UQ-Ochsner 2022 Cohort

[Wolvvs]

I totally forgot about that signature! I’m really not sure actually. I’m also on one MD waitlist (won’t say which, they’re always watching) but it’s a pretty well-ranked school so I’ll probably go there if I get in. As for my acceptance I’ll have to do some thinking and decide whether I would want to practice in the US or outside of it, because UQ does open up that option. I think that practicing in Australia would be an awesome opportunity though, so I’m heavily considering going to UQ should I get in.

That makes sense, and yeah a few students from the Ochsner cohort do decide to stay in Australia for their training. That being said, if you plan to practice in the US at any point, it would make more sense to complete residency in the US and then explore working in other countries. It's relatively easier (although not easy) to be licensed in Australia with US training than to be licensed in the US with Australian training. But if you do decide to go with UQ-Ochsner, you'll have plenty of time to think about and make that decision!

Good luck with your MD waitlist, and hope you get good news from UQ soon! Last year they were sending results out around 3 weeks after the interview but I have no idea if things will be any different this year.

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[Whospitonmypancakes]

I know every person in this thread is waiting to hear back on their interviews, just want to wish everyone good luck and that I hope we can all be future classmates! 😀

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Hi all! I was hesitant about posting on here based on the initial comments but here I am now. I interviewed 3/25 and waiting to hear back... I agree with the awkward silences at the interviews! Very different from other interviews.

Anyone have any input on US DO vs UQ-O? I have a couple of DO acceptances (would start school in July 2021) and I think most SDN folk say to stick to US schools but after seeing the 2021 match list for UQ-O, I'm pleasantly surprised. But then that means matching in 2026 instead of 2025? If we graduate December 2025 that is.

Thanks 🙂

 

[Wolvvs]

Yes, if you already have an acceptance for this coming Fall then choosing UQO would mean delaying your match by a year. That's not necessarily a bad thing as it allows you more time to go through rotations and find what you want to do/get letters and do aways with more experience, but that can be a really hard sell when weighed against an additional year.

 

[caterwaiter]

Hi all! I was hesitant about posting on here based on the initial comments but here I am now. I interviewed 3/25 and waiting to hear back... I agree with the awkward silences at the interviews! Very different from other interviews.

Anyone have any input on US DO vs UQ-O? I have a couple of DO acceptances (would start school in July 2021) and I think most SDN folk say to stick to US schools but after seeing the 2021 match list for UQ-O, I'm pleasantly surprised. But then that means matching in 2026 instead of 2025? If we graduate December 2025 that is.

Thanks 🙂

I'm trying to make a similar decision! From what I can tell, UQ-O is a well regarded program and I've heard good things from friends that are current students. Matching competitively as an IMG is always an uphill battle, but I have to believe at least part of it comes down to the kind of student and applicant you are. With regards to the delayed match, I think I would actually like the time off to travel, hang out with family and friends, etc. before starting residency. Some may not like the time off.

If you happen to want to chat pros/cons about specific DO programs, feel free to PM me! I've done an ungodly amount of research that I'd be happy to share lol.

 

[skiteflies123]

Hey y'all I just wanted to put myself out there. I'm another first year along with @Wolvvs and I check the posts every so often. Feel free to pm me about any questions as well. In regards to US DO vs UQ, I had a similar choice last year. I chose to go to UQ but I would say break it down depending on the school and what your goals are.

 

[13grayson27]

Hey y'all I just wanted to put myself out there. I'm another first year along with @Wolvvs and I check the posts every so often. Feel free to pm me about any questions as well. In regards to US DO vs UQ, I had a similar choice last year. I chose to go to UQ but I would say break it down depending on the school and what your goals are.

Hi, there!

Do you or @Wolvvs know of any classmates (or yourself) that got into UQ and then applied for MD/DO during the 6 months you had before starting at UQ in January? Just curious if you had heard anything about that/have any opinions on it. Thanks so much!

 

[Wolvvs]

Hi, there!

Do you or @Wolvvs know of any classmates (or yourself) that got into UQ and then applied for MD/DO during the 6 months you had before starting at UQ in January? Just curious if you had heard anything about that/have any opinions on it. Thanks so much!

I don't know if anyone's done that. There are a lot of USMD acceptances (or even interviews) that go out in January/February or even later, so it's possible there would be a situation where you'd have to choose between starting at UQ and waiting to hear back after a December interview or something similar. Matriculating at one medical school generally makes students ineligible to matriculate at another medical school. I think the argument for DO over UQ becomes much weaker if you don't have to give up a year for UQ--but that's my personal opinion and I'm sure others think differently.

Given the application timing, people (including me) tend to apply after an unsuccessful US application cycle. I considered another US application cycle, but I didn't have the time or energy to address the issues with my application so I didn't think applying again would help. I also really just wanted to get started, and I'm really happy that I'm actually in school making progress.

I don't know your specific situation, but generally speaking if you think you've made substantial improvements to your application that will get you MD interviews, and you're potentially interested in very competitive specialties where the school you're coming from could affect your matching chances, then it might be worth applying. Otherwise, I think it's a lot of stress and a lot of time and money invested for potentially the same result. Again, just my opinion and if you ask the premed forum you will get a very different answer 🙂

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Hey y'all I just wanted to put myself out there. I'm another first year along with @Wolvvs and I check the posts every so often. Feel free to pm me about any questions as well. In regards to US DO vs UQ, I had a similar choice last year. I chose to go to UQ but I would say break it down depending on the school and what your goals are.

Thanks for offering to answer questions! 🙂

Would you or @Wolvvs as first years happen to know how your match to residency will be impacted as boards are P/NP for you? Has the UQ administration said anything about if they expect the residency placements to still be as impressive as in previous years? My concern is that with a P/NP board score and as an IMG applicant, I'll be at a disadvantage compared to US MD and US DO applicants with nothing to really stand out.

 

[Wolvvs]

Thanks for offering to answer questions! 🙂

Would you or @Wolvvs as first years happen to know how your match to residency will be impacted as boards are P/NP for you? Has the UQ administration said anything about if they expect the residency placements to still be as impressive as in previous years? My concern is that with a P/NP board score and as an IMG applicant, I'll be at a disadvantage compared to US MD and US DO applicants.

From what I've heard, a lot of DO applicants are worried about the same thing! Most likely Step 2 CK will replace Step 1 as the most important score, and research will become more important. And that second point could actually work in our favor as UQ Ochsner students.

UQ is one of the largest universities in Australia and has arguably the highest research output of any university in Australia, and Ochsner itself does plenty of clinical research and has lots of opportunities for students to participate. On the other hand, a lot of DO schools don't have any university behind them and I've heard that finding research can be more difficult.

I think if you ignore research and don't do well on Step 2 CK, it will become more difficult to stand out. But I think that's going to be true for everyone outside of top-tier MD programs.

 

[skiteflies123]

Hi, there!

Do you or @Wolvvs know of any classmates (or yourself) that got into UQ and then applied for MD/DO during the 6 months you had before starting at UQ in January? Just curious if you had heard anything about that/have any opinions on it. Thanks so much!

Yes I do actually. The person just had interviews at two MD schools like two weeks ago and is waiting to hear back. My only opinion on it is to be careful since some schools will blacklist you if they know you are at a med school already. Otherwise they may ask you why you plan on leaving that school. I can ask the person about any questions they may have asked them and get back to you though.

 

[skiteflies123]

Thanks for offering to answer questions! 🙂

Would you or @Wolvvs as first years happen to know how your match to residency will be impacted as boards are P/NP for you? Has the UQ administration said anything about if they expect the residency placements to still be as impressive as in previous years? My concern is that with a P/NP board score and as an IMG applicant, I'll be at a disadvantage compared to US MD and US DO applicants with nothing to really stand out.

So I've talked to several PDs at multiple locations and it seems the consensus is that it's going to make things more focused on connections along with the md/do merger. You can really form those connections in anyway e.g. research, extracurriculars, lor, and reputation of the school. I would say that the staff at Ochsner really seem like they are trying their best to help their students. They even meet with their students individually and tell them what they are competitive for. Also they will help you get rotations at different hospitals for your desired speciality if you are not able to do so yourself. I cant say how that compares to other DO schools, but I'm sure they would do the same if it's a reputable DO schools. Love the awesome questions, keep them coming!

Edit: wanted to add what wolvvs said about step 2ck is true as well! Find a way to make yourself stand out is basically what we are both getting at!

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

From what I've heard, a lot of DO applicants are worried about the same thing! Most likely Step 2 CK will replace Step 1 as the most important score, and research will become more important. And that second point could actually work in our favor as UQ Ochsner students.

UQ is one of the largest universities in Australia and has arguably the highest research output of any university in Australia, and Ochsner itself does plenty of clinical research and has lots of opportunities for students to participate. On the other hand, a lot of DO schools don't have any university behind them and I've heard that finding research can be more difficult.

I think if you ignore research and don't do well on Step 2 CK, it will become more difficult to stand out. But I think that's going to be true for everyone outside of top-tier MD programs.

So I've talked to several PDs at multiple locations and it seems the consensus is that it's going to make things more focused on connections along with the md/do merger. You can really form those connections in anyway e.g. research, extracurriculars, lor, and reputation of the school. I would say that the staff at Ochsner really seem like they are trying their best to help their students. They even meet with their students individually and tell them what they are competitive for. Also they will help you get rotations at different hospitals for your desired speciality if you are not able to do so yourself. I cant say how that compares to other DO schools, but I'm sure they would do the same if it's a reputable DO schools. Love the awesome questions, keep them coming!

Edit: wanted to add what wolvvs said about step 2ck is true as well! Find a way to make yourself stand out is basically what we are both getting at!

Thank you both for all the information! Much appreciated. Thankfully the DO I'm currently committed to is one of the older schools, and has a good reputation and plenty of research and community service opportunities. They do however have some administration issues and their board scores have been around 90%, which can be concerning. I know with Ochsner, the board pass rates and match rates have been exceptional, but one thing that I have seen is the somewhat high attrition rate. Do y'all think this is something to be concerned about?

I definitely agree on research, connections, and Step 2 CK as the best ways to stand out. I have heard Ochsner has a good amount of connections in the US which is why the match lists and percentages have been impressive. Would you say that's true?

That's really good to hear about the staff at Ochsner helping out with residencies and connections. I want to make sure to begin making connections ASAP when starting school and any advice is appreciated haha. My concern with the current DO school I'm committed to is if the administration won't care enough to help like that and I need to do it all on my own.

Again I haven't heard back from Ochsner yet lol I thought my interview went okay so I can't say for sure if I expect to get in.

 

[Wolvvs]

Thank you both for all the information! Much appreciated. Thankfully the DO I'm currently committed to is one of the older schools, and has a good reputation and plenty of research and community service opportunities. They do however have some administration issues and their board scores have been around 90%, which can be concerning. I know with Ochsner, the board pass rates and match rates have been exceptional, but one thing that I have seen is the somewhat high attrition rate. Do y'all think this is something to be concerned about?

I definitely agree on research, connections, and Step 2 CK as the best ways to stand out. I have heard Ochsner has a good amount of connections in the US which is why the match lists and percentages have been impressive. Would you say that's true?

That's really good to hear about the staff at Ochsner helping out with residencies and connections. I want to make sure to begin making connections ASAP when starting school and any advice is appreciated haha. My concern with the current DO school I'm committed to is if the administration won't care enough to help like that and I need to do it all on my own.

Again I haven't heard back from Ochsner yet lol I thought my interview went okay so I can't say for sure if I expect to get in.

We can try to help with some of these questions but as we're both first years we can't really speak to stuff like connections for residency placements 😛 @mcat_taker if you have time would you be able to answer some of these questions? I'm actually curious as well.

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

We can try to help with some of these questions but as we're both first years we can't really speak to stuff like connections for residency placements 😛 @mcat_taker if you have time would you be able to answer some of these questions? I'm actually curious as well.

Sorry! Haha I got carried away. Thanks for putting someone else's @ on here.

 

[skiteflies123]

Thank you both for all the information! Much appreciated. Thankfully the DO I'm currently committed to is one of the older schools, and has a good reputation and plenty of research and community service opportunities. They do however have some administration issues and their board scores have been around 90%, which can be concerning. I know with Ochsner, the board pass rates and match rates have been exceptional, but one thing that I have seen is the somewhat high attrition rate. Do y'all think this is something to be concerned about?

I definitely agree on research, connections, and Step 2 CK as the best ways to stand out. I have heard Ochsner has a good amount of connections in the US which is why the match lists and percentages have been impressive. Would you say that's true?

That's really good to hear about the staff at Ochsner helping out with residencies and connections. I want to make sure to begin making connections ASAP when starting school and any advice is appreciated haha. My concern with the current DO school I'm committed to is if the administration won't care enough to help like that and I need to do it all on my own.

Again I haven't heard back from Ochsner yet lol I thought my interview went okay so I can't say for sure if I expect to get in.

I can't speak too much about the residency stuff because as @Wolvvs said, I don't know too much as a first year only the things ive heard through the grapevine. So I'll leave that part unanswered for now .

As far as the attrition, well they actually claim to have the same attrition rate as USMD schools, but Im not exactly sure what goes on to the other people. I emailed about this last year before accepting and was just told that not every year had 120 students and often they had less. Plus there would be quite a few people that would pursue a master's/phd/one year research position as well as some people that change into staying in australia (which I guess isn't included in attrition). I'm still not sure it all adds up to me, but when I talked to a lot of the upper years about it, they all told me not to worry because the majority of people make it and they didn't know anyone that got kicked out. So take that how you will.

 

[mcat_taker]

Thank you both for all the information! Much appreciated. Thankfully the DO I'm currently committed to is one of the older schools, and has a good reputation and plenty of research and community service opportunities. They do however have some administration issues and their board scores have been around 90%, which can be concerning. I know with Ochsner, the board pass rates and match rates have been exceptional, but one thing that I have seen is the somewhat high attrition rate. Do y'all think this is something to be concerned about?

I definitely agree on research, connections, and Step 2 CK as the best ways to stand out. I have heard Ochsner has a good amount of connections in the US which is why the match lists and percentages have been impressive. Would you say that's true?

That's really good to hear about the staff at Ochsner helping out with residencies and connections. I want to make sure to begin making connections ASAP when starting school and any advice is appreciated haha. My concern with the current DO school I'm committed to is if the administration won't care enough to help like that and I need to do it all on my own.

Again I haven't heard back from Ochsner yet lol I thought my interview went okay so I can't say for sure if I expect to get in.

Hi @eppendorf1.5ml @Wolvvs

The attrition rate is low at UQ-O and comparable with US schools. Not sure where you are seeing a high attrition rate. Anecdotally I don't personally know anyone who was kicked out. That being said there is always a discrepancy between the people graduating and the people matching because not everyone finishes their USMLEs on time. Of those who do and enter the match the match rate is high as can be seen from this year's 97% match rate which is based on the people who are match eligible and entered the match. It is not the school's fault if you are not match eligible because you didn't sit all the USMLEs.

Unclear how step 1 going pass fail will affect the UQO match. We won't know until that happens.

Personally I think that UQO is a better option than attending DO school but I am biased. Yes DO schools are American schools but there is still a bias with attending them when it comes to matching into competitive residencies. Your best bet is to look at your school's DO match list and compare it to UQO. There are a lot of newer DO schools out there that don't have good reputations. If the board pass rate is concerning to you at the DO school you mention above there must be a reason for that. Onerous program requirements preventing study, quality of students, or other factors to look into.

Not sure about the connections in the U.S. you mention and ask about. Ochsner is well known in Louisiana and you will likely get residency interviews from the other programs in the state. Additionally Ochsner itself historically has shown preference to taking in house applicants for IM, anesthesia, psych, and peds (a good thing). Every year we match a significant number in house to those specialities. So you have to be ok with potentially spending more time in Louisiana because for many applicants staying in house at Ochsner is often their best option. A majority of the other places people match to are community residencies with a sprinkling of top tier university options for the best applicants.

Ultra competitive specialities will be competitive for anyone. Not sure if going to DO school is going to set you up any better for ENT, ortho, vascular surg, plastics, neurosurg. We have matched into those specialities but the success stories are excellent, disciplined, find a way, and work hard for it. We have all the subspeciality faculty at Ochsner to network with in all fields if you are pursuing that goal.

 

[13grayson27]

I don't know if anyone's done that. There are a lot of USMD acceptances (or even interviews) that go out in January/February or even later, so it's possible there would be a situation where you'd have to choose between starting at UQ and waiting to hear back after a December interview or something similar. Matriculating at one medical school generally makes students ineligible to matriculate at another medical school. I think the argument for DO over UQ becomes much weaker if you don't have to give up a year for UQ--but that's my personal opinion and I'm sure others think differently.

Given the application timing, people (including me) tend to apply after an unsuccessful US application cycle. I considered another US application cycle, but I didn't have the time or energy to address the issues with my application so I didn't think applying again would help. I also really just wanted to get started, and I'm really happy that I'm actually in school making progress.

I don't know your specific situation, but generally speaking if you think you've made substantial improvements to your application that will get you MD interviews, and you're potentially interested in very competitive specialties where the school you're coming from could affect your matching chances, then it might be worth applying. Otherwise, I think it's a lot of stress and a lot of time and money invested for potentially the same result. Again, just my opinion and if you ask the premed forum you will get a very different answer 🙂

@Wolvvs and @skiteflies123​

That makes a lot of sense! Thank you both so much for your insight! I don't feel like I have insane improvements since my last 2 application cycles so it does feel exhaustive to me to think about doing it again, when I could enjoy my last 6 months before moving to Australia--but I wasn't sure if it was more common than I expected. I have heard that about the blacklisting component-so definitely something to consider.

If you hear anything about specific questions of what the schools asked for interviews @skiteflies123 , I would be really interested to hear! But no worry if you don't have the time. Thanks to you both! 🙂

 

[Wolvvs]

Some schools have a specific policy stating that matriculation at another school makes you ineligible for admission, see here for example: Academic Requirements

I thought this was a universal thing but I guess it's not! Still really not a good look to interview while enrolled at another MD program. I guess you could lie about it but I don't feel like that's a great idea either. Skiteflies may have more info about what schools may have asked though.

Do you know why you've been having trouble getting into US schools? Like GPA/MCAT, or not enough extracurriculars?

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Hi @eppendorf1.5ml @Wolvvs

The attrition rate is low at UQ-O and comparable with US schools. Not sure where you are seeing a high attrition rate. Anecdotally I don't personally know anyone who was kicked out. That being said there is always a discrepancy between the people graduating and the people matching because not everyone finishes their USMLEs on time. Of those who do and enter the match the match rate is high as can be seen from this year's 97% match rate which is based on the people who are match eligible and entered the match. It is not the school's fault if you are not match eligible because you didn't sit all the USMLEs.

Unclear how step 1 going pass fail will affect the UQO match. We won't know until that happens.

Personally I think that UQO is a better option than attending DO school but I am biased. Yes DO schools are American schools but there is still a bias with attending them when it comes to matching into competitive residencies. Your best bet is to look at your school's DO match list and compare it to UQO. There are a lot of newer DO schools out there that don't have good reputations. If the board pass rate is concerning to you at the DO school you mention above there must be a reason for that. Onerous program requirements preventing study, quality of students, or other factors to look into.

Not sure about the connections in the U.S. you mention and ask about. Ochsner is well known in Louisiana and you will likely get residency interviews from the other programs in the state. Additionally Ochsner itself historically has shown preference to taking in house applicants for IM, anesthesia, psych, and peds (a good thing). Every year we match a significant number in house to those specialities. So you have to be ok with potentially spending more time in Louisiana because for many applicants staying in house at Ochsner is often their best option. A majority of the other places people match to are community residencies with a sprinkling of top tier university options for the best applicants.

Ultra competitive specialities will be competitive for anyone. Not sure if going to DO school is going to set you up any better for ENT, ortho, vascular surg, plastics, neurosurg. We have matched into those specialities but the success stories are excellent, disciplined, find a way, and work hard for it. We have all the subspeciality faculty at Ochsner to network with in all fields if you are pursuing that goal.

Thank you for all your insights! Greatly appreciated. It really seems like with connections and opportunities in general, UQ-O is the way to go. Now really hoping for an acceptance 🙂

 

[skiteflies123]

@Wolvvs and @skiteflies123​

That makes a lot of sense! Thank you both so much for your insight! I don't feel like I have insane improvements since my last 2 application cycles so it does feel exhaustive to me to think about doing it again, when I could enjoy my last 6 months before moving to Australia--but I wasn't sure if it was more common than I expected. I have heard that about the blacklisting component-so definitely something to consider.

If you hear anything about specific questions of what the schools asked for interviews @skiteflies123 , I would be really interested to hear! But no worry if you don't have the time. Thanks to you both! 🙂

Not the same person, but another person I know just notified me they are leaving the school for a USMD. I wasn't given permission to say which one, but I am allowed to say that much.

Edit: so the person I texted replied saying that they hid it from them. The other person only told the schools they were required to.

 

[ImgonnabeHokage]

accepted today!!

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

accepted today!!

+1 🥳🥳

 

[caterwaiter]

Accepted today as well! 😍

 

[ukelelefluke]

So, the acceptance says not to wait until the last day to accept because there may not be spots available if I do. How serious is this? Do they overextend greatly? I’m just wondering how quick I have to act on this...

 

[skiteflies123]

So, the acceptance says not to wait until the last day to accept because there may not be spots available if I do. How serious is this? Do they overextend greatly? I’m just wondering how quick I have to act on this...

Can't say for sure. I know they definitely do overextend early on. From past history trends though, you guys are still pretty early on out and I think you won't run out of seats that quickly right now. I got accepted a little later than this time last year. @Wolvvs may be able to speak more about this. You were accepted later right?

Anyway cheers to you all on getting accepted! As always feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I know at your stage last year I had a lot of them!

Edit: also if I recall correctly the payment they ask for is refundable? @Wolvvs do you recall this?

 

[13grayson27]

Some schools have a specific policy stating that matriculation at another school makes you ineligible for admission, see here for example: Academic Requirements

I thought this was a universal thing but I guess it's not! Still really not a good look to interview while enrolled at another MD program. I guess you could lie about it but I don't feel like that's a great idea either. Skiteflies may have more info about what schools may have asked though.

Do you know why you've been having trouble getting into US schools? Like GPA/MCAT, or not enough extracurriculars?

That definitely makes sense! It's my GPA that's the issue. I went to grad school and had an increase of GPA from undergrad, but it's still not competitive enough. I've done reapplication calls at numerous schools & everyone says that my application looks fantastic except for GPA, so I'm not sure if another cycle would produce any better results. I was just curious, since I want to make sure I did everything I can throughout this journey, even if it means another round of applications -- but I have no intention of hiding information or excluding it when it's required, so thank you for the insight!

 

[13grayson27]

Not the same person, but another person I know just notified me they are leaving the school for a USMD. I wasn't given permission to say which one, but I am allowed to say that much.

Edit: so the person I texted replied saying that they hid it from them. The other person only told the schools they were required to.

Okay, thank you very much! That would make me way too nervous to hide it, haha. It's just nice to hear some other experiences to see the different approaches others have taken, so I really appreciate it!

 

[13grayson27]

Accepted today as well! 😍

+1! Great email to get before going to bed last night, haha. Congratulations everyone!

 

[Wolvvs]

Can't say for sure. I know they definitely do overextend early on. From past history trends though, you guys are still pretty early on out and I think you won't run out of seats that quickly right now. I got accepted a little later than this time last year. @Wolvvs may be able to speak more about this. You were accepted later right?

Anyway cheers to you all on getting accepted! As always feel free to reach out if you have any questions. I know at your stage last year I had a lot of them!

Edit: also if I recall correctly the payment they ask for is refundable? @Wolvvs do you recall this?

Last year and in previous years there were plenty of seats until later in the year. I don't know how things are changing--UQ-Ochsner is becoming more well known and MD/DO applications overall are up, but this is a unique year and I wouldn't be surprised if applicants see an overseas program as more risky. Regardless, I wouldn't stress about getting your deposit in urgently, if you want to wait a month or so to see if a waitlist is going to work out that's probably fine (I obviously can't guarantee anything). EDIT Just realized you have 21 days to accept. I really doubt the class is going to fill up in those 21 days as we're still early in the cycle.

For the cancellation fees, check your offer letter. Last year it was a $1000 cancellation fee if you withdraw more than 21 days before the start of the program, and $3000 from 21 days before through to the census date.

 

[Wolvvs]

That definitely makes sense! It's my GPA that's the issue. I went to grad school and had an increase of GPA from undergrad, but it's still not competitive enough. I've done reapplication calls at numerous schools & everyone says that my application looks fantastic except for GPA, so I'm not sure if another cycle would produce any better results. I was just curious, since I want to make sure I did everything I can throughout this journey, even if it means another round of applications -- but I have no intention of hiding information or excluding it when it's required, so thank you for the insight!

Congratulations to you and everyone else who got accepted!!

Unfortunately I don't think graduate school GPA except SMP is valued as highly as undergraduate. If GPA's really the issue, another round of applications probably won't help and an SMP would be the best choice. Australian grades are really deflated compared to the US, which is why UQ-Ochsner is perfect for students who have a less than ideal GPA but are otherwise good applicants. Congratulations again 🙂

 

[13grayson27]

Congratulations to you and everyone else who got accepted!!

Unfortunately I don't think graduate school GPA except SMP is valued as highly as undergraduate. If GPA's really the issue, another round of applications probably won't help and an SMP would be the best choice. Australian grades are really deflated compared to the US, which is why UQ-Ochsner is perfect for students who have a less than ideal GPA but are otherwise good applicants. Congratulations again 🙂

That makes a ton of sense! Thank you so much for taking the time to share your advice!

 

[medhopefullz]

I was thinking that: even after ACGME merger had happened, I thought international MD will be even more difficult gaining residency positions in US. But 2021 matches after ACGME merger still shows UQ-Ochsner doing quite darn well!

I got invited for an interview but I'm not sure what the acceptance rate to the medical program is? Does anyone know any statistics?

 

[Whospitonmypancakes]

Accepted! Anyone know if we have loan access for OSHC? I'm bringing a family and that 15k bill is daunting.

 

[Wolvvs]

Accepted! Anyone know if we have loan access for OSHC? I'm bringing a family and that 15k bill is daunting.

Congrats!

Loans do cover OSHC but federal loans cannot be disbursed until the first day of classes, and I can understand it might be challenging to float that much money for almost a year. I would talk to the school and see what your options might be/what other students have done as this can't be the first time this has come up.

I was thinking that: even after ACGME merger had happened, I thought international MD will be even more difficult gaining residency positions in US. But 2021 matches after ACGME merger still shows UQ-Ochsner doing quite darn well!

I got invited for an interview but I'm not sure what the acceptance rate to the medical program is? Does anyone know any statistics?

I think UQ-Ochsner typically gets 300-500 applications each year for a class of 100, and does have to over-accept as students get offers from other schools. The 25-40% acceptance rate is a bit lower than the top Caribbean schools but outcomes are much better. If the matches continue to be consistently good, I think admissions will get much more competitive but for now it's not too bad, especially if you apply early.

 

[TUWEST_509]

Accepted as well! So excited! Has anyone received their invoice to pay for the deposit yet? Also does UQ-O have a white coat ceremony? If so when would that be? Is it only after phase two starts or is it before going to australia?

 

[Wolvvs]

Accepted as well! So excited! Has anyone received their invoice to pay for the deposit yet? Also does UQ-O have a white coat ceremony? If so when would that be? Is it only after phase two starts or is it before going to australia?

Congratulations 🙂 White coat ceremony is in NOLA during the orientation for phase 2.

 

[ukelelefluke]

I guess my main concerns are
-the quality of the UMSLE prep
-the status of IMG
-the program being newer

I apologize if this is too neurotic, too late to be thinking about, or the wrong place to ask, but if anyone can share their thoughts, that’d be nice. Got a few points below my ideal MCAT of 510ish, high GPA, I think my problem was my essays and maybe clinical hours for USMD. But also jumping through all the hoops again for next cycle seems like hell.

Realistically, this program seems good enough, but moving into a whole different time zone and away from my partner would be sad. Like, im not necessarily interested in super competitive specialty, but I’d like to keep my options open... Also that fear mongering commenter in this thread earlier shook me lol but a lesser concern. Someone confirmation bias my ass please

 

[Wolvvs]

I guess my main concerns are
-the quality of the UMSLE prep
-the status of IMG
-the program being newer

I apologize if this is too neurotic, too late to be thinking about, or the wrong place to ask, but if anyone can share their thoughts, that’d be nice. Got a few points below my ideal MCAT of 510ish, high GPA, I think my problem was my essays and maybe clinical hours for USMD. But also jumping through all the hoops again for next cycle seems like hell.

Realistically, this program seems good enough, but moving into a whole different time zone and away from my partner would be sad. Also that fear mongering commenter in this thread earlier shook me lol but a lesser concern. Someone confirmation bias my ass please

I think you should try to get input from multiple sources, so hopefully others can respond too, but here's my thoughts.

USMLE prep: Step 1's going to be pass/fail, and so many resources exist that you shouldn't have a problem self-studying. So far, the material covered in classes have lined up fairly well with the board prep materials. Step 2 you kinda have to prep yourself regardless of which school you're at.

IMG: I've spoken to upperclassmen about this and they've said the IMG status hasn't really affected ability to get interviews. The 2 years of US clinical experience makes a big difference. One thing to consider though is that getting away rotations can be harder as UQ doesn't participate in VSAS, so you have to arrange them yourself. That can be limiting and makes it harder but not impossible depending on the specialty. Ochsner has nearly everything in-house anyway so opportunities are available, it's just that you have to put in extra effort for the more competitive/away rotation dependent specialties.

New program: this is true, but UQ is one of the oldest medical schools in Australia, and Ochsner has been running residency programs since at least the 1950s and was a rotation site for Tulane students before the UQ-Ochsner program was established. So while the program itself is relatively new, I wouldn't worry about the quality of education.

Previous commenter: that guy was talking about a different school, and a dean who's more relevant to UQ traditional students in 3rd and 4th year. I hadn't even heard of that dean before the other commenter brought him up. I wouldn't worry too much about that

Reapplying at this point depends on a lot of factors. You brought up clinical experience, have you been able to get more experience over the last year? If not, I don't think there's enough time to get your clinical hours up meaningfully before applying again. If it's more your essays, that's more reasonable to fix. But I can absolutely understand not wanting to go through that again--I was in your position and decided it wasn't worth the effort. But that's really a personal decision.

 

[ukelelefluke]

I think you should try to get input from multiple sources, so hopefully others can respond too, but here's my thoughts.

USMLE prep: Step 1's going to be pass/fail, and so many resources exist that you shouldn't have a problem self-studying. So far, the material covered in classes have lined up fairly well with the board prep materials. Step 2 you kinda have to prep yourself regardless of which school you're at.

IMG: I've spoken to upperclassmen about this and they've said the IMG status hasn't really affected ability to get interviews. The 2 years of US clinical experience makes a big difference. One thing to consider though is that getting away rotations can be harder as UQ doesn't participate in VSAS, so you have to arrange them yourself. That can be limiting and makes it harder but not impossible depending on the specialty. Ochsner has nearly everything in-house anyway so opportunities are available, it's just that you have to put in extra effort for the more competitive/away rotation dependent specialties.

New program: this is true, but UQ is one of the oldest medical schools in Australia, and Ochsner has been running residency programs since at least the 1950s and was a rotation site for Tulane students before the UQ-Ochsner program was established. So while the program itself is relatively new, I wouldn't worry about the quality of education.

Previous commenter: that guy was talking about a different school, and a dean who's more relevant to UQ traditional students in 3rd and 4th year. I hadn't even heard of that dean before the other commenter brought him up. I wouldn't worry too much about that

Reapplying at this point depends on a lot of factors. You brought up clinical experience, have you been able to get more experience over the last year? If not, I don't think there's enough time to get your clinical hours up meaningfully before applying again. If it's more your essays, that's more reasonable to fix. But I can absolutely understand not wanting to go through that again--I was in your position and decided it wasn't worth the effort. But that's really a personal decision.

Hey, thanks a lot, I appreciate it. I’ve definitely done my best to research the school myself, but finding actual students opinions and experiences is harder, so thanks a ton.

 

[skiteflies123]

First off, I would like to thank @Wolvvs for answering all the questions and all his answers are spot on too! Also super props because we have an essay due tomorrow and a mid sem on Friday and @Wolvvs is as active as ever haha!

I guess my main concerns are
-the quality of the UMSLE prep
-the status of IMG
-the program being newer

I apologize if this is too neurotic, too late to be thinking about, or the wrong place to ask, but if anyone can share their thoughts, that’d be nice. Got a few points below my ideal MCAT of 510ish, high GPA, I think my problem was my essays and maybe clinical hours for USMD. But also jumping through all the hoops again for next cycle seems like hell.

Realistically, this program seems good enough, but moving into a whole different time zone and away from my partner would be sad. Like, im not necessarily interested in super competitive specialty, but I’d like to keep my options open... Also that fear mongering commenter in this thread earlier shook me lol but a lesser concern. Someone confirmation bias my ass please

Ill also answer this though because I certainly think these are good concerns

Quality of USMLE Prep
I obviously haven't taken the Step 1 yet, but I dont think we will have too much trouble here as we get boards & beyond, a group offering help with USMLE prep starting year 1, and an actual class on USMLE prep in second year semester 2 (also Uworld). Also, as @Wolvvs said its going to be p/f by the time yall take it so you dont have to stress about it as much and instead can stress about step 2 xD.

Status of IMG
This is always a tough one. I think that most of the stigma with IMG applies primarily with carribeans and FMGs because they are the biggest groups. I think the problem with the carribeans is that even though they have rotations in the US most of the places they get rotations are either smaller hospitals and dont have that many residency positions, or that they get into hospitals that don't really care for them and are just collecting the money from the Caribbean schools. Now this is not always the case, but this is just what I have heard and what I know. I think certain IMG programs are different such as Sackler and UQ. They have been consistent with their results in my opinion. They do have their problems in some cases, but I think that in the case of UQ, we have a pretty good shot at primary care in Louisiana, if not anything else. I will refer back to this post:

Not sure about the connections in the U.S. you mention and ask about. Ochsner is well known in Louisiana and you will likely get residency interviews from the other programs in the state. Additionally Ochsner itself historically has shown preference to taking in house applicants for IM, anesthesia, psych, and peds (a good thing). Every year we match a significant number in house to those specialities. So you have to be ok with potentially spending more time in Louisiana because for many applicants staying in house at Ochsner is often their best option. A majority of the other places people match to are community residencies with a sprinkling of top tier university options for the best applicants.

Ultra competitive specialities will be competitive for anyone. Not sure if going to DO school is going to set you up any better for ENT, ortho, vascular surg, plastics, neurosurg. We have matched into those specialities but the success stories are excellent, disciplined, find a way, and work hard for it. We have all the subspeciality faculty at Ochsner to network with in all fields if you are pursuing that goal.

Newer school
Again, I have to defer to what @Wolvvs said here. It is a new school, but both ochsner and UQ have a pretty long history in supplying their respective parts of the program. I will also add that they do seem receptive to advice, I have heard that the Ochsner cohort was one of the main reasons for an intro week in our first semester, and they are continuously trying to improve their program.

Reapplying
This really comes down to you. I think that if you have a 508, a good gpa, and some good essays with some clinical hours, you have a decent chance at getting into a MD school depending on your state. If you feel more comfortable with that, then you should definitely do that especially with all the stressors you mentioned, However, if you do choose to go to this school, I think its a great one so far!

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Hi all, another question for current students. Are there any issues that students have with the administration? Such as scheduling and organization of classes, labs, etc. And what do you not like about the program? Like what can be improved? (Yes, I'm making a pro and con list if it wasn't obvious haha)

 

[Wolvvs]

Haha @skiteflies123 SDN is my favorite way to procrastinate. I really wish we had our exam last week instead of this week, I'm completely neglecting the respiratory module so the next two weeks are going to be busy...

Hi all, another question for current students. Are there any issues that students have with the administration? Such as scheduling and organization of classes, labs, etc. And what do you not like about the program? Like what can be improved? (Yes, I'm making a pro and con list if it wasn't obvious haha)

This has been a unique year, and the administration has been very accommodating in my opinion. Talking to previous year students, I know there were concerns about the way UQ faculty of medicine dealt with the response to the coronavirus (telling students it's okay to return home) and how the Step 1 class worked. I haven't personally had any issues with administration. I've heard from multiple sources that Ochsner admin has been awesome and does everything they can to help their students, but they don't really have any involvement until 3rd and 4th year so I can't really speak to that.

So far I'm very happy but I'm also generally happy to go with the flow, @skiteflies123 don't know what you think. If I had to complain about something, it would probably be the Health Society and Research course. It's very Australia-specific which is fine but some parts aren't really relevant to us. The grading also seems to be a bit random, and it is a graded class not pass/fail (although I guess residencies are unlikely to care what grade we get in that class). I also wish we had more exams than just a midterm and final as I like to have a bit more regular feedback. Clinical Science, the class which covers most of the traditional medical school stuff, is also not pass fail. Can't really think of anything else right now, overall I'm pretty happy!

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Haha @skiteflies123 SDN is my favorite way to procrastinate. I really wish we had our exam last week instead of this week, I'm completely neglecting the respiratory module so the next two weeks are going to be busy...


This has been a unique year, and the administration has been very accommodating in my opinion. Talking to previous year students, I know there were concerns about the way UQ faculty of medicine dealt with the response to the coronavirus (telling students it's okay to return home) and how the Step 1 class worked. I haven't personally had any issues with administration. I've heard from multiple sources that Ochsner admin has been awesome and does everything they can to help their students, but they don't really have any involvement until 3rd and 4th year so I can't really speak to that.

So far I'm very happy but I'm also generally happy to go with the flow, @skiteflies123 don't know what you think. If I had to complain about something, it would probably be the Health Society and Research course. It's very Australia-specific which is fine but some parts aren't really relevant to us. The grading also seems to be a bit random, and it is a graded class not pass/fail (although I guess residencies are unlikely to care what grade we get in that class). I also wish we had more exams than just a midterm and final as I like to have a bit more regular feedback. Clinical Science, the class which covers most of the traditional medical school stuff, is also not pass fail. Can't really think of anything else right now, overall I'm pretty happy!

Thanks for the quick response and good luck on that exam this week!

How are classes generally graded? P/F or letter grades? And are lectures mandatory? I guess I don't know too much about how exactly the curriculum works (mostly lecture, problem based, etc). I've been looking at the website and resources they sent but it only really seems to have the titles of classes.

 

[skiteflies123]

Hi all, another question for current students. Are there any issues that students have with the administration? Such as scheduling and organization of classes, labs, etc. And what do you not like about the program? Like what can be improved? (Yes, I'm making a pro and con list if it wasn't obvious haha)

Yeah, so I love to improve upon things, so I have many complaints (although theyre more like suggestions). One of my classmates calls me Amy because of it ( 99 reference if you didnt get that). A lot of my complaints have been with the specific classes though, which I honestly think is a little too much detail for you guys right now. I think that the UQ admin is okay, its a big school and there tends to be some level of complacency and tiptoeing in bigger schools in my opinion. Ive heard the ochsner admin is great though!

 

[skiteflies123]

Thanks for the quick response and good luck on that exam this week!

How are classes generally graded? P/F or letter grades? And are lectures mandatory? I guess I don't know too much about how exactly the curriculum works (mostly lecture, problem based, etc). I've been looking at the website and resources they sent but it only really seems to have the titles of classes.

Also two classes are P/F ethics and clinical practice. Clinical science (aka all the science courses crammed into one) and health society and research ( basically what it says with a big focus on public health and indigenous this semester) are graded on an australian scale. I was telling someone though not to worry too much about it since I dont think that residencies are going to take the time to convert the grading scales as most schools are p/f now anyway. Plus, I know some people that didnt do so well in preclinical years but still matched well!

Edit: in case you were wondering its a scale of 1-7. Course list for the Doctor of Medicine - my.UQ - The University of Queensland, Australia. Click on the first class and course profile and you can see their equivalent of a syllabus

 

[eppendorf1.5ml]

Yeah, so I love to improve upon things, so I have many complaints (although theyre more like suggestions). One of my classmates calls me Amy because of it ( 99 reference if you didnt get that). A lot of my complaints have been with the specific classes though, which I honestly think is a little too much detail for you guys right now. I think that the UQ admin is okay, its a big school and there tends to be some level of complacency and tiptoeing in bigger schools in my opinion. Ive heard the ochsner admin is great though!

Also two classes are P/F ethics and clinical practice. Clinical science (aka all the science courses crammed into one) and health society and research ( basically what it says with a big focus on public health and indigenous this semester) are graded on an australian scale. I was telling someone though not to worry too much about it since I dont think that residencies are going to take the time to convert the grading scales as most schools are p/f now anyway. Plus, I know some people that didnt do so well in preclinical years but still matched well!

Edit: in case you were wondering its a scale of 1-7. Course list for the Doctor of Medicine - my.UQ - The University of Queensland, Australia. Click on the first class and course profile and you can see their equivalent of a syllabus

Gotcha, thanks for the quick response!

The reason I ask is, the DO school that I'm considering (NSU) is on a graded system so it could be good to stand out if I do well, but also would be really hard to achieve straight As. But I have heard that residency programs don't care too much about GPA. NSU also apparently has a lot of admin issues which is why I'm trying to make some comparisons between these two completely different schools haha

 

[skiteflies123]

Gotcha, thanks for the quick response!

The reason I ask is, the DO school that I'm considering (NSU) is on a graded system so it could be good to stand out if I do well, but also would be really hard to achieve straight As. But I have heard that residency programs don't care too much about GPA. NSU also apparently has a lot of admin issues which is why I'm trying to make some comparisons between these two completely different schools haha

Oh yeah that's a tough one. Yeah I've heard some people complain a little bit about UQ administration, but it's mainly small things I think! If you have any other questions, go ahead and post it up or message us. I'll try to keep up all the quick replies but no promises until after the exam haha

 

[Wolvvs]

Also

Thanks for the quick response and good luck on that exam this week!

How are classes generally graded? P/F or letter grades? And are lectures mandatory? I guess I don't know too much about how exactly the curriculum works (mostly lecture, problem based, etc). I've been looking at the website and resources they sent but it only really seems to have the titles of classes.

Thank you! 🙂

So we have 4 classes:

• Clinical Science
  • This is the class that takes up 80+% of our time. It is systems based, so we started with infection and immunity, moved on to cardiovascular, and are currently in the pulmonary module and will finish off the semester with renal.
  • This is graded on the Australian scale of 1-7 where 4 is a pass. It's kind of weird, 6 and 7 both are equivalent to a 4.0 GPA and are often defined as A and A+. A passing score is typically around 50-55%, and 6 and 7 cutoffs are at 75% and 85% respectively.
  • There is one mid-semester exam worth 25% of the grade, one final worth 50%, and another multidisciplinary exam (visual stuff like histology, pathology, radiology) worth 25% also given in the finals period.
  • Lectures are optional and recorded, usually around 8-10 1 hour sessions per week.
  • CBL of 10 students per group is required and is 2x 2.5 hour sessions per week in the first year, 2x 2 hour sessions per week in second year
  • Tutorials and practicals are required and not recorded. These vary each week but usually take up 2-3 hours per week, and are generally lab reviews focused on pathology, histology, anatomy, or other labs specific to the given module.
• Clinical Practice
  • This is where you learn interview skills and clinical exams, and follows along with the clinical science modules (e.g. you learn the CV exam and history as you go through the CV module in CS).
  • There are lectures, but this primarily takes the form of Clinical Coaching Sessions, which are 2 hour weekly sessions run by a physician with the same CBL group and you take histories/do physical exams. I really like these, but they're kind of the low point of my week since they're my latest class ending at 12:30 AM.
  • This is pass/fail, but you are evaluated through your performance in CCS and a variety of recorded history taking and exam sessions.
• Health Society and Research
  • 1 recorded lecture per week, and 1 "required" 1-2 hour tutorial every two weeks.
  • Evaluation in first semester is via 4 recorded vlogs discussing the tutorials, 1 research paper, and 1 environmental scan (no idea what this entails, it's due at the end of the semester so haven't looked at it yet). I think the assessments change depending on the semester.
  • This is also graded on the Australian scale. It does take a bit more time and energy than I would like.
• Ethics and Professional Practice
  • 1 recorded lecture per week.
  • The professor is such a wonderful person and I love attending her lectures, but I know a lot of people just watch them all quickly at the end of the semester. The class is pass/fail but there is a content-based final exam so you can't completely ignore this.

I provided an example of my schedule in a post in the other thread, see here: UQ-Ochsner 2022 But basically there's only like 10 hours of required stuff and 20 hours of total stuff in a given week, so you do have to be motivated to put in at least another 20 hours of self-study per week.

Hopefully none of this stuff is supposed to be secret 😛 I think they tend to change things up quite regularly which might be why they don't provide a lot of detail. So things might be different next year, but hopefully this gives a bit more insight into what the curriculum looks like. Happy to answer any other questions too.

 

[TUWEST_509]

Anyone else a little confused about the payment invoice? For some reason the payment amount requested on my portal is 17,060 AUD... due February 2022. But when I click on the invoice PDF it has USD 3000 + AUD 3060 due April 25th 2021. All together that should be 6948 AUD so I'm not sure what the extra 10,112 is for... Anyone else have something similar?