I had a trial-OSCE a couple of weekends ago. Three students were taking their final OSCEs, and three students were having their trial run.
I hate to admit this but I did not prepare. I was in complete denial about what I was going in to. I figured it was a trial run so learning from mistakes is ok. I relied entirely on my paramedic background.
My paramedic background served me well. There were one station in particular where I felt uncomfortable (it involved a CT image), and one I completely lost the plot due to a reason I know but won't go into now. That particular mistake won't happen again. I think I might try and do a separate post about it.
So, anyway, it was actually good. I saw that I can so accomplish this with effort. There are things I need to do to get nowhere I want to be but it is very achievable. It was probably the best outcome I could have gotten from the experience.
I have being avoiding med school and pretending I'm not a med student since returning to work. I was so tired of the stress of it all, and with moving house and a new baby and returning to work, and no placements to go to, and with OUM pausing the clinical exams until the new year: I had little to motivate me to care to study in my free time. The little that I have.
Anyway, I'm trying to get back on the horse. At work I go the extra mile to learn about the cases we attend but not much else is happening. I hope to start some IM placements locally soon but I wonder how many timesI can harass my contact for a spot.
Fingers crossed for the new year.
I hate to admit this but I did not prepare. I was in complete denial about what I was going in to. I figured it was a trial run so learning from mistakes is ok. I relied entirely on my paramedic background.
My paramedic background served me well. There were one station in particular where I felt uncomfortable (it involved a CT image), and one I completely lost the plot due to a reason I know but won't go into now. That particular mistake won't happen again. I think I might try and do a separate post about it.
So, anyway, it was actually good. I saw that I can so accomplish this with effort. There are things I need to do to get nowhere I want to be but it is very achievable. It was probably the best outcome I could have gotten from the experience.
I have being avoiding med school and pretending I'm not a med student since returning to work. I was so tired of the stress of it all, and with moving house and a new baby and returning to work, and no placements to go to, and with OUM pausing the clinical exams until the new year: I had little to motivate me to care to study in my free time. The little that I have.
Anyway, I'm trying to get back on the horse. At work I go the extra mile to learn about the cases we attend but not much else is happening. I hope to start some IM placements locally soon but I wonder how many timesI can harass my contact for a spot.
Fingers crossed for the new year.
Hi cj,
ReplyDeleteThanks for the insight into med school and an entertaining blog, I'm from Victoria and was just wondering where your clinical placements at oum was, how far you had to travel to these places, what the mentors were like and also more importantly how much these clinical placements cost.
Thanks
Hi Caroline,
DeleteI've done my placements in Melbourne (Eastern Health), Gippsland, and now the Grampians region.
I have been really lucky so far and haven't had to travel too far from home (I moved, so that's why the hospitals have been in different locations), however it has been quite a process to organise. Because I have the baby I am reluctant to be away from home for more than a couple of nights at a time. If that wasn't a factor then getting placements would be much, much easier. Just trying to do the juggle! Baby comes first.
My main mentor, since day 1, is an AMAZING person. I owe her a giant bunch of flowers when I graduate. The placements supervisors have been really good, too. They ARE a bit unsure about OUM, but on an individual level they have been really great, especially the IMGs.
Costs: 8 weeks at Eastern Health cost me ~$1000, Gippsland ~$400, and I haven't been charged anything for the others so far. I believe I have been lucky. Still cheaper than travelling etc. Samoa it is about $100 per week.
Hope this helps.
CJ
Hi Cj,
DeleteThanks for your response, How do we go about finding a mentor? does it have to be a physician or can it be a registra? also do you know what hospitals OUM is affiliated with?
thanks.
You need to find your own mentor. When I started they needed to be >PGY+2.
DeleteMy mentor is one of my work colleage's wife.
I don't think OUM is affiliated with any hospitals but they do have like standing agreements with a couple I think. That'd be a question for OUM. It is our student conference this weekend so I'll ask. I think it's like a paperwork agreement about if OUM students rotate at their hospitals but it's not an agreement like: "We'll take x amount of students each year and teach them the curriculum". Nothing like that.
Hope that helps.
Hi CJ,
ReplyDeleteI am a NP from Flint, MI. I'm really looking into OMU for the NP to MD. I have so many questions and concerns. I discovered you from postings in Value MD forum and looked up your blog here. It seems you have been plucking through. So in your opinion is it worth it? I know you are from Australia so the process is different for you then it will be for me. I am nervous as I have seen that caribbean students here sometimes have a very hard time getting into a residency program. I also added up the costs and it looks like it is about $67,500 USD. Do you think it is worth it?
Thanks for any insight.
Rebecca
Hi Rebecca,
DeleteThe very first thing I always tell prospective students is: there is no guaranteed job at the end. If this is a major sticking point, then I'd seriously weigh it up against your other options otherwise it will just eat at you as you go through the course.
For me: I just wanted to learn how to be a doctor. If I get a job straight away in Australia or not isn't a big problem for me. I love my job as a paramedic.
I believe the US OUM students have done well with getting into residency, but its the USMLE which has been difficult for them. The best thing would be to contact OUM and they can pass your meal onto some of the US students.
For me, I think $67,500USD is a reasonable price, especially seeing that you can stay living in Flint and working as an NP for at least the first half of the course. Just my opinion.
Is $67,500USD worth is for a medical degree and no guaranteed job? To me it is. To me education is the most valuable investment one can make. The feeling of getting through medical school has really given me confidence in my ability to do anything academic. I have gained so much more medical knowledge than my paramedic degree that it makes my current paramedic job much more enjoyable and rewarding. I know I will get a doctor job in due time. I am not stressed.
Is $67,500USD worth it for what you get from OUM? Hmmm that's a tricky one. Something I think I could do a better job but I think the thing is a lot of the money goes to paying the lecturers and for accreditation costs. I have yet to find a more affordable "proper" medical degree (maybe IUHS rivals), or I should say, more affordable for me as I have't had to move to the Caribbean or elsewhere.
Hope this has helped.
CJ