Direct Entry Medical Schools In Australia

Here, we provide information on direct entry medical schools in Australia.

Read on to find out about:

• Bond University
• Charles Sturt University & Western Sydney University
• Curtin University
• James Cook University
• University of Adelaide
• University of Newcastle & University of New England
• University of New South Wales
• University of Tasmania

Bond University: Bond University Faculty of Health Sciences and Medicine‍

Bond University is Australia’s first private not-for-profit university. It offers a BMedSt/MD (Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine) medical programme.

The BMedSt degree takes 8 semesters to complete (2 years 8 months due to Bond University’s trimester system) and the MD degree takes 6 semesters to complete (2 years). In total, it takes 4 years and 8 months to complete medical education, which makes it the fastest route to becoming a medical doctor in Australia and New Zealand.

While the idea of a fast-track medical degree might sound very attractive, it should be noted that Commonwealth supported places (CSPs) are not available for Bond University’s medical programme, meaning that the tuition fees will be very high.

For school leavers, you must have a minimum ATAR of 96, while for graduates, you must have a minimum GPA of 6.0. Based on the academic results, about 50% of the applicants will be invited for psychometric testing that consists of a personality test and an emotional intelligence test. Results of the psychometric testing will determine the offer for an MMI. UCAT ANZ score is not required.

It should be noted that for graduates and international applicants, only those eligible to graduate from Bond University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science (pre-health professional major), Master of Occupational Therapy, Doctor of Physiotherapy, Master of Nutrition and Dietetic Practice, or Master of Healthcare Innovations (Bachelor of Biomedical Science as a pre-requisite) and meeting the minimum required GPA, will be considered for entry. Successful applicants will commence in Year 2 of the BMedSt degree.

All applicants (undergraduate and graduate) need to apply through QTAC.

Check out Bond University's website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates. ‍

Did you know?

• There is free food on campus every Wednesday, and during exam periods.
• Bond has the shortest Medical pathway in Australia - start to finish in 4 years and 8 months.

Charles Sturt University & Western Sydney University: Joint Program in Medicine‍

Charles Sturt University (CSU) is a multi-campus public university spread out over four different states (ACT, NSW, QLD and VIC). Western Sydney University (WSU) is also a multi-site public university, with campuses spread across Greater Western Sydney.

They offer a Joint Program in Medicine (JPM), which is a 5-year direct entry medical programme consisting of BClinSci (Bachelor of Clinical Science) and MD (Doctor of Medicine). The JPM has a strong emphasis on rural/regional medicine.

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 91.5 (for rural applicants) or 95.5 (for non-rural applicants) for CSU, and a minimum ATAR of 93.5 (for Greater Western Sydney applicants) or 95.5 (for non-Greater Western Sydney applicants) for WSU.

You must sit the UCAT ANZ and answer a medical admission questionnaire (MAQ). Answers from the MAQ will be discussed as part of the MMI. Invitation to the MMI is for applicants who meet the UCAT ANZ threshold. Final offers will be based on meeting the academic threshold, UCAT (25%) and interview scores (75%).

All applicants must apply through UAC. There are special entry admission schemes for rural applicants and Indigenous applicants.

You will be able to indicate a preference for Charles Sturt University or Western Sydney University but your preference will not be guaranteed.

Check out the official websites for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates: 

• Charles Sturt University
• Western Sydney University

‍Did you know?

CSU has a state-of-the-art medical facility including anatomy teaching laboratory, simulation hospital wards, interactive study pods and ultrasound room.

Curtin University: Curtin Medical School

Curtin University is a public university based in Bentley and Perth. It recently began offering a 5-year MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery) programme, which is the only direct entry medical programme in Western Australia.

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 95. For an invitation to the MMI, 60:40 of your academic results and UCAT ANZ score is used. For the final selection, academic results (40%), UCAT ANZ score (20%) and interview score (40%) are used.

Domestic applicants need to apply through TISC, while international applicants need to apply online or via a Curtin university registered agent. There are three general entry pathways (school leaver, Curtin course switcher and graduate) and three special entry pathways available (rural entry, equity entry and Indigenous entry). Ten spots will be made available for international students for 2023 entry.

Check out Curtin University's website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates.

‍Did you know?

• Medicine at Curtin is #1 in Australia in its field of study for teaching quality, learner engagement, learning resources and student support.
• Curtin University is named after John Curtin, Australia’s fourteenth prime minister.‍

James Cook University: James Cook University School of Medicine and Dentistry

‍James Cook University (JCU) is a public university based in Queensland. It offers a 6-year direct entry MBBS (Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery) programme with a strong focus on rural and regional medicine.

JCU does not require the UCAT ANZ, but you are required to submit a personal statement. This involves describing your motives for becoming a medical practitioner, activities other than studies that indicate the motivation to study medicine, why you are interested in a course which has a focus on Indigenous health, tropical health and rural medicine, and any other information that supports your application. 

Invitation to the interview is based on your written application and academic results. For the final selection, a combination of academic performance and your interview score is taken into account.

Domestic applicants need to apply through QTAC and submit the written application directly to the university. International applicants need to apply directly to the university.

Check out James Cook University's website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates.

Did you know?

• JCU offers the only 6-year undergraduate medical course in Northern Australia.
• JCU is the most successful university in Australia for producing medical and dental graduates that go on to work in rural and regional settings.

University of Adelaide: University of Adelaide Medical School

University of Adelaide is a member of the G8, a coalition of high ranked, research-intensive universities. For 2023 entry, the direct entry medical programme will consist of a 3-year Bachelor of Medical Studies (BMedStud) and a 3-year Doctor of Medicine (MD).

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 90. Invitation to the interview is based on UCAT ANZ scores (sections 1-4 only) for both domestic applicants and international applicants.

For domestic applicants, the final selection is based on a combination of scores from the UCAT ANZ (20%), interview (40%) and academic results (40%).

For international applicants, the final selection is based on interview results (first ranking level), UCAT ANZ results (second ranking level) and academic results (third ranking level to be used as a tiebreaker between applicants with the same summed interview and UCAT ANZ scores).

Domestic applicants need to apply through SATAC and international applicants need to apply directly to the university.

There are special pathways such as Rural Background entry and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Island Access.

Check out University of Adelaide's website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates.

Did you know?

• Five Adelaide alumni have been awarded the Nobel Prize, including Howard Florey, who played a key role in the development of penicillin.
• University of Adelaide is Ranked #1 in Australia for full-time employment in Medicine (100% of graduates are employed full time within 4 months of graduating).

University of Newcastle & University of New England: Joint Medical Program

University of Newcastle (UON) and University of New England (UNE) are public universities located in NSW. They offer a Joint Medical Program (JMP), which is a 5-year direct entry medical programme consisting of BMedSc (Bachelor of Medical Science) and MD (Doctor of Medicine).

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 94.30, or 91.40 if you're a rural applicant. Those with at least one year of full-time tertiary study may apply for entry based on university study. Invitation to the JMP assessment is based on the UCAT ANZ (sections 1-4).

The JMP assessment consists of multiple skills assessment (MSA), which is similar to a MMI, as well as an online personal qualities assessment (PQA) that is taken on the same day as the MSA. You can select a preferred location of study (Newcastle or Armidale), but this cannot be guaranteed.

Final selection is based on meeting the academic threshold, the JMP assessment and your UCAT ANZ score.

All applicants must apply through the JMP website, as well as through UAC.

There are special entry schemes such as rural and remote admissions schemes and Miroma Bunbilla programme for applicants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent.

Check out the official websites for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates: 

• University of Newcastle‍
• University of New England

Did you know?

UoN pioneered the use of problem-based learning (PBL) in their medical school, which is now mandated in all Australian medical schools

University of New South Wales: University of New South Wales Faculty of Medicine

University of New South Wales (UNSW) is a member of the G8, a coalition of high ranked, research-intensive universities. It offers a 6-year direct entry medical programme consisting of BMed (Bachelor of Medical Studies) and MD (Doctor of Medicine).

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 96 (applicants who have completed one or more year of tertiary studies will be assessed on either secondary or tertiary study results and need to meet the minimum requirements for both criteria), and you are expected to have a UCAT ANZ ranking of 50th percentile as a minimum (the Situational Judgement Test section is not considered).

Invitation to the interview is based on a combined ranking of UCAT ANZ (sections 1-4) and academic performance. For the final selection, a combined ranking of ATAR, UCAT ANZ and interview is used.

For international applicants, interviews are offered based on academic merit, and final selection is based on combined ranking of academic merit, ISAT (minimum score of 165) or UCAT (50th percentile) and interview.

Domestic applicants (and international applicants sitting an Australian or New Zealand Year 12 examination) need to apply directly to the university, as well as to the UAC. International applicants need to apply directly to the university only.

Special entry schemes exist for rural applicants, Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, UNSW BMedSc students, other medical school students, applicants from low socio-economic backgrounds, and applicants who have experienced educational disadvantage.

Check out University of New South Wales' website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates. 

Did you know?

• UNSW has a secret tunnel running underneath the campus.
• UNSW has a Medical Society (MedSoc) with 1,600 members.‍

University of Tasmania: University of Tasmania School of Medicine

University of Tasmania (UTAS) is a public university that hosts the only medical programme in the state of Tasmania. It offers a 5-year direct entry BMedScMD (Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine) degree.

To be eligible to apply, you must have a minimum ATAR of 95. You must also have a minimum rank of 50th percentile in the UCAT ANZ (sections 1-4). International applicants must achieve an overall percentile of 50% on the ISAT or a score of 491 on the MCAT.

You do not have to sit an interview to gain entry to this course. School leaver applicants who meet the entry requirements are ranked by ATAR and offers are made based on the number of places available.

Both domestic and international applicants need to apply directly to the university.

Half of the available places are reserved for domestic rural applicants and 75% of domestic school-leaver places are reserved for students who have graduated from a Tasmanian high school or secondary college.

There is also an Aboriginal Entry Application Process that provides flexible admission options for Aboriginal applicants, and special pathways for University of Tasmania’s BMedRes (Bachelor of Medical Research) students.

Check out University of Tasmania's website for more details, such as fees, prerequisites and important dates.

Did you know?

• 100% of UTAS Medicine graduates have secured internships.
• Tasmania is comparable in size to the Republic of Ireland.‍