Monash vs. UNSW (med) (1 Viewer)

[er123456]

Hello all. I had UNSW as a write off for long while now (i thought i did terribly in the interview), and i got an offer for Monash. However, yesterday i also got an offer from UNSW (extremely shocked), and i am having truoble choosing between them.

I know that it should be a easy and pleasant decision but i've heard good arguments for both unis and i am more than a bit worried that if i chose wrong i would be regretting my decision for a long while.

With UNSW, while it is close to home, i will probably be forced to move closer to the uni sooner or later (3 hrs per day commuting can't be good for studies).

At monash, while i am i will have to move interstate (which i don't mind at all) the expenses won't be too far off from UNSW in the long run (since i hvae to move sooner or later anyway).

The main advantage i am considering is the fact that it is a shorter course, enabling me to get our earlier and gain more experience (for specialism and stuff). I have also heard lots of positive comments about monash's course, while for UNSW some people say that the new system has some problems (they were a bit vague tho).

Can anyone enlighten me as into the environments of both unis? i.e. what are the students like, their attitudes, the teacher's attitudes. I am worried that because UNSW have so many top students, there would be lots of arrogant people (It sounds silly, but it would be a real pain to work with people like that for 6 years). Thats probably a misconception, so if someone who does UNSW med can clear it up for me it would be great .

If anyone knows anyhting about the med courses of both unis or have any recommendations, please help, because this is one of the most important decisions of my life and i have very little time left to do it (monash deadlines at noon tomorrow).

Thanks in advance

PS: Can i accept the monash offer for now, and if i change my mind later go to UNSW instead (UAC deadlines 28th i think)? Is that possible or would there be many complication (and what would be the procedures involved).

I just want more time to think over it =/

 

[lukebennett]

monash has a great reputation. its not near to the city really so is that important at all.

you can accept and the decline so you can choose both i think.

it really depends if you are willig to leave sydney and be away from family for long. otherwise id choose monash

 

[er123456]

so u accept now and choose to decline it later?

thats great. If i decide to decline later what are the procedures invovled?

btw, why monash?

and i don't really mind moving out

 

[lukebennett]

i know of several people who go there and it has one of the best reputations of all the australian medical schools. unsw is slightly over rated.

you shud talk to inasero cause he goes to monash med i think

 

[er123456]

can anyone who goes to UNSW give me some info on what its like?


Btw, i CAN accept and later reject it right?

 

[lukebennett]

yep i think you can. you might want to double check but thats wat people are told to do if they get their second pref and want their first .they accept their second and wait for late rounds and and if they get their first pref then they decline second pref and take their first.

 

[er123456]

bump!

it would be GREAT of someone who goes to UNSW med can help

 

[kimmeh]

sique, fosweb, weisy and skywalker do unsw med, but theyre like never here anymore. goes to show you the hours

 

[Keen]

Come on man it's the holidays those guys aren't that bad of study freaks.
I'm from Adelaide and I think we have a great crowd and from what I hear Monash has a slightly friendly crowd as opposed to UNSW's a little bit nerdier crowd (my opinion, I know I'm going to get flamed).
Yeah you'd probably want to move out with all that travelling time, it's not exactly the study it's just a lot of time to waste when you could be watching a movie every day compared to walking 15 minutes to college or whatever. If you want Monash apply for colleges NOW even if you aren't going to take it - decide later, places fill very fast. UNSW has an amazing reputation, but attracts high quality applicants, it's a really new course (curriculum 1 year old - which isn't that good, but at least it's a new curriculum as opposed to Melbourne's ancient one). Monash has a great curriculum, still does a bit of the sciency stuff etc.
Whichever way you're going to enter the greatest course ever

Keen

 

[Skillo]

bump!

it would be GREAT of someone who goes to UNSW med can help

Insaro does med at monash.

Ask Lexi about it, he seems to be in the know...like Jamie Durie is with water features.

 

[er123456]

you do realise that i don't know ANY of those people we are talking about

 

[Skillo]

That's what Private Messenging is for.

Look in the Medicine Sub Forum for these names, click on their nick, and select send private message. Then ask them your questions. Problem solvered.

 

[inasero]

The main advantage i am considering is the fact that it is a shorter course, enabling me to get our earlier and gain more experience (for specialism and stuff).

It seems you're confused about what happens after graduation. To clarify, you do your internship and residency at hospital while undertaking your graduate fellowship at the same time (ie. specialising). So even though you come out of Monash a year earlier than other students, it's not as if you spend an extra year gaining experience after you graduate and then wait for them and enter hospital together. You will be equally as qualified. What I think you mean is that you can become speciailsed faster and hence enter the workforce faster, am I right?
Anyhows, I haven't been to UNSW personally so I'm in no position to go about criticizing their course. Some people have expressed concern that the new course is too disorganised and the faculty have internal disputes regarding this. They also complain that the new course has become 'dumbed down' with the introduction of sociology and communications units. I don't know how true these claims are but I do know for sure that before implementation of the new course UNSW was a good medical school. My guess is that they are still experiencing a few teething difficulties which is inevitable but that all issues should be resolved by this year or the next. As for content of the course, I've found that medical schools are placing greater emphases on sociology and communications for two reasons:
1) a general move away from the more traditional approach of teaching biomedical foundations of illness
2) try to develop doctors who engender the holistic approach towards healthcare, thereby reducing the number of litigations.
At Monash, there was a fair bit of grumbling amongst the first years last year regarding this in a similar fashion, so I'm guessing that UNSW students' concerns are unfounded.
Also, I have heard rumours that Monash students are lacking in basic anatomical knowledge once they enter hospital. That's a bit of a worry. Even so, Monash consistently ranked higher than UNSW as a whole in three academic publications (the times higher education supplement, melbourne institute report and some report published by a chinese university). I don't know what that says for the respective medical faculties however, because Monash's success is probably due to the massive research output courtesy of the science faculty. The problem is that Australia doesn't publish performance indicators as is the case in American medical schools (for example, you could say that John Hopkins is superior to Cornell but you can't make such a claim in Australia).

Can anyone enlighten me as into the environments of both unis? i.e. what are the students like, their attitudes, the teacher's attitudes. I am worried that because UNSW have so many top students, there would be lots of arrogant people (It sounds silly, but it would be a real pain to work with people like that for 6 years). Thats probably a misconception, so if someone who does UNSW med can clear it up for me it would be great .

If you're prepared to live on or near campus, then Monash is great I guess. It has plenty of sports facilities, interest groups and social outings. From what I can see UNSW is better because there are more clubs hehe. In relation to medical student attitudes, don't avoid them on the basis that they are academically arrogant. You'll find that that's the case at all medical schools, and Monash is no exception. The teachers at Monash are really great though, I'll guarantee you'll have a ball! As for campus environment, the Monash campus centre is pretty shit and not much variety of food. And UNSW really pwns Monash in terms of aesthetics. Overall, Monash has the highest proportion of international students in any university in Australia. I guess that makes us a highly unique bunch. You will find that the socialist scene in Monash is very much roaring with regular demonstrations and protests. There is a vegetarian group which runs the collective cafeteria (Wholefoods), a mature age group, homosexual group, womens rights group so social equality as you can see is valued highly amongst students.
I've said it everywhere but really, Monash is the sticks and isn't great if you're the type to go out often (even if you have a car). But seeing as you'll be studying medicine I daresay that shouldn't be too big a problem as you'll be studying 24/7, won't you? Right? Of course you will

 

[er123456]

Thanks

Thats great info

Can anyone from UNSW here as well? then i can comapred and contrast things

btw, why is the monash course 5 years instead of 6?

I've heard its something to do with research?

 

[inasero]

Yes that's true. It's because at Melbourne University they have a 6 year BA/MBBS or BMedSc/MBBS degree. If you feel like you're missing out then by all means you can take extra units and the degrees will be equivalent.

As for comparison with UNSW. UNSW is 6 years for the MBBS and Monash is 5 years. The reason is that Monash does not include general education units. For more information on general education units search around on the medicine forum, I have explained it earlier.

Hope this helps.

 

[er123456]

hmm this may sound stupid but my searches didn't turn up much >.<

will have another look later

 

[er123456]

Hey general education are units that u choose from oustide the med faculty right?

ARe they compulsory? and Whats the point?

 

[melo15]

Hey general education are units that u choose from oustide the med faculty right?

ARe they compulsory? and Whats the point?

The uni wants to broaden your degree by having to do gen-ed courses from other faculties. Apart from combined degrees, all UNSW degrees including MBBS involve compulsary gen-eds.

If your priority is to finish your degree quicker, and don't mind leaving home, then I would probably say go to Monash.

 

[Survivor39]

As for comparison with UNSW. UNSW is 6 years for the MBBS and Monash is 5 years. The reason is that Monash does not include general education units. For more information on general education units search around on the medicine forum, I have explained it earlier.

I don't think that's the main reason. General Education takes up 12 units of credit, that is, 1/4 of a year if you are studying full time.
Unless UNSW med people do more genreal education than the rest of the uni?!!

 

[inasero]

it is.......qwerty