How hard is it to get into the University of Adelaide’s Medicine program?

The University of Adelaide Medicine program challenges those students who are passionate about medicine, and are willing to enhance their critical problem-solving skills, knowledge around medical diagnosis, teamwork, and integrity. 2021 officially marks the last intake for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery Program. It is being replaced by a new program, Bachelor of Medical Studies/ Doctor of Medicine Program, welcoming its first cohort in 2022.

The University of Adelaide Medicine spans over a six-year-full-time study period, starting with the Uni Adelaide Bachelor of Medicine, followed by the University of Adelaide Doctor of Medicine. 

*Note: Enrolled students must finish the three-years full-time Bachelor of Medicine course to be eligible for the Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide Medical School.

According to Times Higher Education World University Rankings data, the University of Adelaide Medicine ranking is in the top 7 as compared to other Australian medical schools. Overall, an Adelaide Uni Medical Degree is recognised for providing core knowledge and skills to excel in health care and clinical safety.

Adelaide Uni Medicine Course Outline

If you wish to start your medical journey at Adelaide University School of Medicine, you ought to know that the Adelaide University Undergraduate Medicine classes are conducted in the advanced state-of-the-art Adelaide Health and Medical Sciences building. Some of the advantages of pursuing the Adelaide Uni Undergraduate Courses are as follows:

  1. Learning within small groups to acknowledge and diagnose scenario-based issues relating to individual/s, community and Indigenous and global health,
  2. Gaining immense exposure to real-world clinical practice and developing self effective clinical skills to excel within cutting-edge simulation facilities,
  3. Evaluating individual and community health status,
  4. Developing an ability to determine social causes for health and health behaviours,
  5. Enhancing research skills, evidence-based care and collaborative professional practice.

Adelaide University Undergraduate Courses will be delivered face-to-face for students based in Adelaide. Witnessing how Covid-19 issues are daily accelerating on a local and global level Uni of Adelaide has also made facilitation for students to access remote learning facilities. These include delivery of online lectures, tutorials and additional study material to international applicants. The University has also made relevant changes within specific courses that cannot be delivered online by providing alternative courses to ensure a great learning experience.

Adelaide Uni Medicine Entry Requirements

Now let's take a step further to analyse the University of Adelaide Medical School’s  entry requirements. 

Domestic applicants

For Undergraduate Medicine at the University of Adelaide, you must have completed Year 12 within the last two years of your application process. It is important to note that secondary school leavers must never have been enrolled in a Bachelor's degree within Australia or internationally. 

Therefore, to be eligible for the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine degree at Adelaide University Medicine you must achieve:

  1. An ATAR score of 90 or above; International Baccalaureate score: 33 or above (overseas equivalent).
  2. A satisfactory GPA score of 5.0 or above (Applicable for University of Adelaide Higher Education Applicants).
  3. UCAT score with section 1-4 weighted equally, and section 5 - Situational Judgement Test is used to determine the eligibility of candidates with a lower rank and equal total score across the other sections.
  4. A University of Adelaide Interview. 

Students receive a medical interview offer solely based on their UCAT score and not their academic performance.

University of Adelaide Medicine Prerequisites

Applying to the University of Adelaide Medical School is quite competitive. Despite having approximately 600 applicants invited for a medical interview, a minimum of 50% of the applicants are school leavers coming from South Australia. Hence, the selection process is under close supervision and scrutiny. 

The University of Adelaide Medicine prerequisites requires the completion of one of the following subjects:

  • One SACE Stage 2 subject chosen from Biology, Chemistry, Mathematical Methods; Or
  • International Baccalaureate (IB) tertiary studies: Biology, Chemistry or Mathematics (SL grade 4/HL grade 3); Or
  • Equivalent of a First-year Human Anatomy and Physiology as part of Bachelor of Health and Medical Sciences Program

Finally, these subject prerequisites apply to BMD entry pathways such as Rural Background Entry.

Uni Of Adelaide Medicine Application

The application process to enter Adelaide Medical School has two distinct parts:

  1. You must apply to sit at the UCAT exam; and
  2. You must submit a SATAC application clearing stating your medical school preferences.

For those unaware, SATAC stands for South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC). This centre helps process students' medical applications for universities and higher education centres within South Australia and the Northern Territory. To pursue medicine at the University of Adelaide Medical School, it is best to apply via SATAC: www.satac.edu.au.

*NOTE: Students will NOT be allowed to apply to Uni Adelaide Medicine without sitting the UCAT exam.

Once you submit your application, SATAC will rank you for a place within the Bachelor of Medicine program based on a combination of the following components and the scores:

University of Adelaide Medicine Fees

If you are a domestic student entering the medical program, the University of Adelaide Medicine offers two types of medical places: Non-Bonded Medical Place and Bonded Medical Place. Students applying via BMP must undertake work in an area of workforce shortage after completing their medical degree.  As a domestic student, you are entitled to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) at Adelaide Medical School. A CSP place indicates that the Australian Government subsidizes your fees, and you must only pay the remainder of the fees through a 'Student Contribution Amount'. Hence, the University of Adelaide Medicine Tuition Fees is AUD $11,300.

On the contrary, if you are an international student, your indicative annual tuition fee for 24 units is AUD $77,000. 

To find out more about scholarship programs available at the university, visit their official website.

Adelaide Uni Medicine Dates

NOTE: The following dates are subject to change for 2022 medical intake at Adelaide Medical School.

Admission Dates Description of the event
2nd August 2021 SATAC Applications for the 2022 intake
30th September 2021 Final deadline for Medicine/Surgery and Dental surgery
November 2021 Early Interview offers are sent to applicants
Late November - December 2021 University of Adelaide Medicine Interviews are conducted
13th January - 27th January 2022 First round of admission offers are sent to successful applicants
1st February 2022 Final offers emailed every Tuesday and Thursday until the 11th of March 2022

Where To From Here?

Have you checked out our FREE RESOURCES? Alternatively, read some of our useful articles on how to prepare for your medical interview:

  1. Medical Interview Guide
  2. How to Ace an MMI Interview?
  3. How To Perfect The Medical Interview Tone?

We also have a very creative tool for you to use and predict your odds of receiving a medical interview from a medical school of your choice! Try our Medical Interview Offer Calculator, it is absolutely FREE!