Choosing Between Universities and Offers

[Mana]

Ask @Ben

 

[Aaronm]

I need advice pls. I have bonded offer from UQ for medicine 7yrs and non bonded from UWA 6yrs. Which uni is a better option if cost of living is not an issue. Thank you

 

[A1]

I need advice pls. I have bonded offer from UQ for medicine 7yrs and non bonded from UWA 6yrs. Which uni is a better option if cost of living is not an issue. Thank you

Quite obvious isn't it, unbonded + 1 year shorter?

 

[LBoG]

Quite obvious isn't it, unbonded + 1 year shorter?

Yep, this is all you need to make the decision.

 

[Aaronm]

Yep, this is all you need to make the decision.

Thanks

 

[adamn]

Hi everyone, I decided to post here since the tread already exists.
I will be finishing year 12 this year and planning to (hopefully) start studying med, since I am from WA there are three choices now but I am interested mainly in these two (UWA and Curtin).
I have many friends, even relatives at UWA so this option is pretty much covered (i.e. info).
Nobody (?) who actually studies at Curtin shared any info on this forum about the practical aspects of this course and school.
I was told that the cohort is small and I happen to have no 'sources' there. It is (is it ?) somehow telling that none of my seniors (school) went to study med at Curtin, almost all who succeeded study med either at UWA or interstate.
The bottom line is that what I have heard about this course is - probably - not very encouraging (plus the comments above here, especially pi's ) but can someone who actually is at Curtin med share some info regarding the quality of the course and how it has been so far?
I would like all to benefit from info sharing but if there is some 'sensitive' info (it is a very small group for a med school. isn't it?) the person may feel free (more comfortable ?) to pm me (or post here - which is preferred).
Thanks in advance.

 

[A1]

The bottom line is that what I have heard about this course is - probably - not very encouraging

Can you give us a self estimate what you think your chance is of getting a UWA or interstate med place?

Reason I ask is if it's less than 90% chance the practical advice to you is regardless what other people say about Curtin, you should apply there anyway. Imagine Curtin will be the only place offer you get are you going to decline because you hear Curtin med is no good?

Otoh if you get an offer elsewhere but no Curtin offer then problem solved, no need to know. Only when you get Curtin as well as other offer(s) then you need to choose, there's 8 months before you get to that stage let's see how your Umat and application process go first.

 

[adamn]

Thanks for the reply.
ATAR-wise, I think, I should be OK. I asked about my anticipated ATAR and the school (unofficially ) estimated it at 99.9. But things can change, external WACE, scaling ... Plus the UMAT which is difficult to predict.
I would prefer to stay in Perth, convenience and no need to spend money (it is quite critical, I cannot afford to study interstate). Curtin's is the shortest course. But I would like to know more about the course since it is brand new. Shortest course may not necessarily be the decisive factor - or should it be? There are different opinions (rumours) about Curtin. I look at Monash for example and it is so well described by (amongst others) pi but no hard facts about Curtin so far.
Sure, I am concentrating on WACE and ATAR (and UMAT) now but I would have a better picture. As A1 mentioned, I may not have the opportunity to be in 'choosing' position - if I manage to succeed
A1, can you pm me (I am new so I can't do it but I think I can reply to your pm?), I have a specific question and I do not think I shall post it in the open (here). Thanks

 

[MedicHP]

Hey, I'm doing med at Curtin. I'm thinking of writing up a guide soon on entry requirements and the process. In the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hey, I'm doing med at Curtin. I'm thinking of writing up a guide soon on entry requirements and the process. In the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions.

On behalf of the Moderator team here at MSO, and on a more selfish note as a potential applicant (!), a guide to Curtin would be greatly appreciated.

 

[CHful]

Hey, I'm doing med at Curtin. I'm thinking of writing up a guide soon on entry requirements and the process. In the meantime, feel free to ask me any questions.

Hello MedicHP, how are you finding the program? Are the facilitators supportive? Have you completed an undergrad, or did you apply straight out of high school?

 

[MedicHP]

Hello MedicHP, how are you finding the program? Are the facilitators supportive? Have you completed an undergrad, or did you apply straight out of high school?

The first year has so far been pretty intense as I would expect at any medical school. We not only have the focus of the entire medical school faculty who know us all by name, but also the support of both UWA and Notre Dame, both of whom are very supportive from all aspects. I applied straight out of high school.

 

[CHful]

Thanks! I am applying as a graduate which I understand will be a very slim admissions chance, but I have a GPA of 7.0 which is advantageous. Can I ask how you found the interviews to be? Any tips? Thanks for replying

 

[JMP Lova]

Generally quite unfavourably - someone I know used a 2 year accelerated degree for entry and UNDS was the only university willing to look at that degree out of the entire GEMSAS consortium... and they only looked at it because this person also had a 3 year completed bachelor degree before it which was non-graded.

What about B.ClinSc at Macquarie? Congrats Fay on 99.95

 

[jelli]

Hi!
I know this thread isn't super important, but after completing my UNSW and UNE interviews, I'm not really sure which one to put #1 in my preferences!!
If I went to UNSW, I would prefer to study at Port Macquarie, and I have put down Armidale as my preferred JMP location.
Does anyone have any outstanding positive/negative experience in either of these programs?

 

[Mana]

Hi!
I know this thread isn't super important, but after completing my UNSW and UNE interviews, I'm not really sure which one to put #1 in my preferences!!
If I went to UNSW, I would prefer to study at Port Macquarie, and I have put down Armidale as my preferred JMP location.
Does anyone have any outstanding positive/negative experience in either of these programs?

Lets assume for a moment that you don't already come from either Port Macquarie or Armidale (i.e. you're going to have to move regardless).

Then, UNE will be a 5 year degree and UNSW will be a 6 year degree.

If you go to UNE:
In 6 years you will have a medical degree, have finished a year of internship, have paid uni fees of over $10k per year for 5 years and you would also have earned about 60-70k from your year of internship. You will have progressed one year into medical practice and will be one year closer to your desired specialty.

If you go to UNSW:
In 6 years you will have a medical degree and paid uni fees of over $10k for 6 years.

To me there really is no comparison here. Go with the JMP. The only reason I would take UNSW over the JMP is if you already live in Sydney and get an offer to go to UNSW in Sydney (i.e. you save on rent for the whole 6 years by staying at home) or if you already live in Port Macquarie and get an offer to go to UNSW in Port Macquarie.

 

[Logic]

Hi!
I know this thread isn't super important, but after completing my UNSW and UNE interviews, I'm not really sure which one to put #1 in my preferences!!
If I went to UNSW, I would prefer to study at Port Macquarie, and I have put down Armidale as my preferred JMP location.
Does anyone have any outstanding positive/negative experience in either of these programs?

I personally have no experience with either of them, so this is just my opinion. I would prefer the UNE course for a number of reasons. Firstly, it's one year shorter, so you'll be out of med school quicker. Secondly, I'm not exactly sure about this, but this is the first time that UNSW is offering the full 6 year degree at Port Mac, so it is likely that you might be the test cohort whereas UNE has been teaching medicine at its campus for a few years . Thirdly, take the location you would prefer to have (I would honestly prefer Armidale cause it's closer to home).

Edit: Mana beat me to it

 

[jelli]

Just to clarify, both of them are around 11 hours from home so location (distance-wise) isn't an issue

 

[cadaver]

Hey Guys, So with the curtin versus UWA dilemma. I was tossing up both, leaning strongly towards UWA as I wanted to do a second major, UWA was closer to home, more established etc. However at the bottom of their enterance page it says you have to maintain a 5.5 GPA to enter post graduate Medicine. I don't know how feisable a 5.5 is in a Medical sciences major course where everyone enters with a 99. I also hear, (very often in the past years) that UWA is very snobby and all about the rep, whilst Curtin's social life is booming a little more now. Then there is the MD versus MBBS question, does it really matter? All in all very confused, but thinking Curtin?

 

[A1]

However at the bottom of their enterance page it says you have to maintain a 5.5 GPA to enter post graduate Medicine. I don't know how feisable a 5.5 is in a Medical sciences major course where everyone enters with a 99.

I'm replying only to this concern^.

You happened to see the MedSc infopage that's part of the assured-entry pathway, thus ATAR 99. The degree is open to non-assured students too who don't all have 99+.

If you plan to do a double major MedSc+something it's more hard work. In my case I'm doing single MedSc major, I can load almost half the units with subjects I'm comfortable with (Stats, Logics etc) to get high marks relatively easily. Besides, with UWA D/6=70+ and Cr/5=60+, it's not difficult to get half the units 70+ and half 60+ for GPA 5.5

As I have said before, any provisional students scared of 5.5 should forfeit their offers