GAMSAT COURSE MATERIAL CHOICES

mobmirza · Rookie Joined: 07 Aug 2010 Posts: 1 Location: Sydney

I will attempt the GAMSAT in 2011. I have read many of the comments on various materials that are on the market. Has anyone used the GOLD STANDARD package by Dr Brett Ferdinand ?
The website is called gamsat-prep

I do not know where to begin my studies on this but I have narrowed it down to this and medprep international.

Can anyone advise based on experience keeping in mind that I have not studied anything for almost 20 years.

mia101 · Rookie Joined: 21 Jun 2009 Posts: 5 Location: Auckland

Hi Mobmirza,

i am thinking of buying the Gold Standard package.

Have you already bought it? is it any good?

thanks
mia

elefant · Rookie Joined: 20 Nov 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney

I have received the gold standard stuff. Basically, this is just Dr Ferdinand's Gold Standard MCAT course repackaged. Most of the package is labeled with "MCAT"! Not impressed.

The stuff is good for revising science knowledge but the science questions are nothing like gamsat questions in section 3 and what he calls "verbal reasoning" (MCAT section 1) does not include drama, poems, puzzles, cartoons and social science material like gamsat's section 1. The ACER questions for section 1 seem much harder and require nuanced reasoning that mcat does not from what I can tell. Also the mcat essay section is not the same as the gamsat written communication section and he has not bothered to address this in a substantial way.

I was sold by Dr Ferdinand's fancy marketing campaign but his stuff is not based on gamsat. I do think that this material will suffice for science revision but not for anything else.

I think I'm going to use med-prep to study the basic sciences and to have my essays assessed and use des for heaps of gamsat style questions. I'll use gold standard for advanced science and org chem.

I'd stay away from gold standard unless science revision is your main aim. But many mcat books can be used for this and often cost just $30.

md-4-me · Grizzled Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 105

md-4-me · Grizzled Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 105

I can only guess you are talking about his MCAT book because this is what's in the GS GAMSAT book:

About 150 pages covering Section 1 and 2 which includes strategies, about 100 practice items and the 2 exam sections in the full length test with free worked answers online.

In terms of Section 1: there are cartoons, poetry, drama, excerpts from novels and other classic GAMSAT problems both in the practice section and in the full length test at the back of the book. The presence of the various stimulus material is in the same proportion as the real GAMSAT.

Section 2 includes practice and strategy for Writing Test A and B separately, with 50 exercises and sample essays in the book and online.

Section 3 is about 500 pages in color with complete explanations, 10 hours of free online videos, hundreds of worked problems online and of course the Section 3 test at the back of the book.

Every test question in the book comes with worked solutions online (free) and each question has an individual forum thread so you can discuss the question if it's still not clear.

elefant · Rookie Joined: 20 Nov 2010 Posts: 9 Location: Sydney

Hello md-for-me,

purchased the book from amazon.co.uk for GBP 89 from an alternative seller. The book advertised on Amazon does not let customers 'look inside' online (Ferdinand's MCAT book does) so customers are blind when making purchases. Ferdinand should change this. I don't know if I received the wrong book or your description is inaccurate.

Your idiom sounds north american (eg 'gotten') and MD is not the typical medical qualification awarded in the UK, Ireland or in Australia. In Australia we receive an MBBS or BMBS unless in the new Melbourne course. Hence, mbbs-for-me would be less likely to give you away as north american.

Are you advertising Ferdinand's products on this forum for payment?
How can Ferdinand be a GAMSAT expert if he trained as a doctor in north america and has experience only with MCAT?
GAMSAT and MCAT are very different.

Please be honest. This is a very important exam and many people try and make money by misleading GAMSAT students.

md-4-me · Grizzled Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 105

Good point about Amazon.co.uk. I just emailed the person responsible but Amazon's website says that the process takes 6-8 weeks so it will take awhile (and of course it won't be helpful for you but it may help someone else so, thanks). But given the price, you should have gotten the right book: what does it say on the cover? If it says GAMSAT and if you see about 100 b/w pullout test sections in the back that say GAMSAT Section 1 (with cartoons, images, poems, novel excerpts, etc.), Section 2 and Section 3 then you have the right book.

I am a Forum Answerer! As I mentioned, the book has a forum thread for each of the 185 test questions in the book. In all there must be over 1000 individual discussion threads on gamsat-prep.com/forum. You have to see it to believe it! Anyways, my job is to answer science questions and there is no charge or fee for students. But because everyone is reviewing right now, there are no questions to answer yet! I'm sure that by January or February, I'll be swamped but that's OK. (I'm not paid to answer forum questions outside of gamsat-prep.com, but of course I have an interest in the GS doing well)

When you get the book, remember it is just one component of what you own: use the online practice questions and videos and forum, etc. It will be the first product that you would buy for the GAMSAT that you might sincerely believe that you got more than what you paid for (I did say "might"!).

You are correct, he is an MD and does not hide it. And if there was no Gold Standard GAMSAT (my personal biased opinion!) and no ACER booklets, the only realistic MCQs left would be Des O'neill's 2 exams and Des never sat the GAMSAT, he is no MBBS nor BMBS nor anything medical. He was an examiner and now he is a teacher. Dr. Ferdinand's qualification is as a teacher. If you search "Medical School Interviews" on YouTube, you'll see what I mean.

And, if you have any questions about the book, you can ask him next month!

www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=170130929671983#!/event.php?eid=169077903123313

Now it's my personal mission to be sure you squeeze everything you can out of that book!!

acg · Rookie Joined: 30 Nov 2010 Posts: 1

md-4-me, I think I asked you this in another forum but you didn't reply.. I am a gold standard owner and am having trouble accessing the online questions and worked solutions. When I log in, click on the "Lessons" tab and click the link for gold standard owners the link does not work, it just keeps me on that page. Am I doing something wrong or is there a problem with the link? Also, I keep getting logged out and there i no 'log in automatically' box to check (except for the one on the forum). Thanks.

md-4-me · Grizzled Joined: 18 May 2010 Posts: 105