Everything That You Need to Know Before You Apply To Med School 

University of Melbourne or more popularly abbreviated as UniMelb is located in the heart of Melbourne city, with student’s undertaking placement at some of Melbourne’s largest metropolitan hospitals. There is no doubt that the University of Melbourne Doctor of Medicine (MD) will give you the required experience and training to succeed as a doctor in Australia and across the globe.

University of Melbourne Course Outline

The Doctor of Medicine course is a 4-year full-time course comprising of:

  1. 1-year integrated Bioscience and clinical learning using case-based teaching
  2. Two core clinical training years enabling students to practice with patients in a wide range of disciplines.
  3. Discovery subjects that allow students to explore areas of specified interest.
  4. Options to complete an immersive research experience in the area of interest.
  5. An exciting capstone semester to exercise the skills required for effective and safe clinical practice.
  6. An opportunity to attend annual medical conferences to interact with leaders in research, policies and clinical healthcare.

Students at UniMelb have access to both locally and internationally acclaimed clinical and research-based opportunities. You will also gain access to the resources of multiple major teaching hospitals - Royal Melbourne, St Vincent’s, Austin Hospital and well-networked hospitals located in North-Western Melbourne and rural Victoria.

UniMelb Medical School Entry Requirements

Time since undergraduate degree completion

To apply you must have an undergraduate degree in any discipline, with studies to have been completed within 10 years of the 1st of January in the year in which you intend to begin medicine.

If you are amongst those applicants who completed an undergraduate degree 10 or more years ago, a Graduate Diploma, Masters equivalent or PhD completed within 10 years before 1st of January of the year in which you intend to commence the MD curriculum.

While we discuss about the prior bachelor's degree, it is imperative to take note of the GPA score threshold demanded at UniMelb. A minimum GPA score of 5.0, that measures the last 3 years of the applicant's undergraduate coursework completion is considered at the time of admission.

GAMSAT Score

To be considered for a medical place, you must have completed either the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT) for Domestic applicants, or the North American Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT) for international applicants.

The University of Melbourne applies equal weighting to all three sections of the GAMSAT and does not use the GAMSAT ‘overall score’ in selection. Domestic and on-shore international applicants must achieve a minimum of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT in order to be eligible for selection. As previously mentioned, International students residing overseas at the time of application may use the MCAT instead of GAMSAT. You must achieve a minimum MCAT score of at least 492 in order to be considered eligible for entry.

Check out the key to a good GAMSAT score: Read the success story!

NOTE: International applicants residing within Australia cannot use MCAT and must use the GAMSAT exam only in their application. However, international students residing outside Australia can use their MCAT scores for admission purposes. 

Multi Mini Interview (MMI)

The Melbourne Uni Medicine Interview accounts for 50% of your entry ranking, and the GPA and GAMSAT will account for 25% each. UniMelb MMI questions play an integral part in the selection process of the MD. Applicants who fail the MMI cannot be admitted to the University of Melbourne Medical program.

You can receive your predicted odds to receive an interview from a med school with Fraser’s Medical Interview Offer Calculator.

University of Melbourne Medical Entry Pathways

Guaranteed Entry Pathway (for year 12 applicants)

This entry pathway is open to two cohorts of students who are currently completing their undergraduate degree at UniMelb:

1.Chancellors Scholars - those students who entered their UG degree with an ATAR of 99.90

2. Guaranteed Full Fee Entry - those students who also entered their UG degree with an ATAR of 99.90

To be considered for the University of Melbourne Medicine Guaranteed Entry, you must have:

  • An ATAR (Australian Tertiary Admission Rank) between 99.0 and 99.85 in Year 12.
  • Commenced and successfully completed an undergraduate course with the University of Melbourne with a Weighted Average Mark (WAM) of 75% and above.
  • Completed the MMI.

Note on the GAMSAT Exam Requirement: Applicants successful in the Guaranteed Entry Pathway are NOT required to apply via the Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS), or sit the GAMSAT.

Indigenous MD Student Entry Pathway

To be eligible for this pathway, applicants must provide valid identification proof of coming from an Indigenous background. The Indigenous MD Student Entry Pathway is designed similar to the Standard Entry Pathway however, applicants eligible for the former are not required to apply via the Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS) or sit the GAMSAT.

Once identified as an Indigenous applicant, you must meet minimum selection criteria to enter the Doctor of Medicine which is not subjected to ranking but solely depends on two factors - a GPA of 5.0 or above and passing the Multiple Mini Interview.

MD Rural Pathway

As the University of Melbourne is highly committed to rural health, applicants applying via the Rural Pathway for the Doctor of Medicine course will receive the training for the entire degree in rural Victoria. To be considered for the MD Rural Pathway, you must have completed:

Either

A Bachelor of Biomedical Science at La Trobe University with a WAM score of at least 70.

Or

Follow the same requirements listed out in the Standard Pathway and/or the Indigenous MD Student Pathway.

Multiple Mini Interview

Though the selection criteria in the MD Rural Pathway matches the Standard Entry Pathway and the Guaranteed Entry Pathway, the Multi Mini Interview in this case happens to be rural-specific.

Doctor of Medicine Rural Pathway Rurality Form

The Doctor of Medicine Rural Pathway is designed particularly for applicants who can present evidence of their residency, according to principal home address, for at least 5 years consecutively, or 10 years cumulatively in areas classified under the Australian Statistical Geographic Standard - Remoteness Area (ASGS-RA) (2016). As Remoteness Areas (RA) 2 to 5 since birth and preferably completed Years 11 and 12 at schools in areas classified as RA2 & RA5.

How To Apply To Medicine At UniMelb

All domestic students applying through standard pathways must apply to medicine through the Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS). The consortium manages applications, calculates GPAs, and applies individual school selection rules to:

  • Allocate you to an offer of an interview at the highest preferred medical school for which you are both eligible and ranked within the quota.
  • Allocate you to an offer of a place at the highest preferred medical school for which you are both eligible and ranked within the quota.

UniMelb Application Process For Standard Pathway:

  1. Fulfil the selection criteria for the Doctor of Medicine course
  2. Sit through the GAMSAT.
  3. Submit your applications via the GEMSAS and ensure that you have thoroughly read through the terms listed in GEMSAS Medicine Admissions Guide prior to submission.
  4. Perform the Multiple Mini Interview: Domestic applicants must be available to attend the interview in Melbourne in late September. The interview component will consist of eight mini stations tation Multiple Mini
    Interview. Each station takes approximately five minutes and has a single interviewer. 
  5. Offers are presented (conditional and non-conditional): Final results to be submitted and offer conditions must be met.

Selection Dates For Other Pathways:

Course Pathway UniMelb MD Dates 2022 (Closing Date) Application Submission
Guaranteed Entry Pathway Monday 31st May 2022 University of Melbourne Student Portal under the Application Tab
Indigenous MD Student Entry Pathway Monday 31st May 2022 Required to submit an application directly via the University’s formstack. (the link will be out soon)
MD Rural Pathway Monday 31st May 2022 Required to submit an application directly via the University’s formstack. (the link will be out soon)

Melbourne Uni Medicine Interview Dates

UniMelb Interview Dates Applicants
Early - Mid September 2022 Multi Mini Interview Online for Off-shore International Applicants
Late September - Early October 2022 Multi Mini Interview Online for Domestic and On-shore International applicants

Unimelb Medicine Interview Process

MMIs for Australia-based applicants applying for the Melbourne MD

The interview component is an 8 station Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). The duration of the whole interview process per applicant is approximately 50 minutes. Each station takes 5 minutes and has a single interviewer. The MMI is a blend of MMS staff, fourth-year medical students, and others drawn from other faculties. This is believed to strike a balance between medical experts and laypeople. 

The aim of the MMI is to assess you based on your non-academic qualities including - cultural sensitivity, maturity, collaboration, reliability and communication skills. The stations may include practical tasks, answering questions, commenting on short films and explaining thinking. 

MMIs for Offshore applicants applying for the Melbourne MD

  • If you are an applicant residing offshore at the time of application, you will be interviewed via video conference.
  • If you are an applicant residing in Australia but subsequently completed your undergraduate degree in the intervening period between application and invitation to the interview and are no longer residing in Australia, you are still eligible to complete the MMI via video conference
  • The video conference will run separately for the MD and DPT Applicants.

Check out Fraser’s Medical MMI Question Generator to predict the questions and prepare well for the medical interview!

UniMelb Medicine Cost

Fee Type Course Fees
Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) / Bonded Medical Places (BMP)

AUD $11,300.00
Australian Full Fee (AFF) AUD $74,880 (Indicative fee per year)
International places $92,448.00 (Indicative)

Read further to explore the detailed course overview offered at UniMelb.

What Should You Read Next?

Now that you have read about the application process for medicine at UniMelb, check out which universities utilise a Weighted vs. Unweighted GAMSAT score for their admission process, or alternatively check out our article on GAMSAT and GPA score cutoffs.