectively with their potential GAMSAT tutor. This is important as there are a limited number of training positions available.
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Complete Application
Complete the GAMSAT High Achiever online application form.
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Phone interview
Conduct a phone discussion with a member of the Academic Faculty.
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Receive an offer
Successful candidates receive an offer to enrol.
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Enrol
Enrol in the High Achiever Program.
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Commence GAMSAT study
Start intensive study for the GAMSAT.
Program Structure
The GAMSAT High Achiever Program is comprised of a portfolio of the most intense GAMSAT preparation courses that the METC Institute has to offer. In addition, High Achiever students are provided with supplementary courses, resources, and services available exclusively in the Program.
The Program aims to maintain a standard of excellence in developing for students a critical knowledge base in science, deemed necessary as a pre-requisite to postgraduate studies in Medicine. The Program additionally strives to develop higher-level complex reasoning and problem-solving skills in broad topic areas ranging from Humanities to the Sciences. Due to the struggles of many students in essay writing, the development of advanced written communication skills is also an integral feature of the program. The program consists of a total of 10 course subjects covering all aspects of GAMSAT and including comprehensive medicine interview preparation:
| Course | Scope | Details |
| CR100 - GAMSAT Essentials course | Teaches students how to study for GAMSAT | 1x online module
1x complete GAMSAT practice exam |
| CR101 - GAMSAT Foundations course | Foundations of GAMSAT Sections 1, 2, and 3 | 30x detailed online theory modules
10x 2hr live lectures via online classroom |
| CR102 - GAMSAT Advanced Science course | Intensive Section 3 study | 30x detailed online theory modules
9x 2hr live lectures via online classroom |
| CR103 - GAMSAT Strategies course | Section 1 and 3 practice exams | 12x GAMSAT Section 1 exams (900qns)
10x GAMSAT Section 3 exams (1100qns)
8x 1hr live lectures via online classroom
1x GAMSAT Trial Exam |
| CR104 - GAMSAT Intensive Essay course | Section 2 theory and practice exams | 5x detailed online theory modules
30x marked GAMSAT essays |
| CR204 - GAMSAT Advanced Essay course | Section 2 practice exams | 20x marked GAMSAT essays
20x essay development task modules |
| CR107 - GAMSAT Essay Masters course | Section 2 Essay library | 90x perfected GAMSAT essays for study and use |
| CR200 - GAMSAT High Achiever course | Exclusive and extended study for High Achiever students | 6x 2hr formal and personal tuition sessions
25hrs additional lecturing via Mastermind sessions
Further 5x complete GAMSAT practice exams
Theme matched reading schedule for Section 2
Extended reading schedule for Section 3
Personalised study plan |
| CR301 - Medicine Live Interview course | Medicine Interview preparation | 1x online module
8hrs live interview practice |
| CR302 - Medicine Online Interview course | Medicine Interview preparation | 8x online modules with 100 interview scenarios and ideal answers |
All courses are delivered online such that the Program commitments are amenable to a busy university or work life. Delivery of online modules, practice exams, live classroom workshops, and personal tutorials is facilitated via the METC Institute interactive learning portal which tracks student progress. Live classroom workshops and personal one-to-one tutorials with GAMSAT tutors are facilitated via the interactive educational platform Zoom so that students can receive all the benefits of a live classroom (such as interaction, whiteboard, and the chance to ask questions) without the inconvenience.
| The High Achiever Program is founded on the METC Institute all you can learn model. For the duration of their enrolment, program participants may make unlimited use of their GAMSAT tutor, and medical faculty to have their questions answered. Questions and discussion with the course facilitators occurs via the METC Institute online learning portal.
Participants can ask questions about any aspect of their course, their general studies or their career and will receive a response within 24-hours (business days). |
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The Program workload (including interview preparation) is 850-1250 hours. This estimate is based on the candidate having no prior knowledge in any aspect of GAMSAT. Students with previous experience sitting GAMSAT or degrees related to assessable content may progress through the Program more rapidly. Given the intensity of the Program, it is recommended it be completed over a minimum of 6 months though past students have been able to successfully progress through the program in as little as 3 months. If possible, students should provide themselves with 6-12 months of preparation in order to spread the Program study-load and minimise impingement upon their other commitments. The program may also be extended to 24 months if desired.
While it can be said that the GAMSAT High Achiever Program is a full-time endeavour, many previous students have successfully completed the program in combination with full-time work or University commitments – a testament to their dedication and motivation for success.
Program Objectives
The primary aims of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program are to provide students with the knowledge and skills required to gain successful entry into Medicine. Firstly, this is achieved through the completion of various standard and exclusive courses while receiving personal teaching and mentoring from their GAMSAT tutor. In addition, students will build a solid foundation for graduate medical studies via comprehensive fundamental training in medical science.
In order to gain entry into graduate medicine, candidates will be expected to meet the following general objectives of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program:
- Develop a successful method for studying and preparing for the exam;
- Display superior and advanced knowledge and proficiency of common and uncommon GAMSAT topics in Humanities and Science;
- Display superior and advanced complex reasoning skills in Humanities and Science;
- Apply critical and analytical skills and methods to the identification and resolution of problems;
- Be equipped with proven strategies to maximise scores and performance in GAMSAT;
- Demonstrate advanced essay writing skills;
- Formulate a structure for essays that enhances effectiveness of the written piece;
- Write in a manner that demonstrates fluency of language;
- Demonstrate higher level reasoning and interpretative skills for GAMSAT essay stimulus themes;
- Be able to formulate and write superior essays within limited timeframes;
- Display an intimate knowledge of interview selection criteria and assessment;
- Demonstrate superior knowledge of medical and non-medical ethics;
- Exhibit superior knowledge of common interview topics, and;
- Develop superior written and verbal communication skills.
In addition to the above students completing the GAMSAT High Achiever Program will also develop certain personal values including:
- An understanding of the principles of resilience and lifelong curiosity;
- An understanding of the principles of reflective practice and the ability to apply them;
- Skills in identifying and addressing their own learning needs;
- The ability to respond constructively to appraisal from their personal GAMSAT tutor, performance review or assessment, and;
- Capacities in effective time management and organisational skills.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program Guarantee
The success of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program is evident in the performance of its previous students. While past performance is not a guarantee of individual future performance, where students have successfully completed the Program (defined as completion and submission of all exams, prescribed assessment & learning tasks, and a passing score in the summative examination), they invariably gain acceptance to medicine. While standardised comparison is difficult given the number of confounding factors, those sitting GAMSAT after enrolment in the Program have demonstrated significant improvements in all sections of the exam (minimum 20-25 percentile point increase).
Given candidates are so thoroughly prepared after completion of the Program, the METC Institute is able to offer the METC Institute High Achiever Guarantee of acceptance into Medicine. This guarantee states that in the unlikely event a candidate is not accepted into medicine, despite completing all aspects of the program, the METC Institute will provide them with continuing free tutelage and support by their personal GAMSAT tutor via the GAMSAT Platinum Program (valued at $3688) for the duration of 12 months.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Program Content
The program involves a combination of live online workshops and online study and the completion of 10 course subjects:
- CR200 – GAMSAT High Achiever Course (exclusive course)
- CR100 – GAMSAT Essentials Course
- CR101 – GAMSAT Foundations of GAMSAT Course
- CR102 – GAMSAT Advanced Science Course
- CR103 – GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Course
- CR104 – GAMSAT Essay Writing Course
- CR204 – GAMSAT Advanced Essay Course (exclusive course)
- CR107 – GAMSAT Essay Masters Course
- CR301 – Medicine Interview Live Course
- CR302 – Medicine Interview Online Course
The content associated with each of the above courses is discussed below.
CR200 – GAMSAT High Achiever Course
The CR200 GAMSAT High Achiever Course is an exclusive course of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program. It includes:
- Unlimited Email Access to High Achiever Support for administrative questions and to the GAMSAT High Achiever Program Director (a senior doctor and lecturer) for academic or program based questions.
- Unlimited Email Access to Personal Tutor to facilitate organisation of personal tutoring agendas, clarification questions and mentoring.
- Personal Tutoring Sessions
- Mastermind Tutorials
- Additional METC Trial GAMSAT Exams
- Themed matched reading schedule for Section 2
- Extended reading schedule for Section 3
- Personalised study plan
GAMSAT High Achiever Program Study Plan
Each High Achiever receives a study plan assembling all of the High Achiever Program subjects into one document, and covers the entire duration of the program from commencement to the sitting of GAMSAT. This way, students can ensure they are able to plan their study and other activities without missing any important material. It is important that students maintain the currency of the study plan to ensure they maximise their returns from the online modules, readings, exams, attendance courses and personal tutoring sessions.
The study plan can be completed over a minimum timeframe of 3 months and maximum of 2 years. Students may wish to complete multiple GAMSAT sittings within the one study plan.
Personal Tutoring Sessions
These sessions are ideally conducted on a regular basis and should tie in with the timeline and study objectives identified in the High Achiever Study Plan. The times for these personal tutoring sessions are organised directly with the personal tutor and should be at a mutually convenient time. Students are expected to be flexible with availabilities. The personal tutoring sessions are conducted via Zoom online interface as sessions commonly occur in the evenings and over weekends.
| Personal Tutorial | Topic | Hours |
| Tutorial 1 | Genetics, Biochemistry, Cardiovascular & Respiratory Physiology | 2hrs |
| Tutorial 2 | Renal Physiology, Kinematics I, Thermodynamics, Formal Charge | 2hrs |
| Tutorial 3 | Ideal Gas Law, Acids & Bases, Stereochemistry | 2hrs |
| Tutorial 4 | Reaction Mathematics, Redox Chemistry, Rate Law, Fluid Physics | 2hrs |
| Tutorial 5 | Bond Energy, Vapour Pressure, Electrochemistry, Aromatics, Electricity | 2hrs |
| Tutorial 6 | Kinematics II, Electromagnetism, Sound, Optics, Hybridisation | 2hrs |
12 x 2hr Mastermind Tutorials
These sessions involve problem-based learning and complex reasoning of high-yield GAMSAT themes and questions. All tutorials are recorded sessions, with access restricted to High Achiever students to facilitate their studies. Students are to complete each tutorial session in line with their prescribed study program and are expected to follow-up each tutorial session with their personal tutor to identify and correct areas of weaknesses.
| Lecture | Topic | Hours |
| Mastermind 1 | Biology & Physiology Intensive II | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 2 | Physics Intensive I | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 3 | Organic Chemistry Intensive I | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 4 | Physics Intensive II | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 5 | Organic Chemistry Intensive II | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 6 | Physical Chemistry Intensive I | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 7 | Physical Chemistry Intensive II | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 8 | Problem Based Learning I | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 9 | Problem Based Learning II | 2hrs |
| Mastermind 10 | Problem Based Learning III | 2hrs |
An additional 5 x Full Length METC GAMSAT Trial Exams
These exams are closely representative of GAMSAT and are formulated from detailed research into the GAMSAT exam. The METC Academic Committee validates all questions. These exams are formative and are to be completed as prescribed. Results will reveal individual section scores, with topic breakdown, as well as overall scores, to allow identification of areas of weakness. Section 2 results are scored by expert tutors and will be accompanied by a report that critically analyses individual performances with recommendations provided for improvement. The progressive completion of formative assessment allows the student and the personal tutor to gauge progress and to actively make recommendations for improvement.
CR100 – GAMSAT Essentials Course
The GAMSAT Essentials Course is a pre-medical subject designed for candidates at the very beginning of their GAMSAT journey. The course orientates candidates to the ideal methods of preparation for the exam.
- GAMSAT Essentials module: The module describes how to study for GAMSAT. Primarily, the module details approaches to studying for each section of the examination. As students progress, both the scope and depth of studies for each section are also discussed.
- GAMSAT Essentials full-length trial exam: This trial exam is unique. The first section provides candidates with insights into the styles of questions seen in recent GAMSAT sittings. The second section provides candidates with the essay topics from the most recent GAMSAT exams. Finally, the third section gives candidates a body of original questions representative of the science concepts most regularly assessed in the exam.
CR101 – Foundations of GAMSAT Course
The Foundations of GAMSAT Preparation Course (CR101) is a GAMSAT course designed for all-round performance in Sections I, II and III of GAMSAT.
- Foundations of GAMSAT Classroom: 10x workshops with interactive problem-based learning and discussion, delivered online through METC Institute’s GAMSAT Classroom. Each workshop is a minimum of 2-hours in duration and are coached by members of the METC Institute Academic Faculty. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. This allows students to repeatedly consolidate their learning, or to complete the program in an accelerated fashion if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| Humanities workshop & Q+A | 2 | Humanities overview and critical reasoning | 3/06/2019 | 2/12/2019 |
| Essay writing workshop & Q+A | 2 | Essay writing overview and critical reasoning | 10/06/2019 | 9/12/2019 |
| Foundations of physiology workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Cardiovascular and respiratory physiology | 17/06/2019 | 16/12/2019 |
| Foundations of physiology workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, and reproductive physiology | 24/06/2019 | 6/01/2020 |
| Foundations of physics workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Vectors, concepts in motion, and motion in one and two dimensions | 1/07/2019 | 13/01/2020 |
| Foundations of physics workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Force, impulse, momentum, energy, and work | 8/07/2019 | 20/01/2020 |
| Foundations of organic chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, and alkynes | 15/07/2019 | 27/01/2020 |
| Foundations of organic chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Stereochemistry, resonance, benzene and aromaticity | 22/07/2019 | 3/02/2020 |
| Foundations of physical chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Gases, and thermodynamics | 29/07/2019 | 10/02/2020 |
| Foundations of physical chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Rate law, enzyme kinetics, acids and bases, and equilibrium | 5/08/2019 | 17/02/2020 |
- Online Foundations GAMSAT Modules (CR101-01 to CR101-30): The Foundations GAMSAT Modules consist of 30x unique and detailed modules that teach the foundations for GAMSAT Section 1 (Humanities), GAMSAT Section 2 (essay writing), and GAMSAT Section 3 (science). Each module requires approximately 4-6 hours to complete. The GAMSAT Foundations modules includes theory equivalent to a 1000-page textbook, provided in an e-learning format that allows enhanced learning through technology, supported by unlimited access to our academic faculty and your personal GAMSAT tutor.
| Course | Online Module Title | Hours |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Humanities I | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Humanities II | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Humanities III | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Humanities IV | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Humanities V: Critical Literature Evaluation & Research | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Essay Writing: TAS Structure & Analysis | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Biology - The Cell | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Biology - Principles of Genetics | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Principles of Biochemistry | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Respiratory Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Cardiovascular Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Gastrointestinal Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Renal Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Endocrine Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Reproductive Physiology | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): GAMSAT Mathematics | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physics - Mechanics I | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physics - Mechanics II | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physics - Conservation Laws | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physics - Thermodynamics | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Organic Chemistry - Bonding & Isomerism | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Organic Chemistry - Alkanes & Cycloalkanes | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Organic Chemistry - Alkenes & Alkynes | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Organic Chemistry - Aromatic Compounds | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Organic Chemistry - Isomerism | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physical Chemistry - The Properties of Gases | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physical Chemistry - Thermochemistry | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physical Chemistry - Chemical Equilibrium | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physical Chemistry - Chemical Kinetics | 4-6 |
| Foundations course | Online Module (CR101): Physical Chemistry - Acids & Bases | 4-6 |
CR102 – GAMSAT Advanced Science Course
Building upon concepts developed in CR101, this course consolidates and builds current knowledge, reviews key additional GAMSAT topic areas and provides complex reasoning strategies needed to maximise scores in Section 3 of GAMSAT.
The course is especially beneficial in providing students with the knowledge and complex reasoning skills needed for exceptional performances in Section 3 – the most important section in GAMSAT. The course includes:
- GAMSAT Advanced Science Classroom: 9x workshops with interactive problem-based learning and discussion, delivered online through METC Institute’s GAMSAT Classroom. Each workshop is a minimum of 2-hours in duration and are coached by members of the METC Institute Academic Faculty. The frequency, timing and topics for these workshops can be found in the suggested study plan detailed below. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. This allows students to repeatedly consolidate their learning, or to complete the program in an accelerated fashion if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| Advanced genetics workshop & Q+A | 2 | Advanced reasoning in genetics problems | 3/07/2019 | 8/01/2020 |
| Advanced physiology and graphical interpretation workshop Q+A | 2 | Advanced graphical interpretation skills | 10/07/2019 | 15/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Fluids, gravity, and electrostatics | 17/07/2019 | 22/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Waves, optics, and sound | 24/07/2019 | 29/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 3 & Q+A | 2 | Electricity and electric circuits | 31/07/2019 | 5/02/2020 |
| Advanced organic chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones | 7/08/2019 | 12/02/2020 |
| Advanced organic chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Carboxylic acids, amines, heterocyclics, and fatty acids | 14/08/2019 | 19/02/2020 |
| Advanced physical chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Bonding, phase chemistry, and solutions | 21/08/2019 | 26/02/2020 |
| Advanced physical chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Solids, oxidation reduction, and quantum chemistry | 28/08/2019 | 4/03/2020 |
- Online GAMSAT Advanced Science Modules (CR102-01 to CR102-30): 30x unique and detailed modules providing advanced knowledge and also complex reasoning skills in key GAMSAT topics. This includes subject-specific GAMSAT complex reasoning questions. Each module requires approximately 4-6 hours to complete. The GAMSAT Advanced Science modules includes theory equivalent to a 500-page textbook, provided in an e-learning format that allows enhanced learning through technology, supported by unlimited access to our academic faculty and your personal GAMSAT tutor.
| Course | Online Module Title | Hours |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Molecular Genetics | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Advanced Genetics | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Advanced Biochemistry: Carbohydrate, Lipid and Protein Metabolism | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Complex Reasoning in Cardiovascular Physiology | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Complex Reasoning in Respiratory Physiology | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Biology - Acid Base Physiology | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Advanced Mechanics I | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Advanced Mechanics II | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Waves | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Optics | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Electricity I | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Electricity II | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Electricity III | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Fundamentals of Circuits I | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Fundamentals of Circuits II | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physics - Magnetism | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Halogen Compounds | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Alcohols, Phenols & Thiols | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Ethers & Epoxides | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Aldehydes & Ketones | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Carboxylic Acids & Derivatives | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Amines & Derivatives | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Spectroscopy | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Heterocyclic Compounds | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Lipids & Detergents | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Physical Chemistry - Phases, Bonds & Solution Chemistry | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Oxidation & Reduction (Redox) & Electrochemistry | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Quantum Chemistry - Atomic Structure | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Molecular Interactions, Macromolecules & Aggregates | 4-6 |
| Advanced Science Course | Online Module (CR102): Organic Chemistry - Solids | 4-6 |
CR103 – GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Course
This course is designed to provide students with advanced critical and analytical skills and methods needed for the identification and resolution of GAMSAT problems, which typically require a higher level of complex analytical reasoning and focuses on methodology, approach to questions, and practising examination style questions. The course includes:
- GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Classroom: 8x workshops with interactive problem-based learning and discussion, delivered online through METC Institute’s GAMSAT Classroom. Each workshop is coached by members of the METC Institute Academic Faculty. The frequency, timing and topics for these workshops can be found in the suggested study plan detailed below. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. This allows students to repeatedly consolidate their learning, or to complete the program in an accelerated fashion if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| About GAMSAT and rationale for the exam & Q+A | 1 | Important insights into exam rationale, construction, and competencies | 11/07/2019 | 16/01/2020 |
| How to study for GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | High-yield studying and how to maximise your time at your desk | 18/07/2019 | 23/01/2020 |
| Approach to Section I of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 1 of GAMSAT | 25/07/2019 | 30/01/2020 |
| Approach to Section II of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 2 of GAMSAT | 1/08/2019 | 6/02/2020 |
| Approach to Section III of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 3 of GAMSAT | 8/08/2019 | 13/02/2020 |
| GAMSAT Trial Exam | 8 | Full trial practice exam with assessment report | 10/08/2019 | 15/02/2020 |
| Scoring and time management in GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Understanding how the exam is scored, and how to manage time | 15/08/2019 | 20/02/2020 |
| Approach to MCQ and general examination advice & Q+A | 1 | Review of question writing style, and implications for success | 22/08/2019 | 27/02/2020 |
| GAMSAT pre-exam workshop & Q+A | 1 | Approach to GAMSAT and revision in the final weeks | 29/08/2019 | 5/03/2020 |
- 12x GAMSAT Section One Exams: This comprises 900 GAMSAT humanities questions divided over 12x Section One Exams. Each question includes the rationale and basis for the correct answer. Completion of these practice exams allows the candidate to understand the breadth and depth of the examinable content and allows practice of test-taking strategies.
- 10x GAMSAT Section Three Exams: This comprises 1100 GAMSAT science questions divided over 10x Section Three Exams. Each question includes the rationale and basis for the correct answer. Completion of these practice exams allows the candidate to understand the breadth and depth of the examinable content and allows practice of test-taking strategies.
| Course | Online Activity Title | Hours |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 1 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 1 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 1 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 1 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 2 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 2 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 2 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 2 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 3 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 3 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 3 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 3 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 4 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 4 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 4 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 4 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 5 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 5 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 5 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 5 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 6 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 6 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 6 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 6 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 7 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 7 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 7 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 7 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 8 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 8 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 8 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 8 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 9 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 9 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 9 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 9 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 10 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Science Practice Exam 10 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 10 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Science Practice Exam 10 | 5 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 11 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 11 | 3 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Online Exam (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 12 | 2 |
| Advanced Strategies Course | Exam revision (CR103): Humanities Practice Exam 12 | 3 |
- METC GAMSAT Trial Exam: This is a full-length and unique live online exam specifically designed by our Academic Faculty to be closely representative of GAMSAT. It is marked and reported to allow the student to identify areas of weakness prior to the actual GAMSAT.
CR104 – GAMSAT Essay Writing Course
The GAMSAT Essay Writing Course (CR104) is the premier course for students wishing to score highly in Section 2 of the GAMSAT. The course is designed to provide students with advanced essay writing skills and the ability to competently and proficiently write superior essays within a limited time frame.
Above and beyond the technical aspects of essay writing, the course teaches higher level reasoning and interpretation of GAMSAT stimulus themes, allowing students to produce a piece of writing that demonstrates depth and breadth of thought, a key scoring criteria. The course includes:
- Online Exams (CR104-E1 to CR104-E15): Students are required to complete 15 Essay Exams comprising a total of 30 GAMSAT essay topics. Each of the 30 GAMSAT essay topics is critically analysed individually and scored by our expert tutors, with personalised recommendations for improvement provided in a detailed report.
- Online Refined Essays (CR104-RE1 to CR104-RE15): Students are required to complete and submit 30 refined essays in total, following the completion of each online exam. While these are not formally assessed, completion of these refined essays is considered the key step to achieving the results of previous cohorts.
- Online Theory Modules (CR104-01 to CR104-05): Students are required to study and complete 5 theory modules in GAMSAT essay writing These modules include 1) CR104-01: GAMSAT Essay Strategies, 2) CR104-02: Organisation and the Language of Persuasion, 3) CR104-03: Clarity, Eclecticisms and Rhetorical Devices, 4) CR104-04: Word Choice and Vocabulary and 5) CR105-05: Mechanics of Writing and Matters of Form.
CR204 – GAMSAT Advanced Essay Course
The GAMSAT Advanced Essay Course (CR204) is an exclusive course of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program. The course extends upon the principles taught and refined in the CR104 course subject, to allow the GAMSAT High Achiever to truly excel in Section 2 of the exam. The course includes:
- Online Exams (CR204-E1 to CR204-E10): Students are required to complete 10 additional Essay Exams comprising a total of 20 additional GAMSAT essay topics. Each of the 20 GAMSAT essay topics is critically analysed individually and scored by our expert tutors, with personalised recommendations for improvement provided in a detailed report.
- Online Refined Essays (CR204-RE1 to CR204-RE10): Students are required to complete and submit 20 additional refined essays in total, following the completion of each online exam. While these are not formally assessed, completion of these refined essays is considered the key step to achieving the results of previous cohorts.
CR107 – GAMSAT Essay Masters Course
The GAMSAT Essay Masters Course (CR107) is a premier course designed to demonstrate how to write the ultimate GAMSAT essay. This objective is achieved via detailed and pragmatic explanation of essay writing structure, and illustration of the application of this structure through our Essay Masters Collection.
The essays that form a component of this course were written by students who achieved > 80 in Section 2 of GAMSAT (corresponding to the 100th percentile). Each essay was then reviewed by METC Institute expert essay markers before being considered for inclusion in this course. The course includes:
- GAMSAT Essay Masters Theory Module (CR107-01): Firstly, this online learning module helps students to understand and build a detailed essay structure template. The module defines the role and structure of each paragraph of the essay down to the sentence, leaving students with little doubt as to how to form their essay. The student is then able to use the template for every essay they complete. This allows students to prepare their response for Section II of GAMSAT before they set foot in the testing centre.
- Essay Masters Collection (CR107-02 – CR107-07): After completion of their structure template, students review 90 different GAMSAT sample essays via the 9 modules comprising the Essay Masters Collection. These GAMSAT sample essays help to inform the future works of students, and demonstrate how high-quality essays can be produced in a very short amount of time via use of a perfected essay template structure. These modules also include regular tasks for students to complete in order to master the art of GAMSAT essay writing.
CR301 – Medicine Live Interview Course
This course is conducted in a live setting with an interview panel. The interview stations and scenarios, assessment sheets and course material have been prepared by Medical Specialists & Senior Lecturers in Australian University Medical Schools. The course is suitable for students from either undergraduate (UCAT) or postgraduate (GAMSAT) streams.
The live interviews conducted during the course are designed to be completely representative of the real interview. Formats including Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and Semi-structured Interviews are explained and station considerations are given for student university preferences in determining group allocation so that students may practice the style of questioning encountered at specific universities.
In addition to the experience gained from the live interviews, all candidates will be given personalised advice and strategies for improvement. In total, students are involved in a total of 4 interviews (5x MMI Stations each – total 20 stations). Total time allocated for personalised feedback is 50 minutes per student.
CR302 – Medicine Interview Online Course
This course has been written by specialist medical physicians and senior lecturers from major Australian university medical schools. The course is suitable for students from either undergraduate (UCAT) or postgraduate (GAMSAT) streams who wish to complete a thorough interview preparation course however are unable to attend the live component of the CR301 course.
Students work through over 100 medical interview questions and scenarios previously used at Australian Medical school admissions interviews. Detailed ideal responses are provided for each scenario.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Important dates
The GAMSAT High Achiever Program may be commenced at any time throughout the year upon qualification and selection. Students are given the opportunity to complete all aspects of the program over a maximum of 24 months from enrolment. By making the program more flexible, and providing more time, students can be further confident of their preparation.
The following courses are conducted entirely via correspondence:
- GAMSAT Essentials (CR100)
- GAMSAT Intensive Essay Course (CR104)
- GAMSAT Advanced Essay Course (CR204)
- GAMSAT Essay Masters (CR107)
- Medicine Online Interview Course (CR302)
The following courses include online attendance components:
- GAMSAT High Achiever (CR200) – Formal personal tutorials are arranged at a mutually suitable time between the student and tutor.
- GAMSAT Foundations (CR101)
- GAMSAT Advanced Science (CR102)
- GAMSAT Advanced Strategies (CR103)
- Medicine Live Interview Course (CR301)
GAMSAT Foundations Classroom Workshops
The Foundations of GAMSAT course live workshops are held online in the Foundations GAMSAT Classroom. Each live workshop is held twice per year, which allows students to consolidate their knowledge and potentially use the course to prepare for GAMSAT in both September and March. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. Students will therefore have the flexibility to pursue accelerated learning options if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| Humanities workshop & Q+A | 2 | Humanities overview and critical reasoning | 3/06/2019 | 2/12/2019 |
| Essay writing workshop & Q+A | 2 | Essay writing overview and critical reasoning | 10/06/2019 | 9/12/2019 |
| Foundations of physiology workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Cardiovascular and respiratory physiology | 17/06/2019 | 16/12/2019 |
| Foundations of physiology workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Gastrointestinal, renal, endocrine, and reproductive physiology | 24/06/2019 | 6/01/2020 |
| Foundations of physics workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Vectors, concepts in motion, and motion in one and two dimensions | 1/07/2019 | 13/01/2020 |
| Foundations of physics workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Force, impulse, momentum, energy, and work | 8/07/2019 | 20/01/2020 |
| Foundations of organic chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Alkanes, cycloalkanes, alkenes, and alkynes | 15/07/2019 | 27/01/2020 |
| Foundations of organic chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Stereochemistry, resonance, benzene and aromaticity | 22/07/2019 | 3/02/2020 |
| Foundations of physical chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Gases, and thermodynamics | 29/07/2019 | 10/02/2020 |
| Foundations of physical chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Rate law, enzyme kinetics, acids and bases, and equilibrium | 5/08/2019 | 17/02/2020 |
GAMSAT Advanced Science Classroom Workshops
The GAMSAT Advanced Science Course live workshops are held online in the GAMSAT Advanced Science Classroom. Each live workshop is held twice per year, which allows students to consolidate their knowledge and potentially use the course to prepare for GAMSAT in both September and March. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. Students will therefore have the flexibility to pursue accelerated learning options if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| Advanced genetics workshop & Q+A | 2 | Advanced reasoning in genetics problems | 3/07/2019 | 8/01/2020 |
| Advanced physiology and graphical interpretation workshop Q+A | 2 | Advanced graphical interpretation skills | 10/07/2019 | 15/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Fluids, gravity, and electrostatics | 17/07/2019 | 22/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Waves, optics, and sound | 24/07/2019 | 29/01/2020 |
| Advanced physics workshop 3 & Q+A | 2 | Electricity and electric circuits | 31/07/2019 | 5/02/2020 |
| Advanced organic chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Alcohols, aldehydes, and ketones | 7/08/2019 | 12/02/2020 |
| Advanced organic chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Carboxylic acids, amines, heterocyclics, and fatty acids | 14/08/2019 | 19/02/2020 |
| Advanced physical chemistry workshop 1 & Q+A | 2 | Bonding, phase chemistry, and solutions | 21/08/2019 | 26/02/2020 |
| Advanced physical chemistry workshop 2 & Q+A | 2 | Solids, oxidation reduction, and quantum chemistry | 28/08/2019 | 4/03/2020 |
GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Classroom Workshops
The GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Course live workshops are held online in the GAMSAT Advanced Strategies Classroom. Each live workshop is held twice per year, which allows students to consolidate their knowledge and potentially use the course to prepare for GAMSAT in both September and March. All workshops are also recorded and made available for students to review on an ongoing basis for the duration of course access. Students will therefore have the flexibility to pursue accelerated learning options if enrolling closer to GAMSAT.
| Workshop Title | Hours | Workshop Content | Date of workshop prior to September GAMSAT | Date of workshop prior to March GAMSAT |
| About GAMSAT and rationale for the exam & Q+A | 1 | Important insights into exam rationale, construction, and competencies | 11/07/2019 | 16/01/2020 |
| How to study for GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | High-yield studying and how to maximise your time at your desk | 18/07/2019 | 23/01/2020 |
| Approach to Section I of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 1 of GAMSAT | 25/07/2019 | 30/01/2020 |
| Approach to Section II of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 2 of GAMSAT | 1/08/2019 | 6/02/2020 |
| Approach to Section III of GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Specific advice on approaching Section 3 of GAMSAT | 8/08/2019 | 13/02/2020 |
| GAMSAT Trial Exam | 8 | Full trial practice exam with assessment report | 10/08/2019 | 15/02/2020 |
| Scoring and time management in GAMSAT & Q+A | 1 | Understanding how the exam is scored, and how to manage time | 15/08/2019 | 20/02/2020 |
| Approach to MCQ and general examination advice & Q+A | 1 | Review of question writing style, and implications for success | 22/08/2019 | 27/02/2020 |
| GAMSAT pre-exam workshop & Q+A | 1 | Approach to GAMSAT and revision in the final weeks | 29/08/2019 | 5/03/2020 |
Medicine Interview Live Workshops
Sydney – 6/7/2019 (Best Course for University of Sydney Medicine applicants)
Adelaide – 31/8/2019 (Best Course for Flinders University Medicine applicants)
Melbourne – 1/9/2019
- Venue: Melbourne VIC 3000
Perth – 7/9/2019
Brisbane – 8/9/2019
- Venue: Brisbane, QLD 4000
The course duration is 8.30am to 5pm and is fully catered.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Enrolment
Prior to enrolling, candidates are required to apply to the GAMSAT High Achiever Program. This can be completed below.
The purpose of the application is to ensure candidates are aware of the demands of the program, and are committed to working with their personal GAMSAT tutor to achieve success. GAMSAT tutor time is limited, therefore the METC Institute prefers to enrol candidates with a strong work ethic.
Please refer to the published refunds policy as a condition of enrolment. Please also refer to the published High Achiever Program Guarantee Policy as a condition of enrolment. High Achiever students are provided with access to online material for the duration of their enrolment in the GAMSAT High Achiever Program (to a maximum of 2 years). Note that online assessments and essays exams may only be submitted once for formal assessment and feedback.
Apply for a position in the GAMSAT High Achiever Program
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Entry
Due to the close working relationship, entry into the GAMSAT High Achiever Program is by application and qualification only. Potential candidates for the GAMSAT High Achiever Program are screened for suitability. The reputation of this course depends on the quality of its students and therefore, an assessment must be made of the candidate’s motivation and suitability for a career in medicine. In addition, the screening process is necessary as the time available for personal tutoring by members of our academic faculty is limited.
Apply for a position in the GAMSAT High Achiever Program
The Selection Committee will formally evaluate the candidate’s ability to pursue the program successfully using the following criteria:
- Weighted GPA: Minimum 5.0
- Eligible Bonuses: Completion of Masters or PhD
- Standard & Quality of Personal/Reflective Essay
- Performance at Interview (Phone Interview)
Qualities formally assessed in this process include:
- Motivation for a career in Medicine
- Suitability for a career in Medicine
Note: No preferences are made for students with science or allied health backgrounds.
Students who are unsuccessful in admission into the GAMSAT High Achiever Program will be invited to consider alternatives including the GAMSAT Platinum Program or other packages and courses.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Exit Examination
Completion of the course requires satisfactory completion of all online modules and attendance components as well as a passing grade in summative assessment. Summative assessment for the GAMSAT High Achiever Program consists of a METC GAMSAT Trial Exam. The GAMSAT Trial Exam is specifically designed by our Academic Faculty to be closely representative of GAMSAT. Minimum scores required to obtain a passing grade is exam-specific and scaled to reflect GAMSAT distribution curves.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program Guarantee Policy
The METC Institute guarantees that all successful graduates of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program will be accepted into Medicine on the following conditions:
- The student has completed all aspects of the GAMSAT High Achiever Program including: attendance at all courses; completion of all personal tutoring sessions; attendance at all Mastermind group tutorials or evidence of viewing the recorded tutorial; completion of all online modules including submission of all assessed essay tasks; completion of all formative METC Trial Exams (METC1 to METC5), and;
- Achievement of a passing grade in summative assessment (METC GAMSAT Trial Exam), and;
- Meets minimum University pre-requisite requirements, and;
- Applies for entry into Medicine and will be willing and able to accept a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) in Medicine at any Australian University.
The High Achiever Program Guarantee becomes void if:
- A student fails to meet any of the above conditions, or;
- Declines any offer for entry into Medicine made by any Australian University, or;
- Fails to complete pre-requisite requirements including a Bachelor’s Degree, or;
- Fails to maintain their pre-High Achiever Program University-weighted grade point average
If in the unlikely event that a graduate who has met the above conditions, is unsuccessful in gaining entry into Medicine, then the graduate will be entitled to complete the METC Institute Platinum Program the following year at no charge. No guarantees for entry into Medicine exist beyond this point and no further entitlements or enrolments will be considered if the student remains unsuccessful.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Academic Faculty
Our academic faculty of specialist doctors and senior lecturers prepared and designed the GAMSAT High Achiever Program. These specialist doctors and senior lecturers are affiliated with leading Australian University Medical Schools and Teaching Hospitals, and maintain minimum qualification standards including MBBS with specialist qualification and registration with the Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency.
GAMSAT tutors and lecturers are accredited by the METC Institute Academic Steering Committee and maintain minimum qualification standards comprising personal experience at GAMSAT (or international equivalent) with a minimum overall score of 70. Furthermore, all course tutors and lecturers undergo compulsory prescribed continuing education and training into every aspect of GAMSAT.
Essay tutors are also accredited and have higher degrees in humanities or law, at a minimum Masters or Doctorate Level (AQF Level 9 or 10).
Through our GAMSAT High Achiever program, METC Institute enables student access to our academic faculty via personal tutoring sessions. The mentoring received by High Achiever graduates gives them a unique advantage in the Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) and beyond.
GAMSAT High Achiever Program
Reviews from recent students
“I am thoroughly grateful for my experience with METC Institute High Achiever Program. I was very nervous going in, it was a big monetary commitment and I was unsure if it would be worth the investment. However, 2 GAMSAT attempts later and a score of 77 I can say that at least from my personal experience I think it is.
Coming from a non-science background I was very overwhelmed by section 3 of the GAMSAT as there is so much content from so many different fields. The fun interactive science modules I found were incredibly useful in providing a structured learning approach to this section. Having tangible, short, and to the point modules which I could go through and tick off my study list made studying for the GAMSAT so much easier. All I had to do was go through the motions of studying the material and not worry that I was studying something irrelevant or not high yield. This factor I believe is overall the best strength of the High Achiever program. It is very structured. They give you a study plan, and if you stick to it you will be amazed how much you achieve. The ability to have a study plan and neatly laid out goals makes the preparation so much less stressful, and I believe much more efficient. As soon as you open your books and start studying, you are not wasting anytime figuring out what you have to learn, you can just focus on learning.
Another great feature of this program is the high volume of feedback you receive. The tutoring sessions, the essays, and just any communication with the staff in general were immensely helpful in aiding my self-monitoring during the learning process for this exam. You often don’t know what you don’t know, and whilst feedback can be harsh, it is better to find out where you can improve now rather than on the exam day. I remember becoming very excited to read the highly critical breakdown of my essays from the marking team, so I could then write another even better essay and prove them that I was worthy of better scores (it became a fun masochistic addition to my weekly routine, one that oddly I quite miss now that I no longer have to prepare for the GAMSAT). It was amazing how much my writing improved and how this not only translated to a score of 80 in the essay section but to better grades on my lab reports and essays for my degree as well.
Apart from the mountain of online resources available through this program, I also found the attendance weekends extremely beneficial. However, I must caution people that these are really dense, 2 days is npt enough time for undergraduate chemistry, physics and biology to be taught comprehensively. What it is enough time for however, is double checking that you understand the concepts, and that you recognise areas of weakness. Thus, I’d recommend making sure you are studied up before attending these, as if you don’t you will be lost. This being said, if you do prepare for them they are high yield. They will help you understand the fine details of what you need to know, remind you of the scope of what you need to know, and help you identify what you don’t know (and this last one is the most valuable of all. By getting out of the echo-chamber of studying in isolation where you don’t assess yourself on things you are weak on because you don’t like not feeling competent at something, you actually become aware of the extent and breadth of your weaknesses and can then enact plans to fix that).
At the end of the day preparing for this test is a marathon and it is not an easy one (it’s like one of those high altitude, hilly marathons, where the temperature is somehow still 40C and you’re only allowed to use one leg). You need to train hard in order to achieve well. No preparation course will give you the magic answers and run the race for you. However, what they will do, and what I found the High Achiever program did was help me at every aspect of the race, from learning how long a marathon was, to what strategies there are to run it, what shoes I need, what is the best running style, how much should I eat, how much should I train, how should I train, etc (I think you get the point of this atrociously extended metaphor). Honestly, that support allowed me to keep my eye on just doing the hard work, and I think that really helped me in giving me the extra edge which allowed my score to increase as much as it did. I hope this story of my experience is useful to those also thinking of undertaking the course, I wish you all the best of luck on this journey.”
– Riccardo Micelli McMillan (University of Queensland MD student)
“Just wanted to say a huge thank you to the METC Institute team that helped me so much this year. Today I was lucky enough to receive a CSP at the University of Sydney, after also being offered EU supported places at St George’s University London in both UK and Cyprus campuses. Though I’ll be taking up the offer at Sydney, as a non-science background candidate with only one GAMSAT behind me, the position of being accepted into medical school (and even having choices) is beyond what I could have hoped for this year.
I found all the courses/modules/intensives so helpful, and have no doubt that without a structured program like this one, I wouldn’t have stayed on track throughout the application process. I’ll be passing on the METC Institute’s details to all of my family and friends planning on tackling the GAMSAT and interviews in the near future.”
– Mietta K (University of Sydney MD student)
“METC science modules were very comprehensive and unlike many other GAMSAT courses did not just reteach an entire science uni course but also had a GAMSAT focus. There is a lot of information and the modules sometimes go too into detail, however if you cover all the modules you should not struggle in the science section of the exam. I gained the most from the interview modules, which provided all the background knowledge e.g medical ethics, teamwork skills, you need to do well in the exam. It also had more than enough different interview scenarios to practice to ensure you were confident going into the interview. Hearing the lecturer (Mat) discuss in the online live lectures how to answer a few ethical scenarios was much more informative than just reading an ideal answer from text. I was even able to pick up a few practical tips in the actual delivery of a response. The METC institute admin staff always responded to any queries promptly and the lecturers are happy to answer additional questions during lectures (even during lunch breaks and after class). METC definitely contributed to me getting a Medicine offer and I would highly recommend it for others.”
– Aran Nathan (University of Notre Dame MD student)
