Medical Schools in Australia
Australia offers both undergraduate and graduate level programs in medicine. Students can apply for undergraduate studies after completing high school (12th grade or equivalent).
The duration of these undergraduate programs would be around 5-6 years. The graduate level Doctor of Medicine program has a duration of four year with at least two years of clinical training.
Most Australian universities require that you should have taken the required science subjects – biology, chemistry, physics, mathematics as well as English during high school or for your undergraduate degree.
Admission requirements
Undergraduate entry
You also require an ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank, which is a percentile score giving the percentage of students you have outperformed—an ATAR score of 99 means that you have outperformed 99 percent of your peers).
If your ATAR score is less than 97 and you want to get into a reputed school, it may be more prudent for you to get a bachelor’s degree and then apply to medical school as a postgraduate.
Each program would have its own entry prerequisites, so make it a point to go through the admission guides of each school you’re applying to.
In addition to your ATAR score, the UMAT (Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admission Test) is also used by several schools along with the interview scores for undergraduate medical entry.
The interview is conducted using the MMI (multiple mini interviews, usually 6-10) system by most universities. Key skills include communication, critical thinking, creativity, empathy, awareness of health issues, and moral reasoninmini
Some volunteering work can also give a boost to your application. Some schools may also have an English language proficiency test score requirement (TOEFL or IELTS).
From 2019, some medical schools have replaced the UMAT with the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test). The UCAT continues to be the test most-taken by medical applicants in the UK and would now be taken by applicants to certain medical schools across Australia and New Zealand.
Graduate entry
There are 13 medical schools (as of 2019) that offer graduate level medical programs in Australia. Students who’ve completed their undergraduate studies or are in the final year of their bachelor’s degree can apply. Even those who may have completed their Master’s or PhD can apply.
If you’re applying for postgraduate studies, you need to pass the GAMSAT, required by 12 universities. This comprises of three test sections include reasoning in humanities and social sciences; written communication; and reasoning in biological and physical sciences. A score of at least 50 would be required in each section.
The GAMSAT, developed by the Australian Council for Educational Research (ACER), assesses a candidate’s skill and expertise in the use of basic science concepts as well as general skills in writing, problem solving and critical thinking.
Though having a degree in science in not essential, candidates would need some knowledge in biological and physical science to ace the GAMSAT.
Universities may look at one or more of the following aspects during candidate assessment for graduate medical entry:
- GAMSAT
- GPA
- Interview
After completion of your medical degree, you’d be required to complete your internship which would last for one year.
During this period, you’d be rotated through various specialisations and trained to attend to a variety of situations.
On completion of your internship, you’d receive general medical registration through the Medical Board of Australia.
Top schools/tuition/scholarship
The best medical schools in Australia are as follows:
| University | Tuition for international students |
|---|---|
| University of Sydney | A$74,000 |
| University of Melbourne | A$77,824 |
| Monash University | A$38,500 |
| University of Queensland | A$32,112, UG; A$69,120, PG |
| University of New South Wales | A$254,880 |
Every university has a three-tier fee system: commonwealth-supported fee; domestic fee; and international fee.
The international fee at Western Sydney University, for example, is A$60,760 (US$43,327). The cost of living can vary widely across Australia from about A$9,300 upwards.
International students have only very few scholarships to apply for.
Also read:
– Medical Schools