Every year, many UK students contemplate applying to medical school in Australia for several different reasons. Some find medical school in Australia a better option because these schools may offer a couple of programs that are not offered in the med schools back home in the UK. Others want to study abroad for the overseas experience and with Australia’s reputation for good schooling, this sounds like a good option. The perfect year-round climate, great beaches and easy going lifestyle, all serve to clinch the decision.

Check Your Bank Balance First

Figuring out whether you can afford it is the very first thing you need to do. Medical school fees are expensive anyway and when you enrol in medical school as a foreign student, you can expect it to cost even more. Can you afford it?

The total cost of obtaining a medical degree in Australia works out to about AUD $400,000 – 450,000, inclusive of living expenses. These costs go up about 5% per year as you progress through the degree. Unfortunately, at this time the Australian government does not offer any financial help or full medical scholarships to international students looking to pursue a medical degree in Australia.

Is The Australian Degree Recognised Back Home In The UK?

Most medical degrees from Australia are recognised by the medical board of the UK and you can get a job back home armed with an Australian medical degree provided you fulfil all other registration requirements. You should know that there are a few medical degrees that are not recognised. It is strongly recommended that you check with the UK medical board before you shell out the AU$400,000 or so that it will cost you to earn a medical degree.

Should You Choose an Undergraduate or Graduate Entry Programme?

To qualify for the graduate program, you should have already completed a 3 to 4 year basic college degree, which makes it a total of 7 to 8 study years. This means you end up paying so much more and it will take you longer to become eligible to work as a physician. Graduate medical programs require applicants to pass the MCAT or the GAMSAT.

It takes 5 years to complete an undergraduate medicine program as opposed to 4 years for a graduate program. You can apply straight out of high school and will need to complete the ISAT or the UMAT if you are considering applying for any of the undergraduate medical courses in Australia. If you are sure that medicine is the career for you, then the undergraduate entry option is a better one.

If you are planning on applying to a medical school in Australia you should know that most schools do their admissions in February or March and applications for the following year start very early. It is important to take the time to find out the deadline for submitting your application to the med schools that are on your shortlist.