Schools in AU

[Snakegal]

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My choices of vet schools to apply to are constrained by DH's job (he just got and will start this January). His company has offices in several cities in the US (so I'll apply to those) and also 2 in AU - Sydney and Melbourne. I was thinking of applying to the AU schools as well. From what I've found they are 5 year programs, but it looks as though the first year is just covering some basic stuff (that would be included in pre-reqs here). I've also gotten pretty confused since they consider the vet program to be an undergraduate rather than doctoral program. I was hoping that someone would be able to shed some light on these programs for me. You graduate with a bachelors and you are a vet? I also saw that both have been recently accredited by the AVMA. Does this mean that if I graduate over there I'd be licensed to work in the states? Any info would be appreciated.

Thanks!

-Snakegal

 

[freyamaxine]

The Melbourne uni degree is 4 years. It is 5 years if you include a pre-vet year but that is just a year of general science completing the pre-reqs of a year of physics, chem and bio.

I'm not sure that it really matters if the degree is technically undergrad. Alot of Aussie students do it after already finishing their degree's. It just means that if you have really high marks out of school (98 - 99.9, so in the top 1-2% of high school leavers) than you get a place.

Its just the way that Aussie schools tend to do things. Most of our Medicine degree's are undergrad, Pharmacy, Occupational Therapy etc.

It would be worth keeping in mind that Melbourne vet school is switching to a grad degree in 2011 or 2012.

http://www.unimelb.edu.au/HB/facs/VET.html that is Melbourne's handbook entry for Veterinary science.

You also might want to keep in mind that Melbourne in usually harder to get into than Sydney uni. Though they are both very prestigeous Australian uni's (Melbourne just abit more so!).

 

[Snakegal]

Thanks so much for the info and the link! DH and I have been planning to go to Australia to stay for a year or two and when I made the decision to go to vet school, we thought about me going to school there. I want to know how it is to live over there and go to school there. I wasn't sure which city would be better to go so I wanted to get opinions of people who know.

I'm going to check out the link, but I might have more questions...

-Snakegal

 

[Hollycozza]

Hi Snakegal,

I'm a fourth year vet student at Sydney, and I'm from Melbourne, so feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to help! Most folks on here seem to ask about Murdoch so its good to hear some interest in the eastern state vet schools 🙂

(There's a vet school opening in Adelaide next year, but I don't know if they'll take internationals. I can't believe that since I started vet Australia has gone from 4 schools to 7!!!!!!!!)

Cheers!

🙂

 

[freyamaxine]

Hi Snakegal,

I'm a fourth year vet student at Sydney, and I'm from Melbourne, so feel free to ask any questions and I'll try to help! Most folks on here seem to ask about Murdoch so its good to hear some interest in the eastern state vet schools 🙂

(There's a vet school opening in Adelaide next year, but I don't know if they'll take internationals. I can't believe that since I started vet Australia has gone from 4 schools to 7!!!!!!!!)

Cheers!

🙂

Are they opening the Adelaide Vet school next year? I thought that they were just starting the Pre-Vet Animal Science degree and would open the vet school with the first of the graduates from that course?

I go to Melbourne uni so I know alot about the atmosphere of Melbourne. I also live across the road from the Pre-clinical Vet school so I can tell you its a very very pretty area. The Melbourne clinical Vet school is out at Werribee though... I have only been to Werribee a few times and most people say that it is a real hole! It has all the sewage plants if that puts it in perspective.

I think I like the city of Melbourne better than Sydney (although Sydney has the Lindt shop!). Melbourne seems to be more spread out, wide streets and lots of parks. The cost of living in Sydney is also slightly higher than Melbourne.

Holly did you apply to Murdoch? I am sort of wishing I had not as I really do not want to go to Perth! not that I have much chance of getting in, Physics exam next week and I have completely neglected the subject.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

Thanks so much for the info and the link! DH and I have been planning to go to Australia to stay for a year or two and when I made the decision to go to vet school, we thought about me going to school there.

FYI: Technically DVM, MD, DDS, DPT, JD programs in the US are "undergraduate" too.

They are still the first degree you earn in that particular field of study. The US just has a habit of calling everything a "Doctorate" these days.

Remember it wasn't long ago when DPT programs were MSPT and a few years before that they were all Bachelors BSPT programs.

1992 BSPT = 2007 DPT

Yale law school used to give out LLB degrees even up until the 70s when they changed over to the JD degree but they are equal degrees for the practice of Law.

Havard used to grant the Bachelor of Medicine (MB) degree before they changed to the MD.

Similarly.. even though they may be called a BVS or BVSc they are equal to the DVM or VMD degrees in the US and they are accredited by the AVMA, so it really doesn't matter. I wouldn't get too hung up on that kind of stuff.

The Australian programs are exceptional

👍

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

Australia has gone from 4 schools to 7!!!!!!!!)

Cheers!

🙂

The only ones that are currently AVMA accredited for US and Canadians are:

Sydney, Murdoch, and Melbourne.

(and Massey in New Zealand)

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

Maybe you should contact some people who have already had the experience of working in both places. 👍

Murdoch grad working in Arkansas:
http://www.russellvilleanimalclinic.com/inside/vets/vets.html

Sydney grad in Virginia:
http://www.vetmed.vt.edu/Organization/Departments/DLACS/grads/tan.asp

Sydney grad in Florida:
http://patho.vetmed.ufl.edu/faculty_taylor.htm

Melbourne grad in North Carolina:
http://www.cvm.ncsu.edu/docs/sally_bissett.html

 

[Hollycozza]

I applied to Murdoch, Qld, and Sydney but only got into Sydney- fortunately my first choice anyway!

V different applying as a HECs place than as an international student though, for any internationals on here! (Freya, I assume you're aiming for HECS?)

There was something in the paper about thw Adelaide course "starting" next year, but also being a graduate course, so maybe they're just taking pre-vets but giving them a guaranteed entry into the grad course?

I would so have gone to Adelaide if it was open a few years ago!!!!!!!

Ooh also Camden, the Sydney uni equivalent of Werribee, is a much nicer place.

In fact, I must go there now and sit my exams!!!!!!!!

Cheerio for now

🙂

Are they opening the Adelaide Vet school next year? I thought that they were just starting the Pre-Vet Animal Science degree and would open the vet school with the first of the graduates from that course?

I go to Melbourne uni so I know alot about the atmosphere of Melbourne. I also live across the road from the Pre-clinical Vet school so I can tell you its a very very pretty area. The Melbourne clinical Vet school is out at Werribee though... I have only been to Werribee a few times and most people say that it is a real hole! It has all the sewage plants if that puts it in perspective.

I think I like the city of Melbourne better than Sydney (although Sydney has the Lindt shop!). Melbourne seems to be more spread out, wide streets and lots of parks. The cost of living in Sydney is also slightly higher than Melbourne.

Holly did you apply to Murdoch? I am sort of wishing I had not as I really do not want to go to Perth! not that I have much chance of getting in, Physics exam next week and I have completely neglected the subject.

 

[Dr.Millisevert]

You also might want to keep in mind that Melbourne in usually harder to get into than Sydney uni. Though they are both very prestigeous Australian uni's (Melbourne just abit more so!).

You may also want to keep in mind that Melbournians are just jealous we have better weather and so they like to say whatever it takes to make you want to move there.

(Even though Sydney is better!) 😀

Remember Dr. Harry Cooper and Dr. Katrina Warren are Sydney grads.

....and our Dean used to be the Dean at Cambridge. (obviously making us much more prestigious than Melb) hahaha

 

[freyamaxine]

You may also want to keep in mind that Melbournians are just jealous we have better weather and so they like to say whatever it takes to make you want to move there.

(Even though Sydney is better!) 😀

Remember Dr. Harry Cooper and Dr. Katrina Warren are Sydney grads.

....and our Dean used to be the Dean at Cambridge. (obviously making us much more prestigious than Melb) hahaha

It has better weather if you like wind! and bus smog!

Melbourne is much nicer because we have trams (and no Sydney your one monorail does not count!).

 

[freyamaxine]

I applied to Murdoch, Qld, and Sydney but only got into Sydney- fortunately my first choice anyway!

V different applying as a HECs place than as an international student though, for any internationals on here! (Freya, I assume you're aiming for HECS?)

I am actually sort of considering full fee as well. I think I would seriously consider going into that amount of debt to become a vet

Why didn't you apply to Melbourne?

I thought that Sydney was harder to get into than Murdoch? but maybe not. I am just going off TER's (ENTER) but I thought last year Murdoch was 94 and Sydney was 98?

I don't know if I would prefer to go to Sydney or Melbourne. Both schools sound really good, and I like the sound of Sydney slightly better because it is a 5 year program. I however would prefer Melbourne because of my boyfriend (wanting to do his PHD at Melb), and the whole centerlink not liking long term relationships thing.

 

[Snakegal]

All this information is so great! I'm learining so much about the two schools (Melbourne and Sydney). I'm getting so excited about my prospects, but then I think about my phylogenetic class and I'm slammed back to earth. I'm not getting into any school until I finish my Masters. It's pretty much going to come down to "I'll go to the school I get into." (assuming I get into one 🙂). The rivalry between Melbourne and Sydney is great. It reminds me of myself (coming from Texas A&M) and my dad (who graduated from UT).

Dr. Millisevert,
Thanks for putting the whole "undergrad vs. doctorate" thing into perspective. I never thought of it that way. I didn't know that all the degrees used to be bachs.

Hollycozza,
I might be tugging on your ear and asking lots of questions as I go through the application process.

-Snakegal

 

[Hollycozza]

I am actually sort of considering full fee as well. I think I would seriously consider going into that amount of debt to become a vet

Why didn't you apply to Melbourne?

I thought that Sydney was harder to get into than Murdoch? but maybe not. I am just going off TER's (ENTER) but I thought last year Murdoch was 94 and Sydney was 98?

I don't know if I would prefer to go to Sydney or Melbourne. Both schools sound really good, and I like the sound of Sydney slightly better because it is a 5 year program. I however would prefer Melbourne because of my boyfriend (wanting to do his PHD at Melb), and the whole centerlink not liking long term relationships thing.

I didn't apply for Melbourne because I failed physics one semester in my first year of science so I wasn't eligible. Murdoch might be easier than Sydney from school, but I've heard its really hard to get in there on the basis of uni marks.

Snakegal: I'll be happy to answer questions but as a local student I went through a different application process.

Cheers 🙂

 

[freyamaxine]

I didn't apply for Melbourne because I failed physics one semester in my first year of science so I wasn't eligible. Murdoch might be easier than Sydney from school, but I've heard its really hard to get in there on the basis of uni marks.

Snakegal: I'll be happy to answer questions but as a local student I went through a different application process.

Cheers 🙂

I think I failed my Physics exam yesterday. Did you fail second semester Electricity and Magnetism and Nuclear Physics? I think I must have cried all day afterwards 🙁 I've never ever failed an exam I have studied so hard for before.

I am hoping that I just scrap through a pass and then if I do really well on all my other subjects Sydney might still consider me.

 

[Hollycozza]

I think I failed my Physics exam yesterday. Did you fail second semester Electricity and Magnetism and Nuclear Physics? I think I must have cried all day afterwards 🙁 I've never ever failed an exam I have studied so hard for before.

I am hoping that I just scrap through a pass and then if I do really well on all my other subjects Sydney might still consider me.

yeah the second semester subject. The main thing for Sydney (and i imagine UQ) is the average so one pass is fine, but the really important thing for Sydney is your STAT score...

 

[Hollycozza]

yeah the second semester subject. The main thing for Sydney (and i imagine UQ) is the average so one pass is fine, but the really important thing for Sydney is your STAT score...

PS I hope you did okay, you might have done, better than you think!

 

[freyamaxine]

PS I hope you did okay, you might have done, better than you think!

I passed my Physics B. I ended up getting a 60, which seems along way from a fail. They obviously scaled the exam alot!

It is annoying though, because I did so well in my other subjects, all over 80%. I ended up only averaging 77.5 which puts me on a 78 average for the entire year (2% off the needed 80%).

I am just hoping that this year is a stupid year, so that I still have a slight shot. 😕

 

[Hollycozza]

Did you apply to Sydney as well in the end? I think you have probably got a good chance for Melbourne anyway, but otherwise if you did well in the STAT I think you should also have a good chance for Sydney. I guess you have to wait til January to find out???

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👍👍

 

[theunraveler]

no one seems to be applying for university of queensland...we muz suck big time ... 🙁

 

[Bullettime]

That's not true...UQ has been around for quite a while, and the vet school is renowned internationally (as well as the university itself). Several veterinary surgeons and scientists are former graduates from the university, and have made it big in their respective field throughout the globe. Plus with the new facilites being developped at gatton not to mention the relocation of the school there, they will soon be vying for AVMA accreditation, setting them on par with schools like Melbourne, Sydney and Murdoch in Australia (if not already on par with those schools). s).

 

[freyamaxine]

Did you apply to Sydney as well in the end? I think you have probably got a good chance for Melbourne anyway, but otherwise if you did well in the STAT I think you should also have a good chance for Sydney. I guess you have to wait til January to find out???

GOOD LUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 👍👍

I did apply to Sydney. I have no idea how I did on the STAT. I will just have to wait until Jan 2nd to find out.

Do you know what sort of score you need in the STAT to be competitive?

Melbourne first round offers are posted no later than 19th of Dec. Yesterday I got a letter from the university without a faculty stamp on the back, I was really hoping it was from vet. When I opened it it was just a letter from the biology department encouraging me to continue on with the life sciences due to my high mark in the subject.

I only don't want to go to Queensland because I hate the heat. I have been to Queensland twice and didn't like it.

 

[Hollycozza]

I think you usually need a score of 99+ in the STAT for a HECS place but less for fee paying. I reckon you will have a good chance for Melbourne anyway though.

I did apply to Sydney. I have no idea how I did on the STAT. I will just have to wait until Jan 2nd to find out.

Do you know what sort of score you need in the STAT to be competitive?

Melbourne first round offers are posted no later than 19th of Dec. Yesterday I got a letter from the university without a faculty stamp on the back, I was really hoping it was from vet. When I opened it it was just a letter from the biology department encouraging me to continue on with the life sciences due to my high mark in the subject.

I only don't want to go to Queensland because I hate the heat. I have been to Queensland twice and didn't like it.

 

[freyamaxine]

I think you usually need a score of 99+ in the STAT for a HECS place but less for fee paying. I reckon you will have a good chance for Melbourne anyway though.

Is that a 99+ out of 100?

There is no way I will get that. I know I stuffed up two questions on the STAT (both maths).

🙁

 

[Hollycozza]

Is that a 99+ out of 100?

There is no way I will get that. I know I stuffed up two questions on the STAT (both maths).

🙁

I don't think two questions will matter- its a percentile not a mark so you can get a few wrong and still get >99