Australian Medical Schools: General Overview

Course Info & Structure

The Australian National University (ANU) offers a four year Doctor of Medicine and Surgery (MChD) program, based in Canberra.

Applications are made via GEMSAS, where students will be allocated to a place type based on the ranking of the applicant and their submitted preferences. Around 29% of places are reserved for students from a rural background - this should be included in the GEMSAS application. International and Indigenous applicants should apply directly to the ANU.

ANU has a curriculum consisting of two preclinical years, followed by two clinical years. During the preclinical years, students attend problem-based learning (PBL) sessions, in which they are presented with case studies which allow them to work through hypotheses and diagnoses in a scientific manner. Students also attend lectures and practical tutorials, as well as a weekly clinical day in a hospital. During each of the first two years, students spend one week in a rural location. Additionally, during the first two years, students conduct a research project.

During years three and four, students spend most of their time in clinical placements in Canberra’s hospitals: Canberra Hospital, Calvary Public Hospital, Calvary John James Hospital, Calvary Private Hospital, and/or National Capital Private Hospital. Students enrolled in the rural stream will spend their entire third year in a rural community; students in the metro stream will still undergo a six-week rural term. There is also the opportunity to go on an international elective placement at the beginning of fourth year.

Rural Opportunities

As discussed above, ANU provides many opportunities for students to experience rural medicine:

• 50% of 2nd year clinical skills training at Queanbeyan Hospital
• Entire third year in a rural hospital (Eurobodalla, Bega, Cooma, Cowra, Goulburn, Young)

Special Programs

ANU offers a conjoint Doctor of Medicine and Surgery / Doctor of Philosophy (MChD/PhD) program to high-achieving students. The program is available for students who qualify for entry to a PhD program (first-class Honours or equivalent) and who achieve a higher level performance in the Advanced Research Project course and/or subject to the approval of the Director of the Medical School. Applications and selection occurs during the second year of the MChD program. Successful applicants complete two years of full-time research between the second and third year of the MChD, followed by part-time research over the third and fourth years of the MChD if required.

ANU also offers a conjoint Doctor of Medicine and Surgery / Master of Philosophy (MChD/MPhil); students must defer the MChD after completion of the second year to work on their research project. Research plans must be approved by the Director of the Medical School.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a Bachelor degree within 10 years or be completing the final year of a Bachelor degree at the time of application. This may be waived if at least 0.5 years of full time equivalent tertiary study has been undertaken in the 10 years prior to application.

ANU uses a weighted GPA in their calculations, with a minimum of 5.0 needed to be considered for an interview.

A minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT ^® with a minimum overall (weighted) score of 50 is needed to be considered for an interview. International applicants may use the MCAT ^® instead, achieving a minimum score of 125 in each section.

Successful students will be required to sit an interview in September.

Selection Process

Selection for interview is based on a 50/50 combination of the overall (weighted) GAMSAT ^® score and weighted GPA. A bonus of 2-4% is available to students who have completed higher degrees - this can be found on the ANU website.

Final offers are based on a final weighted score derived from a 50/50 combination of the interview score and the composite GPA/ GAMSAT ^® score used for the interview ranking

Course Info & Structure

Deakin University offers a four year Doctor of Medicine program based at Deakin’s Geelong Waurn Ponds campus in Victoria. The first two years of study will be completed on campus in Geelong, whilst the final two years can be completed at metropolitan, rural, and/or regional sites in Victoria. As of the time of writing, Deakin’s clinical schools and placement sites are as follows:

• Rural Community Clinical School (Ararat, Bacchus, Marsh/Melton, Camperdown, Colac, Daylesford, Hamilton, Horsham, Portland, Stawell)

• Ballarat Clinical School (Ballarat Health Services and St John of God private hospital)

• Warrnambool Rural Clinical School (South West Healthcare)

• Geelong Clinical School (University Hospital Geelong, Barwon Health North, the McKellar Centre)

• Eastern Health Clinical School (all Eastern Health clinical locations, including Box Hill Hospital and Maroondah Hospital- these sites are located in eastern suburbs of Melbourne)

Applications are submitted through GEMSAS, including specification of the types of places you wish to be considered for without preferencing. Offers are made by allocating CSPs first, then BMPs. International students should apply directly through the Deakin website. Deakin offers specific additional bonuses that should be emailed separately to GEMSAS. This involves gaining adjustments on the combined GPA/GAMSAT ^® score used for interview rankings. Bonuses include: financial disadvantage (2% adjustment), prior clinical experience in a health discipline (4%), full-time work experience (2%), Deakin study (4%), residence in Geelong MM1 and Modified Monash Model-MM2 (4%), and residence in Modified Monash Model-MM3-MM7 (8%).

Rural Opportunities

As listed above, Deakin Hospital is affiliated with many regional and rural training sites: three of its five Clinical Schools are located rurally (Warrnambool, Ballarat, and the Rural Community Clinical School). The thirty students who are allocated to the Rural Training Stream are committed to undertaking placements at one of these sites during third and fourth years of the course; students who are not allocated to this stream are still able to preference a rural clinical school, though they are not obliged to undertake placement in a rural area.

Special Programs

The Rural Training Stream (RTS) consists of 30 domestic places and is designed to increase access for students from rural communities. For students in the RTS, all four years of the MD course will be held at rural training sites. Deakin uses a tiered priority system for the RTS with places first allocated to eligible Tier 1 applicants, and if places remain, to Tier 2 applicants and finally Tier 3 applicants. Eligibility and application requirements differ between Tiers - For example, Tier 1 applicants do not need a valid GAMSAT score. For further information, head to the Deakin University website.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a Bachelor degree within 10 years or be completing the final year of a Bachelor degree at the time of application. This may be waived if at least one year of tertiary coursework study at Honours, Graduate Certificate, Graduate diploma or higher has been completed within 10 years. Tier 1 applicants for the RTS are also waived from the 10 year requirement.

A minimum weighted GPA of 5.0 must be attained, with all 2020 results excluded from calculation.

A minimum GAMSAT ^® overall (weighted) score of 50, with a minimum score of 50 in each of the three sections, is required. International students may use the GAMSAT ^® or MCAT ^® , with a minimum score of 124 in each section required for the latter.

Applicants applying for the Rural Training Scheme are required to submit a written application demonstrating rural community connection and a commitment to studying in rural and regional Victoria.

Successful candidates will then sit a mini multi-station interview, consisting of 10 stations with 5 minutes of interview time allocated to each.

Selection Process

Interview offers for the general stream are made based on a 50/50 combination of weighted GPA and weighted GAMSAT ^® overall score, with additional Deakin-specific adjustments as described above. A maximum of 220 interview offers are released.

Final offers for the general stream are made based on GPA (25%), GAMSAT ^® (25%) and interview (50%) scores. Again, additional Deakin-specific adjustments will be included in this calculation.

Weightings differ for Rural Training Stream applicants - Refer to the Deakin University Website and GEMSAS Guide for further details.

Course Info & Structure

Flinders University offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD), which can be entered via graduate-entry (this section), provisional entry through Flinders University (see below ), or provisional entry through Charles Darwin University (see below ). The graduate-entry pathway can then further be broken up into two locations - Bedford Park (forming the South Australian Medical Program, or SAMP) or Darwin (forming the Northern Territory Medical program, or NTMP ). Applications are made directly via Flinders University (as Flinders is not a GEMSAS Consortium school), with students needing to preference either Bedford Park or Darwin.

We’ll first look at the SAMP, based in Bedford Park in Adelaide. There are a number of sub-quotas:

• Flinders University Graduates sub-quota: a maximum of 75% of total places are for Flinders University graduates who have completed their most recent degree here
• Flinders University Graduates Reserved sub-quota: a maximum of 30% within the above Graduates sub-quota are reserved for students who have completed a specific Flinders University degree (Bachelor of Health Sciences, Bachelor of Medical Sciences, Bachelor of Paramedic Science, Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology), Bachelor of Public Health). Note that the Bachelor of Health Sciences and Bachelor of Science (Biotechnology) will no longer be eligible for this sub-quota from 2026 entry onwards.
• Non-Flinders University Graduates sub-quota: a minimum of 25% of the total places for applicants whose most recent Bachelor degree is from another Australian university
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander sub-quota: up to 5 places
• Indigenous Entry Stream: for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students who have not sat the GAMSAT ^®
• Humanitarian Visa sub-quota: up to 4 places
• Rural sub-quota: 28% of total places are available to students who come from an Australian rural background
• South Australian Rural Medical (SARM) Program sub-quota: up to 46 places for applicants from a rural background who will complete their third and fourth year of the MD in a rural community

Flinders NT delivers the NTMP, based in Darwin. Up to 28 places are available, and these are known as ‘employer reserved fee paying’ places. This means that the places are fully funded by the NT government, with a requirement to return four years of service to the NT after graduation. There is a priority of applications for selection to the NTMP:

• Priority 1: Indigenous applicant who meets the NT residency requirements
• Priority 2: Non-Indigenous applicant who meets the NT residency requirements
• Priority 3: Indigenous applicant but does not meet the NT residency requirements
• Priority 4: Non-Indigenous applicant who also does not meet the NT residency requirements

Rural Opportunities

Students in the NTMP have the opportunity to study in not only Darwin, but also in rural NT sites, including Alice Springs, Katherine, and Nhulunbuy. Students in the NTMP are required to do a return of service, consisting of four years of work in NT, after graduation. For South Australian students, the South Australian Rural Medicine (SARM) Program allows students to complete their 3rd year of study in a rural region of South Australia including Riverland, Greater Green Triangle, Hills Mallee Fleurieu, and Barossa Valley. Check the Flinders admissions guide for priority for selection to the SARM program and required documentation.

Special Programs

The Flinders MD can be combined with the Master of Public Health (MD-MPH). The MD-MPH is five years long, with varying amounts of MPH content across years 2-4 of the degree. In years 2 and 4, students overload by taking one MPH unit in each of these years; in year 3, nearly the entire year is taken up by MPH content, with some clinical skills training to support reintegration back into the MD.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed at least a Bachelor degree. The specific sub-quota are described above, with note that Flinders graduates are heavily favoured. Of note, there is no 10 year rule.

Flinders University calculates a weighted GPA from the applicant’s most recent Bachelor degree. A weighted GPA of 5.5-7.0 is considered competitive, but there is no minimum required.

Despite not being in the GEMSAS Consortium, Flinders University still requires students to sit the GAMSAT ^® exam. A minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT ^® is required for the application to be considered. Exact cut-offs depending on the sub-quota - for 2023 entry: 64 for rural, 57 for MDRS (no longer offered from 2025 onwards, replaced by the SARM Program), 67 for Flinders graduates, 64 for Flinders graduates reserved, 76 for non-Flinders graduates.

Successful applicants will then need to attend an interview and achieve a pass mark to be considered. The interviews are semi-structured and use a common set of scenarios and questions for all applicants to assess qualities considered important both for success in the medical program and in subsequent medical practice. They are conducted by a small panel for 45-50 minutes.

Selection Process

Selection for interviews is determined by the overall (weighted) GAMSAT ^® score, with cut-offs based on the exact sub-quota.

Final offers are based on the overall GAMSAT ^® score, weighted GPA and interview score, which are all equally weighted.

Course Info & Structure

Griffith University offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, based at either their Gold Coast campus or the Sunshine Coast Health Institute. Applications for domestic students are made via GEMSAS, where students will need to specify the types of places (CSP, BMP) they wish to be considered for in preferred order, as well as a preference for either the Gold Coast or Sunshine Coast campus. Allocations are made according to applicant rank and preferences, with approximately 75% of places offered to Gold Coast campus and 25% to Sunshine Coast campus. As part of the GEMSAS application, students can select if they wish to be considered through the Rural Priority Access Scheme, or the First Peoples Health Pathway (which requires a separate panel interview).

Griffith University’s MD program involves two preclinical years followed by two clinical years. Clinical placements are undertaken throughout the degree, starting from an average of 1-20 hours per week in the first two years and increasing to an average of 30 hours per week in the third and fourth years.

Rural Opportunities

Clinical placements in third and fourth years occur over a range of settings, including rural settings.

Special Programs

A small number (5-10) of MD students will be allowed to undertake the MD/PhD pathway; these students are selected during the second year of the MD program. Students undertaking this pathway will complete the first two years of the MD before commencing two years of full-time PhD work, during which they will continue some clinical/bedside teaching. Following two years of full-time PhD work, students then recommence the normal MD program to complete the third and fourth years of the MD program while completing the PhD part-time. Students undertaking the MD/PhD are eligible for PhD scholarships.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a Bachelor degree within 10 years of commencement of the MD. This may be waived if applicants have completed at least one year of full-time tertiary study within 10 years.

A minimum unweighted GPA of 5.0 is required. This includes graded results from 2020, unless the student submits a request to disregard the year’s results.

A minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT ^® is required, with a minimum overall score of 50.

If selected, students must sit a multi-station interview known as the Griffith University Multi Station Admissions Assessment (GUMSAA).

Selection Process

To be selected to attend the GUMSAA, a 50/50 combination of an unweighted GPA and the overall GAMSAT ^® score is used to rank students.

Final offers are made based on a 50/50 of interview score and combined GPA/GAMSAT ^® score.

Course Info & Structure

Macquarie University offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program that only accepts FFP places. Domestic students should apply through GEMSAS (including Indigenous students, who have the option of submitting GAMSAT ^® results), whilst international students should apply directly through the university website.

The medical school is based in North Ryde in Sydney, amongst a dedicated Macquarie University Hospital. The program consists of two preclinical years with case-based learning, followed by two clinical years. Students are required to attend clinical placements in both Australian and international settings, including 22 weeks in India in year 3, travel restrictions permitting.

Rural Opportunities

In contrast to many other programs, Macquarie University does not appear to have any rural placement requirement, as per their handbook. Their focus is instead on global placements, including extended international clinical experiences for all students.

Special Programs

A unique feature of the Macquarie University program is that international placements in India are embedded into the program. Placements in India are undertaken at Apollo Hospital in Hyderabad, India.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a Bachelor degree within 10 years or be in the final year of a Bachelor degree at the time of application, unless they have completed accepted further postgraduate study in the preceding 10 years.

A minimum weighted GPA of 5.0 is needed to be considered for an interview. Macquarie University uses all graded 2020 results in their calculations. A 3% GPA bonus is added for Indigenous applicants, rural applicants, and MU Bachelor of Clinical Science applicants (with a maximum of 5% added if more than one).

A minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT ^® plus an overall weighted GAMSAT ^® score of 50 is required. International students may choose to use the MCAT ^® instead, with a minimum total score of 500 needed.

Candidates will also need to submit a personal statement in response to a series of targeted questions relating to the program. This will not be graded, but just evaluated as either satisfactory or unsatisfactory.

Successful applicants will then need to sit a multiple mini interview in September.

Selection Process

To receive an interview offer, applicants must meet hurdle requirements described above, including a satisfactory personal statement. Interview offers are then released based on a 50/50 combination of weighted GPA and overall (weighted) GAMSAT ^® score. Up to 20 interview places are reserved for MU Bachelor of Clinical Science graduates/final year students.

Final offers are released based on a 50/50 combination of GPA and MMI. Indigenous applicants will be selected on a case-by-case basis.

Course Info & Structure

Monash University is the only university to offer both an undergraduate and graduate entry medicine pathway. This section will focus on the graduate entry pathway, but more information can be found below for school leavers.

The graduate-entry program is a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD). The first year of studies is based at the School of Rural Health in Churchill in Gippsland, whilst the following three years are based in clinical environments around metropolitan Melbourne, rural south-eastern Victoria or rural north-western Victoria. A list of clinical sites can be found here.

Applicants must have a specified Monash University degree to be eligible (see next section). Applications are made internally through the Monash website. Rural applicants can apply for the Dean’s Rural List to boost their chances of receiving an interview. Indigenous students with sufficient biomedical science study from any university can apply, and must sit a separate interview. International applicants must have an internationally recognised degree with significant and broad biomedical science content.

Rural Opportunities

The thirty graduate-entry students comprising the Monash End-to-End Rural Cohort undertake their entire medical degree in rural and regional Victoria via Monash Rural Health. The first year, which is preclinical, takes place in Gippsland; the clinical years may be spent in Bendigo, Mildura, or Swan Hill. In fourth year, End-to-End Rural Cohort students may elect to undertake 18 weeks in metropolitan hospitals.

Application Requirements

Monash University operates very differently from most of the other graduate-entry Australian medical schools. For starters, they are not part of the GEMSAS Consortium, meaning that applications are made directly to the university and there is NO requirement for the GAMSAT ^® . Additionally, applicants must have completed (or be in the final year of) a specified Monash University degree to be eligible. This includes: Bachelor of Biomedical Science, Bachelor of Pharmacy (Honours), Bachelor of Physiotherapy (Honours), Bachelor of Science (with specific units required), and Bachelor of Biomedical Science from Federation University. There is no 10 year rule.

Applicants from these degrees will need to have attained a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 70 to apply, with any additional post-graduate results not taken into consideration. The lowest WAM for entry in 2022 was 83.

Successful students will then be invited to attend a multiple mini interview (MMI). The MMI consists of 6 stations, each 8 minutes in duration, held at the Churchill campus. These students will also need to complete an online Situational Judgement Test (SJT) prior to or after the MMI. The SJT is a 90 minute online test that consists of numerous realistic hypothetical scenarios, each with an associated response item that students have to rank or rate as most appropriate.

Applicants from these degrees will need to have attained a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of at least 70 to apply, with any additional post-graduate results not taken into consideration. The lowest WAM for entry in 2023 was 82.4. Successful students will then be invited to attend a multiple mini interview (MMI). The MMI consists of 6 stations, each 8 minutes in duration, held online.

Selection Process

Students with an eligible Monash degree (or alternative in the case of international and Indigenous students) who have achieved a minimum WAM of 70 will be invited to sit the MMI.

Final offers are based on academic performance (WAM) weighted 40%, and MMI score weighted 60%. Of note, 70% of available places are reserved for students who have completed the full three years of the Bachelor of Biomedical Science at Monash University.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Melbourne offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, based at their Parkville campus in year 1 followed by clinical placements across metropolitan Melbourne and rural Victoria in years 2-4. Students also take part in an annual student-led and student-driven medical conference, and undertake a semester-long supervised research placement in fourth year. Another aspect of the curriculum is “Discovery” subjects, in which students are given flexibility to explore an area of interest. You can find out more on the UniMelb website.

There are a number of alternate pathways for entry that are made directly to the university and do not require students to sit the GAMSAT ^® :

• The MD Rural Pathway offers 30 places - 15 places for students from a rural background and 15 places for graduates of La Trobe University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences who have maintained a WAM of at least 70. These students will undertake training for the entire degree in rural Victoria.
• The Guaranteed Entry Pathway (no quota) consists of Chancellor’s Scholars (students who entered their undergraduate degrees at UniMelb with an ATAR of 99.9 or above) and Guaranteed Full Fee students (students with an ATAR of between 99.0 and 99.85 who will accept an FFP).
• The Indigenous MD Student Entry Pathway (no quota) allows Indigenous students to be considered without being subject to ranking

Applications are made through GEMSAS, where candidates will be asked to specify the types of places they wish to be considered for without preferencing. Make sure to only select the fee types you will accept if offered - i.e. if you select FFP and cannot pay for it, it is not possible to swap and you will have to reject the offer. Candidates will also be asked to express preference of clinical school zone during GEMSAS applications, where acceptance of the final offer is also acceptance of the allocated clinical school zone. Supporting documents need to be emailed directly to UniMelb by May 31. This includes students applying to Graduate Access Melbourne (GAM) - students who have experienced disadvantage during their undergraduate degree or who are members of a specific recognised group will be re-ranked based on their level of disadvantage.

Rural Opportunities

The thirty students accepted into the Rural Pathway undertake their entire medical degree in rural Victoria. The first year, which is a preclinical year, takes place in Shepparton. In second year, students are given the choice of Shepparton or Wangaratta. Third year is spent in a longitudinal clinical placement in a GP clinic in north-east Victoria. Fourth year is undertaken in either Shepparton or Wangaratta.

Students in the general pathway also have the option of preferencing rural placements and applying for the Extended Rural Cohort (ERC).

Special Programs

Students have the option of undertaking clinical electives of at least one-week duration during any non-teaching period.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed an undergraduate or higher post-graduate work within the 10 years prior to commencement of the MD program. As of 2022 intake, there are no longer any subject prerequisites.

A minimum weighted GPA of 5.0 is required, but note that weighted GPA is calculated using a specific UniMelb method. More information can be found on the UniMelb website or GEMSAS guide. UniMelb has excluded 2020 results in their calculations.

A minimum GAMSAT ^® of 50 in each of the three sections is required. There is no minimum total GAMSAT ^® score, but calculations for selection are based on an unweighted average score, i.e. each section is weighted equally. International students may apply using an MCAT ^® score, with a minimum total score of 492 needed.

Successful candidates will then need to sit a mini multi-station interview (MMI), consisting of 8 stations of 5 minutes each.

Selection Process

Interview offers are made using a 50/50 combination of unweighted GAMSAT ^® scores and UniMelb-weighted GPA.

Final offers are released based on a combination of GAMSAT ^® (25%), GPA (25%) and interview (50%) scores.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Notre Dame Fremantle medical school is based in Fremantle, Perth. UNDF is a university rooted in the context of catholic faith and values, offering a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Of note, there are no international places offered to study medicine at Notre Dame. Students will be able to specify the types of places they wish to be considered for without preferencing in their GEMSAS applications, with CSPs allocated first then BMPs. At least 28% of places are reserved for students from rural backgrounds - this should be specified as part of the GEMSAS application, with these students receiving bonus points. As part of the Western Australia Residency Scheme, applicants who have lived in WA for 10 or more years will also receive bonus points. Indigenous students can apply via GEMSAS or by contacting the university independently.

UNDF (and UNDS) is a Catholic university that has a two preclinical / two clinical year program. During the first two years of the program, students undertake problem-based learning tutorials, clinical and communication skills sessions, workshops, clinical debriefing tutorials and site visits. In first year, there is a Core Curriculum component that involves an exploration of bioethics. In second year, students begin to work on a research-based or professionally-focused project in one of ten themes (these include Clinical Science, Bioethics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Rural Medicine, and Medical Leadership and Health Policy).

In third and fourth year, students undertake clinical placements. These clinical placements take place in various hospitals around Perth. Fourth year students present their project for examination in the Systematic Research Inquiry course of study. Following end-of-year examinations, fourth year students may then undertake a four-week elective placement.

Rural Opportunities

In first year, there is also a required Community Engagement Week, in which all first year students spend 3-4 days in one of five Shires in the Wheatbelt.

During second year, some students are given the opportunity to spend six weeks in the Kimberley region as a part of the Broome - Learning On Country program.

One-third of UNDF students are given the opportunity to undertake their entire third year in a rural site, via the WA Rural Clinical School (RCS), alongside students from the University of Western Australia and Curtin University.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a minimum of three years FTE of an undergraduate degree in the preceding 10 years, or have successfully completed a 0.5 FTE Graduate Certificate or above.

UNDF uses weighted GPAs in their calculations, with a minimum of 5.2 needed to be considered for an interview. This includes subjects completed in 2020.

UNDF uses an unweighted GAMSAT ^® score in their calculations, with a minimum score of 50 in each section and unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score of 52 needed to be considered for an interview. International students may use the MCAT ^® instead, with a minimum overall score of 500 needed.

Embedded in the GEMSAS application for UNDF is a written portfolio that all students applying for UNDS must complete, irrespective of the preference ranking of UNDF. The portfolio asks students to write statements regarding their personal qualities, motivation to study medicine and desire to study at UNDF.

Students are also required to sit the Capser test, an online video-based scenario, situational judgement test and is designed to evaluate aspects of your social intelligence and professionalism such as ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration. It asks what you would do in a tough situation and, more importantly, why.

Successful applicants will then need to attend a multiple mini interview (MMI).

Selection Process

Approximately 200 interviews are offered each year. Interview offers are released using a composite of weighted GPA (30%), unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score (30%), Capser score (30%) and bonus points for rurality, WA residency, and Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) completion (10%).

Final offers are released based on a composite of combined weighted GPA, unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score, Capser score and bonus points (50%) and interview score (50%).. UNDF has released that students in 2023 had an average weighted GPA of 6.64 and average unweighted GAMSAT® score of 66.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Notre Dame Sydney medical school is based at the Darlinghurst campus, with seven clinical schools in Sydney and Melbourne and rural locations in NSW and Victoria. UNDS is a university rooted in the context of catholic faith and values, offering a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. Students will be able to specify the types of places they wish to be considered for without preferencing in their GEMSAS applications, with CSPs allocated first then BMPs. At least 28% of places are reserved for students from rural backgrounds - this should be specified as part of the GEMSAS application, with a rurality bonus being applied. International students must apply directly through the university, and Indigenous students can apply via GEMSAS or via contacting the university independently.

UNDS (and UNDF) is a Catholic university that has a two preclinical / two clinical year program. During the first two years of the program, students undertake problem-based learning tutorials, clinical and communication skills sessions, workshops, clinical debriefing tutorials and site visits. In first year, there is a Core Curriculum component that involves an exploration of bioethics; in second year, students begin to work on a research-based or professionally-focused project in one of ten themes (these include Clinical Science, Bioethics, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health, Rural Medicine, and Medical Leadership and Health Policy).

In third and fourth year, students undertake clinical placements. These clinical placements take place in Sydney, Melbourne, Lithgow, Wagga Wagga or Ballarat, with weekly teaching sessions at local Clinical Schools. Fourth year students present their project for examination in the Applied Research Project course of study. Following end-of-year examinations, fourth year students may then undertake a four-week elective placement.

Rural Opportunities

As stated above, UNDS students have the opportunity to undertake third- and fourth-year clinical placements in rural locations, such as Lithgow, Ballarat, and Wagga Wagga.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a minimum of three years FTE of an undergraduate degree in the preceding 10 years, or have successfully completed a 0.5 FTE Graduate Certificate or above.

UNDS uses weighted GPAs in their calculations, with a minimum of 5.2 needed to be considered for an interview. This includes subjects completed in 2020.

UNDS uses an unweighted GAMSAT ^® score in their calculations, with a minimum score of 50 in each section and unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score of 52 needed to be considered for an interview. International students may use the MCAT ^® instead, with a minimum overall score of 500 needed.

Students are also required to sit the Capser test, an online video-based scenario, situational judgement test and is designed to evaluate aspects of your social intelligence and professionalism such as ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration. It asks what you would do in a tough situation and, more importantly, why.

Successful applicants will then need to attend a multiple mini interview (MMI). Read our blog article How the MMI Differs Between Australian Medical Schools to learn more about how to best prepare for your medical school interview.

Selection Process

Approximately 300 interviews are offered each year. Interview offers are released using a composite of weighted GPA (30%), unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score (30%), Capser score (30%) and bonus points for rurality and Higher Degrees by Research (HDR) completion (10%).

Final offers are released based on a composite of combined weighted GPA, unweighted average GAMSAT score, Capser score and bonus points (50%) and interview score (50%).. UNDS has released that students in 2023 had an average weighted GPA of 6.7 and average unweighted GAMSAT ^® score, Capser score and bonus points (50%) and interview score (50%).. UNDS has released that students in 2023 had an average weighted GPA of 6.7 and average unweighted GAMSAT ^® score of 66.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Queensland offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program. With the exception of UQ’s special programs (see below), the first two years are based on campus in Brisbane, whilst the last two years are based on clinical placements across 15 clinical schools in south east and rural Queensland (including Central Queensland, South Queensland, Wide Bay, and Darling Downs-South West). The final semester involves a dedicated Transition to Practice term, in which students work as active pre-intern members of clinical teams.

UQ offers the largest annual cohort for medicine entry across graduate and undergraduate universities. Domestic applications are received through GEMSAS, where applicants will need to specify the types of places they wish to be considered for without preferencing. Offers will then be made in the order of CSPs first, then BMPs until full. Indigenous students can apply directly to the university through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Admission Pathway, with no requirement for sitting the GAMSAT Exam.

Rural Opportunities

The University of Queensland provides a rural-focused program called the Central Queensland – Wide Bay Regional Medical Pathway (RMP) which offers up to 90 places - up to 60 in the Central Queensland – Wide Bay region and up to 30 in the Darling Downs – South West region.

To apply for this pathway, you must select UQ as your first, second or third preference. On the UQ preference page you can then select this pathway. If you are unsuccessful in obtaining an offer in this pathway, you will be considered for the standard Brisbane medical program. Applicants offered a place in the CQ-WB RMP or DD-SW MP will not be permitted to transfer between pathways or to the Greater Brisbane program pathway.

Successful applicants will commence Year 1 in Brisbane and then complete their medical studies (years 2 – 4) in Central Queensland (CQ), Wide Bay (WB) or Darling Downs-South West (DD-SW). Applicants will be sorted into Tier 1, 2, and 3, with preference given to applicants from Central Queensland / Wide Bay / Darling Downs - South West and applicants with a rural background. Refer to the GEMSAS Admissions guide for more information.

Special Programs

The UQ-Ochsner program is offered in partnership with Ochsner Health in the US. It is only open to US citizens and permanent residents and includes a dedicated USMLE preparation course. Following the first two years of the course, which are undertaken in Brisbane, students attend the Ochsner Clinical School in Louisiana to complete their clinical training.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a three year Bachelor degree within 10 years of the commencement of the MD. Applicants will also be considered if they have successfully completed at least 0.5 FTE years of graded tertiary level coursework in the 10 year period prior to the commencement of the MD.

From 2022, there are two science pre-requisites in cell biology and systems physiology which must be completed at a second year undergraduate level within the last 10 years. A list of equivalent courses can be found on UQ’s website. Documentation of proof needs to be emailed directly to UQ by May 1st.

UQ uses a unique method of GPA calculation, whereby units are weighted by credit value of the subjects rather than the year in which the subjects were completed. More information can be found on the UQ website or GEMSAS guide. UQ uses subjects that were completed in 2020. A minimum UQ equivalent GPA of 5.0/7.0 is required to be considered for an interview.

A minimum score of 50 in each GAMSAT ^® section is required, but there is no minimum total average score. UQ uses an unweighted average GAMSAT ^® in its calculations for interviews. International students may apply with a GAMSAT ^® or MCAT ^® score, with the latter requiring an overall score of 504.

Successful applicants will then need to sit a mini multi-station interview (MMI) in September.

Selection Process

Interview offers are made based on a 50/50 combination of a UQ equivalent GPA and an unweighted average GAMSAT ^® score. If required, GPA will be used as a tiebreaker.

Final offers are released based on a combination of MMI (50%), GPA (25%) and GAMSAT® (25%) scores. If required, MMI scores will be used as a tiebreaker.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Sydney offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program that is NOT part of the GEMSAS Consortium. USyd is one of the few non-GEMSAS medical schools available out there. USyd made significant changes for 2021 admission in light of the COVID-19 pandemic, and these changes have continued through to 2024 admission and will likely be ongoing.

Since 2022, the Sydney MD program has been offered in two streams - the Metropolitan Stream based in Sydney’s Camperdown, and the Dubbo Stream based in central-western NSW. Students in the Metropolitan Stream will have their placements based in Sydney but will still have the option for rural placements in Dubbo, Orange, Broken Hill and Northern Rivers. Students in the Dubbo Stream will undertake their places in Dubbo Hospital and further remote rural sites. There are only 24 places available for the Dubbo Stream, only available for domestic students who indicate their interest. Indigenous and rural applicants will be preferenced for the Dubbo Stream.

Students will need to apply for a Qualifications Assessment Service (QAS) via UAC in May - this is essentially a service to convert your academic transcript into the GPA that the university will use. Students will separately need to submit an application directly to the university, also in May. During this application process, students will be able to indicate their place preference and which stream (Metropolitan or Dubbo, or both) they wish to be considered for (note that only one offer will be made and transfers are not permitted). Within the application, Indigenous students can apply via the Indigenous Facilitated Admission Pathway (for students with a Bachelor degree and GAMSAT ^® results) or Indigenous Admission Pathway (for students with a postgraduate degree). Within the application, students from a rural background can apply via the Rural Origin Facilitated Entry Scheme.

There are also 30 domestic and 10 international places available for school leavers with an ATAR of 99.95, who can enrol in the combined Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine or Bachelor of Arts/Doctor of Medicine of seven years without needing to sit the UCAT ^® or GAMSAT ^® .

The Doctor of Medicine at USyd is based around eight core themes: basic and clinical sciences; clinical skills; diagnostics and therapy; research, evidence and informatics; population health; indigenous health; ethics and law; and professionalism and interprofessional teamwork. Students complete a minimum of 2310 hours of professional placements, with clinical contact beginning as early as the second week of the program. In the third year, students also undertake a research project.

The University of Sydney boasts a large network of clinical placement locations, with nine different clinical school sites located around NSW and opportunities to do overseas elective placements.

• Central (Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Sydney Eye Hospital, Canterbury Hospital)

• Children’s Hospital Westmead

• Concord (Concord Repatriation General Hospital)

• Nepean (Nepean Hospital, Nepean Private Hospital, Blue Mountains District ANZAC Memorial Hospital)

• Northern (Royal North Shore Hospital)

• Westmead (Westmead Hospital)

• The Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health (Broken Hill, Wilcannia, Menindee, Balranald, Dareton, Wentworth, Bourke, Brewarrina, Cobar, Lightning Ridge, Walgett)

• School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange) (Dubbo Hospital, Dubbo Private Hospital, Orange Health Service, Dudley Private Hospital - Orange)

• The University Centre for Rural Health (Grafton, Lismore, Murwillumbah)

Rural Opportunities

The University of Sydney’s placement network includes a number of rural sites. Additionally, students enrolled in the Dubbo stream will have the opportunity to undertake their entire degree in a rural setting.

Special Programs

The Dubbo stream, which accepts 24 students each year, allows students to undertake their entire medical degree at the School of Rural Health in Dubbo. Students who are accepted into the Dubbo stream will undertake their degree not only in Dubbo, but also at rural and remote placements in Western and Far West NSW, and may even have opportunities to train with the Royal Flying Doctor Service. First-year students are offered subsidised accommodation.

The Dubbo stream is only available to students who are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place or Bonded Medical Place (i.e. international students are unfortunately ineligible for this program).

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed or be in the final year of a three year Bachelor degree within the preceding 10 years. Alternative pathways include having completed post-graduate studies or having sustained research productivity in a relevant discipline in the 10 year period.

Students must have attained a minimum GPA of 5.0/credit average. Rural and Indigenous applicants need a minimum GPA of 4.5 instead. The GPA must be calculated by UAC, i.e. through lodging a QAS .

Students must also sit the GAMSAT ^® and attain a minimum of 50 in each section. Overall or average GAMSAT ^® score will not be used in the assessment and ranking of applicants. Instead, scores for each section of the GAMSAT ^® will be used to rank applicants. The university has not provided the exact method used to combine the sections and rank the applicants. As such, USyd advises that cut-offs of overall and average GAMSAT scores in previous years are irrelevant to the current admission cycle. International students may use MCAT ^® results instead, with a minimum score of 500 overall needed.

Applicants who select consideration for the Dubbo Stream must also provide a personal statement as part of their application which demonstrates genuine interest, intention and aptitude for practising medicine in rural and regional areas.

Another recent change is that interviews or the situational judgement test (SJT) are now generally not required, but may be sent to applicants in certain conditions, such as if they have previously been excluded or suspended from a course or professional registration, or if a tie-breaker is needed.

There is assumed knowledge in anatomy, physiology and molecular/cellular biology. Regardless of their prior degree, students will need to complete an online Foundation Knowledge Course including a self-assessment after accepting their offer and before commencing studies.

Selection Process

Offers will be made based on academic performance, i.e. a combination of rankings from each section of the GAMSAT ^® , given that the GPA hurdle has been met. Offers for the Metropolitan Stream will be in sequence commencing with the applicant with the highest ranked score. Offers for the Dubbo Stream will be in sequence commencing with Indigenous applicants and Australian rural applicants with the highest ranked scores, after reviewing personal statements. If ranked equally, students may be asked to sit an interview or situational judgement test as an additional tool.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Western Australia offers a four year graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine (MD) based at the Crawley and QEII (Queen Elizabeth II Medical Centre) campuses in Perth. Students are eligible to apply for direct/provisional entry as school leavers on the basis of ATAR and UCAT ^® scores, with more information on this pathway available below . This section will focus on the graduate-entry pathway only.

UWA’s medical program consists of one (and a bit) preclinical years, with the remaining time spent in clinical settings. The first year includes lectures, tutorials, and clinical skills workshops and is largely based at the QEII campus, with some laboratory classes (e.g. anatomy and histology) being held at the Crawley campus. The first twelve weeks of second year have a greater focus on clinical skills training before the commencement of clinical placements. Clinical placements are held at a variety of clinical sites around Perth, including outer metropolitan areas.

In third and fourth year, students are also required to undertake a Scholarly Activity. They may participate in one of three streams: Research, Service Learning, or Coursework; within Coursework, they are given the choice of undertaking units from the Master of Public Health, Master of Health Professions Education, or Master of Aboriginal Health (these students will be given credit towards these degrees should they choose to undertake them in the future). Research and Service Learning students nominate a project and supervisor in a field of interest and present their project during fourth year.

Rural Opportunities

One-third of UWA students undertake their entire third year at a rural site via the WA Rural Clinical School (RCS), alongside students from the University of Notre Dame Fremantle and Curtin University. Applications for RCS open in second year; it usually receives more applications than there are places available, with preference given to students from a rural background. A select few students are invited to continue studying with RCS throughout fourth year.

Additionally, all students are required to undertake a five-week Rural General Practice term in final year. These sites range from larger regional centres (e.g. Geraldton and Bunbury) to remote Aboriginal communities. (For students who have family commitments that would prohibit extended travel away from Perth, a select number of outer metropolitan placements are offered as alternatives.)

Special Programs

In previous years, students have been required to undertake an elective between third and fourth year, during which students would often travel internationally. This was, however, disrupted due to COVID; during the 2021-2022 break, students were allowed (but not required) to undertake a local elective in an area of their choice.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have completed a recognised Bachelor degree prior to commencement of the MD program. Of note, UWA is the only GEMSAS Consortium school to not have a 10 year rule.

UWA uses unweighted GPAs in their calculations, with a minimum of 5.5 needed to be considered for interviews. Concessions have been made for subjects completed during 2020.

A minimum weighted overall GAMSAT ^® of 55 is required, with a minimum of 50 in each section. International students can use a GAMSAT ^® or MCAT ^® score, with a minimum score of 124 in each section and an overall minimum of 500 needed for the latter.

Successful students will then need to sit an interview in September or October.

Selection Process

Interview selections are based using a 50/50 combination of overall GAMSAT ^® score and unweighted GPA, with 1 to 2 candidates interviewed for each available place. UWA has released that domestic applicants who were successful in obtaining an interview for 2023 entry averaged a GPA of 6.75 and GAMSAT ^® score of 70.2.

Final offers are made using a combination of GAMSAT ^® (20%), GPA (30%) and interview score (50%). Rural applicants will be ranked based on GAMSAT ^® (15%), GPA (22.5%), interview (37.5%) and rural rating (25%).

Course Info & Structure

The University of Wollongong offers a four year Doctor of Medicine (MD) program, based at either their Wollongong or Shoalhaven campus. The first 18 months of the UoW medical program are completed within the allocated campus, and after that, students will be rotated through campuses and other regional, rural and remote areas of NSW. At the time of application through GEMSAS, applicants will need to specify the types of places in preferred offer and note a preference for Wollongong or Shoalhaven campus. Offers will be according to applicant rank and preference. Transfer between campuses is not allowed - if the campus is declined, the offer will be withdrawn.

Indigenous students can apply via GEMSAS or directly through UoW, and will not need to sit the Casper test but will need to sit an additional panel interview with Aboriginal and Torres Straits Islander community members, medical practitioners and staff from the University of Wollongong.

Rural Opportunities

The University of Wollongong has a strong rural focus; as well as admitting a large percentage of rural or remote students (minimum 56% of each cohort), all students are given the opportunity to undertake a 12-month clinical placement in a rural or regional community. This is unique because, while many medical schools offer year-long rural placements, usually these are only offered to a select group of students. Overall, almost 50% of the entire four-year medical program at UoW is delivered rurally.

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must have successfully completed an undergraduate degree of at least three years FTE within 10 years of course commencement. Alternate pathways include studying at least one year FTE at a Graduate Diploma level or higher in the preceding 10 years, or by demonstrating through other activities that they hold current high level academic skills.

UoW uses a weighted GPA, with a minimum of 5.5 necessary to pass the hurdle for interviews. It will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met.

UoW uses the overall or weighted GAMSAT ^® score, with a minimum overall score of 50 and a minimum score of 50 in each section required. International students have the option of sitting the MCAT ^® instead, and must attain a minimum score of 123 in each section or a minimum total score of 495. Indigenous applicants may be exempt from the GAMSAT ^® if they demonstrate academic proficiency in cognate disciplines such as health sciences.

All students applying for UoW will need to sit the Casper test which is a 100-120 minute online open-response, video-based situational judgement test. It is designed to evaluate aspects of your social intelligence and professionalism such as ethics, empathy, problem-solving and collaboration. It asks what you would do in a tough situation and, more importantly, why.

As part of the GEMSAS application, students will also need to submit an admissions portfolio , regardless of the preference ranking of UoW. The portfolio acts to highlight areas of achievement, leadership, teamwork, service ethic and commitment, as well as ties to regional, rural and remote communities.

As a final step in the admissions process, successful applicants will be invited to sit an interview in September.

Selection Process

A weighted GPA or at least 5.5 and satisfactory performance in the CASPer test will be used as qualifying hurdles for interview offers. If these criteria are met, interview selection is based on a 50/50 combination of overall GAMSAT ^® score and portfolio score (including rurality). Approximately 160 applicants are invited to interview each year.

Final offers are released based on interview scores (25%), Casper scores (25%) and Portfolio scores (50%). This means that the GPA is not included in the formula for either interviews or final offers (except as a hurdle) and GAMSAT ^® scores are only used in the formula for interviews.

Course Info & Structure

Bond University is the only private university that offers a medical pathway, meaning that places are not subsidised by the government. The pathway is offered as a combined Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedSt) and Doctor of Medicine (MD). The BMedSt cannot be completed as an independent degree, and the MD cannot be completed without first completing the BMedSt. Bond University is based in Robina on the Gold Coast, with clinical sites located near the main campus.

Bond University is structured using trimesters, and as such, the degree can be completed in 4 years and 8 months (14 trimesters, though they are still referred to as semesters), making it technically the shortest pathway to becoming a doctor in Australia. The BMedSt runs over 8 semesters, or 2 years and 8 months, and the MD runs over 6 semesters, or 2 years. There are 2 starting points for the BMedSt - May and September.

As described, there are no CSPs available for the program. Program fees are therefore all full fee paying - in 2023, program fees are $30 160 per semester, over the 14 semesters. Students are required to pay their first semester’s fee when accepting their offer, with future fees due at the start of each semester. FEE-HELP is available, but students should note that the maximum entitlements are not sufficient to meet the full tuition costs. One Indigenous student will be awarded a 50% scholarship.

Direct entry into BMedSt is only open to domestic students. There are approximately 120 places offered for May commencement, and 60 places offered for September commencement. Of these places, approximately 80% are reserved for undergraduate applicants and 20% are reserved for graduate applicants. Undergraduate applicants refer to students who are either year 12 school leavers or who have commenced a tertiary degree. This includes students who are applying for Lateral Entry. Lateral Entry is open to current students and graduates of specific Bond University programs with a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 (Bond grading), with successful applicants moving straight into year 2 of the BMedSt. This is the only pathway available for international students. In 2021, 13 places were released to Lateral Entry students. Graduate applicants refer to students who have completed a tertiary degree within 9 years - admission is based on GPA, and students will need to start from the first year of the BMedSt. Both undergraduate and graduate applicants must complete the admission requirements described below.

Applications to this Australian medical school are submitted via QTAC , and it is important to note that there is a very different timeline to the other universities, with applications opening after all other university offers have been released.

• Applications open in January, with students able to preference May or September commencement (students need to ensure they have replied to their other offers and have moved Bond to their first preference)
• Psychometric testing is in February
• Interviews are conducted in early March
• Offers are released via QTAC is mid-March, with 5 days to accept the offer
• O-Week and classes commence in May or September, depending on the commencing stream

Application Requirements

There are pre-requisite subjects: English, English as an Additional Language, Literature, or English and Literature Extension (Units 3 and 4, C), or interstate equivalents.

As stated above, 80% of places are awarded to undergraduate applicants with a competitive ATAR/combined GPA and ATAR. A minimum OP 1-3, ATAR 96+, or IB Total 38+ is necessary. This includes students who are applying for Lateral Entry. The remaining 20% of places are awarded to graduate applicants, who must hold a minimum GPA of 3.0/4.0 (Bond grading), which is equivalent to a GPA of 6.0 (on a regular 7.0 scaling).

Importantly, Bond University does NOT use the UCAT ^® - students are not required or expected to sit the UCAT ^® .

Bond University uses psychometric testing to rank students for interview selection. This involves an online test with 2 assessments that run over a maximum of 2 hours. The assessments are those of Emotional Intelligence and a Personality Test.

Interviews are held in person at Bond University on the Gold Coast. It is structured as a multi mini interview (MMI) with 4 interview stations designed to test a candidate’s general suitability to medicine and preparedness to undertake a highly demanding course.

Selection Process

Students will be assessed on their prior academic record through their QTAC application. Approximately 50% of applicants will be invited to the psychometric test. In 2021, approximately 700 eligible applicants were invited to complete the psychometric test. The results of the psychometric test will form the basis for interview selection. In 2021, approximately 400 applicants were shortlisted and invited to attend the interview.

Course Info & Structure

Flinders University, in partnership with Charles Darwin University, offers undergraduate and graduate entry to the Flinders Doctor of Medicine in Darwin through the Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP) . Students who wish to study in the NT have two options - gain provisional entry into CDU’s Bachelor of Clinical Sciences followed by entry into Flinders’ MD, or gain graduate entry into Flinders’ MD. These are the only medical study programs available to students who wish to study in the NT - however, there are current reports that CDU may be creating its own medical degree in the near future.

Students with provisional entry will undertake the first two years of studies through the Bachelor of Clinical Sciences at CDU’s Casuarina campus. On the provision that students pass all units with a minimum GPA of 5.0, they will then progress to their third year, which is run in parallel to the first year of the MD. These next four years will consist of Flinders’ MD program undertaken across the NT. This means that the entire training program is completed within the NT in 6 years. For more information about Flinders’ MD program, see the graduate entry pathway above .

CDU accepts 15 students each year, with priority given to NT residents and Indigenous students. This pathway is only available to Australian citizens and permanent residents. Applications are made through SATAC . All students will be bonded to work for four years after graduation in the NT, submitting a signed contract with the NT government after the first year of the NTMP.

Within these 15 places, there are sub-quotas each year, with statutory declarations needing to be submitted to SATAC for each:

• NT resident sub-quota: 5 places for NT residents
• NT Indigenous sub-quota: 8 places for Indigenous students who also meet the NT residence requirements
• National Indigenous sub-quota: 2 places for Indigenous students who do not meet the NT resident requirements

Application Requirements

Students applying for the CDU/Flinders NTMP program will need to achieve a minimum adjusted ATAR of 90.0 for NT residents, or 85.0 for Indigenous students. Applicants may have completed up to one year of higher education study.First Nations students can access an alternative admission pathway through the CDU and are not required to sit the UCAT ^® exam.

Students will also need to achieve a competitive score in the UCAT ^® , with an overall score derived from all 5 sections weighted equally.

Of note, there is no interview process.

Selection Process

As there is no interview process for provisional entry, ranking for final offers is determined by combining scores from ATAR (90%) and UCAT ^® (10%). As mentioned above, the UCAT ^® score is derived from all 5 sections weighted equally.

Course Info & Structure

To make things even more complicated, the Central Queensland University also offers admission for provisional graduate entry into the University of Queensland’s regionally based Doctor of Medicine program. See above for more information about this program.

The provisional entry program is designed for high school leavers to gain entry into CQU’s three year Bachelor of Medical Science (Pathway to Medicine) followed by UQ’s four year Doctor of Medicine. The undergraduate course is based in either CQU’s Bundaberg or Rockhampton campuses, with 20 places offered for each campus. Upon successful completion of the Bachelor’s degree within 3 years and a GPA of 5.0 or more, students will gain direct entry into the MD program, which must be delivered within the Central Queensland and Wide Bay regions.

Applications are submitted through QTAC in September of their final year of high school. Candidates can choose to apply though the general pathway and/or BMP pathway using the specific QTAC codes. During applications, candidates will also be able to nominate if they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, with different entry requirements described below.

Application Requirements

Students must attain a minimum adjusted ATAR score of 95.0, or equivalent. This pathway is only available to school leavers in their year of application (i.e. not available to those who have completed any tertiary study or who have already finished high school). Certain subject requirements also exist:

• English (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent
• Mathematical Methods (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent
• One of Biology, Chemistry, Physics (Units 3 & 4, C) or equivalent

Candidates may be eligible for up to 5 additional ATAR points (i.e. total maximum of 5 points across the schemes) through the Subject Incentive Scheme and Rural Access Scheme.

The lowest unadjusted ATAR scores for 2022 entry was 92.05, with the lowest adjusted score 95.10.

A ‘competitive’ UCAT ^® score must be attained, depending on overall applicant performance. Of note, an aggregate score of the first four sections is used in calculations.

If selected, students will be invited to participate in a multiple mini interview (MMI). A minimum score is set by the university following the interview process.

Students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander will be directly contacted by the Office of Indigenous Engagement after their QTAC application is received. For these students, there is no minimum required ATAR and no need to sit the UCAT ^® . Instead, the Office of Indigenous Engagement will schedule a semi-structured interview that will form the basis for recommendation for the MMI.

Selection Process

Invitation to the MMI is based on achieving the minimum ATAR as a hurdle, plus the aggregate UCAT ^® score from the first four sections. Of interest, section 5 scores may be used as a secondary differentiator between applicants with the same aggregate score, and section 1 scores as a tertiary differentiator between applicants with the same section 5 score.

Final offers are released based on ATAR (25%), aggregate score from the first four UCAT ^® sections (25%) and MMI score (50%). MMI scores will be used as a secondary differentiator to differentiate between applicants with the same ‘final score’

Course Info & Structure

Curtin University offers a Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) over 5 years, with the first 3 years spent on campus in the suburb of Bentley in Perth and the final two years on clinical placements in metro and rural sites. It is the only direct undergraduate medical program in WA.

Applications to this Australian medical school are made via TISC in September. As per government regulations, 28.5% of CSPs are set aside as BMPs. Students may be eligible to apply based on 4 different categories and criteria:

• High school leavers. This pathway is for students who have completed high school within the last 2 years and have not commenced any post-secondary studies. The majority of places are dedicated to this pathway.
• Curtin course switchers. Currently enrolled Curtin University students in their first course of study are eligible to apply for entry into the MBBS. They must commence the MBBS program from its first year of five, but may be eligible for some credit for recognised learning. These students must have a minimum course weighted average (CWA) of 80%, and must fulfil the same criteria as high school leavers, including the UCAT ^® .
• Higher education course switcher. Applicants who have already completed a higher education course at any tertiary education provider are able to apply via this pathway. Applicants are required to complete their qualification before applying. Academic performance is ranked using a notional ATAR from their course marks, with a minimum of 92.0 needed to be eligible. The notional ATAR is an internal calculation by Curtin University and is not disclosed to applicants. These students also need to fulfil the same criteria as high school leavers, including the UCAT ^® .
• Up to 10 places are available to international students, across the school leaver and non-school leaver pathways. International students must be onshore at the time of application, and must fulfil the same criteria as high school leavers, including the UCAT ^® . Applications are made online direct to Curtin, not via TISC.

There are a total of 110 places available, with places prioritised for WA candidates from rural and regional areas, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander backgrounds and students who have experienced long term educational disadvantage. Places not filled by the Rural, Equity or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathways will be allocated according to Curtin’s strategic priorities. To help facilitate this, these students are generally given additional weighting in the admission process:

• Indigenous applicants can apply directly to the university through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathway. The application includes personal written statements, and interviews are offered to competitive applicants based on this application. Indigenous students do not need to sit the UCAT ^® . Applications are directly through the university.
• Up to 25% of places are reserved for WA applicants from a rural or regional background. These students must submit the Rural Background and Equity form directly to the university, as well as the standard application through TISC. Rural students will receive up to 5 additional points towards their ATAR, CWA or notional ATAR through the Rural Adjustment Scheme, and will only compete for places with other eligible rural applicants.
• WA school leavers may be eligible for the Equity Entry Pathway if they are from an eligible Equity school or are classified as experiencing financial hardship. These students must also submit the Rural Background and Equity form directly to the university, as well as the standard application through TISC. These students will receive up to 5 additional points towards their ATAR, CWA or notional ATAR through the Equity Adjustment Scheme, and will only compete for places with other eligible equity applicants.

Application Requirements

A prerequisite of year 12 Chemistry (or CHEM1003 and CHEM1005 through Curtin University for non-high school leavers) is necessary. Subjects considered desirable include Mathematics Methods, Mathematics Specialist or Mathematics Applications, or equivalent.

A minimum adjusted ATAR of 95.0 is required, with adjustments described above and eligible for domestic students only. For non-high school leavers, a CWA of 80% or notional ATAR of 92.0 are considered minimums.

Applicants must sit the UCAT ^® , with the total UCAT ^® score used in the selection process. A reminder that Indigenous applicants only applying through the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathway do not need to sit the UCAT ^® .

The final criteria for successful applicants is an interview conducted as a multiple mini interview (MMI). The MMI is designed to allow applicants to demonstrate their communication and critical appraisal skills, and reflect on issues relevant to the medical profession.

Selection Process

Applicants will be ranked for interview offers based on these categories:

• School leavers: predicted ATAR (60%) and UCAT ^® (40%)
• Curtin course switchers: CWA from current studies and UCAT ^®
• Higher education course switchers: notional ATAR from completed tertiary studies and UCAT

The top ranked applicants from each entry pathway will be invited to attend an MMI. Applicants will then be ranked and selected for final offer based on their ATAR (or equivalent) (40%), UCAT ^® (20%) and interview performance (40%).

Course Info & Structure

Flinders University admissions are the most complicated as there are 3 different paths to studying medicine at this Australian medical school. Flinders offers an MD program, which can be entered through provisional entry or through graduate entry. For graduate entry, please refer to the Flinders information above. For provisional entry (i.e. based on ATAR and UCAT ^® ), students may choose to undertake their undergraduate degree through Flinders University in Adelaide, or through Charles Darwin University in the Northern Territory (see below for more information).

This section will therefore focus on students wishing to undertake their undergraduate degree at Flinders in Adelaide. These students will complete an accelerated Bachelor of Clinical Sciences, with a focus on health sciences of medical sciences, for 2 years. If a GPA of at least 5.0 is attained by the end of the second year of study, progression to the first year of the MD program at Flinders is guaranteed. As the MD program is 4 years, this means that students will complete their combined BClSc/MD in 6 years.

In 2022, provisional entry places were offered to 55 students. Study is conducted on campus at Bedford Park in Adelaide, which is co-located with Flinders Medical Centre. Of these 55 places, there is a quota of 28% for students with a rural background, including a sub-quota of up to 24 places each year for students from rural communities who apply to undertake the entire third year of the MD in one of four rural locations (the SARM program).

Applications are made through SATAC. Of note, Indigenous students are also able to apply through SATAC but will need to submit a separate Indigenous Admission Scheme form, and sit an interview. There is an annual sub-quota of up to 5 places for Indigenous students. Additionally, the pathway is open to international students, who will need to achieve a minimum high school score equivalent to an ATAR of 95.0, prove English competency and attend a semi-structured interview.

Rural Opportunities

Please see the information for the Flinders Doctor of Medicine above .

Special Programs

Please see the information for the Flinders Doctor of Medicine above .

Application Requirements

Applicants of this Australian medical school must be high school leavers with no record of study at a higher education level. Students will need to achieve a minimum ATAR of 95.0, after adjustment through the University Equity Scheme if eligible. Indigenous students have a reduced minimum ATAR, at 90.0 after adjustments. International students will need to achieve an ATAR of 95.0 or equivalent.

Students will also need to achieve a competitive score in the UCAT ^® , with an overall score derived from all 5 sections weighted equally.

Of note, there is no interview process, unlike the Flinders graduate entry program.

Selection Process

As there is no interview process for provisional entry, ranking for final offers is determined by combining scores from ATAR (90%) and UCAT ^® (10%). As mentioned above, the UCAT ^® score is derived from all 5 sections weighted equally.

Course Info & Structure

Griffith University also offers admission for provisional graduate entry into their Doctor of Medicine program following successful completion of a Bachelor of Medical Science at either Griffith University or Sunshine Coast University. More information about the Doctor of Medicine program can be found above.

The Griffith University Bachelor of Medical Science is a two year degree, with roughly 30 places available at the Gold Coast campus and 30 places available at the Nathan campus. All students will be granted provisional entry to the MD program if a GPA of at least 5.0 is maintained and a Pass mark is achieved in the subject 2500MED Human Skills for Medicine. Note that from 2025, a GPA of at least 5.5, not 5.0, will be required. Students from rural backgrounds can indicate this during the QTAC application process to be considered for the Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme.

There are 20 places available in Sunshine Coast University’s three year Bachelor of Medical Science , and all of these students will be granted provisional entry to Griffith University’s Doctor of Medicine program at Sunshine Coast University Hospital. Students must maintain a GPA of at least 5.0 to retain entry to the MD, and must achieve a minimum Pass grade in MED202 Communication Skills for Medicine.

Griffith University medicine undergraduate entry applications are made via QTAC , with separate codes for each campus. Students can apply with all three codes if they are prepared to attend each of the campuses.

Application Requirements

Students who have completed year 12 no more than three years prior to admission with no previous attempts at tertiary study are eligible to apply. A minimum ATAR of 99.80 is set for Sunshine Coast University, and a minimum ATAR of 99.85 is set for Griffith University.

English Units 3&4, C (or equivalent) must be completed as a prerequisite subject for both universities. Mathematical Methods and one or more of Chemistry, Physics or Biology are considered assumed knowledge. but are not strict prerequisites.

Students do NOT need to sit the UCAT ^® or attend an interview.

Note that from 2025 admission, certain changes will be implemented for Griffith University Bachelor of Medical Science admissions. A UCAT ^® score will be required and used for second order ranking within an ATAR band. Applicants without a UCAT ^® score will still be considered for selection but will be ranked at the bottom of their ATAR band. Furthermore, applicants will only be considered if they have completed year 12 no more than 1 year prior to admission.

Selection Process

Admission is based on academic achievement (i.e. ATAR), on the provision of meeting pre-requisite subjects.

Course Info & Structure

James Cook University is based in Townsville, Queensland, and offers a pathway to undergraduate medicine through its Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). This is a 6 year degree and students can apply to study at either JCU’s Cairns or Townsville campus, where they will complete the first three years of their degree. Year 4 can be undertaken at either Cairns or Townsville. The majority of students in Years 5 and 6 of their degree relocate for the entire two years to Cairns, Mackay or Townsville. Extra Honours study is also available if students wish to develop a personal research project and thesis - at the end of year 4, students who have obtained grades in the top 25% of their cohort will be given the opportunity to enrol.

James Cook University accepts around 170 students each year. Candidates must apply by September via both QTAC and an internal application form directly to the university which includes a written portfolio component. A Prediction of Academic Achievement form must also be received by the university in early October. International students must submit a specific internal form in August, and Indigenous students must submit an Alternate Entry Pathway application and contact the Indigenous Education and Research Centre.

Application Requirements

Majority of places to the MBBS are given to high school leavers - that is, students who have completed year 12 within the last 2 years. There are pre-requisite subjects: all of English (Units 3/4, C), Mathematical Methods (Units 3/4, C), and Chemistry (Units 3/4, C), or their interstate/overseas equivalents. In addition, the study of physics and biology is highly desirable.

The university does not release minimum academic thresholds. However, they have released student profiles as per commencement in Semester 1, 2023 at Cairns/Townsville - the highest ATAR was 99.95/99.95, the median ATAR was 96.65/99.10, and the lowest ATAR was 91.85/91.65. A very limited number of places are offered to non-school leavers - academic scores will be based on the most recent course GPA, with a minimum GPA of 5.75 needed to be considered for an interview.

Importantly, JCU does NOT use the UCAT ^® as part of its selection criteria. Students do not need to sit the UCAT ^® to be eligible to apply for JCU.

As described, as part of the internal application, students will need to submit a written response. This involves answering four questions, from describing your motives for becoming a medical practitioner, describing past activities that indicate your motivation to study medicine, and exploring your interest in Indigenous, tropical and rural health.

Successful candidates will be invited to participate in an interview in November and December, with final offers released by QTAC in January.

Selection Process

Interview selection is based on evaluation of the written application together with all available information regarding academic performance. As explained above, JCU does NOT use the UCAT ^® .

Final offers are then made based on academic performance, the written application, and demonstration at the interview of attributes suited to a career in medicine.

Course Info & Structure

Monash University offers both undergraduate and graduate pathways into their Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine program. This section will focus on the undergraduate pathway, with more information about the graduate pathway explored above.

The undergraduate pathway is a 5 year degree based at Monash’s Clayton campus in Melbourne’s south-east. It is designed for students who have completed their year 12 studies no more than 2 years prior, and have not commenced any other studies at a tertiary level during that time. Applicants who have commenced tertiary study are ineligible to apply and should consider the graduate entry program. The first two years of the program are completed on campus, and the final three years are hospital and community based across metro and rural Victoria. There are options for students to extend their studies by completing either an Honours program to the Bachelor of Medical Science, or a Master of Public Health.

Applications to this Australian medical school are submitted to VTAC with numerous place types available, each with their own VTAC code. Students can apply for one or more of the following programs:

• There are roughly ~242 CSP places available
• There are a further 30 CSP places under the Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) - this is only available for Australian citizens and permanent residents, and requires students committing to undertake their clinical training throughout the degree across rural and regional Victoria
• 28.5% of places are reserved for BMP students - this is not available for international students
• There are an additional 71 international student places available - overseas applicant must apply through an agent , and Australia-based international students must apply through VTAC

Students who come from a rural background or identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander will be prompted to indicate this information and apply to be part of the Dean’s Rural List or Dean’s Indigenous List at the time of applying through VTAC. Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander students can also apply for the Monash University Indigenous Student Access Scheme. Monash University fills 27% of its places with students from an Australian rural background. Entry to these lists may result in applicants with a score slightly lower than the standard faculty-determined cut-offs being invited to an interview.

Application Requirements

Certain subject prerequisites for the program exist:

• Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 35 in English (EAL) or 30 in English other than EAL
• Units 3 and 4: a study score of at least 30 in Chemistry

Prerequisites for the program exist: a minimum of 25/50 in English as an Alternate Language or 30/50 in English, AND 30/50 in Chemistry, or interstate/international equivalents. Year 12 biology is recommended but not mandatory, and students who are accepted into the program but have not completed biology may choose to undertake the optional biology bridging program provided by the university.

The minimum ATAR is considered at 90.0, but usually a significantly higher ATAR is required. The minimum 2024 entry ATAR score for school leavers was 96.35. ATAR scores may be adjusted if the candidate falls under the Special Entry Access Schemes (SEASE) and/or the Dean’s Rural and Indigenous lists.

The UCAT ^® is another requirement for admission, with the cut-off score determined by the distribution of scores each year and therefore changes depending on the cohort.The indicative UCAT® score to be considered for an interview is 2900. International students will need to complete the ISAT instead, with an overall total score of 170 or above including a minimum of 165 in both sections (Critical Reasoning and Quantitative Reasoning).

The interview is conducted as a multiple mini interview (MMI), with 6 stations each of 8 minutes duration.

Selection Process

Selection for MMI in December is open to rural and Victorian students and will be based on the UCAT ^® core alone. Selection for MMI in January is open to all remaining and interstate students, including Victorian students who may not have been interviewed in the December round, and will then be based on a combination of an applicant’s UCAT® and ATAR (aggregate) scores.
Final selection is based on ATAR, UCAT ^® and MMI scores, with all three components weighted equally at 33% each. For international students, selection will instead be based on a combination of year 12 score, ISAT and MMI, again all weighted equally.

Course Info & Structure

In 2021, the University of Adelaide offered its final intake for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). From 2022, they will now offer the new combined degree of Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine , with each degree spanning over 3 years for a total of 6 years of study. Entry to the Doctor of Medicine is based on completion of the Bachelor of Medical Studies at UniAdelaide, and cannot be accessed through a graduate entry pathway.

The combined degree is based in the Adelaide BioMed City campus. However, enrollment requires students to undertake rural clinical placements: CSP (both BMP and non-BMP) students need to complete four weeks of rural placements before graduation, with 25% of students required to complete one year of clinical training in a rural site.

Applications are made through SATAC in September, with separate SATAC codes for BMP and non-BMP places (students may apply for both). There are specific quotas for different groups of applicants:

• Students who are part of the Rural Background Entry (RBE) scheme make up a minimum of 40 places, and must submit a statutory declaration with their application.
• Indigenous students make up a minimum of 4 places and must also submit a statutory declaration with their application. Indigenous students do not need to sit the UCAT ^® and will attend a separate interview process.
• There are 31 places for international students on top of the domestic places. International students must meet the same prerequisites and minimum academic thresholds, and must sit the UCAT ^® and the same interview process. Applications must be submitted directly through the university in June, with proven English competency.

Rural Opportunities

Commonwealth supported students (in both bonded and non-bonded places) need to complete four weeks of rural placements before graduation, with 25% of students required to complete one year of clinical training in a rural site. If these places are not filled by students voluntarily, all students in Commonwealth supported places will be included in a random ballot to be allocated to one of these year-long rural placements.

Special Programs

Students have the opportunity to undertake a nine-week research placement and a nine-week elective professional placement in sixth year.

Application Requirements

The University of Adelaide has divided applicants into three categories of entry:

• Secondary education entry: students who have completed year 12 within the last 2 years and not undertaken tertiary studies
• Higher education entry: students who have completed a minimum of 1 year and maximum of 2 years of full time equivalent study at the University of Adelaide
• Work and life experience entry: students who have no year 12 result, are at least 18 years old, and have sat the Special Tertiary Admission Test (STAT)

Pre-requisite subjects have been outlined, and include SACE stage 2 biology OR chemistry OR mathematical methods, or equivalent.

Students must have attained a minimum academic threshold, depending on their category of entry. This may include an adjusted ATAR of 90.0 (with adjustments under the University Equity Scheme only accepted), an IB of 33.0, a GPA of 5.0 or a STAT score in the highest decile.

Students will then need to sit the UCAT ^® (except for Indigenous students), with sections 1-4 carrying equal weight for selection criteria.

Candidates may then receive an interview offer. Interviews are held across November and December, and utilise the Multiple Mini Interview format with a minimum of 6 stations for 10 minutes each.

Selection Process

Interview selection is based on UCAT ^® only, if the minimum academic threshold is reached. The UCAT ^® score is calculated from the first 4 sections, with each having equal weight. Section 5 is only used as a differentiator for students who have equal total score across the first 4 sections. Each year, there will be around 600 domestic applicants and 160 international applicants offered an interview. A minimum of 50% of school leavers interviewed will be from SA.

Final offers for places are calculated using UCAT ^® scores (20%), interview scores (40%) and ATAR scores or equivalent (40%). Final offers will be released by SATAC in December.

Course Info & Structure

The University of New South Wales offers a 6 year medical program consisting of a combined Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine, such that students will graduate with a BMed/MD. The fourth year of studies is dedicated to a research program. The UNSW campuses are based in Kensington, Port Macquarie and Wagga Wagga, with 7 teaching hospitals across Sydney and a further 5 rural hospitals. Applicants must indicate campus preference at the time of application; once the application deadline has passed, no further preference changes can be accommodated.

Clinical placements are undertaken at the following sites:

• Metro: Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney Children’s Hospital, Royal Hospital for Women, St George Hospital, St Vincent’s Hospital, Liverpool Hospital, Sutherland Hospital

• Rural: Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Albury Base Hospital, Wodonga Regional Health Service (Victoria), Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Coffs Harbour Hospital

UNSW accepts 198 domestic applicants each year. All applicants of this Australian medical school are automatically considered for bonded and unbonded places. Unbonded CSPs are offered to the highest ranking students until exhausted, with the remaining places offered as BMPs. The program allocates 29% of its intake to students applying through the Rural Entry Scheme. The university additionally offers schemes for students who come from low socio-economic backgrounds ( Gateway Entry Scheme ), are Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander ( Indigenous Entry into Medicine Scheme ), or are enrolled in the UNSW Bachelor of Medical Science course ( Lateral Entry into Medicine Scheme ). In addition to the domestic places, there are potentially 100 international student places available each year. International students must also meet academic requirements and sit an interview, but will take the International Student Admission Test (ISAT) instead of the UCAT ^® .

Applications are made through the university’s medicine application portal (MAP) AND through UAC. Applicants can indicate their campus preferences in the MAP.

Rural Opportunities

Applicants who accept a place at the Port Macquarie campus are usually able to complete the program in the Mid North Coast (MNC) region, consisting of Port Macquarie and Coffs Harbour Rural Clinical Campuses. Applicants who accept a place at the Wagga Wagga campus are usually able to complete the course in Murrumbidgee, Riverina, and Border region (Wagga Wagga, Albury, and Griffith Rural Clinical Campuses).

Special Programs

Within each two-year phase of the program, there is collaboration with students from different years, allowing all students to play the roles of both learner and mentor.

Application Requirements

A minimum ATAR of 96.00 for local applicants is needed to be eligible for consideration. That being said, in 2022, the lowest ATAR was 97.05 for local students and 91.55 for rural students, and a median ATAR of 99.45 is advertised. An equivalent score of 38 for the IB is also accepted. For students who have already completed a year of tertiary study, a minimum criteria of a 96.00 ATAR (secondary school component) and 70 WAM (tertiary study component) is needed. For these students, once the minimum requirements are met, the component with a higher selection rank can be used. There are no subject prerequisites, although study of chemistry is recommended.

Students are also required to sit the UCAT ^® . There is no minimum UCAT ^® score required, but applicants must reach the 50th percentile to be considered. The overall score from four subtests is calculated - verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and abstract reasoning. The fifth subtest - situational judgement - does not form part of the selection process.

The interview is the next stage of the selection process. The interviews are conducted with a panel of two interviewers and cover a wide range of relevant topics.

Selection Process

Interview offers are awarded to applicants with the highest combined ranking of ATAR and UCAT ^® overall score. Results are not averaged, meaning that you must have high marks on both selection criteria to be successful. Approximately 500 interview places are awarded each year.

Final offers are based on academic rank, UCAT ^® overall score and interview score. Offers are given to students with the highest rank on all measures. Like the interview offers, scores are not averaged, meaning that you must have high marks on all three components to be successful.

The final ranking of applicants will be completed in January and offers will be released through UAC.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Newcastle and University of New England deliver a Joint Medical Program (JMP) . This can be completed in the metropolitan campus of Newcastle (UoN) or the rural campus of Armidale (UNE), with six clinical schools spread throughout the Central Coast and Hunter regions. The length of study for this degree is 5 years full time, split between a Bachelor of Medical Science in years 1-3 and a Doctor of Medicine in years 4-5. Students will therefore graduate with a BMedSci/MD.

Each year, there are a total of 170 places available across both the UoN and UNE. There are numerous schemes and sub-quotas offered, including:

• Of these 170 places, the JMP is required to offer a BMP to 28.5% of the CSP intake into the program
• Up to 17 places are set aside for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, with different entry requirements including not needing to sit the UCAT ^®
• A target of 31 places are set aside for rural and remote students
• International students accepted but may need to submit additional proof of english language proficiency and sit a selection interview

Applications are made through the university website AND through UAC. Students will be able to indicate their preference for University of Newcastle or University of New England on the direct university application.

Rural Opportunities

The UoN/UNE joint program is affiliated with three rural clinical schools, including the Tablelands Clinical School, Peel Clinical School, and Manning Clinical School. Students will be able to nominate placements at these clinical schools in the latter years of the program.

Special Programs

In third year, students undertake a Community Option Placement, which is an elective-like placement in a community organisation, either local, interstate, or overseas. Students also commence a research project in third year, which is then completed in fourth year.

Application Requirements

Academic requirements for the JMP can be based on high school qualification or university study. Entry based on high school qualification requires a minimum ATAR of 94.3, or 91.4 for high schools in a rural/remote location. There are no subject prerequisites. If you have completed at least one year of full time at a recognised higher education institute, you will not be considered based on your year 12 results. You must have satisfied a minimum academic requirement depending on the type of study to be eligible, e.g. a better than pass average for a Bachelor degree. More information can be found on the university website .

Assessment of personal qualities is based around the UCAT ^® . An aggregate score is calculated based on the scores achieved in 4 of the 5 subtests: verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and abstract reasoning. The fifth subtest - situational judgement - does not form part of the selection process. There is no minimum score required, and the cut-off score is determined after the direct university applications have closed.

Invitations to attend the Joint Medical Program Assessment day are based on your performance in the UCAT ^® . This assessment includes a Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) which is an online test designed to assess a range of personal qualities that are considered to be important for the study and practise of medicine, followed by a Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) which is an interview made up of eight, eight minute rotating stations.

Selection Process

As stated above, offers for interview (the JMP Assessment day) are based on UCAT ^® results, if the minimum academic requirement is satisfied. Final offers are then determined based on the combined results of the UCAT ^® , PQA and MSA. UAC will send offers of admission and unsuccessful notices in January.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Queensland has two pathways for graduate medicine - the provisional entry pathway for school leavers based on ATAR and UCAT ^® , and the graduate pathway based on GPA and GAMSAT ^® . In this section, we will be discussing the provisional entry pathway (see above for graduate entry pathway).

Students who are accepted through the provisional entry pathway must first complete an undergraduate degree at the University of Queensland . There is no predefined undergraduate degree that must be undertaken, however there are two course prerequisites: Integrative Cell and Tissue Biology, and Systems Physiology. UQ has divided their undergraduate courses into three categories based on ease of prerequisite completion, and these can be found on the university website . For students to gain entry into UQ’s Doctor of Medicine program, they must achieve a minimum GPA of 5.0, complete their undergraduate degree within the minimum time specified for that degree, and complete the required MD tertiary pre-requisite subjects. The following MD program will take 4 years to complete.

There are approximately 275 places available in the MD for domestic students each year. Half of these are filled by students from the provisional entry pathway, and half by students from the graduate entry pathway. Application for the provisional entry pathway is via QTAC in year 12. BMPs are reserved for 28.5% of places, and students can choose to apply using a QTAC BMP code or non-BMP code, or both. In total, 28% of all domestic places in the MD are assigned to applicants from an Australian rural background, filled from both BMP and non-BMP. Students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander should also apply through QTAC, but will need to submit a separate Admission Pathway Program and attend an interview with the Student Support team - they do not need to achieve the minimum ATAR or sit the UCAT ^® .

Application Requirements

Students must attain a minimum adjusted ATAR score of 95.0, or equivalent.and complete Queensland Year 12 English or equivalent. This pathway is only available to school leavers in their year of application (i.e. not available to those who have completed any tertiary study or who have already finished high school). Candidates may be eligible for up to 5 additional ATAR points (i.e. total maximum of 5 points across the schemes) through the Subject Incentive Scheme and Rural Access Scheme:

A ‘competitive’ UCAT ^® (or ISAT score for international applicants) needs to be attained, using an aggregate score. In 2022, the minimum UCAT ^® score for provisional entry was 3030, but this changes year to year.

If selected, students will be invited to participate in a multiple mini interview (MMI).

Selection Process

Invitation to the MMI is based on achieving the minimum ATAR as a hurdle, plus the aggregate UCAT ^® score. which is calculated from the first 4 sections of the UCAT ANZ. If required, applicants with the same aggregate scores are then ranked by their UCAT ANZ section 5 score. If this score is also the same, the UCAT ANZ section 1 score is used as a tiebreaker.
Final offers are then released based on the ATAR (25%), aggregate UCAT ^® score (25%) and MMI score (50%). If applicants have the same final score, their MMI score will be used as a tiebreaker.

Course Info & Structure

To make things even further complicated, in addition to Central Queensland University, the University of Southern Queensland also offers admission for provisional graduate entry into the University of Queensland’s regionally based Doctor of Medicine program.

The provisional entry program is designed for high school leavers to gain entry into SQU’s three year Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences (Pathway to Medicine) followed by UQ’s four year Doctor of Medicine. The undergraduate course is based at UniSQ’s campus in Toowoomba. Upon successful completion of the Bachelor’s degree within 3 years and a GPA of 5.0 or more, students will gain direct entry into the MD program, which must be delivered within Darling Downs-South West area at the UQ Rural Clinical School in Toowoomba.

Applications are submitted through QTAC in September of their final year of high school. Candidates can choose to apply though the general pathway and/or BMP pathway using the specific QTAC codes. During applications, candidates will also be able to nominate if they are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander origin, with different entry requirements described below.

Application Requirements

Students must attain a minimum adjusted ATAR score of 95.0, or equivalent. This pathway is only available to school leavers in their year of application (i.e. not available to those who have completed any tertiary study or who have already finished high school). Certain subject requirements also exist:

• English, Literature, English and Literature Extension or English as an Additional Language (Units 3 and 4, C)
• General Mathematics, Mathematical Methods or Specialist Mathematics (Units 3 and 4, C)

One of Biology, Chemistry or Physics (Units 3 and 4, C) is recommended but not required.

Candidates may be eligible for up to 5 additional ATAR points (i.e. total maximum of 5 points across the schemes) through the Subject Incentive Scheme and Rural Access Scheme

A ‘competitive’ UCAT ^® score must be attained, depending on overall applicant performance. An aggregate score of the first four sections is used in calculations.

If selected, students will be invited to participate in a multiple mini interview (MMI). A minimum score is set by the university following the interview process.

Students who identify as Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander will be invited, after applying through VTAC, to attend a semi-structured interview with UniSQ’s Office of the PVC (First Nations Education and Research) where they will discuss their application and reasons for applying for the program in more detail. For these students, there is no minimum required ATAR and no need to sit the UCAT ^®. Instead, shortlisted applicants will then be invited to progress to the next stage of the selection process and participate in the MMIs, with the final selection based on semi-structured interview and MMI score.

Selection Process

Invitation to the MMI is based on achieving the minimum ATAR as a hurdle, plus the aggregate UCAT ^® score from the first four sections. Of interest, section 5 scores may be used as a secondary differentiator between applicants with the same aggregate score, and section 1 scores as a tertiary differentiator between applicants with the same section 5 score.

To ensure an appropriate number of applicants are interviewed from the region, and to the extent possible, applicants (other than Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander background applicants) will be selected to participate in the MMI following the geographical tiers below, with an equal number of applicants from each tier.

• Tier 1: Applicants who have resided in Darling Downs or South West and other agreed regions for at least five consecutive, or ten cumulative, years;
• Tier 2: Applicants who have resided in any other rural or regional locality (MM2-MM7) for at least five consecutive, or ten cumulative, years; and
• Tier 3: Any other applicants who wish to be considered.

Final offers are released based on ATAR (25%), aggregate score from the first four UCAT® sections (25%) and MMI score (50%). MMI scores will be used as a secondary differentiator to differentiate between applicants with the same ‘final score’. Preference will also be given to candidates who have nominated for a Bonded Medical Place.

Course Info & Structure

The University of Tasmania offers the only medical degree for Tasmania as a Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine. The degree is designed to be completed in 5 years full time, but is the only university that offers a part-time study option, with study up to 7 years accepted. The first three years are based at the UTas campus in Hobart, whilst the final two years are offered at three clinical schools in Hobart, Launceston or Rural.

The domestic pathway is divided into two categories - applicants who recently completed secondary education, and applicants with higher education study. The majority of spots are allocated to high school leavers who have never previously commenced tertiary study. There are approximately 26 places for applicants with higher education study. Half of these places are available to students who have completed any Bachelor course or higher, no more than 10 years before course commencement, with a minimum unweighted GPA of 6.5. This category of applicants will also require a GAMSAT ^® score, with a minimum of 50 in all three sections. Final selection is based on a 50:50 weighting of overall GAMSAT score and unweighted GPA. Note for this pathway that there is a quota of 50% for rural students and 75% for Tasmanian residents. The remaining 50% of higher education places are reserved for Bachelor of Medical Research students at UTas, with students ranked on their academic results without needing a UCAT ^® or GAMSAT ^® score.

The university accepts 100-120 students each year and has a quota of 50% domestic rural students. Keep in mind that all of Tasmania is considered rural by the Federal Government. To assist in meeting this quota, up to 5 ATAR adjustment factors are available to rural applicants via the Rural Application Process (RAP) - this is simply indicated in the application form, with no separate application required. Additionally, 75% of the domestic high school leaver places will be offered to applicants who have completed a Tasmanian Certificate of Education (TCE) or International Baccalaureate (IB) at a Tasmanian high school within 5 years of course commencement date. A total of 30% of the final places are granted to BMP students, regardless of whether they are rural/Tasmanian students or not. There is also an Aboriginal Entry Application Pathway (AEPA), affording flexible options to meet the entry criteria. The AEPA requires a separate application in addition to the standard application and an interview with representatives of the MBBS Admissions Committee, but important does not require the UCAT ^® exam.

Applications to this Australian medical school are made directly to the university in September. International applicants must also apply directly to the university, but have four rounds of offers with the first closing in June.

Application Requirements

Entry into the MBBS relies on subject prerequisites: applicants must have satisfactory achievements in year 12 Chemistry AND one of English, English Literature or English Writing, or interstate equivalents. If the Chemistry criteria is not met, students can opt to complete the subject UTas Introduction to Chemistry (KRA161) or Unilearn Chemistry (UNL21).

The minimum ATAR, including any adjustments for rural applicants via the RAP, is 95.0. The RAP offers up to 5 ATAR adjustments - 4 for RA2 applicants, and 5 for RA3-5 applicants.

Students must sit the UCAT ^® and achieve a score greater or equal to the 50th percentile, based on the combined score of the first four sections (the situational judgement test, or section 5, is excluded). UTas may adjust the UCAT ^® threshold in order to admit students from disadvantaged and underrepresented groups to meet intake criteria. As a reminder, students applying through the AEAP do not need to sit the UCAT ^® .

International applicants must have an ATAR of 95.0 or equivalent, satisfactory completion of year 12 chemistry, demonstrate English proficiency, and sit the UCAT ^® , ISAT or MCAT ^® . UCAT ^® minimum scores are the same as domestic applicants, ISAT scores must reach the overall percentile of 50%, and MCAT ^® scores must reach a minimum of 491.

For students hoping to gain entry into the graduate entry pathway, a minimum unweighted GPA of 6.5 and a minimum score of 50 in all three sections of the GAMSAT ^® is required.

Of note, there is no interview process at all.

Selection Process

As stated, there is no interview selection process. Applicants who meet the entry requirements above (i.e. pre-requisite subjects and UCAT ^® minimum scores) are ranked by ATAR and offers are made based on the number of places available. In other words, final selection is based on ATAR only.

Course Info & Structure

The first thing to note is that UWA has two pathways for graduate medicine - the assured/provisional pathway for school leavers based on ATAR and UCAT ^® , and the graduate pathway based on GPA and GAMSAT ^® . In this section, we will be discussing the assured pathway (see above for graduate entry pathway).

The assured pathway to medicine is available for high-achieving domestic school leavers. Successful applicants will receive a conditional place in the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at UWA. This place is conditional upon successful completion of a Bachelor of Biomedical Science with a minimum GPA of 5.5. These students will not need to sit further tests such as the GAMSAT ^® in order to take up their place in the MD. Assured pathway students are eligible for a 3+3 option if they undertake an undergraduate major in Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practice (IMSCP) as part of the Bachelor of Biomedical Science, as the third year of the IMSCP major is equivalent to the first year of the MD, meaning that the minimum period to complete both degrees is 6 years. For more information on the MD program, see the details for UWA graduate medicine above.

There are approximately 145 domestic places available within the assured pathway. Of these CSPs, 28.5% are BMPs. All applicants of this Australian medical school are automatically considered for bonded and unbonded places. Unbonded CSPs are offered to the highest ranking students until exhausted, with the remaining places offered as BMPs. Up to 30% of places regardless of fee-type are allocated to rural applicants, who must submit an eligibility form to TISC.

Applications are made via TISC alone by September. Students will then need to provide their predicted ATARs to UWA HMS Admissions in October.

Rural Opportunities

See information about the Doctor of Medicine above.

Special Programs

See information about the Doctor of Medicine above.

Application Requirements

Rural or Broadway (students who have undertaken year 12 studies at a UWA Broadway school) applicants need to attain a minimum ATAR of 98. English language competency must also be proven by gaining a minimum score in year 12 English studies - this is dependent on the home state and can be found on the UWA website . Students are recommended to complete subjects in chemistry, biology/human biology and maths applications at an ATAR or first year university level.

A “suitable” UCAT ^® score, not including the situational judgement section, is necessary. The cut-off or competitive scores are not stated, nor is a minimum threshold.

If selected, students will complete an interview in Perth in a multi mini-station interview (MMI) format. This will consist of 8 stations with a different solo interview in each station, with students spending 11 minutes total in each station (3 minutes preparing and 8 minutes responding).

Selection Process

Students will be short-listed for an interview based on their UCAT ^® result and a predicted or actual ATAR (WA applicants will interview after WACE exams but before ATAR release). As the timing and application can be a bit confusing, a complete timeline can be found on the UWA website. The university advises that 2-3 candidates will be interviewed for every available place.

Final ranking for offers will be based on ATAR (30%), interview (50%) and UCAT ^® scores (20%). For rural applicants, final ranking will be based on ATAR (22.5%), interview (27.5%), UCAT ^® (15%) and rurality ranking (25%).

Course Info & Structure

The University of Western Sydney and Charles Sturt University deliver a Joint Program in Medicine. The 5 year program will see students graduating with a Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine) and Doctor of Medicine (MD). Students can indicate a preference to study either at Western’s Campbelltown campus or Charles Sturt’s Orange campus. The first 2 years will involve on-campus learning, followed by 3 years of clinical placement and research across numerous teaching hospitals.

There are approximately 120 places available, spread between CSP, BMP and International student places. All applicants are automatically considered for bonded and unbonded places. Unbonded CSPs are offered to the highest ranking students until exhausted, with the remaining places offered as BMPs. Within these 120 places, the JMP has quotas for certain groups:

• A proportion of interview places are allocated to applicants from the Greater Western Sydney (GWS) area - check on the UWS website for eligibility
• The program reserves at least 15 places for students who fall under the rural entry admission scheme (REAS)
• The program reserves 20 places for international students (who need an ATAR equivalent of 93.5 and need to sit the ISAT instead of the UCAT ^® )
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students will need to apply as normal through UAC but submit extra documentation and sit a panel interview instead of an MMI

Admissions are submitted through UAC alone, and this is where students will indicate a preference for UWS or CSU.

Rural Opportunities

Students in years 3-5 may have opportunities to undertake clinical placements in rural and regional NSW and Victoria.

Application Requirements

Students must sit the UCAT ^® . UCAT ^® requirements vary each year and are not disclosed, however individual sections may be subject to weighting. GWS applicants may have a lower UCAT ^® threshold than non-GWS applicants.

Students offered an interview will need to complete a medical admission questionnaire (MAQ) followed by a multiple mini interview (MMI). The MMI will consist of eight, eight minute stations with a different interviewer, and the questions may be informed by the MAQ responses.

High school or tertiary-equivalent results are only used for applicants that have completed the MMI. These results are simply hurdles or thresholds, and are not used in the calculation of rankings for offers. The threshold score depends on student demographics: ATAR 95.5 / IB 38 for non-GWS students, ATAR 93.5 / IB 36 for GWS students or international students, ATAR 91.5 / IB 35 for rural students, and completion of HSC or equivalent for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. There are no subject prerequisites. If students have already commenced tertiary studies, then minimum GPA requirements are set based on length of study, type of degree and type of residents - these can be found on the UWS website.

Selection Process

As stated above, interview selection is based solely on UCAT ^® scores. The UCAT ^® threshold is not determined by overall UCAT ^® scores - individual sections may be subject to weighting. UCAT ^® requirements vary each year and are not disclosed.

Final offers are made on the basis of 75% interview performance and 25% UCAT ^® performance, as long as the applicant has met the relevant academic threshold.

UAC will send offers of admission in January, which will include notice of the campus location (UWS or CSU).