All Specialties in Medicine has been oversubscribed since last year! (1 Viewer)

[OzKo]

Let's keep things on-topic guys.

 

[bangladesh]

Let's keep things on-topic guys.

we were having a discussion about how different people view 'free advice' ?

 

[Medman]

we were having a discussion about how different people view 'free advice' ?

Sure. Advice for one person doesn't necessarily make it advice for another. I doubt celadoncity has any specific idea of what it's like to apply for specialty training at this point in time. I'm going to stick to PM replies only from now on considering the nature of responses here.

Edit: I'll take back my advice for improving chances for specialty training since there seems to be a lack of appreciation for divulging information here.

 

[Medman]

Update: There is now an aptitude test required for GP training. 1900 applicants last year and 1100 spots.

 

[Futuremedstudent]

Update: There is now an aptitude test required for GP training. 1900 applicants last year and 1100 spots.

Damn! Is it going to be like the umat or selective school test?

 

[flashyGoldFish]

ive heard a certain position at hospital having 12 spots but 600 applicants.

 

[Medman]

Damn! Is it going to be like the umat or selective school test?

It's more of an EQ test to see if you are suited to the job.

 

[Medman]

ive heard a certain position at hospital having 12 spots but 600 applicants.

Public consultant position?

 

[bangladesh]

It's more of an EQ test to see if you are suited to the job.

Can you please elaborate on that? I've always wanted to learn more about the selection process

 

[Medman]

Can you please elaborate on that? I've always wanted to learn more about the selection process

Only thing I know is that it's not knowledge based but competency based. I think they give you ethical scenarios or test your personality. Asked the resident about it but he didn't give me too much information.

 

[flashyGoldFish]

Public consultant position?

Possibly. Not sure. Its at a pretty rural hospital as well so I could only imagine what the applicant number for a similar job in Sydney would have been.

 

[Medman]

Possibly. Not sure. Its at a pretty rural hospital as well so I could only imagine what the applicant number for a similar job in Sydney would have been.

Mother of god. Had another student who wanted to pursue medicine tell me job stability is good in medicine. Looks like we must bust this myth.

 

[bangladesh]

Mother of god. Had another student who wanted to pursue medicine tell me job stability is good in medicine. Looks like we must bust this myth.

at least there's guaranteed internship and eventho it looks like it won't last too long, lets just hope that it stays in place for another 6-7 years lol

 

[Schmeag]

Only thing I know is that it's not knowledge based but competency based. I think they give you ethical scenarios or test your personality. Asked the resident about it but he didn't give me too much information.

This sounds normal for even JMO jobs, ie how to deal with angry patient or struggling co-resident.

Not all specialities are oversubscribed--psych, ED, palliative care, rehab. This is just anecdotal, but I was told by an ED registrar the other day that all you need to do to sign up to get into the training program is to shoot ACEM an email and you're in. The struggle in ED is actually passing the fellowship exam--something like a 30% success rate. It's competitive to get into training programs, but like any career, you have to work at it. Getting into and passing medicine (much like law or any other degree) doesn't mean that further effort doesn't need to be made to progress in your career.

I would say there is reasonable job stability post-internship. It is not a myth that needs busting. Otherwise, just locum and travel.

 

[louielouiee]

Medman, I'm curious about regular bonded students obtaining a specialty training position.

Because they are obligated to pay back their time in an area of need, will preference be given to bonded students to get into certain speciality training programs in order to ensure people will be sent to rural areas later on? Or does everyone who applies have an equal chance? For example, emergency medicine or general surgery.

EDIT: The contract also states that the payback time is a minimum of 20 hours a week for 3 months of the year. I've heard of some Doctors doing 4-5 days in a hospital in the city, then driving to say the Blue Mountains and doing two 10 hour days. Is it likely that a hospital would only take you for 2 days a week on a 3 month locum contract?

I don't have a problem with serving a rural area for a certain amount of time, I just wondering whether or not there are ways around it as opposed to paying back $100,000.

Thanks!

 

[Medman]

Medman, I'm curious about regular bonded students obtaining a specialty training position.

Because they are obligated to pay back their time in an area of need, will preference be given to bonded students to get into certain speciality training programs in order to ensure people will be sent to rural areas later on? Or does everyone who applies have an equal chance? For example, emergency medicine or general surgery.

EDIT: The contract also states that the payback time is a minimum of 20 hours a week for 3 months of the year. I've heard of some Doctors doing 4-5 days in a hospital in the city, then driving to say the Blue Mountains and doing two 10 hour days. Is it likely that a hospital would only take you for 2 days a week on a 3 month locum contract?

I don't have a problem with serving a rural area for a certain amount of time, I just wondering whether or not there are ways around it as opposed to paying back $100,000.

Thanks!

Bonded doesn't affect your chance of obtaining specialty training positions. If you come back to NSW you'll be put into a hospital of shortage of workforce more likely than not so your residency year will count towards the fulfillment of the contract.

I find it highly unlikely you will be able to work 4-5 days in a city hospital then work locom on the weekend as sometimes you will be required to be oncall which means be available to come into the hospital if called. I don't really see this happening during your training as a registrar but if you manage to get a consultant job it may be possible.

Or you can work in an area of workforce shortage for your training years as residency and registrar which will count towards it. If you decide to pay out later it will also reduce the amount you need to pay.

May be easy to get onto ED training position but getting a consultant job is nuts. Most ED consultants graduating now only get a part time position and you don't really have options to work in private practice (few but not many).

To correct myself in the title I meant the usual specialties we think of are pretty much all oversubscribed.

 

[futuremidwife]

Mother of god. Had another student who wanted to pursue medicine tell me job stability is good in medicine. Looks like we must bust this myth.

I was under the assumption that it was! Oh my...

 

[Kiraken]

I was under the assumption that it was! Oh my...

it is in terms of residency etc. afaik

but many specialties are quite competitive so in terms of getting to a particular consultant job, that is quite difficult

 

[Medman]

Job stability is still excellent if you go outer regional or rural. Also if you locom you will always have a job. In terms of life stability it may not be the case if you want to live in a metropolitan area. Regardless I still think medicine is better than most jobs out there if you are the lazy kind since you are guaranteed a job after you graduate. My main point is don't expect to waltz into a specialty now because it's competitive, if you put no effort into padding your CV and making contacts you will never get on and forever be a career medical officer which may not be a bad thing.

 

[Schmeag]

Job stability is still excellent if you go outer regional or rural. Also if you locom you will always have a job. In terms of life stability it may not be the case if you want to live in a metropolitan area. Regardless I still think medicine is better than most jobs out there if you are the lazy kind since you are guaranteed a job after you graduate. My main point is don't expect to waltz into a specialty now because it's competitive, if you put no effort into padding your CV and making contacts you will never get on and forever be a career medical officer which may not be a bad thing.

I agree with this sentiment. However, other less 'usual specialities' shouldn't be excluded as they all have a place in medicine, and it is hard to understand what a 'usual specialty', or so-called mainstream medicine is until they experience it anyway.