I'm a current second year student, so I can't speak to the match process and I don't have any inside information on class size/attrition or funding. I don't agree with all of this, and for much of the rest I don't feel as strongly as you do, but it is still worth having a discussion. This program is unique and presents unique opportunities and challenges, and it is essential to understand those before deciding to apply here.
- Attrition
- I don't have any details on this. The class is large which makes it hard to know how many people may have left the program. Anecdotally, the only people I know to have left had made it into US schools during their first year and decided to switch, but others may have left for other reasons. While I can't comment on the statistics, I can say that there is no 'weeding out' process like the one used at Caribbean schools. The path to success is made very clear and is very achievable if you put in the work.
- Tuition/use of funds
- The tuition is quite high. I'm not sure why Harvard is the point of comparison though as it is not the highest price medical school in the US. Tuition at UQ-Ochsner is currently $67,456 which is closer to that of a non-public university. The tuition at Dartmouth Geisel for example is $67,532. Tuition at certain DO schools can be similar or even higher. This isn't hidden from you, but it is important to be aware of.
- I have no insight into how funds are allocated, and I don't really care as long as I'm given the opportunity to succeed. I'm still in second year so have not reached New Orleans yet, but I haven't heard about any specific issues with the teaching from the classes above me. Ochsner Health provided teaching to medical students from other schools before establishing the Ochsner Clinical School as well. Regarding issues with medical school/funds allocation--it's common to hear complaints even from students at US medical schools about how their tuition is being allocated. Also important to note that the Caribbean schools you've recommended (and some schools in the US as well) are for-profit. Ochsner is not-for-profit, and UQ is a public institution.
- Large class size
- Yes this is true, especially for the first two years. But because of the way the class is split up between different teaching sites, it doesn't feel nearly as large. The school does its best to both give you some consistency but also encourage meeting new people. Activities regularly scheduled with a wide variety of group sizes. Generally you stay with your CBL group but get to meet different sets of students from your clinical unit. The large class size does have some challenges but I haven't felt that it has caused any issues. Again, Caribbean schools you've recommended as an alternative can have much larger class sizes, Ross for example has around 900 per year.
- Curriculum
- This is where I disagree the most. I think things might have changed since you went through the program, and things will continue to change as a major overhaul to the curriculum will be implemented next year. But as things currently stand, you basically get through all the systems in 3 semesters then have a relatively light 4th semester to prepare for Step 1, which is what I'm doing now. The only things I feel were missing from the UQ curriculum are microbiology and biochemistry. Micro is easier to learn yourself with Sketchy. Biochem is a bit harder, but it's never been a huge part of Step 1 and now that it's p/f seems to be relatively low yield. There is some Australia-specific stuff, but that's part of the draw of this program!
- IMG status during match
- I'm not qualified to speak to this as I have not gone through the match process. I can only say that the match list looks a lot closer to an MD school than a Caribbean school.
I don't think UQ-Ochsner should be anyone's first choice unless they're in a unique situation where they might need to move to Australia but want to still have an option to remain in the US. But I do think it's a far better option than a Caribbean school, and there are valid reasons to choose it over a DO school depending on the situation (far better access to research/opportunity for a PhD, stable secure and reasonable rotation sites).
