Is the extra money for UQ/UQ-O Cohort/Melbourne/Flinders, etc really worth it?

[Florentine]

I have been looking at Wollongong and Griffith which have tuition costs that are about 60-80k lower when converted to Canadian currency. Is it really worth that extra money to go to UQ/Flinders/Sydney/Melbourne or others which are largely 300k+ ?

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[type12]

UQ-Ochsner is unique among your list in that they specifically try to get you a residency in the US. In that case, yes, it's worth the relative peace of mind. If you're not a US green card holder or citizen, you can't apply to that program.

 

[Florentine]

UQ-Ochsner is unique among your list in that they specifically try to get you a residency in the US. In that case, yes, it's worth the relative peace of mind. If you're not a US green card holder or citizen, you can't apply to that program.

Understood, and can you speak for the other schools?

 

[mcat_taker]

UQ-Ochsner is unique among your list in that they specifically try to get you a residency in the US. In that case, yes, it's worth the relative peace of mind. If you're not a US green card holder or citizen, you can't apply to that program.

OP might also might be talking about the regular UQ 4 year program seeing as they referenced Canadian dollars and not U.S. dollars.

@Florentine I don't think the education will drastically differ between them. It depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to stay in Australia and train see which states provide the most spots for interns. If your goal is to return to Canada or train in the U.S. UQ will certainly have more Canadians and Americans to commiserate with. Although even at UQ a majority of Canadian students will continue to train in Australia as it is very difficult to match back home for them.

I'm not sure whether the price premium is worth it for you. No one will be able to answer that for you with any certainty as we all enrolled in just 1 medical school and have no basis of comparison.

 

[Florentine]

OP might also might be talking about the regular UQ 4 year program seeing as they referenced Canadian dollars and not U.S. dollars.

@Florentine I don't think the education will drastically differ between them. It depends on what your goals are. If your goals are to stay in Australia and train see which states provide the most spots for interns. If your goal is to return to Canada or train in the U.S. UQ will certainly have more Canadians and Americans to commiserate with. Although even at UQ a majority of Canadian students will continue to train in Australia as it is very difficult to match back home for them.

I'm not sure whether the price premium is worth it for you. No one will be able to answer that for you with any certainty as we all enrolled in just 1 medical school and have no basis of comparison.

Thanks for the feedback. I have heard UQ has very large class sizes which can make for an "impersonal" experience. Do you think this is true to an extent?

 

[marble30]

I chose USyd because I was a bit of brand name snob at the time and because I only had UQ and Deakin as my other options (which were similar in price). I do find myself benefiting from the USyd name at times, though certainly not enough to justify the extra money if compared to one of the cheaper programs. There were more research opportunities which I benefited from as well due to the USyd affiliation. Brisbane also flooded the year I started MS1 so it was nice being in Sydney and not having to worry about that on top trying to survive med school.

I will say that I've worked with a few Wollongong grads and I've been quite impressed by their knowledge base. I think more importantly you should consider assessment methods (eg USyd does mostly MCQ while Wollongong does mostly written answers, etc.) and what area you're aiming for (Wollongong is more focused towards primary care in general). Others on this forum, please correct me if I'm wrong.