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The University of Notre Dame (Australia) Medicine Entry Guide — UCAT, GAMSAT, Course Structure & Selection
The University of Notre Dame Australia offers two routes into its Doctor of Medicine: an assured undergraduate pathway for school-leavers (a Bachelor of Biomedical Science requiring ATAR, UCAT and an MMI, plus maintaining a minimum GPA of 2.5) and a graduate-entry MD selected on GAMSAT, GPA, CASPer and interview through GEMSAS. The MD is a four-year program (two pre-clinical PBL years, two clinical years) delivered across Sydney, Fremantle and Broome, with a strong focus on bioethics, rural health and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
Get help with your applicationKey Admission Information
Applications (2026): Undergrad assured — opens April, UCAT July–August, close ~late September (UAC/TISC), interview offers early-mid October, MMIs late November (online), offers January. Graduate-entry MD — GEMSAS opens ~1 May, closes late May, interview offers from September, offers ~November. Figures are indicative; confirm with Notre Dame and GEMSAS.
Overview: Medicine at The University of Notre Dame (Australia)
Medicine at Notre Dame is delivered through the Doctor of Medicine (MD), a four-year graduate-level qualification offered on the Sydney, Fremantle and Broome campuses. The program combines problem-based learning, early and sustained clinical exposure, an applied research project and extensive placements across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote settings.
Notre Dame is one of the universities that offers an assured (guaranteed) undergraduate entry pathway for school-leavers, alongside a separate graduate-entry pathway. The assured pathway lets eligible Year 12 students lock in a conditional MD place before commencing university, while studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Science. Notre Dame is a Catholic university with campuses in NSW and WA, well known for its values-based, community-focused medical education.
Students typically enter via the undergraduate assured pathway (school-leaver), the graduate-entry MD, or rural and remote entry including the KCRMT pathway in Broome. Compare options in our overview of medical school entry requirements.
How Do You Get Into Medicine at Notre Dame?
Notre Dame uses a multi-stage selection process, and the exact mix of criteria depends on whether you apply through the undergraduate assured pathway or the graduate-entry MD.
Undergraduate assured pathway (school-leaver)
- Academic performance (ATAR or equivalent)
- UCAT ANZ (including the Situational Judgement Test), used to rank applicants for interview
- A Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
- Eligibility for rural or equity entry schemes (where applicable)
- Once enrolled, maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 each semester throughout the Biomedical Science degree to hold the assured place and progress into the MD
Graduate-entry MD
- GAMSAT (min 52 overall, min 50 each section)
- Weighted GPA (min 5.2; competitive ~6.6–6.8)
- The CASPer situational-judgement test
- Bonus points (rurality, WA residency, HDR completion)
- MMI interview — applications made through GEMSAS for Sydney and Fremantle
Timeline: Undergrad assured — opens April, UCAT July–August, close ~late Sept (UAC/TISC), interview offers early-mid Oct, MMIs late Nov, offers Jan. Graduate-entry MD — GEMSAS opens ~1 May, closes late May, interview offers from Sept, offers ~Nov. Always confirm current-year dates with Notre Dame and GEMSAS.
Speak with an advisorWhat Does Notre Dame Require for Medicine?
Requirements differ between the undergraduate assured pathway and the graduate-entry MD — read the section that matches you.
Undergraduate Assured Pathway (school-leaver)
- Minimum ATAR of 92 (IB equivalent); competitive applicants present higher
- UCAT ANZ required — used to rank for interview (includes the Situational Judgement Test)
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), considered alongside ATAR and UCAT
- No specified subject prerequisites (confirm assumed-knowledge via the handbook)
- Apply via UAC (Sydney 650371) or TISC (Fremantle 3041 / 3581); maintain GPA 2.5 each semester to retain the assured place
- 10 reserved rural places per campus (min ATAR 92), Modified Monash Model MM 2–7; EAS/SEAS equity consideration
Graduate-Entry MD (GAMSAT pathway)
- A completed bachelor degree with a weighted GPA of at least 5.2 (competitive ~6.6–6.8), generally within the last 10 years
- GAMSAT required (no UCAT) — min total 52 with at least 50 in each section; competitive averages ~64–68
- MMI interview (Sydney MD also includes a panel component), indicatively weighted ~50% alongside the academic/test score
- CASPer situational-judgement test required; applications via GEMSAS
- Bonus points may apply for rurality, WA residency and HDR completion
- Bonded Medical Places (BMP, ~17 at Sydney); KCRMT (Broome) and Kimberley/Pilbara/Indigenous pathways have tailored thresholds (e.g. min GPA 5.0 plus personal statement and CV)
The single most important point: UCAT is not used for the MD — GAMSAT, GPA, CASPer and interview drive selection; for school-leavers, UCAT is central. Always confirm figures and weightings for your entry year via official Notre Dame and GEMSAS sources.
Entry Pathways to Notre Dame Medicine
The direct route for Year 12 students. Eligible school-leavers receive a conditional (assured) offer into the MD and commence a Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Advanced Biomedical Science (Honours). Assessed on ATAR (min 92), UCAT ANZ (incl. SJT, ranks for interview) and an MMI. To keep the place and progress into the MD, students maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 each semester. Combined journey ~7 years. Course codes: UAC 650371 (Sydney); 3041 / 3581 (Fremantle).
Notre Dame's largest medicine intake, offered at Sydney and Fremantle. Requires a completed bachelor degree (generally within the last 10 years), assessed via GAMSAT, GPA, CASPer and interview — it does not use UCAT. Applications are made through GEMSAS. Includes Commonwealth Supported Places, Bonded Medical Places and full-fee domestic and international places.
Reserved rural places (10 per undergraduate campus) for applicants meeting the Modified Monash Model criteria (MM 2–7). For graduate entry, rural bonus points apply, and the Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training (KCRMT) in Broome offers a dedicated remote-training pathway — Kimberley, Pilbara and Indigenous applicants may be considered on a minimum GPA of 5.0 plus a personal statement and CV.
What Interview Does Notre Dame Use for Medicine?
Notre Dame uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format. For the Sydney MD, the interview also includes a panel component, while the undergraduate assured pathway and Fremantle MD use an MMI structure. The interview is typically delivered online and assesses:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Ethical reasoning (reflecting the program's strong bioethics focus)
- Motivation for medicine and alignment with the university's values and service mission
- Empathy, professionalism and awareness of rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
Interview performance is a major component of selection. For graduate entry, the interview is indicatively weighted around 50% alongside the combined GAMSAT/GPA/CASPer score; for the undergraduate pathway it is considered alongside ATAR and UCAT.
Interview dates (2026): undergraduate assured-pathway offers early-to-mid October with MMIs online around late November; graduate-entry MD offers from September with interviews online from September; KCRMT, Kimberley and Pilbara pathway interviews run earlier (from mid-July). See our MMI interview preparation resources.
Prepare for your medical interviewCourse Structure: Notre Dame Medicine Degree
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a four-year, full-time graduate-level program. For school-leavers using the assured undergraduate pathway, the combined journey runs about 7 years — approximately 3 years in a Bachelor of Biomedical Science followed by the 4-year MD. The MD follows a staged curriculum with a distinctive emphasis on ethics, rural health and community service.
Problem-based learning (PBL) in small groups covering basic and clinical sciences, therapeutics, bioethics, communication skills, and population and preventive health, with early clinical contact.
Hospital and community placements across medicine, surgery, paediatrics, women's health, psychiatry/mental health and general practice, including rural and remote placements and an applied research project.
Research, personal and professional development, patient safety, palliative care, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health are woven throughout the program.
Indicative Course Units
Notre Dame does not publish a fully public unit-by-unit MD handbook, so codes and credit points are shown as not published. The themes below are indicative of the MD curriculum — confirm authoritative information via official Notre Dame course descriptions for your entry year.
| Year | Indicative Unit / Theme | Code | CP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Foundations of Medicine / Basic & Clinical Sciences (PBL) Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 1 | Bioethics and the Core Curriculum Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 1 | Clinical and Communication Skills 1 Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 1 | Population and Preventive Health 1 Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 2 | Integrated Body Systems / Therapeutics (PBL) Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 2 | Clinical and Communication Skills 2 Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 2 | Personal and Professional Development / Patient Safety Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 2 | Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Health Pre-clinical | — | — |
| Year 3 | Clinical Practice: Medicine & Surgery Rotations Clinical | — | — |
| Year 3 | Clinical Practice: Paediatrics & Women's Health Clinical | — | — |
| Year 3 | Applied Research Project Clinical | — | — |
| Year 3 | Rural and Remote / Community Placement Clinical | — | — |
| Year 4 | Advanced Clinical Practice & Specialty Rotations Clinical | — | — |
| Year 4 | Mental Health / Psychiatry & General Practice Clinical | — | — |
| Year 4 | Pre-Internship (Transition to Practice) Clinical | — | — |
| Year 4 | Palliative Care and Population Health Capstone Clinical | — | — |
Clinical Placements & Training
Notre Dame medical students complete placements across a broad clinical network spanning public and private hospitals, general practices, aged-care facilities and community-based health services in urban, regional, rural and remote settings across Australia.
Clinical training begins early through the program's problem-based learning model and intensifies in Years 3–4, when students rotate through core disciplines including medicine, surgery, paediatrics, women's health, psychiatry and general practice. The School of Medicine places particular emphasis on rural and remote medicine, palliative care and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.
- Sydney: Darlinghurst clinical school and affiliated hospital and community sites
- Fremantle: WA metropolitan, regional and rural networks
- Broome: the Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training (KCRMT), an immersive remote-training experience
Rankings & Recognition
As a smaller, mission-focused university, Notre Dame's strength lies in graduate-readiness and community-facing medical education rather than headline global research metrics. Rankings vary by methodology and year.
University Life at Notre Dame
Students studying medicine at Notre Dame benefit from a small-group, supportive learning environment with strong staff-student relationships and a values-based community ethos.
- Active medical and health student societies supporting peer learning, wellbeing and professional development
- Distinctive campuses — Fremantle's historic West End precinct and Sydney's Broadway and Darlinghurst sites — close to major hospital networks
- Opportunities for rural and remote placements, community service, and global and Indigenous-health initiatives
- Strong academic, pastoral and wellbeing support woven through the program
The Sydney clinical school at Darlinghurst sits alongside major teaching hospitals, while Fremantle and the KCRMT in Broome connect students to WA metropolitan, regional and remote health services — giving genuine exposure to practising medicine across diverse Australian communities.
Career and Research Pathways
Graduates of the Notre Dame medicine degree are awarded the 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
- General practice and community-based healthcare
- Rural, remote and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health
- Specialist training programs following internship and residency
- Research and academic medicine, including clinician-researcher pathways
- Public health, palliative care, health policy and medical leadership
Notre Dame's mission and curriculum place particular emphasis on producing doctors who serve rural, remote and underserved communities, and the applied research project in the clinical years builds foundational research skills.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UCAT required to study medicine at Notre Dame Australia?It depends on the pathway. UCAT ANZ is required for the undergraduate assured pathway (school-leaver entry), where it is used to rank applicants for interview. The graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine does not require UCAT — it uses GAMSAT instead.
Does Notre Dame require GAMSAT for medicine?Yes, for the graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine. Applicants need a minimum GAMSAT total of 52 with at least 50 in each section, though competitive interview-offer averages have recently sat around 64–68. GAMSAT is not used for the undergraduate assured pathway, which uses UCAT.
What ATAR do you need for Notre Dame undergraduate medicine?The minimum ATAR for the assured undergraduate pathway is 92 (or IB equivalent). In practice competitive applicants present higher again, and selection also weighs UCAT and the MMI rather than ATAR alone.
What interview does Notre Dame use for medicine?Notre Dame uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), delivered online, and the Sydney MD interview also includes a panel component. It assesses communication, ethical reasoning, motivation for medicine and alignment with the university's service values.
What GPA do you need for the Notre Dame graduate-entry MD?Graduate applicants need a weighted GPA of at least 5.2 from three years full-time-equivalent study, but recent successful applicants have averaged around 6.6–6.8. Selection also requires GAMSAT, the CASPer test and an interview.
How do you apply for medicine at Notre Dame?School-leavers apply for the undergraduate assured pathway through UAC (Sydney, course 650371) or TISC (Fremantle) and sit the UCAT. Graduate-entry MD applicants apply through GEMSAS. The KCRMT remote-training pathway in Broome uses a separate direct application.
Does Notre Dame have a rural or remote medicine pathway?Yes. There are 10 reserved rural undergraduate places per campus for applicants meeting the Modified Monash Model criteria (MM 2–7), rural bonus points for graduate entry, and a dedicated Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training (KCRMT) pathway in Broome with tailored criteria for Kimberley, Pilbara and Indigenous applicants.
How much does it cost to study medicine at Notre Dame?The MD is offered as a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) for eligible domestic students, with indicative fees of around $13,241–$13,500 per year. Full-fee domestic places (around $45,000) and international places (around $75,000+) are also offered, indicatively. Always confirm current figures with Notre Dame.
Is there a UCAT cut-off score for Notre Dame medicine?Notre Dame has not historically published a fixed UCAT cut-off. For the undergraduate pathway, UCAT (including the SJT) is used to rank applicants for interview relative to the applicant pool, so the score needed varies each year with demand.
Can interstate students apply for Notre Dame medicine?Yes. School-leavers from any state can apply for the assured undergraduate pathway, with Year 12 qualifications (HSC, WACE, SACE, QCE, VCE or IB) assessed using equivalent academic scaling, alongside UCAT and the MMI. Graduate applicants apply nationally through GEMSAS.
How long is the Notre Dame medicine degree?The Doctor of Medicine is a four-year, full-time graduate program. For school-leavers using the assured pathway, the combined journey is about seven years — roughly three years of Biomedical Science plus the four-year MD.
What is the difference between the Sydney and Fremantle Notre Dame MD?Both are four-year graduate-entry MDs with the same core PBL-based curriculum and MMI selection (the Sydney interview also has a panel component). They differ in campus, clinical networks (NSW vs WA, including Broome's KCRMT for Fremantle) and place numbers. Choose based on location, clinical exposure and where you wish to train.
What is the CASPer test and does Notre Dame require it?CASPer is an online situational-judgement test assessing personal and professional attributes. Notre Dame requires CASPer for the graduate-entry MD (alongside GAMSAT, GPA and interview). It is not part of the undergraduate assured pathway.
Next steps: your path to medicine at Notre Dame
Getting into medicine at Notre Dame requires strong academic planning plus the right admissions-test strategy — UCAT for the school-leaver assured pathway, or GAMSAT, GPA and CASPer for graduate entry — and confident MMI interview preparation. MedView's expert tutors can help you target the pathway that suits your profile.
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 Notre Dame Australia. Figures such as ATAR/GAMSAT/GPA thresholds, place numbers, fees, dates and selection details are indicative and subject to change. Always confirm current requirements with The University of Notre Dame Australia and GEMSAS before applying. MedView Education is not affiliated with or endorsed by The University of Notre Dame Australia.