MEET YOUR HALAD GAMSAT TUTOR: SARAH
SARAH TUTORS SECTION 1 & 2!
MD: Year 4 at Monash University
Halad to Health is a NFP that runs Australia’s most affordable GAMSAT tuition for 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 Sarah
I am a medical student at Monash University, and cannot remember ever wanting to do anything else with my life than this. When I was 3 years old, I told my dad that I would be a doctor one day, and never looked back. It is so incredible to wake up each morning knowing I am fortunate enough to be literally living my dream, especially when I am on the paediatric wards (although some days in med school are still mighty tough!).
I have always had a particular interest in public health and plan on studying a Master of Public Health as part of my MD. My passion for public health education is what drove my initial involvement with Halad to Health, being one of the pilot mission participants in January 2019. One day, I hope to become an advocate for adolescent mental health because this is something particularly important to me and fits my passion for public health and love for young people!
In my spare time I like to get quite adventurous. If I’m not tackling a home DIY or project, I struggle to stay in one place. You can find me travelling pretty much anywhere; I particularly love Europe and SCUBA diving (although the weather has never really worked for me to SCUBA dive while in Europe).
I Had An Insightful GAMSAT Journey
My GAMSAT journey was somewhat different to most. At the end of my first year of biomed, I had a close friend who wanted to sit it as a “practice run”. I tagged along with him to an information session and, after experiencing a weird form of FOMO, I just had to sit the exam as well. So, I signed up and began my preparation in early January for the March sitting.
I had people try to convince me to spend big dollars for courses and resources, but I decided not to invest in any of these since I still had another year up my sleeve. My logic was that if push came to shove the next time around, I would fork out the money. The day came, I did my best, and then forgot about it. A couple of months later, I found out that I received a score within the 99th percentile, including a 90 in S3 (but I really dislike teaching this section, sorry!), leaving me spoilt for choice when it came to medical school selection.
My experience really had me thinking: why did I do so well when I had hardly prepared relative to others I knew? What was it about my approach that was sufficient to succeed?
What I have learned about the GAMSAT is that there is a wealth of misinformation which can become quite disheartening. People really miss the point of this exam and what it is designed to assess, and I don’t want anyone to feel demotivated just because they aren’t being given the correct information. I want everyone to feel the elation I did the day I opened my GAMSAT results — that was the first time I knew for certain that I would make it into medical school, and it’s a day I will never forget.
The Way I Teach Section 1 and 2 Is All About Interaction
I have spent years teaching students in different roles and capacities. I find the biggest results and rewards are reaped by those who actively invest in their journey.
Basically, you get out what you put in. To facilitate this, my teaching style is interactive and motivating. If you are willing to push yourself and apply the skills from our sessions outside of class time, this is the best way to get the most out of my workshops.
Come along ready to give new strategies a try, and don’t be afraid to ask questions. The most productive classes are when everybody contributes and has something to say!
The Way I Teach Section 1 and 2 Is All About YOU
What I have learned about the GAMSAT is that it is so much more than a knowledge-based exam. This is your chance to prove that you need to be one of the country’s future health professionals. It is designed to test whether you have the skills and assets suited to such a profession.
I want everyone to perform at their best and achieve their goals through developing their weaknesses and capitalising on their strengths. This is highly personal. Hence, there is no “one size fits all” approach to the GAMSAT. My sessions are tailored toward your needs, helping you develop the skills to prove that you deserve to be a medical student.
If You’re In My Class, Ask Me About that time I superglued my lips together working on a craft project
I really love creating things and am especially interested in fashion design and haute couture (stay tuned for more #fashion stories in my S2 classes!), but sometimes my creative projects don’t always go to plan…
The good news is that even though life’s mishaps are inevitable, your GAMSAT journey doesn’t need to be one of them!
Always feel free to reach out to me at sarah@haladtohealth.org
Enrol in a Section 1 or 2 intensive with Sarah here
