Help! Missing graduation!

[k_sheep]

Hi think tank, I need to pick your brains

The date of my graduation has been moved so now it occurs while I'm overseas. My gold card travel insurance says they won't cover anything because a graduation doesn't count as a special event (bigger ) despite the documented date change. The uni of course doesn't care.

I had splurged recently and booked and paid for an intrepid tour finishing 11th Dec in Chiang Mai, Thailand. My flight home was with D7 KUL-MEL 15th Dec (I'd been planning to spend a couple days in MEL with friends. I have not yet booked a flight from MEL or from CNX-KUL). My graduation date has changed to the 12th Dec 4pm, taking place at OOL (the city, not the airport!). So I either need to get to OOL or BNE by about 12noon.

My intrepid tour cancellation fee would be >$500 so that's not great! I've sent an email pleading compassionate grounds but fully expect a big no for that (worth a shot anyway!).

Given I'm a poor student (soon to be not!) I'm trying to keep costs down. D7 doesn't refund fares (though anecdotally I've heard of people getting taxes and fees back) so basically I'll have to throw that flight away. I can book AK CNX-KUL 0910 on the 11th then D7 KUL-OOL 2140 11th (arriving 0750 12th) - however am concerned about taking a LCC and cutting it that fine (total cost ~$500). I've never had big delays with them before (except to my advantage!) but Murpheys law dictates it'll happen.

Looking at QF, there is no award availability (unsurprising). I don't have enough points with Velocity or MH Enrich for award tickets back to Oz. Jetstar doesn't have any available seats (and again concerned about reliability). All other airlines are of course charging ridiculous prices for one way internationals - though I would be happy to buy a return and use the return leg next year if the dates were able to be changed.

Does anyone else have any bright ideas?? Basically any way to get from CNX from the evening of the 10th to get to BNE or OOL by midday the 12th, under ~$800? Otherwise I think I'll forget graduation and face the wrath of my family and friends!!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

How many QF ff points do you have available?

 

[kpc]

Otherwise I think I'll forget graduation and face the wrath of my family and friends!!

My last degree was delivered via Australia Post:shock: Saved on the gown hire as well!:mrgreen:

 

[Fantic125]

Most probably not the helpful answer you're after, but I would suggest continuing with your holiday and enjoy yourself.

The stress and frustration trying to get home in time would most probably mean that you would be feeling like c**p and wouldn't enjoy the ceremony anyway.

Keep with your original plan, and use whatever money you would have spent trying to get home early on treating your friends and rellies to your own graduation ceremony, at a place and time that suits you.

YMMV.

 

[samh004]

If you’re having family there and taking photos, I appreciate wanting to be there, but all it’ll be is a lot of talk, a small photo op and then not much else (though I’ve never been, I’m just working off movies). So do you need to be there? Enjoy your holiday!

 

[ozbeachbabe]

Flights Out: Bangkok to Sydney - Sat 11 Dec 10

From To Flight Super Saver

* Economy any seat award *

17:25 Bangkok 06:25
(Sun) SydneyQF2

66,672 points

 

[Sprucegoose]

oz is the only helpful person here...........................

do what you need to. Oz has a solution.

 

[samh004]

oz is the only helpful person here...........................

do what you need to. Oz has a solution.

Others are helpful in different ways, as someone else mentioned, trying to get back at the expense of a partly ruined holiday and spending more money, as I mentioned, for a photo op, seems like a lot of effort for not a lot.

Though if family were planning on going and you think the achievement is worth all the hassles, perhaps you should come back early. In my case I’d just skip it and be happy with the achievement without the fuss.

 

[Flashback]

IMO it's something you should try and get back for, especially if this is your first completed degree ; although the ceremony may be long and boring it is still a special day that you will remember for some time to come. Looking back if I hadn't attended my ceremony I surely would have regretted it.

 

[k_sheep]

Flights Out: Bangkok to Sydney - Sat 11 Dec 10
....s

Hmm don't know why that one wasn't showing up for me! I have 80k+ points in answer to your earlier question so yes that would do nicely.

I never actually planned to go to the graduation - I went to mine for my undergrad because my Grandmother had a terminal illness so she enjoyed seeing at least one grandchild graduate. So I don't feel the urge to go to another; however I'm graduating from medicine which consists of far more hoopla (hooplah?) with school events, sponsor events, gala ball etc etc.

I'll think about it over the next day or 2 ... though I'm leaning towards spending the $$ on getting a ball gown custom made in VN for next years' junior doctors ball

 

[Sprucegoose]

Hmm don't know why that one wasn't showing up for me! I have 80k+ points in answer to your earlier question so yes that would do nicely.

I never actually planned to go to the graduation - I went to mine for my undergrad because my Grandmother had a terminal illness so she enjoyed seeing at least one grandchild graduate. So I don't feel the urge to go to another; however I'm graduating from medicine which consists of far more hoopla (hooplah?) with school events, sponsor events, gala ball etc etc.

I'll think about it over the next day or 2 ... though I'm leaning towards spending the $$ on getting a ball gown custom made in VN for next years' junior doctors ball

I hope you are a better quack than travel organiser!!!


you wont need much to custom make anything in VN. $100 max if you shop right.

Enjoy what ever you do.

 

[Hvr]

Firstly conratulations on finishing your degree, it is a great achievement. I agree you need to attend your graduation.

Are you allowed to defer graduation and attend the next ceremony? Mosy universities have 2-3 ceremonies a year so it shouldn't be too long to wait.

I have seen this done previously and it works well.

Ask your university and see what they say.

Please let us know the outcome.

 

[Danger]

Best of luck with making it all work out.

I'd be reading the T&Cs of your insurance policy carefully. To me, a graduation is certainly a special event. Appeal the insurer's decision if you can (although I realise time isn't on your side).

 

[drron]

Firstly conratulations on finishing your degree, it is a great achievement. I agree you need to attend your graduation.

Are you allowed to defer graduation and attend the next ceremony? Mosy universities have 2-3 ceremonies a year so it shouldn't be too long to wait.

I have seen this done previously and it works well.

Ask your university and see what they say.

Please let us know the outcome.

Great suggestion-certainly worth a try.Only way to have your cake and eat it too.
So ask or email today.

 

[Flashback]

Great suggestion-certainly worth a try.Only way to have your cake and eat it too.
So ask or email today.

Certainly when I graduated I had the option of the next ceremony, or doing one later in the year. It depends on if you want to graduate with your friends or not!

 

[Will]

May I add a quick caution?

Missing your graudation from medicine may not be feasible if you intend to work next year.

Given that AHPRA has taken over from the Medical Board of Queensland, things may be changing, but usually it is a requirement that you present your original diploma to the regulatory agency on a specific registration day, which is usually timed to be the first business day after the graduation. If you miss the ceremony, you won't have the diploma in your hand for days-weeks afterwards. You will have missed the first registration opportunity, and there may not be another one for some time (registration applications are usually processed in batches).

If you don't have your registration, you cannot work as a doctor. If you have to delay your internship to sort out your registration, your internship may not meet requirements and you may have to spend your second year fixing it up. Serious hassle.

I think you should do whatever it takes to get back on time (even if it means running up a credit card debt - you'll have the income to pay it off soon!) That, and seriously chase it up with the university - they owe you a duty which has been breached, probably contrary to university statute. Speak to your student union.

Good luck!

 

[markis10]

Given that AHPRA has taken over from the Medical Board of Queensland, things may be changing, but usually it is a requirement that you present your original diploma to the regulatory agency on a specific registration day, which is usually timed to be the first business day after the graduation. If you miss the ceremony, you won't have the diploma in your hand for days-weeks afterwards. You will have missed the first registration opportunity, and there may not be another one for some time (registration applications are usually processed in batches).

Got to love the inflexible and bureaucratic nature of our Doctors registration systems, you would think we had a plethora of Doctors by the way things work, reminds me a lot of the obstacle test in the army, with live rounds!

 

[Will]

Oh, and also - congratulations on finishing medicine. It takes a lot of dedication, time and effort. Good luck for your career ahead.

 

[Keith009]

I agree that you should attend your graduation, it is a special day. I was going to suggest attending an alternative ceremony, as most unis do graduation ceremonies at least 3 times a year. But in light of what Will posted, it seems you need to do all possible to attend your original ceremony.

May I add a quick caution?

Missing your graudation from medicine may not be feasible if you intend to work next year.

Given that AHPRA has taken over from the Medical Board of Queensland, things may be changing, but usually it is a requirement that you present your original diploma to the regulatory agency on a specific registration day, which is usually timed to be the first business day after the graduation.

Yikes, that sounds so bureaucratic! A statement from the uni confirming course completion and/or her academic transcript won't cut it?

 

[k_sheep]

I have to say attending the actual ceremony is not top of my agenda. More attending all the other events with all my cohort. I could probably attend one of the other ceremonies, not sure about registration with the medical boards, but wouldn't really want to.

I was surprised about the insurance saying no - they said a special event was something you couldn't reasonably foresee, such as a relative dying. Though it is defined as:

If your journey is interrupted by any unexpected cause
outside of your control and as a result you are going to
miss a special event which can not be delayed, we will
pay the reasonable additional costs of using alternative
transport to arrive at the special event destination in time
for the special event.

“special event” means a wedding, funeral, pre-paid conference,
pre-paid sporting event or pre-paid concert, or other event which
does not ordinarily occur on a regular basis which before you
left Australia you had planned to attend. We reserve the right
to determine if any other event other than those listed above
qualifi es as a special event.

I think the guy on the phone may have been confused, since a wedding or conference is definitely not something that happens unexeptedly! I rang up again trying to get someone else, but the same guy answered again. Obviously not enough staff on I'll call again when I get back to Oz in a few days.

Thanks everyone for the congrats It's not an easy road, but the job security (as opposed to being a research scientist previously) is worth it!