Radiography

[tksm]

Hi angieee,

I am currently deciding between USYD's radiography, and CQU's echocardiography or sonography, (or paramedicine... I am keeping my options open and evaluating things haha).
I have 2.5 years of uni study behind me, currently sitting on a 6.5 GPA/87 WAM and have USYD as my #1 UAC preference. I don't know if this will be enough to get me an offer.

If you take a look at this page Recognised qualifications and scroll down to "higher education study", it explains required marks. It seems that yes, you would need a high distinction average. However, I believe the 95 ATAR for DR is not the "guaranteed" one, and while last year the lowest ATAR was above this, it may be different this year depending on demand for the course and competitiveness of applicants.

I got a random UAC offer for USyd radiography a couple offer rounds ago (it was sitting in my preferences for Oct R1) which I'm assuming was based on my ATAR (99) since I have not completed one FTE year of uni yet. I think 6.5 is equivalent to that so it should be enough to get an offer? I'm not too well versed on UAC so someone on here might be able to give a bit more insight

 

[Shmexyoh]

I know this is late. I am a year 12 student and I really want to do sonography. i don't want to go to CQU because I heard some bad things about the place so I'm considering to do nursing. should I do nursing at QUT since they have a post grad in sonography or do a nursing course somewhere else?

 

[2xq]

I know this is late. I am a year 12 student and I really want to do sonography. i don't want to go to CQU because I heard some bad things about the place so I'm considering to do nursing. should I do nursing at QUT since they have a post grad in sonography or do a nursing course somewhere else?

it doesnt matter where u do ur nursing degree. as long as you meet the prereqs for the grad dip after the degree, youll be fine good luck!
(pretty sure nursing is enough for the sonography grad dip)

 

[Crow]

I know this is late. I am a year 12 student and I really want to do sonography. i don't want to go to CQU because I heard some bad things about the place so I'm considering to do nursing. should I do nursing at QUT since they have a post grad in sonography or do a nursing course somewhere else?

Out of curiosity, what are the bad things you’ve heard about CQU? Anecdotally I’ve had a friend go through there and loved it, now working on the GC in a private hospital.

If I were you and not willing to go to CQU, I’d aim for a 6.5+ GPA in your first year of nursing and then attempt to transfer into medical imaging at QUT. It’s very competitive though - I’ve heard people with GPAs of 6.7 missing out in a tough year (probably because QUT factors subject bonuses for school-leavers into selection and everyone’s ATARs get inflated).

 

[2xq]

Out of curiosity, what are the bad things you’ve heard about CQU? Anecdotally I’ve had a friend go through there and loved it, now working on the GC in a private hospital.

so uhh ive heard stuff about CQU as well from my sister who is a Radiographer (and is training to become a sonographer).
- Graduates tend to not be "work" ready.
- CQU offers little support
- CQU apparently (not sure if this is true or not) struggles to find places for placements for students
these are things ive heard.

 

[2xq]

Okay. Given that I didn't make medicine and have accepted my offer to do a Bachelor of Applied Science (Diagnostic Radiography) @ USYD, keep an eye out near the end of next year regarding USYD Radiography after First Year

 

[katsicum]

Okay. Given that I didn't make medicine and have accepted my offer to do a Bachelor of Applied Science (Diagnostic Radiography) @ USYD, keep an eye out near the end of next year regarding USYD Radiography after First Year

Hey congrats on your offer for Radiography at USyd! Could I please ask for the ATAR cut-off for the course this year? I'm an international student and I didn't get an offer at Dec round. I suspect it's because I had it as my 3rd preference but as an international student, I am eligible for one offer for each uni so it's really odd to me.

 

[JL538]

Hey congrats on your offer for Radiography at USyd! Could I please ask for the ATAR cut-off for the course this year? I'm an international student and I didn't get an offer at Dec round. I suspect it's because I had it as my 3rd preference but as an international student, I am eligible for one offer for each uni so it's really odd to me.

Student and ATAR admission profiles

Learn more about the selections ranks, by course, for our domestic students admitted in 2021.

www.sydney.edu.au

Lowest ATAR excluding bonuses was 96.1 - and including bonuses was 95

Edit: This is last year - this year's results have not been finalized yet I would think

 

[katsicum]

Student and ATAR admission profiles

Learn more about the selections ranks, by course, for our domestic students admitted in 2021.

www.sydney.edu.au

Lowest ATAR excluding bonuses was 96.1 - and including bonuses was 95

Thanks for the reply. I got 98+ Atar and as an international student, shouldn't the Atar cutoff for me a few points lower? Why didn't I get an offer then?

 

[JL538]

Thanks for the reply. I got 98+ Atar and as an international student, shouldn't the Atar cutoff for me a few points lower? Why didn't I get an offer then?

I got an ATAR in the 98s as well and did get an offer. I have absolutely no clue about whether standards are higher/lower for international students. Other reasons may be you guys get an offer in later rounds, or you didn't meet prerequisites? IDK I have no clue, maybe someone else can chime in

 

[katsicum]

I got an ATAR in the 98s as well and did get an offer. I have absolutely no clue about whether standards are higher/lower for international students. Other reasons may be you guys get an offer in later rounds, or you didn't meet prerequisites? IDK I have no clue, maybe someone else can chime in

I am 99% sure that Atars cut-off for internationals are always a few point lower than those for locals regardless of what the unis or the courses are. However, I had no clues what the prerequisites for the course were prior to applying. May I ask what the prerequisites are?

 

[2xq]

Hey congrats on your offer for Radiography at USyd! Could I please ask for the ATAR cut-off for the course this year? I'm an international student and I didn't get an offer at Dec round. I suspect it's because I had it as my 3rd preference but as an international student, I am eligible for one offer for each uni so it's really odd to me.

I got an ATAR in the 98s as well and did get an offer. I have absolutely no clue about whether standards are higher/lower for international students. Other reasons may be you guys get an offer in later rounds, or you didn't meet prerequisites? IDK I have no clue, maybe someone else can chime in

Hello! The Lowest Selection Rank was 97.30.

 

[2xq]

I am 99% sure that Atars cut-off for internationals are always a few point lower than those for locals regardless of what the unis or the courses are. However, I had no clues what the prerequisites for the course were prior to applying. May I ask what the prerequisites are?

There are no prerequisites HOWEVER Recommended Studies outlined by the university are the following:

• Mathematics plus one of Biology, Chemistry or Physics.

 

[katsicum]

Hello! The Lowest Selection Rank was 97.30.

Does this account for people applying for E12? Since I know some ppl at my school applied for that and they could potentially get into the course with an Atar that is 10 points lower.

 

[2xq]

Does this account for people applying for E12? Since I know some ppl at my school applied for that and they could potentially get into the course with an Atar that is 10 points lower.

Selection Ranks are essentially ATARs including Adjustment Factors. In other words, it includes E12 Applicants.

 

[JL538]

So any reasons why katsicum didn't get in since they clearly have the required ATAR? I'm guessing its becuase the international offer round is on 14 Jan unless they are also given offers this round?

Key Date Listing Home

Key dates for UAC admissions deadlines, and community engagement events

www.uac.edu.au

 

[2xq]

So any reasons why katsicum didn't get in since they clearly have the required ATAR? I'm guessing its becuase the international offer round is on 14 Jan unless they are also given offers this round?

Key Date Listing Home

Key dates for UAC admissions deadlines, and community engagement events

www.uac.edu.au

yup. international offers are the 14th

 

[Maarij_pffft]

Hi there! I know this thread is a little bit dead but hoping anyone who currently does radiography (especially at USYD) sees this.
I was looking into radiography/sonography as an alternative to medicine but I've essential narrowed it down to two options

I'm assuming you haven't come from a medical imaging background so I can tell you this much (from my research - again haven't experienced this first hand but have dug into every forum known to man and asked people I know in the field)
- Sonography is in really high demand but the amount of traineeship spots are SOOO limited (seems a bit backwards, it's more of a cycle of 'we need more sonographers' but ' training someone into sonography is too expensive in terms of $ and time')
- I've heard that about a third of sonographers don't come from a medical imaging background (e.g. nurses) and took up training positions at their place of work in order to complete the clinical placement hours required by the degree (graduate diploma).
- I know someone who was a pharmacist before she did sonography. She did the undergrad at CQU and said it was good - but that was back in the day. Nowadays, the majority of reviews are veryyy negative and the uni is finding it hard to find student placements as well
- Can't say whether the wsu degree is good or not but I like my uni. If you were also considering general sonography, there are diploma courses at Canberra and Uni of South Australia - both are completely online. Canberra do offer some introductory training at the start of the diploma if you're having trouble finding placement (not compulsory)
- With the online graduate diplomas, you are expected to find your own clinical placement which is the hard part. Hence many people do radiography to get into the medical imaging field and then take up any sonography training position their employer may offer. Employers prefer to train someone already working with them as they know their investment of time/money will be a good one
- There are some intensive courses (search ASMI in sydney, integrated ultrasound education in perth) out there that could help you get your foot in the door and hopefully land the traineeship that you are expected to find by yourself - these are superrr expensive (upwards of $35000) but it's a good investment in the long run if sonography is where you want to be especially since you'll likely start getting paid as a sonographer earlier
- AIHE do a graduate diploma aswell (based St Leonard's Sydney) and they have their own training facilities onsite before they put you into a clinical placement. I have heard that many dislike the course though and the placement they 'guarantee' isn't really guaranteed
- Cardiac sonography I believe pays more than general sonography and is more specialised but other than that I don't know too much

I know I just blurted out a heap of information that isn't specific to cardiac sonography but I hope it helps I know it took me weeks to find all this information so hopefully this is a fair summary of what information there is out there to help others looking into sonography

CQU does have a campus in Sydney, but like Mazzzzzie siad, they don't have great reviews especially with the work placement aspect and actually getting a job after the degree.

Hey there, what do you think of the bachelors in sonography/ echocardiography offered at CQU at Brisbane ? I've read here on medstudent that CQUs offered bachelors isn't good but does it vary across campuses and do you have any idea on where I could get more information regarding this ?

 

[dotwingz]

The discussion re: CQU's sonography course on MSO is pretty lackluster and lacks real critical appraisal

That being said there is alot of negativity surrounding the course across other forums... heres a few excerpts from around the web

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2308182 -
This user Ozie is a CQU Sono student and when this post was made in 2014 he seemed to review it alright but theres a few red flags like
yes there is no anatomy "lab" with cadavers.. nearly ALL subject lectures are video recorded and you just watch them each week... he talks about going to QUT prior so I think he's from Brisbane

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2475106

Ozie then does a complete backflip here and says the course is garbage aswell as other users the CQUni as a whole is crap and currently seem to just be trying to get students in the door and soon they are going to find it VERY hard to find placements continuing with sites year on year.

https://forums.whirlpool.net.au/archive/2598601

He then comes back in 2017 to bag on CQU even further As i said, this course will burn out soon. They can't get enough sites to host students and yet keep offering more and more student places into the course.

Additionally theres plenty of CQU students across Whirlpool that advise to stay away from the course... One user brought up a good point in one of those threads that Sono is a pretty niche field and as a natural consequence, jobs are few and far between. Your better off doing general radiography, building connections, experience, etc and then doing a postgrad sonography degree and using that. No sono clinic is going to hire a brand new CQU Sono grad over a experienced radiographer who has just gone and done post grad sono.

 

[2xq]

Bear in mind that postgraduate sonography has requirements for entry (usually requiring a radiography/nursing undergraduate degree).

From what I heard from my sister (who is a qualified radiographer and sonographer working in private practices), she says that ultrasounds may not be done everyday and so a person with a radiography background will be much preferred over anyone with just a sonography degree.
I would presume hospitals would prefer someone with a nursing/radiography background as opposed to anyone with just a sonography degree (versatility reasons).