International Students: Multiple Offers Advice Requests

[LeSpicyGinger]

Hi guys,
I'm currently waiting for offer results for Adelaide and have already received a conditional offer for Flinders (I'm an international student). I'm quite undecided on which uni I wanna go to (that is, if I get an offer for Adl).

I know that a lot of people accept their Flinders offers and then jump ship to Adelaide once they get Adl's offer afterwards, so to those people, what made you make that choice?

Or just in general, what do you think makes those two universities different in terms of med school and deciding on which offer to accept?

Hi juice box!

It'll be great to see you at Flinders but the choice is yours . As you probably know from reading threads on this place, the medical education you get is essentially the same and if you're living in Adelaide at the moment, it comes down to other factors.

My outward perception of Adelaide Uni Medicine is that its much larger, has a big party culture, has more modern facilities and is more conveniently located in the city (Flinders is down south). You are more likely to meet more international students that may come from the same place as you and Adelaide Uni as a whole has much better extra curricular club environment (many more clubs and major events and more funding). It also has the prestige factor if that matters to you .

On the other hand, Flinders is a much smaller cohort (especially in the undergrad Clinsci portion). We only have about 50 people including internationals in my year so everything feels much more tight knit and close. I'm definitely not heavily involved in all medical school events, but I get the general feeling that Flinders is a much friendlier place. I have heard several bad stories of Adelaide med people but none in Flinders thus far.

 

[Juice box]

Hi juice box!.

Hi LeSpicyGinger!

Hmmm yeah it is quite a difficult decision because on one hand, I was quite looking forward to participating in a lot of extra events and activities (quite regret not doing so in high school), but on the other hand I quite like a small cohort and a tight knit group that I can get to know well.

I guess Adelaide is also appealing because it just looks a lot fancier, which to someone that hasn't experienced either looks really cool

But since you're at Flinders, what is the student life there like? For example, you mentioned that Adelaide has more major events and clubs, but are the events and clubs at Flinders still plenty and enjoyable in your experience?

I've also read that in the clinical science years that people's timetables do not overlap, so it's quite difficult to see one another. This came as a bit of a bummer to me, but what was your experience in getting to know each other?

And sorry for bombarding you with questions (it's just so good to finally meet someone actually doing the course at Flinders), but which year would you be in?

Thanks heaps for replying!

 

[LeSpicyGinger]

Hi LeSpicyGinger!

Hmmm yeah it is quite a difficult decision because on one hand, I was quite looking forward to participating in a lot of extra events and activities (quite regret not doing so in high school), but on the other hand I quite like a small cohort and a tight knit group that I can get to know well.

I guess Adelaide is also appealing because it just looks a lot fancier, which to someone that hasn't experienced either looks really cool

But since you're at Flinders, what is the student life there like? For example, you mentioned that Adelaide has more major events and clubs, but are the events and clubs at Flinders still plenty and enjoyable in your experience?

I've also read that in the clinical science years that people's timetables do not overlap, so it's quite difficult to see one another. This came as a bit of a bummer to me, but what was your experience in getting to know each other?

And sorry for bombarding you with questions (it's just so good to finally meet someone actually doing the course at Flinders), but which year would you be in?

Thanks heaps for replying!

I'm first year clinsci.

Student life is okay I'd say. There is a constant stream of medical events throughout the year but most of these events are attended by the MDs so you feel a little out of your depth initially and they're generally quite small in attendance. Flinders has a few popular clubs like the Board Games club or the Badminton club and I haven't really participated in these but the people I've talked to that have have really enjoyed them. Medrevue is probably the most active thing I've done and that was a great experience though its something every? medical school has. The cocktail nights, medball etc. that I have attended have been worthwhile and fun.

We also have the option to go to certain Adelaide uni events such as pubcrawl or skullduggery but I can't comment on those as I haven't been to them.

People's timetables do overlap in clinsci if you choose to let them overlap. In the first semester when everyone has chosen randomly, you meet new clinsci people every week, but you can coordinate timetables in second semester or before census date in first semester to get more clinscis in your classes. Otherwise, I wouldn't say being in different classes is a bad thing as you get exposed to a wider range of degrees and backgrounds. Once you establish a core friend group, they'll be the main people you want to see anyway.

This year's clinsci reps have done a lot of things to make clinsci feel closer to medical school with encouragement to attend med events and new clinscis have a lot to look forward to.

 

[Juice box]

Student life is okay I'd say. There is a constant stream of medical events throughout the year but most of these events are attended by the MDs so you feel a little out of your depth initially and they're generally quite small in attendance. Flinders has a few popular clubs like the Board Games club or the Badminton club and I haven't really participated in these but the people I've talked to that have have really enjoyed them. Medrevue is probably the most active thing I've done and that was a great experience though its something every? medical school has. The cocktail nights, medball etc. that I have attended have been worthwhile and fun..

This year's clinsci reps have done a lot of things to make clinsci feel closer to medical school with encouragement to attend med events and new clinscis have a lot to look forward to.

I'm not entirely sure, but I think I've heard that Adl has less distinction between their preclinical and clinical students, and are in large part consider them as "similar" students. So I guess another positive factor of Adl (I assume) would be that there wouldn't be that great a feeling of being out of your depth in the first couple years. But it is good to hear that the clinsci reps have done lots of things to encourage clinsci students more.

Then apart from student life and culture, would you say your experience in studying at Flinders has been positive? (with regards to stuff such as guidance, the lecturers, other year levels, resources etc.)

People's timetables do overlap in clinsci if you choose to let them overlap. In the first semester when everyone has chosen randomly, you meet new clinsci people every week, but you can coordinate timetables in second semester or before census date in first semester to get more clinscis in your classes. Otherwise, I wouldn't say being in different classes is a bad thing as you get exposed to a wider range of degrees and backgrounds. Once you establish a core friend group, they'll be the main people you want to see anyway.

It definitely would be a good thing to have exposure to a wider range of people, and I really am quite excited to meet new people. But I guess it is just a little intimidating to move to a new environment and start over in getting to know a lot of people, so having that connection with other med students would be nice.

 

[LeSpicyGinger]

I'm not entirely sure, but I think I've heard that Adl has less distinction between their preclinical and clinical students, and are in large part consider them as "similar" students. So I guess another positive factor of Adl (I assume) would be that there wouldn't be that great a feeling of being out of your depth in the first couple years. But it is good to hear that the clinsci reps have done lots of things to encourage clinsci students more.

I feel you're leaning towards Adelaide and that's reasonable. After a year a Flinders, I still feel like Adelaide would have been my first choice. However, I don't regret coming to Flinders at all even with all the offers I received interstate as staying at home is great! It's important to not let a feeling of inadequacy or regret mar your experience.

While first year clinsci is basically a medical science degree, I hear the electives offered in second year are more specific to med - including simulated patient interaction, TBL and IRAT assessments so I would say Flinders isn't as disjointed as you think but Adelaide is more integrated. Flinders does offer a choice of any elective in second year which could allow you to explore other interests which could be compelling for you. Flinders preclin extends all the way from Clinsci to MD 2 so you do feel more involved the later you go into the course. If you put effort into getting to know the MDs at events, you definitely won't feel out of place.

Then apart from student life and culture, would you say your experience in studying at Flinders has been positive? (with regards to stuff such as guidance, the lecturers, other year levels, resources etc.)

Pretty positive. I've studied at Adelaide (2 units called HAPI A and B for a high school scholarship) and Flinders this year and the quality of education is very similar. You get good and bad teachers in both unis and both offer regular peer and teacher assistance.

It definitely would be a good thing to have exposure to a wider range of people, and I really am quite excited to meet new people. But I guess it is just a little intimidating to move to a new environment and start over in getting to know a lot of people, so having that connection with other med students would be nice.

You can think of Flinders as providing a gradual introduction to your peers - first with 50 or so people and then the rest of the MDs later. I'd say this is a much easier transition than shoving you with 140 people all in one go at Adelaide . Like I said, I strongly feel that once you establish a core friend group, the size of the cohort matters little.

Miscellaneous info:
Another difference is that Flinders tends to have the older cohort with MD entry. More mature people and a wider variety of people potentially.

If you are looking for MD specific recollections, I recommend looking at PagingDoctor.

We organised a thank you card for our reps that was manageable with our cohort but is probably very difficult with 140 or so students. Among the more social people, it really does feel like a big family.

One of the benefits I've discovered at Flinders is that your timetable is much more flexible. I could go to Uni 1-2 days a week which frees up a lot of time to do other stuff. Adelaide is 5 days a week from what I hear. I feel medicine is more or less a never ending road for the next 10-15 years, so I'm expanding my horizons, working and relaxing as much as possible (taking the gap year I never had if you suppose) before I focus on full time study in MD. Travelling would be nice if there was no pandemic ;(

 

[Juice box]

I feel you're leaning towards Adelaide and that's reasonable. After a year a Flinders, I still feel like Adelaide would have been my first choice. However, I don't regret coming to Flinders at all even with all the offers I received interstate as staying at home is great! It's important to not let a feeling of inadequacy or regret mar your experience.

While first year clinsci is basically a medical science degree, I hear the electives offered in second year are more specific to med - including simulated patient interaction, TBL and IRAT assessments so I would say Flinders isn't as disjointed as you think but Adelaide is more integrated. Flinders does offer a choice of any elective in second year which could allow you to explore other interests which could be compelling for you. Flinders preclin extends all the way from Clinsci to MD 2 so you do feel more involved the later you go into the course. If you put effort into getting to know the MDs at events, you definitely won't feel out of place.


Pretty positive. I've studied at Adelaide (2 units called HAPI A and B for a high school scholarship) and Flinders this year and the quality of education is very similar. You get good and bad teachers in both unis and both offer regular peer and teacher assistance.


You can think of Flinders as providing a gradual introduction to your peers - first with 50 or so people and then the rest of the MDs later. I'd say this is a much easier transition than shoving you with 140 people all in one go at Adelaide . Like I said, I strongly feel that once you establish a core friend group, the size of the cohort matters little.

Miscellaneous info:
Another difference is that Flinders tends to have the older cohort with MD entry. More mature people and a wider variety of people potentially.

If you are looking for MD specific recollections, I recommend looking at PagingDoctor.

We organised a thank you card for our reps that was manageable with our cohort but is probably very difficult with 140 or so students. Among the more social people, it really does feel like a big family.

One of the benefits I've discovered at Flinders is that your timetable is much more flexible. I could go to Uni 1-2 days a week which frees up a lot of time to do other stuff. Adelaide is 5 days a week from what I hear. I feel medicine is more or less a never ending road for the next 10-15 years, so I'm expanding my horizons, working and relaxing as much as possible (taking the gap year I never had if you suppose) before I focus on full time study in MD. Travelling would be nice if there was no pandemic ;(

I feel you're leaning towards Adelaide and that's reasonable. After a year a Flinders, I still feel like Adelaide would have been my first choice. However, I don't regret coming to Flinders at all even with all the offers I received interstate as staying at home is great! It's important to not let a feeling of inadequacy or regret mar your experience.

While first year clinsci is basically a medical science degree, I hear the electives offered in second year are more specific to med - including simulated patient interaction, TBL and IRAT assessments so I would say Flinders isn't as disjointed as you think but Adelaide is more integrated. Flinders does offer a choice of any elective in second year which could allow you to explore other interests which could be compelling for you. Flinders preclin extends all the way from Clinsci to MD 2 so you do feel more involved the later you go into the course. If you put effort into getting to know the MDs at events, you definitely won't feel out of place.


Pretty positive. I've studied at Adelaide (2 units called HAPI A and B for a high school scholarship) and Flinders this year and the quality of education is very similar. You get good and bad teachers in both unis and both offer regular peer and teacher assistance.


You can think of Flinders as providing a gradual introduction to your peers - first with 50 or so people and then the rest of the MDs later. I'd say this is a much easier transition than shoving you with 140 people all in one go at Adelaide . Like I said, I strongly feel that once you establish a core friend group, the size of the cohort matters little.

Miscellaneous info:
Another difference is that Flinders tends to have the older cohort with MD entry. More mature people and a wider variety of people potentially.

If you are looking for MD specific recollections, I recommend looking at PagingDoctor.

We organised a thank you card for our reps that was manageable with our cohort but is probably very difficult with 140 or so students. Among the more social people, it really does feel like a big family.

One of the benefits I've discovered at Flinders is that your timetable is much more flexible. I could go to Uni 1-2 days a week which frees up a lot of time to do other stuff. Adelaide is 5 days a week from what I hear. I feel medicine is more or less a never ending road for the next 10-15 years, so I'm expanding my horizons, working and relaxing as much as possible (taking the gap year I never had if you suppose) before I focus on full time study in MD. Travelling would be nice if there was no pandemic ;(

I'm not necessarily leaning towards Adelaide, I really do think both have strong pros and cons. It's just deciding which lifestyle and school life I want to pursue that really has me lost.

But hearing about your experiences really does shed quite a bit light on the benefits of Flinders as well, including the fact that only having to go to uni 1-2 days a week blows my mind :0 .

I've just received an offer today during my Year 12 exam for Adelaide med, so now I really do have the choice, but I'll still think about it and decide after my exams end.

Your replies have been super helpful! Thanks a lot

 

[adelaidekim]

Hi, I need help choosing between med schools. I've got curtin and flinders offer for med. Curtin is 5 years bachelors MBBS and flinders is 6 years MD. I really don't know which is better for me please help a girl out /..

 

[Nonstandard983]

Hi, I need help choosing between med schools. I've got curtin and flinders offer for med. Curtin is 5 years bachelors MBBS and flinders is 6 years MD. I really don't know which is better for me please help a girl out /..

If you live in SA I would go with flinders having your support network nearby is much more important than anything else

 

[adelaidekim]

If you live in SA I would go with flinders having your support network nearby is much more important than anything else

I'm an international student tho, and I live in WA. Flinders is recognised by my home country's med institution but not curtin. And I might also have to go to Canada. I feel like Flinders is recognised internationally but not curtin. I'm not sure about Canada if they recognise any of these 2 uni though.

 

[Nonstandard983]

I'm an international student tho, and I live in WA. Flinders is recognised by my home country's med institution but not curtin. And I might also have to go to Canada. I feel like Flinders is recognised internationally but not curtin. I'm not sure about Canada if they recognise any of these 2 uni though.

If you plan on practicing medicine back home I would say go with flinders however, you also need to consider the internship situation and the priority catorgies of internship hiring when it comes to international students I’m sorry I can’t help you more but you’ll need to research these things in each respective country.

 

[adelaidekim]

If you plan on practicing medicine back home I would say go with flinders however, you also need to consider the internship situation and the priority catorgies of internship hiring when it comes to international students I’m sorry I can’t help you more but you’ll need to research these things in each respective country.

ok. thanks anyways )

 

[LeSpicyGinger]

I'm an international student tho, and I live in WA. Flinders is recognised by my home country's med institution but not curtin. And I might also have to go to Canada. I feel like Flinders is recognised internationally but not curtin. I'm not sure about Canada if they recognise any of these 2 uni though.

There could be the chance Curtin is recognised in the 5 years you complete your degree but there are no guarantees there. I feel like the safest bet is probably still Flinders if you want the best choice later at the expense of your current social network in WA and whatever a year's worth of fees is.

 

[adelaidekim]

There could be the chance Curtin is recognised in the 5 years you complete your degree but there are no guarantees there. I feel like the safest bet is probably still Flinders if you want the best choice later at the expense of your current social network in WA and whatever a year's worth of fees is.

hmm okay, so you're saying Flinders is better for future. does Flinders have a lot of international students?

 

[LeSpicyGinger]

hmm okay, so you're saying Flinders is better for future. does Flinders have a lot of international students?

I'm saying from your interpretation, Flinders seems better because I don't really understand how it works as I'm not an international student. My cohort of 50 or so clinscis has around 18~ internationals with more coming at MD.

 

[Naush]

Hello,
Can someone please let me know if Flinders undergraduate medicine is based just in Adelaide or the students have to divide their time between Adelaide and Darwin? Also what to expect as it is provisional entry?
Thank you kindly