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 syllabus. Show all posts
Showing posts with label syllabus. 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.
Last minute GAMSAT 1 month study plan days 21-30
Days 1-10
Days 11-20
Days 21-30
Days 11-20
Days 21-30
- Day 21: Read up on multiple choice question formats and how these are used. In the GAMSAT, there is only one correct answer for each question, and incorrect questions are not penalised. While few know the inner workings of ACER, test questions have been notes on some papers - the questions that you get may not be the same questions that your fellow students get, and it's unlikely that these marks are used to calculate your score, but rather server to gather other information and 'test' the question for inclusion in next year's GAMSAT. In addition, harder questions may also be weighted more highly.
When answering multiple-choice questions, feel free to mark on the sheet any answers that you do not feel are correct. This can make it easier if you need to come back to the question. Other strategies can include choosing the middle answer from a range of numbers, an answer whose negative is also listed, options that are not absolute or that contain qualifiers, or the answer that looks best to you. See the NSW Board of Studies for online multiple-choice questions from various HSC subjects.
Interestingly, a study has recently shown that you are more than three times as likely to correct a wrong answer for a right one as a right answer for a wrong one.
- Day 22: Look up IUPAC naming. Create a model of a molecule from a name only:
- 3-ethyl-4-methylhexane
2-bromo-2-chloro-1,1,1,-trifluoroethane
4-oxobutanoic acid
2-methylbutane
Or try the molecule in the linked article: 18-bromo-12-butyl-11-chloro-4,8-diethyl-5-hydroxy-15-methoxytricos-6,13-dien-19-yne-3,9-dione
Then apply a reaction as per Day 5. What two molecules would come together through Fisher esterification to create your random molecule? What mechanism would you use to add a methyl group to the fourth carbon? What's your molecule's new name?
- Day 23: Take a full length practice test.
- Day 24: Recap on test.
- Day 25: Look over any weak points on the test. More specifically, reassure yourself about any weak points you feel you have - remind yourself how small a contribution each small subject makes to the overall GAMSAT. Diss those who spent all their time studying optics, and reassure yourself that poetry majors will not get paid well anyway.
- Day 26: Understand the principle of conservation: everything on both sides of an equation or equilibrium must balance, including atoms, electrons, and energy. This can be used as with Hess's law to calculate the change in energy from a reaction. If a reaction produces energy, then like a ball rolling downhill it will tend to go ahead; the Gibbs free energy change can be calculated to see in which direction an equibrium will move.
- Day 27: Read Ambrose Bierce's Devils's Dictionary. Explain to your cat or significant other why, exactly, each entry is funny. Consider the following extract; then because you can, model the socially important opioids. Then, consider the ethical implications of providing such drugs to drug-seeking patients. Would you give a placebo to such patients, if requested by their specialist doctor as in this case?.
OPIATE, n. An unlocked door in the prison of Identity. It leads into the jail yard.
- Day 28: Ohm's law: v=ir. One of two very simple physics equations that you should have memorised. V is the potential difference in volts; I is the current in amperes or amps and R is the resistance in ohms.
- Day 29: How will you deal with graphs and diagrams, and long slabs of text to ensure they don't waste your valuable test time? Simple. Skim first, then read the questions, then check back into the text to find your answers. You don't have to comprehend completely on first reading, if you are skilled at picking up the meaning of each sentence quickly. Look into speed reading and skimming to improve your comprehension and speed. Don't try for large improvements, but skimming up to 1000 words/minute is achievable. More than this and you may be being sold a dodgy product.
- Day 30: Rest day - see our article on what to do the day before the GAMSAT. Undertake pre-exam ritual such as purchasing The Exam Pen, snacks and chocolate for the day.
Last minute GAMSAT 1 month study plan day 1-10
Stuck for time? Needing to get some GAMSAT study in stat before the exam looms? Here are 30 days of small actions to help you max out your marks.
Days 1-10
Days 11-20
Days 21-30
- Day 1: Check that you are registered for the GAMSAT. Line up or order any necessary study materials such as textbooks, organic chemistry model kits, practice questions. Check forums for old copies of prep materials for sale, check out your university's second-hand bookshop, look at free online resources. Create a study area and set aside a quiet study time for each day. Print out five copies of your admissions ticket and tuck them into your wallet, handbag and jeans pockets so you will not forget it on the day.
- Day 2: Take one of the half-length ACER practice tests. Ensure you take it in a quiet place and to the correct time (don't forget, only give yourself half as long!). Do not use any materials. Get a feel for the length and size of the test, any mental fatigue, how you pace yourself. Take note of which questions you got stuck on the length (still stuck halfway through reading question) and which questions you got stuck on the content (read, but did not understand, and could not work out an answer). The first you'll be improving by using your scanning and speed-reading skills to pull out relevant sections. The second indicate areas you will need to study.
- Day 3: Mark your practice test. Panic, and then remember that it's very hard to align raw test scores to final GAMSAT scores after test questions had been removed, scores adjusted and scaled, etc; especially going on only half a test. Sign up to a GAMSAT forum to compare scores with others taking the test. For your essay, request feedback from suitably-qualified friends or colleagues, bribe college teachers for feedback with food, post essays on forums, or pay for an essay marking service.
- Day 4: Sign up for a word of the day email. Change daily reading habits to include high-brow newspapers and magazine, especially opinions - check comments section of abc.net.au news and opinions, The Australian. Set up email or RSS feeds to have this material delivered directly to you so you cannot ignore it. Visit your local library to check out books on being a doctor, biological ethics, and literature for Section I practice, or search the Web and Project Gutenberg.
- Day 5: Pull out the model kit – or make some playdough and toothpicks – or a whiteboard and marker. It's organic chemistry time! Pick a molecule such as caffeine. Draw it. Create the model. What are it’s functional groups? Does it contain rings, double bonds, triple bonds? Now recreate it backwards, and then in mirror image. Is it chiral? Check your organic chemistry textbook and find a reaction that could occur to your molecule. Look at the sample in your textbook, then at your model. Which carbon chain in your model is R? Which is R’? What happens to the molecule during the reaction? Recreate your model after the reaction. What if R and R’ were connected as a ring? Repeat with different molecules and reactions.
- Day 6: Read up on the essays for Section II. Know about the two essay formats; the argumentative and the reflective. The essay is a lot less easy to define than study of science materials but it's also easier to pick up good marks with some simple changes.
- Day 7: Look into speed reading and skimming. Practice on some of your texts for section III. Can you skim a complex text or diagram, and then when checking the question know where to turn back to? This will speed up your answers to questions. Skimming is mostly a matter of slowly building up the spaces between where your eyes rest on the page - creating greater saccades - and letting your peripheral vision pick up the rest.
- Day 8: Make up some genetic traits like left- or right-eyed flounder fish or green- or purple-eyed aliens. Which one is recessive? Which is dominant? Make up a Punnett square to show what happens if two creatures with different genotypes breed. What's the probability you'll get a green-eyed alien? What's the possibility, if it bred with itself, that it's offspring would also be green-eyed? Would it be pure-bred (also known as homozygous, ie you'd never get purple-eyed offspring)? What if your alien did not have only two of every gene, but three? What would the offspring ratios look like then? Mendel's original experiments on peas are interesting and great simple examples - although modern statistics say he might have fudged his numbers! Finally, can you work out the percentages for each offspring type in an overall population using only the allele percentages? (Hint: Hardy-Weinberg)
- Day 9: Read a book on philosophy, logic, or science ethics. What makes a strong argument? Think back on some points argued in the book that you read. Were these strong arguments? Look into a list of logical fallacies. Have you used some of these in your arguments?
- Day 10: Look at the comments on a news website on a recent, controversial issue - perhaps something medically related such as euthanasia or abortion. Can you spot the logical fallacies in their arguments? How does the quality of arguments vary between 'tabloid' websites such as news.com.au and other websites such as abc.net.au? Write a short practice argumentative essay on the topic, checking your logic and your facts.
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