Medicine FAQ / So You Want To Be A Doctor

[Sense]

How important are your marks in the course? Some places I read that it doesn't matter at all, it all depends on how well you do in your internship. Or is it different for every type of specialty?

[IndefatigableLover]

How important are your marks in the course? Some places I read that it doesn't matter at all, it all depends on how well you do in your internship. Or is it different for every type of specialty?

It kind of depends on what course you're talking about since having good marks gives you a greater chance of securing an internship.
For undergrads, this is mainly where the problem is due to the internship crisis (refer to Page 1 of this thread for more) whilst for people sitting the GAMSAT for Graduate Medicine, your marks need to be fairly good in order to be competitive (so high GPA), have a good interview and then you're into your course and you still need to do an internship (I think) so your marks are pretty important for your course I'd say!

[pi]

How important are your marks in the course? Some places I read that it doesn't matter at all, it all depends on how well you do in your internship. Or is it different for every type of specialty?

Higher the better! But they become less and less important as the years go by (as with anything!). Probably not so relevant after internship. Personally I always make sure I mix my study with some partying, don't want to regret "wasting" my 20s for the sake of a slightly higher score!

Everyone needs to do an internship (ie. first year of being a doctor).

[Russ]

Different hospitals have different assessment criteria (some care a lot, some a little etc.)

Nobody cares about med school marks when you're applying for specialty colleges.

[LiquidPaperz]

If one wanted to be a radiologist, what do you need to do? atar, umat? any undergrad without umat?

anyone know if its a good job?? haha

[pi]

Radiology needs a medical degree (note: different to radiography, which has its own degree) with internship and so forth. http://www.ranzcr.edu.au/training/overview It's a good job if you enjoy it, not so good if you don't enjoy it? It's become "fashionable" of late.

any undergrad without umat?

JCU.


I've attached a pdf on the main post which I think is a handy little summary of the FRACP pathway

[rery]

I've attached a pdf on the main post which I think is a handy little summary of the FRACP pathway

Would you happen to know how the college allocates trainees to the advanced training programs? I can't imagine there'd be many ENT wannabes compared to those of something like cardiology.

[LiquidPaperz]

Radiology needs a medical degree (note: different to radiography, which has its own degree) with internship and so forth. http://www.ranzcr.edu.au/training/overview It's a good job if you enjoy it, not so good if you don't enjoy it? It's become "fashionable" of late.

JCU.


I've attached a pdf on the main post which I think is a handy little summary of the FRACP pathway

Hey Pi, just had a look. Couldnt find radiology undergrad on JCU website, would you mind linking me to where its at?

I did however look at MBBS, http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/courses/health/index.htm ,  is UMAT required? and what is the vce equivalent of English, Maths B and Chemistry. if you are aware.

Also would you be able to name a few medical jobs which are rated as good? - work conditions, demand, "fashionable" pay? i just want to see other options out there, there might be something i dont know and may be interested in.

Cheers

[Russ]

Would you happen to know how the college allocates trainees to the advanced training programs? I can't imagine there'd be many ENT wannabes compared to those of something like cardiology.

It's complicated and overinvolved and a nightmare of bureaucracy.
You need to get an advanced training job with a hospital (which the colleges have no influence over) and then apply to the colleges to be recognised as a trainee. You do this all in advance.

Hey Pi, just had a look. Couldnt find radiology undergrad on JCU website, would you mind linking me to where its at?

There is no radiology undergrad, you have to do medicine to become a doctor and then specialize in radiology. He linked JCU because it doesn't require UMAT.

Also would you be able to name a few medical jobs which are rated as good? - work conditions, demand, "fashionable" pay? i just want to see other options out there, there might be something i dont know and may be interested in.

Do psychology. If you go private you get the same money as medicine with better work conditions

[pi]

Would you happen to know how the college allocates trainees to the advanced training programs? I can't imagine there'd be many ENT wannabes compared to those of something like cardiology.

I'm not super familiar with it given it's many years away for me, but each college has their own system. Yeah there won't be as many applicants, but then how many people do you thing ENT takes? These spots are highly competitive, and getting increasingly so with all these new medical schools popping up. You'd want to have very good references, recent research in the field (maybe a PhD) and so forth. (NB. ENT is actually a surgical pathway, my doc was for the physician pathways, there is a difference in how surgery works training-wise too)

Best to check each college for their specific requirements though

edit: what Russ said, it's complicated

Hey Pi, just had a look. Couldnt find radiology undergrad on JCU website, would you mind linking me to where its at?

Radiology isn't something you do in med school, it's a medical specialty (ie. needs a medical degree) that has it's own training pathway after intern year.

I did however look at MBBS, http://www-public.jcu.edu.au/courses/health/index.htm ,  is UMAT required? and what is the vce equivalent of English, Maths B and Chemistry. if you are aware.

UMAT is not required, as per your original question. English is English, Maths B is Maths Methods, and Chemistry is Chemistry.

Also would you be able to name a few medical jobs which are rated as good? - work conditions, demand, "fashionable" pay? i just want to see other options out there, there might be something i dont know and may be interested in.

They're all "good" if you enjoy them. It's highly subjective and everyone will have different views on this. Again, they all have very good pay (there is a neat table illustrating this on Russ' main post). GP is said to be the specialty with the best lifestyle, but again, that's very subjective and that pathway is no longer a "sure thing". The pdf I added to the main post of this thread lists most of the medical specialties.

Most people don't have a realistic sense of what they want to be until they actually experience it during placement or during early years working.

[rery]

Thanks Russ + pi

[Sense]

If one wanted to be a radiologist, what do you need to do? atar, umat? any undergrad without umat?

anyone know if its a good job?? haha

Any job with this salary is a good job.

[Russ]

Having not seen the rest of the advert can I guess that;

based in a rural location
you service a large number of individual towns
extremely onerous on call requirements

[Sense]

Having not seen the rest of the advert can I guess that;

based in a rural location
you service a large number of individual towns
extremely onerous on call requirements

Doesn't really say: http://au.indeed.com/m/viewjob?jk=03c011865f9495b0&from=serp

Still, surely there are people who would be willing to do all of that for that much money. You could work for 10 years then retire happily :0

[LiquidPaperz]

but you got to think about it, your not getting 1 mil. Your actually get 540k after tax, 460k to tax... wow i know!!