As a future doctor, you know that there is no substitute for the facts. Choosing the right medical school may be the most important decision of your professional life. What do you need to know? We believe there are five essential criteria you will want to consider.

1. Academic Quality - The quality of foreign medical schools can vary greatly. Australia's Group of Eight schools are widely considered to be equivalent to the U.S. Ivy League. The University of Queensland is a founding member of the Australian Group of Eight, as well as one of three Australian members of Universitas 21 - a select international group of research-intensive universities, all committed to the highest quality of education and practice. The University of Queensland School of Medicine is one of the world's finest medical schools, with numerous medical research centers, including the Australian Institute for Bioengineering and Nanotechnology (AIBN), the Diamanta Institute for Cancer, Immunology and Metabolic Medicine, and the Queensland Brain Institute.
   
   
2. Cutting Edge Perspective - Medicine is one of the most rapidly evolving fields in academia today. One of the crucial components of that evolution is global perspective. It is a greater understanding of global medicine that will lead the way to major advances in the future. The joining of The University of Queensland School of Medicine in Brisbane, Australia, and Ochsner Health Systems in New Orleans, provides a great breadth of experience and a depth of cutting edge medical education activities.
   
   
3. Eligibility to Practice in the United States - The Australian Medical Council, the accrediting agency for Australian medical schools, is one of the only international accreditors recognized by the U.S. government and the U.S. Department of Education as having standards equivalent to the U.S. standards of the LCME. Graduates from The University of Queensland School of Medicine have been practicing medicine throughout the U.S. for over 50 years.
   
   
4. Life Experience - Much of the framework for one's adult years is formed during the years of undergraduate and graduate school. The life experience that students gain in Australia is broadly thought to be one of the most rewarding international student experiences available. Excellent academics, sophisticated worldliness and the experience of the different cultures in the Australian melting pot all add to a well rounded, well informed graduate. These are experiences that students take with them for their lifetime.
   
   
5. Student Loans Available - Many medical students use some student loans to finance their education. U.S. citizen students in The University of Queensland-Ochsner program who qualify are eligible for U.S. Federal Student Loans. These are the same loans that they would be eligible for if they attended a school in the U.S.