Bonded or ERC

[Hopeful med student]

Hey everyone I need some help deciding between my current bonded offer and ERC 4th round offer which expires tomorrow. Bonded means I can stay in the city for the majority of 3,4,5 years and I'm wondering if that will help me get a city intern place over someone who has spent 2.5 years in a rural area, so I can keep my options open for internships and training programs etc. Its also only 1 year I have to spend in workplace shortage and I have a much longer time frame to complete this and will most likely complete some of this time while in my training program. However being unbonded makes the ERC offer a lot more attractive... if any med students could offer their experience/advice would be much appreciated

 

[pi]

Being in the city for years 3 and 4 probably won't help that much in getting an internship. I don't see a reason to be Bonded if you can help it.

 

[Hopeful med student]

agreed but if you can make the right contacts, are known by the hospital/doctors etc while at a hospital it has to give you an advantage when going for an internship over someone who hasn't done a rotation there or maybe did a few weeks. Also I would much rather be in the city over those 3 years, better lifestyle, more to do, friends here doing med etc. But being unbonded would obviously be preferable.

 

[pi]

Sounds like you've already made a decision if you believe having such contacts will help that much Worth realising two things:
1. Not being ERC doesn't mean you might not be sent rural for a year or two, I know several students who got allocated for rural years and there was nothing they could do about it.
2. The contacts you build will only "help" (if at all tbh) with a handful of hospitals. You won't have any "advantage" with applications to Melb or Deakin affiliated hospitals anyway. For Alfred Health I'm repeatedly told you won't have any advantage (hospitals know clinical school allocation is a lottery lol), and the advantage is said to be very modest when it comes to snaring a job at Monash Health.

But yeah, sounds like you've made the call already so hopefully that works out. Either way you have many good years to look forward to, welcome to Monash

 

[jeff]

Sounds like you've already made a decision if you believe having such contacts will help that much Worth realising two things:
1. Not being ERC doesn't mean you might not be sent rural for a year or two, I know several students who got allocated for rural years and there was nothing they could do about it.

Monash rural sites are generally undersubscribed for years 3 and 4, so there will be a proportion of both domestic and international students who are randomly selected for them. I personally did 4th year in the Bendigo program, and it was actually pretty good - lots of teaching opportunities and a more relaxed atmosphere.

pi I understand you have some good stories to share from the social side of being in Bendigo ?

 

[pi]

pi I understand you have some good stories to share from the social side of being in Bendigo ?

What happens in Bendy stays in Bendy