GAMSAT Bursary Award

The bursary totals £431, which will cover:

• Test Fee: £286 
• Official Preparation Material Fees: £145

Preparation Material Fee comprises: 

ACER Preparation E-book

• Sample Questions (£17)
• Practice Test (£28)
• Practice Test 2 (£28)
• Practice Test 3 (£28)

Interactive 

• Online Practice Test 1 – Humanities & Biological Sciences Bundle (£31)
• Online Test Generator – Written Communication (£13)

The bursary does not cover:

• late registration fees
• travel to the test centre

Please note: ACER review their pricing at the start of the calendar year. As this bursary runs on the academic calendar there may be some small discrepancies in costs.

The bursary is a fixed amount. You will be responsible for any shortfalls that may result due to pricing changes.

Students applying to the GAMSAT award must be:

1. applying for Medical School within the next 2 years at one or more of the following medical schools:

• University of Chester Medical School
• Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (Imperial College London & University of Cumbria)
• University of Nottingham Medical School
• University of Surrey School of Medicine
• ScotGEM (University of Dundee and University of St Andrews)
• St George’s, University of London
• Swansea University Medical School
• Ulster University School of Medicine
• Three Counties Medical School, University of Worcester
• University of Liverpool School of Medicine (Accelerated 4 year & 5 year programme)
• University of Exeter Medical School (5 year programme)
• University of Plymouth Medical School (5 year programme)
• Brunel Medical School (5 year programme)
• Keele University School of Medicine (5 year programme

2. a current Newcastle University penultimate or final year student, working at an academic average of 65% and above.

3. those who have applied to medical school using a UCAT in the October of their final year and have been unsuccessful are eligible to apply in semester 2. This is provided that bursaries remain available and you are intending to reapply in the next UCAS cycle. 

There are a total of 5 bursary awards available for students who meet the criteria above. 

Additionally, we will prioritise applications from those who meet the one or more of the following criteria:

• entered the University through the PARTNERS programme
• entered the University through the Realising Opportunities programme
• are in receipt of the Opportunity Scholarship from Newcastle University
• are in receipt of the Care Leaver Bursary from Newcastle University
• are in receipt of the Student Parent Bursary from Newcastle University
• are in receipt of a Personal Independence Payment (PIP) or DSA
• are a Mature Student (you were aged 21 or over on your first day at university)
• have declared a Disability or Specific Learning Difficulty to the university
• have a home address representative of a Low HE Participation Neighbourhood
• have experienced time in care
• are from a Black or Minority Ethnic group and prior to university attended a state school/college in the UK
• are a Student Carer (have sole or shared responsibility for the care of a relative due to illness, a disability, mental distress or substance abuse)*
• either/both of your parents/carers are serving or have served in the armed forces at key educational times or you have previously served in the armed forces yourself*
• are estranged and living independently of your family/carers due to a relationship breakdown*
• are from a Gypsy Roma travelling community*
• have refugee status*

You can contact the bursary administrator Kate Rothery if you are unsure if you are eligible.

There are 5 bursaries total available per academic year and we accept applications on a rolling basis. Applications will close once all bursaries have been assigned.

You can apply using the GAMSAT Bursary Application Form. 

In this form you will be asked for details of the medical schools that require the GAMSAT that you are planning to apply to.

You may want to do some research if you have not yet thought about this. You can refer to the eligibility criteria above for a list of relevant medical schools.

We recommend looking at the Medic Portal's guidance on choosing medical school and using their comparison tool. 

You can find details of the three application questions which will be used to select candidates for the bursary in the section below.

You can find details of the three application questions which we will use to select candidates for the bursary below.

The answers are to be completed on the GAMSAT Bursary application form. 

1. Why do you aim to pursue a career as a doctor? (300 words max)

You should use this section to showcase your motivations for a career in medicine.

We are looking to see you understand the realities of a doctor's role, including what sets it apart from other patient facing healthcare staff.

2. Please use this space to provide a list of the extracurricular activities you have undertaken which will support your goal of pursuing Medicine.

You should provide this in the following format:

Date Commenced - Date Concluded/Ongoing.

Position, Title

This list can include activities such as part time work, internships, volunteering, positions of responsibility, work experience, shadowing, sport and society membership etc.

3. Reflecting on your time in university so far, including your degree and extracurricular activities, how are you developing the core values and attributes needed to study Medicine? (300 words max)

If you are unsure of the core values and attributes needed to study medicine, you can consult the following guide.

We do not expect you to evidence all 17 attributes. Please select those you feel are the most relevant to your application.

If you are successful in your application for a bursary fund you will be agreeing to fulfil the following commitments.

We will require you to:

• provide proof of registration for the GAMSAT test. (We will provide details of how to do this if you are successful in your application)
• inform the Careers Service of your GAMSAT test results
• keep the Careers Service updated on the status of your application to medical school

The Careers Service is committed to supporting your application to medical school. We will be available for guidance appointments, personal statement checks and interview coaching sessions. This is throughout the process.

• if successful in your application to medical school, we will ask you to write a short 500 word blog. This will reflect on your experience of applying and provide advice and insights for future applicants

Please note: if you are awarded a bursary and you do not sit the GAMSAT test, you will be required to refund the bursary amount. (Valid extenuating circumstances will be taken into consideration).

If you have any questions regarding the information above or the bursary you can contact the bursary administrator: Kate Rothery

We aim to respond to enquiries within 3 working days.

Name: Clara Leary                  

Degree Programme: Biomedical Sciences

Graduating Year: 2024

GAMSAT test cycle & year: March 2023

Current Medical School: Nottingham University

Can you briefly say what motivated you to apply to medical school?

From a young age, I knew I wanted to pursue medicine. My inquisitive interest in science, combined with my personable and empathetic nature, made medicine feel like the ideal career. As a result, I sat the UCAT in Sixth Form, but it wasn’t as strong as I’d hoped, so I decided to apply for Biomedical Sciences instead. I loved studying Biomed at Newcastle – it was very interesting. However, I was eager to apply my scientific knowledge in a way that could directly impact people’s lives. Additionally, shadowing various doctors further confirmed my admiration for the role as I was inspired by the trust patients placed in doctors during vulnerable moments, and I wanted to take on that responsibility and privilege.

What advice would you give to those potentially choosing between the UCAT & GAMSAT test?

I sat both the UCAT and the GAMSAT to increase my chances at getting in. However, If you are choosing between the UCAT and the GAMSAT, I would definitely choose the GAMSAT. While the GAMSAT is a lengthy exam requiring significant preparation, its cutoff percentiles are generally lower than the UCAT’s. For Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM), UCAT scores typically need to be in the 90th percentile or above, which is very challenging. I think universities are impressed at students having the motivation to sit the GAMSAT in the first place – so it makes it easier, in my opinion, to get an interview.

What support was offered/did you utilise from the Careers Service, and did it impact on gaining a place at medical school? If so, how?

The Careers Service was extremely helpful throughout whole application process. I had regular meetings with Kate Rothery, who guided me at every step, including mock interviews and application advice. I would have felt lost without Kate as she was extremely knowledgeable on the whole process and provided lots of useful insight!

What has been your favourite and your most challenging experience at medical school so far?

Medical school has really lived up to my expectations. I am loving it! My favourite experience at medical school has been learning about how to do the examinations (i.e. respiratory and cardio) as it is the first glimpse at the “hands-on” role of a doctor that I wanted!

I’ve also enjoyed regular GP visits, where I’ve gained fascinating insights from speaking with practicing GPs. The most challenging moments has been starting afresh in a new city, however after a bit of getting used to, it felt like home and the people I have met have been lovely.

Having successfully been through the experience of applying to medical school and beginning your training, what would be your top tips for those looking to do the same?

For those looking to apply to medicine, it is such a daunting experience and it is so easy to compare yourself to others. My advice would be to believe in yourself and to know that if you are passionate about the career that you want, you can get there and your passion will shine in the interview!

I also would advise to get as much work experience as possible as these sorts of experiences prove useful in interviews as things to reflect on/talk about.

Name: Sarah Moberly                      

Degree Programme: Biomedical Sciences BSc

Graduating Year: 2023

GAMSAT test cycle & year: September 2023

Current Medical School: Swansea University

Did you know you were planning on applying to medical school when you started your undergraduate degree?

I always wanted to apply to Medical School but missed the grades so studied Biomedical Sciences instead. Applying for a Graduate Entry programme was always in the back of my mind, but I knew how competitive and difficult it was, so throughout my undergraduate degree I questioned this a lot. However, after studying Biomedical Science and gaining more clinical experience it became clear that this was something I really wanted to do. 

Can you briefly say what motivated you to apply to medical school?

I thought Medicine combined working with people and understanding the human body in health and disease. It is a very exciting field with so much going on and relevant to everyone. I hoped it would open many doors to a varied and interesting career, as well as giving me skills which will always be useful. Any experiences I had in healthcare always excited me and motivated me further to want to be a doctor.

What did you do to prepare for you application to medical school and how did it help in your application?

I think all experience is good experience when applying to medical school. I worked bank shifts in a care home since before university, which was really useful to understand the complexities of caring for people with many comorbidities. I also got a few shadowing experiences in hospital and clinics. Probably the most useful experience was getting a job as a healthcare assistant in hospital. This gave me a much better idea of how hospitals work. Aside from this I have had various part time hospitality and volunteering jobs which developed my general people skills. Medical schools also like to know that you can balance different things and can deal with stress. I found that hobbies like surfing and yoga really helped me develop the ability to destress and take my mind off work.

Why did you choose to sit the GAMSAT?

I sat both the GAMSAT and UCAT, but my UCAT score was not high enough for many of the graduate entry programmes. I thought that doing both would give me the best chance of getting a place. I also think that the essay section of GAMSAT allowed me to play to my strengths as I quite enjoy reflective writing.

What advice would you give to those potentially choosing between the UCAT & GAMSAT test?

I think it is a very personal choice. On the surface, GAMSAT is very daunting, as it appears as if you have to learn a lot of content, but all I can say is that it is not as bad as people make out. You definitely need to put more time aside to study for GAMSAT, and having studied A level Biology and Chemistry definitely gave me an advantage, although I had to relearn a lot of organic Chemistry. The questions in GAMSAT were harder, but being slightly less time pressured allowed me to perform much better. Despite the focus on science in the GAMSAT, most questions are really testing your logical thinking and problem solving and so I was able to take time to make educated guesses even if I did not know the answer.

Did receiving the GAMSAT Bursary impact your ability to apply to medical school and if so, how?

The bursary definitely encouraged me to take the test because it relieved a lot of the financial pressure and allowed me to spend the best part of a month preparing for the test. The process of applying for the bursary also helped me reflect on why I wanted to study medicine and having this support from the careers service made the process seem more achievable.

What support was offered/did you utilise from the Careers Service, and did it impact on gaining a place at medical school, if so, how?

I found the Careers Service very helpful for my application. Applying to medical school as a graduate can be a very daunting and quite lonely experience and simply having some moral support to guide me through it gave me the confidence to know that I was approaching it in the right way.

Can you tell us a little bit about your first semester at medical school? Has it been what you were expecting?

My first semester at medical school has been amazing. It is so exciting to be finally studying something I am passionate about. Although there is a lot of content, I have found it much easier to learn because it is all put into a clinical context and there are a lot of practical skills and hands on learning. 

What has been your favourite and your most challenging experience at medical school so far?

At Swansea we spend one day a month in a GP practice in 1^st year, and we are really thrown in the deep end, seeing patients ourselves, taking histories and coming up with diagnoses within the first 6 weeks. Although a daunting experience, it is immensely satisfying to get into the mindset of a doctor at such an early stage and to realise that you are able to bring together the limited knowledge that you have to work out what might be going on and put what you are learning into practice.

Having successfully been through the experience of applying to medical school and beginning your training what would be your top tips for those looking to do the same.

Don’t be put off applying to medical school by how ‘difficult’ everyone says it is. If it is really what you want to do you will get there, and don’t feel you need to rush into it. Taking time out to work in a clinical or care environment is incredibly valuable. It will make medical school so much easier, give you confidence as well as experiences you can draw from and talk about at interview. Being on a graduate entry programme with people from all different backgrounds made me realise that there is no one route into medicine and people with more life experience will probably find the journey a lot more manageable. The process can seem very overwhelming, but just approach it step by step, and try and take support and advice where you can find it.

Some of my GAMSAT preparation tips:

In terms of timings, I spent a month lightly researching/ planning how I was going to study and starting to do some practice tests. I was doing this alongside working part time, going on holiday and preparing for the UCAT. I was lucky enough to then have a month where I could treat GAMSAT revision like a full-time job and would do a 9-5 every day with weekends off. Everyone will be different with how much time they need and obviously it’s much harder when you have to fit it around other commitments, but I found this was enough for me.

Put aside time at the beginning to research the test online and the different strategies people have. There are lots of free online resources out there, so taking the time to find as many practice questions as you can and make a revision plan is definitely worth it. I found Jesse Osborne on Youtube, and notion has some useful free tips and resources. I know other people found subscriptions for things like medify useful, but I found enough free resources that I didn’t feel I needed this.  

Do as many practice questions as possible and put a lot of time into marking them. I found this much more useful than going through all the content. I would do practice questions and then spend a lot of time understanding why I had got things wrong. For section 3 I would then teach myself the science behind the question (using A level free resources – mainly physics and maths tutor and chemguide). I definitely did not know everything by the time I did the exam, but I knew enough to get by.

For section 1 I bought a second hand MCAT exam crackers verbal reasoning book. For section 2 I listened to lots of podcasts (one I really like is Ideas by CBC radio), I read ‘The meaning of things’ by AC Grayling and tried to make sure I was reading the news. Then I made lots of plans of answers to questions and wrote some full answers out.  For section 3 the green Des O’Neill book was incredible (100% the best resource). You can download the PDF for free online, but it has hundreds of questions, pretty similar to the actual exam, and it gives really good explanations of the answers, and the book is structured it in a way to help you work out what you need to improve on.

The only thing I thought worth spending a lot of money on was the official ACER practice tests, which are expensive, but the closest to the real thing you can get. (Although a warning that the number of questions/ timings were different in my actual exam).