Internship Crisis Awareness

[Earendil]

Although I am not planning on studying on medicine, I do have a former classmate who is studying in Australia and will be graduating this year from one of the medical schools and thought I'd assist with their campaign about the seriousness of the internship crisis for the 182 students who didn't get offers this year.

For more information about the campaign and the status, please view:

http://interncrisis.org/

Here's what one of the medical school deans had to say:

http://blogs.crikey.com.au/croakey/...at-about-the-wider-health-workforce-concerns/

Our thoughts and prayers go out to those who are waiting for a positive outcome.

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[Phloston]

Thanks for the post.

I think this just reiterates the fact that no one should go into any foreign country (not just Australia: anywhere) expecting that it's a certainty to land an internship. One should always have a plan-B. If anything, I think the "internship crisis" shouldn't be viewed as a deterrent from coming to Australia but instead as a mere reminder that people need to take responsibility for their post-graduate routes and not be intransigent with regard to any one, fixed plan.

 

[ahoymate]

This is worrisome for international students. If an international student does very well in his classes, makes connections with the local physicians, gets involved both with the school administration as well as get involved with internaitonal student organizations, and gets research.. would then the student qualify for an internship?

or even then, solely because of the international student status quo, the student may not get an internship?

 

[Phloston]

Internationals are at an innate disadvantage in Australia regardless of performance/research (very few rare exceptions). The process is overly subjective and lags behind the US in the sense that medical students don't sit an objectifying USMLE-type examination that levels the playing field. That's why I'm taking the USMLE and getting out of Australia. Am I glad I came to school here? Definitely. Have I had an awesome time so far? Of course. But if you know your "merit" can get you places, use that to your advantage and just sit the USMLE. If you do very well, you can still go anywhere. On the other hand, if you're 100% keen on practicing in Australia and have zero interest in the USA, you just need to realize that no international student, whether he or she studies in Australia, Spain or wherever, should ever expect to land a guaranteed internship. Always have a plan-B.

 

[pitman]

Internationals are at an innate disadvantage in Australia regardless of performance/research (very few rare exceptions). The process is overly subjective and lags behind the US in the sense that medical students don't sit an objectifying USMLE-type examination that levels the playing field. That's why I'm taking the USMLE and getting out of Australia. Am I glad I came to school here? Definitely. Have I had an awesome time so far? Of course. But if you know your "merit" can get you places, use that to your advantage and just sit the USMLE. If you do very well, you can still go anywhere. On the other hand, if you're 100% keen on practicing in Australia and have zero interest in the USA, you just need to realize that no international student, whether he or she studies in Australia, Spain or wherever, should ever expect to land a guaranteed internship. Always have a plan-B.

More relevant than ever, but what level heads have been saying here at least as far back as 2003.

 

[Phloston]

More relevant than ever, but what level heads have been saying here at least as far back as 2003.

Lol, you joined this forum in 2003? Hello, Grandpa. Haha just kidding.

 

[pitman]

Lol, you joined this forum in 2003? Hello, Grandpa. Haha just kidding.

Yeah, I joined when looking to come here.

The talk of the tsunami is nearly identical as to then, including alarms of impending doom, claims of taxi-driving doctors, and calls for urgent action. The only difference is that finally, this year, (international) students are having a problem getting internship. But alas, this year too there will likely be relief -- the latest is a plan to create 116 spots across the country for the 180 who haven't gotten a spot yet, with the 180 reducing to some extent as int'ls return home. There are also beginning to be ominous signs of a junior doctor tsunami (e.g., a couple hundred RMOs in Qld, another couple hundred in Victoria, not yet finding a job for next year), and next year the numbers will be larger, but who knows what will happen. No one here has been able to predict the status for any particular year (and the alarms are sounded WAY too early and loud each season), just the general trend, which is undeniable. People should heed the trend, and trend behavior, not the static particulars of the annual alarms which miss the half that can't be seen.

 

[SomnolentDrmr]

..

 

[SomnolentDrmr]

Yeah, I joined when looking to come here.

The talk of the tsunami is nearly identical as to then, including alarms of impending doom, claims of taxi-driving doctors, and calls for urgent action. The only difference is that finally, this year, (international) students are having a problem getting internship. But alas, this year too there will likely be relief -- the latest is a plan to create 116 spots across the country for the 180 who haven't gotten a spot yet, with the 180 reducing to some extent as int'ls return home. There are also beginning to be ominous signs of a junior doctor tsunami (e.g., a couple hundred RMOs in Qld, another couple hundred in Victoria, not yet finding a job for next year), and next year the numbers will be larger, but who knows what will happen. No one here has been able to predict the status for any particular year (and the alarms are sounded WAY too early and loud each season), just the general trend, which is undeniable. People should heed the trend, and trend behavior, not the static particulars of the annual alarms which miss the half that can't be seen.

Pitman, did you and all your cohort get internships?

 

[pitman]

Pitman, did you and all your cohort get internships?

Yes. Since my year (2007), essentially everyone from UQ who applied has also gotten an internship as far as I know, except for this year, which is TBD, but most will likely get one.

 

[pitman]

This the latest for Queensland (58 spots for the current 76 spotless int'ls):

"Queensland Health (QH) will be recruiting an additional 18 interns to commence in 2013 in response to acceptance of the Commonwealth offer to fund an additional 40 interns in Queensland provided QH funded an additional 18.

All 18 interns will be recruited from the pool of Queensland International Full Fee Paying (IFFP) medical graduates who have not yet received an intern offer for 2013.

QH is considering options for a return of service obligation from the 18 additional interns. The Commonwealth will most likely seek a return of service from the 40 intern positions they are funding for 2013.

There are currently 76 priority four candidates who have not yet been offered an internship with QH for the 2013 clinical year. Priority four candidates are medical graduates of Queensland universities who are overseas permanent residents or overseas citizens, other than New Zealand citizens and are permitted to remain in Australia for internship."

(http://www.amaq.com.au/gdesign/9801_on/spot1.html)