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Medicine for University
Graduates in Australia
Ten years ago, Australian Medical Schools
all admitted students direct from high school
to six- or five-year courses. A major change
of the last 10 years has been development
of four-year programs for university graduates.
The prime role of these programs is to train
some of Australia’s brightest and
most talented graduates as the country’s
future doctors. But because most of the
graduate entry schools are able to offer
some additional international places, the
programs also provide a new high quality
option for medical training, for graduates
from other parts of the world.
Like the pioneering graduate-entry program
at Flinders University in Adelaide, some
of the new courses have evolved from established
six-year courses: the Universities of Queensland
(in Brisbane), Sydney, Melbourne and Western
Australia (in Perth). Others are new Schools:
the Australian National University (in Canberra),
Griffith University (on the Gold Coast)
and Notre Dame University (near Perth) –
see map for locations. Between them, the
eight programs for graduates account for
about 40% of the medical school places in
Australia in 2005 – with about 830
Australians and over 150 international places.
All of these programs are accredited by
the Australian Medical Council, based on
guidelines aligned with World Federation
for Medical Education standards. Some additional
graduate-entry medical schools are in the
planning phase. The remaining medicine places
in Australia continue to be for high school-leavers,
including some places for international
students.
Nature of the Australian programs
Recent evolution of the new programs,
similar in structure to North American medical
courses and new courses in the UK, provided
the opportunity to consider the learning
styles, curriculum structures and content
most appropriate to twenty first century
medicine. Based on local experience and
innovations in medical education around
the world, all of the schools place significant
emphasis on problem-based learning (PBL).
The aim is not only to learn in context
(where adults learn most effectively) but
also to foster life-long learning and teamwork
skills for a rapidly changing profession.
The Australian programs also place substantial
emphasis on providing students with hands-on
clinical experience in all 4 years, not
just the later “clinical” years.
At Flinders, for instance, students in Years
1 and 2 have weekly small group clinical
tutorials with clinicians and are likely
to see patients in hospital wards regularly
with their tutors. Clinical skills development
is supported by ample opportunity to practise
a range of physical examination and life
support skills in the “safe”
environment of clinical skills and simulation
laboratories. Resources in these labs range
from specific task trainers through computer-controlled
manikins, allowing simulation of a variety
of clinical situations (see accompanying
photo), to “teaching associates”
who are available for practice examinations
and provide guidance from a patient perspective.
In Years 3 and 4, students work alongside
clinicians in rotations in each of the major
clinical disciplines and, in Year 4, in
further rotations (or clerkships) which
offer opportunities to broaden clinical
experience and, to some extent, emphasise
areas of particular interest. Most Schools
offer varied options for rotations including
experience in rural communities. Generally
international students may complete some
final year elective clerkships in their
home countries. Flinders, for instance,
has exchange arrangements with Columbia
University in New York and with U New Mexico
to facilitate this.
What happens for international
students after graduation?
This is obviously a key question
for those thinking about applying to an
Australian School and merits careful research
for each individual’s circumstances.
The documentation and examination requirements
as well as ease of access to professional
(“Residency”) training programs
vary for different countries. Students from
the USA and Canada returning home must undertake
US Medical Licensing Exams (USMLEs) or related
Canadian exams. Flinders international graduates
(for whom I have data) have a high success
rate in these exams and those entering the
US Residency “Match” have generally
secured satisfying placements. Again, using
Flinders data, about one third of international
graduates have stayed to work in Australia
for at least a year or two after graduation.
In response to a doctor shortage, the Australian
Government is currently facilitating steps
to allow international graduates to work
as (paid) hospital interns for a year (a
pre-registration requirement in Australia);
and has increased options for continuing
with professional (Residency) training programs.
For this further training, international
graduates must seek Australian Permanent
Resident Status.
Admissions
All of the Australian graduate-entry
programs have related admission requirements.
Applicants need a Bachelors degree. There
are no specific pre-requisite topics (premedical
or other) and the degree may be in any area.
Indeed the programs are seeking students
with varied backgrounds and experience.
Although this varies between Schools and
assessment systems, a B or 75% average or
a GPA above 3 on a 4-point scale could be
competitive in combination with good test
scores.
Recent results from an admissions test
– either the US test MCAT or the Australian
test, GAMSAT – are required for an
application. Required scores probably range
from a minimum of 8s on MCAT or an overall
58 on GAMSAT (but check with individual
Schools). All Schools interview international
applicants but use different approaches.
In many cases, interviews are conducted
in the applicant’s region so that
overseas travel is not required.
Application deadlines vary from June to
mid-August and some Schools will consider
applications with August MCAT scores to
be submitted when available. There is a
national admissions process and the website
for the National Admissions Centre gives
information about all of the graduate-entry
programs, admission processes and also about
the Australian admissions test, GAMSAT.
Visit www.acer.edu.au/gamsat and click on
Graduate Medical Admissions Centre. Some
Schools, including Flinders, prefer direct
applications to allow for earlier admissions
decisions.
It is, of course, a big decision for an
international student to apply to Medicine
in Australia. The Australian academic year
runs from February to November, a mismatch
with many other systems. The annual tuition
fees range from AUD$35,000 and require a
big financial commitment. Returning home
to work requires careful planning. Students
can however be confident of high quality
training in programs already used as a model
by new schools in Australia, England and
Asia – and are also assured of a friendly
Aussie welcome.
Dr Tony Edwards
Chair, Admissions Committee
Flinders
University School of Medicine
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