UNSW Sydney — BMedStud/MD
UNSW Sydney's Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine is a six-year direct entry pathway straight from high school. Entry is highly competitive: you need a minimum ATAR of 96.00 to apply and a strong UCAT to be ranked for interview, with successful offers historically clustering near an ATAR of 99.5 and a UCAT around the 95th percentile.
Course details
UNSW Sydney's Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine is a six-year integrated double degree for high-performing school leavers, taught on the Kensington campus in Sydney. The early years lead into the graduate-level Doctor of Medicine, with clinical placements across UNSW's Sydney teaching hospitals and its rural clinical schools.
Eligibility Criteria
A minimum ATAR of 96.00 is required before you are eligible to apply for UNSW's direct-entry medical program. This is the absolute minimum for application only — a much higher ATAR is needed in practice to receive an offer.
UNSW runs a Rural Entry Admission Pathway — eligible rural applicants apply at a lower minimum ATAR (around 91 against 96 standard), with roughly 25–30% of places reserved for them — and an entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, which does not require the UCAT. There is no fixed Indigenous quota (typically 6–20 are admitted each year).
Selection Process
Once you clear the minimum ATAR, UNSW ranks applicants for interview on a combination of UCAT and academic rank, then makes final offers on academic record, UCAT and interview together — so a strong UCAT is what moves you from eligible to shortlisted.
Plan your application
Domestic applications run through UAC on the national UCAT cycle. UCAT booking windows, test dates and fees sit with the UCAT itself.
UCAT key dates & costBooking windows, the testing window, deadlines and fees for the cycle.→Where can I apply? — the medical-school matcherMatch your ATAR, UCAT and circumstances against every consortium university at once.→UNSW Doctor of Medicine FAQ
Does the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine at UNSW require the UCAT?+
Yes. The UCAT is used with your academic rank to decide interview offers, and it counts again toward the final offer alongside ATAR and interview.
What ATAR do I need for medicine at UNSW?+
A minimum ATAR of 96.00 is required to apply. That is the eligibility floor, not a guarantee — student-reported offers have historically landed much higher, around 99 and above.
Is there a rural pathway?+
Yes. The Rural Entry Admission Pathway lets eligible rural applicants apply at a lower minimum ATAR (about 91 against 96 standard), and around 25–30% of places (roughly 54) are reserved for them. Rural UCAT interview invites have also gone lower than the standard cohort.
Is there an Indigenous entry pathway?+
Yes. UNSW offers an entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants, and the UCAT is not required for it. There is no fixed quota — typically 6–20 students are admitted each year.
How is the interview decided at UNSW?+
Applicants who meet the minimum ATAR are ranked on a combination of UCAT and academic rank to decide who is invited to a panel interview.
How is the final offer decided at UNSW?+
UNSW makes offers on academic record, UCAT and interview together. It does not publish a fixed percentage split between them.
Can interstate students apply to UNSW Medicine?+
Yes. UNSW Medicine does not reserve places by state the way some interstate-quota schools do — apply through UAC and meet the same ATAR and UCAT requirements.