advice for a hapless international?

[banana k]

hey all-- maybe you can help me. i did my degree at JCU in queensland, but i still don't have australian residency, so i'm entering u.sydney as an international student. which is obviously full-fee--yack! fortunately it's still cheaper than a US medical degree, which is a big reason why i'm enrolling here... however, that still sets me back about $180grand AUD. any international students out there with advice on where you got loans that work internationally? any institutions to avoid, any ones that make it simple and understandable, any particular ones that cater to students abroad? and on that note, are there any Australian organisations that cater to international medical students settling in Australia?

other than that, HALLELUJAH, i got in! (i'm still high about it )

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[AusMeds]

Congratulations on your acceptance!!!

Financing as an international student would most likely be best sourced from your home country. What's your citizenship?

 

[banana k]

unfortunately i'm american. and we all know how well that goverment takes care of its own. any word on MRB-type scholarships that cater to internationals?

 

[IntlMed]

Also, does anybody have any information on Loan programs for Non-Americans at the Uni of Sydney Graduate Medical Program ???

 

[Winged Scapula]

unfortunately i'm american. and we all know how well that goverment takes care of its own. any word on MRB-type scholarships that cater to internationals?

I'm still confused...wouldn't you be eligible for US government sponsored loans like the Stafford program? If you are a US citizen, studying abroad at an eligible school, you should have access to these programs (that's how almost all of the other US nationals in Oz pay for school). In addition, there are alternative loan programs, some through ISLP/TERI and others through major banks (which may offer better rates) like Bank of America, Chase, etc.

 

[spawa]

hey banana k.....congrats on ur acceptance!!!....did they accept you right after ur interview?.....i was just curious

 

[banana k]

Kim -- exactly what i was asking. that gives me a place to start.
spawa -- yes. although technically i was supposed to wait another 5 weeks to find out, but the dean just told me then and there. jeeeez, i'd still be squirming and sweating and fretting if they hadn't... thank god for that!

 

[MD1088]

BananaK - its weird being an american overseas. Bush has made us public enemy number one. It sucks. But your comment that you are "unfortunate to be an american" equally sucks. Name one other country whose government will loan you a quarter of a million dollars to study whatever you want/wherever you want/for however long you want and pay part of the interest the loan accrues. Think about it before slamming your country.

 

[OzDDS]

BananaK - its weird being an american overseas. Bush has made us public enemy number one. It sucks. But your comment that you are "unfortunate to be an american" equally sucks. Name one other country whose government will loan you a quarter of a million dollars to study whatever you want/wherever you want/for however long you want and pay part of the interest the loan accrues. Think about it before slamming your country.

agree!

 

[evajaclynn]

agree!

ditto

 

[banana k]

*cough* australia comes to mind...

BananaK - its weird being an american overseas. Bush has made us public enemy number one. It sucks. But your comment that you are "unfortunate to be an american" equally sucks. Name one other country whose government will loan you a quarter of a million dollars to study whatever you want/wherever you want/for however long you want and pay part of the interest the loan accrues. Think about it before slamming your country.

 

[banana k]

sorry, that said, i should clarify: i didn't mean to sound too anti-american, because i am really not... it DOES suck that we've become public enemy number 1 abroad, and i DO blame that largely on this administration. but traveling HAS shown me that americans have it great, and at least the premise it was founded on was fantastic. so while i'm feeling a bit crusty about my university costs compared to all my australian friends' uni costs, at least we get good out of it.

 

[Winged Scapula]

sorry, that said, i should clarify: i didn't mean to sound too anti-american, because i am really not... it DOES suck that we've become public enemy number 1 abroad, and i DO blame that largely on this administration. but traveling HAS shown me that americans have it great, and at least the premise it was founded on was fantastic. so while i'm feeling a bit crusty about my university costs compared to all my australian friends' uni costs, at least we get good out of it.

Perhaps it will make you feel better if you consider the cost of a private university of medicine in the US as compared to Oz. Even with the exchange rate not so favorable these days, you will still likely find it cheaper, given the cost of living in Oz. Too bad you didn't matriculate when I did - exchange rate at nearly 2:1. It was a bargain!

Final answer is that if you have not defaulted on any prior US government loans you will be eligible for US Stafford loans and alternative financing through private lenders. I'm sure Sydney has students that have done this before and can assist you with the paperwork.

 

[scilleroo]

Hello!

This post is for anyone who knows about the University of Sydney Grad-Entry Medical Program. If you are a current student, I am most interested in your viewpoints. I am an international student (American citizen from the USA) who was just accepted into the University of Sydney. I have a range of questions and would appreciate perspective:

-What do you think makes the University of Sydney program strong? What area most needs improvement? (In other words, what is not as strong)

-How often do you have examinations? What are they typically like?

-What determines which students (local and international students) get internship spots in Australia (in the big cities)? Performance during the 3rd and 4th year? Recommendations? PR status (or lack thereof?)

-Does U Syd have an anatomy course (with lab)? How long and thorough is it?

-Which courses do you think are the strongest and which the weakest?

-Do you do research in addition to your commitment as a student? If so, would you mind sharing a few words about it?

-Why isn?t there a required USMLE type exam for Australian graduates? How do they apportion internship and then residency placement, then?

-Why are Australian residencies particularly long (just curious if there is a certain philosophy that makes it longer)?

-What is the official difference between the MBBS degree and the MD degree? If you graduate from an Australian school and come back to the US to do your residency, what difference does the degree you earn have? (Would you need to apply to get an MD? I apologize if I sound ignorant about this, but it is unclear to me.) Is this degree difference something to be concerned about?

-Lastly, how many Americans return to the US for residencies and how many stay in Australia from year to year? Know any success stories or struggling stories?

-What do you think of the research opportunities (especially in clinical research, and do med students pursue research in large numbers esp. since they are probably quite busy?)

Thank you, so much! If you can answer a few or all of these questions, I?d appreciate all the perspective I can get.

For any Americans studying at U of Syd, could you let me know who you are? Thanks to all!

 

[Winged Scapula]

-Why isn?t there a required USMLE type exam for Australian graduates? How do they apportion internship and then residency placement, then?

-Why are Australian residencies particularly long (just curious if there is a certain philosophy that makes it longer)?

-What is the official difference between the MBBS degree and the MD degree? If you graduate from an Australian school and come back to the US to do your residency, what difference does the degree you earn have? (Would you need to apply to get an MD? I apologize if I sound ignorant about this, but it is unclear to me.) Is this degree difference something to be concerned about?

-Lastly, how many Americans return to the US for residencies and how many stay in Australia from year to year? Know any success stories or struggling stories?

I can handle the queries above.

1. Australian residency placements are based on class ranking, school and state in which you reside. That is, a Australian citizen graduate of the Univ of Sydney would have preference in the ranking for New South Wales residencies over someone who graduated out of state, was not a citizen, etc. Test scores like the USMLE are not the sole decision making factor in residency placement - even in the US.

2. Australian residencies are longer, just like they are in the rest of the world, largely because residents do at least a couple of general house officer years before applying for specialized training AND they work less hours. This had been discussed ad nauseum but by and large, most would rather work the "inhumane" hours of US residencies and be done a few years earlier.

3.There is essentially no difference. In the US, the MD is the terminal medical degree, in most other countries it is considered an advanced degree, usually requiring something akin to a research project and dissertation. In the US you would list your degree as MBBS or whatever but by convention use MD when referring to yourself, etc. it will not create any problems for you in your practice (unless someone sees the degree hanging on your wall and asks).

4. Most US residents return to the US each year, veyr few stay.