MEET YOUR HALAD GAMSAT TUTOR: JASMINE
JASMINE TUTORS SECTION 2!
Halad to Health is a NFP that runs Australia’s most affordable GAMSAT tuition students, where all proceeds raised from tuition fees go directly towards the Halad to Health Foundation Philippines, to give access to proper health education to students in rural Philippines.
Here’s A Bit About Jasmine
I am a first-generation medical student studying at Monash University. I previously completed a Bachelor of Science at Monash with a major in Physiology. Being a first-gen medical student meant that I navigated much of this journey alone, so I’m here to make sure you all have someone to turn to if you need.
For most of my life I’ve lived in a low socioeconomic area where I truly saw the effect of poor health education. As a result, I’ve become super passionate about educating people on the importance of health and sharing my knowledge with those who don’t have the same opportunity as me. That’s why I love the Halad to Health mission so much — I think that the first step to improving global health is health literacy, so being able to contribute to this cause is so rewarding.
Despite not knowing what I’d like to do in medicine just yet, I do know that I’d love to be involved in education to some extent. When I’m not studying, you’ll probably find me at the gym or baking — I mean who doesn’t like cake?
I had an INTERESTING (*cough* COVID) GAMSAT Journey
Being a part of the 2020 GAMSAT cohort made for an interesting journey to say the least. I started preparing for the GAMSAT in December, expecting to be sitting the test in March. However, one week before the GAMSAT, we were told the test was postponed indefinitely due to COVID. My Type A personality went frantic and I was so stressed that I wouldn’t be able to sit it and apply for medicine that year. Amidst all that stress, I was finishing up my course and navigating a global pandemic so interesting is probably an understatement. Fast forward two months to May, I finally sat the test, with very little notice but nonetheless, I survived!
Despite the chaos, I learnt a lot from my GAMSAT journey. The biggest takeaway I got from the process was that medicine is a marathon, not a sprint. It is such a gruelling test and I’m sure you’ll feel beaten down more than you will proud (I definitely did). But know that you’re not alone! Take time to debrief with friends, even if they don’t totally understand what you’re going through. Have self-care days and take your time. Your health comes first and it’s easy to lose sight of that in this field. Practice what you preach and enjoy the journey! It only happens once.
The Way I Teach Section 2 Is All About Flexibility
Section 2 is my favourite section by far. This is mainly because there’s so much room for flexibility. You can write about war or politics or science, or yourself! There’s absolutely no limit to what you can and can’t write about. Section 2 is the one section of the GAMSAT that you have control over. You won’t be able to choose the topics that come up in S3 or know the passages that will come up in S1, but you will be able to choose what you write about in S2!
Brainstorm a broad range of ideas you’re confident in, different types of frameworks you’d like to talk about. You don’t need to be an expert on each one but having a good understanding of some topics that can be adapted to multiple prompts will help relieve the stress on the day. Find things you’re passionate about! The more passionate you are, the better your essays will be on the day.
FUN FACT: In one of my essays, I talked about my dog (he’s so precious).
If You’re In My Class, Ask Me About TEA!
Without a doubt, I will have consumed at least 5 cups of tea before our session. I go through tea like most people go through oxygen. And most times, I don’t even know I do it. I subconsciously make myself MORE TEA. My go to is green, but I’m currently going through a peppermint phase! When we’re in class, ask me what tea I’ve had, I’m sure I’ll have found a new one I’m obsessed with.
Feel free to contact Jasmine at jasmine@haladtohealth.org
