Want to study undergraduate medicine in Australia? Here is our complete guide to studying medicine in Australia straight from high school for every undergraduate school. Every year, thousands of high school students apply to medical school to become a doctor, and undergraduate medicine consistently ranks as the most competitive university course across the country.
In this article, we’ll break down all of the requirements for undergraduate medicine, and give you a complete list of all of the undergraduate medical schools in each state.
View our complete list of entry requirements for undergraduate medicine!
What is Undergraduate Medicine in Australia?
In Australia, undergraduate medicine refers to studying medicine directly, or gaining “guaranteed” entry into medicine after an initial undergraduate degree straight from high school. That means that entrance is based on a combination of students’ ATARs, UCATs (the undergraduate admissions test), and interview performance.
What Are The Types of Undergraduate Medicine Degrees?
The two main types of undergraduate medical courses are:
- A single (usually 6-year) degree that you can enter straight from high school which takes them all the way from day one to graduation as a doctor. These degrees are streamlined and have an introduction to clinical medicine from day one.
- An initial undergraduate degree (usually a 2-3 year science degree) that students enter straight from high school with “guaranteed” or “provisional” entry into the true (4-year) medical degree after graduation.
Students are admitted into both pathways straight from high school and both are recognised by AHPRA. This means that both pathways produce equally qualified doctors.
How Long Do They Take?
One major advantage of some undergraduate medical courses in Australia is the speed. While postgraduate medical degrees require at least 7 years, many undergraduate medical degrees enable students to graduate as doctors in as little as 6 years. This is because the initial undergraduate degree may be accelerated to 2 years (like in option 2 above) or the entire medical degree may be combined into a single 6-year program (like in option 1).
Are There Additional Requirements For Undergraduate Medicine?
Usually, yes. The requirements can vary from university to university so below we’ve summarised all of the requirements for every single undergraduate medical university in Australia.
In general, the requirements include the student’s ATAR plus a combination of:
- University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) Score
- Medical Interview Performance
- Personal Statement / Portfolio (Rare)
Check out our complete list of every undergraduate medicine course in Australia with requirements below!
Is Undergraduate Medicine Guaranteed? Will I Definitely Become A Doctor?
Generally, yes. If you get into undergraduate medicine the likelihood that you will become a doctor is extremely high. If you get into a medical school that offers a single, combined 6-year degree, then there are no other requirements! That means that the chance that you become a doctor is almost guaranteed. All you have to do is pass your medical school studies just like a postgraduate student would have to do.
If you instead get into a medical school that offers an initial 2-3 year degree followed by the true 4-year medical degree, the guarantee is slightly less certain. This is because these programs often have “provisions” that you have to achieve the progress to the medical degree. The good news is that these provisions are generally very lenient. For instance, you may need to achieve an overall GPA of 5 (very easy for a high ATAR student) in your undergraduate degree to progress to the medical degree.
I have hardly ever heard of a provisional student failing to get entry into medicine. So, in short, if you can get into any undergraduate medicine pathway you are extremely likely to progress to the medical degree and become a doctor!
What Are The ATAR / UCAT / Interview Requirements?
We’re glad you asked! Check out our articles on the exact requirements for each state:
- What UCAT Score Do You Need For Medicine?
- What ATAR Do You Need For Medicine In Queensland?
- What ATAR Do You Need For Medicine In New South Wales?
- What ATAR Do You Need For Medicine In Victoria?
Undergraduate Medical Schools in Queensland
University of Queensland Undergraduate Medicine (7 Years)
UQ offers a 7-year provisional entry scheme for high school leavers. The initial degree is 3 years and can be in any discipline (provided prerequisites are met) and the medical degree is an additional 4 years. UQ requires students to maintain a GPA of 5.0 / 7.0 to progress to the medical degree.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, and a competitive MMI interview performance.
Central Queensland University Undergraduate Medicine (7 Years)
CQU offers a 7-year undergraduate provisional entry scheme. The initial degree is the Bachelor of Medical Science. Students must maintain a GPA of 5.0 / 7.0 to progress to the medical degree. CQU has partnered with UQ, and students progress into the University of Queensland Regional Medical School for the medical degree.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive MMI interview performance.
Griffith University Undergraduate Medicine (6 Years)
Griffith University offers a 6-year undergraduate provisional entry scheme. The initial Medical Science degree is 2 years in duration and covers basic sciences and medical sciences. Students must maintain a GPA of 5.0 / 7.0 to progress to the medical degree.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR.
Sunshine Coast University Undergraduate Medicine (7 Years)
Sunshine Coast University offers a 7-year undergraduate provisional entry scheme. The initial Medical Science degree is 3 years in duration and covers basic sciences and medical sciences. Students must maintain a GPA of 5.0 / 7.0 to progress to the medical degree. SCU has partnered with Griffith, and students progress into Griffith Medical School for the medical degree.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR.
Bond University (4 Years, 8 Months)
At Bond, students must first complete the Bachelor of Medical Studies degree before progressing into the Doctor of Medicine. The combined duration is 4 years and 8 months which makes it the fastest pathway to becoming a doctor in Australia for high school leavers. Bond has a unique requirement, the Bond psychometric test, which tests several “soft skills” of applicants.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive Bond psychometric test, a competitive MMI interview performance.
Undergraduate Medical Schools in Victoria
Monash University (5 Years)
Monash University offers a 5-year undergraduate combined degree. The initial Bachelor of Medical Studies degree is followed by the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and both are completed within 5 years.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive interview performance.
University of Melbourne (7 Years)
The University of Melbourne offers a unique opportunity for very high achieving Year 12 students to gain entry into their medical degree from high school. Students who achieve a 99.90 ATAR quality for the university’s Chancellor’s Scholarship which allows for “guaranteed” entry into the Doctor of Medicine upon completion of an undergraduate degree. Students must pass an MMI interview after their undergraduate degree to qualify for entry.
The requirements for entry are: a 99.90 ATAR.
Undergraduate Medical Schools in New South Wales
University of New South Wales (6 Years)
UNSW offers a 6-year undergraduate combined degree. The initial Bachelor of Medical Studies degree is followed by the Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree and both are completed within 6 years.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive interview performance.
University of Sydney (7 Years)
The University of Sydney offers a unique opportunity for very high achieving Year 12 students to gain entry into their medical degree from high school. Students who achieve a 99.95 ATAR quality for the university’s combined Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees OR the combined Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degrees.
The requirements for entry are: a 99.95 ATAR, a competitive interview performance.
University of Newcastle (5 Years)
The University of Newcastle offers a combined Bachelor of Medical Science, studied in years one to three, and Doctor of Medicine (MD), studied in years four and five. The Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (Joint Medical Program) is delivered in partnership with the University of New England.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive interview performance.
Undergraduate Medical Schools in South Australia
University of Adelaide (6 Years)
The University of Adelaide offers a combined Bachelor of Medical Studies, studied in years one to three, and Doctor of Medicine (MD), studied in years four to six. The Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine (MD) is an integrated program.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive MMI interview performance.
Flinders University Undergraduate Medicine (6 Years)
Flinders offers a combined Bachelor of Clinical Sciences, studied in years one to two, and Doctor of Medicine (MD), studied in years three to six. The Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine (MD) is an integrated program.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score.
Undergraduate Medical Schools in Tasmania
University of Tasmania Undergraduate Medicine (5 Years)
The University of Tasmania offers a combined Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) degree, studied over 5 years. The Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (MD) is an integrated program. Overall, 75% of places are set aside for Tasmanian students.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score.
Undergraduate Medical Schools in Western Australia
University of Western Australia Undergraduate Medicine (7 Years)
UQ offers a 7-year provisional entry scheme for high school leavers. The initial degree is 3 years and can be in any discipline and the medical degree is an additional 4 years. UWA requires students to maintain a GPA of 5.5 / 7.0 to progress to the medical degree.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive UCAT score, a competitive interview performance.
Curtin University Undergraduate Medicine (5 Years)
Curtin offers a single, 5-year Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) degree for school leavers. The university has a unique requirement, the Casper test, which is an online situational judgement test that tests students’ responses to difficult situations.
The requirements for entry are: a competitive ATAR, a competitive Casper score, a competitive interview performance.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our article on undergraduate medicine in Australia. We hope you now have a great understanding of all of the requirements and all of the different options available. If you are planning on studying medicine straight from school, you most definitely can! Keep in mind though that entry into undergraduate medicine is extremely competitive.
Postgraduate (after a degree) options are also available and the vast majority of doctors got into medicine via postgraduate (not undergraduate) pathways. If you fail to get into medicine from high school (95% of applicants do) keep your head up and recognise that it is still 100% possible to achieve your goal of becoming a doctor!
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