Choosing Between Universities and Offers

[Crow]

I’m rurally inclined, but I’d personally choose UQ. Having a contractual obligation with the government to work 3 years rurally/in a DWS area, when you don’t know which specialty you wish to pursue in future, is not a small issue, and has pretty significant implications. I don’t believe most people would truly spend more than a year in a true rural area prior to fellowship - I think this is true for regional work, but not rural work. Many people refer to regional areas as “rural” but these same areas are unlikely to qualify under the BMP scheme. A true rural hospital is likely to be GP-run, perhaps with some visiting specialists (think general surgery, paediatrics, cardiology) and therefore, unless you are pursuing general practice, you’re not likely to spend longer than a rotation or two rurally in your junior/pre-fellowship years.

 

[RainRainGoAway]

Hi everyone!

I have received an interstate CSP offer for a 5 year degree and a bmp offer for a 6 year degree here in my home state NSW.

Financially, I think we would struggle to relocate interstate but I’ve been reading this thread about BMP and now I’m super confused.

Thanks!

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi everyone!

I have received an interstate CSP offer for a 5 year degree and a bmp offer for a 6 year degree here in my home state NSW.

Financially, I think we would struggle to relocate interstate but I’ve been reading this thread about BMP and now I’m super confused.

Thanks!

Confused about which offer to take or confused about how BMPs work? (or both?!)

 

[RainRainGoAway]

Confused about which offer to take or confused about how BMPs work? (or both?!)

Sorry I mean which offer to take. I’ve read the thread here, and I am now super worried about the BMP.

Unfortunately however, I’ve sat down with my family and moving interstate is a financial issue but we could barely make it work with a bit of shifting. I’ve been saving up but honestly we are still not sure.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Sorry I mean which offer to take. I’ve read the thread here, and I am now super worried about the BMP.

Unfortunately however, I’ve sat down with my family and moving interstate is a financial issue but we could barely make it work with a bit of shifting. I’ve been saving up but honestly we are still not sure.

~29% of all domestic med offers in Aus are BMP. People regularly make it work. I don’t think it’s worth putting yourself into financial insecurity just to avoid it.

THAT SAID… there are financial considerations for the 5 vs 6 year degrees too without worrying about the BMP vs CSP. A year extra of HECS fees ($~12-15k not sure what it’ll be by then), plus a year later starting internship ($~120-150k again, not sure what it’ll be by then).

But if the financial issues of moving would be immediate, then the payoff of the difference in 5 years time might be irrelevant.

For example, I could have done a 4 year grad entry course interstate, less HECS and earning $ earlier BUT the financial strain of moving immediately outweighed those future gains for me so I did an in-state 5 year degree. If that makes sense?

 

[RainRainGoAway]

~29% of all domestic med offers in Aus are BMP. People regularly make it work. I don’t think it’s worth putting yourself into financial insecurity just to avoid it.

THAT SAID… there are financial considerations for the 5 vs 6 year degrees too without worrying about the BMP vs CSP. A year extra of HECS fees ($~12-15k not sure what it’ll be by then), plus a year later starting internship ($~120-150k again, not sure what it’ll be by then).

But if the financial issues of moving would be immediate, then the payoff of the difference in 5 years time might be irrelevant.

For example, I could have done a 4 year grad entry course interstate, less HECS and earning $ earlier BUT the financial strain of moving immediately outweighed those future gains for me so I did an in-state 5 year degree. If that makes sense?

Yes, Thankyou for your perspective LMG! I am probably going to stay here to reduce stress on myself and the fam. Hopefully it all works out in the end!

 

[richbabyh1tman]

very lucky to have recieved 4 offers so far as a NZ student, all unbonded csp:

CQU Rockhampton (7 years)
Notre Dame Fremantle (7 years)
University of Adelaide (6 years)
JMP [UNE] (5 years)

Currently in a dilemna between JMP and Uadel- currently leaning to the latter, as moving to armidale might be a bit difficult for me rn. Any thoughts? Is there an advantage of going to a uni like Adel which might have more international recognition than UNE?

Waiting on offers from UNSW and Monash as well, if either of those come I will be taking them (or monash if both).

 

[DrDrLMG!]

very lucky to have recieved 4 offers so far as a NZ student, all unbonded csp:

CQU Rockhampton (7 years)
Notre Dame Fremantle (7 years)
University of Adelaide (6 years)
JMP [UNE] (5 years)

Currently in a dilemna between JMP and Uadel- currently leaning to the latter, as moving to armidale might be a bit difficult for me rn. Any thoughts? Is there an advantage of going to a uni like Adel which might have more international recognition than UNE?

Waiting on offers from UNSW and Monash as well, if either of those come I will be taking them (or monash if both).

If you’re intending to practice in Aus and/or NZ, then nope, no benefit. The only benefit is if you want to work in Singapore who arbitrarily decided to only recognise ‘group of 8’ Australian unis (of which UAdel is one).

 

[movpin]

If you’re intending to practice in Aus and/or NZ, then nope, no benefit. The only benefit is if you want to work in Singapore who arbitrarily decided to only recognise ‘group of 8’ Australian unis (of which UAdel is one).

Just adding that Newcastle is also (the only non-Go8 uni) recognised by Singapore starting this year. Unfortunately not UNE though even though its in the JMP.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Just adding that Newcastle is also (the only non-Go8 uni) recognised by Singapore starting this year. Unfortunately not UNE though even though its in the JMP.

That’s random! Thank you!

 

[Crow]

Same course, same degree, same assessment pieces… that’s a ridiculous distinction that they’ve made.

ETA: I imagine it’s easier to travel between Adelaide and NZ than Armidale and NZ, so if that’s a big factor for you, Adelaide seems like the best choice.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Same course, same degree, same assessment pieces… that’s a ridiculous distinction that they’ve made.

I mean, their first decision was also ridiculous so they do have form on this front. Maybe some highfalutin’ Singaporean’s kid got a UoN offer so there was pressure to expand the inclusions. /cynicism

 

[A1]

I mean, their first decision was also ridiculous so they do have form on this front. Maybe some highfalutin’ Singaporean’s kid got a UoN offer so there was pressure to expand the inclusions. /cynicism

There's quite an intricate process involved.

From this news > Three Aus unis dropped from Singapore medical education list
Three schools UoN Flinders UTas were delisted in the 2020 prune, along with some 50 foreign med schools so not targeting just Aus schools.

However students enrolled before Feb 2020 continue to be recognised.
The S'pore Health Ministry assesses these returning graduates and decides to re-admit UoN, along with five in UK & three in Ireland.

Apparently UNE has no int'l med students to have been on the S'pore recognised list, to be re-admitted.

 

[Lockie1964]

Hello, I just received an email from Curtin stating that I am on the waiting list for a medicine offer. I am aware it is unlikely, however I want to be informed of the details of the offer should it become available. If I were to receive an offer from the waiting list, it would almost certainly be bonded I'm assuming. So my options would be as follows:

Home state: WA
Offer 1: Unbonded UWA med
Offer 2: Bonded Curtin med

My considerations are that I would prefer to have an unbonded offer due to wanting to strive for some more competitive specializations which I may find difficult to practice in remote areas and may have to delay this while I return bond service. I think that I preference the Curtin degree being a year shorter over whether its unbonded or bonded but it's pretty 50/50. What I would like to know is where abouts the clinical placements are for each university, and if there are any other differences that could be relevant to my situation that I'm not aware of.

Appreciate anyone offering their perspectives as anything is helpful!

 

[A1]

Hello, I just received an email from Curtin stating that I am on the waiting list for a medicine offer. I am aware it is unlikely, however I want to be informed of the details of the offer should it become available. If I were to receive an offer from the waiting list, it would almost certainly be bonded I'm assuming. So my options would be as follows:

Home state: WA
Offer 1: Unbonded UWA med
Offer 2: Bonded Curtin med

My considerations are that I would prefer to have an unbonded offer due to wanting to strive for some more competitive specializations which I may find difficult to practice in remote areas and may have to delay this while I return bond service. I think that I preference the Curtin degree being a year shorter over whether its unbonded or bonded but it's pretty 50/50. What I would like to know is where abouts the clinical placements are for each university, and if there are any other differences that could be relevant to my situation that I'm not aware of.

Appreciate anyone offering their perspectives as anything is helpful!

Myself I would choose Unbonded over 1-year shorter but Bonded.

UWA students do about half the clinical placements at Charlie, the other half split into Fiona Stanley, Joondalup or Fremantle, GPs (two rotations), rural (1 rotation).

There's a post in the Curtin thread about their placements. Iirc most of one's placements is at one hospital with only a few rotations elsewhere, which is advantageous to some students but not to others.

 

[Lockie1964]

Myself I would choose Unbonded over 1-year shorter but Bonded.

UWA students do about half the clinical placements at Charlie, the other half split into Fiona Stanley, Joondalup or Fremantle, GPs (two rotations), rural (1 rotation).

There's a post in the Curtin thread about their placements. Iirc most of one's placements is at one hospital with only a few rotations elsewhere, which is advantageous to some students but not to others.

Thanks, just heard the clinical rotations are around Midland usually, I was hoping that both universities would do similar placements as opposed to Curtin placements always being far away and a bit remote. May I ask why you prefer the unbonded offer? Is it for a similar reason to me or something different. Interested in some other perspectives

 

[A1]

Thanks, just heard the clinical rotations are around Midland usually, I was hoping that both universities would do similar placements as opposed to Curtin placements always being far away and a bit remote.

From what I understood from the post in Curtin thread, they do get placements at Royal Perth and Fiona Stanley. The difference is if one gets RPH the majority of rotations are at RPH, to the disadvantage of students who don't get RPH or FSH.

May I ask why you prefer the unbonded offer? Is it for a similar reason to me

Yep, similar to yours and many posters' here.

 

[Regular_Rice]

Hi everyone, I'm a year 12 leaver from NSW who received unbonded offers to both WSU and Monash. My dilemma is that in the future I want to leave options open to perhaps moving/working overseas, and understand that Monash as a Go8 uni has better reputation internationally and may be recognised in more countries. Whilst I am not certain in doing anything overseas yet, I think the flexibility is an attractive part of doing the course at Monash. I will have to move out but luckily have my parents' support, and I understand internship preferencing may be more difficult if I move back to NSW, but will this affect my chances at a job in NSW from PGY2 onwards?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi everyone, I'm a year 12 leaver from NSW who received unbonded offers to both WSU and Monash. My dilemma is that in the future I want to leave options open to perhaps moving/working overseas, and understand that Monash as a Go8 uni has better reputation internationally and may be recognised in more countries. Whilst I am not certain in doing anything overseas yet, I think the flexibility is an attractive part of doing the course at Monash. I will have to move out but luckily have my parents' support, and I understand internship preferencing may be more difficult if I move back to NSW, but will this affect my chances at a job in NSW from PGY2 onwards?

Any advice is greatly appreciated.

As things currently stand (huge caveat), the only country affected by this for Australian graduates is Singapore as far as I'm aware (and they seem to be letting unis back in rather than tightening restrictions).

 

[A1]

I understand internship preferencing may be more difficult if I move back to NSW, but will this affect my chances at a job in NSW from PGY2 onwards?

Internship preferencing is definitely more difficult as you'd be Category 2 behind the 800ish Category 1 NSW grads.

A NSW job from PGY2 onwards is possible but again you'd be disadvantaged for the more desirable ones. The NSW RMOs will jump on them first, possibly even before these jobs get advertised outside.

If moving back to NSW is a priority you should choose WSU over Monash.