Lexicographer said:
Actually in terms of Medicine, it's Newcastle that has the better reputation. The UNSW course has taken scathing criticism in the last three years, but a lot less now than before.
The main criticism against Newcastle was (until 2005) that it didn't include nearly enough "real" anatomy, especially the exclusive use of path-pots instead of cadavers. However, cadavers have since been introduced and this criticism is no longer valid. The main criticism against UNSW however was one of disorganisation, something a lot more difficult to eliminate. Of course this applies to every single medical school (when you get in you'll see why) but UNSW had it particularly bad. Again, this is heard less and less.
Every medical school has good years and bad years (look at Adelaide, the slackjawed local (yokel) press gives them a beating every damn year about something or other) but it is important to remember that each school is still altogether excellent. This isn't the US where you have the Ivy League on one end and the clown schools on the other, with a huge price gradient in between.
robert...have i told you before that I love you?
anyway you're right on the mark there
newcastle still dont give us scapals or knives and let us cut up bodies, but we get the whole cadaver and such so we're not missing out on too much.
As for uni debt, some may be worried by this but if you sit in on a committee meeting with the dean of any med school, you'll realise that most medical schools run at a loss. Medicine is simply an expensive course to run, all the costs for training/clinical/tutorials etc is a lot of money, especially for all those different specialists required to lecture/be tutors for small group pbls, practical examinations, hospital conjoints, the list goes on.
The main prob with newcastle for sydney people is that it's not in sydney... that's basically the problem. I know so many people who would never consider moving away from home. They'd rather take a shot for grad med at usyd.
Just make sure you do your research before you make any big claims as it won't look good on you when you're corrected by someone else who has done their research.
EDIT: i forgot to mention that all medical schools (except notre dame and Bond uni *hahaha surfie docs -_-*) have research as a large focus of their faculty. A lot of money is put into research grants and such from sponsors and the school itself so that's more money the school requires from the university. In newcastle's circumstance there may be some changes but it wont affect the students and the quality of the course. Like the coordinator and the Vice chancellor are both newcastle med graduates!!
anyway, all med schools are great, or they wouldnt have such great competition. You will all become competent and qualified doctors when you come out ready for that big journey to the outside world flying solo (im talking absolute trash...its 4am)
.. (id have his children too if it wasnt a crime against nature for me and him to breed)