Hey guys....

Iam in an interesting situation, where I get news back in early November....have to choose between Auckland, Sydney or Flinders if Iam lucky...

Can anyone (maybe Pitman, sjkpark..) elaborate on going to school in the Adelaide or Sydney?

Compare University of Auckland to the Australian GMP programs?

How hard is it to get an internship after graduation from Auckland?

Tuition that Auckland Uni Internationals have to pay (not specified on website)?

Which schools prepare you best/or closest resemble for USMLEs?

Or just anything else of interest that might be of some help?

-Thanks a whole lot

I cant answer all fo your questions but i can tell you auckland is about 26K US yearly for internationals.

I cant answer all fo your questions but i can tell you auckland is about 26K US yearly for internationals.

I believe pre-clinical years and clinical years are charged differently.

Hey guys....

Iam in an interesting situation, where I get news back in early November....have to choose between Auckland, Sydney or Flinders if Iam lucky...

Can anyone (maybe Pitman, sjkpark..) elaborate on going to school in the Adelaide or Sydney?

Compare University of Auckland to the Australian GMP programs?

How hard is it to get an internship after graduation from Auckland?

Tuition that Auckland Uni Internationals have to pay (not specified on website)?

Which schools prepare you best/or closest resemble for USMLEs?

Or just anything else of interest that might be of some help?

-Thanks a whole lot

Auckland is not "geared" to USMLE preparation. We take very few North American internationals compared to both Aus schools that you mentioned. Having said that I know a few of my classmates (locals) who took USMLE and did very well.

The aim of Auckland medical course is to produce competent house officers for New Zealand hospitals. Auckland does not actively recruit overseas students.

Getting internship is an interesting issue. Auckland started to accept North American fee-paying students in 2001, which is my class. Before than most, if not all (I don't know of any exceptions) internationals were Malaysian IMU students. It would be very interesting to see how non-Malay internationals would fare in terms of getting HO positions.

What will happen if I gain PR during my course at Auckland? Will I pay the same fees, or will I be dropped from the course?

Am I eligible for the Stafford Loan in Auckland?

Is there such a thing as some type of 10 year moratorrium for international medical students graduating from a NZ med school?

Do internationals secure house officer positions after graduating, or is that just unheard of?

Thanks alot guys!

What will happen if I gain PR during my course at Auckland? Will I pay the same fees, or will I be dropped from the course?

Am I eligible for the Stafford Loan in Auckland?

Is there such a thing as some type of 10 year moratorrium for international medical students graduating from a NZ med school?

Do internationals secure house officer positions after graduating, or is that just unheard of?

Thanks alot guys!

1. I have no idea but it would be worth asking. I think Aussie schools that make you pay the international fees for 6 years unless you transfer to PR quota. Write them and ask them whether this is possible as quite a few people take a year off or so for many different reasons.

2. Dunno

3. I'm not too sure which moratorium you're talking about? Moratorium for what? Once you can get a HO position, it'll be a matter of time before you get your PR status. Once you do get one, you're on the equal footing as any NZ citizen/PR and not going to be disadvantaged in terms of getting training positions.

4. Malay-IMU students can and routinely do get HO positions, but persistence is often required. They usually take whatever's left after the main round. My friend's flatmate secured a position after 6 months of waiting around, at a very good tertiary hospital in medium sized city. You can also go to Australia or Singapore without sitting extra exams, which is something a few internationals have done in recent times. There was a discussion about ACE match on this forum a few months ago, started by IMU student.

Good luck!

3. I'm not too sure which moratorium you're talking about? Moratorium for what? Once you can get a HO position, it'll be a matter of time before you get your PR status. Once you do get one, you're on the equal footing as any NZ citizen/PR and not going to be disadvantaged in terms of getting training positions.


OP's referring to the Australian 10-year moratorium, where you can't directly take medicare payments for 10 years after internship/PR if you're int'l, thus allowing the govt to direct VMOs to where they need them (rural or where there are hospital shortages).

Nice to hear that NZ doesn't do that though.

Can anyone (maybe Pitman, sjkpark..) elaborate on going to school in the Adelaide or Sydney?


I haven't attended either, and there's prob only one member who's experienced both programs (flindophile aka DrB) -- most will only be able to give half an answer w/out any *direct* comparisons. With this in mind...

My take would be quite similar to what findophile has said (posted in a related thread recently), this based on my interviews there, ppl I know there, and what's been reported on the forums by, and by personal communication w/, ppl like kimberli cox (flinders grad). My one exception would be that my perception when I was there was that USyd wasn't very responsive to its students' concerns. However, flindophile is there and is someone whose opinion I respect. It's also possible that we're both right, and that the school has changed its ways since I was applying (two years ago).

So so far, I've added virtually nothing to the discussion, but I was asked :p

The only thing to add I think are my personal observations: I didn't like Adelaide at all, though I didn't get out into the hills which I understand are beautiful, and others there like the city a lot except generally comment that most everything closes EARLY. I did however like the attention the faculty gives to students, as evidenced by the testimony students there gave me when I was walking the halls, and by the personal touch that Tony Edwards gives to admissions. I also thought its interview was the most interesting (as I've said before, "the best interview I've ever had, anywhere").

USyd has Sydney, which can be a huge plus or an annoyance, depending on the environment best suitable to you. I also had some friction with the dean of admissions and thought he was an arrogant SOB (then again i am one to speak my mind...fancy that). This shouldn't matter to most ppl, but I weigh things like that (and environment) quite heavily.

Oh, and lastly, our med soc was just discussing the future state of affairs for int'l students who may wish to stay in Oz -- the so-called "medical student tsunami" (increased grads over the next 4-10 years) will be making it increasingly difficult to stay in Australia as an int'l student due to internship shortages, but South Australia will likely remain the most viable possibility over the long-run, and it's always a bit easier for grads within state to get one than for those who graduate out of state.

-pitman

OP's referring to the Australian 10-year moratorium, where you can't directly take medicare payments for 10 years after internship/PR if you're int'l, thus allowing the govt to direct VMOs to where they need them (rural or where there are hospital shortages).

Nice to hear that NZ doesn't do that though.

Does this apply to NZ citizen who are NZ grads?

I guess it doesn't matter for those who plan to specialise, as you should be planning about 10 years (+/- 1-2 years) for your specialty training in Australia.

Does this apply to NZ citizen who are NZ grads?


No, they get special treatment.

OP's referring to the Australian 10-year moratorium, where you can't directly take medicare payments for 10 years after internship/PR if you're int'l, thus allowing the govt to direct VMOs to where they need them (rural or where there are hospital shortages).

Nice to hear that NZ doesn't do that though.

Hi Pitman, again.

Is this moratorium federal or state regulated? Do you have links to the websites which have details about these things?

I know nothing about medicare system. I assume this doesn't apply if you're practising as a public hospital doctor. Is medicare only for GP/Private specialists?

And about this Areas of Need thing, once you get there and serve your designated sentence, can you claim medicare payments?

The moratorium is federally mandated under the Health Insurance Act of 1973 and the Districts of Workforce Shortage exemptions are federally defined, while the Areas of Need exemptions are their state equivalent. There's also a 5 year moratorium alternative for GPs. The moratorium prevents directly accepting medicare payments, which most Australians use for health care, but increasingly they're getting private insurance to supplement.

Here's a summary of the federal restriction w/ exemptions broadly defined:

http://www.ahmrc.org.au/otd/xOTD%20Sect3_medicare.htm

Here's some (longer) descriptions at the Dept of Health and Ageing site:

Restrictions defined:
http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/Publishing.nsf/Content/work-Medicare-restrictions-permres

Districts of Workforce Shortage:
http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/publishing.nsf/Content/work-DWS

Areas of Need:
http://www.doctorconnect.gov.au/internet/otd/Publishing.nsf/Content/work-AON

Effectively the restriction is from private practice only. I don't understand all the loopholes and such, but I do know that overseas trained doctors (OTDs) get exempted not only in the bush but in many suburban and even urban areas. The exemptions can be made either for a region or for a particular shortage in a particular hospital -- Brisbane and the Gold Coast actually have many exempted docs; NSW puts OTDs in many regional hospitals (e.g., see http://www.nswrdn.com.au/site/index.cfm?display=1425)

And here's a description of Queensland's internship program:
http://www.health.qld.gov.au/medical/interninfo.asp

Note the priority list (also defined at the state level) and how NZ residents (#4) get higher priorit than other int'ls. Some states have slightly different priorities (e.g., SA puts AMC docs below int'l graduates, I believe). The UQ med soc site will have rules laid out by state in a few months.

Yes, once you're done with the moratorium, which usu starts when you get PR (internship year or following year, unless you plan ahead!), you can accept medicare on your own and set up practice where you like.

-pitman