“Starting university has meant a lot of adjustments but so far I’m loving it. At UWA we do two years of undergrad study before going on to the four year postgrad medicine degree, the Doctor of Medicine. At first I was a bit hesitant about this model, because it’s not going straight into medicine from school, but with hindsight it’s been really good for me because it’s easing me into the tough study years of medicine more gradually.

“At this stage I get to choose elective subjects which is really fun. I’m currently doing one in psychology and next semester I’m going to be doing sports science. So for the first two years at UWA we’re not in that super-intense mode of study for actual medicine; instead I get to relax a little and study things that I like. It gives me the time and space to be a uni student to join different clubs and have different commitments in these first two years, because I’m not sure I’ll have that sort of time when I’m doing the Doctor of Medicine. Hopefully by then, though, I’ll be really well set up in terms of my friendship groups, my support networks, and all the activities that I like to do.

“I hadn’t thought of studying in Australia when I first looked at medical school. But when I was waiting for the outcomes of my UK medical school applications I started to wonder whether I could see myself staying in the UK for another six years. I’m a summer person! I love a hotter climate, I’m from Singapore. So I thought, let’s try Australia; the climate is amazing and it’s closer to home. And that’s when Sarah from Study Options came to my school to speak and that’s when Australia really became one of my options.

“Some – not all – of the Australian medical school degrees are recognised by the Singapore Medical Council and I decided to apply to three of them: UWA, Monash and UNSW Sydney.

“One initial hurdle for all three applications was the ISAT test. I was quite stressed about this at first because there are very few preparation resources online, and I tend to do things well if I practice them. But I just did the two practice tests and decided to go with it. I did it with no expectations, I just thought, let’s give it a try. Thankfully I did well! I had done the UCAT UK test previously and there are some things that are similar, but I found the ISAT easier. There was maths and patterns in the UCAT whereas in the ISAT I found there was lots of reading and comprehension and memory – the ISAT suited me better.

“I think I also found the ISAT easier because I could do it at home. I did it in my dorm room at school, using my own computer – I didn’t have to go to a test centre, which can be daunting. That really helped with my nerves. The test is long – 3 hours – which is something to try and prepare for. Try to get a good night’s sleep first! I did mine in the morning – I did it in my pyjamas, very comfortable – but I remember feeling super tired in the middle. It requires a lot of focus.

“The interview with UWA was my first ever medical school interview and I was quite nervous, but I had done a lot of interview prep. I was president of the healthcare society back in school and we did a lot of work looking at different healthcare cases and reviewing them – we’d look at a different scenario every week – and presenting on them to the juniors. I had done a lot of mock interviews too, so I felt prepared.

“I really tried to go in with an open mind and no expectations, and I was able to stay
relaxed and put my points across. Try not to put pressure on yourself – nerves can make you rush your answers without reading something properly, or to forget everything you wanted to say.

“My conditional offer came through quickly after my interview – in mid June – which I was really happy with.

“I love what I’m learning here. I really like that I’m slowly introduced to medicine and medicine-related topics and that I get to do that alongside subjects that I really want to do, my electives. We are also able to do a lot of volunteering – through the Medical Society I’m doing ‘Doctor YES’, which stands for Youth Education Sessions. We go to high schools to teach them about alcohol, drugs, sex and mental health. It’s something that only medical students can do and I love it – it exposes me to a lot of taboo subjects that often people don’t talk about – and we do a lot of upskilling sessions that teach me how to have conversations with people. I also like that it’s helping the community.

“I really enjoy volunteering and I love that I get to do that on top of my studies; to have those extracurricular experiences. It’s really exciting.

“I had never been to Western Australia before I started at UWA. I love it! Flights are so cheap to go home to Singapore – only $200 return! The weather is amazing and there are so many beaches. I’m learning to drive at the moment; once I’ve passed I’m going to be able to explore the coastline properly. Everything is very close by and convenient, even the airport is only 20 minutes away; the CBD is 15 minutes. Perth is just a really nice place to live! I’ve never regretted my choice to come to UWA.

Natasha’s top tips for medical applicants:

• ISAT – trust yourself. Do the practice papers on the ACER website; but trust yourself and don’t overthink this – it isn’t a test of your academic knowledge like A-levels are.
• Interviews – you need to know a bit about the Australian healthcare system; make sure you do some reading around this beforehand. Do interview prep – use any and all resources your school offers to help; read up about med interviews – but once that is done, just try to relax and be yourself, try to do it without pressure.
• Don’t panic, and don’t beat yourself up if undergrad applications don’t work – here in Australia there are lots of options to study medicine at postgraduate level. I have lots of friends here and at other Australian universities who are doing an undergraduate degree and then planning to apply to graduate entry medicine, either here at UWA or elsewhere in Australia. There are two routes to medicine so remember that you always have options if Plan A doesn’t work!