Medical Pathways in Australia - 2023-2024

Undergraduate Medicine: Admissions & Entry Criteria

Which admissions tests do undergraduate medical schools accept?

The UCAT ^® is the admissions exam used by undergraduate entry medical schools. Almost all universities offering undergraduate medicine degrees require the UCAT ^® exam, with the exception of Bond University and James Cook University. The UCAT ^® , or University Clinical Aptitude Test, is a 2 hour online multiple choice exam that is divided into 5 subsections - Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning and Situational Judgement. As students will largely be applying directly as school-leavers, the exam is designed not to test scientific or medical knowledge, but rather to assess broader skills such as verbal, quantitative and abstract reasoning, as well as attributes such as empathy that are all considered desirable and advantageous for future doctors. For further information on the UCAT ^® exam, check out our guide: What is the UCAT ^® ?

Undergraduate Medicine: Pre-requisites

Generally speaking, the prerequisites for medicine through the undergraduate medical pathway are satisfactory results in the UCAT ^® , a high ATAR score and successful completion of an interview. Some universities may additionally set subject prerequisites, such as for English or Sciences (Biology/Chemistry/Physics). This is dependent on the university, and a breakdown can be found below, with further details on our Australian Medical Schools Guide.

Another important criterion to look out for is the highest level of study you have completed. Most undergraduate medicine universities will require you to be a high school leaver with no previous tertiary study experience, however some do allow you to have already commenced or even completed another degree. Again, a comparison can be found below or on our Australian Medical Schools Guide.

Undergraduate Medicine: How do I apply?

Students wishing to study medicine through the undergraduate pathway will need to apply to sit the UCAT ^® exam in the year before they wish to start their medical degree. It is important to note that UCAT ^® results cannot be carried over from one year to the next. For example, if you wish to apply for a course commencing in 2025, you will need to sit the UCAT ^® exam in 2024.

Students will then need to apply for their universities of choice. This is generally done through each state’s university admission service, e.g. TISC in WA, or in some cases can be done directly to the university itself. As there is no centralised application system (unlike GEMSAS for graduate entry medical schools ) the exact opening and closing deadlines will depend on the university and state you are applying to. Applications usually open around August, but again, ensure that you check each university’s website to confirm the exact details. This will likely be earlier than application deadlines for other courses as your interview will need to be scheduled prior to the end of the year.

Following review of your application, you may receive an interview offer. Interviews are held in a broad window from late-November all the way up until the end of January depending on the specific university. Once interviews are done, universities will then combine your scores and send out offers to the lucky students who have been successful in securing a place.

Undergraduate Medicine Pathway - Timeline

As there is no generalised body for applications through the undergraduate pathway (as there is with GEMSAS in the graduate entry pathway), the exact timeline for applications is dependent on the exact university and the state’s undergraduate admissions centre. As always, students are advised to check the key dates and deadlines on each university’s website. Below is a general guideline for the undergraduate pathway timeline:

Undergraduate Medicine Pathway Checklist

• Register for the UCAT by 17 May 2023
• Study for and sit the UCAT in July-August
• Ensure you keep up with your year 12 studies as your ATAR will be just as important as your UCAT score
• If you have already commenced further tertiary studies, ensure the university you will be applying for will accept your application as a non-school leaver
• Review the details for each medical school and decide which schools you will be applying to
• Ensure you have selected and met any subject prerequisites if needed
• Note down the application process, admission centre and deadlines (as each state and university will differ) for all the universities you are interested in
• Ensure you submit an application and any supporting documentation before the deadlines
• Note the interview process for each university and practice interview questions
• Attend interview if invited
• Accept your offer by the given deadline

Medical Pathways in Australia - Graduate Entry

Which universities offer graduate-entry medicine in Australia?

As of 2023, there are currently 14 Medical Schools that provide a Graduate Entry Medical Program, 13 of which require the GAMSAT ^® exam (or MCAT ^® Exam for international students). Monash University graduate entry medicine does not require the GAMSAT ^® and is only available to students who have completed an approved Bachelor’s degree at Monash University (i.e. external domestic applicants are not accepted)

Of these 13, 10 are members of the GAMSAT ^® Consortium and their medical courses are participants in GEMSAS. The University of Sydney and Flinders University, are not part of GEMSAS, but still require the GAMSAT ^® exam, as well as separate, direct applications.

Graduate Medicine: Admissions & Entry Criteria

Which admissions tests do graduate medical schools in Australia accept?

The graduate medical pathway in Australia uses the GAMSAT ^® exam as the admissions test. All universities offering graduate medicine degrees will require a GAMSAT ^® score, with the exception of Monash University. The GAMSAT ^® , or Graduate Medical School Admission Test, is a 5 hour exam developed by ACER. It is broken into 3 sections - Section 1: Reasoning in Humanities, Section 2: Written Communication, and Section 3: Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences. It’s designed to assess your analytical and critical thinking skills, as well as how you organise and communicate your ideas. Unlike the UCAT ^® , the GAMSAT ^® exam does draw on assumed knowledge in Biology, Chemistry, and Physics as students need to demonstrate that they are prepared to embark on a shorter and tougher graduate course. For further information on the GAMSAT ^® exam itself, check out our page: What is the GAMSAT ^® ? To get additional details on how the GAMSAT® scores are calculated, check out our GAMSAT ^® Results Guide.

Graduate Medicine: Pre-requisites

The pre-requisites for graduate entry medicine are generally a high GAMSAT ^® score and GPA, and satisfactory completion of an interview. Specific cut-offs and calculation methods for each university are explained in our Medical Admissions Requirements guide. As part of the definition of graduate entry, you are required to have completed a minimum of a Bachelor’s degree before commencing the graduate medical degree (although you can sit the GAMSAT ^® and apply in your final year whilst studying). The University of Wollongong also requires students to submit a portfolio as part of their application. The University of Queensland is the sole graduate entry medical school which requires you to complete specific subject prerequisites, with further details provided on their website. Further information on prerequisites (including subject requirements and quotas) can be found on our Australian Medical Schools Guide , or on each university’s website.

Graduate Medicine: How do I apply?

Students will first need to apply to sit the GAMSAT ^® exam via the ACER website. The GAMSAT ^® exam runs twice a year, in March and September.

Unlike the UCAT ^® exam, GAMSAT ^® results remain valid for four years, so you can sit the exam whilst you’re still studying your undergraduate degree if you choose to. If you’re planning on applying in the near future, you can use the below table to guide you:

GAMSAT ^® exam results are generally released within 2 months of sitting the exam. Regardless of the specific sitting you sat, applications for graduate programs are accepted annually through GEMSAS. GEMSAS , or the Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admissions System, manages applications, calculates grade point averages (GPAs) and applies individual school selection rules to allocate and organise interview and course offers to candidates around Australia. For further details, you can visit their website. Of the 12 graduate medical universities that use the GAMSAT® exam, 10 of them operate via GEMSAS. The University of Sydney and Flinders University are the exceptions - Both require separate direct applications. For further details head to the respective university websites.

Once GEMSAS has assessed your application in line with each university’s requirements, successful candidates will receive an interview offer in line with their highest preference that is satisfied with their scores so far. These students will sit their interviews in September-October, after which GEMSAS will add your interview scores to your application and send out acceptance offers to successful students. For further details refer to our comprehensive guide to the Medical Admissions Process & Entry Requirements.

How should I order my preferences in GEMSAS?

The most important thing to note is that once you receive an offer from a GEMSAS school, if you decline an offer of a place, you will not be considered for another place or receive another offer. This is why it is so important to be mindful of your order of preferences (as well as specifics such as fee type and campus location) when you submit your application.

Each applicant’s eligibility and competitiveness will be assessed for their number one preference. If the applicant does not meet the requirements or is not highly ranked enough to gain an interview offer at their first preference, they will be assessed for their second preference, then their third and so on until an interview offer is made or all preferences are exhausted. After medical school interviews , the above process will be repeated using interview scores in the calculations (according to each school’s selection rules). However, a student cannot be accepted for a graduate medical school position at a school that is higher on their preference list than the school they interviewed at. For example, if you complete an interview at your fourth preference school, your application for a final offer will be considered for your fourth, then if unsuccessful your fifth preference and so on. It will not be considered for your first, second, or third preferences in such a case.

Clearly, it is important to choose your preferences wisely. It is important to read carefully through this page and the GEMSAS admission guide - learn about how each university weighs its admission criteria and find where you may be more competitive. You may find that you have a lot of life experience and extracurricular activities that lend well to a university that uses a portfolio. Or if you find that you have a low GPA but a high GAMSAT ^® score, you may want to apply for universities that give greater weight to the GAMSAT ^® score in the calculation of your final score. Check out our Australian Medical Schools Overview for more specific information about each university.

Ultimately, however, it is most important that you order your preferences based on where you actually want to study and where you will be the happiest. A medical degree requires a lot of time, energy and commitment, and you need to know that you will be comfortable with your decision, especially if it involves moving interstate. Check out our blog article Which Med School is for Me? To learn more about what you should take into consideration when choosing medical schools.

Studying Medicine as a Mature Age Student

Mature age students are generally unable to apply for undergraduate medicine, as this pathway is typically limited to school leavers (or up to three years after leaving high school in some cases). Mature age students however will be eligible to apply for graduate-entry medicine if they meet the admissions criteria. Most graduate-entry universities have a 10 year rule - that is, applicants will need to have successfully completed at least a three year Bachelor degree prior to commencement of the medical program. Some universities may also accept applicants who have completed another degree, such as a PhD, within the last 10 years, even if the Bachelor degree was not completed within the last 10 years. Of note, the University of Western Australia, and Flinders University do not have a 10 year rule. For more information, read each university profile on our guide to Australian Medical Schools and, as always, check with each university directly for up-to-date verified information. For further perspectives on the challenges and advantages of starting medicine as a mature age student, check out our article on Medicine for Mature Age Students.

Graduate Pathway Timeline

• If you are wishing to apply for the next intake, ensure you are eligible for your universities of choice, e.g. have/will have the correct tertiary study requirements, have/will have a valid GAMSAT result
• Register for the March GAMSAT and/or the September GAMSAT by their respective due dates. It’s generally recommended that you first sit the GAMSAT exam in your penultimate year of study to ensure that you have additional sittings in case you need to aim for a higher score.
• Study for and sit the March and/or September GAMSAT
• The GEMSAS Admissions guide is generally released in April of each year - Review the details for each medical school by looking through the GEMSAS guide and the individual university guides for medical schools that operate outside of GEMSAS.
• It can often be useful to calculate your GPA when reviewing the admissions criteria to understand how competitive you are at different medical schools - The GEMSAS GPA calculator is useful for this purpose.
• Decide which schools you will be applying to and how you wish to order your preferences
• Begin organising any supporting documentation early on to account for any potential delays. Make a note of important submission deadlines.
• Submit your application to GEMSAS by the deadline, and directly to USyd, Monash and Flinders if chosen
• Ensure all supporting documentation (e.g. for alternative pathways or rural applications) has been completed and sent to the relevant institutions by their deadlines
• Start preparing for a medical interview - Review the interview process for each university and starting doing practice interview questions
• Accept interview offer if provided and sit your medical interview
• Accept your offer by the given deadline