Entry into Medicine: The Full Pathway for Australian High School Leavers

With the HSC looming, many students will be finalising their university preferences, and ultimately, what they want to do in their futures. Medicine is a highly sought after course in Australia, with Australian medical schools proving to have some of the most advanced facilities, technologies and teaching programs to produce the workers which society relies so heavily on. The journey can be complicated and information can be distorted, so today we will walk you step-by-step through medical admissions for students in their final year of high school study.

At the beginning of Year 12 many students decide it is then which they will pursue medicine, but before you set off blindly, there are three key components you must understand.

The first major hurdle (apart from your internal assessments) you will encounter in your journey towards an offer to medicine is the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). It is a computer-based exam taken within in-person testing centres which tests Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement. It is pivotal you spend at least a few months preparing for this exam, ideally with a preparation platform such as Medify or MedEntry. Tutoring can also be effective, and live mock experiences are great simulations of exam day. A score which would be competitive for most universities would be between the 92nd and 99th percentile.

Next, you face the HSC/VCE etc.. Many students priorities school exams over the UCAT, however, this is a mistake. Many universities barely take ATAR into consideration, and the UCAT is becoming a more widely used metric to determine interview offers. Maintain consistent study habits and find a balance between the UCAT and ATAR. For universities such as UNSW, a metro student needs to achieve a high 99 ATAR, however other universities such as UoN and WSU require roughly a 95 ATAR. Make sure to research all of the universities you are eligible for and their requirements (apply interstate too, you need all the chances you can get!)

At last you think the journey is over, however, interviews are next. Make sure to research the different interview formats!