I passed

I passed my GAMSAT  ( http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/gamsat-australia) exam yesterday.  Similar to MCAT that allows me to study medicine in one of the local universities.

This was one of the hardest exam I have ever written mostly because I have not studied Maths since my 10th and Physics and Chemistry since pre-degree. I also have never written English essays as part of my basic education. Mine involved rot learning what the teacher wrote.

I had to buy Physics and Chemistry text books to study basics. May be it was that my pre degree time, I was confused having to learn everything in English, but for the love of Spaghetti, I don’t remember ever learning about chemical bonds..all I remember is learning about shells, valence electrons etc. plus a bit of organic chemistry, balancing eqn etc. It took me months to understand basic chemistry and then I joined  MIT ed ex courses online to understand Benzene, ring structure etc.

I approached one of Yaya’s teachers for English help and I met her every Monday after my work and she taught me to write English essays. She didn’t want payment and I didn’t feel that is right. So I actually rushed home after work, cooked dinner for her family, packed it and went to meet her.

Physics, one of Yaya’s friend’s older brother helped me. ( he is 22 years old, half my age ! ) and those questions he couldn’t, a friend’s husband took  half a day off from work the day before my exam and  helped me.

My children made innumerable cups of coffee.. borrowed books for me from their school library, collected past QCAS question papers, so I could practice comprehension etc..

And I got up everyday at 4 am to study till 6 am, rush to make breakfast/school lunch for the kids..most evenings by 9, I was so exhausted and often I questioned my own sanity. But I always wanted to work as a doctor and I felt no one could ever tell me I couldn’t do something. and if you are like me who really wanted to do something, trust me when I tell you this, there are people out there who will help you..and some of them can be half your age, but they will help you. The world still has a lot of good people.

Right now, I am not really sure what to do. I will finish term 1 of my masters next month. I already have the highest GPA ( 7 here) for all the exams/assignments I have written to this day. I don’t want to stop it  when I could finish this in a year and win the vice chancellor’s award.

But the crux of the matter is.. I passed GAMSAT.

 

 

29 thoughts on “I passed

  1. Congrats! It looks like you are on a roll! not a mean achievement considering you are also working and having to support three teenagers!

    • Goutham: Thankyou. I always believe that hard work will get you to where you want to go. I haven’t studied this hard even for MBBS.

  2. CONGRATS,

    So happy for you !! Def shows that all that hard work and stress you went through was well indeed worth it !

    And glad that Yaya has taken her exam. Hoping good news for her too ! 🙂

    • Martha: I did question my sanity more times than I could count, especially having to learn projectile motion etc..athokke nalla kalathu, vayum nokki nadakkunnathinu pakaram padichirunnenkil !!!!!
      Btw, I just realized, all the subjects I have skipped as a student, I end up learning again.. it looks like Karma has some score to settle with me. I skipped preventive and social medicine ( my titanic) and it is a core course for my masters. If I do MBBS again, I have to learn Anatomy again.

  3. The whole world was so determined you pass the exams. But the credit of course is yours. Your efforts and the stubbornness. And the way you used the people around you and the time devoted for it. abhinandanangal.

    • Bipin: Thank you..I am fortunate in having great bunch of friends. My family is totally screwed up, but my friends compensate for that.

  4. Congrats Sara..loved u r determination. U r inspiring. BTW taking care of three teens along with studying is no mean task!!!

  5. Hello,

    To practice medicine inn Australia , are you not allowed to do a licensing exam than doing the whole course again ?

    • Ceena: I haven’t practiced Medicine for more than 10 years. I think it is unfair on the patients, if I went back to practice medicine with my rusty skills.

      • Congratulations Sarah. Just read your last comment about your rationale for not wanting to practice medicine after a licensing exam now. You are noble to the core, not many out there are like you. Believe it or not you are an inspiration to many including me.

        I am contemplating doing graduate entry MBBS and therefore have to take the GAMSAT. I have a 6 month old, intend to have another baby soon and cannot imagine studying for the next 6 odd years or so. But all I know is that I really want to study medicine and if Sarah can do it, just maybe I can too 🙂 Thank you for making me feel that way, regardless if I choose to pursue this dream of mine.

        • ShaRu: Take your time.. enjoy the time with your children and once you feel you are ready, write GAMSAT. There is nothing that stops you from getting what you want if you are determined enough. BTW, when my kids were little, I used to do GMAT questions for ‘fun’ (second hand practice books for few dollars each), just to keep my brain active.

          • Thank you for replying. Been researching more on GAMSAT. Would it be alright if I emailed you with regards to any general query on GAMSATie; preparatory material sourcing, textbooks etc (after doing my homework of course). Again, you are such an inspiration. Wishing you all the best in whatever your future undertakings are going to be.

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