Choosing Between Universities and Offers

[Logic]

Hi, could you please clarify why JCU students would need to move from Townsville to Cairns/Mackay/Darwin?

Presumably, one might need to move depending on which hospital they complete their clinical years (Years 4-6) at. From the JCU website: "The JCU program is decentralised across the northern Australian region in years 4–6, with the majority of students moving away from the early years base in Townsville to rural clinical school sites in Cairns, Mackay and Darwin ."
Source (and more information): Clinical Schools

 

[worldno8]

Hey guys,

A little unsure about how to order my preferences for QTAC.
As a NSW school leaver, should I put UQ first or Griffith? I'm from NSW so they're equivalent in terms of distance. (FYI, my UCAT was 99%).
If I put Griffith as my first preference for first-round offers, can I change it for second-round so that UQ is first? Would this hinder my chances of getting into UQ?

 

[Cal]

Hey guys,

A little unsure about how to order my preferences for QTAC.
As a NSW school leaver, should I put UQ first or Griffith? I'm from NSW so they're equivalent in terms of distance. (FYI, my UCAT was 99%).
If I put Griffith as my first preference for first-round offers, can I change it for second-round so that UQ is first? Would this hinder my chances of getting into UQ?

Yes uq has no second round offers, put which one you want most in the first position.

EDIT: second round offers for prov entry. All the rejected spots go down the line to the graduate entry pool for clarification. Every other uq course offers top up positions.

 

[worldno8]

Yes uq has no second round offers, put which one you want most in the first position.

Wait so, does UQ only offer once?

Does Griffith do second-round offers?

 

[Cal]

Wait so, does UQ only offer once?

Does Griffith do second-round offers?

Yeah Griffith does top up offers, not necessarily second round but they fill rejected spots with people further down the list.

EDIT: read the edit to my above comment about uq offer rounds for prov entry

 

[worldno8]

Yeah Griffith does top up offers, not necessarily second round but they fill rejected spots with people further down the list.

EDIT: read the edit to my above comment about uq offer rounds for prov entry

Uhh, sorry, I'm a tad confused.

So UQ definitely gives second-round offers for UQ provisional entry?

In that case, should I position Griffith as #1 (since it's a shorter degree) and have UQ to fall back on for 2nd round?

 

[Cal]

Yeah Griffith does top up offers, not necessarily second round but they fill rejected spots with people further down the list.

Uhh, sorry, I'm a tad confused.

So UQ definitely gives second-round offers for UQ provisional entry?

In that case, should I position Griffith as #1 (since it's a shorter degree) and have UQ to fall back on for 2nd round?

They definitely do not give second round offers as I said they go to the graduate pool, and yeah if that is what you want then that is best option to put Griffith first.

And also don't forget if you don't fulfil the Griffith but you do fulfil the uq requirements you will get a first round offer to UQ, and if you conditionally accept then you can be considered for second and later round Griffith offers.

 

[Crow]

Hey guys,

A little unsure about how to order my preferences for QTAC.
As a NSW school leaver, should I put UQ first or Griffith? I'm from NSW so they're equivalent in terms of distance. (FYI, my UCAT was 99%).
If I put Griffith as my first preference for first-round offers, can I change it for second-round so that UQ is first? Would this hinder my chances of getting into UQ?

I'd place UQ first if I were you, given that with your UCAT you're guaranteed a CSP place. With Griffith you'll have to compete for a non-bonded position during your undergraduate degree, and that's not a risk I would take if you can avoid it given the increased ROS requirements with BMPs now.

 

[worldno8]

I'd place UQ first if I were you, given that with your UCAT you're guaranteed a CSP place. With Griffith you'll have to compete for a non-bonded position during your undergraduate degree, and that's not a risk I would take if you can avoid it given the increased ROS requirements with BMPs now.

Wait, I thought both degrees are provisional entry?? Meaning that I have to maintain a certain GPA to get into postgrad med?

Oops, did I confuse this completely...

 

[Crow]

Wait, I thought both degrees are provisional entry?? Meaning that I have to maintain a certain GPA to get into postgrad med?

Oops, did I confuse this completely...

They are, but UQ allocate CSP and BMPs on initial offers whereas Griffith allocate them at the end of the 2 year medical science undergraduate, so the bottom 28.5% of students in the medical science cohort (as determined by GPA) receive a BMP.

You need to maintain a GPA of 5.0 at Griffith and UQ to proceed to the MD at either university.

 

[worldno8]

They are, but UQ allocate CSP and BMPs on initial offers whereas Griffith allocate them at the end of the 2 year medical science undergraduate, so the bottom 28.5% of students in the medical science cohort (as determined by GPA) receive a BMP.

You need to maintain a GPA of 5.0 at Griffith and UQ to proceed to the MD at either university.

Thanks for your insight, Crow!!

Which other universities are provisional entry - UWA and Flinders? If they are, I should rank them below an undergraduate med degree (eg. place UAdel above Flinders), right?

 

[Crow]

Thanks for your insight, Crow!!

Which other universities are provisional entry - UWA and Flinders? If they are, I should rank them below an undergraduate med degree (eg. place UAdel above Flinders), right?

Not necessarily - depends on your personal preference. Griffith is the only university that doesn't immediately allocate CSPs and BMPs with provisional entry place offers. If you'd prefer to go to Flinders over Adelaide, then you should put Flinders first.

Benefit of Adelaide over Flinders: Adelaide is 6 years in a medicine course so your learning will be targeted from the get go whereas with Flinders you won't be studying medicine specifically until you get to the MD. Benefit of preferencing Flinders over Adelaide is that you could get a CSP with Flinders (as from what I believe they don't give BMPs to school-leavers) whereas you risk receiving a BMP from Adelaide if it's preferenced higher than Flinders.

With UWA vs Curtin I would personally rank Curtin first because it's a 5 year course while UWA will take you 6 years, but that's up to you.

 

[ucatboy]

I'd place UQ first if I were you, given that with your UCAT you're guaranteed a CSP place. With Griffith you'll have to compete for a non-bonded position during your undergraduate degree, and that's not a risk I would take if you can avoid it given the increased ROS requirements with BMPs now.

What about the fact that UQ has a course that's one year longer? Do the benefits of being guaranteed a CSP outweigh the drawback of one extra year in school (and the opportunity costs of sacrificed time, sacrificed income, extra student debt etc.)?

 

[Crow]

What about the fact that UQ has a course that's one year longer? Do the benefits of being guaranteed a CSP outweigh the drawback of one extra year in school (and the opportunity costs of sacrificed time, sacrificed income, extra student debt etc.)?

That’s up to the individual to decide - but having to do at least 18 months of your ROS post-fellowship (and 3 years total) has the potential to have a big impact on your career further down the line. For me, one extra year at university from a school-leaver age outweighs the substantial requirements associated with a BMP.

However, as I say that’s an individual choice.

 

[Lyyrre]

Considering I'm from interstate and I want the shortest course with the lowest chance of a BMP, would you say it's wiser to place all the Griffith preferences (Gold Coast, Nathan, USC) above UQ bonded?

If this was last year, then I would have advised taking the UQ bonded over Griffith because UQ bonded would only have been 1 year (prior to the BMP length change in 2019) as opposed to Griffith's 3 years (as CSP/BMP was determined at the end of 2020, at which point BMP will have changed to 3 years).

However, now that the change is in place and BMP is 3 years for both UQ and Griffith, if you are looking for a shorter course – then Griffith GC and Nathan will both be 6 years, and provided you remain in the top 72.5% of the cohort during the 2 years bachelors, you should receive a CSP on entry to the MD (the same applies for USC, but the course is 7 years instead of 6).

If you decide to take UQ bonded – it will be 7 years, and the 3 years bonded will apply regardless of how well you do in your bachelors degree.

So to answer your question – placing Griffith GC or Nathan will give you the shortest course (between the two) and a chance to receive a CSP as opposed to UQ bonded. Now say you receive UQ unbonded, then that would save you the stress of competing for a CSP in your bachelor degree and you won't worry about receiving a BMP. The cutoff last year was quite high though (I believe it was 93%ile for bonded, 96%ile for unbonded).

 

[Tomato]

If this was last year, then I would have advised taking the UQ bonded over Griffith because UQ bonded would only have been 1 year (prior to the BMP length change in 2019) as opposed to Griffith's 3 years (as CSP/BMP was determined at the end of 2020, at which point BMP will have changed to 3 years).

When you were admitted to UQ bonded, do you sign the BMP document immediately or sign it after the bachelor's degree? What you said sounds you have to sign straight away after admission. Just want to clarify.

 

[Crow]

When you were admitted to UQ bonded, do you sign the BMP document immediately or sign it after the bachelor's degree? What you said sounds you have to sign straight away after admission. Just want to clarify.

You usually sign it towards the middle of the first year of uni. Because UQ is provisional entry it’s possible this wouldn’t occur until you’ve started the MD (so 4th year out of school). I believe it’s the latter but can’t recall this with 100% certainty.

 

[TKAO]

You usually sign it towards the middle of the first year of uni. Because UQ is provisional entry it’s possible this wouldn’t occur until you’ve started the MD (so 4th year out of school). I believe it’s the latter but can’t recall this with 100% certainty.

If it is like UWA you sign it when you start the MD portion. I'm curious as to how it would work if you signed it during your bachelors. What would happen if you did the GAMSAT while at UQ provisional and then got into a uni somewhere else as a CSP but you already signed the BMP at UQ?

 

[Crow]

If it is like UWA you sign it when you start the MD portion. I'm curious as to how it would work if you signed it during your bachelors. What would happen if you did the GAMSAT while at UQ provisional and then got into a uni somewhere else as a CSP but you already signed the BMP at UQ?

Very good point, and I think it makes a lot of sense to not have it signed until the MD portion (with some people also dropping out before the MD, bonded requirements changing over time etc etc). I was about 95% sure it happened the way you mentioned above but I don’t like making guaranteed statements unless I am fully certain! Thank you for that

ETA: Worth noting that signing the BMP documentation is making a legal commitment to the government. One couldn’t then go on to take a CSP at a different uni and “overlook” the BMP commitments that they’ve committed to - if someone did this then they’d still be bound by these commitments if they went on to work as a doctor, even if they ended up graduating from another uni.

 

[Tomato]

You usually sign it towards the middle of the first year of uni. Because UQ is provisional entry it’s possible this wouldn’t occur until you’ve started the MD (so 4th year out of school). I believe it’s the latter but can’t recall this with 100% certainty.

TKAO talked about one of the scenarios if the BMP document was signed in the bachelor's stage and then went to another uni for MD. The other scenario is if you sign the BMP document at the time MD starts (i.e. not at the beginning of the bachelor's degree), you may have 3 years commitment rather than 1 year.