What I wish I had known in year 12...

Having just completed my undergraduate degree, I am now on my way to my medical degree, so I spent some time looking back on my journey to study medicine and realised how many things I wish I had known to make my life that little bit easier.

1. Get some work experience.

When the time comes and you start to do your medicine interviews, it becomes so important to have something to show that you are interested in the medical field. More often than not interviewers have asked “have you done any work experience?” or ask you questions that draw upon your experiences that make you stand out as a candidate. If you’re still in year 10 and looking ahead to your future, it’s not a bad idea to do your school-organised work experience at a hospital. It will give you a small snippet into what life can be like for you, while providing you with good material for interview questions. Organisations like St. John’s Ambulance volunteering also gives you hands-on experience and are a way to improve your teamwork and leadership skills.

2. Start your UMAT® Exam practice early.

This is something I definitely wished I had taken on board when I was in high school. Having done the UMAT® Exam three times, I can say that with the more practice and exposure, I was able to work out a routine that fit my weaknesses and ability to improve. This practice can be small in the beginning when you’re just getting introduced to the UCAT to very intense mock exams once you have developed a routine. Year 12 is definitely a stressful time, so what I recommend is finding a good UMAT® Exam preparation course that presents you with all the material you need to reduce the stress of trying to collect and organise it yourself.

3. Research different pathways options and keep an open mind.

I think one of the most toxic ways of thinking in high school is to believe you MUST get into undergraduate medicine straight after the HSC® Exam or you have no hope of doing medicine. This is completely wrong and can build a huge amount of stress in your final year if you place this pressure on yourself. There are many pathways to medicine available (as described in our ‘University in Focus’ series). Keep an open mind about where your future can take you. High school is just a stepping-stone to the rest of your life.