Domestic Applicants - General Entry Pathway

Admission to the UOW MD degree for all domestic applicants is based on:

• A weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) from a valid qualifying degree*
• A valid GAMSAT score *
• A valid Casper score *
• UOW MD Admissions bonuses*
• An Interview (Multiple Mini Interview) score *

* see specific sections on eligibility to determine required standards for each criterion.

All applicants must have completed (or be in their final year of study at time of application) an undergraduate degree at AQF7 or above consisting of at least three years duration when studied full-time, or equivalent (FTE). To be classed as a valid qualifying degree, the undergraduate degree must be from an Australian university or an equivalent overseas Bachelor qualification from an institution that is recognised under the framework and guidelines set by the Australian Department of Education, Skills, and Employment (DESE) (previously AEI-NOOSR). All valid qualifying degrees need to be completed by 31st December 2024.

For 2025 entry, GPA scores will be used as a qualifying hurdle for interview offers. GPA scores will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met.

The GPA for all GEMSAS applicants is calculated via GEMSAS. The GPA calculator tool is available on the GEMSAS website.   

Applicants must have a weighted GPA of greater than 5.5 on a 7-point scale at the time of being selected for interview to be eligible to apply. A weighted GPA calculation is used for admission to the MD program. This means most recent results are weighted more heavily:

• Final GPA Year (most recent) = Weighted x 3
• Final-1 GPA Year (2nd most recent) = Weighted x 2
• Final-2 GPA Year (3rd most recent) = Weighted x 1

The GPA calculation is based on three years of full-time equivalent study (3.0 FTE) in the most recent eligible degree (or combination of degrees, if applicable). For the purpose of the GPA calculation, eligible degrees include Bachelor, Honours, Graduate Diploma and Master by Coursework programs. Course results from eligible degrees will be included in the GPA calculation if the degree is already completed or due to be completed by 31 December in the year of application.

If the most recent eligible degree comprises less than 3.0 FTE worth of study, course results from the next-most-recent eligible degree(s) may be used to make up the remainder of the 3.0 FTE. For example, if an applicant has completed a 1-year standalone Honours degree after their Bachelor degree, their GPA would be calculated using 1.0 FTE worth of results from the Honours program (Final GPA Year) and the remaining 2.0 FTE worth of results would be taken from the last two years of the Bachelor degree (Final-1 and Final-2 GPA Years).

If the duration of a degree exceeds the equivalent of 3 full-time years of study, only the courses comprising the last 3.0 FTE worth of study will be used in the GPA calculation. For example, for a 5-year combined degree, the GPA calculation will only include the last 3 years of study and will not include the first 2 years.

Where an applicant is completing the final year of their degree in 2024, the current year of study will only be included in the GPA calculation if at least 0.375 FTE worth of graded course results from Semester/Trimester 1 2024 are available to be used in the calculation. If at least 0.375 FTE worth of graded results are not yet available, the Final GPA Year will be excluded from the calculation and the GPA will be calculated using only the Final-1 (x2) and Final-2 (x1) GPA Years.

Ungraded Pass (UGP/CRS) results will not be included in the GPA calculation. UOW will include UGP in the ‘credit count’ for a particular GPA year, however, these are excluded from the calculation and that particular GPA ‘year’ will be calculated based on the available graded course results only.

An applicant must have a minimum of 0.375 Full Time Equivalent (FTE) worth of graded results available for a GPA to be calculated for that particular GPA ‘year’, i.e.: if 1.0FTE is the equivalent of 8 courses (or 48 credits with 6 credits per course), then using this module, an applicant must have a minimum of 3 courses (0.375 FTE) that are graded (not UGP/CRS) for that year.

Please note Graduate Certificates, Masters by Research, PhDs, non-award study and study completed below AQF Level 7 will not be included in the GPA calculation.

Exception: credit awarded towards a completed Postgraduate Diploma or Masters degree from a Graduate Certificate can be considered in the GPA calculation, up to the amount of credit awarded towards the Postgraduate Diploma/Masters degree.

Previous medical study

Applicants who have completed medical studies in another country or qualified physicians are not considered eligible for entry to the UOW MD program. Applicants who have incomplete medical studies previously in Australia or overseas are not eligible for entry to the UOW MD program. Applicants with incomplete medical studies who are humanitarian visa holders should contact the GSM for advice on their eligibility.

Duration of qualification

UOW does not normally recognise two-year Bachelor degrees or one year conversion degrees as valid qualifying degrees for the purposes of entry to the Doctor of Medicine program. Graduate entry two-year programs, or applicants who have completed the equivalent of a three-year FTE Bachelor degree but have been awarded credit for prior academic learning may be exempt from this rule. Please contact UOW GSM for more information if degree is less than three years FTE in duration. Accelerated Bachelor degrees are accepted as valid qualifying degrees by UOW; that is, a degree consisting of three full time equivalent trimesters per year for two years from a recognised institution.

Currency of qualification

Applicants are required to have graduated from their undergraduate degree within ten years of the closing date of applications for their degree to be considered a valid qualifying degree.

Applicants whose undergraduate degree was completed outside the ten-year period may still be considered for admission if they have successfully completed the equivalent of one year full-time tertiary study at Graduate Diploma level or higher at a recognised university within the last ten years. If no postgraduate study has been completed in the last ten years, applicants can apply for a waiver of this rule if they can demonstrate through other activities that they hold current high level academic skills. 

To request a waiver, applicants need to provide a copy of their university transcripts, Curriculum Vitae (CV), and any other documentation in support of their request to md-enquiries@uow.edu.au. This must be submitted by 21 May 2024 - a minimum of 10 business days prior to the closing date of applications.

Applicants who are required to be assessed for currency of qualification due to the ten-year rule will be deemed ineligible for consideration of an interview and place at UOW for 2025 entry if:

• An applicant submits a waiver request that is not approved by the Graduate School of Medicine.
• An applicant does not submit a waiver request at all.

It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit a waiver request. Late submissions of a waiver request are not accepted.

Domestic applicants need a minimum score of 50 overall, with no individual section score below 50, in the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT).

For 2025 entry, GAMSAT score will be used as a qualifying hurdle for interview offers. GAMSAT score will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met.

No other entrance examination is accepted for domestic applicants.

More information, including the period a GAMSAT result can be used, is available from the ACER website: Graduate Medical School Admissions Test

Casper is a standardised, online assessment of non-cognitive skills, interpersonal characteristics, and personal qualities that are important for success as a medical student and as a future medical practitioner.

For 2025 entry, Casper scores are combined with UOW MD Admissions bonuses to rank for interview offers. A minimum eligible Casper score is set annually, reflecting the application cohort.

As an online situational judgement test, Casper is designed to assess areas such as ethics, empathy, and communication. Applicants must complete the Casper test during the testing periods identified for UOW MD applicants. Applicants without a valid Casper score are not eligible for entry to the MD program, regardless of their competitiveness against other entry criteria.

Casper testing dates for UOW MD domestic applicants for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle are as follows:

• Tuesday, 16 April 2024 - 9am AEST
• Wednesday, 1 May, 2024 - 7pm AEST
• Sunday, 26 May, 2024 - 10am AEST
• Thursday, 6 June, 2024 - 7pm AEST

It is recommended that applicants register to take the test on the first available date in case of emergencies or technical difficulties. Applicants without a Casper score will not be considered.

Applicants will receive a Casper quartile score from Acuity insights approximately 3-4 weeks after the test date.  Applicants who choose to sit the test early have the opportunity to receive this quartile score prior to completing their GEMSAS application.

For more information on Casper including practice test content, technical requirements, fees, and registration see the Acuity Insights website.

UOW MD Admissions bonuses have been designed to reflect the principles underlying MD program admissions.

For 2025 entry, Admissions bonuses are combined with Casper score to rank for interview offers, and combined with interview score to rank for place offers.

The following list outlines the principles for MD program admissions, the Bonus to meet that end, and the evidence required from the applicant to demonstrate eligibility for that bonus. All bonuses are weighted equally, bonuses are cumulative, and applicants may apply for as many bonuses as they are eligible.

Bonus 1 - Underlying principle: UOW has a commitment to the local communities in which it is located.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who currently live in the MM1 Wollongong area (Helensburgh to Shellharbour, as defined by the Health Workforce Locator using Modified Monash Model 2019) for at least five consecutive years immediately prior to MD application.
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration.
  PLUS a certified supporting letter from a doctor / bank / university / school or workplace confirming address for five consecutive years and current residential address. A certified address summary document from a state or territory licensing authority such as Service NSW or Vic Roads will also be accepted. 

Bonus 2 - Underlying principle: UOW has a commitment to health service provision for rural NSW.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who have lived in rural NSW (MM2-MM7, as defined by the Health Workforce Locator using Modified Monash Model 2019) for at least 5 consecutive years (or 10 cumulative years).
• Evidence required: Rural residency evidence is already provided to GEMSAS as part of rural application – no additional documentary evidence is required.

Bonus 3 - Underlying principle: UOW welcomes applicants who believe the MD program at UOW offers the very best in medical education.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who select the UOW MD program as their first preference in their GEMSAS application.
• Evidence required: Preferences are submitted as part of the GEMSAS application – no additional documentary evidence is required.

Bonus 4 - Underlying principle: UOW is committed to rural medical education and believes that applicants working in rural locations have a strong connection to rural communities and that these applicants are more likely to practice in rural locations.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants with two or more years of paid employment in any industry at 25 hours a week or more in a rural location (MM2-MM7, as defined by the Health Workforce Locator using Modified Monash Model 2019).
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration.
  PLUS a certified supporting letter from employer, on official letterhead signed by HR or current employee who is line manager or above confirming dates of employment, weekly hours worked and address of employment.

Bonus 5 - Underlying principle: UOW believes in interprofessional education and that applicants who already have a degree in a health profession are likely to become doctors who work well in multi-disciplinary teams.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who have completed degree and hold current unconditional registration for any health profession with Ahpra*
• OR Applicants who have completed degree and hold current unconditional registration as an Accredited Practising Dietitian with Dietitians Australia or an Accredited Exercise Physiologist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia *
  * This includes professionals holding provisional registration while undertaking postgraduate training / supervision but excludes those whose registration has been limited by conditions / restrictions.
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration which includes AHPRA / DA / ESSA registration number and date and currency of registration.
  PLUS
  a certified copy of most recent registration letter / certificate.

Bonus 6 - Underlying principle: UOW believes that applicants who have shown a sustained commitment in work environments have qualities of persistence, accountability, and professionalism that provide a good foundation for the study of medicine and a career in medicine.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants with two or more years full-time paid employment of 35 hours per week or more, in any field in any location
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration.
  PLUS a certified supporting letter from employer, on official letterhead signed by HR or current employee who is line manager or above confirming dates of employment, weekly hours worked and address of employment.

Bonus 7 - Underlying principle: UOW believes that applicants who have shown a sustained commitment to service and demonstrate qualities of persistence, accountability, and professionalism are likely to succeed in medicine.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants with two or more years of active service with the Australian volunteer services of RFS/CFA (or other state rural fire service), State Emergency Service, St John Ambulance, Surf Life Saving Australia or Australian Defence Force reserves.
  OR Applicants with two or more years of full-time continuous service with emergency services in Australia including state and federal police, fire and rescue, ambulance and Australian Defence Forces.
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration.
  PLUS a certified supporting letter from the relevant organisation, on official letterhead signed by HR or current line manager/senior officer or above confirming dates of service, hours served and role in organisation.

Bonus 8 - Underlying principle: UOW believes in the quality of UOW graduates and has a commitment to those graduates whether they come from pre-medicine, engineering, arts or any other UOW degree.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants with any UOW degree (AQF7 or above) consisting of two or more years full time equivalent study.
  (Degree must be completed by 31 December in the year of application to be eligible for bonus. Degree must have been completed within the last 10 years to be eligible for bonus)
• Evidence required: Academic qualifications are submitted as part of the GEMSAS application - no additional documentary evidence is required.

Bonus 9 - Underlying principle: Additionally, UOW recognises local academic excellence.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who are UOW graduates and demonstrate consistent academic excellence (applicants must meet the criteria in point 8 above AND have an overall weighted GPA of 6.5 or higher at the time of application).
• Evidence required: Academic qualifications are submitted, and GPA calculated as part of the GEMSAS application - no additional documentary evidence is required.

Bonus 10 - Underlying principle: UOW believes that applicants who were educated at a rural high school have a strong connection to rural communities and that these applicants are more likely to return to rural locations. UOW also wishes to mitigate inequality of educational opportunities.

• Bonus awarded to: Applicants who attended a rural high school for four years or more (school address in (MM2-MM7, as defined by the Health Workforce Locator using Modified Monash Model 2019)
• Evidence required: Witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration.
  PLUS a certified supporting letter from school administration outlining school address and dates of attendance.

Applicants wishing to apply for ANY admissions bonus must complete the UOW MD Admissions Bonus Form, even if no additional documentary evidence is required.  The UOW MD Admissions Bonus Form will be available online, along with electronic uploading of documents, when GEMSAS applications open on 1 May 2024. The Bonus Form must be completed, and all documentary evidence uploaded, by 11:59 PM on the 17 June 2024.

To protect your personal data, access to the MD Admissions Bonus Form is designed as a two-step process. Firstly, you will need to complete the Landing Page (above) by submitting your name and email address to the UOW Graduate School of Medicine.

Once you have submitted your details, we will then send you a personalised link to access the full bonus form. This link will be sent to your email within the next 3 business days.  This email will come to you via a “no reply” email from the MD Admissions Team – please ensure you check your spam/junk folders regularly. If you do not hear from us within 5 business days contact us on md-enquiries@uow.edu.au

Once you receive this link, you can access the bonus form, upload documents and can re-enter and edit the bonus form until you submit it.  Do not share your personalised link with anyone.

If the bonus requires a witnessed Commonwealth statutory declaration, refer to the Australian Government website for more information and to download the form for a Commonwealth statutory declaration. Individual State or Territory specific Statutory declarations will not be accepted. A Commonwealth statutory declaration must be certified by an approved witness – a Justice of the Peace (JP) or a person prescribed under the Statutory Declarations regulations.  For the purposes of the UOW MD admissions process the digital myGov Statutory Declaration (unwitnessed) will NOT be accepted.  

If the bonus requires a certified letter, obtain the original signed letter and a clear copy. Both the original and copy must be taken to an approved witness who will certify the copy as a true copy of the original.  An approved witness can be a Justice of the Peace (JP) or a person prescribed under the Statutory Declarations regulations.

Both the Commonwealth statutory declaration and the accompanying certified letter may be witnessed by the same person. Once witnessed and certified, documents to be scanned and uploaded electronically to the UOW MD admissions Bonus Form.

Please note: Making a false statement in a Commonwealth statutory declaration on purpose, can result in the applicant being charged with a Commonwealth criminal offence and imprisonment for up to 4 years. If any false or misleading information is submitted as part of the UOW MD Admissions process, the application will be cancelled, any interview or place offers will be rescinded, and the applicant/student will be excluded from the MD program.

 Bonuses will not be granted if:

• UOW MD Admissions Bonus Form is incomplete.
• Required documentary evidence is not uploaded or contains incomplete information.
• Bonus criterion is not met.

In these circumstances the GEMSAS application will continue to be assessed, however without the addition of any UOW admissions bonuses.  

Applicants who meet the qualifying threshold hurdles for GPA and GAMSAT performance are ranked for interview using an algorithm of 50% Casper score and 50% UOW MD Admissions bonuses.

For 2025 entry, domestic interviews will be conducted in an online Multiple-Mini-Interview (MMI) format in the week commencing 23 September 2024.  Interviewees are assessed on areas such as communication skills, empathetic and ethical approach, reflective manner, teamwork, and decision-making skills.

Further information about the interview process will be forwarded in early September to applicants who receive an interview offer. 

The UOW MD admissions interview score is combined with the UOW MD Admissions bonuses to rank applicants for place offers in an algorithm of 70% interview score and 30% admissions bonuses. If an applicant has been interviewed at another GEMSAS school, their interview score will be standardised and used in place of the UOW interview score.  GPA, GAMSAT, and Casper results are not included in the weighting formula for offer of a place. 

Offers are made in early November with a small number of subsequent offers in December and January (if required). Offers are made for a specific place type, campus, and year only. 

Candidates who do not respond to their official Letter of Offer by the required due date specified by UOW will have the offer rescinded. The offer may be allocated to the next eligible applicant in a subsequent offer round, at the discretion of the University.

Offers to applicants completing their degree in 2024 will be conditional on maintenance of the minimum required weighted GPA of 5.5. Evidence of completion must be produced for offer conditions to be cleared.  Valid qualifying degrees used in GPA calculation must be completed by 31st December 2024.

Orientation day will be held in Wollongong for all students on 23 January 2025, with the course commencing on 27 January 2025. 

The UOW MD Program offers places within two tracks: the Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track, and the Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track.

UOW MD Program - Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track

UOW offers Commonwealth Supported Places (bonded and unbonded) under the Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track.

Students in the Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track will be based at UOW Wollongong campus or UOW Shoalhaven campus for Phase 1 (first 18 months) of the program.  After Phase 1, students will then be allocated by the GSM to placements within NSW. Placements will be in regional, rural, and remote areas within NSW where the GSM has a clinical education/training site. UOW training sites and teaching hubs currently include placements in the Shoalhaven, Southern Highlands, Illawarra, Murrumbidgee, Clarence Valley, Northern Rivers, Central West, and Outback regions of NSW.  These regions may change in the future. Students will need to relocate to the allocated site for the duration of the clinical placement.  

The Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track consists of a total of 54 places. These places are allocated across the General Entry pathway, Rural Entry Pathway and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway. 

Two place types are available:

• Commonwealth supported place – Unbonded (CSP)
  • All domestic students studying medicine at UOW are entitled to a Commonwealth Supported place (CSP) which provides reduced course fees subsidised by the Australian Government through the Commonwealth Grant Scheme.
  • Some of these places are “unbonded” places with no additional conditions or return of service obligations. 

• Commonwealth supported place – Bonded medical program (BMP)
  • The Bonded Medical Program provides students with a Commonwealth Supported Place in medicine, in return for a commitment to work in eligible regional, rural, and remote areas for a specified period after completion of their medical course. This commitment is referred to as a Return of Service Obligation (RoSO).
  • Participants of the Bonded Medical Program are subject to Part VD of the Health Insurance Act 1973(Act) and must abide by the Health Insurance (Bonded Medical Program) Rule 2020 (Rule).
  • Further information is available at The Department of Health and Aged Care Bonded Medical Program website.
  • The Commonwealth BMP scheme is only available to Australian citizens/permanent residents.

UOW MD Program – Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track

UOW also offers Commonwealth Supported Places under the Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track.  Students in the Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track will be based at UOW Shoalhaven campus or UOW Southern Highlands campus for Phase 1 (first 18 months) of the program and then must reside and study in a rural NSW location, as determined by the medical school, for the duration of the entire four-year program.

The Rural End-to End Medical Education Track consists of a total of 30 places. These places are allocated across the General Entry Pathway, Rural Entry Pathway and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway. Up to 8 places may be available for General Entry pathway applicants, with places reserved for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway students, Rural Entry Pathway students and students from the local region.

One place type is available: 

• Commonwealth supported place – rural end-to-end.
  • The Rural End-to-End Medical Education track provides students with a Commonwealth Supported Place in medicine, in return for a commitment to reside and study in a rural area for the duration of their medical degree.
  • The Rural End-to-End places are only available to Australian citizens/permanent residents (with some places reserved for rural origin students, local origin students and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students)

At the time of application, applicants will nominate the tracks and place types for their application. If an applicant does not nominate a certain track and place type, and that is the only place available, they will not be made an offer from UOW.

Acceptance of a UOW MD place indicates acceptance of the track and place type allocation. Transfer between tracks or place types is not possible at time of offer or at any time a student is enrolled in the four years of the program.

If an applicant refuses an offer of a particular place type, then that offer (of that place type) will be made to the next applicant. 

 The UOW MD program is a distributed program across several campuses and hubs across NSW.

Phase 1 students who are based at the Shoalhaven or Moss Vale campus, attend the majority of teaching sessions such as lectures and small group work at their campus location. Some teaching sessions are held face-to-face with the academic staff and others are video-conferenced. Typically, on one day per week all teaching sessions will be held at the Wollongong campus and students are expected to travel to Wollongong campus on those days. A travel subsidy is provided to eligible students to contribute to some of the travel costs. Further information will be provided to students at the commencement of session.

 Phase 2 to 4 students will all be required to travel to attend curriculum and placement activities. Public transport is not always available to meet the requirements of the program, and it is the responsibility of the student (not the School) to manage travel to and attendance for all curriculum or placement activities in any clinical teaching location in NSW.

 The majority of the students will do their program in a rural site, either in Phase 1 or later for clinical placements.  The location of all clinical placements is determined by the GSM and a student does not have a choice for the allocation. Therefore, all students must be prepared to, and able to, relocate to any allocated GSM clinical teaching site across rural NSW for any part of the program and for any the duration of the program (such as one year).

Offers of a place are made for a specified year only and MD degree commencement can only occur in January (Semester 1) of each calendar year.

Deferral of a place is not possible.

Applicants who do not, or are unable to accept an offer, must re-apply if they wish to undertake the MD degree in a subsequent year.

The MD program at the University of Wollongong is conducted at three campuses during Phase 1 (the first 18 months of the program).   These campuses are Wollongong, Shoalhaven (Nowra), and Southern Highlands (Moss Vale).

Students in the Rural-Regional Combined Medical Education Track will commence the program at Shoalhaven or Wollongong campus before being allocated to placements in regional, rural, and remote areas within NSW. Placements are determined by the medical school.

Students in the Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track will commence the program at Shoalhaven or Southern Highlands campus and will be required to reside and study in a rural NSW location, as determined by the medical school, for the duration of the entire four-year program.

All students enrolled in the UOW Doctor of Medicine are required to undertake clinical placements in regional and rural/remote communities across NSW in order to meet the requirements of the program. Students can expect to be required to undertake rural clinical placements in each phase of the program. The placements will vary in duration but may be up to a full academic year in length and require a student to relocate and live in the community of placement.

At the time of application, applicants must indicate every campus they would be willing to study at during Phase 1.  Applicants who are limited in their ability to study at all campuses may be less likely to be successful in gaining an offer. 

Acceptance of a UOW MD place indicates acceptance of the campus allocation. Transfer between campuses will not be considered. If an applicant does not accept an offer at a particular campus, then that offer (at that campus) will be made to the next applicant.

Additional campus information

Wollongong is a vibrant, multicultural city, situated on the coastal strip 85km south of Sydney and is the site of the UOW Wollongong campus. Among the city's many attractions are its entertainment options, chain of patrolled surf beaches and the spectacular bushland backdrop of the Illawarra escarpment. Wollongong is located in the Illawarra region and has a total population of just over 300,000 people.

Nowra is a bustling regional town on the banks of the Shoalhaven River, 160km south of Sydney. Nowra boasts gorgeous river scenery and a peaceful bushland setting and is the site of UOW Shoalhaven campus. Nowra is the commercial hub of the picturesque Shoalhaven region which contains a population of just over 100,000 people spread across 125km of coastal villages including 109 beaches and protected areas of National and Marine Parks.

Moss Vale is a heritage rural town, located at 700m above sea level in the Great Dividing Range, 140km southwest of Sydney and is the site of UOW Southern Highlands campus. Moss Vale is part of the Southern Highlands region of NSW with contains a population of 45,000 people and is known for its lush landscapes, historic rural villages, wineries, and National Parks featuring mountains, caves and waterfalls in a cool temperate climate.

Students in Phase 1 at Shoalhaven or Southern Highlands campus will attend their teaching sessions at the local campus and will engage in placements in their local community. On average, one day per week, students will travel to Wollongong for anatomy lessons and other selected teaching sessions. Students may be eligible for subsidies to assist with these travel costs.

Students in Phase 1 based on the Wollongong campus will attend their teaching sessions at the local campus and will engage in placements in their local community. Students at Wollongong will also be required to travel to Shoalhaven and Southern Highlands campuses for some teaching sessions/placements during the Phase.

In later Phases of the MD program all UOW medical students will undertake clinical placements in medical facilities within NSW including many and varied regional, rural, and remote communities. Students in the Rural End-to-End Medical Education Track will undertake all of their medical education in rural communities and students will be expected to relocate to those communities.

UOW MD admission information relevant for:

• Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
• International applicants

First Aid Certificate

Successful applicants must have completed and hold a current approved First Aid Certificate for the duration of their enrolment. This will be required to be completed and evidence provided prior to the commencement of the MD program.   This certificate must meet the requirements of Provide First Aid / Senior First Aid from an accredited provider.  Australian certificates bearing the code HLTAID011 (previously HLTAID003) will meet this requirement and must have been undertaken within the past 3 years to be valid. Certificates from outside Australia will need to be individually approved by the GSM.

No exceptions will be made to this requirement for entry regardless of previous work experience or qualifications. The cost of a First Aid course is the student's responsibility.

Students will be excluded from clinical placement if evidence of this requirement is not provided within 4 weeks of commencement.

NSW Health Verification

Prior to the commencement of the MD program, all students are expected to complete the verification requirements of UOW and NSW Health. This process includes immunisation requirements, proof of identity, code of conduct agreements, and working with children checks and police record checks.

Students will be excluded from clinical placement if this verification process is incomplete within 4 weeks of commencement.

Inherent requirements 

Inherent requirements for the UOW MD course are guided by the Medical Deans of Australia and New Zealand (MDANZ) Inclusive Medical Education guidance note which refers to the following:

Communication skills – verbal, non-verbal and written

Medical students will be expected to communicate effectively and sensitively with a range of different people to establish rapport, involve patients and carers in decision making, and practise in a culturally safe way to deliver high quality, safe care. This applies to listening, speaking, reading, writing, and the capability to use these different modes to elicit information from people, often under pressure and in difficult situations.

Professionalism

Medical students will be expected to demonstrate capabilities consistent with those of a medical professional, including a commitment to making the care of patients their priority, and to practise safely and effectively, treat people with dignity and respect, and be aware of the limits of their own knowledge, skills and health. They will also be required to comply with the law, regulations and any other university codes or policies.

Insight into their own health and behaviour

Medical students will be expected to demonstrate an ability to recognise when they experience poor health and put in place effective processes to ensure their own health or behaviours do not pose a risk to others.

Cognition, critical thinking and problem solving skills

Medical students will be expected to have an aptitude for problem solving, based on scientific principles to understand and solve the complex medical needs of patients, whilst also considering the context of the patient’s circumstances and the health system they are working in.

Teamwork

Medical students will be expected to work willingly and cohesively as part of a team, taking responsibility for their actions as well as recognising and respecting the skills of other professionals.

Physical and observational capabilities

Medical students will be expected to demonstrate their ability to acquire information, carry out a range of procedures suitable to their level of capability, and understand and carry out their role in assisting during a medical emergency.

Sustainable performance

Medical students will be expected to demonstrate both physical and mental performance at a consistent and sustained level to perform multiple tasks in an assigned period of time that provides safe and effective care without compromise.

Diversity and Inclusion

UOW and the GSM seeks to provide an inclusive and supportive environment for all students, including those with a disability.  The School encourages potential applicants who anticipate they may need particular support to participate in the medical program to make early contact with the GSM for a discussion regarding the requirements of the degree and the potential for reasonable accommodations.

It should be recognised that there may be cases where students will not be able to meet the requirements of the program, even with reasonable accommodations. Staff are available to provide guidance on options and applicants are encouraged to contact the GSM early in the application process to discuss their individual circumstances on md-enquiries@uow.edu.au

Commonwealth supported students are required to pay a student contribution amount towards the cost of their course. The amounts are calculated based on the subject cluster and the Equivalent Full-time Study Load (EFTSL) value of the subject. For information regarding student contribution amounts, please refer to the UOW Current Students - Fees and assistance website*.

* Session fees are for one session for the year shown. Total course tuition fees shown are indicative and are based on normal course length and progression. These fees are subject to change from year to year.

Information on scholarships may be found at:

• Bonded Medical Places Scheme
• Puggy Hunter Memorial Scholarship Scheme
• RAMUS/ Scholarship
• Scholarships at UOW

The NSW Rural Doctors' Network website lists additional scholarship opportunities.