ATAR Notes: Forum
Uni Stuff => General University Discussion and Queries => Topic started by: Surgeon on August 30, 2012, 10:19:09 pm
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So I was at Melbourne University again today, for the first time since I've been to the Monash University open day.
I've always seen Melbourne as my second preference after Monash MBBS and a science/X double degree.....
Not so sure anymore.
The little thought nibbling at the back of my mind was confirmed...
I love Melbourne University. I love the people, love the facilities, love the look of the buildings, love the location...
I don't know any more whether I'm going to put the Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne above Monash MBBS.
In addition to this, I don't know whether I would pick interstate MBBS/Dent over Biomed/Science at Melbourne.
I'm not even going to bother putting law into this equation because it will just bring too many variables into play.
I'm fairly certain that I want to go into medicine (then maybe dent, still have to do research) and law as a second preference of what I want to do.
More confused than ever.
If I get into MBBS, I'm going to be a doctor in 4-6 years, so long as I graduate.
I won't be at a university that is my favourite, though. (I'm assuming interstate universities that offer MBBS aren't as nice as Melbourne University in every way - can anyone confirm/refute?).
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love, but I'm not guaranteed anything after a 3 years course..
Did anyone else face this, or a similar conundrum? How did you resolve it?
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It depends entirely on how keen you are to do medicine and how sure you are that you're happy with it, insomuch as you can be sure at this point. I was in year 12 and didn't have a real drive for medicine, I went to UoM and did their generalist degree. Depends on what you think you want
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If you get into MBBS you still have to pass. Sounds easy in theory but I can guarantee you it is still hard. If you do Bachelor of Biomedicine you can work your way up by getting good grades and such. You're weighing up the fact that you might not get anything after getting a degree in Biomedicine which seems a bit far fetched at this point in time. What's to stop you from achieving your goals since you seem to have such a strong drive to get into medicine. Obviously I would recommend you aim for undergraduate to secure you position in medicine but if you're willing to put a lot of effort in the future, Melbourne sounds like a viable option for you. If you love UoM facilities and location you should take up the opportunity and take a chance because you'll feel more at home.
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What exactly about Melbourne makes you want to pick it over Monash though - Monash's facilities are just as good, the people just as nice, the buildings - OK, Monash isn't as good looking as UoM, but it's not like you really realise that anyway, I'm completely fine with Monash - so I still think MBBS will be best for you if you really want to go into medicine, because, of course, you won't have the uncertainty of whether you get into MD or not. Plus, you graduate sooner.
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Keep in mind that you'll only be at campus for the first few years. You'll head into hospitals afterwards anyway. That being said, the inner city hospitals are probably more flashy than the suburban Monash ones anyhow.
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Keep in mind that you'll only be at campus for the first few years. You'll head into hospitals afterwards anyway. That being said, the inner city hospitals are probably more flashy than the suburban Monash ones anyhow.
There's one good thing going for suburban hospitals though, especially if you're lucky - TRAFFIC.
I reckon I could get to MMC Clayton by car in around 20 - 25 mins tops, even in heavy traffic - which is just really good - saves so much time!
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The "royal" hospitals might be flashy but you will get no natural light/it will be stupidly hectic. Monash has the alfred right? That's pretty comparable to anything the CBD has.
And traffic depends on where you live. I can get to any of the three metro hospitals UOM has in 15 minutes, whilst Monash would take aaaages
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The "royal" hospitals might be flashy but you will get no natural light/it will be stupidly hectic. Monash has the alfred right? That's pretty comparable to anything the CBD has.
And traffic depends on where you live. I can get to any of the three metro hospitals UOM has in 15 minutes, whilst Monash would take aaaages
Yeh, there's a few flashy Monash Hospitals, The Alfred being one, and Cabrini which is a private hospital being another (you get underground car parking here!).
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Thanks for the replies guys.
I forgot to mention an important thing - I'd like to one day live and work in America. Not sure though.
If I did Biomed, I would apply to medical schools in the USA for the MD. If I decide by then that I don't want to go to the USA or I don't want medicine, I could till apply for postgraduate medicine here, or the JD here, or Master of Engineering here (if all else fails) etc.
I think if I did MBBS, it would be harder - as opposed to doing a science degree here then applying to do an MD over there. I'm fairly certain most medical schools guarantee you an internship so long as you pass, so I would have a student visa for that duration of time. After all of my training, I can get a working visa (which is given for a minimum of 3 years) if I'm offered a job. Then, if I marry an American citizen, I could get a permanent residency.
At this point, I'm only considering a couple of medical schools: John Hopkins and some ivy-leaguers. Difficult, I know, but I fully intend on working hard in university and doing my very best. I'm also going to continue my involvement in a bunch of co-curriculars and will continue volunteer work.
In terms of why Melbourne over Monash, I just feel so much more comfortable and at home at Melbourne. Everything seems (and to me, is) nicer, whether it be the lecture theaters, buildings, cafes, food areas, location.
At Monash, I really felt as though I didn't fit in at all. Don't know why. Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
I don't want to be spending heaps of time at a university I don't feel comfortable in, or like as much as another one.
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Off-topic, but: I think you should have your own thread called 'Surgeon's lyf problems thread'. The amount of threads you start just about your own issues/queries is just lol-able. There are people employed at your school to answer these specific questions (i.e. Careers counselors). Sorry if I'm being too critical or harsh, but I don't think I'm the only one of this opinion.
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'Surgeon's lyf problems thread'.
I'm still laughing.
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Off-topic, but: I think you should have your own thread called 'Surgeon's lyf problems thread'. The amount of threads you start just about your own issues/queries is just lol-able. There are people employed at your school to answer these specific questions (i.e. Careers counselors). Sorry if I'm being too critical or harsh, but I don't think I'm the only one of this opinion.
If its off-topic, why are you posting it?
Couple of things I'd like to say:
1) I don't feel as though the careers counsellors at my school are very helpful. I've been to speak to them many times and they're not there a lot, when they are, they ask me to make an appointment for a time slot in a couple of days, and they aren't that helpful.
2) I would much rather hear student perspectives who have gone through what I am quite recently.
Thanks :)
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Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
Well, the Sunderland theater at UoM really sucked imo :P
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So I was at Melbourne University again today, for the first time since I've been to the Monash University open day.
I've always seen Melbourne as my second preference after Monash MBBS and a science/X double degree.....
Not so sure anymore.
The little thought nibbling at the back of my mind was confirmed...
I love Melbourne University. I love the people, love the facilities, love the look of the buildings, love the location...
I don't know any more whether I'm going to put the Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne above Monash MBBS.
In addition to this, I don't know whether I would pick interstate MBBS/Dent over Biomed/Science at Melbourne.
I'm not even going to bother putting law into this equation because it will just bring too many variables into play.
I'm fairly certain that I want to go into medicine (then maybe dent, still have to do research) and law as a second preference of what I want to do.
More confused than ever.
If I get into MBBS, I'm going to be a doctor in 4-6 years, so long as I graduate.
I won't be at a university that is my favourite, though. (I'm assuming interstate universities that offer MBBS aren't as nice as Melbourne University in every way - can anyone confirm/refute?).
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love, but I'm not guaranteed anything after a 3 years course..
Did anyone else face this, or a similar conundrum? How did you resolve it?
Same hereeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I was so confused to put biomed or MBBS first on my preference list.
But MBBS isnt like you want and you can, I didnt get >95%ile for interviewing requirement so I dont have any hope though
Plus my best friends study at UoM so I put biomed above MBBS even though I really really really wanna get into Monash :'(
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Jenny did you sit the ISAT or the UMAT?
edit: if it's the ISAT, I just asked someone who did it, and they said there wasn't really a cut-off as such
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Monash MBBS> Biomedicine any day.
1. Requires passing (although this isn't easy) as opposed to getting scores >90%, and then you have to worry about the gamsat. Some don't even bother with that in the end.
2. Shorter course, why study longer than you have to?
3. I think you see past the glitz and glamour of melbourne uni when you're there so often.
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So I was at Melbourne University again today, for the first time since I've been to the Monash University open day.
I've always seen Melbourne as my second preference after Monash MBBS and a science/X double degree.....
Not so sure anymore.
The little thought nibbling at the back of my mind was confirmed...
I love Melbourne University. I love the people, love the facilities, love the look of the buildings, love the location...
I don't know any more whether I'm going to put the Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne above Monash MBBS.
In addition to this, I don't know whether I would pick interstate MBBS/Dent over Biomed/Science at Melbourne.
I'm not even going to bother putting law into this equation because it will just bring too many variables into play.
I'm fairly certain that I want to go into medicine (then maybe dent, still have to do research) and law as a second preference of what I want to do.
More confused than ever.
If I get into MBBS, I'm going to be a doctor in 4-6 years, so long as I graduate.
I won't be at a university that is my favourite, though. (I'm assuming interstate universities that offer MBBS aren't as nice as Melbourne University in every way - can anyone confirm/refute?).
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love, but I'm not guaranteed anything after a 3 years course..
Did anyone else face this, or a similar conundrum? How did you resolve it?
Same hereeeeeeeeeeeeeee
I was so confused to put biomed or MBBS first on my preference list.
But MBBS isnt like you want and you can, I didnt get >95%ile for interviewing requirement so I dont have any hope though
Plus my best friends study at UoM so I put biomed above MBBS even though I really really really wanna get into Monash :'(
I don't think you should put any university above another one, just because your friends go there.
Go to the university that you want to go to.
There will be plenty of opportunities to catch up with your current friends outside of university, and you'll make heaps of new friends :)
Monash MBBS> Biomedicine any day.
1. Requires passing (although this isn't easy) as opposed to getting scores >90%, and then you have to worry about the gamsat. Some don't even bother with that in the end.
2. Shorter course, why study longer than you have to?
3. I think you see past the glitz and glamour of melbourne uni when you're there so often.
No idea what to make of this :(
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IMO fair enough if you love the location, buildings and facilities at Melbourne compared to Monash, personally that played a major factor in my decision even though the travel was a little longer - although my decision was between B.Comm and B.Comm/B.Sci // B.Comm/B.Eng.
However, if you get an offer for MBBS at Monash surely you would take it, well I would anyway if med was my dream. Pretty much guaranteed to finish with a med degree and a once in a lifetime opportunity. But if you don't get an offer for it then you'll have a big decision at hand. It took me quite a while to decide and it will probably take you some time too and rightly so it's our future. Weigh up all the factors, talk to your parents and ask yourself where would you feel the most comfortable and where do you want to be and how you will get there.
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If its off-topic, why are you posting it?
Cause someone had to tell you that. And that someone is me.
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Thanks for the replies guys.
I forgot to mention an important thing - I'd like to one day live and work in America. Not sure though.
If I did Biomed, I would apply to medical schools in the USA for the MD. If I decide by then that I don't want to go to the USA or I don't want medicine, I could till apply for postgraduate medicine here, or the JD here, or Master of Engineering here (if all else fails) etc.
I think if I did MBBS, it would be harder - as opposed to doing a science degree here then applying to do an MD over there. I'm fairly certain most medical schools guarantee you an internship so long as you pass, so I would have a student visa for that duration of time. After all of my training, I can get a working visa (which is given for a minimum of 3 years) if I'm offered a job. Then, if I marry an American citizen, I could get a permanent residency.
At this point, I'm only considering a couple of medical schools: John Hopkins and some ivy-leaguers. Difficult, I know, but I fully intend on working hard in university and doing my very best. I'm also going to continue my involvement in a bunch of co-curriculars and will continue volunteer work.
In terms of why Melbourne over Monash, I just feel so much more comfortable and at home at Melbourne. Everything seems (and to me, is) nicer, whether it be the lecture theaters, buildings, cafes, food areas, location.
At Monash, I really felt as though I didn't fit in at all. Don't know why. Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
I don't want to be spending heaps of time at a university I don't feel comfortable in, or like as much as another one.
Erm Surgeon? Hate to break it to you, but I don't think US unis accept undergraduate degrees from another country except Canada. Well, that's Harvard anyway. CHECK yourself, i MAY be wrong.
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If its off-topic, why are you posting it?
Cause someone had to tell you that. And that someone is me.
Surely it could have been said over a private message.
Oh but wait, you wouldn't have looked like a hero and been up voted, if you had done that.
Could a mod please clean up this thread? Thanks.
Thanks for the replies guys.
I forgot to mention an important thing - I'd like to one day live and work in America. Not sure though.
If I did Biomed, I would apply to medical schools in the USA for the MD. If I decide by then that I don't want to go to the USA or I don't want medicine, I could till apply for postgraduate medicine here, or the JD here, or Master of Engineering here (if all else fails) etc.
I think if I did MBBS, it would be harder - as opposed to doing a science degree here then applying to do an MD over there. I'm fairly certain most medical schools guarantee you an internship so long as you pass, so I would have a student visa for that duration of time. After all of my training, I can get a working visa (which is given for a minimum of 3 years) if I'm offered a job. Then, if I marry an American citizen, I could get a permanent residency.
At this point, I'm only considering a couple of medical schools: John Hopkins and some ivy-leaguers. Difficult, I know, but I fully intend on working hard in university and doing my very best. I'm also going to continue my involvement in a bunch of co-curriculars and will continue volunteer work.
In terms of why Melbourne over Monash, I just feel so much more comfortable and at home at Melbourne. Everything seems (and to me, is) nicer, whether it be the lecture theaters, buildings, cafes, food areas, location.
At Monash, I really felt as though I didn't fit in at all. Don't know why. Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
I don't want to be spending heaps of time at a university I don't feel comfortable in, or like as much as another one.
Erm Surgeon? Hate to break it to you, but I don't think US unis accept undergraduate degrees from another country except Canada. Well, that's Harvard anyway. CHECK yourself, i MAY be wrong.
That would cause a big problem..
I was always under the impression they did, and a friend of mine who did an exchange in the USA for 6 months said they did.
Nevertheless, I'll definitely look into it. Thanks for letting me know.
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This forum
does make me lol sometimes.
1. Jenny: don't go to a university you feel is your 2nd preference because your friends go there. I can't actually fathom why your friends proximities would sway you that much. You will meet new people, it's ok, and it's not as if you go to Monash that they will disown you and never see you again.
2. Surgeon: Go where you feel at home. If you like Melbourne, go there, but be prepared to know that if the Ivies are your goal, you better be pushing 90+ averages all through your degree. It's doable I think (I'm only first year), but you'll be dedicating your next three years for the goal of getting into medicine. You'll be competing against the best in the world, not just Victoria anymore, and there are some smart cookies out there (not that you aren't bro (? hopefully the right gender)).
Also, why just the Ivies and JH Med? UC SF is top-notch, and so are many others. From what I've heard, it doesn't really matter where you graduate from for med, just as long as your are registered. If you're planning on doing law overseas however, a T14 uni will make your start of your legal career a hell of a lot easier.
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Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
Well, the Sunderland theater at UoM really sucked imo :P
The Spot, Basement Theatre. Enough said.
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Stanford Master of Science (Eng) accepts Bologna model 3-year undergraduate degrees. Got so excited, then realised that it's 40k a year, and I wouldn't have accreditation to become a PE.
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Jenny did you sit the ISAT or the UMAT?
ISAT, but I didnt get high %ile
On career expo day, I asked Monash, they said, if I couldn get enough %ile requirement, even 99.95 ATAR cant help anything
I don't think you should put any university above another one, just because your friends go there.
Go to the university that you want to go to.
There will be plenty of opportunities to catch up with your current friends outside of university, and you'll make heaps of new friends :)
My friends are not the main reason though. I have other friends studying commerce, science at Monash as well LOL
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Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
Well, the Sunderland theater at UoM really sucked imo :P
The Spot, Basement Theatre. Enough said.
Fairly sure I did ECON10003 just to get into the Spot Theatre again. Held in Copland Theatre. Damn, no dice.
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The American medical system is all kinds of different to ours and if you're only considering the Ivies or T14 then you'd better have a Plan B that you're really happy with
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Jenny did you sit the ISAT or the UMAT?
ISAT, but I didnt get high %ile
On career expo day, I asked Monash, they said, if I couldn get enough %ile requirement, even 99.95 ATAR cant help anything
I don't think you should put any university above another one, just because your friends go there.
Go to the university that you want to go to.
There will be plenty of opportunities to catch up with your current friends outside of university, and you'll make heaps of new friends :)
My friends are not the main reason though. I have other friends studying commerce, science at Monash as well LOL
I asked this for you in the medical fb group:
"This is a highly random question and admissions related, but does anyone know the ISAT requirement to get an interview?"
And the responses I got were:
"when i took the isat, there wasn't a specific cutoff point"
"yep. my ISAT was 38% i think. and it was a passable for monash. in my opinion, in regards from pointers from the education provider that was handling my monash application, monash didnt set a benchmark on the ISAT points, as long as its passable enough, as in its not too low. i think the only uni that required a high ISAT score, in accordance to my experience as an international applicant, was tasmania uni. they required at least a 50% score to be CONSIDERED for an interview. "
I'd apply for it! :D
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Thanks for the replies guys.
I forgot to mention an important thing - I'd like to one day live and work in America. Not sure though.
If I did Biomed, I would apply to medical schools in the USA for the MD. If I decide by then that I don't want to go to the USA or I don't want medicine, I could till apply for postgraduate medicine here, or the JD here, or Master of Engineering here (if all else fails) etc.
I think if I did MBBS, it would be harder - as opposed to doing a science degree here then applying to do an MD over there. I'm fairly certain most medical schools guarantee you an internship so long as you pass, so I would have a student visa for that duration of time. After all of my training, I can get a working visa (which is given for a minimum of 3 years) if I'm offered a job. Then, if I marry an American citizen, I could get a permanent residency.
At this point, I'm only considering a couple of medical schools: John Hopkins and some ivy-leaguers. Difficult, I know, but I fully intend on working hard in university and doing my very best. I'm also going to continue my involvement in a bunch of co-curriculars and will continue volunteer work.
In terms of why Melbourne over Monash, I just feel so much more comfortable and at home at Melbourne. Everything seems (and to me, is) nicer, whether it be the lecture theaters, buildings, cafes, food areas, location.
At Monash, I really felt as though I didn't fit in at all. Don't know why. Also, lecture theaters and buildings that I've seen aren't too flash.
I don't want to be spending heaps of time at a university I don't feel comfortable in, or like as much as another one.
Erm Surgeon? Hate to break it to you, but I don't think US unis accept undergraduate degrees from another country except Canada. Well, that's Harvard anyway. CHECK yourself, i MAY be wrong.
Really? I remember at my early post of this year, Shinny or someone told me after undergrad degree, you do GAMSAT (in Aus) or other kind of test for studying medicine in other countries.
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Ultimately, if your goal is to live in the US one day, gaining admission to any university's med program overseas would be beneficial. I agree with BUMCHIN, you should be considering a broader spectrum than the Ivies/JH given you're overall life goal. Is there any other way to get PR in the US besides getting married to a citizen? What happens if you don't find the person you're looking for over there?
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Oh but wait, you wouldn't have looked like a hero and been up voted, if you had done that.
Epl is an hero that doesn't afraid of anything
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MCAT jenny - not GAMSAT. MCAT is what you're thinking I think.
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Surgeon: Go where you feel at home. If you like Melbourne, go there, but be prepared to know that if the Ivies are your goal, you better be pushing 90+ averages all through your degree. It's doable I think (I'm only first year), but you'll be dedicating your next three years for the goal of getting into medicine. You'll be competing against the best in the world, not just Victoria anymore, and there are some smart cookies out there (not that you aren't bro (? hopefully the right gender)).
Also, why just the Ivies and JH Med? UC SF is top-notch, and so are many others. From what I've heard, it doesn't really matter where you graduate from for med, just as long as your are registered. If you're planning on doing law overseas however, a T14 uni will make your start of your legal career a hell of a lot easier.
Thanks man. No matter what happens, I'll definitely give university my best shot.
Stanford Master of Science (Eng) accepts Bologna model 3-year undergraduate degrees. Got so excited, then realised that it's 40k a year, and I wouldn't have accreditation to become a PE.
Isn't there any financial aid available?
Jenny did you sit the ISAT or the UMAT?
ISAT, but I didnt get high %ile
On career expo day, I asked Monash, they said, if I couldn get enough %ile requirement, even 99.95 ATAR cant help anything
I don't think you should put any university above another one, just because your friends go there.
Go to the university that you want to go to.
There will be plenty of opportunities to catch up with your current friends outside of university, and you'll make heaps of new friends :)
My friends are not the main reason though. I have other friends studying commerce, science at Monash as well LOL
Fair enough :) It just seemed like you put your second preference as your first preference just because of your friends at Melbourne Uni, going by what you said before. :)
The American medical system is all kinds of different to ours and if you're only considering the Ivies or T14 then you'd better have a Plan B that you're really happy with
Plan Bs are postgraduate med here, JD here, if they fail, may take an honors year then apply for med/dent again and if that fails, Master of Engineering, I guess.
Ultimately, if your goal is to live in the US one day, gaining admission to any university's med program overseas would be beneficial. I agree with BUMCHIN, you should be considering a broader spectrum than the Ivies/JH given you're overall life goal. Is there any other way to get PR in the US besides getting married to a citizen? What happens if you don't find the person you're looking for over there?
Yeah I may have to keep looking at "easier" places to get into if I'm adamant in going to the US. We'll see I guess. If I satisfy the prerequisites for JH/Ivy, I'm sure I would satisfy the prerequisite for other schools. I'll look into it and make sure I do.
I think it's possible to get permanent residency through employment, not sure what I'd do if I didn't find ms.right.
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I asked this for you in the medical fb group:
"This is a highly random question and admissions related, but does anyone know the ISAT requirement to get an interview?"
And the responses I got were:
"when i took the isat, there wasn't a specific cutoff point"
"yep. my ISAT was 38% i think. and it was a passable for monash. in my opinion, in regards from pointers from the education provider that was handling my monash application, monash didnt set a benchmark on the ISAT points, as long as its passable enough, as in its not too low. i think the only uni that required a high ISAT score, in accordance to my experience as an international applicant, was tasmania uni. they required at least a 50% score to be CONSIDERED for an interview. "
I'd apply for it! :D
:OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Can I still change my preference list?
MCAT jenny - not GAMSAT. MCAT is what you're thinking I think.
I mean you do GAMSAT if applying postgrad in Aus or other test (yeah, its probably MCAT, I couldnt remember the name) if applying in non-Aus
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:OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO
Can I still change my preference list?
I think you still can atm :)
Note that those responses are by people who sat the ISAT and are DOING med in my year now, so they're accurate haha
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It's cool brah. With Stanford, they're getting a bit 'cash-cow'ish with their Eng department (just hearsay, don't quote me). I'm sure they have financial aid, however, the issue with me doing BSci (3 years) then M.Eng there is that it is not a professionally accredited course structure and will therefore will refuse me from professional engineering practise. Ah well, MBA in 7-9 years time somewhere good is on the table if my career/life/shiz goes to plan.
Remember that life will not always turn out what you want it to be, or what you plan it to be. You just have to make the best of the opportunities that are given to you. Getting a bit deep for a forum.
Remember that if you want to have a travel to America, you could always do it as an Exchange in your UGrad to see how you like it. It's what I'm doing.
In regards to your Monash/Melb debate, if you are set on post-grad med for yourself, and you feel more at home at Melbourne Uni, come to Melb. No point going to a uni you didn't want to and disliking going there everyday for the next 3 - 5 years.
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It's cool brah. With Stanford, they're getting a bit 'cash-cow'ish with their Eng department (just hearsay, don't quote me). I'm sure they have financial aid, however, the issue with me doing BSci (3 years) then M.Eng there is that it is not a professionally accredited course structure and will therefore will refuse me from professional engineering practise. Ah well, MBA in 7-9 years time somewhere good is on the table if my career/life/shiz goes to plan.
Remember that life will not always turn out what you want it to be, or what you plan it to be. You just have to make the best of the opportunities that are given to you. Getting a bit deep for a forum.
Remember that if you want to have a travel to America, you could always do it as an Exchange in your UGrad to see how you like it. It's what I'm doing.
You're absolutely right, man :)
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@Surgeon - should make some plan B in case you dont get the 99.xx ATAR for either Biomed or MBBS (I know you dont necessarily need 99+ for MBBS but still) seeing your other threads complaining about doing poorly etc etc - you should question whether you can get over the line before thinking about these decisions
I'm not doubting whether you can get 99+, but majority of wannabe-med-students in VCE dont walk in everyday to school thinking they're in the top 1% of the state :S (certain forum member aside.)
dont bite off more than you can chew atm
maybe think about this once you get your ATAR
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@Surgeon - should make some plan B in case you dont get the 99.xx ATAR for either Biomed or MBBS (I know you dont necessarily need 99+ for MBBS but still) seeing your other threads complaining about doing poorly etc etc - you should question whether you can get over the line before thinking about these decisions
I'm not doubting whether you can get 99+, but majority of wannabe-med-students in VCE dont walk in everyday to school thinking they're in the top 1% of the state :S (certain forum member aside.)
dont bite off more than you can chew atm
maybe think about this once you get your ATAR
I might be able to get into Biomed with a 95+ (SEAS), but if not, then I'll be doing Science at Melbourne Uni if I end up going to Melbourne Uni.
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If you really want to do medicine, you really should do MBBS at Monash. If you don't get in / decide you're not sure, you may as well just do Science/Biomed at Monash :).
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Personally, I found that getting into med anywhere was a privilege and something to grab with both hands when it luckily came my way (and I was lucky to get in to Monash). To get in, you have to satisfy a range of criteria, whether that be GAMSAT+GPA+Interview or UMAT+ATAR+Interview, it's a tough process and the majority of applicants come away with nothing, that's the harsh truth.
I see no logical reason why someone who had a chance of getting undergrad med somewhere (unless they had personal medical issues, or severe financial issues etc.) would go to UoM Biomed and try again for the MD that they might not even get (grad med entry is a completely different ball game imo).
Furthermore, who picks a course based on how nice the building look? Especially when an extra 2 years is on the line?
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love
I'm sure you've thoroughly researched the MD if this is the case and therefore I'm assuming you realise how many preclin years there are and how strange this statement sounds? And you don't love the uni, you just love how it looks. Big difference.
This whole notion of going to a uni for looks when the course in question is one that I find is a huge privilege to get into in the first place is why I find the first post so confusing, I just don't get it why this thread even exists.
In my opinion, get into med first, then decide where you'd like go.
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Personally, I found that getting into med anywhere was a privilege and something to grab with both hands when it luckily came my way (and I was lucky to get in to Monash). To get in, you have to satisfy a range of criteria, whether that be GAMSAT+GPA+Interview or UMAT+ATAR+Interview, it's a tough process and the majority of applicants come away with nothing, that's the harsh truth.
I see no logical reason why someone who had a chance of getting undergrad med somewhere (unless they had personal medical issues, or severe financial issues etc.) would go to UoM Biomed and try again for the MD that they might not even get (grad med entry is a completely different ball game imo).
Furthermore, who picks a course based on how nice the building look? Especially when an extra 2 years is on the line?
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love
I'm sure you've thoroughly researched the MD if this is the case and therefore I'm assuming you realise how many preclin years there are and how strange this statement sounds? And you don't love the uni, you just love how it looks. Big difference.
This whole notion of going to a uni for looks when the course in question is one that I find is a huge privilege to get into in the first place is why I find the first post so confusing, I just don't get it why this thread even exists.
In my opinion, get into med first, then decide where you'd like go.
I'm not advocating that it is easy to get into undergraduate medicine, or that I wouldn't be terribly lucky to be offered a place.
However, I don't think you fully understand why I'm considering Biomed/Science then MD instead of saying that if offered a place in undergraduate medicine, I would snap it up in a heart beat.
Because I want to live and work in the USA, MBBS wouldn't be the best idea. This is the reason I'm not sure what I would pick.
If I go to Monash MBBS for example, I'll be spending 2 years at a campus that I didn't feel particularly comfortable or "welcome" in. I don't think university is simply a place to learn stuff. The social side of things is also very important. In my opinion, the way you feel about a place that you will be spending at least 2 years at is quite important.
I don't want to go into the course with the mentality of 'I need to get through X number of years here before I can get away". I'd much rather think, "I've only got X numbers of years left here :(".
The looks of the buildings alone is not and will never be the deciding factor for my university choice.
I feel as though it's good to start thinking about these things in good time, so that I'm not completely overwhelmed and don't make a relatively uneducated decision in the spur of the moment having been offered undergraduate medicine or Biomed/Science.
MBBS or Biomed/Science aren't the only courses I'm applying for - I've got a very wide range of courses that I'm applying to.
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Just want to make it clear here, the US knows that our MBBS is equal to their MD. That said, I assume they will rate the Melbourne MD higher than Monash's MBBS, purely because it's Melbourne.
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If I go to Monash MBBS for example, I'll be spending 2 years at a campus that I didn't feel particularly comfortable or "welcome" in. I don't think university is simply a place to learn stuff. The social side of things is also very important. In my opinion, the way you feel about a place that you will be spending at least 2 years at is quite important.
I don't want to go into the course with the mentality of 'I need to get through X number of years here before I can get away". I'd much rather think, "I've only got X numbers of years left here :(".
K, with your first point, you went to an --open day--, possibly with preconceived notions about what your expectations of Monash would be (i.e. inferior to Melbourne). When you're saying you don't feel "comfortable" or "welcome", I just find it so vague and unsubstantiated - you haven't actually met the people who you're going to be studying with either in Monash or Melbourne, so how can you possibly know how comfortable you'll feel when really it all depends on who you're studying with. The way you're making a decision about the university seems borderline irresponsible to me, because I agree - the way you feel about a place you will spend at least 2 years at IS very important - but you're basing those decisions off ONE open day where you didn't meet people in your course and had some vague feelings about "being unwelcome".
Secondly, Monash has one of the most active student associations and runs HEAPS of student events. I am sure Melbourne does as well, but from what I've heard (and I suppose this is entirely subjective) if you want a great social life, Monash and Deakin are the best.
Finally, for your working in the US point, I can really empathize because I'd love to work/live overseas as well. But there are some realities you should be aware of - the economic climate in the U.S. is pretty dire at the moment, and they have a lot of problems that will make it very tough and very expensive for you to move there, without working in Australia for a bit first. I would definitely not say it's impossible, but I think potentially a better pathway (irrespective of whether you go to Melb. or Monash) is to first go on an exchange to the U.S. for a year. From that point post-grad (if you go the Melb route) is possible, but doing Medicine in the USA basically means you need to spend a lot of years there, doing your internship/working because you won't be able to get a job back in Australia. It's a big commitment away from friends and family, and not something you should be jumping into on romanticized notions of grandeur. I don't want to do Med myself so I can't give you specifics, only that it could quite possibly be a horrible decision so do some more research on it!
Anyway, good luck Surgeon, I hope you work out what you want to do and get into your first preference :).
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First of all, even though I give Melbourne so much shit, especially that Melbourne Model, I'll agree that it's a decent university, so is Monash, they're both equally good and both have their good points and their bad points.
I would honestly say that if you end up at Monash and regret for the next few years that you aren't at Melbourne - go to Melbourne. As crazy, unrealistic and vague as you sound in regards to why you prefer Melbourne, I sympathise with you because I know how it feels to be doing something that was never really your first choice. It's like doing something just because you can, whilst your dreams lie elsewhere, and I know how crap it feels when your friends tell you that they're at Melbourne, because deep down, you wish you were there too.
Some things aren't easy to put into words and I understand that this is one of those things, if you want to go to Melbourne and you feel a passion for it, you should go to Melbourne by all means. If there's something that I've learnt over the past year or so, it's that you should never settle for second best if you've still got a shot for what you really love, cause even though you might regret it later, you'll never forget that at the time, it was what you truly wanted.
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Just want to make it clear here, the US knows that our MBBS is equal to their MD. That said, I assume they will rate the Melbourne MD higher than Monash's MBBS, purely because it's Melbourne.
If you go to America as a foreign trained doctor you will have to do (at the absolute minimum) a residency again and work your way up from the bottom of the food chain again. Their entire medical system is structured differently to ours and you need to do different licensing exams and so forth. Given that you live in Australia I wouldn't understand why you'd trade our medical system for theirs -.-
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Just want to make it clear here, the US knows that our MBBS is equal to their MD. That said, I assume they will rate the Melbourne MD higher than Monash's MBBS, purely because it's Melbourne.
If you go to America as a foreign trained doctor you will have to do (at the absolute minimum) a residency again and work your way up from the bottom of the food chain again. Their entire medical system is structured differently to ours and you need to do different licensing exams and so forth. Given that you live in Australia I wouldn't understand why you'd trade our medical system for theirs -.-
I'm aware of this. That's why I want to do an MD in the US of I'm planning on working and living there. If I get an MD (or even JD, if I go into law) in Australia, I'll stay here.
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Personally, I found that getting into med anywhere was a privilege and something to grab with both hands when it luckily came my way (and I was lucky to get in to Monash). To get in, you have to satisfy a range of criteria, whether that be GAMSAT+GPA+Interview or UMAT+ATAR+Interview, it's a tough process and the majority of applicants come away with nothing, that's the harsh truth.
I see no logical reason why someone who had a chance of getting undergrad med somewhere (unless they had personal medical issues, or severe financial issues etc.) would go to UoM Biomed and try again for the MD that they might not even get (grad med entry is a completely different ball game imo).
Furthermore, who picks a course based on how nice the building look? Especially when an extra 2 years is on the line?
Thats true, I dont think lots of people who got offer of MBBS course from Monash will give it up to study at other Uni just because of the beautiful buildings except they have personal reasons.
Just want to make it clear here, the US knows that our MBBS is equal to their MD. That said, I assume they will rate the Melbourne MD higher than Monash's MBBS, purely because it's Melbourne.
If you go to America as a foreign trained doctor you will have to do (at the absolute minimum) a residency again and work your way up from the bottom of the food chain again. Their entire medical system is structured differently to ours and you need to do different licensing exams and so forth. Given that you live in Australia I wouldn't understand why you'd trade our medical system for theirs -.-
I'm aware of this. That's why I want to do an MD in the US of I'm planning on working and living there. If I get an MD (or even JD, if I go into law) in Australia, I'll stay here.
I agree with you. I dont see anything wrong with doing an MD in US though
You still have chances, so just do what you dream of. Life is about challenges and there is nothing wrong to try a new life in a new country, new uni, new environment. At first, you have to cope with obstacles but then you will become stronger.
Just do what you like because one day, maybe you wont have any opportunities to do that.
Surgeon, if you wanna do medicine due to helping people, there is no big differences between helping people in Aus and US.
But if you can get MD and have a job in Aus, stay then :)
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I'm aware of this. That's why I want to do an MD in the US of I'm planning on working and living there. If I get an MD (or even JD, if I go into law) in Australia, I'll stay here.
It's probably easier to do the medical degree here and move there, than try to get into medical school there as an international student afaik
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I'm aware of this. That's why I want to do an MD in the US of I'm planning on working and living there. If I get an MD (or even JD, if I go into law) in Australia, I'll stay here.
It's probably easier to do the medical degree here and move there, than try to get into medical school there as an international student afaik
Well it's not like I'm going to lose anything by applying to study there anyway. I'll also be applying for postgraduate medicine everywhere possible in Australia. If I can get into the course over in the US, great. If not, study somewhere here and decide whether I still want to move over there after graduating.
If I get into the MD at Melbourne, would it be possible to do the clinical years in the states? (I don't think so, asking just in case).
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If I get into the MD at Melbourne, would it be possible to do the clinical years in the states? (I don't think so, asking just in case).
Nope. You'll have the opportunity to do a short (it's 6 weeks at Monash) elective there. All the rest would be at a UoM hospital.
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You can do more than 6 weeks overseas, but all the core stuff is going to be here.
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If you really want to do medicine and got into Monash MBBS and chose UoM Biomed ahead of it (not including chancellor's scholarship), then to be honest I think you'd be absolutely nuts. I could maybe understand choosing biomed if you didn't want to go interstate for med or were unsure as to what you wanted to really do (may change your mind to dent instead of med, etc.) but choosing Melbourne Uni simply because it has a nicer campus seems a bit difficult to comprehend...
sure lots of people want to go to UoM cos it's on the edge of the cbd and looks nice, but firstly it'll be like doing year 12 all over again for the next 3 years, and even if you did will enough to get straight into postgrad med (by averaging HDs and smashing the GAMSAT?), the total time spent studying would be 7 years as opposed to mbbs at monash which is 5 years (i think). And in health sciences there is no added benefit to doing a postgrad degree compared to an undergrad degree, you are still only qualified to do the same shit (and it's not like law or anything either, what uni you went to generally won't affect job prospects in the health sciences). Also won't be a doctor/GP after 4-6 years, consider that after 5-7 years of med school there's 2 years of internship and probs another couple of years after that to study to become a GP
edit: just realised i only read the first page of this thread, feel free to ignore anything i've said if it's already been mentioned.
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sure lots of people want to go to UoM cos it's on the edge of the cbd and looks nice, but firstly it'll be like doing year 12 all over again for the next 3 years,
That is the best advice I have heard all day.
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I just don't agree, purely because I can understand where Surgeon is coming from - kids in year 12, you guys don't understand yet, but when you're somewhere where you never wanted to be, when you wake up every day of your life wishing you were somewhere else, doing something different, then you will understand.
That's why I think, Surgeon, if it's your dream to be an alumni of UoM and it's your dream to go there, then by all means, go there, heaps of people have gone through BioMed or Science there and are now in MD. You can't always take the safe passage in life.
Just remember that sometimes the things we want aren't rational, I understand that, thus, we have regrets about what we do. But in the end, we will always have more regrets if we choose to do things we don't want to as opposed to what we do want to.
You guys will understand what I mean some day, some of you next year, some of you in the near future, but in Year 12, everyone does pretty much the same thing, there's no "choice".
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I just don't agree, purely because I can understand where Surgeon is coming from - kids in year 12, you guys don't understand yet, but when you're somewhere where you never wanted to be, when you wake up every day of your life wishing you were somewhere else, doing something different, then you will understand.
That's why I think, Surgeon, if it's your dream to be an alumni of UoM and it's your dream to go there, then by all means, go there, heaps of people have gone through BioMed or Science there and are now in MD. You can't always take the safe passage in life.
Just remember that sometimes the things we want aren't rational, I understand that, thus, we have regrets about what we do. But in the end, we will always have more regrets if we choose to do things we don't want to as opposed to what we do want to.
You guys will understand what I mean some day, some of you next year, some of you in the near future, but in Year 12, everyone does pretty much the same thing, there's no "choice".
I agree with this. Imagine waking up next year and hating what you do yet knowing it will be a pain to change back but a pain to stay. Or imagine waking up 20 years from now and realising this isn't what you want to do but seriously by then it would be even more of a pain. If you absolutely hate it you probably won't try as hard and reach your potential. Although it isn't necessarily 'what you decide now = the rest of your life' it would most likely be of a reasonable significance. Right now many of you are considering what to do, I'd say consider very carefully.
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sure lots of people want to go to UoM cos it's on the edge of the cbd and looks nice, but firstly it'll be like doing year 12 all over again for the next 3 years,
That is the best advice I have heard all day.
Whereas MBBS is going to be so much easier right...
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Her point is that you are already in mbbs if you choose Monash. If you had wanted to do med and go to uom you'd be basically doing year 12 all over again in that you would be competing with others for places in graduate entry med.
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That doesn't really make sense, it's hard work in either (MBBS is probably harder in first year anyway). There's no scaling or being marked against others in your year, it's just how hard you work, which, as I said, is similar.
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But all you're aiming for is a pass in MBBS (which isn't difficult considering the exams are mostly multiple choice), whereas you need an extremely competitive score in Biomed to stand a chance of getting into the MD later. Point is, one you're already in Med, whereas the other, you're fighting your way to still get in. Worst case, even if you fail in MBBS, you can just repeat and get your qualification eventually down the track. On the other hand, failing in Biomed wouldn't go down so well in your MD hopes.
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That doesn't really make sense, it's hard work in either (MBBS is probably harder in first year anyway). There's no scaling or being marked against others in your year, it's just how hard you work, which, as I said, is similar.
In terms of getting into graduate entry med, it would be about being marked against others in your year, right? Coz you'd be competing for a place there.
EDIT: What shinny said.
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^^
You're rarely marked against others. Your marks might be compared to theirs once you get them, but the marks of others don't affect yours
But all you're aiming for is a pass in MBBS (which isn't difficult considering the exams are mostly multiple choice), whereas you need an extremely competitive score in Biomed to stand a chance of getting into the MD later. Point is, one you're already in Med, whereas the other, you're fighting your way to still get in. Worst case, even if you fail in MBBS, you can just repeat and get your qualification eventually down the track. On the other hand, failing in Biomed wouldn't go down so well in your MD hopes.
I think just passing is still pretty hard :'(
Yeah I guess so, I just didn't really see how she'd consider one to be tough and the other not but oh well.
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From going to a school that had beautiful buildings to clayton, which in all honesty is a shit hole, I can tell you the buildings don't mean shit. Its the people in them that decide whether you enjoy your time at uni.
and apologies, but if you think med are where the chicks are at, you are sadly mistaken my friend.
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From going to a school that had beautiful buildings to clayton, which in all honesty is a shit hole, I can tell you the buildings don't mean shit. Its the people in them that decide whether you enjoy your time at uni.
and apologies, but if you think med are where the chicks are at, you are sadly mistaken my friend.
I honestly agree with this post!
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So I was at Melbourne University again today, for the first time since I've been to the Monash University open day.
I've always seen Melbourne as my second preference after Monash MBBS and a science/X double degree.....
Not so sure anymore.
The little thought nibbling at the back of my mind was confirmed...
I love Melbourne University. I love the people, love the facilities, love the look of the buildings, love the location...
I don't know any more whether I'm going to put the Bachelor of Biomedicine at Melbourne above Monash MBBS.
In addition to this, I don't know whether I would pick interstate MBBS/Dent over Biomed/Science at Melbourne.
I'm not even going to bother putting law into this equation because it will just bring too many variables into play.
I'm fairly certain that I want to go into medicine (then maybe dent, still have to do research) and law as a second preference of what I want to do.
More confused than ever.
If I get into MBBS, I'm going to be a doctor in 4-6 years, so long as I graduate.
I won't be at a university that is my favourite, though. (I'm assuming interstate universities that offer MBBS aren't as nice as Melbourne University in every way - can anyone confirm/refute?).
If I go to Melbourne University, I'll be at an awesome university that I love, but I'm not guaranteed anything after a 3 years course..
Did anyone else face this, or a similar conundrum? How did you resolve it?
How can you possibly know what the people are like at Melbourne and monash just from open day and a visit?
With all due respect this sounds to me like:
I might not get it I monash cause it's really hard to get into, so if I don't get in, I'll tell people I didn't like the buildings and the erm people so I didn't want to get in any way.
How could you possibly know you don't like monash people when the students who would do mbbs with you haven't even been determined yet?
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He has a right to believe that - regardless of whether his belief is correct or not - he's not hurting anybody and if he truly believes that Melbourne is the place to be, just let him be there, why are you trying to attack and undermine his opinion when it was his choice to make in the first place.
Who are you to tell him where he should go and what he should believe when his views on each uni do not even really concern you.
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This thread really doesn't have any relevance any more (for reasons that will not be further discussed), so going to lock this now before the inevitable argument develops. I'm sure the OP appreciated everyone's kind words :)