Choosing Between Universities and Offers

[DrDrLMG!]

It's quite difficult for an interstate like you to get a NSW internship due to two reasons:
- You are priority 3 behind the domestic NSW grads + the interstate grads who were NSW Y12s.
- The way NSW allocation works, the priorities are applied within each hospital network, not overall. The int'l grads know they are "orphans" so to maximise their chances for the crucial internship they preference the remote networks (fewer competitors there). Whereas if you preference the non-remote networks full of higher competitors you miss out i.e. some priority 4 get their spots while you priority 3 don't.

If you want an internship around Sydney best to take UNSW.

There were UTAS grads who got NSW internships in the first round this year. Hospitals included Wollongong (x 3 students that I know of), Port Mac (x 1), and Concorde (x 1). I know they are not necessarily sought after spots, but it was relatively easy to get a NSW internship as a priority 3 this year.

 

[swagatronium]

It's quite difficult for an interstate like you to get a NSW internship due to two reasons:
- You are priority 3 behind the domestic NSW grads + the interstate grads who were NSW Y12s.
- The way NSW allocation works, the priorities are applied within each hospital network, not overall. The int'l grads know they are "orphans" so to maximise their chances for the crucial internship they preference the remote networks (fewer competitors there). Whereas if you preference the non-remote networks full of higher competitors you miss out i.e. some priority 4 get their spots while you priority 3 don't.

If you want an internship around Sydney best to take UNSW.

Gotcha, thanks for that A1. Do you know what the priorities and allocations for Adelaide would be?

 

[chinaski]

but it was relatively easy to get a NSW internship as a priority 3 this year.

Worth pointing out that the market for JMOs at present is somewhat unique and peculiar, given the effect COVID has had on the workforce. Historically things have not been that easy, and it's probably wise to not assume these conditions will be the same by the time the current crop of incoming students graduate.

 

[A1]

Gotcha, thanks for that A1. Do you know what the priorities and allocations for Adelaide would be?

Turns out the SA allocation process is essentially the same as NSW
> https://www.samet.org.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/04/2019-Intern-Job-Pack.pdf

On page 10-11
- Rural internships are allocated first i.e. these applicants' priorities take precedence over those for metro
- Interstate grads are priority 2.3 - lower than the 1.x SA grads and lower than 2.2 SA Y12s returning to SA.

Victoria is known to be extremely notorious to get an internship from interstate uni (almost impossible)

Yes this is because Vic allocation ranks Vic int'l grads higher than domestic interstate grads, and as we know at times there are not enough internships for int'l grads let alone a lower priority.

 

[LeSpicyGinger]

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: UAdel Med CSP
Offer 2: UNE Med @ Armidale CSP
Offer 3: UNSW Med @ Kensington CSP
Any scholarships offered: None
Any accommodation secured: Yes for Adelaide, No for the others
Internship location preference: NSW/Victoria
Other important information:
I've tried to weigh up things for myself, but definitely happy to take on some other input! I'm waiting on February 1st to see if VTAC offers anything, fingers crossed! I think I'd prefer to be in a metropolitan area despite the greater accom cost that's going to come with it, so I may be leaning towards either UAdel or UNSW. I think that may make my decision a bit similar to ar456's, though I've heard quite the contrary about the resources - I've heard UAdel has the health simulation centre and a really nice medical building (though I think the latter shouldn't weigh too much into my decision), and not so much about UNSW. I've looked into the specialties both universities offer with placements, and it seems they're relatively similar if I'm not mistaken.

I think the tie-breaker could be that I want to do an internship in NSW, but in all honestly, I've had limited exposure to Australia outside of QLD, so not sure if that would actually be the best fit for me.

I feel as if this may be a moot point, but I'm considering this: if would it be easier for me to move into an Adelaide internship from NSW (attending UNSW) then move into a NSW internship from Adelaide (attending UAdel). Not sure if that makes sense, but what I'm trying to get at, is whether NSW would be a more competitive place to move to practise then Adelaide.

Thanks for any input!

Congratulations on a year well done! If you want to understand the internship situation or more about specialization, I’d recommend giving pagingdoctor a good read to provide another microcosm of perspectives.

From my understanding of your situation I would also factor in cost of living. With prices rising, moving interstate isn’t an insignificant sacrifice. If you can determine roughly how long it would take you to reach your desired internship or hospital network, I would weigh it up against the 100k+ or so in extra costs in accommodation if you choose to move to Sydney or Victoria. These could be resources invested into owning a house, a rainy day or a large holiday. In my experience, my biggest regret in uni is not realizing the scope of options available and money provides options.

Not to mention, within Adelaide university and within the city as a whole, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have more established social connections. Having family nearby is great insurance if you’re struggling through social or study issues.

All in all I would consider why exactly you are interested in a NSW internship and whether those factors have any real bearing on your future practice. In retrospect of my offers, I would have made the same decision I did back then, even if Flinders was 7 years and USYD was 5.

Edit:this was made from a perspective of someone living in Adelaide already which is not applicable to swag whoops

 

[swagatronium]

Congratulations on a year well done! If you want to understand the internship situation or more about specialization, I’d recommend giving pagingdoctor a good read to provide another microcosm of perspectives.

Thanks for that Ginger and cheers for the recommended readings there, will definitely do since I have to admit my knowledge around what you do after medical school is a bit flimsy!

From my understanding of your situation I would also factor in cost of living. With prices rising, moving interstate isn’t an insignificant sacrifice. If you can determine roughly how long it would take you to reach your desired internship or hospital network, I would weigh it up against the 100k+ or so in extra costs in accommodation if you choose to move to Sydney or Victoria. These could be resources invested into owning a house, a rainy day or a large holiday. In my experience, my biggest regret in uni is not realizing the scope of options available and money provides options.

Yeah, definitely. My family's socioeconomic situation isn't the best in all honesty, so it would be quite the financial strain on us to put it lightly, and admittedly I feel a bit selfish in making that decision to move to a more metropolitan area then. That's not to say I wouldn't want to help with a job or such, though that could probably only cover a fraction of the rent. Perhaps I haven't looked nearly enough into accommodation, but on the surface-level, it seems that UAdel accom may be 100 or so dollars less per week than places I've been looking at near UNSW. I may be misinterpreting what you're saying here, but are you saying that in the long-run, moving to Adelaide (as opposed to Syd/Melb) would just give me more spare cash that I could use elsewhere?

I also haven't honestly looked into getting particular internships or hospital networks - the extent of my knowledge is really that for the different medical colleges, you need to have an application, so definitely something for me to look towards.

Not to mention, within Adelaide university and within the city as a whole, I wouldn’t be surprised if you have more established social connections. Having family nearby is great insurance if you’re struggling through social or study issues.

I don't have any family in Adelaide, unfortunately, but - sorry if I'm twisting your words here - I think you're saying that Adelaide is just a bit more close-knit compared to Sydney?

All in all I would consider why exactly you are interested in a NSW internship and whether those factors have any real bearing on your future practice. In retrospect of my offers, I would have made the same decision I did back then, even if Flinders was 7 years and USYD was 5.

Considering I haven't really looked into internships or hospital networks, as it stands now, I don't think I have a solid objective by going down to Syd/Melb. When I wrote down Syd/Melb for the preferred state of internship, I think I was just attracted to the lifestyle down there, though admittedly that's through no experience of my own since I've never been to Melb and have been to Syd only a handful of times.

But yeah, definitely thanks for getting me to think about my decision a little bit more. Any extra input you have would be appreciated!

 

[jintei]

Hello! Just randomly jumping in here but some non-standards were actually given interviews in december, and I have indeed heard that some non-standards (particularly those who commenced an undergraduate degree at USYD) were given offers in the first round of UAC. The non-standards in the second round of UAC primarily consisted of UNSW students who transferred from other degrees (including myself with vision science/optometry).

Thanks, I've edited my post!

 

[Kaffir]

Hello! I was wondering if anyone could give me advice on which uni to go for

Home State: NSW
Offer 1: JMP Newcastle Bonded (2nd on UAC, WSU was 1st)
Offer 2: Adelaide Unbonded
Offer 3: UQ Unbonded

I'm currently heavily leaning towards Newcastle because 1) location (2h drive from Sydney, so I can visit home every weekend) and 2) it's short, 3) I want to practise in NSW. The only thing stopping me is the fact that it's bonded...

- Is it likely for bonded to upgrade to unbonded for JMP Newcastle?
- Do WSU give out 2nd round offers to Non GWS? (if i receive an unbonded WSU offer then I might consider going WSU)
- Can being bonded have good career outcomes?? (everyone who talks about it makes it sound like a death sentence and it's kinda stressing me out lol)

May I know which offer you have decided to take? My son is in very similar situation between JMP Armidale bonded and UQ unbonded.

 

[drchp]

May I know which offer you have decided to take? My son is in very similar situation between JMP Armidale bonded and UQ unbonded.

Hi, my situation can be a little more different because I was offered a spot at the Central Coast Clinical School - which is closer to home!

I ended up choosing Newcastle Un (CCCS) because:
1. JMP course structure > UQ's 7-year provisional
For me, I'm really excited for med school itself, so I didn't want to take the longer route and do a bachelor's degree in something I'm not that interested in. I also liked how CCCS is super close to the med school building, so there will be lots of clinical exposure!

2. Closer to home
It's my first time moving out and family is a really big part of my life, and so I wanted to minimise the distance from my home to uni. This means I can visit my family consistently and eat yummy home food haha

3. Where I want to practise
My goal is to practise medicine in Sydney/NSW, so staying in NSW and being as close to Sydney as possible was a big factor. Of course it's not impossible to move interstate for work after uni graduation, but it's harder, and honestly illogical to me - you build connections and settle into a particular state, only to leave it all behind and start afresh in a new state.

I also encourage you to look into how your son can LEAVE Armidale for hospital placements in other areas - I think you can do this in years 3, 4, 5 (again, pls research because I'm not entirely confident). The hospitals are either in metropolitan or rural areas; can be a gamble, I'm not sure what the selection process is (e.g. top choice given to students wth best grades??), so look into how your son can possibly leave Armidale for clinical placements.

Hope this helps!

 

[Apue]

given UNSW interview on a Friday and Monash on Monday, with the weekend break we made it comfortably. Two consecutive days is challenging, you need to request a morning with UNSW, fly to Melb afternoon/evening. I would try to do both since you're still not convinced about JMP/Adelaide.

Hi A1.
I didn't know you're applying the med course this year. I thought you're already a Med student.
My Kid's friend had also an interview in both UNSW and Monash via Teams since she's in overseas.
I thought they allow interstate applicants to attend the video interview.

A1 adds: As DrLMG mentioned I start my internship this year. In the post above I meant back in the year I applied, sorry for not being clear.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi A1.
I didn't know you're applying the med course this year. I thought you're already a Med student.
My Kid's friend had also an interview in both UNSW and Monash via Teams since she's in overseas.
I thought they allow interstate applicants to attend the video interview.

A1 is an intern.

 

[ar456]

Hi,

I'm very grateful and surprised to have gotten a monash offer this morning, again couldn't thank the mso team enough for your help over the year.... now just tossing up between adelaide and monash:

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: UAdel Medicine (6 years) CSP
Offer 2: Monash Medicine (5 years) CSP
Any scholarships offered: No
Any accommodation secured: Yes for UAdel, not yet for Monash
Internship location preference: Ideally QLD, but doesn't really matter
Other important information:
Monash is a year shorter, which is an advantage. Heard both courses are pretty good, I often hear Monash is among the best nationwide. While Adelaide accommodation is sorted, I'm hoping to get some Monash accommodation finalized soon, so I don't think that's a major factor. Distance from QLD (home) isn't a major factor for me. I believe facilities and resources at both unis are good (maybe someone can confirm this), even though I think Adelaide's MD program is a little newer. Also, considering I'd ideally like to come back to QLD for internship (not a must though), i'd be interested if anyone knows if it's more or less competitive to get a position in QLD coming from vic vs sa? Maybe it's the same? Also, I remember reading that VIC internship allocation is merit-based unlike other states, and was wondering if this is a major disadvantage/factor in making my decision?

Based on that fact that Monash is a year shorter, and that I've heard they're both really good for med, I'm currently leaning towards Monash.

Any thoughts, opinions or advice would be really appreciated! Cheers!

 

[ThunderDragon]

Hi,

I'm very grateful and surprised to have gotten a monash offer this morning, again couldn't thank the mso team enough for your help over the year.... now just tossing up between adelaide and monash:

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: UAdel Medicine (6 years) CSP
Offer 2: Monash Medicine (5 years) CSP
Any scholarships offered: No
Any accommodation secured: Yes for UAdel, not yet for Monash
Internship location preference: Ideally QLD, but doesn't really matter
Other important information:
Monash is a year shorter, which is an advantage. Heard both courses are pretty good, I often hear Monash is among the best nationwide. While Adelaide accommodation is sorted, I'm hoping to get some Monash accommodation finalized soon, so I don't think that's a major factor. Distance from QLD (home) isn't a major factor for me. I believe facilities and resources at both unis are good (maybe someone can confirm this), even though I think Adelaide's MD program is a little newer. Also, considering I'd ideally like to come back to QLD for internship (not a must though), i'd be interested if anyone knows if it's more or less competitive to get a position in QLD coming from vic vs sa? Maybe it's the same? Also, I remember reading that VIC internship allocation is merit-based unlike other states, and was wondering if this is a major disadvantage/factor in making my decision?

Based on that fact that Monash is a year shorter, and that I've heard they're both really good for med, I'm currently leaning towards Monash.

Any thoughts, opinions or advice would be really appreciated! Cheers!

Monash

 

[A1]

Any thoughts, opinions or advice would be really appreciated!

Ask ucatboy , he was from Adelaide yet ditched Adelaide offer to go interstate Monash. Maybe he knows something we don't

Also, considering I'd ideally like to come back to QLD for internship (not a must though), i'd be interested if anyone knows if it's more or less competitive to get a position in QLD coming from vic vs sa?

Vic & SA are equally interstate to Qld so makes no difference.

 

[hibap]

Any thoughts, opinions or advice would be really appreciated! Cheers!

I would choose Monash since its a year shorter + neither will affect your chances of getting an internship in QLD more than the other. Regarding VIC's merit-based internship allocation, I'd say it just means you'll need to be on top of your studies if you're aiming for the bigger, more competitive hospitals.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

I would choose Monash since its a year shorter + neither will affect your chances of getting an internship in QLD more than the other. Regarding VIC's merit-based internship allocation, I'd say it just means you'll need to be on top of your studies if you're aiming for the bigger, more competitive hospitals.

Not to mention, if the goal is to move back to Qld for internship, the merit based system in Melbourne (assuming that's still the process in 5 years' time) will be irrelevant.

 

[chl.yn_2935]

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: Griffith Medicine CSP
Offer 2: Monash Medicine CSP
Any scholarships offered: No
Any accommodation secured: Yes for Griffith, not yet for Monash
Internship location preference: QLD
Other important information:
Super grateful that I got a Monash offer, but unsure as to whether I should choose it over a Griffith offer as I have accomodation sorted for Griffith but nothing prepped for Melbourne. I would like to intern + practice in QLD but Monash is a year shorter. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: Griffith Medicine CSP
Offer 2: Monash Medicine CSP
Any scholarships offered: No
Any accommodation secured: Yes for Griffith, not yet for Monash
Internship location preference: QLD
Other important information:
Super grateful that I got a Monash offer, but unsure as to whether I should choose it over a Griffith offer as I have accomodation sorted for Griffith but nothing prepped for Melbourne. I would like to intern + practice in QLD but Monash is a year shorter. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

There are so many things in favour of the Griffith offer here for me, HOWEVER, you're not guaranteed a CSP at Griffith, you need to 'compete' for it. CSP and BMP is determined at the point you transition to the MD (unless things have changed, in which case - ignore this).

Is the accommodation you have for Griffith with family? Ie. is it free or very heavily subsidised rent? If so, this will far outweigh the difference in the cost of an additional year of uni fees (though maybe not the cost of that AND the cost of a year working earlier).

 

[hibap]

Home state: QLD
Offer 1: Griffith Medicine CSP
Offer 2: Monash Medicine CSP
Any scholarships offered: No
Any accommodation secured: Yes for Griffith, not yet for Monash
Internship location preference: QLD
Other important information:
Super grateful that I got a Monash offer, but unsure as to whether I should choose it over a Griffith offer as I have accomodation sorted for Griffith but nothing prepped for Melbourne. I would like to intern + practice in QLD but Monash is a year shorter. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!

First up, congratulations!

Although I am also from QLD and currently studying at Monash, I would agree with DrDrLMG! for many reasons:

1. Where you will receive an internship is dictated by which state you attended medical school in. Since you want to intern and practice in QLD in the future, attending Griffith in QLD will mean that you are prioritised first for internship in QLD hospitals (basically guaranteed an internship position
). However, this isn't the case for Monash, where you'll be placed in a separate category and things will be much more difficult.

2. Being able to stay with your family is also important. Personally, family connection is important for me so I would choose Griffith since I would be closer to them, even more so if your accomodation is with your family. (as well as outweighs the cost of an additional year of uni)

3. After graduating and you're an intern, there would be an additional year or two of accomodation costs associated in VIC compared to QLD. Even if your Griffith accomodation is not with family, you would be able to move back home during your internship year when interning at a hospital close to home. (this further offsets the cost of an additional year of uni)

4. You'll be able to utilise the connections and networking you've made during your med school + internship years in QLD. This is very important and will come in handy for your practice in QLD in the future, especially if you're looking to specialise.

Personally, if I had the chance I would choose Griffith. (I chose Monash because I wasn't able to get any offers in QLD, my home state). Also, I think it's important to consider that VIC has a merit-based internship allocation, i.e. your academic results will influence whether you get into the top Melbourne hospitals and you'll effectively need to compete against your classmates during uni. This is something to keep in mind if you intend to intern at the bigger, more competitive hospitals in Melbourne. But since you intend to intern in QLD, Griffith is a much better and more obvious choice.

 

[GriddyMaster]

Hey guys, new here and would really appreciate some advice. Just finished year 12 in 2022, and, being a rural student, I received a bunch of offers all over the country. I was able to narrow it down to two:
1. Monash bonded (clayton - 5 years)
2. Adelaide unbonded (north terrace - 6 years)
I have secured accommodation in both cities (traditional college at Adelaide and a residential hall in Monash). I am now just trying to decide between the two.
My family loosely intends to move to Melbourne at a later stage, as well as Melbourne always sort of being my dream destination for practicing and internship anyways. However, after researching what the Return of Service Obligation actually means, I am leaning towards Adelaide, despite it being 1 year longer. I am really torn at the moment between these two offers and would really appreciate any advice! Like, for instance, I've heard that junior doctors especially will spend time in rural areas regardless of their bonded/unbonded status. If this is true then bonding doesn't really seem like a big deal? There is also the fact that I am quite a social person who likes to go out and do things. Clayton seems (no offence to any clayton residents - haha) less cool of a place than Adelaide despite only being a half hour train ride from the cbd.
The last and unimportant consideration is that these two cities are equidistant from where I currently live. Any help would be great! Thanks!