Doctor of Medicine (WA)
School of Medicine
Are you curious about medical research or clinical practice? The Doctor of Medicine of The University of Notre Dame Australia is a four-year postgraduate degree accredited by the Medical Board of Australia on the recommendation of the Australian Medical Council. You will undertake clinical placements in the third and fourth year in various settings, including aged care facilities, public and private hospitals, general practice, and community-based services in urban and rural areas across Australia. Extend your medical career today.
Program information for 2025:
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Why study this degree?
Are you curious about medical research and/or clinical practice? Do you have an innate need to help your fellow human? Or maybe you have a calling to help poorly serviced communities with special health needs? If so, our Doctor of Medicine degree program has special appeal for you.
At the School of Medicine, we are committed to providing an education that not only teaches the science and craft of medicine, but also develops passionate and devoted medical practitioners. It is for this reason that our entry requirements are based on so much more than your test scores, with traits such as passion, motivation and purpose highly regarded.
The first two years of your degree are underpinned by Problem Based Learning (PBL) and include the study of basic clinical sciences, population and preventive health, bioethics, therapeutics and more.
Your third and fourth years are clinically based and present the opportunity to explore the different disciplines of medicine such as paediatrics and surgery. You are required to complete eight to nine week discipline-based rotations in a clinical setting, and further develop your research skills with a translational research project based in the health sector. There are rural/remote training opportunities and for some students, placement with the Rural Clinical School in third-year.
Essential elements of our Medical postgraduate degree include:
- Access to innovative clinical skills training
- Learning from clinical academics who are experts in their fields
- Aboriginal health, rural and remote placements
- A problem-based learning curriculum delivered in small groups in years one and two
- Clinical placements in both the public and private sector hospitals in years three and four
- A liberal arts education in bioethics
- Applied research project in an area of interest to you
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Program summary
Year One
- Foundations of a Medical Vocation
Year Two
- Foundations of Clinical Practice
Year Three
- Clinical Apprenticeships/ Clinical Apprenticeships in a Rural Setting
- Systematic Research Inquiry
Year Four
- Preparing for Internship
More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions page.
Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.
2024 Program Requirements (requirements suspended from 31 December 2024)
2025 Program Requirements (requirements effective 1 January 2025) -
Entry requirements
Admission to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is currently only available to Australian citizens, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens.
In 2024, up to 20 full-fee places are available for international students (please see the section below for entry requirements). Domestic applicants will be selected for admission based on the following criteria:
- Bachelor’s degree (recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework or the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide) within the last 10 years, or be in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree in any discipline.
- Unweighted GAMSAT average score of 52 or greater and a minimum score of 50 in each section
- Overall Grade Point Average of 5.2 or higher
- Casper score from the online Situational Judgement Test (no minimum) (see key dates). For more information on Casper and how to register for the tests, refer directly to https://acuityinsights.app/
- The School of Medicine uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format: Since 2020 this has been delivered via a recorded online platform and an online platform delivery is continuing in 2024. There will be at least seven stations with a single interviewer/assessor per station. The interview will be recorded with the use of an online interviewing software tool, Modern Hire.
Applicants must also complete and submit a GEMSAS Online Application.
As a guide, applicants made offers for the Doctor of Medicine at Notre Dame Fremantle in 2024 intake had an average GPA and GAMSAT as shown in the table below.
Campus
Interview average
Place offer average
GPA
GAMSAT
GPA
GAMSAT
Fremantle
6.58
64.65
6.58
64.85
Please note that interview places also take into account other factors, including CASPER and bonus points. Place offers additionally take into account interview scores and are based on Round 1 offers only. Average GPA and GAMSAT scores do not include applicants who were considered on additional criteria including but not limited to, rurality, and facilitated interview pathway eligibility.
Please see the 2024 GEMSAS Admissions Guide for further details on admission requirements for the Doctor of Medicine.
Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training (KCRMT)
The KCRMT will host a new end to end (4 year) medical program for up to 26 students for commencing MD program in 2025. It is designed to increase access to the MD for students from rural communities and build a future medical workforce, particularly for the Broome/Kimberley/Pilbara regions, and provide the students with the opportunity to complete all their medical training in regional WA.
Applicants to the KCRMT Rural Training Scheme will be considered on their First Nations, equity and rural backgrounds and ranked according to a tiered priority system.
Tier 1: Applicants must be residents of the Broome, Kimberley, Pilbara regions for at least 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively.
Tier 2: Applicants must meet one of the following two criteria:
- Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander applicant from across Australia, or
- Must have resided for 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively, or more, in rural or regional area and have resided for at least 10 years cumulatively in Western Australia.
Tier 3: Non-rural and / or non-Western Australian residents.
Applicants who meet the Tier 1 eligibility criteria will have the following admission requirements waived:
- A valid GAMSAT, and
- An undergraduate degree that must have been completed within the last 10 years.
All applications for Tier 1 MUST be submitted direct to The University of Notre Dame Australia.
Applicants meeting the eligibility criteria for Tier 1 who have a valid GAMSAT and meet the 10-year rule requirements can still apply via GEMSAS by indicating their interest in the Scheme in the application form.
Applicants for Tier 2 and Tier 3 must apply via GEMSAS and a valid GAMSAT, CASPER and meeting the 10-year rule is a requirement for these Tiers.
Please be aware the preference place for The University of Notre Dame Australia, Fremantle Campus, may be taken into account when ranking applicants for interviews and/or place offers for the Rural Training Scheme.
For further information on the KCRMT tiers and entry requirements, including application for Tier 1, please visit the Pathways to Medicine page.
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Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine, graduates will be able to:
- Provide quality patient-centred care through the application of safe clinical skills and judgment in the context of evidence-based practice
- Apply integrated medical and scientific knowledge to individual patients, populations, and health systems
- Communicate with patients, their families, and their advocates with compassion, respect, and empathy
- Advocate for the health of Aboriginal Peoples* and exercise leadership to reduce inequalities and disparities in health and healthcare delivery in rural, remote, and other under-served populations
- Consider, apply, and evaluate strategies which address and reduce the impact of global health issues on the Australian population
- Work professionally and collaboratively as a member of an interprofessional healthcare team
- Use initiative and self-regulation strategies to address knowledge and skill limitations and commit to lifelong learning, reflective practice and the management of personal health and wellbeing
- Systematically retrieve, critically appraise, evaluate, and synthesise information in health related literature and clinical systems to inform practice
- Engage in research and scholarly inquiry to advance health, health care and health systems
- Appreciate the intrinsic dignity of each human, and exhibit ethical, legal, and professional behaviour in all their actions
- Evaluate the Australian healthcare system in the broader context of governance, and local, national, and international societal values
- Demonstrate leadership in accepting responsibility for health promotion and education of health professionals and the community
- Integrate prevention, early detection, health maintenance and chronic disease management principles into clinical practice
- Apply a high-level knowledge of therapeutic interventions and treatments to ensure safe and quality patient care; and
- Communicate effectively with their profession, their peers, and the wider community.
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Entry pathways
Assured Pathway entry
Where students receive admission via an assured pathway, a place in the Doctor of Medicine (Sydney, Fremantle, or Kimberley Centre for Remote Medical Training) is conditional on the successful completion of the University’s Bachelor of Biomedical Science or Bachelor of Advanced Biomedical Science (Honours), meeting a prescribed minimum GPA.Refer to Bachelor of Biomedical Science and Bachelor of Advanced Biomedical Science (Hons) Program Requirements for details.
Priority Pathway entry
Priority pathway requirement specifics for students who have successfully completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences program at the University of Notre Dame Australia (entry to completion). Criteria will be advertised annually by the University and typically require students to meet a prescribed minimum requirement GPA, a minimum GAMSAT score, Casper (online situational judgement test) testing, and an interview.Graduate Diploma of Health and Medical Sciences graduates
This Facilitated Interview Pathway provides high achieving Notre Dame Graduate Diploma of Health and Medical Sciences graduates who have not otherwise been offered an interview through the standard Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admission System (GEMSAS) processes, an opportunity to interview for the Doctor of Medicine Program (MD).Eligibility:
- Applied for the MD program or equivalent through the GEMSAS process, and listed SoMF as their first preference in their application (NB. Applicants who list SoMS as their first preference will be considered for a facilitated interview for the Sydney Campus); and
- Fulfil all eligibility criteria for entry into the MD program as outlined in the GEMSAS Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Guide specifically applicable for the year of application; and
- Be due to complete the Graduate Diploma by 31 July in the year of application or have completed the Graduate Diploma in the previous thirty months from the closure date for submission of their GEMSAS Application and
- Achieve an equivalent GPA greater than or equal to 6.0 for the Graduate Diploma program; and
- Be ranked by in the top 25 of Graduate Diploma Applicants applying for the MD program who have not otherwise been offered an interview through the standard MD interview selection and application processes.
Pre-Medicine Certificate
The Pre-Medicine Certificate (PMC) program is tailored for UNDA Fremantle undergraduate students aspiring to pursue Medicine at Notre Dame after completing their undergraduate studies.This Facilitated Interview Pathway provides Notre Dame PMC graduates an interview for the Doctor of Medicine Program (MD) through the standard Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admission System (GEMSAS) processes.
Eligibility:
- Be due to complete the PMC (and concurrent undergraduate degree) by 31 December in the year of application or have completed the PMC (and concurrent undergraduate degree) in the year prior to the submission of their GEMSAS Application. For instance, a graduate from an undergraduate program in 2023 can apply for graduate medicine intake in either 2024 or 2025.
- Fulfil all eligibility criteria for entry into the SoMF MD program as outlined in the GEMSAS Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Guide specifically applicable for the year of application.
More information about the Pre-Medicine Certificate
UNDA graduates
This Facilitated Interview Pathway provides Notre Dame Graduates who have not otherwise been offered an interview through the standard Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admission System (GEMSAS) processes an opportunity to interview for the Doctor of Medicine Program (MD) at the School of Medicine, Fremantle (SoMF).Eligibility:
- Applied for the MD program or equivalent through the GEMSAS process, and listed SoMF as their first preference in their application; and
- Fullfil all eligibility criteria for entry into the SoMF MD program as outlined in the GEMSAS Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Guide specifically applicable for the year of application; and
- Be graduating or have graduated in the preceding year or year of selection from a 3.0 FTE undergraduate bachelor degree at The University of Notre Dame
- Have achieved a minimum GPA of 6 or above as calculated by GEMSAS and an unweighted GAMSAT of 55 or above.
- Be ranked by SoMF in the top 10 of Notre Dame Applicants applying for the MD program who have not otherwise been offered an interview through the standard Notre Dame MD interview selection and application processes.
Interview offers
- Up to 10 offers for interview
Any offer for an interview made through any of Notre Dame’s Facilitated Interview Pathway’s is not guaranteed entry into the SoMF Doctor of Medicine program. Following the interview, applicants are ranked by combining the scores calculated from the GPA, unweighted GAMSAT and Notre Dame Portfolio with the applicant’s interview score.
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Pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islanders students are able to apply for entry into medicine at Notre Dame, Fremantle via:
The Standard Entry Pathway
Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students can apply for entry to medicine via the GEMSAS process as detailed above.The Aboriginal Entry Pathway
The SoMF provides an alternative entry pathway for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students. Interested students will need to complete the Application For Entry Into Medicine at The University Of Notre Dame Australia (for Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander People) application form.
Complete the Application for Entry into Medicine and send to medicine.admissions@nd.edu.au.
This form needs to be submitted along with evidence of prior educational achievements such as their undergraduate degree or academic transcript.
Prospective students will be interviewed by members of the Aboriginal Health Team as a part of the application and entry process.Entry Criteria:
Based on the submitted application, prior academic achievement and outcome of a structured interview.Preparation Course:
The Aboriginal Health Team runs a one-week intensive Premedicine preparation program in December for commencing Aboriginal students.For further information:
Contact – Denise GrovesOther Resources
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Key dates for Doctor of Medicine 2024 entry
Date Entry Events 1 May 2023 GEMSAS Applications open 5pm AEST/3pm AWST 31 May 2023 GEMSAS Applications close Early September Offers of interviews made Late September to early October Interviews Early November Offers of places made 22 January 2024 (TBC) Classes commence Casper Testing Dates
UNDA MD domestic applicants for the 2024-2025 admissions cycle:- Tuesday 1 May 2024 - 7pm AEST
- Sunday 26 May 2024 - 10am AEST
- Thursday 6 June 2024 - 7pm AEST or 7pm AEST
Please see the 2024 GEMSAS Admissions Guide for further details on admission requirements for the Doctor of Medicine.
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Practical component
Clinical Placements and rural work experiences are included in this program.
Students are required to complete:
- MEDI6100 Foundations of a Medical Vocation
- MEDI6200 Foundations of a Clinical Practice
- MEDI6300 Clinical Apprenticeships
- MEDI6400 Preparing for Internship
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Career opportunities
A Doctor of Medicine degree can lead to many career opportunities depending on your area of specialisation or interest. Careers include Medical practitioners, cardiologists, physiologists, obstetricians, gastroenterologists, neurologists, and oncologists.
-
Real-world experience
As with all our degrees, the Doctor of Medicine places a strong emphasis on practical training and experiential learning. Throughout the four years of your study you will undertake clinical placements in a variety of settings including aged care facilities, public and private hospitals and general practice.
-
Professional accreditation
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is accredited by the Australian Medical Council as meeting national standards of medical education, permitting graduates to receive provisional registration and become a junior doctor (also known as a doctor-in-training) and enter the medical workforce.
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Fees and costs
This Program has the following loan scheme(s) available for eligible students:
CSP
A Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP) is a place at university where the government pays part of your fees. This part is a subsidy, not a loan, and you don’t have to pay it back. However, this subsidy does not cover the entire cost of your study. Students must pay the rest, called the ‘student contribution amount’.In a Commonwealth Supported Place, your fees are subsidised by the Australian Government. Your fees will be split into two portions:
- The Commonwealth contribution, which is the portion paid by the Australian Government.
- The student contribution, which is the portion you pay. You may choose to pay upfront or defer your student contribution with a HECS-HELP Loan.
Eligible students will be offered a CSP – you do not need to apply.
For indicative fees and information on how to pay, including Government loan schemes and our online calculator, visit our Fees Page.
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More information
Considering your uni options?
Talk to one of our career advisors for a personalised advice session. Our advisors provide support while choosing a program of study and completing our application process. Book my session.
For more information, please call our Prospective Students Office on +61 8 9433 0533 for the Fremantle campus, +61 2 8204 4404 for the Sydney campus, or email medicine.admissions@nd.edu.au.
-
Why study this degree?
Are you curious about medical research and/or clinical practice? Do you have an innate need to help your fellow human? Or maybe you have a calling to help poorly-serviced communities with special health needs? If so, our Doctor of Medicine degree program has special appeal for you.
At the School of Medicine, we are committed to providing an education that not only teaches the science and craft of medicine, but also develops passionate and devoted medical practitioners. It is for this reason that our entry requirements are based on so much more than your test scores, with traits such as passion, motivation and purpose highly regarded.
The first two years of your degree are underpinned by Problem Based Learning (PBL) and include the study of basic clinical sciences, population and preventive health, bioethics, therapeutics and more.
Your third and fourth years are clinically based and present the opportunity to explore the different disciplines of medicine such as paediatrics and surgery. You are required to complete eight to nine week discipline-based rotations in a clinical setting, and further develop your research skills with a translational research project based in the health sector. There are rural/remote training opportunities and for some students, placement with the Rural Clinical School in third-year.
Essential elements of our Medical postgraduate degree include:
- Access to innovative clinical skills training
- Learning from clinical academics who are experts in their fields
- Aboriginal health, rural and remote placements
- A problem-based learning curriculum delivered in small groups in years one and two
- Clinical placements in both the public and private sector hospitals in years three and four
- A liberal arts education in bioethics
- Applied research project in an area of interest to you
-
Program summary
Year One
- Foundations of a Medical Vocation
Year Two
- Foundations of Clinical Practice
Year Three
- Clinical Apprenticeships/ Clinical Apprenticeships in a Rural Setting
- Systematic Research Inquiry
Year Four
- Preparing for Internship
More information regarding courses can be found at the course descriptions page.
Full details of the program requirements are contained in the Program Requirements.
2024 Program Requirements (requirements suspended from 31 December 2024)
2025 Program Requirements (requirements effective 1 January 2025) -
Entry requirements
In 2024, 10 places are available for international students at the Fremantle Campus (please see section below for entry requirements). International Applicants will be selected for admission based on the following criteria:
- A Bachelor’s degree that has been recognised as equivalent to an Australian Bachelor’s degree, AQF Level 7 and which has been taught and assessed in English within the last 10 years, or to be in the final year of an eligible Bachelor’s degree.
- An overall weighted Grade Point Average of 5.2 or higher on a 7 point scale, calculated from the applicant’s most recent three years of undergraduate study.
- Unweighted GAMSAT Score of at least 50 (in all sections and overall) or overall MCAT score of at least 500.
The School of Medicine uses a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format, these interviews will be conducted online. For the online version of the MMI, you will be asked five separate interview questions. The interview will be recorded with the use of an online interviewing software tool, Modern Hire.
How to apply
International applicants for the Doctor of Medicine are required to submit the following*:
- Completed international application form
- Certified copies of academic transcripts
- Certified proof of English language proficiency
- Certified copies of GAMSAT or MCAT results
- Additional documents as outlined in the international application form
*International applicants should apply directly to the University, not through GEMSAS
Applications must be submitted online at www.notredame.edu.au/forms/apply
Contact us
To find out more, visit www.notredame.edu.au or contact the International Office on international@nd.edu.au or +61 8 9433 0531
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Learning outcomes
Upon successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine, graduates will be able to:
- Provide quality patient-centred care through the application of safe clinical skills and judgment in the context of evidence-based practice
- Apply integrated medical and scientific knowledge to individual patients, populations, and health systems
- Communicate with patients, their families, and their advocates with compassion, respect, and empathy
- Advocate for the health of Aboriginal Peoples* and exercise leadership to reduce inequalities and disparities in health and healthcare delivery in rural, remote, and other under-served populations
- Consider, apply, and evaluate strategies which address and reduce the impact of global health issues on the Australian population
- Work professionally and collaboratively as a member of an interprofessional healthcare team
- Use initiative and self-regulation strategies to address knowledge and skill limitations and commit to lifelong learning, reflective practice and the management of personal health and wellbeing
- Systematically retrieve, critically appraise, evaluate, and synthesise information in health related literature and clinical systems to inform practice
- Engage in research and scholarly inquiry to advance health, health care and health systems
- Appreciate the intrinsic dignity of each human, and exhibit ethical, legal, and professional behaviour in all their actions
- Evaluate the Australian healthcare system in the broader context of governance, and local, national, and international societal values
- Demonstrate leadership in accepting responsibility for health promotion and education of health professionals and the community
- Integrate prevention, early detection, health maintenance and chronic disease management principles into clinical practice
- Apply a high-level knowledge of therapeutic interventions and treatments to ensure safe and quality patient care; and
- Communicate effectively with their profession, their peers, and the wider community.
-
Key dates for Doctor of Medicine 2024 entry
Start Date End Date Application Period 07/03/23 30/11/23 International Student Interview Ranking 15/06/23 30/11/23 International Medicine Panel Interviews 22/06/23 30/11/23 Mini Multi Interviews (MMI) 19/06/23 30/11/23 Rolling Offers and Interviews 24/07/23 30/11/23 -
Practical component
Clinical Placements and rural work experiences are included in this program.
Students are required to complete:
- MEDI6100 Foundations of a Medical Vocation
- MEDI6200 Foundations of a Clinical Practice
- MEDI6300 Clinical Apprenticeships
- MEDI6400 Preparing for Internship
-
Career opportunities
A Doctor of Medicine degree can lead to many career opportunities depending on your area of specialisation or interest. Careers include General practice, Surgery, Physician, Public health, Medical Education, Medical research, Government departments, Not-for-profit organisations.
-
Real-world experience
As with all our degrees, the Doctor of Medicine places a strong emphasis on practical training and experiential learning. Throughout the four years of your study you will undertake clinical placements in a variety of settings, including aged care facilities, public and private hospitals and general practice.
-
Professional accreditation
The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is accredited by the Australian Medical Council as meeting national standards of medical education, permitting graduates to receive provisional registration and become a junior doctor (also known as a doctor-in-training) and enter the medical workforce.
-
Fees and costs
Indicative Fee: $77,625
For indicative fees and information on how to pay, including Government loan schemes and our online calculator, visit our Fees Page.The figure quoted is the indicative annual fee for 2024 for international students. The exact fee for an individual student will depend on the mix of courses studied. All costs and fees are provided in Australian Dollars (AUD$).
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More information
Considering your uni options?
Talk to one of our career advisors for a personalised advice session. Our advisors provide support while choosing a program of study and completing our application process. Book my session.
All international enquiries should contact the International Students Office on international@nd.edu.au.
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Sydney