University of Wollongong Medicine Entry Guide — GAMSAT, Course Structure & Selection

How Do You Get Into Medicine at University of Wollongong?

Entry into the UOW Doctor of Medicine is a multi-stage, graduate-entry process. Applicants are assessed using:

• Academic performance (weighted GPA of 5.5 or higher on a 7-point scale)
• GAMSAT (minimum 50 overall and 50 in each section)
• CASPer situational judgement test (completed in a designated UOW testing window)
• Online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)
• Portfolio and UOW MD admissions bonuses
• Eligibility for rural, Bonded Medical Program (BMP) or Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathways (where applicable)

GPA and GAMSAT act primarily as minimum eligibility hurdles. Once an applicant clears these thresholds, ranking for an interview offer is driven by CASPer together with the UOW MD admissions bonuses. After interview, final offers are ranked on CASPer (25%), the MMI interview (25%) and the portfolio (50%) — so the test scores get you to the interview, and CASPer, the interview and the portfolio decide the offer.

What Does University of Wollongong Require for Medicine?

The concrete checklist of what you actually need. The key thing to understand at UOW is that GAMSAT and GPA are eligibility hurdles, while CASPer, the interview and the portfolio decide who gets in.

Academic (GPA)

• A completed bachelor degree (AQF Level 7+, minimum 3 years FTE) in any discipline, or be in the final year of one
• A minimum weighted GPA of 5.5 on a 7-point scale
• UOW weights recent study: final year ×3, second-to-last ×2, third-to-last ×1 — aim well above 5.5 to be competitive

Admissions test (GAMSAT)

• GAMSAT required for domestic applicants, used as a minimum threshold only
• Minimum 50 overall and minimum 50 in each of the three sections
• No other entrance exam accepted for domestic applicants; after the minimum is met, GAMSAT is not carried into interview or final-offer ranking

CASPer, interview & portfolio

• CASPer (situational judgement test) is mandatory, completed in a designated UOW window; contributes to shortlisting and final ranking (25%)
• Online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) — 25% of the final offer — see interview preparation
• Portfolio — required and the largest single component at 50% of the final offer

Prerequisites & additional requirements

• No specific undergraduate subject prerequisites — applicants from any discipline are eligible if GPA and GAMSAT minimums are met
• Online application via GEMSAS; bachelor degree completed by the end of the application year
• A current approved First Aid certificate plus NSW Health Student Compliance (immunisations, Code of Conduct, National Police Check, Working With Children Check) before placement

Special-entry, rural & bonded

• Bonded Medical Program (BMP): 17 places, with a return-of-service obligation in eligible rural/remote areas
• Rural Entry Pathway: eligible rural-origin NSW applicants (Modified Monash Model) who meet the minimums and list UOW first receive a guaranteed interview; a minimum of 32 places are reserved
• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway available through the Graduate School of Medicine

What Interview Does University of Wollongong Use for Medicine?

UOW uses an online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), conducted alongside the CASPer situational judgement test as part of the broader selection process. The UOW MMI assesses:

• Communication and interpersonal skills
• Empathy and compassion
• Ethical reasoning
• Teamwork and collaboration
• Decision-making in clinical and everyday contexts

Interview performance is a major driver of who receives an offer. In UOW's final-offer framework, the interview is weighted at 25%, CASPer at 25% and the portfolio at 50% — so interview and CASPer together account for half of the final ranking. The interview is conducted online, making it accessible to applicants across Australia.

Clinical Placements and Training

UOW medical students complete extensive clinical placements across the Illawarra, Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands and wider regional and rural NSW, supported by a network of teaching hospitals, regional hospitals and rural clinical hubs.

A defining feature of the UOW MD is its requirement that students experience medicine in regional settings. All students complete at least one rotation at a regional hospital such as Shoalhaven District Memorial Hospital, Bowral District Hospital or Grafton Base Hospital, in addition to placements at a larger teaching hospital (Wollongong).

Phase 3's integrated clinical clerkship is frequently delivered as a longitudinal placement in a regional or rural community, giving students continuity of care and deep exposure to general practice and community-based medicine. By Phase 4, the placement load resembles full-time clinical work as students prepare for internship.

University Life at University of Wollongong

Students studying medicine at UOW benefit from a close-knit graduate medical cohort with a strong community and rural-health ethos.

• Active medical student societies supporting peer learning, wellbeing and professional development
• Early and sustained clinical exposure across Illawarra, Shoalhaven and regional NSW
• Strong academic, wellbeing and pastoral support throughout the four-year program
• A coastal lifestyle within easy reach of Sydney, plus genuine immersion in regional communities via the Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands campuses and rural hubs

Students also have access to research opportunities through the Graduate School of Medicine and UOW's broader health and medical research institutes, providing exposure to translational research and clinician-researcher career pathways — including an optional Honours year.

FAQs: University of Wollongong Medicine