The medical 'tsunami' just hit --
http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/05/no-jobs-so-medical-graduates-face-a-life-serving-doughnuts/
Over a 100 NSW medical graduates will very likely not have an internship next year. On ANY continent. And it's not really their fault. They were constantly reassured throughout all four years that such internships would be available. Now, with having an IMG label, with having to sit out the match for a year, and with some having to scramble to take the USMLE or MCCEE, their medical careers are in serious jeopardy.
Also, consider the following:
1) Australian schools like USyd teach very little biochemistry. Or pharmacology. Or microbiology. Or any basic science subject really. This means that students who don't spend significantly extra time and money preparing for the USMLE will likely not pass. Does that sound like good value for your $60,000+/year tuition?
2) North American residency spots are becoming more and more difficult to match, as more North American medical students are graduating but fewer residency spots are opening. And with the 'fiscal cliff' looming next year, cuts to residency education are imminent, which will make matching even more difficult.
3) The match rate last year out of Sydney was around 60%. It's true that of those that matched, one guy got neurosurgery and another got IM at Columbia. They're rockstars. And rockstars from Australia will probably do better than rockstars from the Caribbean. But 40% didn't match. And soon, it'll be a coin toss--50/50. A coin toss on $300,000 debt and 4 years of the best years of your life.
Think long and hard before coming to Australia.
http://www.crikey.com.au/2012/10/05/no-jobs-so-medical-graduates-face-a-life-serving-doughnuts/
Over a 100 NSW medical graduates will very likely not have an internship next year. On ANY continent. And it's not really their fault. They were constantly reassured throughout all four years that such internships would be available. Now, with having an IMG label, with having to sit out the match for a year, and with some having to scramble to take the USMLE or MCCEE, their medical careers are in serious jeopardy.
Also, consider the following:
1) Australian schools like USyd teach very little biochemistry. Or pharmacology. Or microbiology. Or any basic science subject really. This means that students who don't spend significantly extra time and money preparing for the USMLE will likely not pass. Does that sound like good value for your $60,000+/year tuition?
2) North American residency spots are becoming more and more difficult to match, as more North American medical students are graduating but fewer residency spots are opening. And with the 'fiscal cliff' looming next year, cuts to residency education are imminent, which will make matching even more difficult.
3) The match rate last year out of Sydney was around 60%. It's true that of those that matched, one guy got neurosurgery and another got IM at Columbia. They're rockstars. And rockstars from Australia will probably do better than rockstars from the Caribbean. But 40% didn't match. And soon, it'll be a coin toss--50/50. A coin toss on $300,000 debt and 4 years of the best years of your life.
Think long and hard before coming to Australia.