Medicine

Likes – fairly close to city center (15 min bus), large beautiful campus like back in Canada, the weather, supplemental exams are given so you can have a second chance before officially failing a course, if you fail a course you can still repeat and continue in medicine (lots of worst-case backup plans if things don’t go as planned), professors are extremely approachable and helpful, libraries open 24/7.

Nice facilities. Small classes allow great instructor interactions, hands-on experiences and better connections with classmates. Medicine is challenging but very doable. You have been studying hard and if you keep doing that you will have no problems.

Love it here. Love the program. Tip: Prepare months before arrival.

I like the campus, facilities, peers, many of the learning experiences. The organization between subjects sometimes feels disconnected. Large cohort has positive and negative aspects – you are bound to find people you get along with, but the size of the cohort takes away from the intimacy of the program. Make yourself aware of the possibilities post grad, what is required for your goals, and the reality of the challenges to getting there (e.g., matching back to Canada).

I like the amount of support students get, I dislike how terrible their budgeting is. I like the hands on nature, but I dislike the other younger kids that clearly shouldn’t have been admitted. Get ready to study outside all day, it’s hot. Don’t worry about making friends, you’re now the exotic one!

Receptive staff, very supportive peers, good facilities. Dislike: needs more study areas, more plug points, certain staff members have poor teaching skills. Come in with an open, positive attitude because building community will make or break your experience. Don’t be afraid to make friends with the Australians too, because it’ll be very tempting to stay in Canadian circles. Work hard, but remember this is a marathon, not a sprint, so it’s important to have fun and socialize.

I love UQ and Australia. Although this year has been a bit challenging with the role out of the new program, I think it’s to be expected that not everything will be perfect. I have mostly enjoyed the classes, and getting to live abroad. Class size can be a little overwhelming. In addition, I was placed in a “learning community” which is significantly out of town and requires a car for transport by year 3. This is an additional expense that I did not initially account for. For future students: Continue to stay focused, find a mutually beneficial group of friends to avoid the hysteria. It’s what you make of it!

Rapid communication, available to assist with applications and any clarifications.

The online lectures let me stay ahead one week all year in terms of content which really helped with stress levels and overall learning experience for me. Very self paced. They put the onus on us as students to study for our success essentially on our own timeline. A lot of the lectures are quite outdated.

Like: small cohort, good teaching staff Like: living on campus with friends; Dislike: rural setting, difficult to get to places.

I love the university. The staff are great and the curriculum is excellent.

Great teachers and straight to the subject. Dislike – No meal plan. Lots to study, high quality education.

I like the small class sizes (professors get to know you on a personal level), love TBL learning (MD at Flinders is split into blocks).

Small classes (just under 100 for the cohort but 20-40 for tutorials), very welcoming and friendly staff and student community, love being rural in first year, lots of hands-on learning (clinical skills, placement at the hospital, and cadaver labs). Being in Churchill for first year has been a really calm place to study but still has a solid library, study spaces, and gym facilities.

Unfortunately, there’s the expectation that students travel to Melbourne 1-3 times per month for the cadaver session. The program is fast-paced and stressful because it’s just one year of class-based learning before three years on placement, but we get enough holiday time.

They picked me up right from the airport when I landed, kept me updated with Covid info, have beautiful campuses, really tight knit student groups.

I love how helpful, kind and accommodating everyone is in the med cohort. The profs are also amazing and supportive, which has made the program enjoyable so far. The entire university shares one library and it is often tough to find a spot to study. I love that there is no competition at all amongst the students. This creates a very collaborative environment. Griffith med focuses a lot on communication skills so I am learning much more than just the science of medicine. The instructors are quite supportive.

The campus is amazing and we have great pathology labs & cadaver labs. Smaller class size compared to some other universities is a big bonus, instructors are great and I feel really well-supported by the dean of medicine & international sub-dean.

Facilities are good, services are good as well. In terms of organized activities the student body is tight knit. More opportunities are given in later years, which I can understand. It is nice to have the home group structure at JCU, it really connects the students. The rural aspect isn’t as jarring as it sounded on paper and overall I love JCU. Class sizes are perfect. They are not too large nor small. Teaching methods are fair yet tough, though this is expected given it is medical school. There is a lot of content but it is fair even for someone out of high school. Staying motivated and just connecting with others is important.

Flinders is a great option for medical school because it is laid back in the sense that they want everyone to pass, and if you put in effort you will do well. Adelaide is a relaxed placed to live in, it is not too busy or big. I like how the design is for students to learn, pass fail grading method, not high pressure, but I dislike how it is a bit disorganized and outdated.

Why did I chose Deakin? They definitely value their students and really want to get to know us each and talk with us like they are our peers. They really see us as their equals. We learned from them and they learned from us and I really liked that.

I like the facilities and the teachers who actually do care about their students. Emphasis on mental health is very important and is actually followed through on.

Class size and course material are great. The instructors so far that I have had have been great. The teaching method going forward at Griffith for Med is changing from small group to large group sessions which would affect how people learn.

Good campus, good program. Decent class size.

I like the new facilities and the science teaching.

lots of services, good culture, needs more support for internationals, help with studying (how to study more effectively). decent class size (130) small groups for building connections. Quite a few clubs available. Im part of the Skill it Kitchen – learn to plan and make affordable and nutritious foods.

Great facilities, instructors and program, especially the dissection component. Be prepared to undergo a lot of self-regulated learning i.e finding own resources, learning from peers, etc.

Facilities on campus have been great. Educational materials are also great. (Personally) dislike how small the campus is compared to Canadian universities. Instructors and staff are fantastic and open. I wish class sizes would be smaller.

Big North American cohort. I truly like Brisbane as a city and think it is a great city to do a med degree. Almost all classes and lectures can be done async. The admin is pretty terrible.  The course material is fine. No school truly has great lectures or resources. Most depend on online material. I think it is flexible enough that lets you get what you need out of it. I think exams are pretty fair, there are no tricks.

It has a beautiful campus but its far from the ocean compared to others. Its very comprehensive and attentive to the students, but I feel like some of the exam questions they use are very specific to the program and not useful anywhere else

It’s in an amazing location, being super close to the inner city. It has a very unique clinical placement program for first-year students.

The UQ campus and Brisbane are beautiful and I love studying and living here. UQ has so many supports in place for students like myself with accessibility needs, even more so than Canadian unis I think. There’s less Canadian-specific support or clubs than I expected, at least in the med program, but that doesn’t mean guidance and information don’t exist. A lot of the lectures and activities are online coming out of COVID, which can’t really be helped, but on the plus side it’s worked wonders for a flexible schedule which I’ve been using to explore clubs and research-participation opportunities.

The classes have been mostly online and recorded with the option to attend in-person, which has been amazing for my schedule and accessibility needs. I really enjoy the Case Based Learning groups where we do more clinically-relevant problem solving and Clinical Practice, but I believe both are changing with the new curriculum next year for the incoming cohort. The lectures are wide in scope and can feel a little disjointed with the plethora of information, but the more practical classes are fascinating. I was ok just coming out of a Biomedical Sciences degree, but some friends who haven’t studied anatomy in a while struggled to keep up with the fast pace. Regardless of any challenges however, there’s so many resources given to the students, whether its meeting with profs, using library or med hub resources, or those passed down from cohort to cohort, if you have the drive to learn, you’ll do just fine.

I love my university. I always wanted to be doctor and this program is perfect for me.

Instructors do care. They put in effort in improving their delivery based on our feedback – very receptive to our feedback. Teaching methods are ok – a little inconsistent sometimes with what is “expected” to cover in a sub-module vs what a specific clinician teaches. Tutors for Case Based learning and Clinical practice are amazing and so knowledgeable.

Great community, lots of events, lots of other international students; class sizes are a bit big.

Griffith Med Society is amazing. The supportive community, great location, plenty of activities to do and balanced lifestyle. Only downside is that sometimes it gets really hot here in GC. Class size is just right. Everyone is friendly and cooperative. Med school is hard, but with good company and supportive environment makes everything durable.

Really like the small cohort, the internship in India, the way the program is done (online lectures and in person group activities). You’ll need to be on top of things as a lot has to be done not in class (watching lectures, reading, rework).

The program is standard, and I think it teaches you everything you need to know. You will have to self-study anatomy (there’ an Anki deck in the Drive which is amazing) and keep up with it so you can find the Gross Anatomy Facility useful. The professors are clinicians and academics, so sometimes they can be a hit or miss with regards to their teaching style. The professor (Suja) who teaches Pathology, which is a huge part of the curriculum, is one of the best teachers I have ever had and is incredibly helpful. I don’t think the exams are too difficult if you manage to keep up with material and study throughout the semester; I would definitely recommend using Notion to create Anki decks for every lecture and reviewing them the same day so you won’t fall behind. I also purchased the Step 1 First Aid book which gives you everything that is taught in lectures but reworded, so you can organize your information and get some clarity if the lecture doesn’t make sense. The Cased Based Learning groups which you get assigned to in the beginning of the year are the group you do everything with, from tutorials to clin prac, and CBL sessions themselves are also helpful if you remain on top of the material taught that week. As you go through a case, you will discuss the differential diagnosis and treatment methods for the patient which can help consolidate a lot of the information for you. I definitely think the more you put into this program and your time in Australia, the more you will get out of it. Stay excited!

Stay on top of your lectures as it will make studying for the exams much easier. Go out and have fun, you’re still living your life here, don’t put it on pause for the sake of education!! Get a counsellor and discuss your struggles. The 10 months go by WAY TOO FAST, I feel like I was just arriving to Australia but now First Year is almost done! And trust me, don’t stress too hard if you’re having a difficult time, it will work out just fine.

It’s a gorgeous campus and there are no complaints regarding the services available. You can get free counselling 10x a year which I think is crucial for medical students; I would highly recommend it as starting out with the course load and maintaining your pace while living in a new country can become challenging as you go on. The opportunity for research through the student research portal is also amazing, I didn’t have to cold-email 50 professors to get 0 research opportunities!

I like the university culture and environment.  I like that we have a hybrid learning model and can watch our lectures from home, this frees up a lot of time. I don’t like that the class size is so large because it makes it difficult to get to know people.

The med program at Macquarie is well funded. The building where we have most of our tutorials is new and has great technology. Having the clinic/hospital next door gives you a more rounded experience that most other students wouldn’t get. The tutors are friendly and you learn a lot from them. The program is quite fast paced (as expected) and Macquarie is one of the only universities that doesn’t give students a week off before final exams.

The class sizes are great, compare to other programs. Our cohort has about 70 people, which allows for smaller groups and more time with tutors. The course material can be a bit dense and overwhelming but that’s pretty normal for med school. Each week, we get approx 6 hours worth of online lectures that must be watched, so staying up to date with those, along with your other courses, is a must. Some of the instructors are involved with the program and are constantly around, while other instructors only teach for 1-3 weeks, depending on what block we’re on. The quality of teaching can vary from instructor to instructor.

I’m at Griffith University.  The location of the university is stellar, only a 10 minute tram ride from surfers paradise beach. Tuition is the cheapest I believe of all the Australian medical schools, and the medical building is relatively new and offers modern facilities. All lectures are recorded or pre-recorded, and none of them are mandatory to watch live. if you fail anything there are multiple opportunities to redo the assessment. Program is very supportive of you and wants you to succeed. Anatomy part of the course is great, many cadavers to study off of [and] communication skills training is very thorough. Exams are pass/fail the first two years so you don’t need to worry about maintaining a percentage average (this takes a huge amount of stress away).

Campus itself is quite nice with lots of trees and nature interspersed within it. Very friendly atmosphere. There are two gyms which spreads out the student pop. One of the gyms is open 24/7 so there are no time restrictions on when you may want to work out. very nice outdoor swimming pool, beach volleyball court, basketball court, and two tennis courts. There’s also a race track with all the track and field amenities. lots of places to study and chill. Multiple cafes and places to get food.

I’m glad I accepted my JCU offer and I’m loving it here—the people are super friendly and welcoming. There are lots of Canadians here and the culture is amazing. The material is super fun too. I’ve already attended 2 clinical skills sessions and I just can’t believe I’ve begun my med journey which used to be a dream at one point.

Griffith takes a more holistic approach to medicine and structures the learning directly towards clinical practice, right from day 1. In addition, Griffith combines ethics, stats, and law right in with the medical sciences, which helps us approach cases and patients with a broader understanding.

Great program! Very supportive program with professors always keen to help. So much cool stuff to learn!

University of Sydney is an amazing University with everything a student can ask for. The only issue that I have is that it can be hard to find spaces to study since there is a huge student population. I am definitely enjoying the program at USYD. This is because there are amazing lectures both at the main campus and the teaching hospitals. The only issue is that the program is being changed to an online based one with MD2020 so not everyone is on board with online teaching.

Great weather in Sydney, well renowned institution, and great emphasis on research projects…. The early clinical exposure is really good and allows us to apply our theoretical learning into real clinical and practical applications.

I like USYD. It is a great program with a long history of success. I am enjoying it. I feel like I’m learning a lot and feel that the clinical introduction from an early date has been beneficial to our learning.  Take advantage of all the events that happen to make friends and get the most out of the program.

I do like my university. It is a world-class university in a wonderful city. I love how supportive the students are to each other. The Usyd Med program has such a family-like culture where everyone wants you to do well.

Love it. Weather is great, the cohort is friendly and the campus is really nice. Cons: I recommend self learning (recommended readings on your own and using additional resource like boards and beyond/pathoma even if you are not going to do USMLE). Also, the campus needs more study space. Love the content we are learning and I have a greater appreciation for the medical profession. You will see that some kids in the program are absolutely brilliant and are willing to help you out if you ask.

Yes UQ and the people there are great. There’s some stuff that the students complain about, but I’ve never been to another med school, and I imagine each has their flaws. I realize the rankings are relatively irrelevant, and what you put in is what you’re going to get out anyway…. Certainly some room for improvement, but overall, lots of good instructors and lecturers, and very comprehensive information is supplied.

University of Melbourne is a very good school and their campus is beautiful full of all the amenities that a student might need. It’s also within walking distance to the core business district making it easy to get access to all the city has to offer. Melbourne’s MD program is ranked as one of the best in the world and it’s clear to see why. There are many methods deployed to teach the content. From lectures, to anatomy dissections to lab practicals. With only year being pre clinical, having the extra year being in the hospitals is definitely helpful to becoming a better medical professional!

MQ is a really nice campus, the MD program is a little isolated (closer to the hospital) but that’s okay. It’s in a part of Sydney that doesn’t require you to live deep in the big city which is really nice. Being so close to the mall makes it easy to do all the life things outside of school too (ie. banking, phone plans, grocery shopping – you can do all of that on your lunch or before going home). The MQMD program is fantastic. Being so small it really feels like a little family. The faculty know each of us as individual people and supports us as such. Since it is new there are admin bumps and hiccups – but that happens at every school – and the faculty is really open to feedback.

Love Macquarie University. The campus is beautiful and there is a strong support network available to anyone who needs it. The MD program has been great. With the small class size and great team of staff around us, they give you the tools to succeed, especially in such a stressful program.

I have really nothing but good things to say about the program so far. Griffith has a great med program and the difference from other schools is becoming more apparent (we have the biggest/best funded cadaver/specimen lab in the country, there is a big emphasis on clinical application of knowledge like x-ray interpretation and clinical reasoning from day one). I think I made the right choice coming here.

The facilities are state of the art, the staff are very clearly invested and engaged, and the program takes a very holistic approach. The program relies heavily on self-directed learning which means you’re given guidelines of what you’re expected to know and its up to you to go and learn that information. Some material is supported in lecture but the main idea is to train you to be able to acquire medical knowledge on your own once you’re a practicing physician. I think some students struggle with this but I enjoy the freedom/responsibility given to us and the opposition to spoon-fed teaching like other courses use. 

Gold Coast is also a great place to live, the weather is amazing so it does feel like you’re on holiday most of the time. I’m definitely looking forward to second year though where we have more clinical rotations and hospital shifts.

The medical program itself and my interactions with other students and faculty have really increased my confidence in my abilities. Australia is a beautiful country that has a lot to offer. There is fantastic clinical exposure, an amazing cohort of students I call colleagues and friends, and a supportive faculty who are passionate about teaching and training the next generation of doctors.

Griffith is super supportive of their students. We have had 11 sessions on studying smart, making sure we know who to go to for help, the various resources and support systems on available to us. In almost every one of our intro lectures, each instructor encourages us to send feedback. From my experience in school this genuine invitation for feedback is almost unheard of.

It is very obvious that Griffith really cares about their students. It’s also more obvious that Griffith values students who are not only intelligent, but also personable, empathetic and team-players. It is a very innovative take on medical curriculum and I can see how much effort the admin has put into the program.

Monash is a great place where live and make friends. It is more than just studying, indeed there are an infinite number of clubs to join and different activities to do. The program is very careful about its students well being and correct coping with the amount of studying to do. Students are then constantly monitored, to be sure that all the support they need is given to them. The people are extremely friendly and welcoming. It is really easy to make friends and share facts, learning about others’ great life events. The weather has also been terrific so far.

Fantastic school, really good opportunity to learn clinical skills.

Right into the hospital ASAP. I get a lot of clinical experience. Additionally, there are many different learning activities so I rarely get tired of any. For example, the pathology labs, the team-based learning classes, clinical days, anatomy labs, lectures, and seminars.

Pros: large university with a very active campus so there is always something going on within the med program and beyond. World class lecturers teaching challenging material is very cool and rewarding. The anatomy labs and cadavers are an amazing tool to study anatomy and the staff is incredible. Cons: Organization of the lecture material sometimes seems thrown together without much thought so flow throughout a block of study can be a bit scattered.

I like how hands on and practical it is from the first weeks of the program and the variety of learning environments offered through the program. The campus is quite large and busy, and there aren’t any devoted spaces for medical students to study or congregate on the main campus outside of lectures. There is a graduate library, but it is small and fills with people in other programs near the ends of their semesters.

The Sydney medical program can be a bit disorganized, but it is very hands on and you are expected to learn things quite fast. Definitely a challenging course but worthwhile.

The University of Sydney is a well-renowened university and the campus is very nice and walkable. The students are well-supported by staff. We have a close relationship with some of the staff, especially at our clinical schools. Despite being away from home, I always feel like someone is looking out for me.

The University is huge, well established and with some very supportive and experienced faculty. Some aspects of the program are disorganised. Time tables change often depending on the block of study and this ends up keeping us on our toes regarding how to study each block. This is especially true when lectures get switched around in an order where more complex topics end up being covered before the intro lectures. The clinical days are extremely useful learning opportunities. One has the opportunity to learn a great deal from the doctors at the clinical school especially if one is able to spend some extra-curricular time there.

I love the university and program. The university has a lot of events and things on campus to help you destress during exam time. It’s also very beautiful with lots of cute coffee shops to do homework at. The one awful thing about UQ is how unbelievably crowded it is. Finding a place on campus to study can be impossible and the place for medical students on the main st. Lucia campus is too small and almost always full to capacity. This is my own big problem with the university. The program is usually fantastic. I love the small groups for learning and the anatomy practicals (although there should be double the amount we’re getting) and the clinical coaching at the hospital. The large class size hasn’t been an issue as far as I’m concerned because everything is done in smaller groups out of lecture. The one problem is sometimes the modules can be disorganized and you might get a little lost if you don’t have the motivation to learn on your own time and search for your own resources. Also, from year to year they’ve been changing the exam formats and it seems like they’re not really sure about how they want to test you. There’s certainly a lot of support though with fellow class mates and the small group tutors if you need it.

The program always teaches me something new everyday. I enjoy hearing from doctors in various disciplines. I have found it valuable to learn about epidemiology and Australian healthcare system. I have found the peer tutorials at UQ valuable part of my learning. I wish there was more teaching done in anatomy practicals rather than self-learning. Also more time in anatomy facility would be awesome.

Everything is actually really really good. I’m surprised at the resources UQ pours into its students. Like, my old university was technically higher ranked on a lot of global indexes, but they didn’t really care as much about students as they do here.

I like the way the program is set up, and the administration seems very open to feedback and suggestions. The clinical coaches and tutors are all great.

Living in Australia is incredible and I’m so happy with my decision to move here. The warm weather, and great people, close friendships have all been worth it. The university of Queensland is a beautiful large campus. Very clean, lots of activity, and feels very vibrant. There’s lots to do on campus to get involved with events, food, etc. It’s a little quiet on late evenings/weekends. The program is great! It’s certainly challenging but very well organized. The program takes student feedback regularly and seriously and is constantly making changes to accommodate our needs. We have many good lecturers and mentors.

The people are very kind and interesting. The program allows for a lot more clinical experience than other programs.

Griffith puts a huge focus on communication skills with patients, and has a strong reputation for its graduates being better skilled in that regard.

The supportive and friendly environment with extensive clinical and research opportunities at the University of Melbourne provided the best starting point for my medical career. Not only did I get a taste of a different healthcare culture, I also had the opportunity to practice and build on my clinical knowledge and hands-on procedural experiences.

I love my program. The clinical skills part is the most intriguing aspect. Do not underestimate the workload, but also don’t let it swallow up your whole life. Balance is key. Also get to know others outside of the program. Being surrounded only by medical peers sometimes can be draining.

I like everything about the program and the university. The only downside I have found is that it was different than getting education in North America and the standards are much higher. It is going well, I took to it fairly quickly though I still adapt to new things every day.

I like the amount of clinical work they make you do which really prepares you for the field. The transitioning process is easier than expected and as long as one stays on top of the school work, it is also manageable.