UNSW Undergraduate Medicine

Is Medicine at UNSW worth it?

Between 2018-2021, the UNSW Bachelor/Doctor of Medicine program was the most popular first preference for school leavers in NSW. This was likely due to the high quality of teaching and research facilities available at the UNSW Medical course.  

UNSW’s Bachelor of Medical Studies/ Doctor of Medicine is an award-winning double degree medical program designed to educate and upskill all graduates to practice within the complex and ever-evolving medical field. Students undertaking the UNSW Medicine Undergraduate Program will gain real-life experience working within hospitals, engaging and diagnosing actual patients and working in the state-of-the-art Clinical Skills Centre to regularly enhance clinical attributes.

UNSW Medicine Course Structure

The UNSW Undergraduate Medicine program spans over six years of full-time study load. It provides you with the BMed/MD medical degree qualification to register as a medical practitioner anywhere within Australia and New Zealand. The medical program is renowned for its hands-on clinical expertise and research-focused learning to facilitate the best medical curriculum for its students. Medicine at UNSW follows an integrated scenario-based learning approach to support several aspects of biomedical, clinical and social aspects of health. 

UNSW Undergraduate Medicine is split into three sections:

1. Phase 1: This phase comprises the 'Foundations course' and is marked as a multi-disciplinary course taught over the first two years of the medical degree. The course focuses on improving knowledge around basic medical sciences, communication skills, clinical skills, teamwork and collaboration, ethical and legal issues, and socio-cultural perspectives on health.  
2. Phase 2: The course shifts from basic learning programs to increased clinical exposure within hospital placements blended with continuing growth in biomedical and social health sciences. 
3. Phase 3: This phase is crucial as once students complete phase 3, it allows students to obtain a provisional registration, enabling them to undertake hospital internships before registering as medical practitioners. The course consists of 10 eight-week courses incorporating relevant information from biomedical sciences and social sciences.

The fourth year of the undergraduate medical program requires you to undertake an Independent Learning Project (ILP) or an Honours Research Project, providing you with an opportunity to conduct impactful research.

Furthermore, the UNSW Undergraduate Medicine provides a unique opportunity to select students to complete their medical degree at the Port Macquarie or Wagga Wagga campuses which house the Rural Clinical School.

UNSW Undergraduate Medicine Entry Requirements

Before we jump right into the eligibility criteria, you ought to understand what qualifies as a 'local' or domestic applicant. Students with Australian citizenship, Australian permanent residency, humanitarian visas or New Zealand citizenship are all considered as domestic applicants. 

Once you provide documentation to prove your eligibility, you must also provide additional documentation to demonstrate your score from your prior educational institution. If you have completed a full-time equivalent or a tertiary education in a single degree, then your application will be assessed either on your tertiary study results or the ATAR itself. 

Now let's direct our attention to the UNSW Medicine selection process. It follows an easy formula to evaluate a student's eligibility to receive a place within the medical school:

UNSW Bachelor of Medicine = Selection Rank (ATAR) + UCAT ANZ + Medical Interview

UNSW Undergraduate Medicine ATAR

Most medical schools emphasise their ATAR score as it assesses a student's academic potential to make it through med school. To be eligible for the UNSW Undergrad medicine program, a local applicant must receive an ATAR score of 97.2 or equivalent to be competitive for a medical interview offer.

If you are a Rural applicant (an applicant coming from rural regions of Australia), you should have an ATAR score of 91.6 or equivalent.

UCAT score

The first step toward entering the UNSW Medicine Undergraduate Program requires all students to sit the UCAT exam and receive a competitive UCAT score. Once you sit the UCAT ANZ and have applied through the university portal, the university will assess your academic achievement before inviting you for the UNSW medicine interview.

Medicine UNSW Application Process

All domestic applicants (check the section above to determine whether or not you qualify as a domestic applicant) must follow a simple procedure to apply via the UAC website. However, before applying via the UAC, you must submit your application through the UNSW's Medicine Application Portal. The UAC website allows you to select up to five degrees in order of preference, starting with your most desired medical school and the relevant courses.

UNSW Undergraduate Medicine Fees

So, now that we have discussed the application process thoroughly, let us focus on the UNSW Medicine degree cost. All domestic students are eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP). If you are unsure about the term CSP, you are not alone. We have a detailed article explaining the types of medical school places to make your life easy! 

Now let us try to understand the basic definition of a CSP. As clarified above, domestic applicants are eligible for the UNSW Undergraduate Medicine CSP, which means that the Australian Government covers a part of your tuition fees as a subsidy. This is standard for most undergraduate degrees, and therefore, undergraduate medical programs.

The UNSW Medicine Fees for domestic students who applied via the CSP is AUD 11,300. This amount indicates the payable amount for Year 1 based on 48 credit points which accounts for a standard full-time study load.

Undergraduate Medicine UNSW Key Dates

UNSW Medical Science will release the medical interview offers during December 2021. However, the dates are yet to be announced by the university. The med school interviews will likely be conducted between 21-23 December 2021 for successful applicants entering UNSW Undergrad medicine in 2022.

Where To From Here?

Now that you have a detailed overview of the UNSW Bachelor of Medical Science / Doctor of Medicine, there’s three things you can do.

Firstly, here’s a list of FREE resources to help you ace your medical interview.

Secondly, check out our range of FREE tools to guide you through your medical journey

Lastly, here are five relevant articles you may find helpful:

1. 5 Essential tips for your medical interview
2. Get to know your interview: Who does the med school interviewing?
3. How to prepare for a medical interview - Solo preparation 
4. Medical school intevriew: What to wear?
5. How to perfect the medical interview tone?