When to apply to Australian schools?

[kiwi]

Hey,I've been looking into Australian med schools, specifically University of Queensland, and noticed that their interviews start in September and classes begin by January. If there is anyone here at Queensland, when did you apply for med school - the summer after you graduated, or at the beginning of fourth year?

[THX]

I believe you would be applying during your fourth year. The way I think it works is something like this:

 

1) Apply in March/April

2) Interview in late summer/early fall

3) Classes begin in January

 

Therefore, because you need to graduate to get into the 4 year program, you would be applying in your 2nd semester of your 4th year. Although, I haven't actually gone through the process, so someone may correct me on this.

[Madz25]

I think you can apply any time and you find out if you've been accepted or not within a month. There's some organization in Ontario that does this... I came across them during undergrad. So I'd say apply some time in 4th year if you want to finish your undergrad degree before heading to Australia.

[suasti]

from my understanding aus applications are may-june-ish

[syslakm]

Hi,

 

I'm currently an international student enrolled in an Australian med school. I was waitlisted at Toronto and while I was waiting, sorta filled out an application on a whim (after a friend suggested it). I think the deadline for the centralized application service, called ACER, is before the middle of June.

 

I was then interviewed in July and September for two separate schools, notified of my application in August and October respectively, and started school at the end of January.

 

Hope this helps!

[suasti]

hi. which schools were they? where did you end up going?

[kiwi]

Hi,

 

I'm currently an international student enrolled in an Australian med school. I was waitlisted at Toronto and while I was waiting, sorta filled out an application on a whim (after a friend suggested it). I think the deadline for the centralized application service, called ACER, is before the middle of June.

 

I was then interviewed in July and September for two separate schools, notified of my application in August and October respectively, and started school at the end of January.

 

Hope this helps!

 

Would you mind sharing your MCAT score? From what I've read, the MCAT is weighted very heavily and I am wondering what would be considered a competitive score.

[syslakm]

Hi,

 

To answer both of the questions posted to me:

 

1) I was accepted at Sydney and Flinder's Uni in Adelaide. I ended up going to Adelaide

 

2) My MCAT score was 33S. 10BIO, 11VR, 12PHYS.

 

Hope this helps!

[NeuroMed]

Hey,

 

I just read this post and I'm thinking that I should really apply to the Australian schools. I also hold an Australian passport (though I've never lived there), so I wonder what that would do to my tuition.

 

Some questions I have are:

 

Did you interview over the phone?

How good (I realize I'll have to read up on this) is the medical education in Australia?

How transferable is the degree to North America (if you ever want to come back)?

[suasti]

2 questions to syslakm:

 

1. You got interviews at two schools, but isn't such that one can only get one interview? Like, the first choice school interviews, and if not, then the second choice one interviews, but not both

 

2. Why Flinders out of Sydney and Flinders?

[syslakm]

Hi Neuro Med,

 

To answer some of your questions

 

1) The interview was done in person. I went to Calgary for the Flinder's interview and Vancouver for the Sydney interview. I think Queensland does phone and Flinder's might do phone under certain circumstances, but don't quote me on it.

 

2) I think this is a subjective question, so it depends who you ask. Talking to people back home (doctors and med students), if you're an IMG trying to get into the match, you're seen to have a second rate education compared to the canadians. However, most people say that the quality of education is on par with Canada. There's plenty of Canadians studying medicine here in Australia (not that that's indicative of quality). A lot of people back home seem to know a lot of medical grads from Flinder's and have worked with them.

 

3) I'm told there have been graduates that have been successfully matched back home. From what i hear, as long as you're willing to be flexible with your specialty, coming back is really easy. If you've got your heart set on a field though, it might be tougher.

 

As for your Australian passport, i'm assuming that you also have citizenship. You could go for one of hte local spots (which would be cheaper), but some of those spots come with conditions, (like you might have to work in Australia for several years), so I'd look closely at the different spots before applying as a local student.

[suasti]

Hey syslakm, could you kindly answer my two questions before your post? You might have missed them because there was only a short difference between our posting times, where I might've posted while you were typing. The two questions were:

 

"1. You got interviews at two schools, but isn't it such that one can only ever get a single interview? Like, the first choice school interviews, and if not, the second choice school interviews, but not both, because it gets passed on [That's how I heard ACER worked]

 

2. Why Flinders out of Sydney and Flinders?"

 

Also to which I would like to add another question, sort of regarding the first: Did you apply to both Flinders and Sydney through ACER? Or for Flinders was it direct?

 

Thanks for your help.

[syslakm]

Hi Suasti:

 

Your last question answers your first question.

 

1) So i got two interviews b/c I applied direct to Flinder's and to Sydney through ACER. I really don't know how ACER works so I can't answer the second part of that question. Maybe you do just get on intervew through ACER...

 

2) Flinder's is cheaper (39 000 vs 48 000) and cost of leaving is a lot cheaper. I've heard that Flinder's has a better local reputation than Sydney (but that's debatable). People have also have said that Flinder's has a best postgrad med program in Australia. School size is smaller (which I thought was better) and throughout the whole application process and after being accepted, I felt that Flinder's was working harder to make the moving process easier: mentors to answer questions, dinner with the head of the international admissions, etc... But it would've been cool to live in Sydney, so it was a tough decision.

[NeuroMed]

This is going to sound really stupid, but I can't seem to find out how to apply online through ACER. I look up ACER on google and can register for any assortment of things, but nothing shows up for med school applications in Australia.

 

Perhaps I'll just have to look harder...

[NeuroMed]

Well, this little stint was short lived. I can't apply as an international student (because of my Australian citizenship), nor can I apply as a domestic student (didn't take the GAMSAT). In short, there is no possible way I can apply to Australian medical schools.

 

Thanks to everyone who posted and helped me out.

[hippie]

Well if you are a dual citizen you can still apply as a canadian can't you?

[NeuroMed]

Nope. I can't apply as a Canadian because I would be taking up an international spot which, ACER told me, would be fraudulent misrepresentation.

 

Grrrrr. I'm still hoping for Queen's. One more week, baby.

[OzTREKK]

As an Australian domestic student, even if you have not studied in Australia, set foot in Australia, or have not lived in Australia, you are still eligible to apply to a Graduate Entry program in Australia via ACER as an Australian citizen.

 

Even though you have not completed the GAMSAT, your MCAT results will be looked at, and ACER does the GPA conversions.

 

Good Luck!

[kiwi]

Another question for syslakm, how are you financing your education in Australia? $40,000 a year in tuition seems very daunting - I don't know how I'd feel about being $160,000+ in debt when I graduate...

[NeuroMed]

Perhaps the University of Queensland does (for which the OZTrekk services apply), but I was very plainly told by both the University of Sydney and the University of Adelaide that there was no way of getting around the fact that I had to do the GAMSAT. But then again, if what you say is true, then it's ACER that does the conversion and I don't have to worry about it. A glimmer of hope?

 

6,500 dollars a year sounds bloody good to me. Also, a nicer climate to boot. Start in February... Sounds pretty amazing.

[NeuroMed]

No, as I thought, it's impossible for me to apply. I found the following on the ACER website:

 

http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=49&Itemid=9

 

Thanks for the encouragement, though.

[syslakm]

Another question for syslakm, how are you financing your education in Australia? $40,000 a year in tuition seems very daunting - I don't know how I'd feel about being $160,000+ in debt when I graduate...

 

I won the lottery and so I can afford it...

 

Seriously, your last sentence answered your question. So the question is: are far and what kind of costs are you willing to incur to go to med school and become a doctor?

[x-treme]

I have a question regarding the MCAT and when to take it.

 

Because of limited seating, I may only be able to write on Sept 7. With this new computerized system, results return within 3 weeks. I'm not sure how long the old system takes? Regardless, because I won't have my results in till Early October, how will this work out for Australian school, as they typically like to begin interviews early summer to fall.

 

I've contacted them regarding this, but my response was that they typically don't recommend individuals writing in August, let alone September, because they hold up the process. Now they didn't say they would 'not' do it, but I don't want to write and have them say 'thanks, but you're too late, try next year'. That's alot of time which I could be doing something else, or studying longer for a seat earlier next year.

 

So, when did your MCAT results come in? Any help would be great.

 

Thanks!

[syslakm]

I have a question regarding the MCAT and when to take it.

 

Because of limited seating, I may only be able to write on Sept 7. With this new computerized system, results return within 3 weeks. I'm not sure how long the old system takes? Regardless, because I won't have my results in till Early October, how will this work out for Australian school, as they typically like to begin interviews early summer to fall.

 

I've contacted them regarding this, but my response was that they typically don't recommend individuals writing in August, let alone September, because they hold up the process. Now they didn't say they would 'not' do it, but I don't want to write and have them say 'thanks, but you're too late, try next year'. That's alot of time which I could be doing something else, or studying longer for a seat earlier next year.

 

So, when did your MCAT results come in? Any help would be great.

 

Thanks!

 

Sorry X-treme, can't help you there. I applied a few times back home so I had my MCAT scores for awhile.

[Zuckman]

Hey syslakm,

How do you find the PBL structure of the curriculum? How is the education of the medical programs in Australia and do you find the facilities at Queensland to be top-notch? Also, what made you decide Australia over Ireland?

 

Zuck