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Should I choose St.Andrews, or Auckland?

Hello!

I got med offers from St.Andrews(foundation - 7 years), Nottingham(declined) and Auckland(New Zealand), and a pharmacology offer from Edinburgh(2nd year entry).

I am considering declining Edinburgh as I don't want to risk not getting into med school after I graduate.

So, this leaves me with St.Andrews and Auckland.

I'll graduate in 2020 for both of them. (March 2020 for Auckland and later in the year for St.Andrews).

I don't know much about these two unis, but Auckland sure does rank A LOT higher than St.Andrews in med university rankings.

However, my family suggested that graduating from a med school in the UK will give me more credit(along that line).

I am aware that both cities are really nice.

I really do not know which one to choose.

Please help suggest some pros and cons of these two universities!

Thank you!!

P.S. I'm an international student from Asia ;3
(edited 11 years ago)
New Zealand all the way! Life experience and living in another country.
You'll probably have a better time in New Zealand its so lovely. But if you want to practice here it would be easier to train here.
Reply 3
Well, do you want to work in the UK or NZ? Or elsewhere?

Do they cost the same?

I can vouch for the above posts though - NZ is such an amazing place. I'm definitely considering moving there after FY2.
(edited 11 years ago)
Reply 4
Original post by gagaslilmonsteruk
New Zealand all the way! Life experience and living in another country.

Thanks xD. But going to either of the two places would be life experience and living in another country, I'm an international student. =)


Original post by Hippokrates
You'll probably have a better time in New Zealand its so lovely. But if you want to practice here it would be easier to train here.


Original post by nexttime
Well, do you want to work in the UK or NZ? Or elsewhere?

Do they cost the same?

I can vouch for the above posts though - NZ is such an amazing place. I'm definitely considering moving there after FY2.


Thanks! But I don't really know where I want to work yet O_o. Is it hard to get a UK medical license graduating from elsewhere? Will there be discrimination against doctors from other countries when applying for jobs?

I have actually been only thinking about the quality of these two universities as I guess that it quality should be the major deciding factor. Should it?

I'm not quite sure for fees of the course offered by St.Andrews as they require students to spend 3 clinical years in Manchester, whose Med fees are not announced yet. But the years at St.Andrews will cost about 86000.

Auckland's fee is about 200000 for the whole course.

**Is St.Andrews good at Pre-Clinical med? I have not seen it under any ranking at all, but I know that those rankings may not be accurate due to other contributing factors taken into account other than the teaching.:s-smilie:
(edited 11 years ago)
Original post by Yaoni
Thanks xD. But going to either of the two places would be life experience and living in another country, I'm an international student. =)

Thanks! But I don't really know where I want to work yet O_o. Is it hard to get a UK medical license graduating from elsewhere? Will there be discrimination against doctors from other countries when applying for jobs?

I have actually been only thinking about the quality of these two universities as I guess that it quality should be the major deciding factor. Should it?

I'm not quite sure for fees of the course offered by St.Andrews as they require students to spend 3 clinical years in Manchester, whose Med fees are not announced yet. But the years at St.Andrews will cost about 86000.

Auckland's fee is about 200000 for the whole course.

**Is St.Andrews good at Pre-Clinical med? I have not seen it under any ranking at all, but I know that those rankings may not be accurate due to other contributing factors taken into account other than the teaching.:s-smilie:


Not all St Andrew's students go on to Manchester - smaller numbers also go to the remaining 4 Scottish medical schools.

AFAIK, getting a job in the UK immediately after graduating (ie for the foundation program) would be easier if you had a UK degree, since an international student with a non-UK degree is pretty far down the preference list and the program is already oversubscribed.
Reply 6
Original post by Becca-Sarah
Not all St Andrew's students go on to Manchester - smaller numbers also go to the remaining 4 Scottish medical schools.

AFAIK, getting a job in the UK immediately after graduating (ie for the foundation program) would be easier if you had a UK degree, since an international student with a non-UK degree is pretty far down the preference list and the program is already oversubscribed.


Hello. Thanks for your information!

What about getting a job after the 2FYs? Would it be difficult for an international doctor with a non-UK degree???
Original post by Yaoni
Hello. Thanks for your information!

What about getting a job after the 2FYs? Would it be difficult for an international doctor with a non-UK degree???


It gets complicated at that point, something to do with what visa you have. Sorry, it's not something I know a lot about.
Reply 8
Original post by Yaoni

What about getting a job after the 2FYs? Would it be difficult for an international doctor with a non-UK degree???


Its a bit of a controversial issue on here. I believe that if you definitely want to work in the UK, it would give you a lot more certainty over your job if you have been educated and FYd here. There are a lot of foreign doctors in the UK, but its very hard to find out just how hard those jobs actually were to get - competition ratios aren't released. Others (i.e. those advocating schools in eastern europe) believe that EU law about non-discrimination between countries is strictly adhered to, and i'd imagine any such policy would be extended to a country like NZ, but i really don't think its as simple as that myself. No doubt it will depend on your speciality and when you apply to an extent too. Not sure, basically.
Reply 9
I'm at St. Andrews and as an international student you will be going to Manchester, unless you rank in top 4 of international students then you can switch to Edinburgh for clinicals.

The premed and degree at St. Andrews has a good reputation and they teach us well. Also 40% of my year is international students!

I'd go with the country you want to work in. If you want to work in UK then train here, if not then try NZ!

Any specific questions about st a, ask away!


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Original post by polldoll
I'm at St. Andrews and as an international student you will be going to Manchester, unless you rank in top 4 of international students then you can switch to Edinburgh for clinicals.

The premed and degree at St. Andrews has a good reputation and they teach us well. Also 40% of my year is international students!

I'd go with the country you want to work in. If you want to work in UK then train here, if not then try NZ!

Any specific questions about st a, ask away!


This was posted from The Student Room's iPhone/iPad App


How do you have 40% when the quota is something like 7%? Are you including EU?
Reply 11
Original post by Becca-Sarah
How do you have 40% when the quota is something like 7%? Are you including EU?


St Andrews takes a lot of international students. If they apply only to St. Andrews, they can apply outside of UCAS.
Reply 12
Original post by Becca-Sarah
How do you have 40% when the quota is something like 7%? Are you including EU?


don't know the answer to your question exactly, but it could be because we have a specific program for canadian students, linked with a med school in canada, where they come and do their training with us, and have a place at that canadian uni for them to come back to? so maybe theyre counted as internationals but because theyre on a special program, theyre a bit different?

its not just the medical school that has a lot of internationals - the whole uni has a large proportion of internationals
Reply 13
Yes, it will be the Canadian program, so we have a high proportion of internationals!


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