Deakin vs UQ?

[wtfisgoingonhere]

Hi folks,

I just wanted to post to see if anyone had thoughts on comparing between these two schools? I'm an international student from Toronto and while I'm over the moon about my acceptances. I'm rather torn as to which route to take. I'd love to return to practise back in CAN one day, but the idea of being able to stay in AUS as a back-up is also a deciding factor. Thanks for any replies or insights.

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[Wolvvs]

It's going to be easier to stay in Australia if you go to Deakin. I can't speak to coming back to Canada, I would imagine UQ with its international focus would make it a bit easier to come back to Canada but I'm not sure.

Has Deakin issued any guidance about how they're going to deal with students who are unable to enter Australia? With UQ if you can't get in by Semester 2 you'll have to defer.

Also, these are two very different schools. UQ is located in a city whereas Deakin is in a much more suburban area (although you do have reasonable access to Melbourne). UQ offers excellent access to research but is a very large school, meaning there's less personal attention. Deakin isn't as strong from a research perspective but the small class size means easier connections to professors, classmates and admin. Also in my personal opinion the climate in Melbourne is much more palatable than that of Brisbane, but everyone's different. Definitely worth considering all this stuff too--you're going to be spending the next 4 years at the school you choose, so it's important to set yourself up for success by considering where you would be most comfortable.

 

[wtfisgoingonhere]

It's going to be easier to stay in Australia if you go to Deakin. I can't speak to coming back to Canada, I would imagine UQ with its international focus would make it a bit easier to come back to Canada but I'm not sure.

Has Deakin issued any guidance about how they're going to deal with students who are unable to enter Australia? With UQ if you can't get in by Semester 2 you'll have to defer.

Also, these are two very different schools. UQ is located in a city whereas Deakin is in a much more suburban area (although you do have reasonable access to Melbourne). UQ offers excellent access to research but is a very large school, meaning there's less personal attention. Deakin isn't as strong from a research perspective but the small class size means easier connections to professors, classmates and admin. Also in my personal opinion the climate in Melbourne is much more palatable than that of Brisbane, but everyone's different. Definitely worth considering all this stuff too--you're going to be spending the next 4 years at the school you choose, so it's important to set yourself up for success by considering where you would be most comfortable.

Thanks for your insightful reply, Wolvvs! I believe Deakin has informed students of the same policy (mandatory deferral if cannot be physically present by second term). In this case, maybe it would be best to defer till next year entirely.

I have some questions, if I may have any further of your time and insight:

1. Are both schools going to churn out a proficient and competitive graduate on a global level? (Since that's almost what they charge).

2. Is Deakin well-respected? Most of my friends here have never heard of it.

3. If deferrals are allowed, would you take it?

 

[Wolvvs]

1. Are both schools going to churn out a proficient and competitive graduate on a global level? (Since that's almost what they charge).
Yes, both schools are excellent schools and will produce good doctors. I don't think you'll need to worry about quality of training from either school.

2. Is Deakin well-respected? Most of my friends here have never heard of it.
Certainly within Australia. Outside of Australia many people may not be familiar with the school. This could make coming back to Canada more difficult, although I think it's more likely you'll be grouped into a general "from Australia" bucket. Not super familiar with the way residencies are assigned in Canada though.

3. If deferrals are allowed, would you take it?
My current plan is to start at UQ-Ochsner in 2021 and if I need to defer I will. I'm really hoping we'll be able to get into Australia in time though as deferring would be really not ideal. I think this is a personal decision though; I'm a bit older and going through a career change, and my job is already set to end at the end of the year. If you're younger/in a situation where keeping things as they are for another year would work okay, deferring (if available as an option) might not be a bad choice. But I'm going to guess that many schools may require you to re-apply rather than defer.