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 programJMP Structure & Day-to-Day: problem-based learning, anatomy, histology & PBLApplication Strategy & Regrets: ATAR hurdles, UCAT thresholds & missing nationwide applicationsYear 12 Mindset: locking in, inspirational quotes & staying human under pressureSupport System & Extracurriculars: parents, siblings, aunt/uncle and school captaincySubject Choices & Study Methods: why challenging yourself matters—but don’t let scaling rule youTime Management & Self-Care: passive vs. active time, delegation and maintaining sanityUCAT Journey & Exam Day: catching the “UCAT wrath,” priming in the car, and clutching up after verbal reasoningUCAT Lessons: overcoming a 650 verbal score, mindset shifts & avoiding comparisonMMI Adaptability: why letting everything go and “just being you” won on interview dayStarting Med School: balancing “life” with lectures, placements & study moving forwardFinal 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 ⊲YoutubeSpotifyApple Podcasts⊳ GET IN TOUCH ⊲WebsiteInstagramFacebook⊳ SPECIAL THANKS TO ⊲Host: James BlanchSpecial Guest: Pania PaksaEditor: SaoDigitalAV Technician: Will AlexanderMusic by ProjectifySpotifyYoutube