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University of New England (UNE) Medicine Entry Guide — UCAT, Course Structure & Selection
Medicine at the University of New England is delivered through the Joint Medical Program (JMP) with the University of Newcastle — a 5-year Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine, with UNE students based primarily at the Armidale campus through the School of Rural Medicine. Domestic school-leavers are selected on UCAT (used to rank for interview, with no SJT), a Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) and a Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) interview; the ATAR (94.3, or 85 via the Rural Bonus Scheme) is only a minimum threshold. Applicants apply through UAC (785000) plus a separate direct JMP application, with about 170 Commonwealth Supported Places offered each year and a strong rural-medicine focus.
Get help with your applicationKey Admission Information
Applications (school-leaver, 2026): UCAT ANZ July–early August; UAC opens ~8 April; separate direct JMP application opens mid-August and closes 30 September; MSA interview offers mid-November; in-person MSAs 23 November–4 December; final offers January. Figures are indicative; confirm against official UNE and UAC pages.
Overview: Medicine at University of New England
Medicine at UNE is delivered as the Joint Medical Program (JMP) — the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine — offered in partnership with the University of Newcastle. The curriculum, selection process and assessment are shared across both universities, while UNE students are based primarily at the Armidale (New England) campus through the School of Rural Medicine.
UNE offers a direct-entry undergraduate medical pathway for school-leavers, with a distinctive focus on rural and regional medicine. Students begin clinical exposure early and complete placements across regional health services in New South Wales, supporting UNE's mission to grow the rural medical workforce — it has educated a large share of Australia's rural and Indigenous doctors.
Students typically enter via direct undergraduate entry, lateral (non-standard) entry from another degree, or rural and special-entry schemes. Compare options in our overview of medical school entry requirements.
How Do You Get Into Medicine at University of New England?
Entry into UNE medicine is through the Joint Medical Program, which uses a multi-stage selection process. Unlike many universities, the ATAR is only a minimum threshold — it is not used to rank applicants once they qualify. Selection is driven by UCAT, the Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) and the Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) interview. Applicants are assessed across these stages:
- Academic threshold: meeting the minimum ATAR (or GPA for lateral entrants), or qualifying via a rural/equity scheme
- UCAT: used to rank eligible applicants for interview (the Situational Judgement section is not used)
- Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA): a values-based online assessment completed before the interview stage
- Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA): an in-person interview held at UNE (Armidale) or the University of Newcastle
- Eligibility for special-entry, rural and bonded (BMP) schemes, where applicable
A defining feature of UNE is that you must complete a separate direct JMP application in addition to your UAC application — missing this step makes you ineligible.
Typical 2026 timeline: UAC opens ~8 April; UCAT July–early August; direct JMP application opens mid-August, closes 30 September; MSA offers mid-November; in-person MSAs 23 November–4 December; final offers January.
Speak with a UCAT advisorWhat Does University of New England Require for Medicine?
The practical checklist of what you actually need to be competitive for the UNE Joint Medical Program (undergraduate, school-leaver pathway).
Academic
- Minimum ATAR of 94.3 for standard school-leaver entry (a threshold, not a ranking factor)
- Minimum ATAR of 85 if eligible under the Rural Bonus Scheme
- Lateral (non-standard) entry: a minimum Credit average GPA (approximately 5.0 on a 7-point scale)
Admissions test (UCAT)
- UCAT ANZ is required and used to rank applicants for interview offers
- The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) section is not used in JMP selection
- UCAT also contributes to the final-offer ranking (UCAT + PQA + MSA)
Interview & PQA
- Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) — an in-person, multi-station (MMI-style) interview
- Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) — a values-based online assessment — see interview preparation
Prerequisites & additional requirements
- No specific Year 12 subject prerequisites (a strong science and English background is recommended)
- A separate direct JMP application must be lodged in addition to the UAC application (code 785000)
- Applicants must meet the JMP inherent requirements and English-language requirements
Special-entry, rural & bonded
- Rural and Remote Admissions Scheme: 5 years' consecutive or 10 years' cumulative rural/remote residence (statutory declaration required)
- Rural Bonus Scheme: Year 12 completed at a designated rural/remote school — academic threshold met at ATAR 85+
- Bonded Medical Program (BMP): around 48 of the ~170 annual places typically bonded, via a BMP Expression of Interest
- Excellence through Equity (EtE) Pathway and Educational Access Schemes (EAS) also available
Entry Pathways to University of New England Medicine
The most common route for Year 12 students. Applicants apply through UAC (course code 785000) and lodge a separate direct JMP application. Assessed on the ATAR threshold (94.3, or 85 via the Rural Bonus Scheme), UCAT (ranks for interview; no SJT), the PQA and the MSA interview. Interstate qualifications (HSC, QCE, SACE, WACE, IB) are assessed via equivalent scaling, and gap-year students are eligible.
Open to current university students from any university and any course, typically requiring at least a Credit average (around GPA 5.0). Lateral applicants must still sit UCAT, complete the separate JMP application and PQA, and attend the MSA interview. Selection combines UCAT + PQA + MSA.
UNE's School of Rural Medicine places strong emphasis on rural recruitment. Eligible applicants can apply through the Rural and Remote Admissions Scheme (residence-based, statutory declaration required), the Rural Bonus Scheme (ATAR threshold reduced to 85), and Excellence through Equity / Educational Access Schemes. Confirm all eligibility conditions via the official JMP entry-support pages.
What Interview Does University of New England Use for Medicine?
UNE uses the Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA) as its medicine interview, delivered through the Joint Medical Program. The MSA is a multi-station, in-person interview similar in format to a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), run across several short stations. The UNE/JMP selection also includes a separate Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA) — a values-based online assessment completed before the interview stage. Together, the PQA and MSA assess:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Ethical reasoning and judgement
- Motivation for medicine and for rural/regional practice
- Teamwork, resilience and professional values
Interview performance is a major component of selection: final offers are determined by combining UCAT, PQA and MSA results, with the ATAR acting only as an eligibility threshold.
Interview dates (2026 entry): MSA interview offers are typically released mid-November, with in-person MSA interviews held 23 November – 4 December at UNE (Armidale) or the University of Newcastle. Final offers are released in January. See our MMI interview preparation resources.
Prepare for your medical interviewCourse Structure: BMedSci & Doctor of Medicine
The UNE medicine degree is delivered as the Joint Medical Program: a two-stage, five-year program comprising the Bachelor of Medical Science (Stage 1) and the Doctor of Medicine (Stage 2), organised into three phases. Under the JMP Schedule, UNE students complete an approved program totalling around 288 credit points (including ~48 credit points granted into the Doctor of Medicine on completion of the BMedSci stage).
Biomedical, behavioural and social sciences taught through problem-based learning, with laboratory sessions, clinical skills workshops and early clinical exposure in hospitals, general practice and community settings.
Patient-centred, case-based learning with a general practice focus, completing the Bachelor of Medical Science stage, including research and evidence-based medicine training.
Full-time clinical placements and pre-internship rotations across specialty disciplines, preparing graduates for internship with a strong rural and generalist focus.
Indicative Course Units
A representative selection of units across the JMP. Unit codes, sequencing and credit-point allocation are indicative only and vary by cohort and partner university — confirm via the official JMP Schedule and handbooks.
| Year | Unit | Code | CP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Foundations of Medicine and Body Structure & Function Phase 1 | MEDI1101A | 24 |
| Year 1 | Clinical Skills and Professional Practice 1 Phase 1 | MEDI1101B | 24 |
| Year 2 | Body Systems: Immune, Nervous and Musculoskeletal Phase 1 | MEDI2101A | 24 |
| Year 2 | Population Health and Behavioural Science Phase 1 | MEDI2101B | 24 |
| Year 3 | Patient-Centred Care and Case-Based Learning Phase 2 | MEDI3101A | 24 |
| Year 3 | General Practice and Community Health Phase 2 | MEDI3101B | 24 |
| Year 3 | Research and Evidence-Based Medicine (BMedSci capstone) Phase 2 | MEDI3201 | 12 |
| Year 4 | Clinical Medicine: Adult Medicine and Surgery MD | MEDI4101A | 24 |
| Year 4 | Women's Health and Children's & Adolescent Health MD | MEDI4101B | 24 |
| Year 4 | Mental Health and Psychiatry MD | MEDI4201 | 12 |
| Year 5 | Pre-Internship: Critical Care, Anaesthetics & Emergency Medicine MD | MEDI5101A | 24 |
| Year 5 | Pre-Internship: Surgery, Medicine & General Practice Rotations MD | MEDI5101B | 24 |
Clinical Placements & Training
UNE medical students complete clinical placements through the Joint Medical Program's clinical network, with a strong emphasis on rural and regional health services across New South Wales. Clinical exposure can begin in the first year and increases substantially across the five years.
In the early phases, students practise history-taking and clinical examination in hospitals, nursing homes and general practice. In the final two years, students undertake specialty placements spanning:
- General medicine and surgery (including surgery and trauma)
- Women's health and children's & adolescent health
- Mental health and psychiatry
- General practice and community health
- Critical care, anaesthetics, intensive care and emergency medicine
Placements are delivered through hospital, community and regional health settings, reflecting the JMP's vertically integrated, rurally focused clinical training model.
Rankings & Recognition
UNE's medicine offering is best understood through the strength and outcomes of the Joint Medical Program and its rural workforce mission rather than a standalone global medicine rank. Rankings vary by methodology and year.
University Life at University of New England
Students studying medicine at UNE benefit from a close-knit, regionally grounded learning community based primarily at the Armidale (New England) campus, with the wider Joint Medical Program connecting them to the University of Newcastle.
- A smaller, supportive cohort with strong peer learning and staff access
- An on-campus residential college experience at Armidale, popular with rural and interstate students
- Active medical and health student societies supporting professional development and wellbeing
- A distinctive rural and regional focus, with exposure to communities that benefit most from new doctors
- Strong academic, wellbeing and pastoral support throughout the degree
UNE is one of Australia's oldest regional universities and a pioneer of distance and rural education. Its School of Rural Medicine connects students to regional health services and research, supporting careers in rural generalism, community health and beyond.
Career and Research Pathways
Graduates of the UNE Joint Medical Program are awarded the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine, qualifying for provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia (Ahpra). After an accredited internship, graduates pursue careers across:
- Hospital medicine, including medical and surgical specialties
- Rural generalism, general practice and community-based healthcare
- Specialist training programs following internship and residency
- Research and academic medicine, including clinician-researcher pathways
- Public health, rural health policy and health-service leadership
The JMP's rural focus means many graduates contribute directly to the regional and rural medical workforce, an area of significant national need. The Bachelor of Medical Science stage also provides strong preparation in anatomy, physiology and human health relevant to a range of graduate health programs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UCAT required to study medicine at the University of New England?Yes. UCAT is required for undergraduate entry into the Joint Medical Program at UNE. It is used to rank eligible applicants for an interview, and only the cognitive sections count — the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) is not used. UCAT then also contributes to the final offer alongside the PQA and MSA.
What ATAR do you need for UNE medicine?The minimum ATAR for the UNE Joint Medical Program is 94.3 for standard school-leaver entry, or 85 if you qualify under the Rural Bonus Scheme. Importantly, the ATAR is only a threshold — it does not rank applicants. Selection is driven by UCAT, the PQA and the MSA interview.
What interview does UNE use for medicine?UNE uses the Multiple Skills Assessment (MSA), a multi-station, in-person interview similar to an MMI, delivered through the Joint Medical Program. Applicants also complete a separate values-based Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA). Final offers combine UCAT, PQA and MSA results.
How do you apply for medicine at UNE?You apply through UAC (course code 785000) and must also lodge a separate direct JMP application. The direct JMP application opens in mid-August and closes on 30 September. Missing the separate JMP application makes you ineligible, so both steps are essential.
Is there a UCAT cut-off score for UNE medicine?There is no fixed, published UCAT cut-off for the UNE Joint Medical Program. UCAT is used to rank applicants for interview relative to the rest of the applicant pool, so the competitive standard changes each year with cohort performance.
What is the difference between the PQA and the MSA at UNE?The PQA (Personal Qualities Assessment) is a values-based online assessment completed before the interview stage, while the MSA (Multiple Skills Assessment) is an in-person, multi-station interview. Both are used together with UCAT to determine final offers in the Joint Medical Program.
Does UNE offer rural entry pathways into medicine?Yes. UNE's School of Rural Medicine offers the Rural and Remote Admissions Scheme (residence-based, requiring a statutory declaration) and the Rural Bonus Scheme, which reduces the ATAR threshold to 85 for students who completed Year 12 at a designated rural or remote school. Excellence through Equity and Educational Access Schemes are also available.
How long is the UNE medicine degree?The UNE Joint Medical Program is a five-year, full-time degree comprising the Bachelor of Medical Science (Years 1–3) and the Doctor of Medicine (Years 4–5), structured across three phases from pre-clinical sciences to full-time clinical placements.
Are there bonded places in the UNE Joint Medical Program?Yes. About 48 of the roughly 170 annual JMP places are typically bonded under the Bonded Medical Program (BMP). Applicants can lodge a BMP Expression of Interest when they submit their direct JMP application.
Can current university students apply to UNE medicine?Yes. UNE offers a lateral (non-standard) entry pathway open to students from any university and any course, typically requiring at least a Credit average (around GPA 5.0). Lateral applicants must still sit UCAT, complete the separate JMP application and PQA, and attend the MSA interview.
Can interstate students apply for UNE medicine?Yes. Students completing Year 12 outside NSW can apply for the UNE Joint Medical Program. Interstate qualifications — including HSC, QCE, SACE, WACE and the IB — are assessed using equivalent academic scaling, alongside UCAT, PQA and MSA outcomes. Gap-year students are also eligible to apply.
How much does it cost to study medicine at UNE?The UNE Joint Medical Program is offered as a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) for eligible domestic students, with an indicative annual contribution of approximately AUD $13,536 (subject to change). Additional costs can include textbooks, and travel and accommodation for rural clinical placements. Always confirm current figures via UNE's official fees pages.
Next steps: your path to medicine at UNE
Getting into medicine at UNE requires a strong UCAT score, careful attention to the separate JMP application, and thorough preparation for the PQA and MSA interview. Because the ATAR is only a threshold, your UCAT and interview performance are what truly set you apart. MedView's expert tutors can help with UCAT targets, scheme eligibility, and interview readiness.
Book a free consultationDisclaimer: This page is an independent guide compiled by MedView Education to help applicants understand entry to medicine at the University of New England via the Joint Medical Program. Figures such as ATAR thresholds, place numbers, fees, dates and selection details are indicative and subject to change. Always confirm current requirements with the University of New England, the University of Newcastle, the Joint Medical Program and UAC before applying. MedView Education is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of New England.