our team
Spartan Nandal - gamsat, secondary education & mentorship
Dominik rawdanowicz - primary and secondary education & Mentorship
More below!
inception
spartan nandal
Why I started Spartan Academics.
When I first began preparing for the GAMSAT, I quickly noticed a pattern.
The highest quality guidance was often inaccessible.
Students were routinely asked to pay thousands of dollars for courses that promised certainty but frequently delivered little more than recycled frameworks and generic advice.
At the same time, many talented applicants lacked access to meaningful mentorship.
I found this frustrating.
Medicine should attract capable, thoughtful individuals from diverse backgrounds. Yet preparation resources often create unnecessary barriers.
Spartan Academics emerged from a desire to change that.
My aim was never to build a large tutoring company.
Instead, I wanted to create a small mentorship practice centred around intellectual honesty, genuine feedback, and accessible guidance.
The focus remains on quality rather than scale.
beyond medicine
I’m Spartan and I’m a Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Sydney, where I hold a Commonwealth Supported Place. Before medicine, I studied a double degree in Law and Biomedical Science (Scholars Program) at Monash University, having been awarded a Biomedicine Discovery Scholarship. I graduated year twelve as dux of Languages Other Than English for German, and scored 890 out of 900 in the UCAT abstract reasoning exam. I also scored 90 on Section II of the GAMSAT which is one of the highest recorded scores for the examination.
Yet many of the experiences that have shaped me exist beyond the classroom and hospital.
Alongside my medical studies, I serve as a Flying Officer in the Royal Australian Air Force. One of my long-term aspirations is to practise medicine as a flight surgeon within the Australian Defence Force, combining a passion for service, leadership, and working in challenging environments.
Before academia, sport was a major part of my life. I spent over a decade competing across athletics, basketball, Australian Rules football, and volleyball. Athletics became a particular focus, providing opportunities to represent Victoria and earn state medals in triple jump. The discipline, resilience, and commitment required in sport continue to influence the way I approach both medicine and mentorship today.
Writing has remained a constant throughout my journey. I published my first novel at fourteen — less a literary achievement than an early sign of a lifelong compulsion to tell stories — and have since been a finalist in, and winner of, numerous essay and creative writing competitions. I maintain a strong interest in literature, philosophy, and the exploration of ideas, and believe the strongest writing emerges not from memorised formulas, but from genuine curiosity and thoughtful engagement with the world.
More recently, I have developed a passion for photography and cinematography. Storytelling — in written, visual, or cinematic form — has always fascinated me, and one of my lifelong ambitions is to one day write and direct a film.
Outside of work and study, I enjoy travelling, riding motorcycles, and pursuing experiences that push me beyond my comfort zone. Whether it's exploring a new country, skydiving, or ticking another item off an ever-growing bucket list, I have always believed that curiosity is one of life's most valuable qualities.
dominik rawdanowicz
Hi, my name is Dominik. I am a Doctor of Medicine student at the University of Sydney, having completed a Bachelor of Paramedicine, and I bring to tutoring the same curiosity and care that drew me to medicine in the first place.
My focus is on primary-school aged students. While I also support high-schoolers with English, science and study skills, I believe the greatest difference a tutor can make is in the early years — helping young learners build reading, writing and numeracy foundations, and just as importantly, the confidence to ask questions and make mistakes without embarrassment.
Much of what shaped my approach happened outside the classroom. Growing up in a family of seven taught me patience and how to adjust explanations for different ages and personalities. Volunteering with the Read to Learn literacy program showed me how powerful it is when reading starts to feel achievable and enjoyable for a child. Teaching Polish at a community Saturday school, leading summer camps for young people, and working as a lifeguard and fitness instructor have all reinforced the same lesson — children learn best when they feel respected, supported and encouraged.
Academically, I achieved an ATAR of 97.00 and a GAMSAT score of 77 (98th percentile), earning an Executive Dean's Commendation during my paramedicine degree. But my own journey taught me that strong results come less from raw intelligence than from consistency, effective strategies and the confidence to seek help. That is exactly what I aim to pass on: not just answers, but understanding, independence and a healthier relationship with learning.
