UQ-Ochsner 2020 Cohort

[seujplgi]

I am also a first year student and know of many other students who have had a ton of problems organizing their observership so I guess it’s a mixed bag! I ended up having to spend a lot of time reaching out to hundreds doctors across the country and only got 2 responses, one of which required I pay a hefty application fee. I’m good now but it was not a fun process. I think I know of at least 5 other students off the top of my head who have still not been able to finalize their placements even though they’ve been looking for a while. Luckily it’s only an issue 1st year and then you won’t have to deal with it again

That sounds extremely scary...

---

Members don't see this ad.

 

[mcat_taker]

I am also a first year student and know of many other students who have had a ton of problems organizing their observership so I guess it’s a mixed bag! I ended up having to spend a lot of time reaching out to hundreds doctors across the country and only got 2 responses, one of which required I pay a hefty application fee. I’m good now but it was not a fun process. I think I know of at least 5 other students off the top of my head who have still not been able to finalize their placements even though they’ve been looking for a while. Luckily it’s only an issue 1st year and then you won’t have to deal with it again

I understand your frustration. But at the end of the day no one goes without getting an observership some how some way. Although being without one in the meantime can be frustrating. I am sure that when November came around UQ would have found something for you had you still not been able to find something on your own.

 

[aammkk]

Hi everyone,

I have a few questions about the pre-matriculation requirements, especially the student background check:

1. For the student background check in PreCheck, do I use this link (Home Page)? If so, what do I input for the “School” and “Program” boxes? Do I also have to input every U.S. and international address I lived in the past seven years in PreCheck?
2. On the UQ website, it says students have to complete a criminal history check for “any country you have resided in for a period of more than two years since reaching 18 years of age.” For a person who, say, lived in a country (other than the U.S.) for 1.5 years, then moved to the U.S. for 1 year, and then went back to living in the first country for 1 year, does that person need to complete the criminal history check for the first country?
   
   Thank you!

To be on the safe side, I would send these questions to Toby Hudson. She has been extremely helpful with my questions and has probably encountered this before in a previous cohort

 

[TakeNoLs]

Over here refreshing my email every 5 minutes lol

 

[seujplgi]

Over here refreshing my email every 5 minutes lol

I will definitely be doing the same tomorrow, even though I know my phone is perfectly capable of syncing on it's own haha
I honestly don't even think I have a chance, but hope is enticing.

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

Anybody know what time the people in the last round of acceptances got the news

 

[TakeNoLs]

Anybody know what time the people in the last round of acceptances got the news

I'm looking at last year's thread and there's no definitive time/day. But I think that's possibly because the admissions process was different last year and the years before that? Apparently people were notified of "passing" the interview, and if they passed the interview they usually got in a week or two later. This year I guess UQ is doing the evaluations themselves and they'll be sending out decisions collectively for each interview date/group. Also there wasn't any "you passed the interview" emails sent out this time around I guess, just an acknowledgement that the interview requirement was completed.

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

I'm looking at last year's thread and there's no definitive time/day. But I think that's possibly because the admissions process was different last year and the years before that? Apparently people were notified of "passing" the interview, and if they passed the interview they usually got in a week or two later. This year I guess UQ is doing the evaluations themselves and they'll be sending out decisions collectively for each interview date/group. Also there wasn't any "you passed the interview" emails sent out this time around I guess, just an acknowledgement that the interview requirement was completed.

They told me it comes out October 1

 

[TakeNoLs]

They told me it comes out October 1

They told you that specific date?? Oh jeez, time to double down on the email refreshing lol

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

They told you that specific date?? Oh jeez, time to double down on the email refreshing lol

Yes. Make sure you check is at least every 30-40 seconds until it comes out. You’ll jinx yourself otherwise. Cancel all your plans for the day

 

[flowers4all]

Guess not today

Yes. Make sure you check is at least every 30-40 seconds until it comes out. You’ll jinx yourself otherwise. Cancel all your plans for the day

Looks like it's not today. 5 PM in New York (MedEdPath HQ).

 

[seujplgi]

Guess not today


Looks like it's not today. 5 PM in New York (MedEdPath HQ).

I was going to say the same haha Time to stop bothering my phone every 15 seconds.

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

I was going to say the same haha Time to stop bothering my phone every 15 seconds.

Maybe it was the second.

 

[seujplgi]

Maybe it was the second.

My email only said first week of October so I was prepared to wait till Friday anyway haha Hopefully we hear back tomorrow, though. I have podiatry school apps to finish...

 

[flowers4all]

Maybe it was the second.

I was told 1st week of October too. Maybe you misheard 1st for Oct 1st . Would still like for it to be the 2nd rather than 4th (Friday) or 7th (next Monday).

 

[seujplgi]

I just got an email but it wasn't from mededpath... My heart literally skipped like four beats. I should just turn off the email notification at this point.

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

I just got an email but it wasn't from mededpath... My heart literally skipped like four beats. I should just turn off the email notification at this point.

No you shouldn’t. You should check every 15-20 seconds and then check tour junk after. It will make all the difference. Last thing you want is not get in because you jinxed yourself focusing on other things.

 

[DocLA22]

I am also a first year student and know of many other students who have had a ton of problems organizing their observership so I guess it’s a mixed bag! I ended up having to spend a lot of time reaching out to hundreds doctors across the country and only got 2 responses, one of which required I pay a hefty application fee. I’m good now but it was not a fun process. I think I know of at least 5 other students off the top of my head who have still not been able to finalize their placements even though they’ve been looking for a while. Luckily it’s only an issue 1st year and then you won’t have to deal with it again

Could you not ask you CBL or CC tute if they knew anyone? Ask second years what they did? Call doctors offices or meet people in person to get it situated?

 

[DocLA22]

I’ll bite lol although I don’t have too much to add. I think their write up was pretty accurate. I guess the only think I can add besides my issues with observership stuff is that I have also had a bad experience with admin but as you said it doesn’t matter for most students. Generally I think they tend to blame students for anything that goes wrong, which sometimes is valid but most of the time is not. As long as you have no issues/UQ doesn’t mess anything up for you personally you shouldn’t need to deal with it, but yeah you should pray that you don’t need to haha

My bottom line was, the support or lack thereof from the administration shouldn’t really concern prospective students. Idk what conversations take place between both parties if there is ever an issue, but the point is, there shouldn’t be any issues that make coming to this school regrettable. Like I said, in the first 2 years, just study, pass the tests, take step and move on. The second phase of med school is where schools can really differentiate themselves and it’s well known we get a prime education at Ochsner. I felt it was necessary for me to respond to middle meningeals comments because if I was a prospective student with very limited knowledge of what actual life in Med school is like, I would’ve been extremely concerned reading their post. With hardly anyone to talk to about what UQ-O is like, I would’ve read that post and had serious doubts about deciding to come here. I responded to help alleviate any doubts some of you might’ve gotten, because overall, their issues are not drastic ones. Bottom line, I just wanted to say that their perspective (though I’m sure valid in their eyes) is one you shouldn’t be all that worried about. They complained about things that should not make or break your med school experience. There are many reasons to choose or not choose a Med school, and an uncooperative administration is not one of them. The struggle of Finding an observership is also not one of them (especially when everyone In the end will get one). So if you’re trying to get good, honest, and objective feedback of what it’s like here, I’m happy to answer questions for anyone. @mcat_taker being a 4th year obviously has a lot more knowledge about the school than I do and has been a very helpful source of information throughout the years. Hopefully more phase 2 students can chip in to help prospective students get an idea of the program.

 

[TakeNoLs]

I just got an email but it wasn't from mededpath... My heart literally skipped like four beats. I should just turn off the email notification at this point.

I made the mistake of setting my mail notifications tone the same as the tone for incoming texts . . . friend texted me at 8 am and I didn't even need the alarm to go off to be wide awake lol

It sounds like anywhere between now and October 9 is fair game to hear back. Imma *try* to keep the stress levels down until then

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

Is this a bad sign that I haven’t heard anything

 

[seujplgi]

View attachment 282025 Is this a bad sign that I haven’t heard anything

I think they are releasing the results for both August interview dates together, so you'll probably hear back this week (they told me first week of October).

 

[canquito]

Now that the 2020 cohort app cycle is wrapping up, has anyone checked out the app portal on the new Ochsner-UQ page?

Admissions

Prepare for the challenges and rewards of a world-class medical career. Learn about our admissions criteria, how to apply and more.

ochsner.uq.edu.au

I may have been a bit overzealous by submitting my app today, but apparently intake for the 2021 starting cohort is open.

Best of luck to those waiting for good news this week!

 

[Codpod]

Isn't there still an interview date on October 18th for the Feburary 2020 cohort?

 

[canquito]

Isn't there still an interview date on October 18th for the Feburary 2020 cohort?

On the Mededpth site, the 18th looks like the last date. Maybe because the apps are sent to UQ directly, the window to submit them opened earlier.

 

[seujplgi]

Now that the 2020 cohort app cycle is wrapping up, has anyone checked out the app portal on the new Ochsner-UQ page?

Admissions

Prepare for the challenges and rewards of a world-class medical career. Learn about our admissions criteria, how to apply and more.

ochsner.uq.edu.au

I may have been a bit overzealous by submitting my app today, but apparently intake for the 2021 starting cohort is open.

Best of luck to those waiting for good news this week!

Wait, so you submitted your application for the 2021 cohort today? Didn't you say you were accepted into the 2020 cohort a few months ago? I apologize if I misunderstood.

 

[canquito]

Yeah, I was accepted but let my conditional offer expire. Graduating in Dec did not leave much time to organize the necessary paperwork, financial aid, etc that is dependent on the CoE which itself is dependent on graduating.

I asked Toby if this would have any repercussions like being blacklisted or something absurd like that. She said that wouldn't be the case and I was free re-apply.

So when I saw the "Apply Now" box, I did just that haha. I'll doubt they'll look at it anytime soon, but I liked the program enough to try again. That being said, it only took about 10 minutes from start to finish. UQ really, really streamlined it. No mailing through -mail, no signature forms on long non-letter-sized paper to print, and no writing in the date in Australian format. Just upload the pdf's, type your info, verify, and send. It's eerily convenient, I've had more trouble turning in assignments than the new app tbqh.

I predict this convenience will attract even more applicants who are just clicks away from being considered and/or accepted by a rockstar international program.

 

[corgithedoc]

I think they are releasing the results for both August interview dates together, so you'll probably hear back this week (they told me first week of October).

I called Alex with mededpath and she told me that they just got the decisions from UQ so we will be hearing in the next couple days or early next week. Nothing new but thought I’d share.

 

[seujplgi]

I called Alex with mededpath and she told me that they just got the decisions from UQ so we will be hearing in the next couple days or early next week. Nothing new but thought I’d share.

This is very new and helpful information you've shared with us because I can stop checking my email every 30 seconds today Thanks!

 

[TakeNoLs]

No mailing through

-mail, no signature forms on long non-letter-sized paper to print, and no writing in the date in Australian format. Just upload the pdf's, type your info, verify, and send. It's eerily convenient, I've had more trouble turning in assignments than the new app tbqh.

Wow, that sounds pretty convenient. Only transcripts + MCAT and no resumes/activities/letters of rec considered with this new app too, or does it allow you to upload those?

I called Alex with mededpath and she told me that they just got the decisions from UQ so we will be hearing in the next couple days or early next week. Nothing new but thought I’d share.

Thank you for calling her and asking!

 

[canquito]

Wow, that sounds pretty convenient. Only transcripts + MCAT and no resumes/activities/letters of rec considered with this new app too, or does it allow you to upload those?



Thank you for calling her and asking!

Yup, only transcripts and MCAT. I'm sure they'll clarify if rec letters, resume/CV, and awards will be considered. In past years they haven't been.

I think they place a lot of value in the MMI since it's the better way (compared to cross-examining you and your PS/rec letters) to see who you are, how you think and what you value on the spot(s).

EDIT: Heard back from Australian rep who just requested update for when I graduated.

 

[seujplgi]

Anyone else get their results?

 

[flowers4all]

Accepted

 

[seujplgi]

I was accepted as well!
Felt a bit cautious sharing the news, though. You know, just in case someone from the August interviews didn't get in, god forbid.
Excited to meet you guys!

 

[TakeNoLs]

At a loss for words . . . accepted!!!

In terms of accepting the offer of admission, are we supposed to mail the packet to MedEdPath in NYC or can we email it to Alex? Should we just wait until we get the email from Toby?

 

[Intenslikcampin]

At a loss for words . . . accepted!!!

In terms of accepting the offer of admission, are we supposed to mail the packet to MedEdPath in NYC or can we email it to Alex? Should we just wait until we get the email from Toby?

You can email everything but you will get a packet explaining next steps. Congrats everyone!

 

[Futuredoc1997199]

Accepted

 

[TakeNoLs]

I think we can email it to [email protected] according to the offer letter.

I think the email from Alex mentioned that MedEdPath actually wants us to send them the packet instead of through the university!

I'm a little confused on whether this tuition deposit can be paid by credit card or not

 

[seujplgi]

I think the email from Alex mentioned that MedEdPath actually wants us to send them the packet instead of through the university!

I'm a little confused on whether this tuition deposit can be paid by credit card or not

I guess the directions on the actual letter applies to other international students, not for the UQ-O students. I read the email again and you're right about sending everything to MedEdPath.

 

[Intenslikcampin]

I think the email from Alex mentioned that MedEdPath actually wants us to send them the packet instead of through the university!

I'm a little confused on whether this tuition deposit can be paid by credit card or not

I emailed my packet to MedEdPath and you have to wire transfer the deposit so it needs to be from a bank account.

Insurance can be payed with a credit card though. I got a travel card and I've been using it for international payments to avoid fees and rack up some points for all the flying we'll have to do haha.

 

[seujplgi]

I'm refreshing my email for the "Sorry, we made a mistake" letter :/

 

[Nayrbgonf]

Congrats to everyone that got accepted today! Can't wait to see you all next year!

 

[TakeNoLs]

Is everyone else just gonna wait for Toby's email with the instructions? I want to submit the acceptance ASAP but I don't want to mess up and have the acceptance delayed lol

Edit: Just got the instructions email, nvm!

Also +1, really excited to meet you all next year . . . we're in med school yo!!!

 

[akinetopsia]

Congrats to everyone who got accepted! Current 4th year, and it goes by fast!

 

[sean80439]

Hi! first year UQ-O student here. I wanted to put myself out there to answer any questions and provide y'all with some info about the program that I have not encountered elsewhere on the internet!

disclaimer- Some of my opinions are negative and I just want to be clear I am not here to bash this program for my own benefit. I am really just trying to help future/prospective students by telling the truth. I wish I had known a lot of this earlier so that I could be more prepared. Please feel free to reach out/message me directly with any other questions!!


-Lectures: UQ uses a lot of guest lecturers. Because of this, the quality of lecture is inconsistent and all over the place. Overall for me this is not a huge problem but do note that you will need to use these to study for UQ exams as they like to include minutia from lectures. They are available online which is super convenient and it's up to you to decide if you benefit from attending them in person. Keep in mind there are about 500 first year med students so it's very impersonal; if you're not there no one will miss you

-CBL/CCE: These are the classes you are obligated to attend and you will be with the same CBL group of ~10 students the whole year. This is about 7 hours total per week. All tutors and coaches are not created equal and this can severely impact your experience. For CBL the only thing a bad tutor will impact is your sanity but for CCE a bad tutor can make it difficult to learn the clinical examinations properly (these are graded). My personal experience with this has been unfortunately pretty bad but I have friends who have been blessed with great CBL members/tutors so it's kind of the luck of the draw!

-All other "tutes": These are practicals (labs) that are built into your schedule. Pretty sure none of them are mandatory and again the tutors for these vary so unless you luck out with good tutors, most students have concluded that these are a waste of time and therefore don't attend. Some people still go and you will be able to determine for yourself if you will learn better by reading through the notes as home. Most people will recommend going to "GAF" which is anatomy lab but YMMV because these are very crowded and they are unguided unless you are lucky enough to find a tutor to go through things with you. Teach yourself everything beforehand so that you are not a lost puppy in the lab!!

-Exams: The way UQ exam questions are written will make you want to bang your head against a wall. Often they include several questions that should be thrown out for being vague or having multiple answers but they always keep them in there. This is one of those things that everyone just finds a way to accept and deal with. I think this is a really common sentiment in medical school so I don't know how much worse UQ is than average.

-Observership: I want to be really, really clear with something that was not obvious to me beforehand. UQ does not help you with securing your observerships besides offering the possibility to place you for 4 of the 8 weeks (you do not get to choose location or specialty if you apply for this, and nothing is guaranteed). You will need to cold call random doctors and pray that someone will be willing to sign a placement agreement. Flashback to undergrad when you were reaching out to doctors and asking if you could shadow them once a week; except this time they have to commit to doing extra work and being responsible for your education. Some people luck out with this and don't have much problem. For others this process has been an absolute nightmare. UQ prohibits you from reaching out to any public health facility across the entire state as well as any practitioner that is affiliated with UQ or any UQ clinical sites. There is so much I could say about how unreasonable and unprofessional this is on UQs part but I will save you the rant and get to the point- worst case scenario, expect to have to pay tuition to other institutions for observership placement ($1000+ per placement) that is not included in your loans so budget accordingly. Because of how limited we are in where we can observe in Brisbane the other option is to do an observership out of state which will be at an added cost regardless. If by some miracle you are able to secure a full 8 weeks in Brisbane without paying extra tuition fees it will be with a GP in an outer suburb; so contact these people first.

-Ochsner: At the beginning of the year you will get a really good explanation of Step resources and recommendations from other students. For the rest of year 1 there is not really a ton of added support or anything specific to Ochsnser besides the student association so for all intents and purposes you are just like any other UQ med student (except that your tuition is way more lol). You will have minimal communication with Ochsner admin. (For example: still no one has really told us about how the program is changing or anything because of the MedEd contract ending)

-UQ Med: No medical school is perfect, and I really have nothing to compare this to since I have obviously never attended any other med school. I think this is a common consensus; and many programs are plagued by the similar problems, so I probably would not use this as a deciding factor. But I will say... the lack of respect and support that the UQ faculty of medicine has for their students is seriously shocking. Don't expect them to listen or care to anything you have to say. If they make any kind of mistake, do not expect them to take responsibility for it or try to fix it. There are some admin staff that are nice and seem like they almost want to help but in the end they will not do anything for you, whether it's because they just don't want to or because their hands are tied. My experience with this administration has been so awful that it has made me regret turning down other schools to come here. There is so much that happens that is blatantly unfair and you can certainly just "suck it up and get through it" but it is a significant added layer of stress that is unecessary and important to take into account.

-Brisbane: Some people love it and others don't, but I have been pleasantly surprised with this city. It's really affordable and the transport is better than in most of the US, plus it's relatively safe. I highly recommend living along the busway because it is reliable and bypasses traffic. Specifically I'd recommend looking at places in walking distance of Wollongabba station, South Bank station, Mater Hill station, or Cultural Center station. However, there are plenty of students living in other places (Toowong, Milton, CBD) that are very happy there. I did not find the process of finding a place/signing a lease/moving in as quick as some other people suggested, so I recommend getting to Brisbane a good 2-3 weeks before orientation to sort this out.

Counterpoint: I know a lot of doctors that went to both Australian and American med schools. The experience is pretty much equal everywhere with respect to the stupidity of things that need to be organized, exam questions, etc. I can tell you that by far and away I had the most free time to do what I wanted and how I wanted to study compared to many of my friends. It’s only 2 years. If these things bother you now medicine might not be the career for you. This is an ongoing thing universally. A large problem you have as a student and I’m sure everyone has felt this way is that you don’t see the other side until you’re there. We’re only there to help you learn. Just ask anyone to show you something and they will. Our job is also to educate.

 

[purplelion]

Is there a facebook group yet?

 

[Intenslikcampin]

Is there a facebook group yet?

Yeah, I got an email with a link to the group after I got my CoE

 

[Codpod]

Anyone interviewing on October 18th?

 

[seujplgi]

Paid my deposit and submitted all the documents to accept my offer! Waiting to hear back from a few DO schools I've interviewed at but UQ-O is my first choice.

Good luck to everyone interviewing on the 18th and looking forward to meeting all of you in Brisbane!

 

[ilovechocolate1995]

Can a current student speak a bit on the timeline for years 3 and 4 at Ochsner? As in, how many consecutive weeks are the rotations and when are our weeks off, etc? And how long can an away rotation request be for? Thanks!