Is Queensland a good 2nd choice?

[nima123]

So I finally decided to apply to AUS (thanks to the stength of the Canadian dollar ). I selected USyd as my first choice. For the second choice I selected Queensland (just randomly).

How does Queensland compare to the other schools with a good reputation (like Melbourne or UWA) (esp. given that I might wanna come back to NA)?

Also, is which med schools in in AUS are welcome internationals better. Do you think I have a better second option than Queensland?

I know these aren't very easy questions to ask, but don't know much about Australia (never been there, just heard stuff) .

Umm, how about changin the first option to Melbourne? People in this forum keep saying Sydney is too expensive, in which case I may never go there even if I got in.

Thanks

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[pattycanuck]

My wife and I who are residents in FM at Queen's at the moment worked at one of UQ's main hospitals for 6 months back in 2004 - the Mater Health Services in Brisbane. From what I could gather in regard to clinical knowledge and skills, they are taught very well. We didn't have the chance of meeting any non-Aussie students, but the 4th years (seniors) we met were very competent.

I did 6/12 as an RMO in pure OBGYN while my wife did 5/12 in pure Emerg and 1/12 in "ward/medicine call" also as an RMO (resident medical officer = R1/R2 at home).

Can't comment on other aspects that our personal experiences with them and to compare them with the residents and students at Queen's at present.

 

[nima123]

Also, is which med schools in in AUS are welcome internationals better.

hehe... I never thought I could write as horribly as this. This is meant to be: which Aussie schools do welcome internationals (i.e. N.A. students) better?

I just hope I'll never kill someone as a doc when I'm sleepy .

 

[Knockout Mouse]

Here are the number of spots for international students according to the 2008 GMAC admissions guide:

up to 12 places at ANU
up to 15 places at Flinders
10 at Melbourne
10 at Monash
67 at Queensland
45 at Sydney
8 at Wollongong

Of course that doesn't say much unless you also know how many typically apply each year! I don't know what a competitive GPA or MCAT is for these schools either.​

 

[JCYL]

Melbourne will soon be conferring the MD degree instead of the MBBS degree in a few years' time. You might be interested in this.

 

[UQgrad]

Hi guys,

I'm in my final year at UQ. I have loads of Canadian students and a few Americans graduating with me (a lovely bunch).

The general consensus from us is that the teaching varies from poor to absent. Our classes are disorganised and support non-existent. Every exam we have seems to end with the majority of students shaking their head in wonderment at how their marks were allocated (on one paper I got full marks for one short answer question, a friend wrote an identical answer and got zero).

There is an up side though:
A new head of school hell bent on shaking things up has just been appointed and apparently the years below us have had a better run.

Our student organisation is pretty good - actually their forum at uqms.org would be a good place to go for more info (and to confirm that i'm not a lone dissenter). They're very active in trying to effect change.

By the time you make it to 3rd and 4th year you're in the hospital full time and most of the doctors are approachable and keen to teach.

Brisbane is a nice place to live, a bit cheaper than Melb or Syd.

hope this helps,
good luck with everything.

 

[BoyInTheBubble]

Did you enjoy your med experience at UQ? If you knew then, what you know now, would you choose Melb or Syd or stayed at UQ?

 

[UQgrad]

i didnt have the marks for syd/melb cus I buggered up my gamsat essay (2 essays in 1 hour is bloody hard) but I think i would have waited a year and tried again if i'd known then what I know now. Also I love Melbourne, amazing music scene . am aiming to head there for PGY2.

 

[goldfish]

as a current melb uni student i must say u should check the fees first before u decide. melb uni is by no means cheap. its probably the most expensive uni by a WIDE margin. international students are paying about AUD$50k a yr in clinicals now and it goes up pretty much every year.

And interns here get paid the lowest basic of all the states.