Your future career in medicine

​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​ On this page

1. The undergraduate pathway
2. The postgraduate pathway
3. NSW universities offering medical degrees
4. Scholarship opportunities
5. Rural health opportunities
   

The undergraduate pathway

If you want to study medicine as a high school leaver, you need to apply for undergraduate entry, which often opens in August and September each year.

Entry requirements to study medicine include:

• The University Clinical Aptitude Test​ (UCAT): This is an admission exam used by undergraduate entry medical schools in Australia and New Zealand to assess skills in verbal, quantitative and abstract reasoning, and situational judgement (judging clinical scenarios). You need to register for and sit the UCAT in the year you plan to apply (as your score is only valid for one year). Registration usually opens in March and closes in May, and the exam is typically between July and August.
• A high ATAR score (94+) or a high score in the International Baccalaureate (IB) Diploma (39+). Some universities have a lower entry ATAR for regional or rural students.
• An interview as part of the application process (a requirement for most universities).

Some medical schools also require you to complete certain prerequisite subjects in year 12, which may include English, maths, and one of the sciences (biology, chemistry, or physics).

Undergraduate medical degrees are typically joint degrees that range from five to seven years in length, depending on the university.

The postgraduate pathway

You can also study medicine as a postgraduate student. To do this, you need to firstly complete a Bachelor’s degree before applying for a Doctor of Medicine. Applications for postgraduate entry medicine open in May for the following year.

Entry requirements to study medicine include:

• The Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test​ (GAMSAT). This is a standardised exam that assesses your analytical and critical thinking skills, and capacity to study medical and health professional programs. The exam requires assumed knowledge equivalent to first year university levels of biology, chemistry and year 12 level physics. The GAMSAT is held in March and September each year. Registration usually opens four months before the exam. Your score is valid for four years. 
• High performance in your Bachelor's degree (minimum GPA for applications is around 5-5.5).
• An interview as part of the application process (a requirement for most universities).

Postgraduate medical degrees are typically four years in length.

NSW universities offering medical degrees

In NSW, you can study medicine at the following universities:

Scholarship opportunities

• Supporting Entry into University Medicine Program Scholarship​: provides financial support ($1,200) to prospective students from NSW rural communities to cover registration for a UCAT or GAMSAT exam and associated expenses.
• Getting Started in Medicine Scholarship for First Year Students: supports students from NSW rural communities who intend to work in rural health. First year medical students at a NSW university can apply for a $1,500 scholarship to assist with relocation and study costs.
• Rural Resident Medical Officer Cadetships: provides financial support (up to $15,000 per year for the final two years of the medical degree) and mentoring for medical students interested in a career in rural NSW. In return, students complete two of their first three years of postgraduate hospital training in an eligible rural NSW hospital.
• Rural Medical Trainee Scholarship: provides financial support to rurally-based medical trainees for continuing professional development. Scholarship amounts are capped at $3,000 (excluding GST) per applicant, per financial year.
• Tertiary Health Study Subsidies – for students studying a health qualification who commit to working for NSW Health for at least five years. Subsidies include $12000 (over three years) for students commencing study, or $8000 (one-off) for students graduating from study.

Rural health opportunities

Rural and regional life in NSW has so much to offer, and these communities need doctors now more than ever.

Medical trainees in NSW have many options via the rural generalist pathway, which can kick start a rural career or provide rural training opportunities:

• John Flynn Prevocational Doctors Program (JFPDP): The JFPDP is a Commonwealth funded medical training program that provide insight into the life and work of rural GPs and rural generalists. This rotation for junior doctors run for 10 weeks with supervision by a rural generalist.
• The Rural Generalist Training Program (RGTP): The RGTP provides a supported training pathway for junior doctors wishing to pursue a career as a rural general practitioner with an advanced skill who provides primary care in a community general practice setting as well as advanced services and/or procedural skills within a rural hospital.

To receive alerts on rural training and recruitment, please email us​ with your details. 

Learn more about a career in rural NSW​View rural medical training opportuniti​es