The University of Melbourne

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.

Great weather, highly skilled instructors, and reasonable amount of workload. Only thing I dislike is the organization of the material and scheduling, which can get quite messy. Instructors are very knowledgeable and keep up with up-to-date information. Many demonstrators around pre-clinics to help guide your work. Overall good.

University of Melbourne is a large campus with many opportunities to meet new people. There are many social events and free food on campus. However, the environment can be overwhelming especially if you’re moving from a smaller town. This is a challenging program, but one that’ll bring you to a great skill level. This program seems relaxed at the beginning but it unexpectedly accelerates in challenge near the midpoint of the year and stays at that challenging pace. You’ll meet many instructors with many different teaching styles: some are encouraging and helpful while some are strict and critical. The program also provides a lot of opportunities for hands-on learning from the very beginning. You’ll learn about many aspects of dentistry in first year from making a brand new set of dentures to role-playing as a dentist with your colleagues. There will be many new faces, which can be overwhelming. Everyone I’ve met has been friendly but the social environment can be stressful for introverts. You’ll have a lot of new experiences.

Though you’ll be moving to a new continent, integrating into everyday life isn’t too difficult. Try reaching out to other international students for advice (about public transport, what the major grocery stores are, and which residence buildings are better than others). You could also try to reach out to people in the program before the course begins. You’ll have a familiar face there with you right away.

Various libraries to study at, good sense of community, fun events to attend. Knowledgeable instructors, lots of hands-on sessions, immersive learning, steep learning curve. Try to participate in as much clubs events as you can at first and find your group of friends. Find your ideal study spots.

If your struggling staff is always there to support you and help you get through the program. Lots of early hands on learning which is great. Course structure and timetabling are inconsistent and there are lots of changes being made throughout the year sometimes only a few days in advance. It is a good program and staff are there to support you when you need it. Overall it’s a decent program.  If you truly want to be a dentist, take the risk and come to Australia! It is stressful, and scary but it’s been an incredible adventure. Aside from the school, it has been the most transformative experience in terms of personal growth. There will be ups and downs but you will meet so many amazing people who become family and are going through the same things. These people will support you and help you through!

Melbourne Dental School runs a very solid program. We got early clinical exposure starting second year (seeing patient starting second year) while most programs here start their clinical during third year. It’s a privilege to be here honestly. All my professors and mentors are very knowledgeable and approachable and provided me with lots of guidance. Dentistry is by no doubt a challenging profession, but I’m glad I’m in a program with lots of supportive peers (lots of Canadians, yah!!!!), which helps me power through. The administrative side of school could have been better though. But again, nothing is perfect.

Melbourne has very nice facilities. Most labs are new and demonstrators are awesome. We don’t have much practice time for simulation clinic outside of scheduled hours so that’s a downside.

DPT program at UOM is great. It is well spaced out and the tutors really care for your mental and well being. Instructors are caring and friendly.

Unimelb has Stop 1 which is really resourceful as an international student. They’re practically able to answer and resolve all concerns – different to what I experienced at [my Canadian university] where I had to contact different departments for different conflicts. Unimelb’s dental program has a lot of hands on experience which is different compared to most other universities. Timetable/scheduling is a bit disorganized due to the system they use (excel). No regrets!

Melbourne dental school is fun! Cohort is very nice and supportive. Facilities are pretty good, although I couldn’t find that many library to study in, but overall Unimelb is pretty good!

Very welcoming student base and the professors are caring, making sure you understand everything you are learning. Definitely a fast paced program with lots of clinical experience from day 1, you learn both the practical and theoretical simultaneously.

Great student population and excellent research opportunities. General feeling of a lack of support from the university itself… I highly recommend using third party lecture sources for your learning. GP and hospital placements are fantastic though, very supportive educators at these sites, and plenty of opportunities to learn on site. Probably the highlight of my experience so far. There are quite a few student interest clubs and sports clubs, which is a plus.

Great cohort size, almost evenly split between Aussies and Canadians. There are lots of hands-on preclinical sessions (but I still wish there were more!). The demos are very approachable and are here to help you succeed. It is a hard course but you need to know when to reach out when you need help. In first year I would highly recommend taking time to get to know your classmates. You will be seeing each other almost everyday through classes, around the city, at social events, etc. So I highly encourage first years to attend as many social gatherings as they can in first year! Lots of free food events and social activities to participate in! The campus itself is gorgeous. Wish the gym membership was included.

The facilities are really good! Maybe just the computer lab can be more upgraded. Everything about it is good. It is important to stay on track but it is also important to have fun during the process.

I like the area the university is in, I also like the faculty staff who are very understanding and helpful. The dental school isn’t very accommodating to international students, especially considering we make up half the cohort. I like that it’s a combination of both the scientific and technical aspects of things but dentistry is also a very creative profession. Some days it feels like I’m in art school! All the instructors in the first year are very keen to help you succeed. What I dislike about the program is its lack of organization. The timetables are always released last minute, and there have been many errors.

Like – the new university facilities and location close to the city centre. The instructors are really nice and keen to answer your questions. We  have loads of online and asynchronous lectures and classes this year and I wish we had more in person!

Pros: facilities, location, community, class size, working in small groups, case based learning, instructors very friendly and willing to help. Cons: some instructors struggle to stay within time restraints of lecture time. Go to O week events through uni to meet new people. Lots of Canadians in program that will help you to feel more at home.

Some lecturers are very knowledgeable and willing to help as much as they can. Hands on experience very early in the program was good. We have to pay for our own dental equipment when a lot of US and Canadian schools have it incorporated in the tuition. Have fun when you’re here! Uni Melb and probably the other Australian universities has lots of breaks/holidays allowing you to relax and explore the city more. Be prepared for lots of lectures, labs, and tutorials and try not to fall behind because it’s hard to come back. It’s a lot different from undergrad where sometimes there a few lectures to teach a whole concept whereas in dental school the concept is taught in one lecture, so the amount of information that we have to know is a lot more than undergrad.

I love all the professors and the program is really well designed. The facilities on campus are great with lots of cafes, study spots and large gym. I dislike the amount of ongoing construction and how the campus essentially shuts down on Sundays. I like the class sizes and the course material but sometimes feel like the lectures are a bit disorganized.

I enjoy the teaching facilities and the material that is being taught, as it is very interesting and pertinent to what will be needed for placements. I like the structure of the curriculum and the degree.

I like how well they consider students mental health and make efforts to accommodate for it. Course materials are always engaging and immersive.

Love the people and opportunities. Program is my dream program—so happy to be here. The university/faculty lacks a bit in communication and organization.

I like the resources and commitment available. I wish the school/program was more organized. I love my class and the diversity.

The campus location is really great. International comparative lens to the course content, a campus-like environment (though the vibe is very different from a North American school), long breaks between semesters. Dislike: The administration of the university is centralised away from our professors so it feels unpersonal.  There are not many North American international students in the law school, and the class grew 20% or so this year so classroom sizes are bigger.

Most students are commuter students. It’s important to find students in upper years who can give you tips on how to get through the program and take advantage of the opportunities. Get involved!

University of Melbourne allows MD1s to do placements in first year which is unheard of at a lot of Canadian Medical Schools. The course is pass/fail as well and the hospitals are all really good quality. Lecture qualities aren’t really useful, so a lot of independent learning is required, but the tutors are really keen to help and the peer support is outstanding. Everyone’s in it together. There is a lot of background knowledge required at the University of Melbourne. There’s no need to do extra prep before starting, but be prepared for a steep learning curve and don’t feel discouraged. Make sure you stay active in peer tutoring because it’s so valuable! The upper years are so helpful.

It is a very welcoming and inclusive environment. However, they could be more organized with releasing exam dates and schedules. I love the teaching style and the hybrid form of learning online and offline. Be open to making friends and study groups!

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.

Likes: location, accessibility, transportation, adequate class size, low to moderate stress level. Dislikes: poor administration in some areas; lack of didactic course materials; rushed schedules.

I like the facility, services, campus, organized activities. Student assignment help programs and teaching methods both online and in-person style.

[I like the ] Campus, Program, People. I like the hands on aspect of [Dentistry]. As with all programs, the administrative/organizational side of things could definitely be improved.

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.

Good staff, early hands on experience and pre clinical hours, no open lab hours/clinic hours. Class size is good, course material is relevant, teaching methods are okay all lectures are mainly pre recorded and some of them are bad quality. But flexibility to complete content on your own time helps with having a job.

The facilities and labs on campus are brand new and have so many resources to really solidify learning. The clubs you can join really do their best to organize events/dances/trivia night and it feels like your own little community.  The program is currently getting back on their feet this year…. I understand covid played a massive role in this and the university is using student feedback for upcoming years. I really like the instructors, they are all super supportive and you can see the passion they have to teach the material. The course is organized well, we learn the content from lectures and then apply it to a case.

I met an upper year student through oztrekk and love being able to met up with them to ask questions and just talk about life. Also hands on animal experience starts right away in 1st year unlike most Canadian universities, it is what drew me initially to aus and Melbourne.

Likes: facilities on campus, the environment, diversity, staff. I enjoy the course material and how involved the instructors are. The teaching methods could be more consistent. This whole experience can be very exciting, overwhelming, and stressful. But the instructors and fellow classmates are very approachable especially since you will get a staff mentor. While it can be isolating to be an international student, the school provides services that we can reach out to but also within the program, they are here to support you.

Great location, good teaching staff. Wasn’t quite prepared for the amount of reading/difficulty. Don’t be scared to make the jump!

Facilities are great, program itself is great and educational. They have lots of support systems available for students. Class sizes and course material is good, a lot of material and stressful however that is to be expected with a DVM program. There is a level of disorganization with scheduling and classes sometimes.

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.

I like the location a lot, it’s very lively and close the city. There’s a lot of student accommodation for students which is nice. People are very friendly. Class size is good. Just do it!! When I applied I applied just for fun not thinking anything would come of it and now here I am a year later, in Melbourne Australia.

Teachers are top tier. Teaching Facilities are good. There are so many place to eat around campus. There are always activities going on to connect students out side the classroom.

Expectations are higher than you may be used to in an undergraduate. Dental school is tough. Class size is good at around 90ish. Mix of caring and awful teachers. Mostly caring and great but the ones that are not great stand out. LOTS of material to cover and little time to do even some of the recommended reading. 1st year is all base knowledge.

I like the city, the accessibility of the school, lots of study spaces, the different lecturers we get to work with each week. I like the variety of lectures we have, I like all of the practical sessions. I wish there were more study resources and organization in some courses.

I love it! It has an amazing hands-on program with great professors. The University campus is also very beautiful.

Great campus, close group of people from the cohort, university events and able to speak to professors whenever needed. Love the program, placements and instructors.

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!

University of Melbourne is amazing. It’s very comprehensive and have most of specializations. Professors are great and highly knowledgeable, experienced and helpful! The school has access to a dental hospital which makes it even more desirable to study dentistry here as you get such more in-depth experience during your clinical sessions. The program is amazing! they recently made it full-year terms instead of semesters. This is very good as it allows students to connect and better related the course material together. amazing professors! they are very knowledgeable and highly experienced as well as being very approachable and supportive.

I like it because they emphasize clinical work, and really want us to push ourselves to be the best clinicians possible. Educating students is one thing, but to inspire students to reach a certain level of clinical excellence is a whole new ball game. I’m living the dream every single day that I wake up. How many people can say that!

I really love UniMelb, the campus is gorgeous and the atmosphere is great. It’s a world renowned university and I am proud to be a student here. Only downfall is that there is not a lot of student spaces in the Dental Hospital for us to study or relax, since it is shared with all other staff working in the hospital. I am enjoying my program a lot, it’s intense but manageable in my opinion. I love the mix of hands-on labs/simulation clinic, and the education side learning about diseases and treatments; etc. We are very advanced in terms of exposure to patients and simulation clinic, in comparison to other Canadian/American universities which is amazing. The administration is a little disorganized, as they are constantly changing our schedule which can be frustrating at times.

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.

I love how passionate and caring the professors are. They create an environment that fosters learning while trying to remove the competitive atmosphere among the students.

I love my professors and how supportive and understanding they are. Anatomy cadaver lab is pretty cool and the only uni in Victoria that has one!

I like that UoM focuses a lot on clinical practice. But they also focus a lot on theoretical knowledge in order for us to become knowledgeable and practical clinicians. This university definitely sets students up for returning back to Canada such as my colleague.

My experience at the Dentistry program at the University of Melbourne has been wonderful so far. The cohort is relatively small at around 100 students so you get to know most of the people in your program. There are also plenty of Canadians to ease the potential struggle of being away from home. The program while demanding, does afford you the time to enjoy what Melbourne has to offer. It has a nice balance of theory mixed in with practical application of dentistry skills.

The program has been a really smooth transition from undergrad. The pre-clinical experience has been challenging but great and the facilities are top notch. Exams are fair and I really feel like I am learning a lot. Professors are approachable and care about student progress and learning.

Studying at the University of Melbourne gave me an opportunity to travel to another continent and experience a different culture without having to take a break from school. The highlight of my degree was when I entered my second year and began seeing my first patients. It was daunting at first to be seeing real patients, but it was also exciting to be able to use what we have been learning for the past year.

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.