At UNSW Medicine, we understand the process prior to commencing study with us can be daunting, with many unanswered questions. This is why we've compiled the questions we're most commonly asked by prospective students. The information below may be subject to change but we update this regularly.
Have a question we haven't answered below? Contact our Medical Education Student Office and we'll be happy to help.
This is the standard entry category. These places have no bonding or scholarships attached to them.
Unbonded medical places are only available to Australian citizens, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens.
Places under the Bonded Medical Places (BMP) Scheme are only available to Australian citizens and Australian permanent residents.
Applicants who accept a place in this category will be bonded to areas of workforce shortage. They will be required to work in an area of workforce shortage for their chosen speciality. The Australian Government has indicated that outer metropolitan and rural areas are the most likely locations.
Visit the Department of Health BMP Scheme for further information.
Yes, we consider UAC EAS points for admission to the Medicine program. However, applicants need to meet the minimum selection criteria on their own merit (without EAS points). It's important to note the minimum selection criteria must be met before an EAS application is considered.
You can find more information at UAC Educational Access Schemes or at UNSW ACCESS.
If you've undertaken university studies and your secondary or tertiary studies were affected by circumstances beyond your control, then SCATS is for you. Visit UNSW Future Students where you can find further details and information on how to apply under the Special Consideration for Applicants with Tertiary Study section.
Please note that even if applicants are applying for SCATS, they still need to meet the minimum selection criteria before their SCATS application is considered.
If you're a year 12 student, you can apply for EAS points through the UAC Educational Access Schemes.
UNSW Medicine has always been a very sought-after Medicine program, usually receiving more than 3500 applicants for 189 domestic student positions (bonded and unbonded). The number of domestic positions is determined by the Federal Government.
You're most likely to be offered a position in the UNSW Medicine program if you achieve the highest possible result for all three criteria: ATAR, UCAT ANZ and interview. These criteria are used to rank students. Positions are offered from the highest-ranked applicant down until no further positions are available.
Applicants with minimum scores are unlikely to be selected, while the minimum ATAR for eligibility is 96.00, the median required for entry is generally greater than 99.60. Similarly, the UCAT ANZ and interview median rankings required for entry are close to the top of their respective ranges.
Due to the limited number of positions, only the top-ranked students can be selected. However, many more would potentially be suitable to train as doctors. It's important to note that unsuccessful candidates are not being judged as unsuitable to study Medicine. Unsuccessful applicants can reapply in the following years.
Applicants who believe that UNSW Medicine’s admissions process has not been fairly implemented in relation to their application have the right of appeal. Appeals must be in writing to:
The Dean of Medicine
UNSW Sydney
NSW 2052
The reason for the appeal will be investigated by a UNSW Medicine staff member and the Dean will make a determination.
It's not considered appropriate for children under the age of 16 to participate in clinical training. Applicants who will be under the age of 16 years at the commencement of Year 1 should discuss their proposed application with the Medicine Education and Student Office by e-mail meso@unsw.edu.au prior to submitting an application through the Medicine Application Portal (MAP).
After completing one of the Medicine programs, new graduates usually work for at least a year as a Junior Medical Officer (JMO), also known as ‘intern’, in selected hospitals to obtain registration as a medical practitioner with a State Medical Board. Further study and experience is required before specialist qualifications can be obtained.
For further information:
Applicants may be aware of courses that claim to improve performance in UCAT ANZ or in the interview however, we would like applicants to be aware that:
Although there are no prerequisites for entry into UNSW Medicine, we recommend that students study English for their final secondary school examinations. There's assumed knowledge of this subject and it's desirable for success in the Medicine Program. Students who don't have the assumed level of knowledge can apply and enrol but may find themselves disadvantaged.
In addition, study in Chemistry is recommended.
Achieving the minimum academic merit and UCAT ANZ result does not guarantee selection for interview. You can find details on how we select students for an interview in Selection for Interview.
Students may apply for admission to UNSW Medicine after completing some tertiary study. Tertiary or university study includes bachelor degrees, masters by coursework, masters by research and PhD.
Applicants who have completed at least 0.75 full-time study equivalent of their first year of a tertiary program will be assessed based on "BEST OF" algorithm - The following minimum criteria applies:
- Secondary school qualification component must reach 96.00 ATAR of equivalent AND
- Tertiary study component must reach WAM 70 or equivalent
Once the applicant has met the minimum requirement, the qualification with a higher selection rank would be used as a final selection rank for medicine admissions purposes.
For applicants who have completed more than one program of University study, UAC will assess each qualification separately and use the highest score to determine the tertiary academic rank.
To find out if you're eligible to apply to study Medicine at UNSW or to have your qualification assessed, contact UAC and request a Qualification Assessment Service (QAS) which is available for a fee. This service is available year-round and beneficial to applicants who have completed any university study. UNSW Medicine receives academic scores through UAC in December each year and is unable to do individual qualification pre-assessment outside of the formal application process.
Please note that domestic students who are currently enrolled in a medical degree at another Australian university aren't eligible to seek admission to UNSW Medicine as a commencing student. Please visit UNSW's Special Entry Schemes to learn more.
Please visit UNSW's Special Entry Schemes page for more details
No, we do not have a separate quota for non-school leavers.
Due to the structure of the curriculum, we're rarely able to provide credit to students transferring after partly completing or completing another degree. Exemption from all or part of the 12 Units of Credit of General Education courses will be considered and granted when applicable.
We don't offer a graduate pathway into our program. It's not possible to join our program for the MD component alone.
There's a graduate-entry stream into the Medicine program, but only for students enrolled in the UNSW Bachelor of Medical Science (BMedSc).
More details can be found on Special Entry Schemes.
Applicants who have not completed the NSW Higher School Certificate (or equivalent) are required to complete a minimum of one year full-time recognised university studies. The GPA will then be converted into an ATAR equivalent.
Cases vary depending on the particular student and their circumstances. Applicants should carefully consider their commitment to pursuing a career in Medicine and their willingness to spend one year repeating the HSC or at least one-year undertaking tertiary studies to attempt admission to UNSW Medicine.
An alternative to repeating the HSC is to enrol in another tertiary program. A challenge is that some students undertake tertiary programs they have no vocational interest in and, having completed one or more years, fail to achieve entry into the first year of UNSW Medicine. Students can find themselves on a degree path they have limited interest in.
No guarantee can be given about your chances of success obtaining entry to UNSW Medicine and students should choose tertiary programs carefully. As a result, if you don't succeed in obtaining a place to study at UNSW Medicine, you'll still be studying in an area of interest and which you can use to pursue an alternate career.
You should also consider the academic component for selection is based on both the ATAR and tertiary results, which are combined at a ratio of 50:50. If a local applicant has an ATAR of less than 93.00, their tertiary results won't ever be sufficient to reach the minimum ATAR of 96.00 required for consideration for entry. Applicants who achieve an ATAR of approximately 98.00 would need high distinctions in some courses and distinctions in the rest to maintain the equivalent ATAR.
Students should note that when electing to undertake tertiary studies in another program with the aim of obtaining a place in UNSW Medicine, they're not restricted to degrees at UNSW. Degrees offered by any Australian university, including Science and Arts-based degrees, are acceptable.
There is a separate admission process for students applying from the Bachelor of Medical Science program at UNSW. You can find more information on the Graduate Entry Stream for UNSW BMedSc Students at Special Admission Schemes.
There are no full-fee places available for local (non-international) applicants.
For information on undergraduate scholarships, visit UNSW Scholarships. The scholarships team will be able to assist you directly if you have any questions.
For information on accommodation, visit UNSW Housing.
Residential college accommodation is limited and there are waiting lists. Students interested in college accommodation are advised to apply three to six months before starting at UNSW.
Classes in the first three years commence in February and conclude in late November or early December.
UNSW Medicine has one intake of students each year.
For more details view the UNSW Medicine academic calendar.
The main Sydney hospitals used for clinical teaching are:
The main hospitals located outside of Sydney and in rural New South Wales and Victoria used for clinical teaching are:
