Medicine: UNSW vs USyd (1 Viewer)

[rheyn]

Hey I want to do med at uni and was looking at the two main universities for medince in Sydney: UNSW and USyd. While everyone seems to be going to UNSW for medicine, everyone who gets 100 UAI seems to be flocking to USyd.

I know USyd offers a $10,000 p.a. scholarship and an extra degree but is the med course there any better than UNSW's? I just want to know your opinions about studying med at these two unis.

 

[u-borat]

That could maybe be because a requirement for the medicine course @ usyd is a uai of 99.95.

and its apparently not that crash hot if you want to become a practising doctor/surgeon, but rather its more if you want to go into research and whatnot.

 

[flier higher]

Despite how tempting USyd's program might be, UNSW >> USyd, IMO.

Do note, while it's virtually impossible to get booted out (considering you'd have gotten at least 99.95, and you're probably more than motivated to maintain the required grades) that if you do undertake combined medicine at USyd, it's still provisional.

For your 2009'ers and beyond, USyd's added med combined with commerce and economics now.
The pre-existing combined med/music, med/med sci, med/sci, med/sci (adv.), med/arts still exist.

In summary, it depends on what you're looking at doing in terms of medicine. If you're interested in research (which I'm not), then go to USyd; if otherwise, consider the other medical schools in the state/country (personally, I wanna get my degree, perhaps then do a half-year/year's honours project (leading to the award of B Med Sci (Hons)); do my internship, do specialisation training, become a surgeon, etc. ).

Monash is good, with 5 years of course contributions -- I mean, ... schooling.

As for getting into the courses, I think USyd's more difficult, as they'll consider no one who's got less than 99.95 (or 99.5 + performance, for B Mus. Stud./MBBS), and the interview's not as awesome as UNSW's.

 

[arjungamer123]

It won't matter where you do medicine...medicine is medicine now matter where you do it. Textbooks and stuff often stay universal across different unis.

 

[Dr_Fresh]

thats true. but different schools have different emphasises. e.g. if you didnt want to go into rural practice and specialise in surgery, then UNCLE probably isnt the best choice. it can be done, but you will find that it will be a lot harder. UNCLE has a greater emphasis on their students becoming GPs and working in rural/regional areas. while UNSW doesnt have that. but if u're offered no choice, then go with which ever one ur given.

 

[chinaski]

thats true. but different schools have different emphasises. e.g. if you didnt want to go into rural practice and specialise in surgery, then UNCLE probably isnt the best choice. it can be done, but you will find that it will be a lot harder. UNCLE has a greater emphasis on their students becoming GPs and working in rural/regional areas. while UNSW doesnt have that. but if u're offered no choice, then go with which ever one ur given.

Incorrect. All a medical school does is teach you how to be an intern. Currently, your medical school HAS NO BEARING WHATSOEVER on your chances of specialising (in anything). You will NOT find it "a lot harder" to be a surgeon if you go to Newcastle.

 

[dp624]

Hey I want to do med at uni and was looking at the two main universities for medince in Sydney: UNSW and USyd. While everyone seems to be going to UNSW for medicine, everyone who gets 100 UAI seems to be flocking to USyd.

I know USyd offers a $10,000 p.a. scholarship and an extra degree but is the med course there any better than UNSW's? I just want to know your opinions about studying med at these two unis.

There's a couple of people who are going to UNSW who 'made' Usyd med.
Probably one of the contributing factors is that UNSW is one year shorter, and you start med ASAP. Usyd has that extra degree, but I don't believe it'd be really that useful.

Though usyd $$$ is tempting, haha. You need 75 to maintain moneiz, and a credit to make med

 

[thought]

Doctor is a professional who cares for the sufferings of the fellow human beings from diseases, apply intelligence to cure them and have a good living along with.

While I am not against double degree, is that bit crazy to combine medicine with law / commerce etc?

In the end, as a professional one has to decide whether you want to a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant?

Look, the world looks at you always only one professional!

 

[PrettyVacant]

Nah people have different interests.

Also UNSW has a focus on rural health as well via RAHMS.

There are quite a few 100 UAI's doing med @ unsw...like at least 5 I know of. In fact one girl is transferring to UNSW from Usyd this yr (I"ve heard). So no, not "ALL PEOPLE GETTING 100" go to Usyd.

 

[lyounamu]

There should be pros and cons.

But let me express what I have been hearing all this time (which would seem somewhat extremely controversial):

I have always heard that it's always best to do a Medicine course through USYD. That's because the doctors that come out of USYD are more recognised or something. I think it has got to do with name and stuff...

I know it sounds extremely controversial and flawed...

 

[Kujah]

I thought UNSW was much more specialised in med than USyd.

 

[lyounamu]

I thought UNSW was much more specialised in med than USyd.

Well I don't know.

I might be under an extreme bias...

 

[xxstef]

i'm going usyd over unsw atm.
purely coz i can combine with music. and usyd is pretty (yes yes im being superficial i know )

i dont think the unsw program is half bad tho!

 

[SWSydneytutor]

You guys do realise that you can't really "combine" medicine with another degree in the sense that you can do both courses concurrently. Think practically. If you're going to pursue medicine, then you're going to be a doctor in the end, yes? Doing something like commerce/medicine at USYD seems purely like an internal conflict of interest - the commerce will not help you with medicine, and medicine vice versa. By all means pursue your interests, but it need not be rewarded with a piece of paper (let's not forget that you don't really do med until your "side" degree is finished).

 

[spence]

Doctor is a professional who cares for the sufferings of the fellow human beings from diseases, apply intelligence to cure them and have a good living along with.

While I am not against double degree, is that bit crazy to combine medicine with law / commerce etc?

In the end, as a professional one has to decide whether you want to a doctor or a lawyer or an accountant?

Look, the world looks at you always only one professional!

Maybe people have an interest in something besides med?

 

[SWSydneytutor]

There should be pros and cons.

But let me express what I have been hearing all this time (which would seem somewhat extremely controversial):

I have always heard that it's always best to do a Medicine course through USYD. That's because the doctors that come out of USYD are more recognised or something. I think it has got to do with name and stuff...

I know it sounds extremely controversial and flawed...

USYD has traditionally been the place "to go" for law and medicine, and many people would attribute this to the fact that it has better known alumni - better doctors, more famous medical scientists, more high court judges etc. But who would be surprised? USYD is nearly 200 years old, and UNSW is only a quarter of this age.

 

[187]

You guys do realise that you can't really "combine" medicine with another degree in the sense that you can do both courses concurrently. Think practically. If you're going to pursue medicine, then you're going to be a doctor in the end, yes? Doing something like commerce/medicine at USYD seems purely like an internal conflict of interest - the commerce will not help you with medicine, and medicine vice versa. By all means pursue your interests, but it need not be rewarded with a piece of paper (let's not forget that you don't really do med until your "side" degree is finished).

Actually, that's not quite true. It's not exactly impossible to pursue one profession (for example, Medicine) while still strongly being involved in the other. I've heard of a doctor becoming an accomplished actor, so why can't the same be said of music? That said, it would be overly optimistic to expect grand successes in both. However, there's always the prominent option of entering Music Therapy. In fact, I believe that that's exactly what the combined Music/Medicine degree at USYD is for. spence raises a very valid point: why can't people have more than one interest? There no law that dictates that people can only study one stream of learning.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

Actually, that's not quite true. It's not exactly impossible to pursue one profession (for example, Medicine) while still strongly being involved in the other. I've heard of a doctor becoming an accomplished actor, so why can't the same be said of music? That said, it would be overly optimistic to expect grand successes in both. However, there's always the prominent option of entering Music Therapy. In fact, I believe that that's exactly what the combined Music/Medicine degree at USYD is for. spence raises a very valid point: why can't people have more than one interest? There no law that dictates that people can only study one stream of learning.

i would agree that it is not entirely impossible..

it would depend on what you plan to achieve.. music/medicine may not be just for a 'profession' but it would compliment it as a hobby.. many in medicine are accomplished musicians..

medicine as the art and science of healing humans isnt suppose to be remote from all of humanities. I for one appreciate history and IT and this compliments my study of medicine. we forget the integration of the human experience if we stay too remote from others and other fields... from mathematics, medicine pulls out some of the more novel pharmacokinetics equations.. from music, music therapy for those suffering psychological maladies.

commerce and medicine are not separate.. and if many more were going to practice successfuly management in medicine we might learn from this...healing is not cheap and as with economics and business management medical practitioners must learn to make a living whilst holding true the virtues embodied in the hippocrates oath and the declaration of geneva.
Otherwise we will see a number of corporations with medical advisors with no understanding of profitability or sustainability which are not always the best options for medical development.

I think that a need for balance is required for one to practise medicine effectively or you will sit in one world and be completely remote from your patients' worlds.

 

[lionking1191]

I have always heard that it's always best to do a Medicine course through USYD. That's because the doctors that come out of USYD are more recognised or something. I think it has got to do with name and stuff...

this is why word of mouth is usually very susceptible to misinformation

 

[SWSydneytutor]

I never said that doctors shouldn't pursue their interests... my main point is that opting for 3 years of non-medical study in a provisional scheme may be too big a sacrifice to merely chase a hobby. I'm going to be pursuing BA/MBBS at UNSW - the year off will really give me an opportunity to reflect on myself and what I want to do, and it's not too big of a deal, the one year off. Being actively involved in your interests is great, it'll help you become a better doctor but in some cases it isn't the most practical option. Like I said, you don't need to have a degree to pursue these other interests.