Medicine is a field that many people dream about from childhood. If you have always wanted to be a doctor, you will be prepared for hard work and will thrive on the challenges you will encounter.
The Australian advantage
The main difference between Australian medical schools and others around the world is their experience in undergraduate medical education.
The standard program in Australia is a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery which lasts around five or six years.
There are many locations to choose from to suit the lifestyle you want. There are inner-city universities which are well known for traditional programs like medicine, and medical schools in regional centres, including the far reaches of the tropical north. The location of your institution may also impact on the specialisations available. For example, you may find specialist courses in tropical medicine in Queensland.
If you are interested in fields other than medicine, you will be pleased to hear that universities offer various combined programs—add an arts degree to satisfy your interest in literature or languages or you could even do a degree in law.
And if you have already gained an undergraduate degree in another field, over half of the medical schools in Australia now offer graduate-entry programs.
A practical focus for skilled graduates
For all their differences, there are also many similarities between Australian medical programs, such as early and frequent clinical exposure. By the time you graduate, you will have experience in clinical settings. This will be great preparation for your hospital internship, which will test your technical and personal skills.
The medical field relies heavily on research. Trained doctors who undertake further study are very important to medical faculties and community. You will find a range of fascinating fields to explore through coursework and research programs in sleep medicine, psychiatry, forensic medicine, even aerospace medicine.
With many outstanding medical discoveries to its credit, and a strong outline for the next decade of research, Australia has a good deal to offer dedicated doctors and trainees alike.
Use our Search function to find a list of Australian institutions offering qualifications in this field.
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