Every country has a different intake on the medical industry and similarly, they all have whole different processes for students to start their medical journey. Australia is one of the most famous countries to study medicine in. There are around 20 medical colleges in Australia and every year over 3,000 people study medicine in Australia, which makes medicine one of the hardest programs to get into in Australia.
This article will help you break down the process of the admission process for medical schools in Australia, from academic to testing requirements, and then explore the path after getting into a medical college.
To study medicine in Australia, students can take up either of the two roads.
NOTE: International students applying for courses related to medicine need to give a 3 hour long, MCQ exam, known as the International Student Admissions Test or ISAT
sourced from: https://isat.acer.org/
The First Road
The first road begins just after high school. The students who are willing to start their journey just after high school will have to achieve an ATAR of 99.95 in their high school certificate or equivalent. Moreover, those students are required to gain a band four in their advanced mathematics and a great score in medicine-related subjects that the students are recommended to take. There are two double-degree programs for these students, and they are :
Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine
Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine
Although this may seem like a quicker pathway for those who are passionate about medicine, it is only limited to 30 domestic and 10 international students.
The Second Road
For those students, who are not able to achieve their place in a medical school from high school, take the other road, which involves earning an undergraduate degree. The degree can be related to any career, however, most students opt for undergraduate that includes sciences, like biomedical sciences, etc. The students should still achieve a good GPA (Grade Point Average) score of a minimum of 5.0 out of 7.0. There are many students who prefer this path, given that a medical degree could be very strenuous. This helps To build their foundations in some topics and be more prepared for their challenging journey ahead. Moreover, this route is also recommended to those who are not 100% sure about medicine as their career.
What happens after undergrad? (continuation from the second road)
After the undergraduate degree, the students are required to take the GAMSAT exam and get a score of 50 in all three sections, at least. Some schools prefer students with higher scores. It’s also important to achieve a good score in a bachelor’s degree, no matter what the course is related to. Furthermore, some Australian universities like the University of Wollongong and Notre Dame require a portfolio outlining the activities and experiences of the applicant, related to medicine.
Once they qualify all the applications process, including the exams. They are interviewed by the admission officers of different universities. The universities are offered based on the profiles, test scores, and interviews.
Journey through the medical degree
The medical program(MD/MBBS/MChD) in Australia is of four years, which includes clinical immersions, 14 weeks of research projects, and more personalized studies. In the fourth year, students are prepared for medical practices and applications for future internships.
Six months prior to receiving their medical degree, the students are required to register themselves provisional registration with the Australian Medical Board to complete this supervised year of practice.
Thereafter completing the four-year medical program, aspiring doctors are required to complete 47 weeks of internships, which they are responsible for themselves. Internships are then followed by at least 3 years of training, depending on the specialization they are doing.
. . .
In a nutshell, it takes over 7 years to be able to properly practice as a doctor. Hopefully, this article provides you with a brief map giving directions to aspiring doctors to their destination and not scare you away. Although it may seem a lot, some of you may enjoy every turn in this journey, because the destination is always worth it.
By: Nandini Sharma
Glossary
The Graduate Medical School Admissions Test is a test used to select candidates applying to study medicine, dentistry, optometry, pharmacy and veterinary science in Australian.
List of Medical Schools in Australia: https://www.medify.com.au/medical-admissions-guide/step-two/medical-schools-summary
ISAT is a mandatory requirement for international student applicants to the following courses https://isat.acer.org/universities
Australian Tertiary Admissions Rank- It is a number between zero and 99.95 that tells you where you rank in your year group. https://www.sydney.edu.au/study/study-options/undergraduate-courses/atar-explained.html#:~:text=ATAR%20stands%20for%20Australian%20Tertiary,first%2Dyear%20performance%20at%20university.
Additional Resources
Bibliography
ATAR for medicine – your guide to the ATAR for every medical degree in Australia in 2020. (2020, July 24). My Health Career. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.myhealthcareer.com.au/medicine/atar-for-medicine-2020/
How to become a doctor. (2020, March 10). The University of Sydney. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.sydney.edu.au/medicine-health/news-and-events/2020/03/10/how-to-become-a-doctor.html
How to Get into Medical School in Australia. (2021, July 27). Education Abroad. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://www.educations.com/articles-and-advice/how-to-get-into-medical-school-in-australia-18721
Student Statistics Report: 2017 – 2018. (n.d.). Medical Deans Australia and New Zealand. Retrieved July 11, 2022, from https://medicaldeans.org.au/md/2018/12/2018_Student_Statistics_Report.pdf
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