The Program & The Degree

The United States faces a serious shortage of physicians. In response to that need, two world class academic medical institutions, The School of Medicine of The University of Queensland, Australia, and the Ochsner Clinical School at Ochsner Health System in New Orleans, Louisiana, have joined to create a unique option for outstanding students leading to the practice of medicine in the U.S.

Study Two Years in Australia & Two in the U.S.

Admitted U.S. students will study two years of Basic Sciences at The University of Queensland School of Medicine. Australia is widely considered one of the most academically outstanding and desirable locations for U.S. students studying abroad. They will then spend two years in New Orleans and/or Baton Rouge, Louisiana at Ochsner Health System, completing their core and elective clinical rotations. Upon satisfactory completion of the four years, students will be eligible for ECFMG certification, to take the USMLEs, for the NRMP match, and to practice medicine in the U.S.

The MBBS Degree

UQ grants the MBBS degree, which is recognized in the U.S. as equivalent to the U.S. MD degree.

An Ongoing Demand for Quality Physicians

In the U.S. as the population grows and ages, the need for physicians is increasing dramatically and is expected to continue increasing through the next decade. U.S. medical school capacities (even with some current expansions) do not come close to addressing the size of the need. For the many qualified U.S. students who do not gain admittance to a U.S. medical school or for those who prefer a more international experience, the Queensland-Ochsner cohort is distinctive in being comparable to the highest quality U.S. medical education.

World Class Academic Institutions

The University of Queensland is one of Australia's finest medical schools. Founded in 1936, it is renowned globally as an award-winning research institution of excellence and rigor. Accreditations for Australian medical schools are recognized by the U.S. government and Department of Education as exacting as those of the U.S. accrediting bodies.

The Ochsner Health System, established in 1942, has a nationally recognized forward-looking clinical delivery system, anticipating the medical needs of the future. Ochsner is highly regarded for the quality of its patient care and clinical services. Students will have the benefit of a well supervised and cohesive clinical experience.

About The University of Queensland

The University of Queensland includes seven faculties, 33 schools, and 350 degree programs. UQ is a member of the prestigious Australian "Group of Eight", placing it within the top ranks of Australian universities. The School of Medicine is ranked among the top 50 in the world in the QS World University Rankings for Medicine.

UQ's six internationally significant, interdisciplinary research institutes offer a variety of research and study opportunities to students in the School of Medicine. They include the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology, the Brain Institute, and the University of Queensland Diamantina Institute.

About Ochsner Health System

Ochsner Health System is Southeast Louisiana's largest non-profit, academic, multi-specialty, healthcare delivery system dedicated to patient care, research and education. Ochsner has been named the Consumer Choice for Healthcare in New Orleans for 15 consecutive years and is the only Louisiana hospital recognized by U.S. News and World Report as a "Best Hospital" across seven specialty categories. Ochsner, ranked in the top 20 percent of health systems in the U.S. by Thomson Reuters in 2011, was also ranked among the top 5% of hospitals in the U.S. for exceptional patient care for 2010 by HealthGrades and as one of the 50 Best Hospitals by Becker's Hospital Review.

The system, with more than 13,000 employees, includes eight hospitals and over 35 health centers located throughout Southeast Louisiana. Ochsner employs more than 850 physicians in over 90 medical specialties and subspecialties and runs more than 300 clinical research trials annually.