Ep 31: March 2026 GAMSAT Starts Now! Here’s How to Begin

Mare Forfa (00:00)
Welcome back to the Nurses Doing GAMSAT podcast. This is where we help busy, brilliant people in healthcare get into med school. I’m Mare, and today I’m joined by Dr Tom, founder of Thank Flip GAMSAT. Welcome.

Dr Tom Forfa (00:14)
Hey, thanks Mare.

Mare Forfa (00:17)
In this episode, we are marking the end of the 2025 GAMSAT and showing you exactly how to start strong for March 2026. If you’re unsure where to begin, what to prioritise, how to structure your next steps — this one is for you.

Dr Tom Forfa (00:23)
Yeah.

Mare Forfa (00:35)
Any of the resources we mention today — the diagnostic test, the direction planner, maybe even the med school comparison tool — all the links will be in the show notes. If you want to stay ahead for this cycle, make sure you hit the follow or subscribe button wherever you’re listening so you can see what’s coming up.
So Tom, let’s dive in.

Dr Tom Forfa (01:02)
Yeah, we have some great content.

Mare Forfa (01:05)
Let’s talk a little bit about how we know this GAMSAT cycle has officially come to an end and what we need to look for in the next one.

Dr Tom Forfa (01:14)
Yes, it is an interesting time in the GAMSAT cycle.
Before we jump into that, I just want to let you guys know that we have lots of great content coming for you in the lead-up to March 2026. Make sure you subscribe so you don’t miss out. We’re going to be mentioning some of it today too.
So yes — the 2025 GAMSAT cycle is done. It’s finishing up right now, and there are three indicators that tell you the cycle is complete and it’s time to redirect to March 2026. We’ll also talk about how to redirect.

The first indicator that the March 2025 cycle is done is that the medical school offers have been released. All the people who sat the March 2025 exam, applied in May, interviewed around July–September — they’ve now received their offers.
We’ve had some amazing messages from boot campers getting multiple offers. One of them said, “I’m now in the difficult position of having to choose between two medical schools,” which is a great position to be in.
That marks the end of that cycle. There’s no more to do there.

If you were involved in the March 2025 cycle, you’re now in one of a few positions. If you applied and interviewed, you either got an offer or you didn’t.
If you got an offer — congratulations. It’s done for you… well, almost done. You now need to get ready for medicine, right? Because once you begin, the first six months — as we always tell our boot campers — is a bit of a readjustment period as you get used to the flow of medical school, the lifestyle, and the work ethic required.
We’re going to release a podcast episode all about how to thrive in your medical degree, so make sure you follow because that’s coming out soon.

What about the people, Mare, who didn’t get an offer? The dreaded — as it’s often called — “email of death.”

Mare Forfa (03:34)
Look, if you’re in that situation, we’re going to need to get back into GAMSAT mode — back into planning mode.
I really feel for you, because you went well enough to get an interview. Sometimes it’s not the interview itself that lets you down. If you’re in that grey zone — a 67, 68, 69 GAMSAT — and your GPA is also borderline, unless you were top of the class in your interview, you’re unlikely to get an offer. Because you’re scraping in from both ends.

My heart really goes out to you because honestly, I think it’s easier to not get an interview at all than to get one and spend six months with your hopes high.

But what we need to do now is regroup. Take a minute. Take a deep breath. Go through all the emotions — grief, anger, disbelief.
Eventually we get to acceptance, and then we hit the ground running with the GAMSAT again because we don’t want you in that grey zone next time. We want you smashing out a 75 or 80 so that even if you stuff up one interview station, it won’t break your entire offer.

Later in this episode we’ll go through how to restart, how to regroup, what to do if you’re starting now — whether you sat it before or not. We’re going to refocus.

Dr Tom Forfa (05:13)
Yeah, and we’re going to go through the three steps of what to do to refocus and move forward.
And just before we move on — I know what it’s like because I’ve been there. As Mare was talking, I was going back to the time when I had an interview at the University of Sydney and didn’t get through. I got the email of death and I was shocked, bewildered, devastated.

Mare Forfa (05:42)
Devastated.

Dr Tom Forfa (05:44)
Yeah. And the difficult thing is that you then need to regroup.
I remember it was early December when they told us — a lot later in the year — and I had to quickly redirect towards the next March GAMSAT because it was coming up fast.

So we really do know what it’s like, and these three steps we’re about to share are going to help.

Mare Forfa (05:53)
Yeah, maybe.

Dr Tom Forfa (06:10)
All right — indicator number two that the 2025 season is over and it’s time to focus on March 2026 is that uni exams are wrapping up.
Mid-November is when exams are finishing for most students. And once exams are done, it’s time to focus on GAMSAT.

You’ll find that the majority of people — if they haven’t already planned for GAMSAT — are planning now or getting started. So for you guys, you should be focusing on uni first. Your GPA needs to be good.
But at the same time, you can start organising yourself for GAMSAT.

You won’t have the time or energy to dive into full GAMSAT study until exams are over — for most of you — but you can still start organising your next steps.

Mare Forfa (07:13)
Yeah.
Even if you’re in exam mode, now’s the time to start getting organised. I was just texting with a non-student of mine who said she was in exams but needed to start thinking ahead. I gave her a tiny bit of homework — nothing overwhelming.
She messaged today saying, “I’ve finished exams. I’m going to get the homework done before Monday.”

She pre-spent her time — she knew exams were happening but she also knew her next steps. And she booked a course with a homework deadline, which prompted her to move forward.
Even one hour of planning can set you up for a strong December. Don’t underestimate that. It’s not like you can’t think of anything else during exams — you actually need a break from studying, and planning will make you feel better.

Dr Tom Forfa (08:08)
Yeah. And the three steps are going to help you as well.

A common trap people fall into during uni exams is saying, “I’ll start GAMSAT after exams.” Then exams finish, and they say, “Well, I need a break.”
So they take a week off… then Christmas comes… then New Year… then they say, “I’ll start after Australia Day,” and suddenly it’s the end of January.
The essay exam is at the end of February. Sections I and III in March.
And they’re behind.

It might sound exaggerated but it’s not. It happens all the time.

Mare Forfa (09:14)
A lot.

Dr Tom Forfa (09:15)
Way too often. You might do a little bit here and there, maybe go on a trip to Bali, and before you know it, March is here and you’re panicking.

That’s why —

Mare Forfa (09:27)
This happens all the time.
Tom, honestly — all the time.

I had a student come to me in late September. She was getting married at the end of October, taking a week off before the wedding, then a honeymoon afterwards. She wasn’t going to move her wedding for the GAMSAT — obviously — but she pre-planned.
She said, “I know that means I need to do more before and more afterwards.”

Breaks aren’t bad. People take breaks all the time. But it’s about what you’re doing outside of those breaks.
If you keep saying, “I’ll start after this thing… after that thing…” There will always be a thing — Christmas, New Year’s, birthdays, sibling birthdays, Australia Day, uni starting… always something.

You’ve just got to get moving.
Now is the best time. No matter when “now” is. If it’s now while we’re recording, if it’s now when you’re listening — now is the time.

Dr Tom Forfa (10:43)
Yeah.
And you’ve got to decide who you want to be. Do you want to be the person who’s thrown around by reasons and excuses? Or do you want to be the person who gets it done no matter what?

Because the medical students who succeed — they’re the ones who get it done.

Mare Forfa (10:53)
Yeah.

Dr Tom Forfa (11:15)
So once you’re organised, exams finish, you jump into your GAMSAT study and go full throttle.
That’s the second indicator: uni exams are wrapping up.

The third indicator is that the September GAMSAT results are coming out right now — maybe already out by the time this episode is released.
That’s the full stop on the 2025 season.

If you sat September, you’ll fall into one of three camps.
One: you got a great result and you’re happy. You’re not doing GAMSAT again. So you start looking at applications — head to the show notes for our medical school comparison tool. It compares all the medical schools: entry requirements, GPA, bonuses, GAMSAT, everything. You can start planning ahead.

Mare Forfa (12:22)
Wait — don’t move on from that.

I don’t think people realise how EASY that tool makes applications.
Instead of looking at twelve different websites — all formatted differently, missing different information — this is a one-stop shop.
We don’t prefer any uni. The data is pulled from so many sources and handed to you on a platter.

Even if you haven’t sat the GAMSAT yet, understanding all the different requirements is incredibly helpful.
And Tom — thanks for giving it away for free. I love that.

Dr Tom Forfa (13:04)
No problemo. Yeah, we put a lot of work into it each year to make sure it’s thorough and current.

Mare Forfa (13:15)
Life-changing decisions. Love it. Thank you.

Dr Tom Forfa (13:16)
Yeah.
We take it seriously. That’s what I tell the team — people are making life-changing decisions using this.
We check everything: “Where did this data come from? Is it reliable? Can people make decisions based on it?”

So yeah — show notes.

Now, for people who aren’t happy with their results, or aren’t sure — if you’re going again in March, if you want to take your score further, improve it, or be more confident — now is the time to start. Not in a week, not in five weeks, not after Christmas. Now.

We have boot campers doing 10 hours a week of GAMSAT study right now. That’s what we expect from them at this point — 10 hours minimum.

Mare Forfa (14:23)
Minimum.
And I love that in your email — and I hope you don’t mind me sharing — you literally gave examples of how to do the 10 hours.
You can do two 2.5-hour sessions back-to-back, twice a week.

Dr Tom Forfa (14:34)
Yeah, it’s easy.
Two days where you do two and a half hours in the morning, two and a half in the afternoon.
Or an hour and a half each day for seven days.
Or two hours a day for five days.
It’s very doable around your life.

Mare Forfa (14:59)
Sometimes breaking it down makes it feel more realistic.
Like, “I can get to work two and a half hours earlier, smash out a session, then do another session that night. Do that twice a week and the rest of the week is free.”

If it were me? I’d do five hours on Saturday, five hours on Sunday — get up at 6am, done by 11am, and still have most of the weekend.

Dr Tom Forfa (15:39)
Yeah, I recommend not leaving it to the end of the week, because people don’t do it.

Mare Forfa (15:47)
Or see it the other way — it could be the start of your week.

Dr Tom Forfa (15:50)
Okay, yeah.
I just tell people — start early. Get ahead for the week. The more you do early, the less stressed you’ll be.

Mare Forfa (16:00)
There’s no right way.
Two people, two approaches — just get it done.
Done is better than not done.

Dr Tom Forfa (16:06)
Exactly. And it will increase — it’s 10 hours now, but it’ll go up as March gets closer.
Anyway — that’s what we tell our boot campers.

Now let’s talk about the three steps. For everyone doing March — here are the three steps to either start your preparation, get organised, or improve if you’ve already been studying.

Mare Forfa (16:42)
I’ll dive in.
Step one: do the diagnostic tests.
They’re an hour and 30 minutes total. They’re in the show notes.

Dr Tom Forfa (16:56)
Yep, they’re free. Link in the show notes.

Mare Forfa (16:59)
Free.
These will show you where you’re at in Sections 1 and 3, and what to focus on.
Think about a map: if you’re in Bangkok and you want to get to the Bangkok markets, the first thing you need is the destination. But the second thing you need is your starting point.
If you don’t know where you are, you can’t get directions.

Diagnostic tests are like building a map — or like getting an X-ray if you’ve broken your leg. You have to know where you’re at before you can create the plan.

So rip off the bandaid. Even if you think you’ll go terribly — that’s okay. If you gave me a Chinese test, I’d fail. But I’d still sit it because the point is data, not perfection.

Dr Tom Forfa (18:24)
Yeah, and it will show you exactly what you need to study to increase your marks quickly — where the biggest utility is. It also directs you to the right resources. We’ve tried to make it as helpful as possible.

Mare Forfa (18:32)
Exactly.
And I sometimes get pushback — “I know I need everything,” or “I know I need nothing.”
No. We want data, not vibes.

People either underestimate or overestimate their abilities. “I’m a science student, I’ll be fine in that section.”
Maybe… but maybe not.
Let’s not guess. If you’ve never looked at a question, just sit the diagnostic.

There’s no spotlight saying “You suck.”
It’s private. It’s just information so we can build your next step.

And that is a beautiful segue: step two — make your direction planner.

Your direction planner builds your timeline, habits, and priorities. It needs to be tailored to your life — shift work, full-time study, whatever applies to you.

And your direction planner should show what you’re achieving, not just the hours you’re studying.
Two hours of aimless practice questions does nothing.
Two hours with a clear outcome — that’s progress.

If you need to work on graphical interpretation, your direction planner should outline:

• the core modules you’ll use
• the worked examples you’ll do
• where the practice (or feedback) questions fit in

Practice questions don’t teach you anything — they give feedback on the processes you’ve already learned. They are the final step, not the first.

So your direction planner must include: the skill, how you’re building it, and when.

And wow… I’ve hijacked the whole podcast.

Dr Tom Forfa (22:28)
No, that was great.
And if you want to get started on your direction planner, go to the show notes — we’ve put resources in there to help.

Mare Forfa (22:36)
So I didn’t need my full rant — is that what you’re telling me?

Dr Tom Forfa (22:47)
No, the rant was useful. It explains the point of the planner.
So to recap:

Step one: diagnostic tests.
Step two: direction planner.
Step three: book a call with our team to make sure you’re on the right path — again, link in the show notes.

We want to make sure you’re not missing key things, misinterpreting the test, or going down rabbit holes. After 19 years of doing this, these steps are the best way to get the ball rolling.

Mare Forfa (23:43)
Love that.
I’d love to speak with people too — myself or my team. We’ll double check your plan, and if it’s a fit, we might recommend the bootcamp. If not, we’ll still point you in the right direction.

And I’ll toot my own horn here — sometimes one external person looking at what you’re doing can change everything. The amount of people I’ve saved from deep-diving into physics unnecessarily… unreal.

Dr Tom Forfa (24:10)
Amazing.

So if ANY of the following applies to you — you need to start now:

• you didn’t get an offer and want a different result next year
• you’re finishing exams or about to
• your September result wasn’t enough
• you’ve already started but want to improve

These three steps and the show-note resources will help.
Now is the time to start for March.

Mare Forfa (25:22)
Amazing. I think that’s a wrap.
Thanks for listening to this episode of Nurses Doing GAMSAT. If you’re studying for March 2026 — now is your moment.

Dr Tom Forfa (25:33)
Yes, now is the time.

Mare Forfa (25:34)
Check the notes for the diagnostic test, the direction planner, and the med school comparison tool.
If this helped you, please hit follow or subscribe so you never miss an episode. And share it with someone else doing the GAMSAT — share the love. We’re all in this together.
Let’s make this your year. Bye for now.

Dr Tom Forfa (25:55)
See you guys, bye.