Western Sydney University — MD
Western Sydney University's Doctor of Medicine is a five-year direct entry pathway straight from high school. You must clear an ATAR threshold of 95.5 (lower for Greater Western Sydney and rural applicants), but the ATAR is only a pass mark — the offer is decided 75% on the MMI interview and 25% on the UCAT, so a strong UCAT around the 95th percentile is what wins an interview.
Course details
Western Sydney University's Doctor of Medicine is a five-year undergraduate-entry medical degree for school leavers, with a strong mission focus on the Greater Western Sydney region and rural and regional NSW. Clinical training runs across Western Sydney's metropolitan and regional clinical schools.
Eligibility Criteria
You must meet an academic threshold to be eligible — an ATAR of 95.5 for general applicants, 93.5 under the Greater Western Sydney local pathway, or 91.5 under the Rural Entry Admission Scheme. Crucially, the ATAR is a met-threshold only: clearing it makes you eligible, but it is not weighted into the offer.
Western Sydney runs a Rural Entry Admission Scheme (REAS) — eligible rural applicants apply at the lower ATAR threshold of 91.5 — plus a Greater Western Sydney local pathway (threshold 93.5) and an entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. Note the interview formula over-weights Verbal Reasoning, so a strong overall UCAT percentile alone can under-predict an interview invite.
Selection Process
Once you clear the ATAR threshold, Western Sydney ranks eligible applicants on the UCAT to decide who is invited to an MMI interview, then makes offers on the MMI and UCAT together — weighted 75% interview and 25% UCAT. Your ATAR does not count beyond the threshold.
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.→Western Sydney MD FAQ
Does the Doctor of Medicine at Western Sydney require the UCAT?+
Yes, and it is decisive. Your UCAT ranks you for an interview, and it then counts as 25% of the final offer alongside the MMI.
What ATAR do I need for medicine at Western Sydney?+
You need to clear an ATAR threshold — 95.5 for general applicants, 93.5 under the Greater Western Sydney local pathway, or 91.5 under the Rural Entry Admission Scheme. The ATAR is only a pass mark and is not weighted into the offer.
How is the final offer decided at Western Sydney?+
The offer is decided 75% on the MMI interview and 25% on the UCAT. Your ATAR does not count beyond meeting the threshold.
Is there a rural pathway?+
Yes. The Rural Entry Admission Scheme lets eligible rural applicants apply at a lower ATAR threshold (91.5 against 95.5 general), and sub-quotas reserve places for rural and Greater Western Sydney applicants.
Is there a Greater Western Sydney local pathway?+
Yes. Applicants from the Greater Western Sydney region can apply at a lower ATAR threshold of 93.5 and through a local sub-quota.
Is there an Indigenous entry pathway?+
Yes. Western Sydney offers an entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants — confirm the current requirements on the official admissions page.
Why does my high UCAT percentile not guarantee an interview?+
Western Sydney's interview-invite formula over-weights Verbal Reasoning, so a strong overall percentile that is light on VR can under-perform. Balance matters, not just the total.