Admission Information - International Applicants

Download the Information for International Students Brochure [pdf 3.66MB]

North American Applicants applying through GlobaLinks Learning Abroad - http://www.degreesoverseas.com

Key Dates for 2013-2014

^‡ THREE WEEKS AFTER OFFER IS MADE - International applicants' deadline to submit a non-refundable deposit of $AUD 5,000 to secure a UOW GSM place for the following year.

Admission to the UOW MBBS degree for International Applicants is based on:

• A weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) from a valid Bachelor’s degree for all applicants
• A valid GAMSAT or MCAT score for international applicants
• A completed UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio
• A UOW GSM Admissions Interview

Admission Criteria and Eligibility

Applicants who are NOT citizens or permanent residents of Australia or citizens of New Zealand are considered international applicants.

Admission to the UOW MBBS for international applicants is based on:

1. A weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) from a valid Bachelor’s degree

Applicants must be in their final year or have a completed Bachelor’s degree from either:

• An Australian University listed in the Australian Qualifications Framework at AQF Register of Qualifications and Institutions
  OR
• An overseas University listed in the Australian Education International - National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide http://www.aei.gov.au or the ENIC-NARIC network http://www.enic-naric.net

All applicants must have a weighted GPA of greater than 5.0 on a 7 point scale or 2.8 on a 4 point scale at the time of application, to be eligible to apply. The GPA score required to receive an offer for interview may fluctuate annually.

The undergraduate degree on which the GPA is calculated must have been awarded no greater than 10 years prior to the year of application to the UOW MBBS. This is designed to ensure the currency of a student’s academic and research skills which are required in the rigorous academic environment of the MBBS programme. Prospective students whose Bachelors degrees were awarded more than 10 years prior to the year of application are not usually considered unless they can provide documentary evidence of successful tertiary level postgraduate coursework from an accredited institution of not less than one year’s full-time equivalent study within the 10 year period. The GSM reserves the right to also waive the 10 year policy if a student demonstrates academic currency and skills by experiences other than the qualifications stipulated above. All evidence must be produced in writing prior to application. In cases where the degree is greater than 10 years old, and the candidate is considered eligible to apply, the GPA will still be calculated on the most recent completed bachelor degree.

Grade point average (GPA)

All applicants will be required to submit either certified copies or original transcripts of their most recent Bachelor's degree with their application. The GPA is calculated using all subjects taken within the last three full time equivalent years of the most recent undergraduate degree.

To be accepted applicants would normally have spent at least 2 years in the institution conferring the degree. An honours year is normally considered as the final year of an undergraduate degree. Postgraduate qualifications (Masters, PhD) are not included in GPA calculations. To maintain absolute transparency and equity for all international applications, the GPA for all international transcripts will be calculated by UOW UniAdvice. The GPA is calculated for each of the last 3 calendar years.

The scores are expressed as:

• GPA1 for the first year of study
• GPA2 for the second year of study
• GPA3 for the third (most recent) year of study.

The scores are weighted by the GSM as follows:

GPA1 + (2 × GPA2) + (3 × GPA3) = weighted GPA ÷ 6

This weighting is based on calendar year of study, not academic level of each subject.

2. A valid GAMSAT or MCAT score

International applicants sitting the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT), GAMSAT (UK and Ireland) need to have gained a minimum score of 50 for each of the three sections and an overall minimum score of 50 to be eligible to apply. From 2011 GAMSAT (UK and Ireland) may be offered in Gaelic as well as English. Students completing the test in Gaelic will be required to provide evidence of English proficiency.

International applicants that use MCAT must have gained a minimum overall score of 24 and an 'M' in a written sample on the MCAT. The score for either test must not be over two years old at the time of application. The GAMSAT / MCAT score required to receive an offer for interview may fluctuate annually.

3. A completed UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio

The UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio is an innovative document which is scored against a developed protocol to highlight areas of achievement, leadership, teamwork and service ethic and commitment and ties to regional, rural and remote communities. The portfolio will be used by the GSM to rank eligible applicants for interview.

All applicants will be required to prepare a portfolio to be submitted to UOW GSM. For the application round for 2014 entry, please ensure the correct application form (PINK in colour) has been downloaded and submitted. Please read the completion guidelines carefully.

For international applicants in North America this needs to be submitted DIRECTLY to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad in Denver, Colorado, USA by:

• Friday March 29th 2013 for the early round
• Thursday May 30th 2013 for the standard round

The GSM welcomes all international students to submit applications for the 2014 intake either directly to the GSM or via our agents in North America, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. There is no application fee. Applications close on 30th June 2013, but applications will be assessed on a rolling basis from late March 2013. Early applications are encouraged.

4. A structured UOW GSM Admissions Interview

UOW GSM Admissions Interviews are designed to assess personal qualities deemed desirable in medical students and medical practitioners.

The interview for international students will take the form of a semi-structured panel-style interview process and will take place using the best available technology at various locations depending on the applicant pool. Interviews for 2014 entry are scheduled to occur from April to September 2013.

Evidence of English proficiency

Students whose undergraduate degree was not completed in English may be required to demonstrate English proficiency.

The UOW GSM's English Language Requirements are:

A minimum IELTS score of 7.0, plus the following band scores:

• 7.0 in reading and listening; and
• 7.0 in speaking and writing

Admissions Test (MCAT)

To be considered for entry into the UOW MBBS programme, an international candidate must have a valid GAMSAT score (GAMSAT Australia, UK or Ireland) or a valid MCAT score.

Candidates must register with AAMC to sit MCAT by the published deadline date and there is a fee required. Application for MCAT and application for admission are separate processes.

The MCAT test is held several times through the year in capital cities in USA and Canada, as well as the UK, Asia, Europe, South Africa and Australia (Sydney and Melbourne).

To be considered for an interview to UOW GSM in 2013, the latest an applicant may sit the MCAT is June 2013. Early round applications will be accepted and partially processed while pending MCAT.

The score for either test must not be over two years old at the time of application. The GAMSAT / MCAT score required to receive an offer for interview may fluctuate annually. Candidates in North America may apply for the early application round for the UOW MBBS prior to sitting the MCAT test, providing they have already registered to sit MCAT. Applications will be processed, interviews may be offered however no place offers will be made until MCAT results are complete.

More information can be gained from the AAMC website: http://www.aamc.org/students/applying/mcat

Application process

International applicants from North America

Applicants currently residing in USA / Canada can apply directly via the UOW GSM’s agent, GlobaLinks Learning Abroad (http://www.degreesoverseas.com). GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will accept and process applications on behalf of the GSM. GlobaLinks Learning Abroad will answer enquiries and provide advice and logistical support to American and Canadian applicants to the UOW MBBS programme. They will also assist in coordination of the North American interview process.

• Early application round opens in January of the year prior to commencement and is open to North American applicants only, via GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. Applicants forward their application in its entirety to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad who will verify documentation, collect materials, scan and forward to GSM Admissions. UniAdvice at UOW will calculate weighted GPA results. The early application round will close March 29th 2013. Any applications received after this date may be considered, however normally would be considered in the standard application round.
• Standard application round will close June 30th 2013 and for North American applicants, are still processed and supported by GlobaLinks Learning Abroad. Applications received after June 30th may be considered but are unlikely to be successful.

For more information contact GlobaLinks Learning Abroad:

• In Canada:
  • Phone: 1 800 980 0033 extension 140 (Toll free)
  • Web: http://www.degreesoverseas.com
  • Email: canada@degreesoverseas.ca
• In USA:
  • Phone: 1 800 980 0033 extension 108 (Toll free)
  • Web: http://www.degreesoverseas.com
  • Email: studyabroad@globalinksabroad.org

International applicants from the rest of the world

We would encourage international applicants outside North America to apply DIRECTLY to UOW GSM from January 1st to June 30th 2013. Please contact the GSM for more details.

UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio

The UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio is an innovative document which is scored against a developed protocol to highlight areas of achievement, leadership, teamwork and service ethic and commitment and ties to regional, rural and remote communities.

The portfolio will be used by the GSM to rank eligible applicants for interview.

In submitting an admissions portfolio, applicants will need to consider the following:

• Leadership
• Capacity to work with others
• Service ethic - outside your employment environment
• Diversity of experience
• High level of performance in an area of human endeavour
• Academic Experience
• Admissions Rural Residency and Schooling

The portfolio for international candidates is scored in the same way as for domestic applicants with the exception of rurality, which is not scored on international portfolios. While international applicants are not required to demonstrate ties to regional, rural or remote areas, any experiences in these communities should be identified on the portfolio as they would be viewed as desirable by the GSM.

• For international applicants applying via GlobaLinks Learning Abroad (formerly AustraLearn):

  • The portfolio must be submitted directly to GlobaLinks Learning Abroad.
  • Applicants who do not submit a portfolio will not be considered for interview.
  • Applicants who do not submit a valid email address in their portfolio will not be considered for interview.
  • All activities listed in the UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio require a contact name with valid email address and/or contact phone number to verify the activity.

• For international applicants applying directly to the GSM:

  • Applicants who do not submit a portfolio will not be considered for interview.
  • Applicants who do not submit a valid email address in their portfolio will not be considered for interview.
  • All activities listed in the UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio require a contact name with valid email address and/or contact phone number to verify the activity.
  • Only portfolios submitted electronically (to the address specified in the UOW GSM Admissions Portfolio) will be accepted. An automatic receipt email will be sent when the portfolio is received at UOW GSM.

• Download Admissions Portfolio Template (International Applicants)¹ [pdf 936KB]
• Download Admissions Portfolio Guidelines [pdf 732KB]

¹ - To complete the Admissions Portfolio electronic form correctly, you MUST use Adobe Reader version 8.0 or higher. Adobe Reader is a free download, available from Adobe.com. For users completing the Admissions Portfolio on Mac OS, DO NOT use the default PDF programme 'Preview', you MUST open the PDF in Adobe Reader version 8.0 or higher.

After candidates are selected for interview, verification of activities will be undertaken by email. Any negative responses provided by verifiers will be forwarded to the Academic Leader, Admissions & Selection for review.

Ranking for interview

Applicants will be ranked for interview based on a combination of GPA, MCAT/GAMSAT and portfolio score.

Interview process

For international students a modified version of this approach will be instigated utilizing available technology between Australia and their home base. Interviews are normally held at Wollongong campus and by teleconference or videoconference.

The international interviews are panel based and designed to assess the following personal qualities:

• Communication skills
• Empathy and compassion
• Resilience and coping skills
• Decision making and problem solving ability
• Teamwork
• Honesty
• Reflection / self appraisal
• Leadership
• Ethical standards and values
• Insight and understanding

Ranking for offers

The interviewed candidates are ranked after interview by a combination of interview score, portfolio, MCAT/GAMSAT and GPA.

Student campus preference has no influence of decisions for offer.

Offers

Offers of places are made based on the recommendations of the GSM Admissions Committee. All international offers are full-fee paying places.

Once ranking processes are completed a list will be generated with all applicants ranked from highest to lowest ranking. Offers will then be made according to the applicant’s ranked position.

Firm offers are only made to applicants who are already graduates. Provisional offers are made to applicants who have not completed their final year of their Bachelors degree at the time of interview. A provisional offer will lapse if the applicant does not reach a weighted GPA of 5.0 on a 7 point scale or 2.8 on a 4 point scale or above on completion of their degree. The original academic transcript issued by the conferring University providing final year results and confirming the completion of the Bachelors degree must be submitted to the GSM before enrolment.

Offers will be made on a rolling basis from March 2013 and a small number of subsequent places may be offered until December. Successful applicants will be provided with a firm date by which the offer must be accepted; offers not accepted by that date will lapse and be re-offered. For 2014 entry, a non-refundable deposit of $AUD 5,000 is required to secure the place.

Campus allocation

The GSM of the University of Wollongong consists of two main campuses – Wollongong and Shoalhaven. At the time of interview applicants will need to indicate their preferred campus (Wollongong or Shoalhaven) for Phase 1 of the programme. This preference will be considered but not guaranteed. Extenuating circumstances for campus preference may be considered. International students may be offered the opportunity to study on either campus at the discretion of the Academic leader, Admissions and Selection. Facilities for both campuses may be found at: http://www.uow.edu.au/about/campuses/

An applicant’s request for campus allocation will have no bearing on their ranking for a place within the cohort. While every attempt will be made to meet applicant’s allocation preferences, final decision regarding campus allocation will be made by the Academic Leader, Admissions & Selection taking into account all information available.

Acceptance of a UOW MBBS place indicates acceptance of the campus allocation. It should be noted that the International Student Office is only located at Wollongong campus.

A campus information sheet and campus allocation preference sheet is included in the invitation to interview documents sent to applicants.

Residency status

Applicants who are NOT citizens or permanent residents of Australia or citizens of New Zealand are considered international applicants.

Permanent Resident Status is established from the date stamped on the applicant/student's passport or a "certificate of Evidence of Resident Status" from the Department of Immigration & Citizenship, not the date on which the application for status is made.

Should an international applicant be granted Permanent Resident status (or New Zealand Citizenship status) before an offer is made, his/her application will be void. He/she may re-apply for a domestic place in a subsequent intake.

An international student who is granted Permanent Resident (or New Zealand Citizen) status after an offer is made may be ineligible for a place at the GSM and may be excluded from the programme. For more information, please see FAQs in the Information for International Students Brochure. [pdf 3.66MB]

Additional information

Please refer to the Admission Information - All Applicants page for UOW MBBS admission information relevant to both domestic and international applicants.