UQ-Ochsner 2019 Cohort

Started by avhopeful
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UAG School of Medicine
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marmoset53 said:
Interviewed March 9, and just received the "you passed the interview" Email yesterday!! When I had the pre-interview prep. phone call a week before the interview, the representative I spoke with from MedEdPath made it sound like getting the email that "you passed/your application is now being sent to Aus for further review" is a VERY good sign; but she didn't give any numerical statistics or say you can FOR SURE expect an acceptance at this point. I'm already celebrating though... :soexcited:
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Mind sharing your stats?
 
marmoset53 said:
Interviewed March 9, and just received the "you passed the interview" Email yesterday!! When I had the pre-interview prep. phone call a week before the interview, the representative I spoke with from MedEdPath made it sound like getting the email that "you passed/your application is now being sent to Aus for further review" is a VERY good sign; but she didn't give any numerical statistics or say you can FOR SURE expect an acceptance at this point. I'm already celebrating though... :soexcited:
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Congrats! Same here, we did our best but nothing we can do now except wait the 6-8 weeks after apps are sent out haha. Looking at last years thread, acceptances started being sent out in early May, fingeres crossed.
 
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LebronManning said:
Mind sharing your stats?
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Undergrad gpa 3.2, MCAT 514, and I’m currently doing an SMP program (1 year special master’s degree) which I expect to end with about a 3.5. I also have research experience, a year working as an EMT, lots of volunteering and a really strong desire to do global medicine which is something they look for in candidates. Hope this helps!
 
marmoset53 said:
Interviewed March 9, and just received the "you passed the interview" Email yesterday!! When I had the pre-interview prep. phone call a week before the interview, the representative I spoke with from MedEdPath made it sound like getting the email that "you passed/your application is now being sent to Aus for further review" is a VERY good sign; but she didn't give any numerical statistics or say you can FOR SURE expect an acceptance at this point. I'm already celebrating though... :soexcited:
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I also interviewed March 9th and got the interview passing e-mail yesterday during my EMT shift! Guessing I probably should stop celebrating and wait for the decision early May haha
 
Very curious about the match...what do they mean by "nineteen of the matched positions were filled by students from our own University of Queensland – Ochsner Clinical School graduating class of 2017"?
Also, if only 87 entered, is there high attrition? I think the cohort size is 100 iirc
 
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DelayedGratification said:
Very curious about the match...what do they mean by "nineteen of the matched positions were filled by students from our own University of Queensland – Ochsner Clinical School graduating class of 2017"?
Also, if only 87 entered, is there high attrition? I think the cohort size is 100 iirc
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It means that 19 ochsner students matched to ochsner. They are celebrating because they filled every one of their positions
the 87 entered could certainly include a few students that dropped out, but there are other factors like students who choose and are able to stay in australia or somewhere else, or those that do extra research.
 
CleverAdvisor said:
It means that 19 ochsner students matched to ochsner. They are celebrating because they filled every one of their positions
the 87 entered could certainly include a few students that dropped out, but there are other factors like students who choose and are able to stay in australia or somewhere else, or those that do extra research.
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but it states its the graduating class of 2017....wouldn't that be last years graduating class matching THIS year instead?
 
The Australian school year is Jan/Feb to November. If you're in this program you graduate in November/December and begin residency June/July the next year. So this year's Match is the class of 2017. Next year's Match will be the class of 2018 that graduates in November 2018 to start residency in June/July 2019.
 
Class sizes have been increasing since inception and I'm not sure of what it was for '07 (though certainly *entering* classes are now over 100, from a start of 20-something as I recall) -- any takers?...though keep in mind that Match rates are always based on those who actually enter the Match.

Obviously it'd be ideal if we could compare grads across school who don't enter, but I think aside from simple *school* attrition rates, those stats would be inherently non-standardized and become unwieldy (e.g., 'x students reported they did not enter the Match for "personal reasons", y students for "ongoing/continued research", z students for having been "placed somewhere outside of the Match", zz students for "change of career", zzz not replying or reporting "f*k off wanker it's none of your business"...all malleable/subjective self-reporting of...nonsense, rendering even a gross stat of "Match % of class graduates" meaningless for comparison purposes).

At any rate, I find it interesting that apparently Ochsner also places grads into primary care at a rate only slightly higher than US Med grads (implying comparable overall specialty placement, ignoring specialty outliers):

https://espace.library.uq.edu.au/da...Id~It3QbDw__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJKNBJ4MJBJNC6NLQ

The link appears to be timed, so if it doesn't work, search for:
"Initial Match Rates of an Innovative International Partnership: The Ochsner Clinical School Experience (2016)"
(...keeping in mind that that is an Ochsner publication)
 
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DelayedGratification said:
Very curious about the match...what do they mean by "nineteen of the matched positions were filled by students from our own University of Queensland – Ochsner Clinical School graduating class of 2017"?
Also, if only 87 entered, is there high attrition? I think the cohort size is 100 iirc
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That means that 19 of the matched positions at Ochsner were filled by UQ-O students, their "own" students rather than students from other medical schools.

87 entered the match, not sure what the entering class size was 4 years ago. For my class it is certainly over 100 but previous class sizes have been smaller. Attrition rate is not known to be significant.

Pitman is correct in that the 95% match rate, and (from what I hear) very strong matches (list will be published shortly) reflects those students who entered the match. There are always students who don't enter due to varying reasons, i.e. haven't passed the steps, went back to oz, did a research year, etc.

Of those who want residency in the U.S. and have passed their step exams, it is extremely likely they will match somewhere. This is reflected in the 95% match rate.
 
I am currently doing a SMP and am interested in applying here as a backup if things don't work out stateside. I actually studied abroad at UQ for a semester during undergrad, and it seems like a much better option than the Caribbean. However, my MCAT is 502, so when do you think is the latest I could take it without applying too late or having the class fill up? Obviously, I won't have much time to study for it until I'm done with school in May.
 
piotrkol1 said:
I am currently doing a SMP and am interested in applying here as a backup if things don't work out stateside. I actually studied abroad at UQ for a semester during undergrad, and it seems like a much better option than the Caribbean. However, my MCAT is 502, so when do you think is the latest I could take it without applying too late or having the class fill up? Obviously, I won't have much time to study for it until I'm done with school in May.
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The latest you should take it is the earliest you feel prepared. Whether that means it takes you 1,2,3 months of dedicated study is up to you. That is more important than rushing to take it for a deadline. Apply when you are ready. If it's too late then you'll be first up for the year after. You can call mededpath and ask them when they filled the class last year to get an idea of what would be considered "late". But bear in mind people drop out last minute and previous years have no bearing on when the next year's class fills.
 
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I have a few other questions about the program:
1.) During the first two years are there any breaks long enough where you would be able to go home and visit family? Or should you plan on staying in Australia the entire time?
2.) Are the tests multiple choice?
3.) Is class attendance mandatory? Are lectures recorded and posted online?
4.) Do you spend a lot of time reading textbooks or are powerpoint notes/slides sufficient?
Thanks.
 
piotrkol1 said:
I have a few other questions about the program:
1.) During the first two years are there any breaks long enough where you would be able to go home and visit family? Or should you plan on staying in Australia the entire time?
2.) Are the tests multiple choice?
3.) Is class attendance mandatory? Are lectures recorded and posted online?
4.) Do you spend a lot of time reading textbooks or are powerpoint notes/slides sufficient?
Thanks.
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1) Yes, there is time off but it's not cheap to fly back. With that said I knew someone who flew back every break.
2) Mixed MCQ and SAQ
3) Some things are mandatory (when I went the only thing that was mandatory was CBL and the few required tutorials that were one off's like the sexual health examinations). I only went to required attendance things, some people went to everything. It's just personal preference. 90+% of lectures were posted online.
4) You'll find what works best for you - with that in mind UQ always has random facts they pull from random slides so if you want to do the absolute best you have to look at the slides and take note of whatever dumb facts they may throw in there.
 
piotrkol1 said:
I have a few other questions about the program:
1.) During the first two years are there any breaks long enough where you would be able to go home and visit family? Or should you plan on staying in Australia the entire time?
2.) Are the tests multiple choice?
3.) Is class attendance mandatory? Are lectures recorded and posted online?
4.) Do you spend a lot of time reading textbooks or are powerpoint notes/slides sufficient?
Thanks.
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Sean answered your questions, just to elaborate on a few points:

1) During the first 2 years you get 1 week off halfway through each semester (sometimes these mid-semester week breaks occur before exams and sometimes they don't it just depends on the year this is a plus if you like to use the break week to catch up and study but not great if you want to just go on vacation the entire time)

You get 2 weeks off after each semester (people usually go home or go traveling during this time (mid june through early july),

and finally, 3 months off after the calendar year is over, i.e. November through January. During this 3 month break you are required to do 8 weeks of a clinical or research elective in Australia. This gives you about 3-4 weeks of dedicated time off after first year is over to go home if you wish. You can do the 8 weeks whenever during the break so you can try and schedule your time off for xmas or thanksgiving or after new years, whatever you prefer.

4) Learning is highly individualized, you will find resources that work best for you whether that is lecture slides, textbooks, CBL assigned readings, online resources, videos, etc. Different strokes for different folks. You will figure it out as you go.
 
But other than those 2 crazy good matches, are the rest really that good? I don't see EM at strong programs like last year and I also don't see strong IM matches other than ochsner (last year UQO matched into Upenn IM and UT austin IM)?
 
dobviously said:
But other than those 2 crazy good matches, are the rest really that good? I don't see EM at strong programs like last year and I also don't see strong IM matches other than ochsner (last year UQO matched into Upenn IM and UT austin IM)?
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All classes are different in caliber. I think the point is that the top of UQO can do VERY well which means the IMG status isnt as limiting as caribbean schools for example.
 
sidefx said:
Of course you're not going to see tons of people matching to high calibre programs from an IMG cohort... the more important question is: what is the match ceiling? The Ochsner match rate and the ceiling for calibre of program are both notably higher when compared to Caribbean schools. As long as you know what the ceiling of possibility is, the rest is up to you. You're going to have to work much harder to match well coming from an IMG program like Ochsner, but it is attainable as evidenced by the recurrence of several very strong matches in every cohort.
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Apparently 46% match into their 1st Choice, 23% 2nd Choice, and 14% 3rd Choice- so it seems like these students aren't desperate to match like other IMG students trying to "match anywhere". I really wonder how much extra work it takes to match into these competitive residencies in comparison to domestic students.

Also, I am under the impression that top students at UQ have a higher ceiling than top students at most DO schools at the moment, but overall is more difficult for the average student to match well. Would you all agree? Or am I interpretting this data wrong?
 
dobviously said:
But other than those 2 crazy good matches, are the rest really that good? I don't see EM at strong programs like last year and I also don't see strong IM matches other than ochsner (last year UQO matched into Upenn IM and UT austin IM)?
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From everyone I have talked to above me this was considered a very good match. There was a Dartmouth match again, Vanderbilt, cleveland clinic, Sinai, U of Chicago, but the biggest takeaway from this year's match is the opening up of California which is notoriously hard for IMGs to match into. We had several match into big University programs in Cali which is not easy.
 
Good point, as this was a sticking point in years past (Cali and NY having been obstructionist previously).
 
Meanwhile, Ochsner as of 2016 placed a slightly higher percent of grads into primary care generally than the average for US med schools.
 
Did anyone receive an e-mail from MedEdPath telling that they sent the first batch of applications to Australia yet? Thought we would receive one this week but not sure yet.
 
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twirl2010 said:
This was actually the largest FM class they have had so far, with some pretty good matches that will hopefully open some doors for people in the future if interested.
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FM is not competitive. But I suppose I understand your point that the more people who get positions in FM opens more doors if others are also interested. Some people like FM and want it as a first choice.
 
dobviously said:
But other than those 2 crazy good matches, are the rest really that good? I don't see EM at strong programs like last year and I also don't see strong IM matches other than ochsner (last year UQO matched into Upenn IM and UT austin IM)?
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What you fail to see, by just looking at the match outcome and not speaking directly to this cohort of students, is that the match is a reflection of student want/desires and less about caliber. Speaking to these students, a lot of them interviewed at strong programs (UPenn, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic etc) but a lot of them chose to rank other places higher for various reasons (family, ultimate fit of the program). One thing you will realize when you interview is that some of these big name programs aren't necessarily the best places to train. Some know they can treat their residents poorly because they will always have people who are just attracted to the name. This becomes very obvious on interview day. Also take the time to research some of these matches; a lot them ARE strong but might not be obviously so to a premed.
 
BasicB15 said:
What you fail to see, by just looking at the match outcome and not speaking directly to this cohort of students, is that the match is a reflection of student want/desires and less about caliber. Speaking to these students, a lot of them interviewed at strong programs (UPenn, Cleveland Clinic, Mayo Clinic etc) but a lot of them chose to rank other places higher for various reasons (family, ultimate fit of the program). One thing you will realize when you interview is that some of these big name programs aren't necessarily the best places to train. Some know they can treat their residents poorly because they will always have people who are just attracted to the name. This becomes very obvious on interview day. Also take the time to research some of these matches; a lot them ARE strong but might not be obviously so to a premed.
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Exactly. Take the most recent non-Ochsner IM matches, for instance. Many are at solid programs in VERY desireable locations (Santa Barbara, Denver, Miami) which I can assure you are just as competitive as many more big name programs in worse locations. As for EM, I don’t even think big names really matter, as there aren’t any competitive fellowships off of it (plus, I would think that out of all specialities, training at a community program would be best for EM in terms of exposure).
 
One more question for past/current students: Did anyone live downtown in the city (Brisbane CBD) or did most people stay close to campus (St. Lucia)? When I studied abroad there my apartment was near Roma Street Station and the courthouse.
 
piotrkol1 said:
One more question for past/current students: Did anyone live downtown in the city (Brisbane CBD) or did most people stay close to campus (St. Lucia)? When I studied abroad there my apartment was near Roma Street Station and the courthouse.
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I lived in Bowen Hills right next to the train station - walking distance to the Royal, and the train took me right to Park Road when I had to go to Uni.
 
Are there essay prompts for the 2019 Cohort? I haven't seen them and it seems like MCAT, transcripts, and the hard copy application are all that's required.
 
piotrkol1 said:
One more question for past/current students: Did anyone live downtown in the city (Brisbane CBD) or did most people stay close to campus (St. Lucia)? When I studied abroad there my apartment was near Roma Street Station and the courthouse.
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Plenty of people live downtown Brisbane CBD, its an easy enough bus to campus and clinical schools. Not that many Ochsners lived in St. Lucia as there isn't much to do there besides being walking distance to class and sometimes walking might take longer than being on the bus anyway depending where in St lucia.
 
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LebronManning said:
There are 3 essay prompts at the end of the application though?
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Nope - all taken out. I was looking for those three prompts too - but they are not there, so I asked admissions and they told me they removed them. Do let me know if you still see them though LOL.
 
Venusian said:
Nope - all taken out. I was looking for those three prompts too - but they are not there, so I asked admissions and they told me they removed them. Do let me know if you still see them though LOL.
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Oh yeah you're right! Just checked and they have taken it out. That's weird though..I wonder why they would do that? Does this mean they don't care about extra curriculars haha?

Also we can still send in letters of recommendation right? I believe they're optional. Do they accept interfolio?
 
LebronManning said:
Oh yeah you're right! Just checked and they have taken it out. That's weird though..I wonder why they would do that? Does this mean they don't care about extra curriculars haha?

Also we can still send in letters of recommendation right? I believe they're optional. Do they accept interfolio?
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No idea at all about LORs, but I think if you send them in - they will accept. Def optional. As for essays, they told me that they took essay prompts out because they felt like they can gauge the personal attributes/genuine interest in medicine through interview.
 
lowriskchestpain said:
Got an e-mail from MedEdPath today: "Your application... has been sent to the University of Queensland for review. Decisions will be issued on a rolling basis until the class is filled. We expect to hear back with a decision in 6-8 weeks..."
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When were you complete and when did you interview?
 
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