Adelaide University Medicine

Adelaide University medicine is a six-year program taught in South Australia. It runs as a Bachelor of Medical Studies and then a Doctor of Medicine. This page sets out the degree, the entry requirements, and where the program sits among Australian medical schools.

The Australian Medical Council lists the provider as Adelaide University, College of Health, School of Medicine. The accredited primary program is the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine (BMD), with accreditation to 31 March 2029. The older Bachelor of Medicine / Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is listed as a teach-out program to the same date on the AMC list of accredited medical schools .

From 1 January 2026, Adelaide University is the legal entity formed by the amalgamation of the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia (Adelaide University, information for suppliers). Older guides still say the University of Adelaide. The current degree pages treat both the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia as antecedent institutions (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

Read the current degree page, the domestic health study guide, and the SATAC course entry before you apply. Intake dates, fees, and the scores that receive an offer change, and those figures belong on the university and SATAC sites.

What the Adelaide University medicine degree covers

The Adelaide University medicine degree is an integrated six-year full-time program. The Bachelor of Medical Studies is the first three years. Successful completion leads into the Doctor of Medicine for the next three years. Together, the university says, the two degrees qualify a graduate to practise as an intern in Australia (Bachelor of Medical Studies). The national steps from choosing medicine through to internship sit on how to become a doctor in Australia .

The Bachelor of Medical Studies builds biomedical science, clinical skills, and an understanding of the health system. Learning uses small-group scenario-based cases, with lectures in disciplines such as pathology, anatomy, physiology, and pharmacology. Patient contact starts in first year. Third year adds the first hospital and community placements, plus a research proposal and critical appraisal (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

The program is accredited by the Australian Medical Council as one primary medical program, the BMD. The AMC still lists the six-year MBBS, marked as teach-out, to 31 March 2029 (AMC accredited medical schools). Someone starting now applies for the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine, and checks the current course title on Adelaide University and SATAC.

The Bachelor of Medical Studies and the Doctor of Medicine are the medicine awards. A medical science, biomedical, or medical imaging degree is a separate course.

Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide University

The Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide University is the second half of the same program. It is a three-year, full-time, masters-level degree. The only published entry requirement is a completed Bachelor of Medical Studies from the University of Adelaide or Adelaide University. The university states that the Doctor of Medicine does not accept direct applications (Doctor of Medicine).

On the university's degree page, the final three years are clinical. Fourth year is full-time placement in general medicine and surgery, mental health, musculoskeletal medicine, cancer, and palliative care. Fifth year is child health, obstetrics and gynaecology, general practice, geriatrics, and anaesthesia, either in Adelaide or as an extended rural placement at one of six rural clinical sites, with opportunities to work with First Nations or disadvantaged communities. Sixth year is a pre-internship placement, a selective professional placement, and a scholarly project. The professional placement can be local, interstate, or overseas (Doctor of Medicine).

Graduates of the Doctor of Medicine are eligible for provisional registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency to undertake an internship. After that internship, they can seek general medical registration in Australia (Doctor of Medicine).

If a student leaves after the Bachelor of Medical Studies is conferred, the university says they are not eligible to re-enter the Doctor of Medicine (Bachelor of Medical Studies). The degree page also says the integrated curriculum means students are not eligible for credit into later years, and that everyone starts in Year 1 (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

Where the six years are taught

Teaching is based at the Adelaide City Campus, in Adelaide BioMed City, beside the South Australian Health and Medical Research Institute and the Royal Adelaide Hospital (Doctor of Medicine).

Clinical placements run across general practices, clinics, and hospitals in greater Adelaide. Students pay their own travel to those sites. Placements also run in rural and remote South Australia (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

Enrolment requires rural clinical placements. The university says the exact requirement can change with Commonwealth agreements and funding, and that it can ballot students into a rural placement if voluntary places are not filled (Bachelor of Medical Studies). In fifth year, the Doctor of Medicine offers either continued full-time clinical placements in Adelaide or an extended rural placement at one of six rural clinical sites (Doctor of Medicine).

Before placements, students complete a SA Health clinical deed poll, immunisation and tuberculosis screening, and criminal history and working with children checks. Student registration with Ahpra is arranged on enrolment. The program also expects each student to have a suitable laptop (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

University of Adelaide medicine entry requirements

University of Adelaide medicine entry requirements, under the current Adelaide University name, combine an academic minimum, one prerequisite subject, the UCAT ^® ANZ for most applicants, and an interview for those invited. For domestic applicants, the university's health study guide ranks offers on the UCAT ^® ANZ (20%), the interview (40%), and academic results (40%). A selection rank of 90 is the published academic floor. Quotas are strict, and late applications are not considered (Health study guide (domestic)).

That selection rank is a floor. The university says most successful applicants have a much higher ATAR or GPA, and that meeting the minimum does not on its own secure a place (Bachelor of Medical Studies). The competitive cut-off, the fees, and the closing date for the intake you want are published by the university and by SATAC. Use those pages for the current figures.

The prerequisite is any one of SACE Stage 2 Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematical Methods, or an equivalent subject. High proficiency in written and spoken English is assumed knowledge (Health study guide (domestic)). The degree page lists an International Baccalaureate of 33 beside the ATAR floor of 90 on its admissions table (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

Applicants other than the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway sit the UCAT ^® ANZ. People who meet the academic minimum are selected for interview on their UCAT ^® ANZ result (Health study guide (domestic)). Which programs use the test is covered in UCAT ^® for medicine . How the result is reported is on UCAT ^® scores .

Shortlisted applicants attend an interview. The guide to MMIs explains the multiple mini interview format used across Australian medical schools. Adelaide publishes the stations, timing, and booking rules for each intake, and those details should be read on the current admissions pages rather than assumed from an older cycle.

Someone who has completed more than two years of undergraduate study, or any third-year course, is outside this Bachelor of Medical Studies. The university directs that applicant to graduate medicine pathways (Bachelor of Medical Studies). National graduate-entry rules, including GAMSAT ^® and GEMSAS weighting, are on medical school entry requirements .

School-leaver and higher-education applicants

A secondary-education applicant needs a qualification equivalent to the SACE and an adjusted ATAR-equivalent selection rank of 90.00 or higher, plus the prerequisite and the UCAT ^® ANZ (Bachelor of Medical Studies). On the international application steps, a secondary-education applicant has no tertiary academic record from an Australian or overseas university (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

SATAC applies a related rule to this course, including the Bonded Medical Program: any higher-education study means the applicant cannot be considered on Year 12 results (SATAC, Year 12 and higher education study).

A higher-education place is narrower than a general graduate place. The applicant must have completed at least one year, and no more than two years, of full-time study (or the part-time equivalent) in a bachelor or bachelor honours degree. The only tertiary record must be from Adelaide University or an antecedent institution, the University of Adelaide or the University of South Australia. Study at any other Australian or overseas university makes the applicant ineligible. Accelerated Year 12 study, such as the activate program, is not treated as a tertiary record. The prerequisite can be met at school or by an equivalent university course (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

The published credit-average floor is a GPA of 5.0. The unit bands differ by where those units were taken (Bachelor of Medical Studies):

Please move to desktop to view the entire table without additional taps.

Each band also requires a GPA of 5.0 or more across all courses. More than two years of undergraduate study, or any third-year course, ends eligibility for this program (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, rural, bonded, and northern community places

The domestic health study guide excepts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway applicants from the UCAT ^® ANZ. Every other applicant sits the test (Health study guide (domestic)). Courses with a First Nations subquota ask for a SATAC Statutory Declaration for First Nations applicants, or other confirmation of status that SATAC lists (SATAC, supplying documents). Follow the current medicine admissions instructions for how that pathway is interviewed and ranked.

Adelaide University also has a rural background entry pathway to medicine. The Adelaide Rural Clinical School points applicants to the Bachelor of Medical Studies admission information for the current definition of rural origin (Adelaide Rural Clinical School, study experience). Eligible applicants lodge SATAC's statutory declaration for rural, remote, and Northern Territory residence within five working days of submitting an Adelaide University application (SATAC, supplying documents). The declaration form states that interview selection for the Rural Background pathway in medicine also considers the applicant's Year 12 study location (SATAC statutory declaration for rural, remote and Northern Territory residence).

The same degree is listed with a standard preference and a Bonded Medical Program preference. In the domestic health study guide those SATAC codes are ABP171 (standard, non-bonded) and ABP271 (Bonded Medical Program) (Health study guide (domestic)). Confirm both codes on SATAC course search before you preference them. The Bonded Medical Program is a Commonwealth-supported place in exchange for a return-of-service obligation of 156 weeks (three years) in regional, rural, and remote areas, or areas of workforce shortage. It is open to Australian citizens and permanent visa holders living in Australia who have been offered a medical place (About the Bonded Medical Program). Read the current program conditions before you choose the bonded preference.

SATAC also lists a Northern Community Care Stream of the Bachelor of Medical Studies / Doctor of Medicine. Applicants must have completed their final three years of secondary school at a school in the Adelaide northern suburbs, and must submit an NCCS Education Verification Form. The form has to arrive at least five business days before the course closing date (SATAC, supplying documents). Academic, UCAT ^®, and interview rules for that stream are on the current SATAC course entry.

How domestic and international applications work

Domestic applicants apply through SATAC. International applicants apply to Adelaide University directly. Domestic applicants add the medicine preference, including the Bonded Medical Program if they want to be considered for it. SATAC publishes a final closing date for Medical Studies / Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide University, including the bonded preference, and does not accept late applications (SATAC undergraduate key dates). Use the SATAC calendar for that date. It is earlier than the equal-consideration deadline for most other undergraduate courses.

Register for the UCAT ^® ANZ in the year before the program starts. What the UCAT ^® is covers the test itself. The university will not accept UCAT ^® UK results in place of the UCAT ^® ANZ, and a score is used for programs that start in the year after the test (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

International applicants, including people already studying in Australia who are classified as international, apply through Adelaide University's International Application System rather than SATAC. The application email address has to match the UCAT ^® ANZ registration email. The university's international steps say an applicant is considered under one pathway only: secondary education with no tertiary record, or higher education of one to two years at Adelaide University or an antecedent institution (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

International applicants who speak English as an additional language need an English test within the two years before admission. The published IELTS Academic minimum is 7.0 overall and 7.0 in reading, listening, speaking, and writing. An Australian Year 12 with a pass in a recognised English as a Second Language or English subject can meet this English requirement (Bachelor of Medical Studies).

For international applicants, interview eligibility uses UCAT ^® ANZ sections 1 to 3 with equal weight. Section 4, the situational judgement component, is used only to separate candidates lower in the list who have the same total on the other three sections. Offers are then ranked with the interview first, the UCAT ^® ANZ second, and academic results only to separate applicants who are still tied, provided the academic minimum is met (Bachelor of Medical Studies). That order is the international rule on the degree page. The domestic 20 / 40 / 40 split is the separate rule in the health study guide. Check which one applies to you.

International interviews in the published guide are online. The university describes what the interview is assessing, including problem solving, communication, teamwork, integrity, preparedness, and motivation, and it says the content can change from year to year (Bachelor of Medical Studies). Domestic interview dates and format are on the current Adelaide University admissions instructions and on SATAC.

Tuition, the application charge, and incidental costs such as equipment, clearances, and placement travel are published by the university. They are not fixed in this guide.

Where Adelaide University medicine sits in the Australian directory

Adelaide University medicine is the school-leaver program of Adelaide University: six years, a UCAT ^® ANZ requirement for most applicants, and an application through SATAC for domestic places. It sits in the Australian medical school directory as that provider's primary medical program. The directory of which schools exist, and the short profile of each, is Australian medical schools . The other South Australian medical school, and the comparison with Adelaide, is on Flinders medicine . Published rankings of Australian medical degrees are on MD ranking .

Applicants who already hold a completed degree, or who have more than two years of university study, are in a different admissions system. The Adelaide pages send them to graduate medicine. Choosing between a UCAT ^® school-leaver program and a GAMSAT ^® graduate program is covered in UCAT ^® vs GAMSAT ^® .

The AMC list is the check for the provider's name and for which qualification is still in teach-out. Adelaide University's own degree pages are the check for the year's dates, fees, quotas, and cut-offs.

Adelaide University medicine FAQs

Can I apply directly to the Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide University?

The Doctor of Medicine accepts applicants who have completed the Bachelor of Medical Studies at the University of Adelaide or Adelaide University. The university states that the Doctor of Medicine does not accept direct applications. The degree you apply for is the Bachelor of Medical Studies, which is the first three years of the six-year program.

What academic results do I need for Adelaide University medicine?

The published floor is a selection rank of 90, or a GPA of 5.0 for an eligible higher-education applicant. The prerequisite is one of SACE Stage 2 Biology, Chemistry, or Mathematical Methods, or an equivalent. The university says entry is competitive and that successful applicants are usually well above the floor. The cut-off for a given intake is on the university site.

Does Adelaide University medicine require the UCAT?

Most applicants sit the UCAT ^® ANZ. The domestic health study guide excepts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway applicants. Domestic interview selection, once the academic minimum is met, uses the UCAT ^® ANZ result. UCAT ^® UK results are not accepted in place of the UCAT ^® ANZ.

Can I transfer into Adelaide medicine from another university?

The higher-education pathway accepts one to two years of bachelor-level study only when that tertiary record is from Adelaide University, the University of Adelaide, or the University of South Australia. A record from any other university makes the applicant ineligible. More than two years of study, or any third-year course, is also outside this program. The degree page says students start in Year 1 and are not eligible for credit into later years.

What is the bonded medicine preference at Adelaide?

The domestic health study guide lists a standard SATAC preference and a separate Bonded Medical Program preference. The Bonded Medical Program is a Commonwealth-supported medical place in exchange for 156 weeks of later work in an eligible regional, rural, remote, or workforce-shortage location. Confirm the current SATAC codes and read the Department of Health conditions before you preference the bonded place.

Is the University of Adelaide MBBS still open to new students?

The AMC lists Adelaide University's primary program as the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine. The MBBS is listed as a teach-out program, accredited to 31 March 2029. New applicants should use the current Bachelor of Medical Studies course entry. Adelaide University is the provider name after the University of Adelaide and the University of South Australia combined on 1 January 2026.

Do I have to live in South Australia to apply?

The standard published criteria are a selection rank of 90 or an eligible GPA, one prerequisite subject, the UCAT ^® ANZ for most applicants, and an interview if you are invited. The Northern Community Care Stream adds a schooling rule: the final three years of secondary school at a school in the Adelaide northern suburbs, with the SATAC verification form lodged before the course closes. Rural background entry uses the university's definition of rural origin, and interview selection for that pathway also considers where you completed Year 12.