If you have chosen to become a healthcare professional, the path is going to be tough. Getting into a good medical school is a challenge itself and once you are in, it is a long and hard process of rigorous studies. The time and money spent in obtaining this degree is also more than other professions so one must make a very calculated decision when choosing the medical university and course to study in Australia. Some great perks of studying medicine in Australia are:
- Best medical programs in the world: Five of the medical schools in Australia are among the top 100 medical universities of the world
- Range of courses offered: There are a variety of courses offered in psychology, medical, dental, nutrition, pharmacy, physiotherapy, etc.
- Political stability: Australia is one of the most peaceful countries in the world (it ranks at 63 out of 163 on the Global Peace Index) so for international students, it is a great option to study abroad and focus on their academics. Moreover the cost of living is also not very high in most cities with good universities. Calculate the cost of living here.
- Post study work stream visa: After graduation, students have a lot of opportunity to work in the country via a work visa and move towards Permanent Residence.
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The University of Sydney
The University of Sydney is ranked as the best university for health sciences in Australia according to the QS ratings of 2022. There is a wide variety of courses in both undergraduate and postgraduate with different concentrations (like oral health, speech pathology, physiotherapy, etc.) that you can choose from. The university is also ranked fourth in the world for graduate employability by the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022.
The School of Medicine is focused on improving national and international healthcare through research. Most of the staff are leading clinicians in government and other organisations. After gaining a strong foundation for their medical career, students can go into any field- medical research, teaching, medical administration, medical communication or journalism, consulting and overseas aid work. It also offers placements in teaching hospitals in various areas of the country.
The most prominent courses are
- Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine
- Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours)/Masters of Pharmacy Practice
- Master of Pharmacy
- Doctor of Medicine
You can browse through the whole catalogue of courses being offered here and then see which eligibility criteria you can fulfil and the fee that you can afford.
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The University of Melbourne
The University of Melbourne was the first medical university in the country and still is one of the best in Australia and abroad (ranked 18 on QS ratings 2022). There are a number of courses being offered in the fields of audiology, nursing, physiotherapy, social work, speech pathology and optometry and vision sciences. Students will learn basic healthcare delivery and critical thinking required for research. It is ranked number 8 on graduate employability ranking with 97% of its graduates and 98% of postgraduate students working currently. Its pharmacology department is also researching some challenging diseases like cardiovascular diseases, asthma, cancer and Parkinson’s disease. It has connections with big pharmacy companies that can help you land work in this 1 trillion dollar industry.
The university is located in the Melbourne Biomedical Precinct where students can get access to create connections with industry partners, including research institutes and hospitals and conduct research that makes a global impact. Watch this inspiring video of an oncology paediatric nurse who studied in the school and is now helping nurses to make a meaningful impact. Current important issues of global magnitude like climate change and mental health are also being addressed at the medical faciltites of the university. Explore the courses here.
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Monash University
Monash University is the third best medical university in Australia and ranks 38th on the general global ranking for universities. Their medicine department aims to transform lives in Australia and the world through their excellent bioscientific research faculty. Its Pharmacy and Pharmacology department is ranked 1st in the world so if you are considering it as a career, you should definitely apply to the pharmacy courses at this university. Moreover, Monash is a part of the Group of Eight which is an alliance of universities known for their exemplary research and more graduates from these universities move on to research compared to other universities’ graduates. Employers want student students who can respond to a number of complex situations so the Double Degree programs offered at the university equip the students with the skillset to tackle those.
From early on, your communication and critical thinking skills will develop by interaction with real patients and some courses will allow you to go to rural areas for this as well. You Will be able to learn from leaders at well-established research facilities which can help you write the thesis or have a direct industry placement. Monash Institute of Pharmaceutical Sciences has industry standard facilities like the Shimadzu high-pressure liquid chromatography (HPLC) lab so you will be ready for any pharmaceutical industry job or fields that require advanced chemical-formulation skills.
The best courses for you are:
- Bachelor of Medical Science (M2007)
- Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours)
- Bachelor of Pharmaceutical Science
- Master of Clinical Pharmacy
Conclusion
Remember that you will be required to appear for the medical entry test (UCAT or GAMSAT) and be prepared for other entry requirements (like interviews) as well. If you need more information about how you can become a doctor or study any of the pharmacy courses in Australia, book a session with our expert mentors here.
