Internship: NSW Preferencing and Explanation

[DrDrLMG!]

Thank you! I would appreciate your further advice on this: The JMP program is offered through both UON and UNE across three different campuses. I initially applied for UON but was offered UNE. Would graduating from UNE make a difference compared to UON in terms of opportunities or recognition? As a NSW resident, would it be better to accept an offer from a higher-ranked university instead?

No, no difference.

 

[Crow]

Haven’t looked closely into NSW but in QLD, category 2 and below priority applicants for intern/resident positions compete for remaining places in a merit-based manner. This means international graduates who are known to certain hospitals from their university placements (e.g. JCU grads for Mackay, UQ students for Rockhampton etc), have a shoe-in compared with other applicants from universities not known to those hospitals. I suspect it’s a similar situation in NSW. And yes, generally graduates are most likely to apply to work in hospitals they attended placements in as a student.

 

[A1]

As a NSW resident, would it be better to accept an offer from a higher-ranked university instead?

Some info if you want to delve deep into
> https://www.heti.nsw.gov.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0011/576470/Optimised-Allocation-procedure.pdf

- As a NSW-uni graduate you'll be Priority Category 1 whether UNE or UoN or USyd or UNSW
- If you choose an interstate med school then return to NSW home state you'd be worse off in Category 2
- Unless you nominate a Rural or Regional location, you'll be in the Optimised Allocation round

Each applicant lists the 15 NSW hospital networks in order of preference. It's called Optimised since the allocation algorithm runs through many iterations to find the most optimal combo (in maths sense the numeric values of the allocated prefs total to smallest).

IOW which network you get depends not only on your own preferences but also on all other applicants too.

 

[quick2023]

Hi everyone,

Just had a question regarding Cat 2 for NSW and apologies if someone has already asked this!

If you are eligible and succesfully apply for extenuating circumstances, does this have any impact on which round you would get an offer as a category 2?

For instance, if you are a cat 2 who has preferenced sydney metro hospitals would this likely push me out of the 1st round to subsequent rounds until a position within the radius becomes available? Sorry I hope that this makes sense.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Hi everyone,

Just had a question regarding Cat 2 for NSW and apologies if someone has already asked this!

If you are eligible and succesfully apply for extenuating circumstances, does this have any impact on which round you would get an offer as a category 2?

For instance, if you are a cat 2 who has preferenced sydney metro hospitals would this likely push me out of the 1st round to subsequent rounds until a position within the radius becomes available? Sorry I hope that this makes sense.

Wolverine any insight?

 

[A1]

If you are eligible and succesfully apply for extenuating circumstances, does this have any impact on which round you would get an offer as a category 2?

For instance, if you are a cat 2 who has preferenced sydney metro hospitals would this likely push me out of the 1st round to subsequent rounds until a position within the radius becomes available?

Disclaimers:
1. I don't know if extenuating circumstances play a role at all in the internship allocations.
2. Not sure what you mean by 'out of the 1st round to subsequent rounds' since it doesn't match my understanding.

Other than allocations for Indigenous applicants NSW conducts 3 rounds in sequence
1. Rural allocation
2. Regional allocation
3. Optimised allocation

To be in (1) & (2) you MUST nominate ONE hospital network of these categories as your 1st pref (all lower prefs are not involved).
If you don't nominate, or nominate but miss out selection for that specific network, you go into round (3) Optimised allocation.

In this round (3) you nominate like 15 networks in preference order. The Optimised process runs its course to see which network, if any, it can fit you in. If all your 15 prefs are filled by Cat 1 applicants you miss out. I don't know of subsequent rounds unless they are top-ups.

The nuances:
- If you elect for Rural/Regional, chances are not that many Cat 1s go for them so your Cat 2 is top dog
- Choose your 15 network prefs for round (3) with thoughts to avoid being beaten out by the Cat 1s.

 

[quick2023]

Disclaimers:
1. I don't know if extenuating circumstances play a role at all in the internship allocations.
2. Not sure what you mean by 'out of the 1st round to subsequent rounds' since it doesn't match my understanding.

Other than allocations for Indigenous applicants NSW conducts 3 rounds in sequence
1. Rural allocation
2. Regional allocation
3. Optimised allocation

To be in (1) & (2) you MUST nominate ONE hospital network of these categories as your 1st pref (all lower prefs are not involved).
If you don't nominate, or nominate but miss out selection for that specific network, you go into round (3) Optimised allocation.

In this round (3) you nominate like 15 networks in preference order. The Optimised process runs its course to see which network, if any, it can fit you in. If all your 15 prefs are filled by Cat 1 applicants you miss out. I don't know of subsequent rounds unless they are top-ups.

The nuances:
- If you elect for Rural/Regional, chances are not that many Cat 1s go for them so your Cat 2 is top dog
- Choose your 15 network prefs for round (3) with thoughts to avoid being beaten out by the Cat 1s.

Hey A1,

Thanks for getting back to me!

Sorry, I should’ve clarified that I was talking about the Optimised Allocation Pathway. From what I understand, there’s the main round of offers that go out to Cat 1s and some Cat 2s, and then two follow-up rounds after the first national audit, where offers are made to other categories.

I was clutching at straws, but I was wondering if there’s any way for a Cat 2 to avoid getting an offer in the main round like through extenuating circumstances or something. But after going back through our chat, you’re right I don’t think that really has any impact on how the internship offers are allocated.

Just for a bit of context the reason I asked is because most of the Cat 2s I know were given offers that were really low on their preference list (like Blacktown), because they have been matched in the main round alongside the Cat 1s. Whereas quite a few Cat 3s I know (studying in NZ with me) actually got their first preferences like big 4 hospitals or Sydney metro in the second round, after the first national audit.

 

[A1]

Just for a bit of context the reason I asked is because most of the Cat 2s I know were given offers that were really low on their preference list (like Blacktown), because they have been matched in the main round alongside the Cat 1s. Whereas quite a few Cat 3s I know (studying in NZ with me) actually got their first preferences like big 4 hospitals or Sydney metro in the second round, after the first national audit.

Okay I see what you meant there. This strategy is like a medschool applicant deliberately wiggles out of a 1st round offer (which could be bonded) to aim for a 2nd round unbonded offer.

It's difficult to figure out why/who would vacate these sought-after intern positions for the Cat 3s to get in the subsequent rounds.

Mana seemed to have in-depth knowledge of the allocation process. He hasn't appeared on MSO quite some time now but send him a PM see if you catch him by chance.

 

[fiatluux]

I just had a question that I hope someone has some more knowledge on its not really UCAT related but wasnt sure where else to post it (sorry). I had a conversation with a 3rd year med student at one of the Sydney medical schools and they were telling me that I shouldn't accept and interview invite to CSU or accept an offer at CSU (if i receive one) for the medicine program because allegedly the university you go to will affect you when applying for intern year (as in you will not be preferenced). Was just wondering if this has any truth to it? follow up question they also mentioned the stack lists now I did some short research as to what this is as ive never heard of it before and from what ive read it really only matters if you want to intern at one of the bigger hospitals in sydney, so I was wondering would this stack matter at all if I want to intern in a rural/regional area? Many thanks in advance!

 

[movpin]

I just had a question that I hope someone has some more knowledge on its not really UCAT related but wasnt sure where else to post it (sorry). I had a conversation with a 3rd year med student at one of the Sydney medical schools and they were telling me that I shouldn't accept and interview invite to CSU or accept an offer at CSU (if i receive one) for the medicine program because allegedly the university you go to will affect you when applying for intern year (as in you will not be preferenced). Was just wondering if this has any truth to it? follow up question they also mentioned the stack lists now I did some short research as to what this is as ive never heard of it before and from what ive read it really only matters if you want to intern at one of the bigger hospitals in sydney, so I was wondering would this stack matter at all if I want to intern in a rural/regional area? Many thanks in advance!

As far as I know, the university you graduate from does not affect your internship location at all. Thus, students from some unis (UNSW, USYD, WSU) have banded together and made the stack to try improve their chances at getting the oversubscribed Sydney hospitals. If you want to intern at a rural/regional hospital, this doesn't matter at all as there is a separate stream for internship preferencing.

If you change your mind and would like to intern at the big Sydney hospitals, surely you could ask a friend from a Sydney uni, otherwise it does get leaked. I wouldn't be so sure the stack is that effective or that big of a deal anyway, many people still get lower preference hospitals with it.

 

[MjM91]

I just had a question that I hope someone has some more knowledge on its not really UCAT related but wasnt sure where else to post it (sorry). I had a conversation with a 3rd year med student at one of the Sydney medical schools and they were telling me that I shouldn't accept and interview invite to CSU or accept an offer at CSU (if i receive one) for the medicine program because allegedly the university you go to will affect you when applying for intern year (as in you will not be preferenced). Was just wondering if this has any truth to it? follow up question they also mentioned the stack lists now I did some short research as to what this is as ive never heard of it before and from what ive read it really only matters if you want to intern at one of the bigger hospitals in sydney, so I was wondering would this stack matter at all if I want to intern in a rural/regional area? Many thanks in advance!

It really doesn’t matter that much, in America it does but not in Australia. You are prioritised for a spot in the state you’ve studied in, but that’s about it.

 

[JFB]

As far as I know, the university you graduate from does not affect your internship location at all. Thus, students from some unis (UNSW, USYD, WSU) have banded together and made the stack to try improve their chances at getting the oversubscribed Sydney hospitals. If you want to intern at a rural/regional hospital, this doesn't matter at all as there is a separate stream for internship preferencing.

If you change your mind and would like to intern at the big Sydney hospitals, surely you could ask a friend from a Sydney uni, otherwise it does get leaked. I wouldn't be so sure the stack is that effective or that big of a deal anyway, many people still get lower preference hospitals with it.

Arguably if you want to intern rurally the rural unis are an advantage as you can be a student at your preferred hospital and interview with the same one.