Would you go to U of Sydney?

[Homoochan]

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I know this isn't the international forum but.. I'm in a pretty tough situation..

I'm accepted to University of Sydney and have to let them know by Sept 22, 2009. I could defer my acceptance but not till May 15 (more till like Oct 15, 2009) because U of Sydney starts in like April or something..

I don't want to decline acceptance from U of Syd or decline the invites from the states..

Anyone else with U Syd acceptance?

 

[JJMrK]

I wouldn't, just because I have no desire to spend 4 years that far away from my family and friends (and major league baseball). You must have done your research when you applied. What did you like about the school, what are your options for coming back when you're finished, and how expensive will it be?

 

[GoSpursGo]

There's a reason that October 15 is the magic date they'll want your answer--that's the date that US schools start handing out acceptances. You can't really blame them; it would sure suck to be strung along by someone holding an acceptance for 6 months while they never really intended to go to the school in the first place. They know they're generally one of the last resorts for American students, so they don't want to waste their time with applicants who aren't serious about going to their school.

Honesty, offshore schools would be a last resort I'd try if after 2-3 cycles I didn't get in anywhere in the US, MD or DO. If you're getting interviews at this stage of the game, your application has to be at least somewhat competitive, so I'd take my chances here as going to Australia will make it harder to come back later.

 

[Ableton]

If you want to end up practicing in Australia, then just take the acceptance!
If you want to practice in the US, then I would just decline or defer the acceptance and see how this application cycle works out for you.

Just a side note, I have a few friends who went down to Sydney for medical school with the initial intention of returning but are now contemplating staying. It's a beautiful place.

 

[Homoochan]

I wouldn't, just because I have no desire to spend 4 years that far away from my family and friends (and major league baseball). You must have done your research when you applied. What did you like about the school, what are your options for coming back when you're finished, and how expensive will it be?

I mean it's Sydney. Great place to live, honestly. But the problem is their curriculum is different from the states so it'll be harder to practice here. Also the tuition is $5,2000 CDN (i don't know how much that is in US dollar prolly like $48000?) which is absurdly expensive. The job market in Australia is not looking bright either.. But oh man.. tough tough..

 

[JJMrK]

I mean it's Sydney. Great place to live, honestly. But the problem is their curriculum is different from the states so it'll be harder to practice here. Also the tuition is $5,2000 CDN (i don't know how much that is in US dollar prolly like $48000?) which is absurdly expensive. The job market in Australia is not looking bright either.. But oh man.. tough tough..

How much harder? That would be the potential deal-breaker for me.

 

[Homoochan]

How much harder? That would be the potential deal-breaker for me.

I've heard your chance of having residence in the states is slim. How difficult? I do not know.. But, Australia even addresses the degree as "Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery" rather than "Doctor of Medicine".

 

[amakhosidlo]

How much harder? That would be the potential deal-breaker for me.

Harder as 1/4 to 1/2 the emphasis on basic sciences, thus leaving the average student who's focused only on his coursework completely F'ed for Step 1 (Main determinant of what residency, if any, you get). Granted, if you do can teach yourself basic sciences entirely on your own time, to a level where you can perform well on Step 1, then you'd probably encounter little resistance in terms of landing a residency in primary care, or a moderately competitive field like EM or gas (There certainly aren't many Australian grads coming over to match right now, but those that do tend to be slightly more favorably received than Carib. grads, since many Australian schools are also top-notch research institutions)

I've heard your chance of having residence in the states is slim. How difficult? I do not know.. But, Australia even addresses the degree as "Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery" rather than "Doctor of Medicine".

This is true, although MBBS is the main medical degree recognized pretty much the world over. Surprisingly, M.D is sort of specific to the U.S, and elsewhere signifies PhD-level work in addition to a medical degree.

I'm not quite in your position OP, but I have looked into Australian schools quite a bit. They're excellent, no doubt, but not for those who intend to come back here to practice. Even staying there as an international presents its own headaches
As I'm sure you're aware, Australia is suffering from a glut of new med schools, and a shortage of internships (residencies) that is only expected to get worse. As an international, you'll get last pick. If you're lucky. Also, after graduating from an Australian school, you'd be restricted by law from obtaining a license that would allow you to practice independently for 10 years. You could still work for a hospital or something, but that's still something to keep in mind.

Anyway, people who are interested in this route should really check out the Aus/NZ section of the international forum for more info, but from what I've seen going the Australian route almost seems like a non-option, rather than a 2nd or 3rd...

 

[JJMrK]

OP, it basically sounds like you need to decide where you want to spend the next few years-decades. If you want to be in the US this doesn't sound like your best option. Are your stats competitive for the states?

 

[Homoochan]

OP, it basically sounds like you need to decide where you want to spend the next few years-decades. If you want to be in the US this doesn't sound like your best option. Are your stats competitive for the states?

My stats is like.. well.. it's not competitive..

Oh well, thanks guys for advice!