AUS: Monash vs Melbourne [Medic]

[Crezki]

Hi again guys.8O

Yup, I think it's the normal big question: Where to do Medicine, Monash (Clayton, Australia) or Melbourne?

To make things manageable, I've come up with a few guiding questions (go ahead and LoL):

1. Top 3 reasons to choose Monash?
2. Top 3 reasons to choose Melbourne?

3. What are the differences in assessment?
4. Any difference in Uni life?

5. Any (foreseeable) difference in outcome (as a graduate)?


I'll start with the fact that Monash MBBS takes only 5 years to complete (+ for Monash).
Melbourne offers an additional BMedSc (+ for Melbourne).

[youngyew]

Hi again guys.8O

Yup, I think it's the normal big question: Where to do Medicine, Monash (Clayton, Australia) or Melbourne?

To make things manageable, I've come up with a few guiding questions (go ahead and LoL):

1. Top 3 reasons to choose Monash?
2. Top 3 reasons to choose Melbourne?

3. What are the differences in assessment?
4. Any difference in Uni life?

5. Any (foreseeable) difference in outcome (as a graduate)?


I'll start with the fact that Monash MBBS takes only 5 years to complete (+ for Monash).
Melbourne offers an additional BMedSc (+ for Melbourne).
Both are really good universities. Sometimes our lecturers have a nasty habit of making fun of Monash uni courses, but I believe it's more of joking than anything else.

Yup it's true that Monash is a 5-year course, so you would save one year compared to Melbourne. The extra year in Melbourne uni is for biomedical research, in which you will be working with established researchers for one year, doing things like cancer research, Alzheimer's disease, the development of eyes in fetus etc. For me I will be doing research about the effect of anaesthetics on patients. Some might find the research boring and unnecessary, but for some others it's an enlightening experience and may even lead them to a research career in the future. So the value of the extra year depends on the person.

In terms of the course, as far as I understand from brochures and friends, Melbourne Uni is more knowledge-orientated and Monash is more clinical-orientated. For example, Melbourne Uni has 2.5 years spent on uni for lectures and 2.5 for clinical school teaching; while Monash has 2 years of lectures and 3 years for clinical school. In some ways, some people would say that Melbourne Uni emphasizes more on the medicinal aspect and Monash emphasizes more on "humanity".

Uni life... Melbourne Uni is located just next to the Melbourne city centre, so you can enjoy life as much as your time permits. Comparatively, Monash Uni is located slightly outskirt (30 minutes train away from the city), so some people might find it less "happening". However, that is only true for the first two years. In the clinical years, you might go to a hospital near the city centre, and in that case you will live in a "more happening" place. However, when you are in clinical year, your capacity to be "happening" is relatively restricted anyway. :D

Assessment.. Not sure about the "strictness" actually. As far as I know, for Melbourne Uni it's not that easy to fail medicine once you enter the course. I suppose it's the same for Monash. The only hard part is to become the top students, as all the students here are all
"creams of the crop".

That's all I could say. Basically both are good universities, and to be frank, one's excellence depends more on their own effort than the university they study in. So don't worry, just try your best and you would be doing well no matter where you go. :)[/list]

[Crezki]

Aha! Got ya, youngyew! I bet-ted that you'd be the first one to post, and you did!

Anyway...

As far as I know, for Melbourne Uni it's not that easy to fail medicine once you enter the course.

... and to be frank, one's excellence depends more on their own effort than the university they study in.

Kind of a hilarious statement there (the first one)... and I think I agree with your opinion that when talking about schooling, the student always matters more than the school.


Thanks for your response.

**Let's wait and see what the Monash people would say...

[jane_gun]

Hi again guys.8O

Yup, I think it's the normal big question: Where to do Medicine, Monash (Clayton, Australia) or Melbourne?

To make things manageable, I've come up with a few guiding questions (go ahead and LoL):

1. Top 3 reasons to choose Monash?
2. Top 3 reasons to choose Melbourne?

3. What are the differences in assessment?
4. Any difference in Uni life?

5. Any (foreseeable) difference in outcome (as a graduate)?


I'll start with the fact that Monash MBBS takes only 5 years to complete (+ for Monash).
Melbourne offers an additional BMedSc (+ for Melbourne).

Haha, funny that you should say it's the "normal" big question - I think most people would head for Melb (and why are there so many people trying to compare Melb and some other med uni? It's the personal effort that counts in the end!)... Personally, I would choose Melb over Monash but that's just my preference (I got offers from both but am now in UNSW instead, hehe)...

[Zeroth]

melbourne doesn't offer undergrad anymore right? :P Anyway, don't decide on which university to go to until AFTER you get all your offers in. Apply to all universities and then only you should decide :P

[jingguo]

melbourne doesn't offer undergrad anymore right? :P Anyway, don't decide on which university to go to until AFTER you get all your offers in. Apply to all universities and then only you should decide :P

yes i agree, just apply for all and only decide later after your application has been successful..

[marinefish88]

One of the criteria set by monash is we have to sit for ISAT. Is there anybody that can advice me what can I do before I sit for this test? Any advice is appreciated.