.svg)
University of Western Australia (UWA) Medicine Entry Guide — UCAT, GAMSAT, Course Structure & Selection
The University of Western Australia offers two routes into its Doctor of Medicine (MD): an assured undergraduate pathway for school-leavers (Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Specialised) leading to the MD, selected on ATAR, UCAT ANZ and an MMI) and a separate graduate-entry MD (selected on GAMSAT, GPA and an MMI — no UCAT). For both pathways the MMI is the largest single component (50%). UWA is consistently ranked among the world's leading universities, with clinical teaching centred on the Crawley campus and the QEII Medical Centre in Perth, plus a substantial Rural Clinical School cohort.
Get help with your applicationKey Admission Information
Applications: Undergraduate — UCAT July–August; apply via TISC, closing late September; interview offers ~20–21 November; MMIs early December (rural 30 Nov–11 Dec); offers mid–late January. Graduate-entry — GAMSAT in the year of application; apply via GEMSAS, closing 31 May; interview offers September/October; offers from November. Figures are indicative; confirm against official UWA, TISC and GEMSAS pages.
Overview: Medicine at University of Western Australia
Medicine at UWA is delivered through the Doctor of Medicine (MD), one of Western Australia's most competitive medical degrees. The program combines foundational medical sciences, early clinical exposure, a compulsory scholarly research activity and progressive hospital and community placements across metropolitan Perth and regional Western Australia.
UWA is one of a small number of Australian universities that offers a guaranteed (assured) undergraduate pathway into medicine for school-leavers, alongside a separate graduate-entry MD for students who have completed an approved prior degree. Both lead into the same MD curriculum, with strengths in biomedical research and rural and Aboriginal health training.
Students typically enter via the assured undergraduate pathway (Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Specialised) leading to the MD) or the graduate-entry MD. Compare options in our overview of medical school entry requirements.
How Do You Get Into Medicine at University of Western Australia?
Entry depends on whether you apply as a school-leaver (undergraduate) or as a graduate. Both routes use a multi-stage selection process, but the academic measure and admissions test differ.
Undergraduate (school-leaver) selection
- Academic performance (predicted or actual ATAR; minimum ATAR 98)
- UCAT ANZ performance
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
- Eligibility for rural or Indigenous entry schemes (where applicable)
- Shortlisting by UCAT + ATAR; final offer ranked ATAR 30% + UCAT 20% + interview 50%
Graduate-entry selection
- GPA from a completed bachelor degree (minimum 5.5)
- GAMSAT (minimum 50 in each section and overall)
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
- Shortlisting by GAMSAT + GPA; final offer ranked interview 50% + GAMSAT 25% + GPA 25%
Timeline: Undergraduate — UCAT July–August; TISC closes late September; interview offers ~20–21 November; MMIs early December (rural 30 Nov–11 Dec); offers mid–late January. Graduate-entry — GAMSAT in the year of application; GEMSAS closes 31 May; interview offers Sept/Oct; offers from November.
Speak with an advisorWhat Does University of Western Australia Require for Medicine?
The practical checklist of what you actually need. Requirements differ for the undergraduate (school-leaver) and graduate-entry pathways.
Academic
- Undergraduate: minimum ATAR 98 (90 for Indigenous applicants; 98 for rural applicants) — weighted 30% of the final undergraduate score
- Graduate entry: a completed (or near-complete) bachelor degree with minimum GPA 5.5 — weighted 25%. A completed PhD (or UWA Doctor of Dental Medicine) is deemed GPA 7.0; a Masters by Research adds a 0.2 bonus to the overall GPA
Admissions test
- Undergraduate: UCAT ANZ required — weighted 20% and used (with ATAR) for interview shortlisting; no published fixed cut-off
- Graduate entry: GAMSAT required — minimum 50 in each section and overall; unweighted average weighted 25% (no UCAT)
Interview
- Both pathways: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), in person for domestic applicants — the largest single component at 50% of the final score — see interview preparation
Subject prerequisites
- No formal subject prerequisites for the assured medicine pathway (Chemistry and Mathematics are recommended preparation) — confirm via the official UWA handbook
Additional & special-entry
- Apply via the relevant portal: TISC (undergraduate), GEMSAS (graduate entry)
- Rural applicants must submit the UWA Rural Eligibility Form via TISC before the closing date
- Rural pathway (MM 2–7): 5+ consecutive or 10 cumulative years in a rural/remote area; rural selection ranked on ATAR/equivalent (22.5%), interview (37.5%), UCAT (15%) and rurality rating (25%)
- Indigenous applicants: a reduced minimum ATAR of 90 applies for the undergraduate pathway
- Bonded Medical Program (BMP) place availability is allocated nationally (confirm current cohort)
Entry Pathways to University of Western Australia Medicine
The most common route for WACE and interstate school-leavers. Students are admitted into the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Specialised) with an assured place in the Doctor of Medicine, provided they meet the conditions set at selection. Assessed on ATAR (minimum 98; 90 for Indigenous applicants), UCAT ANZ and the MMI, with a final ranking of ATAR 30% + UCAT 20% + interview 50%. Interstate qualifications (HSC, QCE, SACE, VCE, IB) assessed via equivalent scaling; gap-year students eligible.
A separate 4-year pathway into the same MD for applicants who have completed an approved bachelor degree with minimum GPA 5.5. Assessed via GAMSAT (minimum 50 in each section and overall), GPA and the MMI — it does not use UCAT. Applications are made through GEMSAS, with a final ranking of interview 50% + GAMSAT 25% + GPA 25%.
UWA reserves places for rural-background applicants under the Modified Monash Model (MM 2–7). Eligible applicants must have lived in a rural/remote area for at least five consecutive or 10 cumulative years and submit the UWA Rural Eligibility Form via TISC. Rural selection uses a modified weighting that includes a rurality rating, and rural applicants train through the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia.
What Interview Does University of Western Australia Use for Medicine?
UWA uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format for both undergraduate and graduate-entry medicine. The MMI is a circuit of short, scenario-based stations, each presenting a different task, held in person for domestic applicants. It assesses:
- Communication and interpersonal skills
- Ethical reasoning and professionalism
- Motivation for, and understanding of, medicine
- Empathy, teamwork and problem-solving
Interview performance is the most heavily weighted component of UWA's selection — 50% of the final score for both undergraduate and graduate-entry applicants — so strong MMI preparation is critical. International applicants are also assessed by MMI (online for graduate-entry international applicants).
Interview dates (2026): undergraduate interview offers ~20–21 November with MMIs in early December (rural interviews 30 November – 11 December), in person; graduate-entry interview offers September/October, with offers commencing November. See our MMI interview preparation resources.
Prepare for your medical interviewCourse Structure: UWA Doctor of Medicine
The UWA medicine curriculum is structured around the six PLACES themes — professional, leader, advocate, clinician, educator and scholar. The assured undergraduate pathway runs over 6 years (3 years in the Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Specialised) followed by the 3 later years of the MD); the graduate-entry MD is a 4-year program. The MD totals 192 credit points (144 of taught units plus 48 points of admission credit), with each year carrying roughly 40 weeks of contact time.
Foundational medical sciences: anatomy, biochemistry, physiology, immunology, genetics, pathology, microbiology, pharmacology and population health sciences.
Hospital, community and rural placements with core rotations in internal medicine, surgery, geriatrics, psychiatry, general practice and other disciplines, plus an elective and Preparation for Internship.
A compulsory scholarly activity in one of three streams — research, coursework or service learning — with the option to specialise in rural health or Aboriginal health.
Indicative Course Units (Doctor of Medicine)
A representative selection from the UWA Doctor of Medicine curriculum, with Rural (RMED) alternatives for Rural Clinical School students. Unit codes, sequencing and credit points are indicative and vary by cohort — confirm via the official UWA Handbook.
| Year | Unit | Code | CP |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | Integrated Medical Sciences 1 Pre-clinical | IMED4443 | 24 |
| Year 1 | Integrated Medical Sciences 2 Pre-clinical | IMED4444 | 24 |
| Year 2 | Integrated Medical Practice 1 Part A Clinical | IMED4220 | 24 |
| Year 2 | Integrated Medical Practice 1 Clinical | IMED4222 | 24 |
| Year 3 | Integrated Medical Practice 2 Part A Crawley | IMED5311 | 18 |
| Year 3 | Integrated Medical Practice 2 Part B Crawley | IMED5312 | 18 |
| Year 3 | Integrated Rural Medical Practice 1 Rural Clinical School | RMED5311 | 18 |
| Year 3 | Integrated Rural Medical Practice 2 Rural Clinical School | RMED5321 | 18 |
| Year 4 | Integrated Medical Practice 3 Part 1 Clinical | IMED5411 | 18 |
| Year 4 | Integrated Medical Practice 3 Part 2 Clinical | IMED5412 | 12 |
| Year 4 | Preparation for Internship Clinical | IMED5421 | 12 |
| Year 4 | Medical Elective Elective | IMED5413 | — |
| Years 3–4 | Scholarly Activity — Research / Service Learning / Public / Aboriginal / Rural Health Scholarly | — | 6 |
Clinical Placements & Training
UWA medical students complete placements across a broad clinical network. Metropolitan teaching is centred on the QEII Medical Centre in Nedlands and major Perth teaching hospitals, with community and general-practice attachments throughout the program.
A substantial proportion of students (around a quarter of the cohort) complete a year of training through the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia, undertaking placements in regional and remote communities. Students may also pursue Aboriginal health and rural health specialisations as part of their scholarly activity.
Placements are delivered through UWA's vertically integrated clinical training model, building from early clinical exposure in Year 2 to near-independent practice and a Preparation for Internship block in the final year.
Rankings & Recognition
UWA is consistently recognised as one of the world's leading research universities and a top choice for medicine and health sciences, with particular strengths in rural and Aboriginal health training and biomedical research. Rankings vary by methodology and year.
University Life at University of Western Australia
Students studying medicine at UWA benefit from a connected medical student cohort across the assured undergraduate and graduate-entry pathways.
- Active medical student societies (including the WA Medical Students' Society) supporting peer learning and wellbeing
- Opportunities to engage in research projects, rural and Aboriginal health placements and clinical electives
- Strong academic, wellbeing and pastoral support services throughout the degree
- Scholarships that can apply to medicine students, including the Global Excellence Scholarship (up to ~A$12,000/year) and Medical School scholarships (~A$1,000–A$10,000)
The Crawley campus — regularly recognised as one of Australia's most attractive university campuses — sits beside the Swan River and provides access to Perth's major hospital network, research institutes and the QEII Medical Centre precinct, supporting both clinical training and research involvement through UWA's medical research institutes and healthcare partnerships across Western Australia.
Career and Research Pathways
Graduates of the UWA 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 and remote medicine, supported by UWA's Rural Clinical School training
- Specialist training programs following internship and residency
- Research and academic medicine, including clinician-researcher pathways
- Public health, Aboriginal health, global health and health policy roles
UWA is particularly recognised for its strengths in rural and Aboriginal health training and biomedical research, providing students with exposure to research-led teaching and pathways into clinician-researcher careers. Related health pathways (such as UWA's assured Bachelor of Biomedicine to Doctor of Dental Medicine, which also uses UCAT and an MMI) follow separate entry requirements.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is UCAT required to study medicine at UWA?UCAT ANZ is required for the undergraduate (assured) pathway at UWA, where it is weighted at 20% of the final score and used with ATAR to shortlist for interview. UCAT is not required for the graduate-entry MD, which uses the GAMSAT instead.
Does UWA require GAMSAT for medicine?Yes, for graduate entry. The graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine requires the GAMSAT with a minimum of 50 in each section and overall, and the unweighted average GAMSAT score is weighted at 25% of the final graduate-entry ranking. School-leaver applicants sit the UCAT instead.
What ATAR do you need for UWA undergraduate medicine?The undergraduate assured pathway requires a minimum ATAR of 98 (a minimum of 90 applies for Indigenous applicants, and 98 for rural applicants). ATAR is weighted at 30% of the final undergraduate score, with UCAT at 20% and interview at 50%.
What interview does UWA use for medicine?UWA uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) for both the undergraduate and graduate-entry pathways, held in person for domestic applicants. The interview is the most heavily weighted component, contributing 50% of the final selection score.
What GPA do you need for UWA graduate-entry medicine?The graduate-entry MD requires a minimum GPA of 5.5 from a completed bachelor degree, weighted at 25% of the final ranking. A completed PhD from a recognised institution (or a UWA Doctor of Dental Medicine) is deemed a GPA of 7.0, and a completed Masters by Research adds a 0.2 bonus to the overall GPA.
Is there a UCAT cut-off score for UWA medicine?UWA does not publish a fixed UCAT cut-off. UCAT performance is assessed competitively against the applicant pool each year, so the practical threshold for an interview offer varies with cohort strength.
Does UWA have a rural entry pathway for medicine?Yes. Applicants whose principal residence has been in a rural or remote area (Modified Monash Model MM 2–7) for at least five consecutive or 10 cumulative years can apply as rural applicants by submitting the UWA Rural Eligibility Form via TISC. Rural students train through the Rural Clinical School of Western Australia.
How do I apply for medicine at UWA?School-leaver (undergraduate) applicants apply through TISC, while graduate-entry applicants apply through GEMSAS. Undergraduate applications typically close in late September and graduate-entry applications close around 31 May. International applicants apply directly to UWA.
Can interstate students apply for undergraduate medicine at UWA?Yes. Students completing Year 12 outside Western Australia can apply for UWA's assured undergraduate pathway. Interstate qualifications including HSC, QCE, SACE, VCE and the IB are assessed using equivalent academic scaling, alongside UCAT performance and interview outcomes. Gap-year students are also eligible.
How long is the UWA medicine degree?The assured undergraduate pathway runs over six years (a 3-year Bachelor of Biomedical Science (Specialised) followed by the 3 later years of the MD). The graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine is a 4-year program.
Next steps: your path to medicine at UWA
Getting into medicine at UWA requires strong academic planning, a competitive UCAT or GAMSAT, and excellent MMI interview readiness — especially as the interview carries 50% of the final decision. MedView's expert tutors can help you target UCAT/GAMSAT, ATAR/GPA strategy and standout interview performance.
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 Western Australia. Figures such as ATAR/GAMSAT/GPA thresholds, selection weightings, place numbers, fees, dates and selection details are indicative and subject to change. Always confirm current requirements with the University of Western Australia, TISC and GEMSAS before applying. MedView Education is not affiliated with or endorsed by the University of Western Australia.