Pathways to Medicine

How to become a doctor

The University of Notre Dame Australia’s Doctor of Medicine program is a four-year postgraduate degree accredited by the Medical Board of Australia on the recommendation of the Australian Medical Council. Our Doctor of Medicine aims to develop and train caring and ethical doctors imbued with the values of compassion, respect, and service. The School of Medicine has seven clinical schools in Sydney, Melbourne and rural locations in NSW and Victoria, and Fremantle and rural WA. Students undertake clinical placements in the third and fourth years of the degree in a wide variety of settings, including aged care facilities, public and private hospitals, general practices and community-based health services.

Learn more about our postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (WA) and (NSW).

Undergraduate pathways to medicine

We offer multiple pathways to Medicine at Notre Dame University to support as many aspiring doctors to achieve their career goals as possible.

Pathways through Biomedical Science

• Assured pathway

  An assured pathway into the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine is available for up to 40 high-achieving school leavers, nationally, who meet the admission requirements for our Bachelor of Biomedical Science – Assured Pathway or the Bachelor of Advanced Biomedical Science (Honours) – Assured Pathway to MD. Where students receive admission via an assured pathway, a place in the Doctor of Medicine (Sydney, Fremantle, or Broome Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training) is conditional on the successful completion of the University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Bachelor of Advanced Biomedical Science (Honours), meeting a prescribed minimum GPA.

  Students must maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 each semester throughout their undergraduate degree in order to be eligible to apply for the Doctor of Medicine (NSW/WA) program.

• Priority pathway

  Our priority pathway is available on both our Sydney and Fremantle Campuses, for graduates who consistently achieve top results throughout their undergraduate Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree. These candidates are eligible to apply to the MD via the Doctor of Medicine admission process.

  This pathway is available for students who commenced the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (incl. double degrees) from 2024 onwards. The first Priority Pathway cohort into the Doctor of Medicine will be for 2027 intake.

  Undergraduate students studying biomedical science will also be able to combine their degree with a Bachelor of Laws or Bachelor of Commerce to form a double degree, diversifying their career options.

  Our priority pathway to medicine is for students commencing their undergraduate Bachelor of Biomedical Science, with or without a double degree option.

Other pathways to becoming a doctor

• General entry pathway

  The University offers entry to our postgraduate medical degree to aspiring doctors who have completed a bachelor’s degree in any discipline at university and who meet the entry requirements for our Doctor of Medicine to take advantage of the opportunity to apply for our postgraduate medical degree.

  Discover our undergraduate program offerings

• Indigenous entry pathway

  Indigenous students can apply for entry into medicine at Notre Dame University, Fremantle and Sydney, via the general or Indigenous entry pathways. Students can apply for General Entry Pathway to Medicine via GEMSAS or the Indigenous Entry Pathway through the Application into Medicine Form.

  Entry criteria

  The Application for Entry into Medicine Form must be submitted with evidence of prior educational achievements, such as their undergraduate degree or academic transcript. Members of the Aboriginal Health Team will interview prospective students as a part of the application and entry process. Based on the submitted application, prior academic achievement and outcome of a structured interview.

  Preparation course - WA

  The Aboriginal Health Team runs a one-week intensive Premedicine preparation program in December for commencing Indigenous students. For further information, contact Denise Groves

  Other resources

  • Leaders in Indigenous Medicine Education (LIME)
  • Australian Indigenous Doctors’ Association (AIDA)

• Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training (KCRMT)

  The KCRMT will host a new end to end (4 year) medical program for up to 26 students for commencing MD program in 2025. It is designed to increase access to the MD for students from rural communities and build a future medical workforce, particularly for the Broome/Kimberley/Pilbara regions, and provide the students with the opportunity to complete all their medical training in regional WA.

  Applicants to the KCRMT Rural Training Scheme will be considered on their First Nations, equity and rural backgrounds and ranked according to a tiered priority system.

  Tier 1:
  Applicants must be residents of the Kimberley or Pilbara regions for at least five years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively at the time of application.

  Applicants who meet the Tier 1 eligibility criteria will have the following admission requirements waived:

  • A valid GAMSAT.
  • The 10-year rule requirement (that is, an undergraduate degree completed more than 10 years ago will be acceptable).
  • A Casper test.

  All applications for Tier 1 must be submitted directly to the University of Notre Dame Australia.

  Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria for Tier 1 who have a valid GAMSAT and meet the 10-year rule requirements can still apply via GEMSAS by indicating their interest in the rural training scheme in the application form.

  Tier 2:
  Applicants must meet one of the following two criteria:

  • Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant from across Australia, or
  • Must have resided for at least 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively in rural or regional areas and have resided for at least 10 years cumulatively in Western Australia.

  Tier 3:
  Non-rural and / or non-Western Australian residents.

  Applicants for Tier 2 and Tier 3 must apply via GEMSAS. A valid GAMSAT, Casper and meeting the 10-year rule is a requirement for these tiers.

  Please note that preferencing a place for The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus may be taken into account when ranking applicants for interview and/or place offers for the rural training scheme.

  Interviews
  Applicants are ranked for interview based on the following factors:

  • The number of interview places available
  • Tier order (Tier 1 > Tier 2 > Tier 3)

  Tier 1 applicants are ranked within their tier based on:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
  • Equity applicants
  • All other applicants

  Tier 2 and Tier 3 applicants are ranked within their tier based on:

  • Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
  • The standardised results of the combined GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points, weighted 30:30:30:10.

  Offers
  Applicant are ranked for offers based on:

  • Tier order (Tier 1 > Tier 2 > Tier 3)
  • Ranked order within each tier based on the interview score applicable to their assigned tier (50%) and interview (50%).

  Both interview and place offers are made via email to the email address provided by the applicant in their application.

  If no acceptance is received from an applicant within the stipulated timeframe, the offer will no longer be valid.

  Apply for the Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training.

• International pathways

  International postgraduate students can apply for our postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (WA) and (NSW).

  High-achieving undergraduate students can apply for our Bachelor of Biomedical Science – Assured Pathway to MD. Upon completion of the program with the maintenance of a minimum GPA, select students will receive conditional admission to Doctor of Medicine via an assured pathway.

  Learn more about what makes our medicine program different, the undergraduate assured pathway, and our Fremantle (WA) or Sydney (NSW) campuses on our International pathways to Medicine page.

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