Upmyself Medical Drama (2 Viewers)

[stella8h8chang]

You have been warned - read at own risk...

Okay basically USYD rang me the other day and said, "we're offering you a place in our combined science/med program! and don't worry if it's not your first preference, just change it for the late round and the place will definitely be there still..." What lovely people.

Armed with a umat of 216 and a uai of 99.95, I'm thinking my chances of getting into a CSP place at UNSW should be pretty high. Unless of course I buggered up the interview which means this post was pointless.

Now for the drama.

1. USYD = science/med
UNSW = arts/med
Firstly, I always wanted to do arts/med at UNSW because arts degrees have so much freedom, in contrast with med degrees. And I felt that med would satisfy my love of science, arts my arty side...

But from what I've heard, when you do the Science bit of your degree through TSP at USYD, you can pick up some wacky electives (like I could even do Latin!) so maybe that would be similar...

I will definitely be looking at seven big years of study either way - and I will come out with a combined degree either way. Thing is, is it easier to specialise if you have science/med as opposed to arts/med? I'd probably enjoy arts/med a bit more methinks...?

2. USYD = lots of money
UNSW = no money
I'm thinking since there are only 2 Scientia scholarships at UNSW my chances of this scholarship are zero
USYD on the other hand appears to be offering a very tidy sum of $10K a year.

Hence I'm feeling drawn towards USYD...although having to maintain an average of 80 I have heard is very difficult!

So yeah - if anyone has any tips I'd really appreciate a bit of advice.

 

[~shinigami~]

You should probably also keep in mind that the USyd program requires you to keep up a good WAM during your BSc years. Also you have to complete honours (i.e research, thesis etc) so make sure your the kind of person that would like that kind of things.

Please correct me if I'm mistaken because I'm writting this in a hurry.

Good luck Stella. I'm glad that you've made it into the course you want.

Oh yeah, I agree with Lotto. I'd take BA/MBBS over the BSc/MBBS, not because arts>science (to each their own). It's because I personally want to do arts courses more than science so yeah Arts>Science in my case.

 

[stella8h8chang]

Hmmm yeah **agrees with LottoX and ~shinigami~ in terms of Arts**
And to be honest, a Science degree on top of a Med degree did sound a tad superfluous upon my first impression. I mean Med is very science-orientated to begin with...

Probably I'm being a tad greedy with the money - $50 000 seems like such a lot of money to throw away though - I shall probably meditate on it...

Oh, LottoX, do you know when they inform people of the Scientia Med scholarships? I thought they'd have come out by now?

 

[SquidY06]

i have a friend doing the Usyd one and he said its perfectly fine..the science is easy..and apparently when you grad and try to specialise..they like usyd better than UNSW anyway and because you have a sci and med...they like you more because you know how to do research properly and they like that...at UNSW its not as much science and research..

besides usyd is more well known..and check out the good uni's guide for med... usyd is way above unsw and also check out the THES for biomed.. uNSW is ranked 52..while usyd is way high..like 12th or something... so the choice is yours but theres also the moooolHAHhh and that means.. a new car! a pretty good one too!

UNSW apparently really isn't that good..and they just have heaps of fluff..

and besides...the guy at UNSW said that the arts/mbbs you dont do a few electives in the arts program...and med always comes first...so it seems alittle... half arsed(excuse the french <3) ...i mean you can always persue your arts someplace else..the degree of arts is kinda useless to med..but the extra sci is pretty good

thats what i reckon anyway

 

[~shinigami~]

I was just wondering, did they offer you specifically the BSc(Adv)(Hons)/MBBS?

Because if my memory serves me correctly then there is a new course at USyd which is BA(Adv)(Hons)/MBBS. Maybe you can do that instead if you really wanted to go to USyd.

 

[SquidY06]

there are only 2 med scholarships at UNSW ... there are 2 more but are for finanical difficulty and worth like 1500 for just 1 year

 

[KFunk]

Hey, I'm in the BA/MBBS program at UNSW and the science --> medicine pathway at USyd was my second option so I can understand your dilemma (though mine was without scholarship issues and all the stuff attached to the provisional med offers from USyd). In terms of taking arts units:

- At UNSW in the BA/MBBS program you only get to take 66 credit points of arts subjects (which translates to 11 subjects). 42 credit points in a given area of study constitutes a major and 54 credit points are required if you want to do honours in an area --> which gives you an idea of what your spread of subjects would be like... i.e. 7 - 9 in one area (e.g. history) and 2 - 4 elsewhere.

- In the USyd Science degree you can do up to 48 credit points of subjects outside of the science faculty. This is only three courses less than at UNSW and, as such, the USyd BSc might be just as successful at satisfying your arts craving as UNSW arts/med. Also, there are some 'artsy' subjects within the science faculty such as psychology and history & philosophy of science which wouldn't contribute to thise 48 credit points.

Something to add to the above: you should consider what arts areas you are interested in studying and check whether each uni offers them. For example, you mentioned latin which is definately offered at USyd but which isn't available at the level of a major at UNSW. Anyhow I hope that some of that info is useful to you. I might type up some more stuff later but for now I have to clean the house, ciao.

 

[shafqat]

It's a tough decision. In weighing up the options, ask yourself, do you want to do medicine straight away, or do a science degree first? How much do you want to do arts? How much does the scholarship many mean to you? A few points to clarify: the science degree as opposed to the arts degree is unlikely to give you an advantage in specialisation. Also, a talented student such as yourself will have no problem maintaining an 80 average.

i have a friend doing the Usyd one and he said its perfectly fine..the science is easy..and apparently when you grad and try to specialise..they like usyd better than UNSW anyway and because you have a sci and med...they like you more because you know how to do research properly and they like that...at UNSW its not as much science and research..

besides usyd is more well known..and check out the good uni's guide for med... usyd is way above unsw and also check out the THES for biomed.. uNSW is ranked 52..while usyd is way high..like 12th or something... so the choice is yours but theres also the moooolHAHhh and that means.. a new car! a pretty good one too!

UNSW apparently really isn't that good..and they just have heaps of fluff..

and besides...the guy at UNSW said that the arts/mbbs you dont do a few electives in the arts program...and med always comes first...so it seems alittle... half arsed(excuse the french <3) ...i mean you can always persue your arts someplace else..the degree of arts is kinda useless to med..but the extra sci is pretty good

thats what i reckon anyway

Both med programs have their issues, but they're both fairly good. Usyd students don't really have an advantage in specialisation. In regards to research, a science degree could give you a better base in certain topics (eg your majors), but there is a fairly strong research component in the new UNSW course (for the time being).

Anyway, good luck with it all.

 

[SquidY06]

yeh but in terms of teaching quality and stuf..the THES and the good uni guide dont think UNSW is really good? why is this? i mean UNSW for med got a worse teaching quality rating ?

 

[shafqat]

yeh but in terms of teaching quality and stuf..the THES and the good uni guide dont think UNSW is really good? why is this? i mean UNSW for med got a worse teaching quality rating ?

For problems with rankings such as THES, see the myriad of threads on these in the uni section. Anyway when it comes down to it, there is no significant difference between USYD and UNSW in teaching medicine, perhaps Sydney's course is a little more settled because its been around longer. Indeed in contrast to other degrees all the med schools around Australia are quite similar in standard.

 

[SquidY06]

and the staff?

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

..and apparently when you grad and try to specialise..they like usyd better than UNSW anyway and because you have a sci and med...they like you more because you know how to do research properly and they like that...at UNSW its not as much science and research..

wow.. a whole yr *rolls eyes*.. in fact UNSW have the ILP a whole yr of medical research in the 6 yrs.. more than the BSc at syd where its just normal subjects

specialty colleges wont give a shit unless u have honours/masters/PhDs.. a basic/plain degree isnt noticed.. unless its particularly unique.. lik a BComm/BAccounting and ure goin for a fellowship in medical administration.

specialties are practical too. .so they will get work reports and see if ure patients are dying or inappropriate treatment.. if u kill heaps.. then they will encourage u to stay at a desk and research

besides usyd is more well known..and check out the good uni's guide for med... usyd is way above unsw and also check out the THES for biomed.. uNSW is ranked 52..while usyd is way high..like 12th or something... so the choice is yours but theres also the moooolHAHhh and that means.. a new car! a pretty good one too!

and the staff?

Good unis guide only talk about the 'old' course i.e. pre-2004 starting cohort.

THES is a research indicator and means lil to nothing to undergrads... so should have gone to melb then .. its #1... or monash..#2 in aust for biomed research.. but this changes on a yrly basis without UNSW being that far from the start..

I have researched under USyd, UNSW, Adelaide uni researchers in medicine.. and frankly they are all about the same.. very good.. they are also teaching staff and their teaching isnt differnt.. very similar (cos they are medicos.. ).. with all i still need to go home and learn it.. its very self-directed in medical programs... the BSc would be easier in some ways cos its lecture based... not tutorial/SDL from yr 1 into uni

the money is good but then will you be happy tho?

UNSW apparently really isn't that good..and they just have heaps of fluff..

and besides...the guy at UNSW said that the arts/mbbs you dont do a few electives in the arts program...and med always comes first...so it seems alittle... half arsed(excuse the french <3) ...i mean you can always persue your arts someplace else..the degree of arts is kinda useless to med..but the extra sci is pretty good

how much extra science do you think you could cope with?!.. btw its not UNSW is fluff.. its all of med courses are fluff even USYD's.. cos they dun spoonfeed at all.. also.. wth do u need that much science for? i remember ppl at USYD medsc anatomy didnt even get to dissect due to enrolments and funding cuts.. science changes on a daily circumstance.. you only need to learn wat is necessary from a medical point of view..

USYD also isnt the glory boat of medicine.. its not like so much better.. and unless u want to do a BSc then its mabbe better goin to UNSW or UQ even.. (BSc or BA/MBBS both 6yrs ) are very good choices..

stella8h8chang: do arts/med.. ull enjoy it more.. dun worri about the money.. its not much compared to being happy..

 

[KFunk]

wow.. a whole yr *rolls eyes*.. in fact UNSW have the ILP a whole yr of medical research in the 6 yrs.. more than the BSc at syd where its just normal subjects.

To be fair, the ILP is only really 6 months (it's a 24 credit point program... 48 in a year). However, the ILP can be replaced by an honours year, for those with a desire to do some research, which adds 6 months to the degree and leads to the award of BMedSci(hons). It only adds half a year because it replaces the ILP, which is 6 months itself, and then adds 6 more for a full honours year.

 

[stella8h8chang]

Firstly, thankyou everybody for your replies; I've been absolutely swamped and I love it!

Actually I'm leaning more towards philosophy - which is something you can pick up at either uni - than Latin. I'm thinking I can just keep up my Latin for fun (eg reading Harrius Potter et Camera Secretorum) while I can use my arts degree for a practical purpose. I'm not that vain about my Latin, I don't mind if it stagnates/regresses as long as I can still read stuff for enjoyment.

If I had total freedom I'd want a career path like Dr Cindy Pan's - like doing some journalistic stuff as well as practising. When I did philosophy last year I actually got really interested in gender studies - so maybe I could do some of that and it'd be helpful. Could lead to specialising in psychiatry...or maybe even O&G! Lol! And I wanna eventually travel, so it'd be good if I could pick up a language anyhow - like French or Mandarin. But these are all pretty generic things which I guess you could do at either uni.

I suppose also I'd be keener to go straight onto my medical studies than spend time doing Science, since Med is what I really want to do. And I honestly don't know about doing Research - I'm so ambivalent about it - sometimes I think, "yeah that'd be so cool!" and other times I think, "nooooo way..."

So this has been entirely unhelpful - I'm sorry

 

[stazi]

You should do fine arts, so you can continue making photoshoped pictures of you in pretend situations with people you're obsessed with.

What Kfunk said is correct though - you only do 3 less arts subjects at usyd (and perhaps you could do a similar amount with the dean's permission). Plus you'd be getting quite a bit of money, which will certainly help fund textbooks, etc.

Also, it seems that science is more compatible with medicine. I.e. you could be taking anatomy-related subjects whilst studying anatomy in medicine, and this should help pull your grades up.

 

[+Po1ntDeXt3r+]

To be fair, the ILP is only really 6 months (it's a 24 credit point program... 48 in a year). However, the ILP can be replaced by an honours year, for those with a desire to do some research, which adds 6 months to the degree and leads to the award of BMedSci(hons). It only adds half a year because it replaces the ILP, which is 6 months itself, and then adds 6 more for a full honours year.

lolz yep.. i just recalled tat.. lolz cos i get lik 24 credit points for year.. :$ but im not at nsw..

 

[Legolas]

In summary:

You've been offered a place at USyd (but not UNSW...yet). USyd is giving you money, UNSW is unlikely to be doing so. If this isn't an issue, then take it out of the equation now. As tempting as the money may be now, the program you choose and how well you do will mean alot more in terms of finance further down the track. If ultimately, all things are equal and then bring the scholarship back into play.

In terms of Arts vs Science, a previous posting has outlined the flexibility in the USyd science course, indeed it shouldn't be too much of a hassle to switch from a B.Sc (Adv)/MBBS to a B.A (Adv)/MBBS if USyd wants you that badly. As for maintaining good marks, your high school record is a good indicator of that.

In terms of doing sci first as oposed to med from the get go, to be frank...enjoy the time that you have now before you really knuckle down for medical studies. NOW is the time to experiment a bit and dabble in your interests because once you start med, it's a full on!

Finally, there are other criteria which the colleges use to determine to whom they offer training places, so whether you do arts or science shouldn't really factor in.

 

[Bob.J]

i'll put some non-med related thoughts in, unless pointdexter already mentioned it (i don't read his posts because they're so anal-retentive )

Anyway, med and scholarship is something you really need to think about. I don't know your financial status but it gets harder to maintain a weekly job during uni. Sure, you can do it, but you'll still need a social life, time to relax and exercise ( or smoke weed and whatnot) etc.

The social life for a highschool leaver at unsw will probably be much more satisfying over at unsw. Mainly due to the reason that most of the unsw cohort will be straight out of highschool, handful of mature age students, and a bunch of 1st/2nd year uni transfers.

I myself did 2years of a science degree at usyd.
Firstly, in my opinion, the social life in a nerdy science degree is non-existant. Depending on who you make friends with etc. However, if you do the BSc degree you'll find that you're somewhat isolated as you separate from friends each year as everyone goes into their own majors.

Then you got to think about going into the usyd grad med course afterwards. The median age is like 24 or something (probably higher). Over in newcastle which is predominantly an undergrad course, my year has a median age of 22. I'm not saying people in their 30s are boring and unsocial. It's just a completely different atmosphere and some may not enjoy the social aspect.

That all aside, unsw has no social life.*

The end
^^

* Give us proof you say. I reckon over 80% went home after last year's medball at 10pm. Bedtime i suppose?
hehehe
jks

for me, knowing what the usyd course contains as well as unsw's current SBL course, I'd go to usyd (even though a science degree on top means jackall. At least usyd integrates the pbl system in better.

 

[stazi]

Bob - having read many of stella's posts, I doubt a social life is anywhere on her list of considerations. Plus her parents are nazi

 

[Bob.J]

Bob - having read many of stella's posts, I doubt a social life is anywhere on her list of considerations. Plus her parents are nazi

then usyd all the way

it also has the unlikely benefit in that she might find another interest halfway through the undergrad degree and switch courses. (which she can with unsw, but i mean she can at least get a bachelor of med/science)