Ppl Accepted to UQ

[torontonerd]

Hey Everyone, I was thinking of starting a thread for ppl who are accepted into UQ and are planning on going.

Just for discussion purposes, I have read on another forum(UQ medical society forum) that basic sciences are not stressed at UQ, and a student has to be prepared for it. any of you aware of something of that sort.
What are you doing these days? making some extra cash? or just enjoying the last few months? OR......(i hope NO ONE is doing this)...reading Gray's anatomy ? lol

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[ewc]

i've heard from some friends that they did remove some material from the curriculum for basic sciences, but i'm sure they'll teach enough basic skills to make you a good physician (or at least survive residency/internship without killing anyone). from what i understand is that it's advisable to bring at least a few thousand dollars cash to help when settling in and looking for accomodation. please do take note that most countries including australia have rules about bringing in more than 10k local currency when travelling. from personal experience, it's better to bring the cash (below 10k AUD) and set up a bank a/c in australia, then send money via wire transfer (most banks should allow internet banking wires). when flying, don't forget to get travel insurance and isic card. you'll need insurance before coverage kicks on for the OSHC (i tend to be on the conservative side on this issue, personal experience). Oztrekk has a good guide for preparing on their extranet website, i'd advise most folks to check it out sooner rather than later. i'll be heading to brisbane in the last week of december to look for housing. anyone with experience please tell me if this is enough time? also i'm looking for single apartment (studio, 1 room or 2 rooms). anyone with the experience knows the price range on this? i've heard rumours that a 2 room actually costs less than a 1 room or studio!! lol not sure on the accuracy of this. also, does anyone know if the rates are inclusive of electricity, water and heat? what's the difference between furnished/unfurnished? i've heard that the oz definition of furnished/unfurnished is quite diff from the canadian definition....

 

[ewc]

forgot to mention to torontonerd, i'm working my butt off to finish off some clinical research projects and earning a little sustainance. nothing fancy before school starts (although i should take a holiday... need it)

 

[leilad]

i dunno bout u, but im looking 4 yrs down the road rite now and the picture seems bleak in terms of staying in Australia. I know this has been talked about in other threads, but if you go to uqms forums, there's a heated debate going on about the current internship situation in australia (queensland in particular) rite now...its gotten me all up in a knot! if there is a problem NOW with the internship situation, i can't even imagine how it'll be 4 yrs down the road ...as internationals...we're down the rung in terms of priority when filling in internship spots in Australia...meaning we're probably gonna hafta come back to our respective countries and start applyin for res. down here...aka...no gaurantees after 4 yrs!!! ARGHHH!!! pursuing a medical education in N.A. means having no gaurantees (even if ur supersmart!) from the time you leave high school, until ur' actually practicing in ur field ~10 yrs after!! we're basically on the edge of a sword till then...wowzaz!!

on another note...how many of u r canadians??

 

[JoeNamaMD]

When I was offered a place at UQ in 2005 they told me that same story that four years down the road that I could not count on staying in Oz, guess what?? I am now staying. They were particularly direct at USyd with regards to staying in Australia for internship and post grad registrar training, guess what?? The friends I have at USyd are staying, and not in the sticks either.

Four five years ago there was real problem with regards to staying in Oz, now most people I knew even in big cities are not having an issues with staying.

For some odd reasons they wait until the last minute to add internship spots, while many registrar positions wind up going unfilled in many parts of the country. Its a weird bottleneck in the system here. International students in my year were successful in lobbying Queensland Health in creating more spots to allow internationals to complete the internship in order to become registered doctors.

If people are that jittery about the chance to stay in Australia or have reservations about how well prepared they will be for US and Canadian residencies, they might want to consider the DO route in the US. Most people who have been successful getting into Australian medical schools have had MCATs of 30 or higher, low 3.0 GPAs, these same people should not have difficulties getting into DO programs.

 

[shan564]

I might be joining you guys in Brisbane... but I probably won't make a final decision until I get accepted/rejected by USyd.

 

[gmacpac]

Just got my acceptance today.

 

[prepsych]

just recieved my acceptance... woo hoo!

 

[HanmoLi]

I have a question for you guys... I was reading the immunization requirements in the PDF document that I received from oztrekk along with the acceptance letter. I remember from somewhere that the Hep B immunization process takes at least 6 months to complete (inject 3 times, at 0, 1 and 6 months), and that after you still need to do a serum check 1-2 months after the final injection. This is a problem because there isn't enough time to complete the Hep B immunization before I leave for UQ in mid- to late December (going there early to do apartment hunting)...

I sent oztrekk an email asking them about this, but haven't received a reply yet. I was wondering if you guys already have your immunizations done or are facing the same problem? And do you know if I can still go to UQ if I cannot complete my immunization program in time?

 

[bibimbap]

Quite a few people in the class this year started their Hep B immunizations in Canada and finished them here so I don't think its a big deal. If you have anymore questions feel free to PM me.

 

[gmacpac]

Quick question.....

On my acceptance letter it says that I will be attending school in St. Lucia......but I believe someone on the board mentioned that the program is in Ipswich.

I can totally be hallucinating (residual effects of MCAT study).

Can someone clarify this for me? Are all 4 years in St. Lucia? Or are they 50/50 split between both campuses.

Looking forward to see all of you in UQ.

thx

 

[JoeNamaMD]

First year of Medicine is on UQ's main campus which is in St. Lucia. They are sending some students to the Ipswich campus but I think all internationals will begin their studies in St. Lucia. The second year will be in Herston, the main medical school campus is in Herston right next to the Royal Brisbane Hospital. The third and fourth years are in local Brisbane hospitals, not much different than most North American medical schools.

The only time you will actually be out of Brisbane is during your rural rotation, there are a few students who complete electives overseas, usually in the US, they do not encourage this though. Its a bit different at USydney where they have a list of schools that they engage in exchange programs.

Brisbane is a fairly small city, much smaller than Sydney, hotter too, and easy to get around, even by public transportation, although public transport tends to shut down later in the evening hours.

 

[gmacpac]

strong.

So do you recommend a buying a car. Just in case. or is mobility not a big issue in late hours of the day.

 

[JoeNamaMD]

A car can be convenient but in the first year you can survive without one in Brisbane. If you are planning on going to USyd it will be another story, Sydney is HUGE, its as big as Los Angeles in area, a car will make your life much easier there. USyd is near downtown Sydney which is a very expensive area, a lot of students live in the Western area to save money on rent, but then you need a car to run errands or get to class.

Make friends with another student and share a car, I did this last year and it worked out pretty well. Most of the hospitals where you will do rotations are easy to get to by bus, and most of your rotations will be completed during the daytime, actually I don't recall ever having to be stuck in the hospital at night as a student.

Public transport tends to shut down around midnight in Brisbane, which is earlier than other Aussie cities like Sydney, but Sydney's transport is not that great.

 

[gmacpac]

Thanks again.

 

[gmacpac]

How much should I expect to spend on cost of living? Are the numbers given on UQ accurate? or over estimated?

Is it fair to say that 1 BR apt will cost around $800/month.
And food + utilities + transportation + misc expensed will amount to approx another $700?

 

[neulite]

How much should I expect to spend on cost of living? Are the numbers given on UQ accurate? or over estimated?

Is it fair to say that 1 BR apt will cost around $800/month.
And food + utilities + transportation + misc expensed will amount to approx another $700?

I spoke with financial aid and as part of my loans they are allocating 18,000 per year for living expenses based on recent numbers. They evaluate this every year in Brisbane. I hope it is enough.

 

[gmacpac]

thats what I am worried about......I dont know if 18K is too much, or just slightly high.

I dont want to take more than what I really need because I am likely to spend the surplus amount in things that I dont need.

thx for your reply.

 

[ewc]

hey JoeNamaMD, do you have any website recommendations or places to look at for apartment rentals? most of the apartments (1 bed or studio) shown online seem sketchy for anything below 270 per week... that amounts to more that 1000 per month... do you recommend we look outside of the city and drive to school? any advice would be appreciated! thanks!

 

[JoeNamaMD]

USyd certifies their students for like 25k plus, my total expense estimate that I got was well over 20k a year, they throw in living expenses, plus transport, books and supplies, etc.

Try UQ's website or Yahoo Australia. Gumtree.com.au also has a lot of apartment listings.

Toowong and Indooripilly are close to St. Lucia, most apartments there are around $800 a month. There are areas outside of Brisbane not too far from where second year students study.

I think the first year will be the most expensive because you will be new, later years you will meet a lot of people in school and will be able to find reliable roommates. I wouldn't risk sharing houses with total strangers, did that my first semester, big mistake. If you're a guy and can get to share with women..great. If you get stuck with a bunch of guys...you will know why landlords here prefer women.

 

[ewc]

thanks for the advice joe... i'm gonna try to look again. do you think calling a real estate agent (who does rentals) would help?

also, i kinda prefer living alone because i've had pretty bad experiences sharing apartments in my undergrad years... just imagine your roommate treating the apartment as a shagpad and not considering you have exams the next day.......

 

[JoeNamaMD]

You can contact real estate agencies if you like, just remember to have a couple of references handy.

Location is not as key in Brisbane as it is in Sydney which is a very large city and spread out like Los Angeles.

I live outside the city limits, I actually prefer it for a couple of reasons, lower cost and more space.

 

[Jinhua]

Hi everyone,

I just wondering how long does it take for you to receive the Confirmation of Enrolment from UQ after you have accepted their offer?

Thanks

 

[leilad]

I received mine within 2 business days.

 

[Jinhua]

I see, thanks leilad, I am quite worried cause I sent mine on last Fri although I received the offer on Tues, 22nd. Not sure when I will get mine

 

[adolf5]

Quite a few people in the class this year started their Hep B immunizations in Canada and finished them here so I don't think its a big deal. If you have anymore questions feel free to PM me.

continue doing Hep B immunizations in Aus? if your HepB is positive are you actually gonna pass the visa application med screening?

 

[redshifteffect]

forgot to mention to torontonerd, i'm working my butt off to finish off some clinical research projects and earning a little sustainance. nothing fancy before school starts (although i should take a holiday... need it)

For Canadians - Set up a Scotiabank account in Canada, and then use your ATM card at any Westpac bank in the country for fee free withdrawals.

For Americans - you can do the same with Bank of America.

This is both safe (as you don't have to bring in large amounts of cash) and cheap as you don't have to pay $2-3 everytime you withdraw money.

 

[redshifteffect]

Best website for rental:
www.realestate.com.au

 

[JoeNamaMD]

Only year one is in St. Lucia, the second year is in the main medical school campus in Herston which is near the RBH and Children's Hospital. The remaining years will be at local Brisbane hospitals, mostly the RBH and PA, a few others, some people might do electives in the US and UK, a few other countries too, I heard of few students who went to places like Norway and Germany. I knew one guy who graduated and went to Denmark for a year of training. A lot of Scandinavians get medical training in Australia.
Compared to Sydney and Melbourne, Brisbane is fairly compact, as long as you live in a Zone 1 or 2 bus service area and live not too far from a main road, you should have no problems with buses. Some USyd students are going to have to do their first year clinicals in Nepean, which is 35 miles away from campus, that is going to suck for those unlucky to get stuck in rotations there. That is one big plus of UQ, is that the main teaching centers are RBH and PA, and both are very easy to find by public transport.