Medical Degrees in Australia

What Are My Pathways into Australian Medical School in 2022? 

Medical school in Australia can be quite confusing to navigate, especially with words like “bonded” and “commonwealth-supported” thrown your way with little explanation. If you’re confused about applying to an Australian medical school, keep reading because our team of experts have summarised the different pathways into medicine that you may be eligible for in 2022. 

Medical Student Places in Australia 

There are three main types of medical student places in Australia. They include:

• Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)
• Domestic full-fee place
• International place 

Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

These are places that are subsidised by the Australian government. This means that you are only required to pay a small percentage of the actual tuition fee, otherwise known as your Student Contribution Amount (SCA). For medicine, the maximum student contribution in 2022 is $11,401. As an added benefit, all medical students holding a CSP are guaranteed a medical internship in Australia when they graduate according to the The Council of Australian Governments (COAG) agreement. Unfortunately, CSP offers are highly competitive and hard to receive. 

Typically, if you receive a CSP offer, you will be eligible to access a HECS-HELP loan which covers your student contribution amount. A HECS-HELP loan does not, however, cover accommodation or textbook costs. You will need to pay back your loan when your annual income reaches a certain threshold— in 2021-2022, this threshold was set at $47,014. 

If you are in the following categories, you are eligible for a CSP in 2022:

• Australian citizens 
• Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders
• Australian permanent residents 
• New Zealand citizen 

Within the larger category of CSPs, there are places known as “bonded places.” These places are offered to address the shortage of medical workers in rural regions of Australia and are given with the caveat that, upon graduation, students work in a region of workforce shortages for 1 to 6 years. 

Domestic Full-Fee Place 

If you are a domestic student who is not offered a CSP, you may instead be offered a domestic full-fee place instead. In fact, some medical programs, such as the ones offered by Bond and Macquarie Universities, only offer domestic students domestic full-fee places. Full fee paying students are required to pay between $40,000-$80,000 in 2022 depending on the university they are attending, as their place will not be subsidised by the government. The fee these students have to pay will be similar to the international student tuition fee. Domestic full fee-paying students will also, unfortunately, not be offered a guaranteed internship position in Australia upon graduation, unlike CSP students. 

International Places

Most Australian medical schools will have places for international students. This number will be capped— for example, the University of New South Wales will have around 90-100 places for international students while the University of Adelaide will only have 36 places in 2022. While tuition fees for international students are variable, it amounts to approximately $70,000-$80,000 per year. It may be more difficult for international students to get Australian medical internship positions compared to domestic students due various factors including visa eligibility and internship priority categories. International students may, however, also apply for internships in a range of other countries (including their home country) as Australian medical degrees tend to be internationally recognised. 

Other Pathways

If you are a domestic student, you are also able to apply for reserved places under select pathways; for example, rural, equity, or Indigenous Australian. 

Below is a summary of the various Indigenous Australian Entry Schemes in Australia.

1. Charles Sturt – First Nations Applicants scheme

• Undergraduate
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Transcripts, resumes and supporting documents are required during the interview
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

2. Curtin University – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway

• Undergraduate 
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Applicants are eligible for a bonus of up to 5 points to be included in their selection rank
• Applicants are not required to sit the UCAT ANZ 2022 if not applying through the pre-Medicine enabling pathway
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

3. James Cook University – Alternative Entry Program

• Undergraduate 
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

4. Monash University – Indigenous Student Access Scheme

• Undergraduate 
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Family/significant others are invited to attend the interview with the applicant
• Documents that showcase academic achievement and community involvement should be produced at the interview
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

5. University of Adelaide – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Access Pathway

• Undergraduate
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Selection is based on written application and interview
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

6. University of Newcastle and University of New England – Miroma Bunbilla Program

• Undergraduate
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Applicants are required to attend a Confirmation of Aboriginality Interview
• Applicants are required to attend the Miroma Bunbila Pre-Medicine  program activities during the month of December
• Applicants must complete a Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) and Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA)
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

7. University of New South Wales – Indigenous Entry Scheme

• Undergraduate
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Applicants are required to apply through the Pre-Medicine Program (PMP)
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

8. Western Sydney University – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway

• Undergraduate 
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

9. University of Tasmania – Aboriginal Entry Application Process

• Undergraduate 
• Proof of Indigenous descent required
• Must satisfy Year 12 prerequisites
• UCAT ANZ 2022 not required

10. Australian National University – Indigenous Pathway

• Postgraduate 
• Offers are based on interview scores and a composite GPA/GAMSAT

11. Deakin University – Indigenous Entry Scheme

• Postgraduate 
• 5% of places are reserved for Indigenous Australians

12. Flinders University – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Entry Stream

• Postgraduate 
• Applicants can choose to study in Adelaide or the Northern Territory Students must complete the Flinders 4-5 week Preparation for Medicine Program (PMP)

13. Griffith University – First Peoples’ Health Pathway

• Postgraduate
• Applicants are required to attend a panel interview conducted by Griffith University’s Indigenous Support Unit and the First Peoples Health Unit
• A GUMSAA interview is not required

14. Macquarie University – Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Entry Pathway

• Postgraduate 
• Applicants receive a 3% adjustment bonus to their GPA
• Optional submission of GAMSAT score Automatic guidance for the application and interview process 

15. University of Melbourne – Indigenous Student Entry Pathway

• Postgraduate 
• GEMSAS application not required
• Applicants must attend an MMI and panel interview with Indigenous Australian representatives 

16. University of Notre Dame (Fremantle & Sydney) – Aboriginal Entry Pathway

• Postgraduate 
• Applicants must attend an interview conducted by the university’s Aboriginal Health Team
• Students must attend the one-week pre-medicine orientation program

17. University of Queensland – Admission Pathway

• Postgraduate
• Optional GAMSAT score 

18. University of Sydney – Aborginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway

• Postgraduate
• Two Indigenous entry pathways: Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme: Bachelor’s degree and GAMSAT score Indigenous Entry Pathways: Bachelor’s degree but not GAMSAT Score

19. University of Western Australia – Indigenous Entry Scheme

• Postgraduate
• Upto 10% of places reserved for students applying through this scheme
• Applicants are required to attend an interview conducted by the university’s Centre of Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health

20. University of Wollongong – Indigenous Applicant Admissions

• Postgraduate 
• Applicants must attend both a general and community panel Indigenous interview

What is the Difference Between a MD, MBBS, MChD and MBChB? 

Medical schools in Australia offer a range of different medical degrees, including MD, MBBS, MChD and MBChB in 2022. So what do all these names mean and is there one degree that is superior to the other? The short answer is no. Each of these degrees are accredited by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and will allow you to apply for a medical internship at any hospital in Australia or New Zealand. 

The main feature differentiating these degrees is how they are recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework (AFQ). Level 7 under this framework refers to a Bachelor’s degree while Level 9 refers to a Master’s degree. Many Australian universities offering a postgraduate degree now offer Level 9 degrees. 

Below is a summary of the different degrees listed above:

It should be noted that while the AFQ level for different degrees may differ, these degrees are all ultimately recognised by the AMC and, once completed, will allow you to become a medical doctor. 

FAQs