I'm having rallying thoughts!!! Dang!!

[PreMedAdAG]

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Okay.... in short this is my deal:

I've applied to an Australian medical school.... granted i haven't been accepted.. but if I am it will F*** everything up.

Why? I have always wanted to do international medicine, both clinical and academic. I am
A. Nervous that I won't get a good residency if I want to pursue medicine in the states.
B. Nervous that my family will kill me
C. Nervous that it won't be what I expected.

I am extremely interested in the Northern Territory of Australia. It is rural and is the center for cardiovascular disease, diabetes and asthma amongst indigenous people. I want to work somewhere where I could be in a hospital one day, teaching the next, and camping the next day after that!

Any advice... if i go to australia am I turning all chances of practicing in the states into Muck???

This has been weighing on my mind for several years now and I haven't had the guts to tell my family or anyone for that matter... since the US is soooooo big on training here if you want to match to a competitive residency....... oi.... what do to?

 

[ball372]

Hey, here's my $0.02: I think that you're having doubts about going to Australia to study medicine, I wouldn't go if I were you. This is too big a decision to make and have regrets for the rest of your life. If you really think that you may not be happy down under, I would take a couple of years to improve your app to apply to US schools. You can apply to DO and MD school. Ways to improve your app could be to do a post-bac program, a Master's, retake the MCAT, do some research, etc. Just some thoughts. GOOD LUCK. Also, don't worry about what your friends or family may think. THIS IS YOUR LIFE and YOUR CAREER. Find people who will support whatever decision you make. GOOD LUCK

 

[PreMedAdAG]

Hey, here's my $0.02: I think that you're having doubts about going to Australia to study medicine, I wouldn't go if I were you. This is too big a decision to make and have regrets for the rest of your life. If you really think that you may not be happy down under, I would take a couple of years to improve your app to apply to US schools. You can apply to DO and MD school. Ways to improve your app could be to do a post-bac program, a Master's, retake the MCAT, do some research, etc. Just some thoughts. GOOD LUCK. Also, don't worry about what your friends or family may think. THIS IS YOUR LIFE and YOUR CAREER. Find people who will support whatever decision you make. GOOD LUCK

Thank you but I'm not applying because I don't think I'll get in to MD or DO programs in the US. I think I'm a pretty competitive candidate. I'm just worried what my familiy will think..... if I study in the US I have NO.. zero.. zilch.. chance of ever working with rural populations in Australia....

 

[Xandie]

if I study in the US I have NO.. zero.. zilch.. chance of ever working with rural populations in Australia....

I would argue that that's untrue. A good friend of mine worked with some Aboriginal people in Kalgoorlie (in WA), while we were there on study abroad. It's easier, IMHO, to go abroad with a US MD than to come back as an IMG... just to keep your options open.

 

[EctopicFetus]

I would argue that that's untrue. A good friend of mine worked with some Aboriginal people in Kalgoorlie (in WA), while we were there on study abroad. It's easier, IMHO, to go abroad with a US MD than to come back as an IMG... just to keep your options open.

I would take this advice. There are opportunities 4th yr to do this and then post residency and sometimes during residency as well.

 

[PreMedAdAG]

I guess.. but after talking with the chair of admissions tonight it's not as difficult as it appears and what happens when I meet the aussie bloke of my dreams??? 😀 😍

 

[tempstuff2004]

if I study in the US I have NO.. zero.. zilch.. chance of ever working with rural populations in Australia....

Australia in general is actually in shortage of doctors in rural areas. That is the reason why the Commonwealth Government recently introduced the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme, whereby they increased the number of available med school spots. If I'm correct, you get your tuition paid plus extra, but you are required (hence "bonded") to work in the rural for 6 or 7 years. Think you have to be an Aussie citizen to qualify though.

 

[ellehcim]

Australia in general is actually in shortage of doctors in rural areas. That is the reason why the Commonwealth Government recently introduced the Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship Scheme, whereby they increased the number of available med school spots. If I'm correct, you get your tuition paid plus extra, but you are required (hence "bonded") to work in the rural for 6 or 7 years. Think you have to be an Aussie citizen to qualify though.

Yep this is only for HECS (local) applicants, all internationals have to take the full fee places (in Australia the government pays tuition, so you accumulate a HECS debt to the govt, it has pretty much no interest and you pay it back as part of tax once you start earning over $30k pa). Internationals don't get HECS so they have to pay full tuition, and are not eligible for the bonded scholarships. These scholarships don't pay your HECS, but they are $20k a year for living expenses, which sure makes things a lot easier!

From everything I have heard tho, it is easier to come to Australia to practice with an MD than it is to return to the states with an MBBS. You do have to take an exam to practice here but it is nothing like the obstacle course you have to go through as an OS trained doctor in the states.

The other thing is that Aussie intern/residency programs are state specific. They are generally allocated to Aussie graduates from that state first, then Aussie graduates from other states, then New Zealand graduates, then other internationals. So your chances of getting into an intern/residency program of your choice are not as good as they would be if you were local, but seeing as you are interested in rural health, specifically Aboriginal, the state boards will love you. They have so much trouble getting people to go rural, and no one volunteers for Aboriginal healthcare settings. That means that your first preference would be everyone else's last preference, so you would have a good chance of getting it, but only if the state is not oversubscribed with local applicants, in which case Aussies would be put in there as their last preference ahead of you in your first preference.

On the other hand, coming to Aus as an OS trained doctor, especially one from an English speaking background, is quite a bit easier. You do have to sit exams to be registered, but there have been lots of news stories here lately that they have been letting through OS docs who can hardly speak English, let alone pass the exam, because we are so desperate for doctors in the bush. Seeing as you want to go rural, by the time you get here, they will hopefully have closed the loophole re not passing the exam, but they will give you plenty of support to get you in, methinks.

I don't mean to sound negative about your choice to come here, its a great place to live and the schools are pretty good IMHO. Just that you should do a bit of research about what happens after you graduate, to make sure you know what you're getting into, and that you're comfortable with it. I know there are plenty of Seppos in my med course, so they obviously thought it was the way to go!

Anyway, long post, but PM me if you like for more.

 

[StrngoutAS]

This is gonna come off as incredibly *****ic but I say go...

Australia is dope. I'd like to move there and practice medicine after doing residency but I don't know how feasible that is. Go...