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Choosing Between Universities and Offers

bbydaisy

Lurker
Hi everyone,
I graduated from Year 12 last year and I decided to take a gap year this year to re-do my UMAT and do some volunteering. I have my heart set on medicine. However, I am unsure where I should put UWA (bonded and unbonded) and Curtin in my preferences in my uni application.
These are my three options:
1. UWA unbonded
2. UWA bonded
3. Curtin med
OR
1. UWA unbonded
2. Curtin med
3. UWA bonded
OR
1. Curtin med
2. UWA unbonded
3. UWA bonded

Any advice would be greatly appreciated!! e.g. Which uni and why? Pros and cons for each uni?
Thanks xx
 

A1

Rookie Doc
Moderator
Curtin is 5 years vs UWA 6 yrs if doing MedSc or 7 yrs non-MedSc.
(otoh a small advantage of 7 yrs is if you really want to you can do a 3-yr Bachelor of choice, like Data Science or Zoology for eg, before starting the 4-yr MD).

Curtin will be the very first cohort, likely to have teething problems in how the course is organised.

Curtin clinical placements will likely be to the outer suburb hospitals, and possibly regional like Geraldton Bunbury.

If these don't really matter to you then place Curtin first, vice versa. Also consider which uni is more convenient in terms of public transport.
 

pi

Junior doctor
Emeritus Staff
I'd be staying away from being in Curtin's first year of medicine.
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
I'd be staying away from being in Curtin's first year of medicine.

There are pros and cons of being in the first year of a medical course. In terms of the students being guinea pigs and the faculty ironing out a whole lot of cracks, yes, that's probably a disadvantage.

However, the first cohort is usually treated very well by the faculty who is trying to make a good reputation for themselves and of their students, which could very well make it easier to pass than at a more established university that may have a significant fail rate. Furthermore, the first cohort of students is likely to be the cohort that is listened to the most.

I've heard similar experiences from the first UNDS and the first UWS cohorts.
 

pi

Junior doctor
Emeritus Staff
There are pros and cons of being in the first year of a medical course. In terms of the students being guinea pigs and the faculty ironing out a whole lot of cracks, yes, that's probably a disadvantage.

However, the first cohort is usually treated very well by the faculty who is trying to make a good reputation for themselves and of their students, which could very well make it easier to pass than at a more established university that may have a significant fail rate. Furthermore, the first cohort of students is likely to be the cohort that is listened to the most.

I've heard similar experiences from the first UNDS and the first UWS cohorts.

Well I was going to follow up with saying: I'd stay away from Curtin all the time too :p
 

faysapprentice

Regular Member
Hi all, I would really like some advice on which of the offers I should choose
At the moment, I have gotten Griffith provisional gc, JCU unbonded and Flinders
I have also gotten the adelaide interview offer and am wondering whether or not I should go
For all of these, I would be moving interstate (I am from sydney) and I am not sure about how to compare these to choose a one to enrol in (what are the pros and cons of each)
Any input/advice would be greatly appreciated!!
 

ccsaus

Member
no thoughts about UMelb Chancellor's Scholars Program at all?

Here is what Mana suggested:

The most important things I would consider when I have multiple offers are these, in this order:

1. Are you already living in a city with one of these universities? If so - regardless of the year committment or even the bonded committment - I would take that offer, because it means that you get to save on rent for that year, and you get family support because you still live at home (which honestly makes a huge difference).

2. If none of these are, then, where do you want to stay for the next few years, including the years of early practice? Where you will live for the next few years as well as where you will receive an internship is dictated mostly by which university you attend. If you graduate from a NSW university, for example, you will be prioritised first for NSW, and the same for all other states.

3. Finally, I would then take 5 year courses over 6 year ones, because you finish earlier and start work earlier. (I would take 6 year courses over 7 year provisional ones for the same reason). When you start work earlier, you will avoid the intern bottleneck by one year, the training bottleneck by one year and and you'll also be around $65k richer pre-tax (because working as an intern earns more money than being a final year medical student).

That should be sufficient to make your decision - because otherwise, no one cares where you did your degree (as long as it was in Aus/NZ). No one cares about prestige, no one cares about the name of the degree (as long as it's a medical one, MD, B. Med, MBBS, all the same, no one cares).

I am from Sydney as well. Got Griffth Gold Coast/UMelb Chancellor's Scholars Program/JMP New Castle
Seems I should choose JMP over UMelb Chancellor's Scholars Program
Not sure about your case
 

faysapprentice

Regular Member
Yeah the thing is that im gonna have to move out for all these offers and theyre all 6 years so not sure how to choose between them
 

biom

Regular Member
Supreme Overlord of the Chatbox
Yeah the thing is that im gonna have to move out for all these offers and theyre all 6 years so not sure how to choose between them
see point 2) where would you like to live or alternatively... where would you like not to live.
 

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faysapprentice

Regular Member
see point 2) where would you like to live or alternatively... where would you like not to live.
tbh im not too fussed about where im gonna have to spend the 6 years and most likely ill be able to come back to NSW for internship because ill just put blacktown hospital first (which no one wants to go to)
 

LBoG

BMedSci/MD-JMP II UoN
I guess gold coast might be fun to live in though?
Take into account cost of living too.

I wholeheartedly recommend GC as a great place to live. The beaches, restaurants, scenery - all extremely appealing.

Will you be living on-campus? Research the on-campus options, prices, expenses, etc. Off-campus? Start comparing prices for rent, suburbs, etc.

While we here at MSO can help you with many things, the ideal place for you specifically to live might be a bit out of our reach ;)

Good luck with the awesome predicament you find yourself in!
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
tbh im not too fussed about where im gonna have to spend the 6 years and most likely ill be able to come back to NSW for internship because ill just put blacktown hospital first (which no one wants to go to)

That doesn't guarantee that you will get a place in NSW, sorry.
 

heart

Member
Seems like you really want to stay in NSW. I wonder in your situation if you do take Griffith and sit the gamsat to try and get into a med school in NSW and if you don't just continue with the MD at Griffith. Not sure how GEMSAS looks at accelerated degrees though.
 

Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
Seems like you really want to stay in NSW. I wonder in your situation if you do take Griffith and sit the gamsat to try and get into a med school in NSW and if you don't just continue with the MD at Griffith. Not sure how GEMSAS looks at accelerated degrees though.

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.
 

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Mana

there are no stupid questions, only people
Administrator
prestige of uni/md vs mbbs doesnt matter for med right? Im right in saying all prospects are up to me being a good intern and researching etc?
Correct, as stated above, prestige or name of your degree doesn't make any difference.
 

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