Please also see my earlier posts "Free GAMSAT resources online - and how to use them" and "More free GAMSAT study resources"
For those looking for free GAMSAT information, there's a new tutoring group offering free resources called Fraser's Gamsat Journey.
They offer an online video masterclass, a topics list, a study planner, spreadsheets for tracking your improvement over time, a Section 2 quote generator, a Section 2 style guide, a Section 3 Chemistry checklist, Section 3 Physics Checklist, and two physics formula cheat sheets (one, two), and a Section 3 Biology checklist.
Again, I don't recommend any particular test preparation company. I didn't use any tutoring company and still had excellent scores, although I had studied many of these topics at University level. Many of the medical students I know sat the GAMSAT and got in without paying for tuition. I would suggest the PagingDr forums and Graduate Medicine Informant as the best sites for unbiased information that isn't trying to sell anything.
It's been many years now since I took the GAMSAT, but I still get the occasional email from others who have found this website helpful. I hope it saves you further searching helps direct your GAMSAT studies.
Showing posts with label section3. Show all posts
Showing posts with label section3. Show all posts
Section III Syllabus - Physics Part 1
Section III is the largest component of your marks, but can also be a daunting task to study. ACER lists the standard level of knowledge as approximately first-year university biology and chemistry, and good year 12 or first year uni physics. I think that even the chemistry and biology could be considered the equivalent of a solid year 12 program like the International Baccalaureate. I'll write a series of articles breaking down the most important concepts in Section III, with links to relevant resources, and link the lot once I'm done.
Don't forget that the Physics questions make up perhaps a quarter of section III of the GAMSAT, and in terms of your score it may not be worth your time to study physics in-depth if you can get better return elsewhere.
- Make sure that you are comfortable with natural laws - gravity, entropy, conservation of momentum and Newton's laws.
- Make sure that your maths skills are up to par and that you can read complex graphs and rearrange equations.
- Memorisation of equations is useful but not required; the only two I have found useful to memorise are f=ma and v=ir. Both are simple, easy to remember and easy to use, but can be applied to many GAMSAT questions.
Units and Scientific Notation
Know the standard units used for weight, distance, time and more. The units on each side of an equation will be the same, just as the number of atoms in a chemical equation will be the same. Also know the common prefixes for these units.
Many GAMSAT questions will use scientific notation for very large or very small quantities.
Quantities can be either scalars or vectors. Scalar quantities just have an amount, such as mass or speed or time; vector quantities also include a direction, such as displacement, velocity, and force. Vector quantities, such as forces, can still be added if they have different directions using trigonometry. The scalar quantity can be used as the length of the line representing the vector and the direction as the angle of the line. When adding two vectors, draw them as two lines of a triangle; the third line will be the resultant vector, or what you would get if you combined the two forces or displacements.
All objects have mass - mass being the amount of matter present in the object while weight is a measure of how much a gravitational force affects that matter. So an astronaut will always have mass, but her weight will vary depending on the astronaut's location: normal on Earth, light on the Moon, and negligible (weightless) in space.
A mass of one kilogram will accelerate at one meter a second when acted upon with a force of one newton. This is about a tenth of the force caused by Earth's gravitational pull, which varies by as much as .5% depending on location, and correspondingly higher acceleration of 9.8ms-2.
As an aside: What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers? They weigh the same, however they have different densities. When placed in water, the upwards force on the material is proportional to the volume of water displaced, so the lower density of feathers mean they will float while lead will sink. On the other hand, a pound of gold weighs less than a pound of lead, because precious metals like gold are still measured on the troy weight system.
Newton's laws of motion describe how objects move. The first law is the law of inertia, and states that an object with no forces acting upon it will remain either still or moving in a straight line at a constant speed.
The second law describes f=ma; that the force on an object is proportional to both it's mass and it's acceleration - pushing a small car is a lot easier than pushing a truck at the same acceleration. The third law is often paraphrased as "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." This can be seen in low-friction systems such as on ice rinks, where exacting a force by pushing the wall will cause a reactive force pushing you out into the centre of the rink.
All objects have inertia or momentum - momentum is equal to mass times velocity. Momentum is conserved eg in collisions between billard balls or in executive toys.
An impulse is the change in a force over time. Because the change can be the same, a long, slow push can cause as much impulse as a short, hard push - so the change in momentum is proportional to both force and time. Modelling and Newton's laws contains some good information on modelling
The f=ma equations can also be used to calculate projectile motion, such as the physics standards of bullets or cannons fired into the air (don't forget they come down with the same force they went up with, and shooting bullets into the air leads to deaths every year)
The equation f=ma leads to a range of motion equations that can be used in more detail, however these can be derived.
Displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration can all be graphed over time - like cost and inflation, these are derivatives, and care should be taken with constants and signs.
Don't forget that the Physics questions make up perhaps a quarter of section III of the GAMSAT, and in terms of your score it may not be worth your time to study physics in-depth if you can get better return elsewhere.
- Make sure that you are comfortable with natural laws - gravity, entropy, conservation of momentum and Newton's laws.
- Make sure that your maths skills are up to par and that you can read complex graphs and rearrange equations.
- Memorisation of equations is useful but not required; the only two I have found useful to memorise are f=ma and v=ir. Both are simple, easy to remember and easy to use, but can be applied to many GAMSAT questions.
Units and Scientific Notation
Know the standard units used for weight, distance, time and more. The units on each side of an equation will be the same, just as the number of atoms in a chemical equation will be the same. Also know the common prefixes for these units.
Many GAMSAT questions will use scientific notation for very large or very small quantities.
Quantities can be either scalars or vectors. Scalar quantities just have an amount, such as mass or speed or time; vector quantities also include a direction, such as displacement, velocity, and force. Vector quantities, such as forces, can still be added if they have different directions using trigonometry. The scalar quantity can be used as the length of the line representing the vector and the direction as the angle of the line. When adding two vectors, draw them as two lines of a triangle; the third line will be the resultant vector, or what you would get if you combined the two forces or displacements.
All objects have mass - mass being the amount of matter present in the object while weight is a measure of how much a gravitational force affects that matter. So an astronaut will always have mass, but her weight will vary depending on the astronaut's location: normal on Earth, light on the Moon, and negligible (weightless) in space.
A mass of one kilogram will accelerate at one meter a second when acted upon with a force of one newton. This is about a tenth of the force caused by Earth's gravitational pull, which varies by as much as .5% depending on location, and correspondingly higher acceleration of 9.8ms-2.
As an aside: What weighs more, a pound of lead or a pound of feathers? They weigh the same, however they have different densities. When placed in water, the upwards force on the material is proportional to the volume of water displaced, so the lower density of feathers mean they will float while lead will sink. On the other hand, a pound of gold weighs less than a pound of lead, because precious metals like gold are still measured on the troy weight system.
Newton's laws of motion describe how objects move. The first law is the law of inertia, and states that an object with no forces acting upon it will remain either still or moving in a straight line at a constant speed.
The second law describes f=ma; that the force on an object is proportional to both it's mass and it's acceleration - pushing a small car is a lot easier than pushing a truck at the same acceleration. The third law is often paraphrased as "To every action there is an equal and opposite reaction." This can be seen in low-friction systems such as on ice rinks, where exacting a force by pushing the wall will cause a reactive force pushing you out into the centre of the rink.
All objects have inertia or momentum - momentum is equal to mass times velocity. Momentum is conserved eg in collisions between billard balls or in executive toys.
An impulse is the change in a force over time. Because the change can be the same, a long, slow push can cause as much impulse as a short, hard push - so the change in momentum is proportional to both force and time. Modelling and Newton's laws contains some good information on modelling
The f=ma equations can also be used to calculate projectile motion, such as the physics standards of bullets or cannons fired into the air (don't forget they come down with the same force they went up with, and shooting bullets into the air leads to deaths every year)
The equation f=ma leads to a range of motion equations that can be used in more detail, however these can be derived.
Displacement, speed, velocity and acceleration can all be graphed over time - like cost and inflation, these are derivatives, and care should be taken with constants and signs.
Best study methods for organic chemistry and anatomy
Those of you brushing up on the GAMSAT may be interested in a recent Ask Metafilter question on the best ways to study these complex subjects.
An organic chemistry teacher made an interesting point against memorising reaction patterns with flashcards:
Other useful tricks include
- Setting up a random revolving background image or wallpaper on your PC
- Breaking medical terminology into it's (Latin or Greek) word-roots to determine the meaning of the word, which will then more easily prompt your memory and understanding
- Using spaced repetition to vary how often you revisit material. One variation of this is the Leitner system where material is sorted based on the number of errors made in recall; other software implementations use a logarithmic drop-off in how frequently memorised material is presented.
An organic chemistry teacher made an interesting point against memorising reaction patterns with flashcards:
Organic chemistry is all about patterns. The question you see on an exam will look, at first glance, absolutely nothing like the example that you've studied, which is why the flash carders rarely do well. The trick to doing well is to learn the types of reactions, why they happen, and then seeing which of those apply to molecule/conditions in question. In most cases, a large molecule can be reduced down to a single functional group that's doing a very simple reaction, and the rest of it that's just along for the ride. Once you do that, there are usually a very narrow set of possibilities for a given problem.
Other useful tricks include
- Setting up a random revolving background image or wallpaper on your PC
- Breaking medical terminology into it's (Latin or Greek) word-roots to determine the meaning of the word, which will then more easily prompt your memory and understanding
- Using spaced repetition to vary how often you revisit material. One variation of this is the Leitner system where material is sorted based on the number of errors made in recall; other software implementations use a logarithmic drop-off in how frequently memorised material is presented.
Practice question - Fish osmosis
Prompt
The following table contains details of the relative solutes in a variety of fish and their environments. Both sharks and bony fish live in the sea.
Questions
Which of the fish types would need to drink water in their normal environment?
A. Freshwater fish
B. Bony fish
C. Sharks
D. None of the above
In which fish is there likely to be a net solute flow into the fish?
A. Freshwater fish and bony fish
B. Bony fish only
C. Sharks only
D. Both freshwater fish and sharks
The following table contains details of the relative solutes in a variety of fish and their environments. Both sharks and bony fish live in the sea.
| Salt | Urea | Osmotic concentration | |
| Sea water | 1000 | 1000 | |
| Fresh water | 20 | 20 | |
| Sharks | 650 | 400 | 1050 |
| Bony fish | 190 | 190 | |
| Freshwater fish | 130 | 130 |
Questions
Which of the fish types would need to drink water in their normal environment?
A. Freshwater fish
B. Bony fish
C. Sharks
D. None of the above
In which fish is there likely to be a net solute flow into the fish?
A. Freshwater fish and bony fish
B. Bony fish only
C. Sharks only
D. Both freshwater fish and sharks
Practice question - Metabolic rates
Prompt
The below diagram shows changes in metabolic rates dependant on body and environment temperature for two mammals, the kangaroo rat and the harbour seal.
(diagram)
Questions
When outside temperature drops below body temperature, the kangaroo rat's metabolism increases
A. at different rates but at the same body temperatures
B. at the same rate at the same body temperatures
C. at different rates at different body temperatures
D. at the same rate at different body temperatures
When outside temperature drops below body temperature, the harbour seal's metabolism increases
A. at different rates but at the same body temperatures
B. at the same rate at the same body temperatures
C. at different rates at different body temperatures
D. at the same rate at different body temperatures
Answers
Kangaroo rat - D, harbour seal - A
The below diagram shows changes in metabolic rates dependant on body and environment temperature for two mammals, the kangaroo rat and the harbour seal.
(diagram)
Questions
When outside temperature drops below body temperature, the kangaroo rat's metabolism increases
A. at different rates but at the same body temperatures
B. at the same rate at the same body temperatures
C. at different rates at different body temperatures
D. at the same rate at different body temperatures
When outside temperature drops below body temperature, the harbour seal's metabolism increases
A. at different rates but at the same body temperatures
B. at the same rate at the same body temperatures
C. at different rates at different body temperatures
D. at the same rate at different body temperatures
Answers
Kangaroo rat - D, harbour seal - A
Practice question - Fish circulation
Prompt
The circulatory system of the fish is diagrammed below. Of the output from the heart, 40% is directed to the brain and 15% to each of the gills, kidneys, front and rear intestines.
(diagram - not guaranteed to be an actual fish circulatory system)
Question
What percentage of the blood from any one pump of the heart will pass through the liver?
A. 0%
B. 15%
C. 30%
D. 40%
The circulatory system of the fish is diagrammed below. Of the output from the heart, 40% is directed to the brain and 15% to each of the gills, kidneys, front and rear intestines.
(diagram - not guaranteed to be an actual fish circulatory system)
Question
What percentage of the blood from any one pump of the heart will pass through the liver?
A. 0%
B. 15%
C. 30%
D. 40%
Practice Question - Acceleration
Prompt:
Ann, a physics student, decides to measure the acceleration in her car. She decides to hang a bob (pendulum) from the rear view mirror in her car. It can swing towards the front of the car, which she measures as theta, or towards the rear of the car, which she measures as negative theta.
(diagram)
Questions
What angle will the bob make when Ann, after moving forward at a constant speed, brakes?
A. Positive theta
B. Zero
C. Negative theta
D. There is not enough information provided to answer this question
Ann graphs the angle of the pendulum over a period of time.
(second graph)
At period 4, the car's speed was
A. Increasing
B. Constant
C. Decreasing
D. There is not enough information provided to answer this question
Over the whole time period, the car was stationary:
A. During period 1 only
B. During period 3 only
C. During period 6 only
D. There is not enough information provided to answer this question
Practice Question - Defibrillation
Prompt:
Defibrillation is a treatment for cardiac arrhythmias, ventricular fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia that delivers an electrical shock to the heart. The electrical shock allows the sinoatrial node to reestablish the baseline heart rythym.
An 80kg man is shocked with a defibrillator which delivers 6000 volts with a current of 100 amps.
Questions
What is the resistance across the body?
A.
B.
C.
D.
What amount of energy was delivered by the electrical shock?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Answers
Note that this question requires you to have memorised the physics formula v=ir. You may also find reading up on defibrillation at the Wikipedia page to be useful
Test Strategy - Making the Most of Reading Time
The Gamsat allows a block of reading time at the start of each section. Ten minutes are permitted for Sections I and III and five minutes for Section II.
For the MCQ sections, sections I and III:
- Firstly, quickly flip through the book and check the page numbers are all sequential and that the diagrams all printed correctly.
- As you do so, keep an eye out of the questions. Are there questions on subjects you aren't as strong on, or with long and/or complicated prompts? You may want to skip these on your first attempt and come back to them later. This will give you a good feel for where you are up to in the test and how much more work you have to do at any given time.
- During your reading time, you are not allowed to actually record answers or make notes either on the question book or on the answer sheet. I find that having read through the question and decided on the correct answer, it is very easy to simply remember the answer when I come back to it as soon as reading time finishes. You can easily get an extra 5-10 questions completed this way, giving you more time for those questions (like, say, organic chemistry) where being able to diagram and make notes is a must.
- Can you make notes? No. It's for reading only. Do so, and they will take away your answer booklet and provide you wil a clean one. I have done this before by accident, being used to uni exams where writing in the question book was fair game. I have heard of people developing systems - pencil placement or tiny indents in the book - to mark correct answers. I find it's just as easy to remember them. We're only talking 5-10 questions here, and the answers are easily remembered.
For section II, the essay section, you are allowed five minutes of reading time. I use this time to look over both sets of prompts and allow my natural response to surface. In most cases you can find a position to support or argue against that you feel strongly about that relates to the test materials. I then think of three to five book quotes, studies I have read, or examples from my own life that I can include. These, the stimulus material, and the fact that I have chosen an idea I feel strongly about allow me to write continously for around 25 minutes each essay.
For the MCQ sections, sections I and III:
- Firstly, quickly flip through the book and check the page numbers are all sequential and that the diagrams all printed correctly.
- As you do so, keep an eye out of the questions. Are there questions on subjects you aren't as strong on, or with long and/or complicated prompts? You may want to skip these on your first attempt and come back to them later. This will give you a good feel for where you are up to in the test and how much more work you have to do at any given time.
- During your reading time, you are not allowed to actually record answers or make notes either on the question book or on the answer sheet. I find that having read through the question and decided on the correct answer, it is very easy to simply remember the answer when I come back to it as soon as reading time finishes. You can easily get an extra 5-10 questions completed this way, giving you more time for those questions (like, say, organic chemistry) where being able to diagram and make notes is a must.
- Can you make notes? No. It's for reading only. Do so, and they will take away your answer booklet and provide you wil a clean one. I have done this before by accident, being used to uni exams where writing in the question book was fair game. I have heard of people developing systems - pencil placement or tiny indents in the book - to mark correct answers. I find it's just as easy to remember them. We're only talking 5-10 questions here, and the answers are easily remembered.
For section II, the essay section, you are allowed five minutes of reading time. I use this time to look over both sets of prompts and allow my natural response to surface. In most cases you can find a position to support or argue against that you feel strongly about that relates to the test materials. I then think of three to five book quotes, studies I have read, or examples from my own life that I can include. These, the stimulus material, and the fact that I have chosen an idea I feel strongly about allow me to write continously for around 25 minutes each essay.
Question - Fingernail growth rates
Question: Making some basic assumptions, how fast do your fingernails grow?
Answers:
A. 1*10^-3 m/s
B. 1*10^-6 m/s
C. 1*10^-9 m/s
D. 1*10^-12 m/s
How to work it out:
First, make those 'basic assumptions' mentioned earlier in the question. How fast do my fingernails grow? I assumed 5cm/year. As it turns out, I wasn't too far off, as Wikipedia suggests 3.5 cm. I then made sure I had this result in the correct units - first adjusting cm to m, and then years to seconds. You make need to make sure that you are confident with scientific notation. This estimate brought me fairly close to the result of 1*10^-9m/s - option C.
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