Medicine in Australia...Please Read

I have heard that it is no-where near as competetive as here, I don't know how true that is though.

Isn't it 6 years there? I looked a while ago and I think it is. I think they generally ask for 3 As for A level but it might be different for different schools.

As for coming back here to do the foundation years if you count as an Australian citizen it's not going to happen.

Also just because you were born there it doesn't necessarily mean that you will pay home fees. If you haven't lived there since you were tiny you might not be counted as a home student, you should check to be sure.

Reply 2

A lot of Oz schools are now graduate only too...

Reply 3

I think most have courses for kids straight from school, at least the main ones do anyway.

Reply 4

ajspeight8231

there are new rules, or so ive heard, that anyone graduating from this year onwards will not be able to practice in the UK if graduated from OZ and vice versa, without having to take some form of test or similar thing. There are also private med schools, which are easier to get into if ur loaded over there, and there isnt a personal statement type thing and sometimes not an interview, though it depends on the unis, which some aussie med students i spoke to out there liked (but she was wierd and wanted to study law after doing med and didnt seem to want to be a dr, just wanted lots of qualifications), but i don't because it means they are mainly going on test scores and have no idea what kinda person you rlly are and if you are suitable for the course. Its up to you though, last yr and earlier this year there was alot of stuff in the independent about med students going to Aus and getting grants and stuff. Could work.

Reply 5

ajspeight8231

there are new rules, or so ive heard, that anyone graduating from this year onwards will not be able to practice in the UK if graduated from OZ and vice versa, without having to take some form of test or similar thing. There are also private med schools, which are easier to get into if ur loaded over there, and there isnt a personal statement type thing and sometimes not an interview, though it depends on the unis, which some aussie med students i spoke to out there liked (but she was wierd and wanted to study law after doing med and didnt seem to want to be a dr, just wanted lots of qualifications), but i don't because it means they are mainly going on test scores and have no idea what kinda person you rlly are and if you are suitable for the course. Its up to you though, last yr and earlier this year there was alot of stuff in the independent about med students going to Aus and getting grants and stuff. Could work.

If you graduate from an Australian Uni in medicine and want to work in the UK, you will need to sit the PLAB. It is very competitive, usually need better than AAA. What TV show are you talking about? I moved from the UK and have never looked back... Its about half graduate entry, half undergraduate entry. We dont use GCSE results, only your A levels would be considered. Some courses are 5 years - Newcastle, some 6 yrs - UNSW, some 7 yrs - Melbourne (BA/MBBS) etc.

LOL ajspeight8231, there is only one private medical school here, and it is still quite competitive, my friend got 99.65 UAI (equivalent to top 0.35% of the state), but didnt do well in the UMAT (BMAT equiv), and only made it into the private med school.

Btw, you're most likely going to have to pay international fees :smile:

Reply 6

davidjones90

OP

12

Cheers for the replies.

I am pretty certain I qualify for home student fee's. I emailed monash university(which is about 2 miles away from our old house) last year and enquired about this and they say because I am an 'Australian Citizen' I qualfiy for home fee's.

Just reading this link should reitterate that... :smile:

http://www.futurestudents.unimelb.edu.au/aust/astudent.html

Just spent last 20mins reading on the PLAB exam and it does look good, obviously i can't do a single question but you need a year training to do it and allows you to do it.

@Bambi-I am a british citizen and passport holder too :redface:

@bally- I guessing you were in the same shoes as I am now. Is medicine more competitive than the UK? Hows the style and quality of teaching?

The TV programme showed families who wanted to start 'a new life' by moving to australia-many regret moving for one reason or the other.

Also when do you apply to uni? For example i think the deadline is around october time? Think I need to register myself to do the UMAT next year in June.

Reply 7

Never underestimate the PLAB - the failure rate is over 70%!

Reply 8

Also see: http://pb.rcpsych.org/cgi/content/full/26/7/257

This issue is relevant as many overseas graduates have difficulty in obtaining a training post in the popular specialities, even after passing the Professional and Linguistic Assessment Board (PLAB) test conducted by the General Medical Council (Welsh, 2000; Buchanan & Smith, 2001). Although all those taking the PLAB test are advised that success in this examination does not guarantee a post on a training programme, many postgraduates believe that it will enable them to obtain a training post. Sridhar (2000) plangently describes the problems that successful PLAB candidates have in gaining a post in the speciality of their choice, some of who ‘move into psychiatry simply to earn a living’.

Reply 9

Just let you know, many students who plan to move back to the UK, end up staying as most cant be bothered studying for the PLAB, and the conditions here are better than the NHS.

The deadline is actually late september, but you need to submit PS style stuff to unis, and some forms before that. It starts around May, I guess? Teaching style is good from what I have heard. Can't compare it to UK as I'm only going on other peoples' opinions, however my sister is a very competent doctor graduating from UNSW with a 1st. The style of teaching is a fair bit of PBL. Entry is competitive with upto 3000 applicants applying for UNSW, for only around 150 places (exc international places). For grad courses, generally a 2.1 is the minimum standard, although there are other criterion of which you can excel in to make up for a low classification. Monash, melb and UWA are great unis. Any reason why you aren't coming to sydney?

Reply 10

Zinc11

1

I have a friend applying to UWA for feb2007. I've done a little research into australian unis. For an international student the fees there is cheaper then in the UK Hm. the australian fees thing is a little strange. For home students theres commonwealth supported places and fee paying places, so you may want to check that.

I know the UniMelb medicine course is 6 year. The first 3 years spent on sciences and not much clinical work. Monash is 5 years and has clinical work much early. I think Melb is more traditional and monash more like PBL.

Reply 11

The fees aren't cheaper. I looked a while ago because I was going to apply if I didn't get in here and it seemed to vary between unis.

Reply 12

bally

For grad courses, generally a 2.1 is the minimum standard, although there are other criterion of which you can excel in to make up for a low classification.

Sydney only ask for a 2.2 or at least they did when I looked a couple of months ago.

Reply 13

davidjones90

OP

12

Thanks for the replies...
ITs difficult to predict the long term future and I believe 7+ years abroad will have a major influence on weather I stay or go. Looking at it seriously I will probably stay there but I think its a good idea if I keep the PLAB open.

Competition is giving me the scare though, 1:20 ratio is outragous!(hope this is rare). Would I stand a reasonable chance considering the A levels is 'slightly' more advanced than HSC/VCE??? Did you bally do your normal A levels.

Also from what I understand(correct me if i am wrong), you get a place in uni when you get your grades. Now considering I may need to start submitting papers as early as may time, I won't have my results till august. Does this mean I will need to wait one year before I can get a place or can I show them my predicated grades and start from there?

Have no problems with considering Sidney btw-fantastic city when i went there 5 years ago :smile:

What is a good UMAT score to get? DO you uni's place much emphasis on this?

thanks all :smile:

edit 2: Just did a quick research on the fee's. According to this http://www.goingtouni.gov.au/Main/FeesLoansAndScholarships/Undergraduate/CommonwealthSupportForYourPlaceAndHECS-HELP/BeingEligibleStudentEntitlement.htm I should qualify and have the subsided fee's which vary from 8-12k. I'm not tooo worried to be perfectly honest. Just need to make my mind weather I seriously want to go cos it is a HUGE commitment. Mum will be angry and dad will be pleased! Ha!

Reply 14

Bambi

Sydney only ask for a 2.2 or at least they did when I looked a couple of months ago.

Presumably that's with GAMSAT though - not an easy feat :smile:

Reply 15

Fluffy

Presumably that's with GAMSAT though - not an easy feat :smile:

Yep with the GAMSAT. GAMSAT is so tiring :frown:

. You needed a 61 this year to get in, and then to ace the interview.

David: Sorry, I'm not exactly what you call familiar with A levels. Have you done your A levels? The different academic years of Aus and UK make it hard to tell you when to apply. This website should help : http://www.med.unsw.edu.au/medweb.nsf/page/Selection_Intl

Dont worry about competition, AAA+ should be ok. For umat, 180 + raw is good. The scaling etc. process is not very transparent at all. The ratio from that website of international applicants to international places is 1:15, so not that bad compared to the figure mentioned above. Lastly, nope, I did the NSW HSC and received a UAI. No A levels here :smile:

Each uni has different requirements regarding the UMAT. Some like adelaide just have a cut off score like ABB or BBB, and then umat and interview are the deciders. Others like UNSW, love A Level marks (eventhough they dont say they are biased towards them, it looks like they are), moreso than UMAT marks. However you still need to do ok in your UMAT.

Oh and btw, yes we have fee paying for domestic students also (it's for the dumb ones who didn't get the inital cut off). It provides us with lots of spending money :biggrin:

Reply 16

davidjones90

OP

12

Thanks to everyone, including bally
Right I Just finished Year 11(GCSE) and am starting Year 12 next week which will be my first year of A level. At the end of Year 12 I will be 17 years old. I complete my A level course at the end of Year 13(Where I will be 18).

Think i'm going to look closely into the major medical school in australia and then make a shortlist.

Just read on your link above, they say they prefer a telephone interview, is this the norm for them? Would MUCH prefer that i go over there and get it done in front of them.

Reply 17

Zinc11

1

you're in the same year as me.

if you're really certain you want to do medicine at a certain university you may consider doing a Foundation Program. They gurantee entry to med school as long as you make the grade. Eg. Taylors College for Monash. Oh and you can apply now coz they only require good GCSE results which you have.

you can start university with only predicated grades. someone i know is doing a science degree and started uni last feb with only predicted grades. The actual grades came out in march.

EDIT: btw, the foundation programs are meant for international students but since you have british citizenship you can still attend. it wouldnt be free but then that may not matter depending on personal finances.

Reply 18