by: Clarabella Liew

Congrats on getting into medical school! There will be a long, tough but fun journey ahead of you! You’ll learn all about physiology, pharmacology and anatomy. But we were freshmen once ourselves and we know how had it is preparing to leave Singapore for the Land Down Under. As such, we’ve prepared a predeparture checklist to help you prepare for your trip to Australia!

Introducing Melbourne and Victoria

Weather

Victoria’s climate can be separated into 4 seasons but it is highly volatile and you can experience all 4 seasons in one day! Learn to layer your clothes and check the forecast before heading outdoors.

Autumn (March, April and May)
Temperature: 11-20 ^oC
Daylight: 10-13 hours

Winter (June, July and August)
Temperature: 6-14 ^oC
Daylight: 10 hours

Spring (September, October and November)
Temperature: 10-20 ^oC
Daylight: 12-14 hours

Summer (December, January and February)
Temperature: 20-35 ^oC
Daylight: 14-15 hours

Unlike Singapore, Victoria has daylight savings. Clocks move forward 1 hour to allow the daylight to last longer in the evening. It occurs from the last Sunday of October to the first Sunday of April. Do remember to change your clock’s time!

Shopping

Major supermarkets such as Coles, Safeway and Aldi are located in the city and suburban shopping centres. They are similar to Cold Storage, NTUC and Giant supermarkets which you can find in Singapore and are well-stocked with goods. However, prices can vary from one supermarket to another. Asian supermarkets are also available in the city and suburbs and you will be able to find a wide variety of Asian supplies.

Fashion shopping is highly exciting in Melbourne with their local and global brands readily available. Most people head to the city where departmental stores such as Myer and David Jones are found. Direct Factory Outlets (DFOs) is another favourite hunt for fashionistas where brands are often cheaper. The key fashion sale occurs during the end-of-financial year (June-July).

Do note that most stores in Victoria close around 5pm though some supermarkets may stay open till midnight.

Eating out

Food prices are relatively higher compared to Singapore and servings are larger. Most restaurants serve alcohol or you can ‘bring your own’ (BYO). Fast food outlets like McDonalds (a.k.a. Maccas), KFC, Subway, Hungry Jack and Nandos are easily found in the city and suburbs. Melbourne is also famous for its wide range of international cuisines from Greek to Japanese to Italian to Vietnamese.

For the adventurous: do try kangaroo meat when you’re here!

Transport

Melbourne’s transport system consists of public buses, trains and trams. There is a free tram service that travels in the metropolitan city. Otherwise, you will need to purchase a Metlink card to travel.

There are many different types of Metlink card depending on the areas you are travelling to. Melbourne is split into 2 zones (Zone 1 & Zone 2) and international students are not eligible for travel concession so you need to choose a full fare ticket. It is important that you know which zones you are travelling in as it will be cheaper than buying a card that allows you to travel in both zones freely.

You can also save by buying combo tickets and or travelling on weekends as the tickets are at a lower price.

Taxis are much more expensive and are available by flagging them along the streets or calling to make bookings.

Explore the public transport system when you arrive as it takes time to get used to!

Documentation and Regulation

Visa Application

Visit the Australian immigration website to find the guide of how to apply for a student visit and the application requirements. There will be a cost for the application fee and the current student visa will allow you to work in Australia.

Try to complete your visa application as soon as you submit your confirmation for the place in Victoria!

Overseas Students Health Cover (OSHC)

The OSHC is compulsory for all international students in Australia and it is a basic medical cover for your time in Australia. Visit the OSHC Worldcare website to find out about the scope of cover and order a membership card when you arrive in Melbourne. The membership card will be posted directly to your Australian residential address and you will need to present the card every time you visit a medical service provider.

OSHC Worldcare

Australian Customs Service & Australian Quarantine Inspection Service

Australia has one of the world’s strictest customs and quarantine system and you can be fined more than A$220 or face legal action if you do not declare and present items for inspection. This includes any mail sent from family and friends.

You will be given a Customs Declaration Form onboard the plane and it is advisable to declare any items you are not sure of.

Items NOT ALLOWED into Australia include:

• Eggs and egg products
• Dairy products
• Uncanned meat products (fresh/dried/frozen/cooked/smoked/salted/preserved)
• Live animals
• Live plants
• Raw seeds and nuts
• Fresh fruit and vegetables

Items ALLOWED but MUST BE DECLARED and INSPECTED include:

• Food (e.g. herbal medicines, nuts, snacks, tea, coffee, juices, noodles, rice, etc.)
• Plant materials (e.g. wood from guitar)
• Animal products (e.g. furs)
• Sporting and camping equipment

Conveniences

Accommodation

On-campus

Located near campus, it offers a wide range of services, facilities and convenience especially for 1st-years. You’ll also get a chance to immerse in the Aussie culture and make friends from all over the world!

There is usually a waiting list and it is advisable to apply early to avoid disappointment.

Off-campus

There are many places around the campus that offers accommodation, usually direct renting from the landlords. Off-campus accommodation is the best option for students wanting more independence and peace and quiet for study. However, do consider your legal rights in a renting contract. There will be an advisory service in the University.

Visit the online property search engines to check out the rents and locations.

Realestate Australia
Domain.com.au

Driving in Australia

For those with a driving licence, you will be able to drive in Victoria as the Singapore licence is valid for an indefinite period and is in English. However, there are certain rules and regulations that apply in Melbourne; for instance, ‘hook turns’ and driving along tram routes. Do be aware of them and study the road rules and signs carefully before driving. A copy of the Victorian Traffic Handbook will be useful in this case.

For those intending to learn how to drive, you can apply for a Victoria Driver’s Licence by undergoing an eyesight test, road law knowledge test and a practical driving test.

Contact Vic Roads 131 171 for more information.

Mobile Phone

Choose between signing for a plan (usually 24 months) and using a SIM card. Plans come with a free phone and there are certain amounts of free talk time between users of the same providers and minimal spending. You may want to consider getting a SIM card for the first few months before deciding on one that fits your volume of usage and budget.

Major telecoms providers in Melbourne are 3, Telstra and Optus networks:

Three
Telstra
Optus

Check out their websites for the ongoing promotions and their rules and regulations!

Money Matters

It is recommended to bring a few grand for the initial settling in cost. Then, you can always Telegraphic Transfer (TT) funds over from Singapore to Australia. Alternatively, you can bring a bank draft over.

Try to open bank accounts in Singapore before coming over. This can be done online and it will help to facilitate your transition after arriving.

The major banks in Australia are:

• Commonwealth Bank
  www.commbank.com.au

• Westpac Bank
  www.westpac.com.au

• ANZ Bank
  www.anz.com.au

For student accounts, there will be no monthly administrative fees and you will be able to access your funds through the phone, online, or EFTPOS (a.k.a. ATM transactions).

Apply for a Tax File Number (TFN) and supply it to the banks as soon as you arrive, so that you do not need to pay tax on earnings from interest earned from banks.

Visit www.ato.gov.au to submit your application or call 13 28 61.

Different banks have different polices and services, with different interest rates. It is important to choose the bank that will suit your needs!

Academic Preperations/ Miscellaneous

Textbooks

Textbooks are generally cheaper in Singapore than Australia and it is advisable to purchase them before coming over. For those who are intending to go back to Singapore during the June break, you can always purchase your books then and bring them over, as the first half of the year is mostly focused on ‘A’ Level Biology. You can also choose to ship your books over.

Certain books are only available in Australia and you can purchase them at the campus’s bookstore.

The libraries are well-stocked with the necessary books that you will require for the semester and they allow you to have a feel of the style of the books before buying them.

Always flip through the books before buying to see if they suit your model of learning!

Recommended texts for 1st year:

Anatomy

• Moore, K.L. & Dalley, A.F. 2006, Clinically Orientated Anatomy, 5th edn, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore OR
• Drake, R.L., Vogl. W. & Mitchell, A.W.M. 2005, Gray’s Anatomy for Students, Elsevier/Churchill Livingstone, Philadelphia/London.
• Eizenberg, N., Briggs, C., Adams, C. & Ahern, G. (ed.) 2007, General Anatomy – Principles and Applications, Anatomedia, Melbourne.
• rueckner, J.K., Carmichael, S.W., Gest, T.R., Graner, N.A., Hansen, J.T. & Walji, A.H. (eds) 2006, Netter’s Atlas of Human Anatomy , 4th edn, Elsevier, Philadelphia.
• Hansen, J.T. & Lambert, D.R. 2005, Netter’s Clinical Anatomy , Icon Learning, Carlstadt, NJ.

Clinical Medicine

• Kumar, P. & Clark, M. 2005, Clinical Medicine: A Textbook for Medical Students and Doctors, 6th edn, Saunders, Philadelphia.

Pharmacology

• Rang, H. P., & Lamb, P. 2007, Pharmacology, 6th ed, Philadelphia, PA: Churchill Livingstone Elsevier.
• Neal, M. J. Pharmacology at a Glance

Physiology

• Saladin, K.S. 2007, Anatomy and Physiology: The Unity of Form and Function , 4th edn, McGraw-Hill, New York.
• Guyton, A.C. & Hall, J.E. 2006, Textbook of Medical Physiology , 11th edn, Saunders, Philadelphia.

Clinical Examination

• Epstein, O., Perkin, G.D., Cookson, J. & de Bono, D.P. 2003, Clinical Examination , 2nd edn, Mosby, London.
• Talley, N.J. & O’Connor, S. 2005, Clinical Examination: A Systematic Guide to Physical Diagnosis , 5th edn, Elsevier Australia, Marrickville, NSW

Histology

• Kerr, J.B. 1999, Atlas of Functional Histology , Mosby, St. Louis/London.

Medical Dictionary

• Stedman’s Medical Dictionary for the Health Professions & Nursing , 5th edn (Australia/New Zealand), 2005, Lippincott, Williams & Wilkins, Philadelphia.

The list is not exhaustive and do ask your seniors if you’re not sure which books to get!

Members of SMSV have a 5% discount with NUS Co-op!

Last Minute Checklist

Before you arrive:

• Apply for student visa and overseas student health cover
• Settle accommodation – Decide on on-campus/off-campus accommodation as soon as possible because they are limited
• Set-up account(s) with Australia’s banks (e.g. Commonwealth, Westpac, ANZ, NAB, etc.) – Opening an account in Singapore first will help to keep any administrative things to do to a minimal once you are over
• Textbooks – Year 1 semester 1 is mostly Science so you might want to consider bringing your JC notes over
• Pack and bring over your laptop’s recovery discs – Printers in Australia are affordable, however, many do not come with USB cord and are purchased separately
• Adaptor for your Singapore’s appliances – Multi-adaptors are encouraged as there are not many point sources in a room
• Learn to cook

After you arrive:

• Settle bank account first – Queue gets really long at the start of the term
• Get a mobile phone – Choose either pre-paid or plans with different telecoms providers
• Walk around uni and residences to familiarize yourself
• Make new friends
• Try the public transport system and go shopping!

Useful Contacts & Links

Emergency Services in Australia
Dial ‘000’. It is a free 24 hour service call for Ambulance, Fire or Police.

Singapore High Commission
Address: 17 Forster Crescent, Yarralumla, ACT 2600
Telephone: +61 2 6271 2000
Facsimile: +61 2 6273 9823
Consular: +61 2 6273 8165
Email: shc_cbr@sgmfa.gov.sg
Website: www.mfa.gov.sg
Working Hours (Mon-Fri): 8.30am to 12.30pm
1.30pm to 5.00pm

IDP Education Student Services Centre
Address: Ground Floor, 410 Londsdale St, Melbourne, Vic 3000
Email: info.melbourne@idp.com

Websites
www.melbourne.com.au
www.visitvictoria.com
www.metlinkmelbourne.com.au
www.bov.com.au
www.vicroads.vic.gov.au
www.aqis.gov.au
www.customs.gov.au

The predeparture guide can be downloaded here.

If you need additional help, do feel free to consult our forum or email us at info@smsv.sg!