Thank you sooo much! That makes me feel much better
-
Welcome to MSO!
We are an online community for current and prospective medical, dental and allied health students and early career professionals from Australia and New Zealand.Please read: About MSO | Annual Welcome and Important Information | MSO Rules
Quick Links To Forums
Tests/Interviews: UCAT | GAMSAT | Interviews Entrance Discussion: Graduate Medicine | Undergraduate Medicine | Dentistry -
Please consider registering on MSO. Benefits of registering are:
- Able to post and participate in the forum
- After 10 posts: Private Message Other Users
- After 25 posts: Access to the Chatbox
- After 100 posts: Custom user titles and Ad-free experience
If you would like to get involved with MSO or have ideas, suggestions, comments, criticisms or other feedback please Contact Us
Choosing Between Universities and Offers
- Thread starter bbydaisy
- Start date
Hi, i just registered on MSO and kinda lost so forgive me if this is the wrong place to ask
ive just finished year 12 in WA and im facing quite a significant dilemma on whether to study at UWA or the university of melbourne. fyi, this decision is on the basis that i receive both an offer for the assured pathway for UWA and chancellors for uni mel.
the main factors that interest me about uni mel are
- the most prestigious university in australia
- potentially a more difficult academic standard (as i would like to push myself)
- potentially greater opportunities both as a medical student and for internship (partly due to greater funding)
for uwa,
- id prefer to stay in perth as my family, friends and girlfriend are here
- having the assured pathway would give me clarity of mind, while uni mel i would need to pass the interview
- shorter course by one year
- i would not have to figure out my own accommodation which would be costly. that being said, the idea of college could be interesting
that being said, i am aware that in australia, a medical degree is a medical degree and both universities are internationally recognised. what i am really asking is for personal experiences from current or past students in either uni mel or uwa, what were the career opportunities like? did you enjoy the course, and if so what about it? on the other hand, what did you not like about the course
i really appreciate your time reading this and any potential replies
if this is the wrong place please direct me
thank you
ive just finished year 12 in WA and im facing quite a significant dilemma on whether to study at UWA or the university of melbourne. fyi, this decision is on the basis that i receive both an offer for the assured pathway for UWA and chancellors for uni mel.
the main factors that interest me about uni mel are
- the most prestigious university in australia
- potentially a more difficult academic standard (as i would like to push myself)
- potentially greater opportunities both as a medical student and for internship (partly due to greater funding)
for uwa,
- id prefer to stay in perth as my family, friends and girlfriend are here
- having the assured pathway would give me clarity of mind, while uni mel i would need to pass the interview
- shorter course by one year
- i would not have to figure out my own accommodation which would be costly. that being said, the idea of college could be interesting
that being said, i am aware that in australia, a medical degree is a medical degree and both universities are internationally recognised. what i am really asking is for personal experiences from current or past students in either uni mel or uwa, what were the career opportunities like? did you enjoy the course, and if so what about it? on the other hand, what did you not like about the course
i really appreciate your time reading this and any potential replies
if this is the wrong place please direct me
thank you
Welcome to MSO.
You’ve listed a bunch of clear reasons why UWA objectively appears a far better choice for you.
A uni being the most prestigious is really not going to be of much value to you as a medical student, and should not factor into your decision making. A higher “academic standard” should also not be a factor (it’s also not true - there is no clear way in which to compare this between different universities, however it may be defined).
What matters is that you graduate with a degree which qualifies you to be a safe and competent intern, which a medical degree at any Australian university will allow for. To me it seems a huge bonus that you have the opportunity to do this in your home town, with the support of your family, friends and girlfriend, while being able to save on accommodation, and ultimately with less of a HECS debt than 7 years of study will result in.
Could you clarify which specific opportunities you are concerned you won’t have at UWA that might be offered in Melbourne?
Last edited:
thanks for your reply crow
im really not sure what exactly would differentiate the opportunities between the universities - that is why im here, to ask around - but my assumption is that melbourne u, having greater funding and being a more prestigious university, would be able to provide a more quality education as well as a more diversified and overall better internships/placements in both exposure to a range of specialties and a specific specialty that i would want to pursue.
i am planning to do a bit more research into the structures of both MD courses but i guess my overarching concern is, would melbourne better prepare me for a future career?
thanks
Another consideration is in which state you will prefer to intern. Choose the uni in that state.
You can study med in one and apply for internship in the other. But that puts you at lower priority in the other state, often means you don't get a desirable location.
I don't know about funding for the uni education. Internships are funded by the State government and Vic gov is not necessarily better. It could be the opposite - the WA gov has had several budget surpluses in a row, I believe Vic gov is near bankrupt
Btw WA pays are among the highest in Australia. Registrar year1 (which I'm getting toward) pays $120K + $10K Dev Allowance + Super + Weekend/After-hour loading. Can someone in Vic give us a comparison?
Then you need to do a quick research on the specialties you're interested in and how competitive they are in Vic versus WA.
I don't think anyone here has enough exposure to both to help you out.
I know Tasmania relatively recently negotiated wages to bring them into line with/just above Victoria to stop the flow of junior doctors out of the state. Reg year 1 is currently $131K + CPD allowance (can't remember exactly how much this is) + super + weekend/after hours, and will be $135K from January 2025.
_________
A1 adds: Wow congrats that's super nice. Here I kept thinking we have it good in WA
I found this link > Australian Junior Doctors | Pay Comparison
not quite up to date so I'll replace with the most recent info where I know.
Registrar Year-1 : Base Salary | PDA | Total | Study Leave days
ACT === $119,300 | $4,600 | $123,900 | 23d
QLD === $129,600 | $4,400 | $134,000 | 12d
TAS === $135,000 | $3,600 | $138,600 | 10d
VIC === $126,300 | $6,200 | $132,500 | 13d
WA. === $120,500 | $11000 | $131,500 | 19d
SA. === $112,300 | $8,500 | $120,800 | 9d
NSW === $111,000 | .Zero. | $111,000 | 7d
Why NSW why??
hi everyone! i'm not sure if this is the right place to post but i was just hoping for some advice or any opinions as i feel a bit like im going in circles haha!
I've received 3 offers to study med which I am so grateful for but am a bit stuck on which to choose
Option 1: UWA assured pathway
pros of this are that it is close to home (although I do want to get out and explore a bit of the world haha) and i like the breadth of the first 2 years in terms of electives.
$5000/yr scholarship for first 3 years
nice balance of having breadth but also getting into actual med content
cons:
I really want to study abroad and according to the handbook this isn't possible (although some my friends who study there say it is possible??).
I'm starting to feel a bit trapped in WA and don't know if another 6-10 years is right for me ;(
option 2: uni of notre dame (offer received via UAC, so assuming at NSW campus)
pros: can study abroad
apparently might be able to do undergrad at NSW and then post grad in WA (but not sure about this! trying to find out!!)
apparently a nice supportive smaller cohort w strong pastoral care
cons: 7 year degree without much room for electives because of the CORE theology etc compulsory units
no scholarship + high NSW accommodation costs
option 3: chancellors scholarship pathway at uni melb
pros: first 3 years of degree will be free (meaning if i suddenly change my mind on med i have a free undergrad degree haha)
get to explore other part of australia
can do any undergrad which is awesome for exploring different things!
can study abroad to my hearts content!
cons:
7 years (including in a different state)
have to sit MMI after 3rd year to get into med and this does have some risk involved, meaning i would probably end up sitting the gamsat anyway to maximise my chances of getting into postgrad med
i hope i have made this clear enough and would love anyones perspective who has studied at any of these unis or has been in a similar position!
I am trying to find out definitive study abroad answer from UWA but my notre dame offer expires tomorrow and I don't know whether to accept if or not!! i also don't know if accepting the notre dame offer will mess with my UWA tisc offer (because of their WA campus)??
i also sat UNSW interview but won't hear about that for another couple of weeks ahhhh; how do i decide when there's so many conflicting dates?!
also as a sidenote i will be moving out of home wherever i am so accomodation costs are just something I'm going to have to cop haha
thank you so much!!
I've received 3 offers to study med which I am so grateful for but am a bit stuck on which to choose
Option 1: UWA assured pathway
pros of this are that it is close to home (although I do want to get out and explore a bit of the world haha) and i like the breadth of the first 2 years in terms of electives.
$5000/yr scholarship for first 3 years
nice balance of having breadth but also getting into actual med content
cons:
I really want to study abroad and according to the handbook this isn't possible (although some my friends who study there say it is possible??).
I'm starting to feel a bit trapped in WA and don't know if another 6-10 years is right for me ;(
option 2: uni of notre dame (offer received via UAC, so assuming at NSW campus)
pros: can study abroad
apparently might be able to do undergrad at NSW and then post grad in WA (but not sure about this! trying to find out!!)
apparently a nice supportive smaller cohort w strong pastoral care
cons: 7 year degree without much room for electives because of the CORE theology etc compulsory units
no scholarship + high NSW accommodation costs
option 3: chancellors scholarship pathway at uni melb
pros: first 3 years of degree will be free (meaning if i suddenly change my mind on med i have a free undergrad degree haha)
get to explore other part of australia
can do any undergrad which is awesome for exploring different things!
can study abroad to my hearts content!
cons:
7 years (including in a different state)
have to sit MMI after 3rd year to get into med and this does have some risk involved, meaning i would probably end up sitting the gamsat anyway to maximise my chances of getting into postgrad med
i hope i have made this clear enough and would love anyones perspective who has studied at any of these unis or has been in a similar position!
I am trying to find out definitive study abroad answer from UWA but my notre dame offer expires tomorrow and I don't know whether to accept if or not!! i also don't know if accepting the notre dame offer will mess with my UWA tisc offer (because of their WA campus)??
i also sat UNSW interview but won't hear about that for another couple of weeks ahhhh; how do i decide when there's so many conflicting dates?!
also as a sidenote i will be moving out of home wherever i am so accomodation costs are just something I'm going to have to cop haha
thank you so much!!
In my years it was possible so maybe this is what your friends refer to.
The undergrad then was more flexible. We did a Bach Science (or Biomed) and provided we included the required core subjects we got to skip the MD1 year. The non-core subjects could be arranged for a semester abroad.
UWA has restructured the undergrad to a more rigid 3+3 format. The handbook says exchange abroad is not possible.
Chancellors means you must have 99.90-.95, did you apply to Griffith Nathan/Gold Coast?
It's 6 years, no MMI, and lets you get away from WA.
Does anyone understand the difference in a medical degree between CSU/WSU and U Melb? I understand some degrees are more geared towards students graduating as GPs and others as specialists. Beside one having a bigger name, what are the implications of choosing one over another? Thanking you in advance for your kindness.
Principal difference is what state you'd prefer to start practicing in after graduation. Also which one suits your personal needs - eg where you have friends or family support, and where you would like to live during med school.
Access to specialty training is not dependent on what medical school you attended. And fwiw, I know you didn't mean it this way but GP is also a medical speciality
annabanana3
Lurker
Morning all! I received a CSP for UNDS Assured pathway med (7 years) before Christmas, and just received an offer to WSU Campbelltown med as a CSP as well. Anyone have any experience at either uni / thoughts on what offer to take up? Cheers!
Please use the following template to ensure we have all the useful info:
Home state:
Offer 1: (CSP/BMP)
Offer 2: (CSP/BMP)
Any scholarships offered:
Any accommodation secured:
Internship location preference:
Other important information:
I’d decide by which state I wanted to live in, then take into account if there’s major differences in the course/med facilities the unis have and where placements are. Once you complete your degree it’s very unlikely it will have an impact on anything going forward.
UNDS has the shorter course option I believe, a year shorter? I don’t study there myself but have heard good things about it from friends. Haven’t heard much about WSU. I think along with the previous advice on other posts pick which location suits your lifestyle best.
WSU is definitely shorter. It’s direct entry med and only 5 years from start to finish. This would mean two years less of HECS and two years earlier earning a full time wage which is not to be sneezed at (all other things being equal - which they may not be).
_________
A1 adds: "Two years earlier earning" also means you're committing your life to lost nights & weekends two years earlier
ETA: That may be true but the financial realities for many many people are very different now to what they were even ~7 years ago when I might have recommended not worrying too much about years taken. - LMG.
Last edited:
Hey, congrats on your offers
I can't speak for UNDS but I go to WSU and imo it's a great, shorter course with lots of clinical exposure early on! We start going to the hospital from the first month and most people around me find that to be their favourite part of the course. The cohort is also very diverse in terms of educational background/life experiences.
However, the social life is not that big here partly due to the location. Still, there are various opportunities to get involved in societies if you're up for it.
I'm happy to answer any more questions you have