Reasoning in the Physical and Biological Sciences

Eliotp9354's Advice for the Non-Science Graduate.

I have decided to offer the following rough guide for Section 3 preparation to those interested. I have compiled it from my own experiences preparing for GAMSAT 2006. If you are wondering about my motivations, this info would have been invaluable to me last year when I began the GAMSAT journey, so, for those who find themselves where I was a year ago, I hope this helps.

Some things to keep in mind:

• The key ingredient in your preparation = Time. It takes time to retain and consolidate the large amount of science related material that is tested in the GAMSAT.
• A critical part of GAMSAT preparation is to learn to teach yourself. This is also a major theme in the Grad Med course (i.e., Self-directed Learning).
• For the independent student - take heart - there are excellent, reasonably priced resources available (some of the best that I've found are available free of charge on the net).
• Don't assume that a subject is too difficult to learn simply because you find a particular textbook incomprehensible. It's critical to source textbooks that suit you, i.e., textbooks aimed at the right level and with a written style that keeps you interested, and, that facilitates self-directed learning. I personally prefer a conversational style text that walks the reader through the material rather than those that simply list the terms and their definitions...(I will list some of the best books I've found below).
• If you're no longer enrolled at Uni get yourself community membership to the Uni library; there's no better source for study material.

The following is a list of subjects and related resources.

General Chemistry

There are a lot of topics under this heading, few of which were actually tested in GAMSAT 2006. Nevertheless, it's essential to go through an introductory General Chemistry text to get familiar with the relevant concepts and nomenclature. This will provide a foundation for further studies in Organic and BioChemistry (the stuff that was tested!).

For a good, thorough and palatable General Chemistry textbook you can't go past Zumdahl.

Organic Chemistry

This is an important subject to be familiar with for GAMSAT. You only really need to know the fundamentals - you do not need to go through an entire specialist textbook. I was fortunate enough to find the perfect book, one that covers the fundamentals in a way that is brilliantly simple and easy to learn. It was a lifesaver for GAMSAT 2006, which was loaded with bond-line drawings.

If you take one piece of advice from me buy this book: "Organic Chemistry as a Second Language: Translating the Basic Concepts" David R. Klein. Pub 2004.

Maths

You can choose either to learn what you need as you go or take yourself through a refresher course. I would recommend the latter approach. The important topics to cover are, basic number theory, algebra, manipulating formulae, quadratic equations, indices, logarithms, functions and graphs.

I recently came across an excellent text for the beginner. I wish that I'd found it when I started my own preparation. It's "Mathematics: A second Start" by S. Page, J. Berry & H. Hampson - I've got the 2nd edition published in 2002.

Physics

As you probably already know physics only accounts for 20% of Section 3 in GAMSAT. All the same, by covering a few of the basics you can put yourself in a good position to pick up a few extra marks. Definitely go through classical Newtonian physics - mass, motion, work, energy etc. Have a look at optics and waves, and it wouldn't hurt to go through electricity and electronics.

Click here for an excellent series of free online physics textbooks. Print them out or order a copy - I haven't found an alternative text that compares to these.

Biology

You'll only need the basics here - cell division and cell structure are musts, the rest is covered under biochemistry. Have a look here or find an intro text in your Uni library.

Biochemistry

I have left this subject for last because it's probably the most important. I would recommend you go through an entire intro text on this subject, luckily it's relatively easy (and enjoyable) to learn because it's all related to real life processes. It's important to get familiar with metabolic pathways, the role of enzymes, and the structure and function of proteins and nucleic acids - remember, this stuff is important, it certainly featured in GAMSAT 2006.

This is an excellent free online text.

A more detailed alternative is "Lehninger: Principles of Biochemistry" by David L. Nelson & Michael M. Cox.

If you are pressed for time, go for a combination General/Org/Bio Chemistry text - there are a few of these around, they have the advantage of being written specifically for students studying health sciences, but on the other hand, they tend to leave a lot of good info out.

Textbooks

Here are more free on-line textbooks.

Some general study tips:

• Be thorough and systematic, take notes and re-read them, this will prepare you well for GAMSAT and also put you in good stead for the supposedly 'science heavy' first two years of Grad Med.
• Practice problem solving, this should definitely include going through the end of chapter questions in your textbook. Other sources include Des O'Neill's science multiple choice questions (you might be able to get these from someone who has done the course), the Medired Study Guide is another good source of questions, also, make sure you get the official ACER practice test and questions.
• I found doing all of my study in the Uni Library a great way to stay focused, you'll have fewer distractions, free air-conditioning, and all the resources you could possibly need at your fingertips.
• If you start now, even if you're working full-time, you will still have more time to prepare than I did. I got 60 in Section 3 with absolutely no previous science study whatsoever (I probably managed a total of 4 months part-time study leading up to GAMSAT 2006 - my first attempt).
• Work your way up to a point where your comfortable with a 3-hour continuous study period without a break - you will need to be able to focus for this long to complete Section 3.
• During the exam day, and during normal study, be prepared for the post lunch dip. Have a coffee after you eat, or otherwise be able to recognise the dip and push yourself through it.
• Don't be put off when you find yourself covering the same material more than once. Repetition is the key to learning.
• Don't rush through things, to retain the maximum amount of info it's better to go over fewer things more thoroughly.
• Be prepared to fail - have a back-up plan ready - this way you will hit the ground running no matter what happens.

Best of luck

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