99.95 ATAR, 99th Percentile UCAT: This Is What It Really Takes - Pranav Choudhary | Medical Student Interviews #10

What are the keys to success for a 99.95 scorer? How do you beat the UCAT and come out in the Top 1%? How do you manage all your pursuits while still prioritising academic success?In the tenth episode of the Medical Student Interviews Series, we sit down with Pranav Choudhary, a second‑year Monash Medicine student with a perfect 99.95 ATAR and 99th percentile UCAT, to unpack the mindset, strategies, and pivotal shifts that have shaped his journey to medical school. From a reflective approach to VCE revision, through overcoming the UCAT with a continually reflective mindset and navigating high-stakes interviews, Pranav shares how he’s learned to turn pressure into purpose. He explores with us why curiosity and reflection, not checklists and score hunting, is what really helps you succeed.In this episode we cover:Life in Monash Medicine – Balancing lectures, anatomy labs, and Contour tutoringMaking the Most of University Style Learning – Why studying in uni is so different from schoolFrom Clubs to Clinics – Leveraging extracurriculars for meaningful early clinical exposure and varietyVCE Reflections – What he’d do differently, what he took on outside of study and were his keys to successSubject Selection Strategy – Why he chose methods, physics, and chemistry—and what he left behindMindset Over Metrics – How “practice → reflect → improve” became his growth formulaHandling High-Pressure Moments – Turning exam and UCAT nerves into performance fuel with “justified confidence”UCAT Strategy Deep Dive – Focusing on iterative progress, not just a target scoreInterview Habits That Last – Smashing the MMI and building a strong baseline so nerves don’t knock you off courseFinal Advice – Committing fully, avoiding regrets, and keeping curiosity at the coreInterested 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 ⊲YoutubeSpotifyApple Podcasts⊳ GET IN TOUCH ⊲WebsiteInstagramFacebook⊳ SPECIAL THANKS TO ⊲Host: James BlanchSpecial Guest: Pranav ChoudharyEditor: SaoDigitalAV Technician: Will AlexanderMusic by ProjectifySpotifyYoutube