UQ vs UOW

[talal24]

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Hello everyone,

I am a Canadian, and I have been accepted into the UQ and UOW MBBS programs for 2013. I am what the advantages to each school are, and if one of them offers a better chance at internships in Australia or residencies back in North America.

UOW is obviously cheaper, but UQ does have a better reputation and is more established. Also, I've had a negative experience with UOW in terms of correspondence. For months, I haven't been aware of my admission status as was not able to get a hold of any of the administrative staff. I am wondering if this a trend with the administrative staff at UOW. I

Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks

Sincerely,

Talal

 

[tk0102]

Hello everyone,

I am a Canadian, and I have been accepted into the UQ and UOW MBBS programs for 2013. I am what the advantages to each school are, and if one of them offers a better chance at internships in Australia or residencies back in North America.

UOW is obviously cheaper, but UQ does have a better reputation and is more established. Also, I've had a negative experience with UOW in terms of correspondence. For months, I haven't been aware of my admission status as was not able to get a hold of any of the administrative staff. I am wondering if this a trend with the administrative staff at UOW. I

Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks

Sincerely,

Talal

Did you get accepted to the UQ-Ochsner program? If so, it seems like a no-brainier. Clinical rotations in the States are very important for getting a residency. And the large cohort of fellow North Americans (which I don't think you'll find at UOW) would be a valuable source of support and advise. Finally, good administrative support is surprisingly important (and an undvervalued assest) for international students. Visa applications, financial aid, indemenity issues... it gets pretty hairy. (To be clear, I'm not rubbishing the UOW administrative team. I have had no interactions with them at all. I'm just suggesting another criteria for your pros and cons list.)

Chances for an Australian internship are bleak. Wouldn't count on it. Around 60 international students in NSW just graduated without one. Of course, the issue could be resolved in four years.

http://interncrisis.org/

Chances for an America residency are not as bleak but still worrisome. I believe 2015 is projected to be the last year there will be more residency spots than applicants. Again, the issue could be resolved by then. But it's quite a gamble.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

 

[Phloston]

Hello everyone,

I am a Canadian, and I have been accepted into the UQ and UOW MBBS programs for 2013. I am what the advantages to each school are, and if one of them offers a better chance at internships in Australia or residencies back in North America.

UOW is obviously cheaper, but UQ does have a better reputation and is more established. Also, I've had a negative experience with UOW in terms of correspondence. For months, I haven't been aware of my admission status as was not able to get a hold of any of the administrative staff. I am wondering if this a trend with the administrative staff at UOW. I

Any information would be much appreciated. Thanks

Sincerely,

Talal

Have you looked at the rankings? That's like comparing SUNY Plattsburgh with NYU. UQ > UoW, my friend.

In terms of the office staff at UoW though, I wouldn't hold that against them. If you're making 38k/year working an odious full-time desk job, there's a reason to be disgruntled.

Did you get accepted to the UQ-Ochsner program? If so, it seems like a no-brainier. Clinical rotations in the States are very important for getting a residency. And the large cohort of fellow North Americans (which I don't think you'll find at UOW) would be a valuable source of support and advise. Finally, good administrative support is surprisingly important (and an undvervalued assest) for international students. Visa applications, financial aid, indemenity issues... it gets pretty hairy. (To be clear, I'm not rubbishing the UOW administrative team. I have had no interactions with them at all. I'm just suggesting another criteria for your pros and cons list.)

Chances for an Australian internship are bleak. Wouldn't count on it. Around 60 international students in NSW just graduated without one. Of course, the issue could be resolved in four years.

http://interncrisis.org/

Chances for an America residency are not as bleak but still worrisome. I believe 2015 is projected to be the last year there will be more residency spots than applicants. Again, the issue could be resolved by then. But it's quite a gamble.

Whatever you decide, good luck!

There's nothing worrisome about applying to US residencies from an Australian school, particularly from UQ or UQ-Ochsner. Just sit the USMLE, do very well, and you can go anywhere you want in the US.

 

[tk0102]

Have you looked at the rankings? That's like comparing SUNY Plattsburgh with NYU. UQ > UoW, my friend.

Australian schools just aren't that well known in the States, so you won't have much cachet from having attended UQ. You'll certainly get more looks than a Caribbean student.

There's nothing worrisome about applying to US residencies from an Australian school, particularly from UQ or UQ-Ochsner. Just sit the USMLE, do very well, and you can go anywhere you want in the US.

This statement is either uninformed or disingenuous. You do know that there's serious talk of cutting GME funding, right? And there's supposed to be a 30% increase in medical school graduates by 2015. There's doubt that America will have enough residency slots even for American graduates. Of course, it could be that all of this will be resolved by then. But it's a gamble. Certainly worrisome.

https://www.aamc.org/initiatives/gmefunding/

http://www.healthaffairs.org/healthpolicybriefs/brief.php?brief_id=73

 

[Phloston]

I don't know what audience you're speaking to, but UQ and other Aussie schools are definitely well-known in the States. Maybe not to you, but it's not hard for a PD to look at the world rankings and see that UMel, USyd and UQ are up there. They don't twirl their thumbs all day; they know which schools are renowned.

And as I said before, a very strong USMLE is pretty much the bulk of your application. Do well and you're set. You can worry about residency slots all you want.

 

[tk0102]

Maybe not to you, but it's not hard for a PD to look at the world rankings and see that UMel, USyd and UQ are up there. They don't twirl their thumbs all day; they know which schools are renowned.

For some reason, I lol'd at the mental picture of a PD sitting at his desk, smugly self-satisfied in "knowing which schools are renowned."

I also like how you didn't address the issue of GME funding cuts at all. Or provide any citations. Whatever.

I know you'll do well in the match Phloston. You've evidently worked very hard. But you'll be matching soon. I'm trying to help a perspective student make an informed choice about his career five years down the line. I urge caution and not taking anything for granted. To say there's nothing to worry about is crazy. Or delusional. Which, I acknowledge, could be therapeutic, if you've already made the gamble and have three quarters of a million dollars worth of debt riding on the outcome...

Speaking of the USMLE, good luck! I believe your exam is soon?

 

[Phloston]

For some reason, I lol'd at the mental picture of a PD sitting at his desk, smugly self-satisfied in "knowing which schools are renowned."

I also like how you didn't address the issue of GME funding cuts at all. Or provide any citations. Whatever.

I know you'll do well in the match Phloston. You've evidently worked very hard. But you'll be matching soon. I'm trying to help a perspective student make an informed choice about his career five years down the line. I urge caution and not taking anything for granted. To say there's nothing to worry about is crazy. Or delusional. Which, I acknowledge, could be therapeutic, if you've already made the gamble and have three quarters of a million dollars worth of debt riding on the outcome...

Speaking of the USMLE, good luck! I believe your exam is soon?

I bolded the above because you probably didn't realize that I'll be entering the 2017 match because I'm also doing a PhD. Am I worried? Not in the slightest. Should be I be? No. It's like worrying about whether it's going to rain tomorrow. It's pointless. And the odds are in our favor if we choose for them to be. We're all responsible for our own outcomes.

Also, thanks for wishing me luck on the exam. The prep has been transformational, and I feel ready. Hopefully I just get a little as well with the question allotment.

 

[pre med 2014]

I bolded the above because you probably didn't realize that I'll be entering the 2017 match because I'm also doing a PhD. Am I worried? Not in the slightest. Should be I be? No. It's like worrying about whether it's going to rain tomorrow. It's pointless. And the odds are in our favor if we choose for them to be. We're all responsible for our own outcomes.

Also, thanks for wishing me luck on the exam. The prep has been transformational, and I feel ready. Hopefully I just get a little as well with the question allotment.

Based on data in a previous thread it appears that only 18 international students out of 298 will not get residencies this year, which is not the most ideal situation, but it is nowhere near a 50/50 gamble that I have been reading about.

There were originally 76 students with no residencies, but apparently 48 new spots were created, so the number is down.

It does seem as the odds are in favor for this year at least.

 

[neulite30]

Based on data in a previous thread it appears that only 18 international students out of 298 will not get residencies this year, which is not the most ideal situation, but it is nowhere near a 50/50 gamble that I have been reading about.

There were originally 76 students with no residencies, but apparently 48 new spots were created, so the number is down.

It does seem as the odds are in favor for this year at least.

OK. Where to begin.

There is no "residency" here, it's called internship. You are on a one year contract and you need this year to enter "residency" training (called vocational training or being a "registrar"). The whole scheme (and the current problem) is best laid out here:
http://interncrisis.org/be-informed/why-is-internship-important/

You can also view up to date info on the "crisis" here: http://www.amsa.org.au/advocacy/internship-crisis/

As you can see, getting the internship is just the beginning.

Also, the new spots created that you mentioned have a Return of Service contract you must sign. This means following your training you have to work in an area of need for a specified time (already in place since we're IMGs anyway - i.e. 10-year moratorium).

 

[neulite30]

OK. Where to begin.

There is no "residency" here, it's called internship. You are on a one year contract and you need this year to enter "residency" training (called vocational training or being a "registrar"). The whole scheme (and the current problem) is best laid out here:
http://interncrisis.org/be-informed/why-is-internship-important/

You can also view up to date info on the "crisis" here: http://www.amsa.org.au/advocacy/internship-crisis/

As you can see, getting the internship is just the beginning.

Also, the new spots created that you mentioned have a Return of Service contract you must sign. This means following your training you have to work in an area of need for a specified time (already in place since we're IMGs anyway - i.e. 10-year moratorium).

Continuing on from this, the number of years you must spend in general medical training after you graduate is specialty-dependent.

For example: Radiology training in Australia requires you to graduate from medical school, complete your internship, then complete one more year of medical officer training (basically working in a hospital rotating through different specialties). Only then, after two years of non-radiology training (aside from rotations you might have done), can you enter "residency" (or registrar) training. If you're interested in the pay rates of this heirarchy, that can be found here for Queensland: http://www.health.qld.gov.au/medical/docs/payrates_2010.pdf

If you're dying to get on with the training, do it in the states. You enter specialty training directly after graduation from medical school.