Medicine in Australia

What you can expect from postgraduate study in Medicine

What you're in for
This is one of a handful of fields that are very well-established, have small numbers of programs and students, and are designed for members of an enclosed profession with well-defined career paths. As such, there have typically been few opportunities for graduates from other disciplines in postgraduate medicine programs. However, in the last few years there has been a rush of new graduate entry bachelor degrees introduced around the country opening up a pathway for career conversion. As always, there is also a high proportion of postgraduates pursuing research. For information about what graduates of various institutions think of their programs and about careers and career prospects, see details below. If you are not a doctor yet but you are considering changing careers, you might also look at other health fields such as psychology and perhaps rehabilitation, health services and support, and nursing.
Who does postgraduate courses in Medicine?
Number of students: 3,704
Percent of students over 25 years: 61%
Percent of students with a prior degree: 96%
Percent of students with Non-English speaking backgrounds: 23%
Number of international students: 419
Percent studying part-time: 56%
Percent studying externally: 22%
Percent women: 60%
Graduates view of the course experience
Teaching quality: 4 stars
Development of generic skills: 4 stars
Overall satisfaction: 5 stars
Your prospects
According to the national Course Experience Questionnaire survey, postgraduate students in medicine are positive about their experience overall and are more impressed with the skills they gain than in the past. The end result is very satisfying, with virtually no unemployment and high salaries.
What salary can I expect?
Graduate starting salary: $93,979
Will I get a job?
Percentage of people looking for job who did not find full-time work four months after graduation: 2%
Where graduates go when they get jobs?
Public sector: 54%
Private sector: 28%
Private practice: 0%
Overseas: 15%
Do institutions differ in how they teach Medicine?
Yes. The following 18 institutions all provide Medicine courses. Click on the University name to see how their Medicine courses rate and compare.
Australian National University
Edith Cowan University
Flinders University
Griffith University
James Cook University
Monash University
NSW Institute of Psychiatry
RMIT University
Southern Cross University
University of Adelaide
University of Melbourne
University of New South Wales
University of Newcastle
University of Notre Dame, Australia
University of Queensland
University of Sydney
University of Western Australia
University of Wollongong