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I am not sure if anyone else is applying for the January 2024 entrance, but I thought I would start a thread. My interview is in March.
I applied too but waiting to take my MCAT. Have you had your interview yet ?I am not sure if anyone else is applying for the January 2024 entrance, but I thought I would start a thread. My interview is in March.
Yes I interviewed on March 9thI applied too but waiting to take my MCAT. Have you had your interview yet ?
Oh nice !! I hope you get that A ! How was the interview ? Was it mostly scenario based ? Also, did they say when you would hear back from them?Yes I interviewed on March 9th
I also interviewed March 9, they said they'd get back to us in a few weeks but no more than a month! There were 8 MMI questions and it was a good mix of scenario vs typical interview questionsOh nice !! I hope you get that A ! How was the interview ? Was it mostly scenario based ? Also, did they say when you would hear back from them?
Thank you. It was good. I would recommend practicing some MMI questions if you have never done MMI. You will typical interview questions in there. I did finish early so there was some silence for a little. They didn't give us an exact time to hear back. I believe it was three weeks but maybe a month.Oh nice !! I hope you get that A ! How was the interview ? Was it mostly scenario based ? Also, did they say when you would hear back from them?
Good luck. I think you are fine. They interview until October or November I believe.Interviewing in June. Hopefully it's not too late in the cycle.
Good luck, I’m sure you’ll be fine. I havent received a date yet since im waiting on my Mcat so my interview will probably be later on in the cycle. Hoping its not too late too!Interviewing in June. Hopefully it's not too late in the cycle.
Oh nice, that’s definitely good to know. I wish you good luck too, hope you hear some good news soon!I also interviewed March 9, they said they'd get back to us in a few weeks but no more than a month! There were 8 MMI questions and it was a good mix of scenario vs typical interview questions
Thank you! Good luck to you as well 🙂Oh nice, that’s definitely good to know. I wish you good luck too, hope you hear some good news soon!
CongratulationsJust got an acceptance offer!! My first of the cycle 🥹
Congratulations!!I also got accepted.
CongratulationsJust got the A email as well!
Thank youCongratulations!!
Hey Limitbreaker you have to figure out what's best for you. I chose DO due to my life circumstances. Ask to speak with UQ students about how they like it and hopefully they can give you the ins and out. Also, you have to self teach yourself biochemistry for STEP from what I told.Hi guys! I got accepted! I believe UQ is superior to most Caribbean programs, but I do not know the advantage it has over an US DO schools. What do you guys think?
I know that UQ offers and IMG MD but its match rate is strong each year. However, like most IMG schools, I would imagine being STEP ready is a little more difficult because you have to also learn Aussie medicine on top of US med.
Hi guys! I got accepted! I believe UQ is superior to most Caribbean programs, but I do not know the advantage it has over an US DO schools. What do you guys think?
I know that UQ offers and IMG MD but its match rate is strong each year. However, like most IMG schools, I would imagine being STEP ready is a little more difficult because you have to also learn Aussie medicine on top of US med.
No, but remember you have 21 days to reply if not mistaken. They just started interviewing so I couldn't imagine the class filling up that fast.Do y’all think that seats will fill up by the end of the month? I haven’t accepted my offer yet because I’m still waiting to hear from a couple of domestic schools (and bc of the pretty high deposit)
CongratulationsAccepted off the waitlist! 😀 Interviewed 3/9; waitlisted 3/29
Thank you!! 😊Congratulations
I'm a current year 3 UQ-Ochsner student. I would agree that in general an acceptance at a US med school is better than an international school, but the discussion becomes more nuanced when comparing UQ-Ochsner to some lower-tier/specific mission schools, depending on your goals. There are some schools that really want to create PCPs, for example, and will often not have the resources for or even will discourage students from pursuing other specialties.
There's a few reasons why UQ-Ochsner could be a better choice than some DO schools:
That being said, you have to make the decision that is right for you. Studying for two years in a country on the other side of the world is hard, especially if you rely a lot on local friends/family for support. Being an IMG at a school providing two years of US clinical experience puts you in a unique category with not a lot of information available, in contrast to the more well-established limitations of DO schools, and dealing with that uncertainty can be a struggle. For students who really need a school to force them to keep on top of studying, I would probably recommend looking elsewhere. But I feel there's more nuance to this discussion than just saying DO>IMG, and for the right student under the right circumstances, I think UQ-Ochsner could be the better choice.
- The university affiliation with UQ means plenty of research opportunities. Also Ochsner physicians and residents do tons of research, getting projects year 3 and 4 is quite easy.
- Some DO schools don't have affiliations with major clinical sites, which can mean lots of travelling and uncertainty. UQ-Ochsner students spend most of their time year 3/4 at the main Ochsner hospital. There are some satellite sites where you can be assigned for a couple weeks for some rotations, but most of them are within reasonable driving distance from main campus. The only exception is the Baton Rouge site, but an apartment is available for free for students assigned there.
- The admin and faculty are aware of what it takes to match competitive specialties, and provide all the necessary support and opportunities to students. You can see this in the match lists. We aren't matching tons of surgical subspecialties but the option, support, and advocacy is there for students who want to put in the effort.
- DO schools often have a lot of extra stuff for students to do (for example, learning OMM and taking an extra set of board exams). The UQ curriculum for years 1 and 2 is a lot more lean, there are far fewer activities with required attendance. This can be a bit difficult for students who prefer lots of guidance, but I found that I had plenty of time to study for both boards and UQ exams as well as time to relax and enjoy spending time with classmates and exploring a new country. Years 1 and 2 can definitely be intense but its not like you're in lectures all day then have to come home and study all night, they give you more autonomy to learn at your own pace.
- Also, I found the UQ curriculum covered generally what we needed for Step 1 with maybe the exception of pharm and micro, which is super easy to fill in with sketchy if you stay on top of things. Yes they don't cover biochem, for which I am eternally grateful. I don't like biochem and you don't really need it to pass Step 1, it was only really important when Step 1 was scored.
I'm happy to answer questions anyone has, either here or by DM!
That chart isn't super helpful for evaluating UQ-Ochsner unfortunately. Match lists aren't always a great way to compare schools, but you can look at the match list of UQ-Ochsner and compare to a Caribbean school and you'll immediately see a huge difference. That's part of the challenge of evaluating where you'd stand in terms of competitiveness as a UQ-Ochsner graduate--the outlook for IMGs overall is not amazing, but the UQ-Ochsner match lists have been consistently good, and that's something I struggled with when deciding whether to accept my offer or give US schools another try.View attachment 369887
View attachment 369888
D.O. schools will still be the better choice for the vast majority of specialties. 600 new DO grads and a 100+ new USMD grads are joining match 2024 and that is going to continue going up exponentially. Prioritization of US grads will only grow further.
It seems like a better option than some of the Caribbean programs. However, I would be wary of recommending it over going to a US school. That's a dangerous game to play. If you cannot attain a US spot, this seems like a great next option.That chart isn't super helpful for evaluating UQ-Ochsner unfortunately. Match lists aren't always a great way to compare schools, but you can look at the match list of UQ-Ochsner and compare to a Caribbean school and you'll immediately see a huge difference. That's part of the challenge of evaluating where you'd stand in terms of competitiveness as a UQ-Ochsner graduate--the outlook for IMGs overall is not amazing, but the UQ-Ochsner match lists have been consistently good, and that's something I struggled with when deciding whether to accept my offer or give US schools another try.
To give a specific example: that chart lists a 0% match rate to vascular surgery for US-IMGs. UQ-Ochsner has matched at least one candidate into vascular surgery each year for the past three years. Grouping UQ-Ochsner with other programs in NRMP data makes sense only because there's really nowhere else to put it, but this program has always been in a fairly unique position, and after the recent closure of the Sackler program, I'm not aware of any other programs operating in a similar space.
There's no such thing as "nuance" in a US MD/DO program versus a foreign medical school, regardless of country. You always want to attend medical school in the country that you're planning to practice medicine in, even attending a newer DO school is better than going to a foreign medical school, and the US MD/DO will always have priority in matching over any IMG.I'm a current year 3 UQ-Ochsner student. I would agree that in general an acceptance at a US med school is better than an international school, but the discussion becomes more nuanced when comparing UQ-Ochsner to some lower-tier/specific mission schools, depending on your goals. There are some schools that really want to create PCPs, for example, and will often not have the resources for or even will discourage students from pursuing other specialties.
There's a few reasons why UQ-Ochsner could be a better choice than some DO schools:
That being said, you have to make the decision that is right for you. Studying for two years in a country on the other side of the world is hard, especially if you rely a lot on local friends/family for support. Being an IMG at a school providing two years of US clinical experience puts you in a unique category with not a lot of information available, in contrast to the more well-established limitations of DO schools, and dealing with that uncertainty can be a struggle. For students who really need a school to force them to keep on top of studying, I would probably recommend looking elsewhere. But I feel there's more nuance to this discussion than just saying DO>IMG, and for the right student under the right circumstances, I think UQ-Ochsner could be the better choice.
- The university affiliation with UQ means plenty of research opportunities. Also Ochsner physicians and residents do tons of research, getting projects year 3 and 4 is quite easy.
- Some DO schools don't have affiliations with major clinical sites, which can mean lots of travelling and uncertainty. UQ-Ochsner students spend most of their time year 3/4 at the main Ochsner hospital. There are some satellite sites where you can be assigned for a couple weeks for some rotations, but most of them are within reasonable driving distance from main campus. The only exception is the Baton Rouge site, but an apartment is available for free for students assigned there.
- The admin and faculty are aware of what it takes to match competitive specialties, and provide all the necessary support and opportunities to students. You can see this in the match lists. We aren't matching tons of surgical subspecialties but the option, support, and advocacy is there for students who want to put in the effort.
- DO schools often have a lot of extra stuff for students to do (for example, learning OMM and taking an extra set of board exams). The UQ curriculum for years 1 and 2 is a lot more lean, there are far fewer activities with required attendance. This can be a bit difficult for students who prefer lots of guidance, but I found that I had plenty of time to study for both boards and UQ exams as well as time to relax and enjoy spending time with classmates and exploring a new country. Years 1 and 2 can definitely be intense but its not like you're in lectures all day then have to come home and study all night, they give you more autonomy to learn at your own pace.
- Also, I found the UQ curriculum covered generally what we needed for Step 1 with maybe the exception of pharm and micro, which is super easy to fill in with sketchy if you stay on top of things. Yes they don't cover biochem, for which I am eternally grateful. I don't like biochem and you don't really need it to pass Step 1, it was only really important when Step 1 was scored.
I'm happy to answer questions anyone has, either here or by DM!
I would argue that it's a significantly better option than any Caribbean program lol but otherwise I think we're landing in a very similar place. I agree this is best used as a backup after an unsuccessful US application cycle. I still think that for someone who wants to do surgery for example, UQ-Ochsner will position you better than a low-tier DO school with a mission to create local primary care docs but I'm not sure that's a super useful discussion to have and I don't think we're going to change each other's minds hahaIt seems like a better option than some of the Caribbean programs. However, I would be wary of recommending it over going to a US school. That's a dangerous game to play. If you cannot attain a US spot, this seems like a great next option.
Do you have experience with UQ-Ochsner? It's open only to US citizens/PRs and is focused primarily on placing US students in US residencies. I would not necessarily recommend UQ-Ochsner for students who know they want to practice in Australia.There's no such thing as "nuance" in a US MD/DO program versus a foreign medical school, regardless of country. You always want to attend medical school in the country that you're planning to practice medicine in, even attending a newer DO school is better than going to a foreign medical school, and the US MD/DO will always have priority in matching over any IMG.
If you're happy practicing in Australia, UQ-Ochsner is fine, but if you're wanting to match back into the US, you're put at the back of the line with the other IMG's from the Caribbean medical schools.
I can't recommend choosing it over a US school just based on risk mitigation, but UQ-Oschner does seem like a great option, the match list seems much better than the Caribbean schools and curriculum much more thought out. I'm glad you like your school, I hope we get to work together someday.Do you have experience with UQ-Ochsner? It's open only to US citizens/PRs and is focused primarily on placing US students in US residencies. I would not necessarily recommend UQ-Ochsner for students who know they want to practice in Australia.
Certain things matter more to certain people than others, and I would argue every discussion has nuance. On the whole, I agree that this program is a good backup option but when you look at match results, UQ-Ochsner is not inferior to many DO schools. Of course, I'm biased because this is my school, but I don't regret not attempting a second application cycle at US schools, and given the connections I've been able to make at Ochsner along with conversations I've had with current and former students, I don't feel like my position as an IMG at Ochsner Clinical School puts me at more of a disadvantage than DOs.
But this is only my experience and I can understand the feeling of risk and not knowing what I'm getting into, as that's where I was a few years ago. It's safe to listen to the regularly repeated advice of MD>DO>IMG and nobody has to listen to me haha but I can only share my own experience of there being more nuance than that, and everyone else will have to make their own decision. Maybe what you said is correct and we're last in line for matching. But we're still able to match pretty well from the back of the line.
Based on what experience? Parroting what reddit and SDN say about Caribbean schools? I don't understand how you claim to know this for a fact despite not only not having gone through the match yourself, but not having even started medical school.There's no such thing as "nuance" in a US MD/DO program versus a foreign medical school, regardless of country. You always want to attend medical school in the country that you're planning to practice medicine in, even attending a newer DO school is better than going to a foreign medical school, and the US MD/DO will always have priority in matching over any IMG.
If you're happy practicing in Australia, UQ-Ochsner is fine, but if you're wanting to match back into the US, you're put at the back of the line with the other IMG's from the Caribbean medical schools.
I wasn't even going to reply your bot thread reply, but your IMG survivorship bias is showing heavily and I think you're just upset not only because I disliked your post (which anyone can do), I also pointed out the truth about foreign medical schools, regardless of country. Speaking of which, how's the high % attrition rate at your school? 120 enrolled per class size, yet ~95 matched. Where did the 25 people go? 25 took a research year? "Less reputable DO schools"? I don't think so.Based on what experience? Parroting what reddit and SDN say about Caribbean schools? I don't understand how you claim to know this for a fact despite not only not having gone through the match yourself, but not having even started medical school.
You're really gonna try and argue that reading the NRMP stats for all US IMGs combined makes you more of an expert on this one specific program than someone who's completed it? Come on dude. The match is the match, everyone fills out the same application and applies to programs the same way, interviews, and matches. USMD students match better than everyone else, big surprise. What part of the experience do you think is missing for an IMG? Do I need to experience some kind of back room party where PDs promise the MD students any specialty they choose regardless of board scores? The attrition rate is an entirely separate issue and the specific numbers vary wildly from year to year. I'll admit that it's a problem for UQ, but for an entirely different reason than you're implying because you have no idea what the data you're looking at means. People drop out for different reasons than they drop out of domestic schools and the safety net is pretty strong. I don't like UQ, most of the time I regret going instead of waiting another year and applying domestic, but your blanket statements are completely out of line and inconsistent with your level of experience. You're not adding anything to this conversation by spouting off public data that every other pre-med has access to and if you think that the UQ-O program is worse than every single domestic program just because it's not domestic, then you should talk to the DO students who had to sleep in their car for a week on a rotation 3h from their apartment or had 25% of their class SOAP. The world's not black and white.I wasn't even going to reply your bot thread reply, but your IMG survivorship bias is showing heavily and I think you're just upset not only because I disliked your post (which anyone can do), I also pointed out the truth about foreign medical schools, regardless of country. Speaking of which, how's the high % attrition rate at your school? 120 enrolled per class size, yet ~95 matched. Where did the 25 people go? 25 took a research year? "Less reputable DO schools"? I don't think so.
Many advisors who have not gone through the match or advisors who have not attended foreign medical schools still advise people to an extent regarding the match process because the data is publicly published and can be accessed by anyone with a simple Google search. There are stats, from research publications, scores, etc. Like I said, it's public knowledge and using your single foreign medical story story to make your anecdote more credible than published data is extremely entertaining; there's no need to go about "parroting what reddit and SDN say about Caribbean schools" since it's all published data, not published by some anonymous Reddit user with a specific agenda in-mind. Let's reverse what you said to me, back to you: I don't understand how you claim to know this for a fact despite not only not having gone through the (US MD/DO) match yourself, but not having even graduated from a US MD/DO medical school.
Vast majority of DO students have their rotation sites well regulated. They often rotate in community hospitals or affiliated hospitals with other major medical schools in state. You are making blanket statements on DO programs now as well, your world isn't black and white either. We've stated UQ-O is a great program for those who can't make it into a domestic school. Your match list seems great, but what you are implying is dropping a DO acceptance is a better idea that attending Oschner. That is just dangerous, especially since as you said yourself the attrition rate isn't great (an 25% of the class soaping is not the norm lol). The average attrition at DO schools is on par with MD schools save for a few outliers. I am glad there is an option like Oschner out there, especially with the arms race that is medical school admission. But for the vast majority of students, domestic schools like MD and DO programs are a much safer route.You're really gonna try and argue that reading the NRMP stats for all US IMGs combined makes you more of an expert on this one specific program than someone who's completed it? Come on dude. The match is the match, everyone fills out the same application and applies to programs the same way, interviews, and matches. USMD students match better than everyone else, big surprise. What part of the experience do you think is missing for an IMG? Do I need to experience some kind of back room party where PDs promise the MD students any specialty they choose regardless of board scores? The attrition rate is an entirely separate issue and the specific numbers vary wildly from year to year. I'll admit that it's a problem for UQ, but for an entirely different reason than you're implying because you have no idea what the data you're looking at means. People drop out for different reasons than they drop out of domestic schools and the safety net is pretty strong. I don't like UQ, most of the time I regret going instead of waiting another year and applying domestic, but your blanket statements are completely out of line and inconsistent with your level of experience. You're not adding anything to this conversation by spouting off public data that every other pre-med has access to and if you think that the UQ-O program is worse than every single domestic program just because it's not domestic, then you should talk to the DO students who had to sleep in their car for a week on a rotation 3h from their apartment or had 25% of their class SOAP. The world's not black and white.
I'll give you the benefit of the doubt because you seem more reasonable, but I never said that UQO is a better option than most DO programs, just the very worst ones. There are SELECT low tier and brand new DO schools where I believe UQO is a better option. That's it. Not exactly as edgy of an opinion as you guys are making it out to be.Vast majority of DO students have their rotation sites well regulated. They often rotate in community hospitals or affiliated hospitals with other major medical schools in state. You are making blanket statements on DO programs now as well, your world isn't black and white either. We've stated UQ-O is a great program for those who can't make it into a domestic school. Your match list seems great, but what you are implying is dropping a DO acceptance is a better idea that attending Oschner. That is just dangerous, especially since as you said yourself the attrition rate isn't great (an 25% of the class soaping is not the norm lol). The average attrition at DO schools is on par with MD schools save for a few outliers. I am glad there is an option like Oschner out there, especially with the arms race that is medical school admission. But for the vast majority of students, domestic schools like MD and DO programs are a much safer route.