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Medical school place types and changes to the bonded schemes

Currently, there are three different medical school place types that significantly affect how much you pay to get your medical degree. We've put together these slides to provide you with information about the pros and cons of each and how the bonded schemes are expected to change. For more information, read our detailed article here: https://gradready.com.au/posts/gamsat-preparation-courses/medical-school-place-types-and-changes-to-the-bonded-schemes

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Medical school place types and changes to the bonded schemes

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  1. Medical school place types and changes to the bonded schemes

  2. The free as a bird places • The stock standard place type is the Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). • This means that the Government contributes towards the cost of your degree, and you can defer the rest (the student contribution amount) to tax later on, through the HECS-HELP system. • You don’t get anything more from the Government (except of course an affordable education) and they don’t ask anything of you. Most people preference CSP #1 and as such, they generally have a higher cut-off score.

  3. The rurally bonded places • There are 2 types of bonded places. These places are also Commonwealth supported (meaning the Government contributes towards the cost of your degree and you can defer the rest to tax via HECS-HELP), but they have additional ‘return of service’ (ROS) conditions: • Bonded Medical Place (BMP): requires graduates to work in districts of workforce shortage (generally speaking, outside of major cities) for the period of time equivalent to the length of your Medical course. • Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS): requires graduates to work in rural or remote areas for 6 years less any scaling discount.

  4. The rurally bonded places • The premise of the rurally bonded places is pretty straightforward – you must specialise and complete your return of service within an allotted time (roughly 10 years from graduating) – or else you’re in breach of the agreement. • The BMPs are generally awarded to those with slightly lower cut-off scores (as higher ranked applicants take all the CSPs). • The MRBS places, on the other hand, are often the hardest to get as it seems they are often preferenced first by some particularly brave applicants who are fond of the country, like the sound of a scholarship and aren’t scared by the onerous conditions or harsh penalties for breaching the agreement.

  5. The show me the money places • At the other end of the spectrum, some medical schools offer Full Fee Places (FFPs). Some important things to note about FFPs: • These are not subsidised by the Government, so the student is required to pay the entire tuition cost. • Students may borrow money from the Government through FEE-HELP, and defer repayment to tax (similar to HECS-HELP), but they can only borrow up to the ‘FEE-HELP limit’ • If the degree is an undergraduate degree (MBBS) there is also a 25% loan fee added to your FEE-HELP debt, but the loan fee doesn’t count towards your FEE-HELP limit.

  6. What to expect in the coming couple of years • Before 2018, the MRBS was being scrapped (the 100 places previously available through this scheme were being folded into the BMP scheme) and the ROS obligation for the BMP is being reduced to 1 year. • Nevertheless, according to the Department of Health, there are currently new arrangements for bonded medical students, which started taking effect on January 1, 2020. These changes include improved bonded arrangements by turning individual contract arrangements to a legislated regulatory model, improved support in fulfilling their ROS, and better ROS options.

  7. Further Materials • Australian Graduate Medical Schools Guide • GAMSAT Results 2022: The Definitive Guide • GAMSAT Biology: How to prepare • GAMSAT Chemistry: How to Prepare • GAMSAT Physics: How to Prepare • Don’t forget to check out our GAMSAT to Med School Podcast which covers various topics, from GAMSAT to med school application & interviews to life as a medical student: https://gradready.com.au/gamsat-podcast

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