With a close focus on excellence in education, research, and healthcare advocacy, The University of Sydney's (USyd) Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is a prestigious four-year, full-time graduate entry course designed for students who have completed their undergraduate degree. With an annual intake of 300 students, USyd Medical School provides a diverse range of opportunities, including Commonwealth Supported Places, Bonded Medical Places, and full-fee places for international students in the Metropolitan stream.
USyd's Doctor of Medicine (MD) program has remained steadfast in its commitment to nurturing compassionate, highly skilled professionals who excel in their fields and contribute positively to healthcare.
In light of the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, the admission process for the University of Sydney School of Medicine has undergone significant adjustments, including changes to entry requirements and updates to GAMSAT cutoffs and GPA calculations. USyd remains committed to ensuring a fair and transparent application process while upholding high levels of academic excellence and professionalism.
What Makes University of Sydney Medicine Unique?
- A comprehensive research project for hands-on medical research experience in year three, with access to world-leading researchers, institutes and networks.
- An elective term, available both within Australia and overseas, for global exposure.
- A 5-week pre-internship, preparing year four students for their upcoming internship.
- The Dubbo stream, emphasising rural health around Dubbo, NSW.
- Early clinical exposure as students will gain hands-on experience from as early as the second week.
- All students, upon enrolment, have access to a foundational knowledge course, which guarantees that they meet the prerequisite understanding in anatomy, physiology, molecular, and cell biology.
- An innovative curriculum with small group, team-based learning and integrating theory with practice.
USyd Med Clinical Placement
Students at USyd Medicine enjoy the privilege of diverse clinical experiences facilitated by placements across Metropolitan and Rural Clinical Schools. This strategic placement ensures a comprehensive exposure to healthcare settings, ranging from urban centres to remote areas, equipping students with a broad spectrum of medical practice insights and competencies. Rural placements offer students exposure to a wide range of clinical issues that may not be encountered in urban settings, enriching the student learning experience.
Participating Clinical schools include both Metropolitan and Rural hospitals and clinics:
Metropolitan Clinical Schools
- Central Clinical School
- Concord Clinical School
- Children's Hospital Westmead Clinical School
- Nepean Clinical School
- Northern Clinical School
- Westmead Clinical School
Rural Placements
- School of Rural Health (Dubbo/Orange)
- The Broken Hill University Department of Rural Health
- The University Centre for Rural Health
Is University of Sydney Part of GEMSAS?
The University of Sydney is one of three Australian universities that are not part of GEMSAS.
This means that applicants can submit an application to USyd without sacrificing opportunities to apply elsewhere, or vice versa. This flexibility makes applying to USyd a low-risk endeavour, with minimal drawbacks aside from the associated application fees. Other non-GEMSAS schools include Monash University and Flinders University.
It's important to note that GPA is calculated by the Universities Admission Centre (UAC). This means additional costs and a different system of grading GPA than GEMSAS universities.
For more information about GEMSAS and universities in the GEMSAS system, please read here.
USyd Cohort Details and Program Capacity
The program features a cohort comprising 300 domestic students alongside an extra 70 international students enrolled in full-fee positions. Within the domestic cohort, there are 210 students benefiting from Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP), while 90 secure Bonded Medical Places (BMP). Moreover, the Dubbo stream offers 24 positions, reflecting USyd's dedication to addressing rural healthcare challenges and preparing future medical practitioners to serve diverse communities.
For undergraduate admissions, exceptional high school graduates have the opportunity to apply. These degrees offer a limited number of places, with only 30 available for domestic students and 10 for international students. Additionally, the seven-year double degree medicine pathway integrates the Doctor of Medicine (MD) with an undergraduate degree in either arts or science.
USyd's Dubbo Stream
The University of Sydney Medical faculty has introduced the Dubbo Stream in the MD program. The Dubbo Stream has been developed under the Australian Government Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network (MDMSN) initiative and is one of five satellite medical programs in rural NSW and Victoria. The aim of the MDMSN is to give students a broad understanding of rural life, the health of rural communities, and the organisation and delivery of rural and remote health services, with the goal of encouraging more practitioners to consider a career in rural or remote medical practice. Clinical teaching is centred at the newly redeveloped Dubbo Hospital, which has a wide range of specialist capabilities.
Every year, 24 places are offered in the Dubbo Stream and it is only available to students eligible for Commonwealth Supported Places. There are pathways available for Indigenous students and those with rural backgrounds.
University of Sydney Medicine Admission Requirements
USyd Entry Requirements for Domestic Applicants
Applicants applying for the MD course at USyd Medical School must have a bachelor's degree with at least 3 years full-time equivalent and must complete the bachelor's degree by the 1st of January in the year that they intend to commence the MD course.
The course's bachelor's degree prerequisite is not limited to a biomedical sciences degree. Applicants can apply with any completed bachelor's degree — provided that they meet the prerequisite understanding in anatomy, physiology, molecular, and cell biology. The University of Sydney offers a foundational knowledge course for all students on enrolment to ensure that they meet the assumed knowledge to complete the MD course.
Therefore, if an applicant wishes to apply for admission in 2027, they cannot undertake an exchange or study abroad program in the second half of 2025, or enrol in summer school in 2025-2026.
To be eligible for admission to the MD course, applicants must have:
- A bachelor's degree accredited at Level 7 under the Australian Qualifications Framework (AQF) or a bachelor's degree accredited at Level 8 under the AQF, from an Australian university or self-accredited educational institution; or
- A bachelor's degree from an overseas institution if the degree is equivalent to the standard of an Australian Bachelor's degree.
- Achieved a qualifying bachelor's degree with a satisfactory minimum GPA score of 5.0/7.0 during the application process. Please note that GPA is a 5.0/7.0 hurdle that applicants must meet.
- Achieved 50 in each section of the GAMSAT to be eligible for the admission process.
Despite any conflicting guidance from ACER or GAMSAT, the University of Sydney will exclusively consider GAMSAT results from one or more of the following test dates for admission to the MD program in 2027:
- September 2024
- March 2025
- September 2025
- March 2026
Additionally, applicants for the Dubbo Stream must submit a Personal Statement using the provided template, showcasing genuine interest, intention, and aptitude for practising medicine in rural and regional areas. It's important to note that the Dubbo Stream is only open to domestic applicants.
USyd Entry Requirements for International Applicants
International applicants wanting to pursue their Doctor of Medicine course from the University of Sydney must have a bachelor's degree of at least 3 years full-time equivalence of study at an accredited educational institution. Applicants must have completed the degree after 1st January 2025 to be considered eligible for entry into the medical course in 2027.
NOTE: Each section of the GAMSAT will be used to rank applicants. Neither the overall GAMSAT score nor the average GAMSAT score will be taken into consideration during the assessment of applicants for the University of Sydney MD course.
USyd Indigenous Applicants Entry Requirements
The USyd Medical Course offers an Indigenous Facilitated Admission Pathway for applicants with a bachelor's degree and a valid GAMSAT score. This specific pathway is also available to Australian citizens of rural origin as defined by the Australian Government.
How to Apply to the Doctor of Medicine at University of Sydney
Domestic Applicants USyd Medicine Admission Process
Domestic applicants must submit only an online application before the closing date for applications.
Students must apply for a QAS (Qualification Assessment Service) through the UAC (Universities Admissions Centre) within the application period in the year of application, followed by an online MD application that must be directly submitted to the University of Sydney.
International students should apply to the University directly via the official portal.
The Faculty Admissions Office will assess application files and QAS reports (passed on by the UAC) to determine whether an application is eligible and valid in late July for admission to the University of Sydney MD course. Applicants who meet the GPA requirements and receive the required GAMSAT score will be invited to confirm their spot online.
International Applicants USyd Medicine Admission Process
International applicants interested in applying for the MD program at the University of Sydney must submit an online application only. Students must submit an online MD application form directly to the University or apply through an authorised university agent. Online applications for international students for the Doctor of Medicine graduate-entry program usually open in late April, however this may be subject to change.
All international students must submit valid admissions test results with their application, including:
- A GAMSAT score of at least 50 in each section; or
- At least 500 in the new MCAT exam.
The Medical College Admissions Test (MCAT) is held across multiple international locations. During the time of your application, students must enter the correct AAMC ID number and the current verification code on the online application form.
Applicants must then forward their MCAT exam results to the University Admissions Office no later than the end of July.
USyd Medicine Application Dates 2027
University of Sydney Medicine Application Dates for Domestic Applicants
University of Sydney Medicine Application Dates for International Applicants
University of Sydney GAMSAT Scores
The primary point to emphasise is that there isn't a straightforward "overall" or "average" GAMSAT score that can solely determine one's chances. This is because scoring 70 in Section 3, for instance, may not hold the same weight as scoring 70 in Section 1, as per the USyd entry scheme. But why is this the case?
While a score of 70 in Section 3 is commendable, it's relatively common among test-takers, resulting in a less remarkable ranking for that section. Conversely, achieving a score of 70 in Section 1 is exceptional, as it's not as easily attained by many, thereby ensuring an impressive ranking for Section 1 that boosts an applicant's position during the USyd Merged Rank process.
Therefore, instead of focusing solely on an overall or average GAMSAT score, it's crucial to consider how each individual section score contributes to one's application.
If we were to establish a general guideline, we anticipate that successful applicants typically score around 3-5 points higher than the standard average GAMSAT score required for securing a place at USyd, which is approximately 69. Hence, most successful applicants are expected to achieve scores around the low 70s.
Nevertheless, it's important to note that this guideline may not fully reflect the nuances of the USyd admission scheme. To gain a more accurate understanding of score expectations, it's essential to analyse past data. This is where our USyd Medicine Calculator becomes invaluable, providing insights into past trends and serving as a useful tool for prospective applicants.
How will USyd look at GAMSAT scores?
Instead of simply looking at the highest overall or average GAMSAT score, the Faculty of Medicine at USyd will consider the following while determining who will receive a position for medicine:
- Candidates who did not attain a 5.0/7.0 GPA or higher, and/or failed to achieve a score of at least 50 in each section of the GAMSAT, will automatically be declined a position at USyd medicine.
- Once applicants have been shortlisted, they will be ranked in the following order:
- The USyd medicine faculty will rank every Section 1 GAMSAT score received.
- Next, they will rank every Section 2 GAMSAT score.
- Finally, they will rank every Section 3 GAMSAT score.
- The Merged Rank is generated from these three ranks by averaging a given applicant's rank to get one final, overall rank.
For instance: Let's assume Suzie's rank (not to be confused with GAMSAT score) for Sections 1, 2 and 3 is 58, 105, and 209 respectively.
Her Merged Rank will be calculated as follows:
(58 + 105 + 209) / 3 = 124
This tells us that Suzie's Merged Rank value is 124. Considering USyd allows up to 300 students each year, with about 225 people in the CSP spot, Suzie appears to be a successful applicant.
The 2027 USyd Doctor of Medicine Probability-Of-Offer Calculator
Our thousands of anonymous data points have allowed us to use meta-analysis techniques to determine the average and standard deviation scores for each section of the GAMSAT.
This allows us to determine your rank for each individual section. Then, taking into consideration factors such as the number of people that apply to the USyd Doctor of Medicine and how many positions they have on offer, we emulate the Merged Rank that USyd generates.
Finally, this emulated Merged Rank gives us a likelihood of you receiving an offer for the Doctor of Medicine at The University of Sydney.
To find out about your odds of receiving an admission offer at USyd, use the USyd Medicine Entry Calculator to begin pursuing medicine in 2027!
University of Sydney Medicine Interview
For 2026 entry into the University of Sydney's Doctor of Medicine program, there was no interview. The selection process placed a greater emphasis on the GAMSAT ranking process, particularly focusing on the scores from Sections 1 and 2 of the GAMSAT. This approach is expected to continue for 2027 entry, however applicants should check the USyd website for any updates prior to applying.
However, international students need to undergo a “group interview” by which students are asked general questions in a team-based setting. The examiner will pinpoint each student to give opportunities to voice their answers, and the interview will be conducted online.
Why is USyd Not Conducting Med Interviews?
The absence of interviews clearly means there is a reduced opportunity for applicants to demonstrate who they are as a person outside of the GAMSAT.
The USyd ranking process places more emphasis on Section 1 scores, and Section 2 to a lesser extent. Why is this the case? The average and standard deviation for Section 1 is a lot smaller than that of Section 3. Scoring high in Section 1 will put you at a higher Section 1 rank than the same score in Section 3, simply because Section 3 has a higher average and also a greater spread.
In essence, USyd values Section 1 more than Section 3 in its current ranking process.
Additionally, USyd uses Section 1 (and Section 2 to a lesser extent) almost as a proxy for the skills normally identified through an MMI. As a result, they are more sensitive to higher Section 1 scores than Section 3 scores.
Does this mean a high Section 3 score is a disadvantage? Definitely not. It simply means it's just not as much of an advantage as the same score in Section 1.
University of Sydney Medicine Course Fees
The USyd Medical course considers most domestic students with an undergraduate degree eligible for Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP). A CSP ensures that your course fees are partially supported by the Australian Government, leaving you to pay a Student Contribution Amount (SCA).
Students opting for the Australian Full Fee (AFF) may be eligible for FEE-HELP, a government fund assisting students to access a loan to help cover all or part of their tuition fees. This is a fixed amount that a student can borrow in their lifetime, known as the FEE-HELP Limit.
International students follow different methods of paying their fees at USyd. When applicants are offered a place to study, they must deposit an amount equivalent to the first semester tuition fees. This will officially secure the applicant's place and allow you to further apply for a visa.
NOTE: The total amount that needs to be paid will be confirmed in your Confirmation of Enrolment (CoE).
Please note that USyd is not currently offering full-fee placements. However, please check the university's website for the most up-to-date information.
What To Do Next?
To find out about your odds of receiving an admission offer at USyd, use the USyd Medicine Entry Calculator to begin pursuing medicine in 2027!
