Choosing Between Universities and Offers

[DrDrLMG!]

I got an email saying this from Flinders:

" Our records show you have since received an offer to a course listed as a higher preference in your SATAC application and we need to confirm whether you intend to commence study in the above course at Flinders University.
If you wish to remain in the above course at Flinders University, you will need to do the following:

• Respond to this email confirming this as soon as possible and by no later than 5pm Monday 29 January.
• Respond to the higher offer in your SATAC application and change your response to confirm you wish to reject it. "

This probably means I wouldn't be able to wait and see if I got upgraded right? Or could I email Flinders to confirm and not change SATAC for the time being? Probably a question I need to call up and ask about lol but no one is going to answer the phone until Monday morning.

Ahh, damn! The other TACs don’t do this! It makes sense for them to, but yeah… that kinda changes things then. Definitely worth a call, but if they force you into a decision that there’s no turning back from, I’d go the Flinders CSP as already mentioned.

ETA: from the posts of others it looks like those who got UAdel offers on the 24/1 have until the 30th to respond which makes me think UAdel won’t be formally re-jigging offers until at least the 31st, which will be too late for that Flinders deadline.

 

[jayson]

Home state: NSW
Offer 1: (CSP/BMP) Umelbourn atar99.9
Offer 2: (CSP/BMP) unsw BMP
Any scholarships offered: yes from Umel
Any accommodation secured: yes in Melbourne
Internship location preference: NSW
Other important information: which one should i go?

 

[Sobek]

Hi,

I’m a soon to be first year medical student, but deciding between Western Sydney and University of Newcastle and their respective programs is proving to be a hard choice.

If I attended WSU I’d be able to stay at home but I’d have a 50 minute drive to Uni each way, whereas in Newcastle I’d end up renting nearby and have a 10 minute walk or bike ride.

My question is if a 50 minute commute is reasonable? I’ve spoken to various groups with differing opinions, but few have recently gone through these beginning steps of medical education. Would 50 minutes each way truly kill my social life and leave me depleted, is that just an exaggeration, or is it in the end completely up to the person’s personality. I’d appreciate any perspectives.

Also, is the fact that staying in Western Sydney might allow me to build more connections with Sydney Doctors/Researchers relevant, or useful in helping me comeback to work in Sydney after I graduate?

(Both positions are CSP, I’m a Sydney resident)

 

[A1]

Home state: NSW
Offer 1: (CSP/BMP) Umelbourn atar99.9
Offer 2: (CSP/BMP) unsw BMP
Any scholarships offered: yes from Umel
Any accommodation secured: yes in Melbourne
Internship location preference: NSW
Other important information: which one should i go?

It's not clearcut between these two choices, each has some pros & cons. UMelb is one year longer (probably negating the scholarship benefit) and small interview risk but unbonded, UNSW ensures NSW internship but bonded. Myself I'd choose the latter but you decide for yourself if unbonded outweighs the rest.

If I attended WSU I’d be able to stay at home but I’d have a 50 minute drive to Uni each way, whereas in Newcastle I’d end up renting nearby and have a 10 minute walk or bike ride.

I suggest you choose WSU. If the 50-minute commuting proves unbearable you rent a place 10 minutes from WSU and break even with choosing UoN.

 

[zadda864]

Home state: NSW
Offer 1: JMP armidale BMP
Offer 2: Monash BMP
Any scholarships offered: monash
Any accommodation secured: no
Internship location preference: NSW
Other important information: really unsure as I will have to move for both. monash seems to have a much more vibrant campus life but the cohort is quite big compared to une which seems to have a more tight-knit cohort. does internship hospital play a role in future specialisation? eg. going to monash and being sent to a lower preferenced hospital in NSW for internship vs getting a higher preferenced hospital (better connections, research opportunities etc.)

 

[dotwingz]

The philosophy is that you study medicine where you want to practice. Internship affects specialists in regards to the connections you make, opportunities you get, exposure to different specialties and case mix, and teaching at the hospital.

If you went to Monash you would be category 2 for NSW and would unlikely get the big hospitals. If you want to practice in NSW go UNE. Not to mention its probably cheaper than Melbourne, and ive really only ever good things about the cohort there.

Edit: What scholarship did you get?

 

[zadda864]

I would like to go to one of the bigger hospitals eg. RPA, but since i'm bonded I'm not sure if it would be smarter for me to go to a rural hospital to fulfil my bond asap. But then again that might affect research opportunities, available rotations etc.

 

[Jamie2232]

Not necessarily for me it wouldn’t, BUT… I’d be taking into consideration things you’ve not mentioned here. Would I be living at home for one of these but not the other? What are my immediate financial circumstances? Do I have a job I’d have to quit if I went to one but not the other etc etc…

If immediate finances were no barrier, I’d choose no BMP. But in reality that wasn’t the case for me starting med, so I would have been prioritising living at home, job, less HECS, working a year earlier and seeing where those factors got me.

funnily enough i now have an offer for UNSW csp and WSU BMP, considering these options I live equal distances away from both, i eventually want to do orthopedics in a metro area and immediate finances are a bit of a problem, considering these factors which would be the best

 

[DrDrLMG!]

funnily enough i now have an offer for UNSW csp and WSU BMP, considering these options I live equal distances away from both, i eventually want to do orthopedics in a metro area and immediate finances are a bit of a problem, considering these factors which would be the best

If immediate finances are an issue what factors do you need to consider?
Transport costs (train, petrol, parking)
Rent (can you live at home for both?)
Job (do you have one? Can you get one? Where is it located?)

Don’t worry too much about the one year extra course costs as that can go on HECS, BUT do consider that if you go with a 5 yr degree you’ll earn ~100k in intern year and you’re putting that off by 12 months with the UNSW option.

 

[Jamie2232]

But I eventually plan on paying off the BMP so wouldn't that negate the 100k i earn?

 

[DrDrLMG!]

But I eventually plan on paying off the BMP so wouldn't that negate the 100k i earn?

Not necessarily.

I mean, overall it would to some extent (as much as one can predict future incoming and outgoing finances…)

But that’s many, many years away and you talked about “immediate finances” being an issue… this is why I brought up factors such as transport, job opportunities, all immediate contributors.

 

[A1]

But I eventually plan on paying off the BMP so wouldn't that negate the 100k i earn?

If you are averse to BMP while having a CSP choice I think you should take the CSP.

Paying off BMP is getting close to $30k/year x 5 years = $150k *after tax*. You'd have to earn well over $200k for that.
But if the immediate finances problem implies you want to start work a year ealier then it's more difficult to decide.

 

[Jamie2232]

If you are averse to BMP while having a CSP choice I think you should take the CSP.

Paying off BMP is getting close to $30k/year x 5 years = $150k *after tax*. You'd have to earn well over $200k for that.
But if the immediate finances problem implies you want to start work a year ealier then it's more difficult to decide.

yea I think i might stick with unsw seeing i could earn one cv in that extra year

 

[Jamie2232]

Home state: NSW
Offer 1: (CSP) Newcastle
Offer 2: (CSP) UNSW
Any scholarships offered:
Any accommodation secured:
Internship location preference: NSW
Other important information: I dont know how but i got a UoN offer I am acc confused which one to take UNSW is 1hr and 10 ish mins away and UoN is 1 hr and 42 by driving, most ppl told me with UoN I need on campus accomodation

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Home state: NSW
Offer 1: (CSP) Newcastle
Offer 2: (CSP) UNSW
Any scholarships offered:
Any accommodation secured:
Internship location preference: NSW
Other important information: I dont know how but i got a UoN offer I am acc confused which one to take UNSW is 1hr and 10 ish mins away and UoN is 1 hr and 42 by driving, most ppl told me with UoN I need on campus accomodation

Main differences are length of course and location. Would you be intending to move out of home for both? Or to drive for UNSW (that is quite the commute still though).

Plenty of people do off-campus accom for UoN, you can rent in the nearby areas.