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From HSC Setbacks to JMP Medicine - Pania Paksa | Medical Student Interviews #13
How do you navigate a small cohort where no one’s gone to med school in 30 years? What happens when your UCAT verbal reasoning crashes on exam day—and yet you still score a 3280? And why “not applying everywhere” quickly became Pania’s biggest regret?
In the thirteenth episode of the Medical Student Interviews Series, we’re joined by Pania Paksa, a first-year JMP student based at UNE in Armidale. She shares how she went from a predicted 88 ATAR in Year 11 to strategically rebuilding her Year 12 approach, finding a support system in leadership roles, and mastering a UCAT comeback that carried her into medicine.
In this episode we cover:
- JMP First Impressions: finding community in Armidale’s joint program
- JMP Structure & Day-to-Day: problem-based learning, anatomy, histology & PBL
- Application Strategy & Regrets: ATAR hurdles, UCAT thresholds & missing nationwide applications
- Year 12 Mindset: locking in, inspirational quotes & staying human under pressure
- Support System & Extracurriculars: parents, siblings, aunt/uncle and school captaincy
- Subject Choices & Study Methods: why challenging yourself matters—but don’t let scaling rule you
- Time Management & Self-Care: passive vs. active time, delegation and maintaining sanity
- UCAT Journey & Exam Day: catching the “UCAT wrath,” priming in the car, and clutching up after verbal reasoning
- UCAT Lessons: overcoming a 650 verbal score, mindset shifts & avoiding comparison
- MMI Adaptability: why letting everything go and “just being you” won on interview day
- Starting Med School: balancing “life” with lectures, placements & study moving forward
- Final Advice: “Do not wait for greatness—to get anywhere, you need focus, consistency and action”
Interested in joining Contour, or just want to see what we're all about? You can sign up for a free, no-strings-attached trial of our VCE or UCAT programs and see what makes Contour stand out firsthand!
Sign up at https://www.contoureducation.com.au/enrolment/
⊳ LISTEN HERE ⊲
Youtube
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
⊳ GET IN TOUCH ⊲
Website
⊳ SPECIAL THANKS TO ⊲
Host: James Blanch
Special Guest: Pania Paksa
Editor: SaoDigital
AV Technician: Will Alexander
Music by Projectify
Spotify
Youtube
View all episodes
By Contour EducationHow do you navigate a small cohort where no one’s gone to med school in 30 years? What happens when your UCAT verbal reasoning crashes on exam day—and yet you still score a 3280? And why “not applying everywhere” quickly became Pania’s biggest regret?
In the thirteenth episode of the Medical Student Interviews Series, we’re joined by Pania Paksa, a first-year JMP student based at UNE in Armidale. She shares how she went from a predicted 88 ATAR in Year 11 to strategically rebuilding her Year 12 approach, finding a support system in leadership roles, and mastering a UCAT comeback that carried her into medicine.
In this episode we cover:
- JMP First Impressions: finding community in Armidale’s joint program
- JMP Structure & Day-to-Day: problem-based learning, anatomy, histology & PBL
- Application Strategy & Regrets: ATAR hurdles, UCAT thresholds & missing nationwide applications
- Year 12 Mindset: locking in, inspirational quotes & staying human under pressure
- Support System & Extracurriculars: parents, siblings, aunt/uncle and school captaincy
- Subject Choices & Study Methods: why challenging yourself matters—but don’t let scaling rule you
- Time Management & Self-Care: passive vs. active time, delegation and maintaining sanity
- UCAT Journey & Exam Day: catching the “UCAT wrath,” priming in the car, and clutching up after verbal reasoning
- UCAT Lessons: overcoming a 650 verbal score, mindset shifts & avoiding comparison
- MMI Adaptability: why letting everything go and “just being you” won on interview day
- Starting Med School: balancing “life” with lectures, placements & study moving forward
- Final Advice: “Do not wait for greatness—to get anywhere, you need focus, consistency and action”
Interested in joining Contour, or just want to see what we're all about? You can sign up for a free, no-strings-attached trial of our VCE or UCAT programs and see what makes Contour stand out firsthand!
Sign up at https://www.contoureducation.com.au/enrolment/
⊳ LISTEN HERE ⊲
Youtube
Spotify
Apple Podcasts
⊳ GET IN TOUCH ⊲
Website
⊳ SPECIAL THANKS TO ⊲
Host: James Blanch
Special Guest: Pania Paksa
Editor: SaoDigital
AV Technician: Will Alexander
Music by Projectify
Spotify
Youtube