collageAs one of the highest rated education and research institutions in the Asia-Pacific region, we are improving human health and welfare through education, research and the provision of healthcare.
Since 1856 we have been dedicated to developing caring, clinically outstanding, research-capable and globally aware graduates who become leaders in their chosen professions.
Each year we teach more than 2,000 undergraduate students across science, medical science and health science. Another 1,200 are enrolled in our specialist graduate medical program, with more than 1,100 training to become postgraduate researchers.
Our research is focused on both discovery and translating discoveries into improved healthcare, with major programs of research into diseases and health challenges of national and international significance.
We advocate for and take a leadership role in contributing to high-quality healthcare and wellbeing. Our staff play a major role in the provision of healthcare in NSW and in a number of countries in our region. They are leading clinicians who are actively involved in the evolution of care and hold key roles in government and non-government organisations, hospitals and other major health providers.
Read More on University Of Sydney Medicine Requirements, MD cohort demographics 2020 , Why study the MD at Sydney much more on college learners
University Of Sydney Medicine Entry Requirements
The University of Sydney Medicine has introduced the Dubbo Stream in the MD program. This stream has been developed under the Australian Government Murray Darling Medical Schools Network (MDMSN) initiative, with the aim to attract more graduates to practice in rural and/or remote regions in Australia. The USyd School of Rural Health site is currently under construction, utilising the new state-of-the-art facilities in Dubbo, NSW, and will be completed in time for commencement of the Dubbo Stream in 2022. The new stream will incorporate clinical teaching centred at the newly re-constructed Dubbo Hospital.
The Dubbo Stream is currently under assessment by the Australian Medical Council (AMC) for accreditation. The admission process and offers to this stream will be conditional upon the approval by the Medical Board of Australia.
How will USyd look at the GAMSAT score?
Instead of simply looking at the highest overall or average GAMSAT score, the faculty of medicine at USyd will consider the following while determining who will get a position for medicine:
- Candidates that did not attain a 5.0 GPA or higher, and/or failed to achieve a score of at least 50 in each section of the GAMSAT automatically be declined a position at USyd medicine.
- Once the applicants have been shortlisted, they will be ranked in the following order:
- First, the USyd medicine faculty will rank every Section 1 GAMSAT score that they have received.
- Next, they will rank every Section 2 GAMSAT score.
- Finally, they will rank every Section 3 GAMSAT score.
- The Merged Rank is generated with these three ranks. This process involves averaging a given applicant’ rank to get one final, overall rank.
For instance: Let’s assume Suzie’s rank (not to be confused with GAMSAT Score) for Section 1, 2 and 3 is 58, 105, 209 respectively.
Her Merged Rank will be calculated as follows:
(58 + 105 + 209)/3 = 124
This tells us that Suzie’s Merged Rank value is 124, according to the USyd 2021 entry ranking system. Considering USyd allows upto 300 students each year, about 225 people get into the CSP spot, it looks like Suzie is a successful applicant and has gained a position into 2022 medicine at USyd.
Why is the USyd Faculty of Medicine Doing This?
Getting rid of interviews for 2022 entry clearly means there is a loss for applicants to demonstrate who they are as a person outside of the GAMSAT.
The new USyd ranking process does however place more emphasis on Section 1 scores, and Section 2 to a lesser extent. But, why is this the case? The average and standard deviation for Section 1 is a lot smaller than that of Section 3. What this means is scoring high in Section 1 will put you at a higher Section 1 rank than it does for the same score in Section 3, simply because Section 3 has a higher average and also a greater spread.
In essence, we can crudely summarise this process as USyd valuing Section 1 more than Section 3 for 2022 entry.
Additionally, the USyd are using Section 1 (and Section 2 to a lesser extent) almost as a proxy for the skills we’d normally be able to identify from a USyd MMI. As a result, they are being more sensitive to higher Section 1 scores than they are for Section 3.
Does this mean a high Section 3 score is a disadvantage? Definitely not. It simply means it’s just not as much of an advantage as the same score in Section 1.
What Do We Think Of The USyd Medicine Scores?
The first important point to make is that we can’t have an ‘overall’ or ‘average’ GAMSAT score in mind to completely guide our thinking. This is because scoring 70 in Section 3 is great, but not as great as scoring 70 in Section 1. This is according to the USyd 2022 entry scheme. But, why?
Although 70 in Section 3 is a great score, many people score it, and so the rank for Section 3 would not be astonishingly remarkable. In contrast, a 70 in Section 1 is astounding as not many people can score that highly, ensuring an amazing Section 1 rank that will place an applicant in a good position when the USyd does the Merged Rank steps.
Consequently, we can’t ask what overall/average GAMSAT score we need, but instead how we achieved it. And for that, we need to look at each individual section.
But if we need to make a hard and fast rule, we estimate that the scores will hover around 3-5 points more than the usual average GAMSAT score for attaining an interview at USyd, which is roughly 69. So, we expect most scores that get an offer to be around the low 70 mark.
That being said, it is a terribly hard and fast rule that doesn’t do much justice to previous USyd years scheme. To do it justice (and get an actual guide of scores), we need past data. This is where our USyd 2022 Medicine Calculator comes into play.
The 2022 USyd Doctor of Medicine Probability-Of-Offer Calculator
In short, our thousands and thousands of anonymous data points have allowed us to use meta-analysis techniques to determine the average and standard deviations scores for each section of the GAMSAT.
This then allows us to determine your rank for each individual section. Then, taking into consideration factors such as the number of people that apply to the USyd Doctor of Medicine and how many positions they have on offer, we emulate the Merged Rank that USyd generates.
Finally, this emulated Merged Rank gives us a likelihood of you receiving an offer for the Doctor of Medicine at The University of Sydney.
To find out about your odds of receiving an admission offer at USyd, use the USyd Medicine Entry Calculator to begin pursuing medicine in 2023!
MD cohort demographics 2020
- Non-science students20% of Sydney’s MD students come from non-biomedical science educational backgrounds
- Top non-science coursesCommerce, arts, law, engineering
- Average age24 years at time of enrolment
- International students22% of students are from countries outside Australia
- Gender split60% male, 40% female students
Doctor of Medicine
Become a doctor at Sydney Medical SchoolShareOur Doctor of Medicine (MD) program is an excellent training platform on which to build a career in medicine. Our graduates provide professional, diligent and ethical care to the community.
Medicine course options
There are two ways to enter the MD program.
After completing any bachelor’s degree students can apply for entry into our four-year postgraduate course.
- Doctor of Medicine
Undergraduate admission is available for high school leavers who have achieved exceptional results. Only 30 domestic and 10 international places are available in these degrees. The seven-year double degree medicine pathway combines the Doctor of Medicine with an undergraduate degree in arts or science.
- Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine
- Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine
Admission process
The admission process for the Doctor of Medicine is very detailed, please follow our step-by-step timeline and download the latest version of the Admissions Guide available on the relevant course page.
Innovative new curriculum
The new MD curriculum and course structure was launched in 2020 to enhance learning opportunities through earlier clinical exposure, added personalisation options, new research opportunities, and immersive clinical placements in the last year of the program, preparing students for practice as a doctor.
Key benefits of the new program include:
- Earlier clinical exposure: The program increases clinical exposure and immersion throughout the degree. You will gain hands-on experience from as early as your second week.
- Personalised pathways: You will have the opportunity to develop skills in specific areas through elective and selective studies.
- Research opportunities: The program integrates a substantial research project in year three over a 14-week period with access to some of the world’s leading researchers, institutes and networks.
- Pre-internship year: The entire fourth year of the program acts as a pre-internship, giving students full clinical immersion.
Learn about the new structure of our MD program
New Dubbo Stream
From 2022 the Sydney MD Program will be offered in two streams – the Metropolitan Stream based in Sydney, and the Dubbo Stream based in central-western NSW.
The Dubbo Stream has been developed under the Australian Government Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network (MDMSN) initiative, with the aim to establish five satellite medical programs in rural NSW and Victoria.
Learn more about completing your medical degree in Dubbo.
Top 3 Pros of USYD’s Medical degree
#1: High amount of clinical time
USYD’s Doctor of Medicine program now provides extra clinical time compared to its previous years! “As of 2020, USYD has redesigned their Doctor of Medicine curriculum,” Hogan says. “It used to be two years pre-clinical and two years clinical, but that’s now changed to one year pre-clinical and three years clinical.”
Hogan explains that with this new curriculum, Doctor of Medicine postgraduates will only need to go to on-campus classes for 4 days a week and clinical school once a week in their first year. Between their second and fourth year, they essentially work full-time at clinical school.
“This means that you get an additional year of clinical exposure!” Hogan says. “For most students, this is very useful, applicable and valuable for their future jobs as an intern because you learn things like procedural skills, communication skills and bedside manners to interact with patients, their families, other doctors, nurses and other allied health.”
It doesn’t end there! Hogan says the extra clinical year allows you time to figure out which area of medicine you’d like to specialise in by your final year, “You get more elective terms throughout that final year to choose what blocks you want to spend your time in. For example, if you’re into surgery, you can choose to do more clinical time into surgery.”
#2: High cohort diversity
USYD’s Medical degree is filled with students from diverse backgrounds because USYD’s Doctor of Medicine course does not require a prerequisite degree to be eligible for enrolment.
“So when you get into the postgraduate component, you end up with a very diverse cohort — people who not only come from a science background but also arts, finance…that is also across a wide range of ages as well,” Hogan says.
Due to its diversity, Hogan adds that USYD’s Medical cohort provides a “large breadth of experience that is very unique!”
“Sometimes, that does translate into learning from your peers,” Hogan notes. “Some of my peers have been nurses and physios so their experience has been very helpful in certain areas like rheumatology where physios with prior experience can teach you as their fellow student.”
#3: A holistic picture of Medicine
USYD really stresses the importance of understanding health as a holistic system to help you tackle complex, real life problems from multiple disciplinary perspectives. USYD’s SLICE program in the second year of the Doctor of Medicine degree allows you to explore the work of allied health members whom you will be collaborating with in the future!
“SLICE is teaching that happens across the allied health spaces in the community,” Hogan explains. “In addition to spending your regular time at your allocated hospital, you will be spending time at rehab hospitals, physio clinics, dietary clinics, pharmacies and more!”
“This allows a greater understanding of how the system as a whole works, not just how care is delivered at the bedside at a specific hospital,” Hogan says. “So you get a better appreciation for when a patient leaves a hospital, what sort of services does that patient need to access and how is the continuity of care streamlined across those services.”
Top 3 Cons of USYD’s Medical degree
#1: Duration of Degree
Unlike other Medical pathways, the combined Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine program at USYD is one of the longer ones. “The combined degree is 7 years in total,” Hogan says. “Compared to undergraduate programs that are typically five to six years, the Bachelor of Science/Doctor of Medicine program is one or two years longer than that.”
However, Hogan says that this is ultimately beneficial in enriching the breadth and depth of your knowledge for the long term. “At the end of the day, one or two years does not make that much of a difference for a career that lasts for 40 year plus,” Hogan admits.
“I really enjoyed my undergraduate degree — I took subjects in immunology and finance so that breadth of knowledge definitely outweighs the time,” he adds.
#2: Clinical school locations
USYD is known for its world class teaching hospitals, located at 7 different campuses that are spread across New South Wales! However, there are times where you do not get your first preference of clinical school and this may have implications for your transit plans.
As Hogan explains, “This means that you might have a long travel time to the clinical school, especially if you live in the city and have to travel to somewhere like Westmead that is far for a lot of students.”
That being said, Hogan praises that the quality of teaching from these hospitals are exceptional and worth the ride! Furthermore, Hogan reveals that “students typically move to be closer to these hospitals in groups, so you’re always surrounded by peers and friends!”
Hogan also reassures that “being allocated to a hospital that is far from your residence usually only happens to a minority of students. Most students get their first or second pick but always a minority students don’t because of the selection process.”
#3: Large volume of strenuous assessments
The assessments in USYD’s Doctor of Medicine program are highly taxing compared to its Bachelor of Science counterpart. “The first undergraduate degree is very in line with the rest of university but the Medicine postgraduate assessment has changed since the new curriculum,” Hogan explains.
Previously, the Doctor of Medicine’s first and second year were assessed on a pass/fail basis with barrier exams that you need to pass or else you have to redo the entire year. As of 2020, these assessments are now replaced with continuous programmatic assessments.
Hogan says that now, “You will be assessed throughout the year — and there are a lot of assessments! There is a sort of quiz or report you will need to do every week. So, every week you have something due.”
Hogan explains that this is on top of 4 big exams that are spread out through the year. “This can be quite stressful for a lot of students especially if you fall behind, where it is very hard to catch up with those assessments,” he says.
Even so, Hogan supposes that this is better than the previous curriculum as “there is no single exam that you have to pass. If you fail an exam, there are mediation pathways to help you learn the content and get assessed again rather than repeat a part of or the entire year. This is actually better for long-term learning as you learn to understand rather than cram information.”
Hogan reassures that “there are tutors to help you with parts of the program that you may be struggling with. So even though there are a lot of assessments, there are a lot of support networks in place for those who need it!”
Why study the MD at Sydney
- Diverse student cohort: A biomedical science degree is not a prerequisite.
- Preparation for entry: A foundational knowledge course is available to all students on enrolment to ensure assumed knowledge in anatomy, physiology, molecular and cell biology is met.
- Innovative curriculum: We focus on small group, team-based learning and integrating theory with practice.
- Early clinical contact: You will gain hands-on experience from as early as your second week through our extensive network of clinical schools.
- Placements: You will have access to placement opportunities in both rural and international settings to develop your experience in a wide range of medical environments.
- Research excellence and training: You will have access to some of the world’s leading researchers, institutes and networks.
- Accreditation: The Doctor of Medicine is fully accredited by the Medical Board of Australia.
- Study abroad opportunities: Sydney Medical School has extensive international connections. You can undertake a four to eight week clinical or research placement overseas during your elective term.
- International student opportunities: If you are an international student, there are a number of opportunities for you to undertake rotations in your home country.
https://www.youtube.com/embed/eu1fMFl2Avg?rel=0&showinfo=1&enablejsapi=1Study medicineApply todayPostgraduate Information EveningWednesday 28 AprilNews_How to become a doctorTo pursue a career in medicine you need to finish year 12 and graduate from a bachelor’s degree. You then need to complete a four-year postgraduate medical program. To be fully registered, you must also complete an intern year.
Important documents
- Inherent requirements for courses in medicine (pdf, 72KB)
- Coursework policy (pdf, 584KB)
Opinion_What’s it really like to study medicine at Sydney?Are you interested in studying the Doctor of Medicine, but you want the inside scoop on the course before you hit apply? We spoke with two third-year students to give you the low down.News_Transforming Sydney’s Medical ProgramThe University of Sydney’s flagship program, the Doctor of Medicine (MD), has been re-designed to provide students with greater flexibility than ever before while placing added emphasis on clinical exposure, right from week one
The University of Sydney
Doctor of Medicine
GRADUATE APPLY TO THIS PROGRAM
Details
| University Location | Sydney, New South Wales |
|---|---|
| City Population | 5 million |
| Student Population | 65,000 |
| Int’l Student Population | 10,600 |
| Main Campus | Camperdown / Darlington |
| Program Campus | Camperdown campus, Sydney |
| Program Duration | 4 years |
| Estimated Annual Tuition | $84,000 AUD (2021 fees; subject to increase) |
| Semester Intake | January |
| Next Available Intake | January 2022 |
| Application Deadline | TBA* |
| International Places | up to 80 (approx 325 total) |
APPLY TO THIS PROGRAM
Overview
The University of Sydney School of Medicine aims to give you a strong foundation for your future in medicine, whether in clinical practice, research, or public health.
As a Sydney medicine graduate, you’ll be well equipped with the skills and knowledge to begin your medical career. You will be recognized for your analytic and problem-solving skills, commitment to pursue new knowledge in an ever-changing world, and compassionate understanding of human diversity in the community you serve.
The Sydney MD is a four-year graduate-entry course that integrates study of the basic biomedical sciences with clinical sciences and methods. The program comprises eight vertical themes that run through all four years of the degree:
- Basic and clinical sciences
- Clinical skills
- Diagnostics and therapy
- Research, evidence and informatics
- Population health
- Indigenous health ethics
- Law and professionalism
- Interprofessional teamwork
Program
Clinical Placements
While practical clinical experience forms the basis for all learning in the latter two years of the Sydney Medical Program, it is accompanied by a structured teaching program. The balance between clerkship-based activities and scheduled sessions varies.
In general, formal teaching sessions reduce in number and frequency as you move through Year 3 and the main emphasis in Year 4 is on preparation for practice. This entails a full-time, extended clinical placement in a hospital medical, surgical, or general practice settings. You will work as part of the clinical multidisciplinary team under supervision, cementing and integrating the knowledge, skills and professional attributes you have developed over the course of the program.
Admission Requirements
1. Completed bachelor’s degree
Must have a completed bachelor’s degree with a cumulative GPA of 5.0/7.0, (roughly 2.7 out of 4.0). No prerequisite undergraduate subjects are required.
2. Admissions test
Must have achieved a minimum MCAT score of 500. MCAT scores are valid 3 years of program commencement. GAMSAT will also be accepted.
3. Interview
Performance in a multi-mini interview (MMI), which aims to sample a candidate’s competencies in order to gain a more accurate picture of strengths, weaknesses, and suitability.
For more information, please read the Sydney Admissions Guide.
Admission Timeline
*Admissions Timeline for 2021 Intake
Last date to sit MCAT: June 20, 2020
Application deadline: Applications for the 2021 intake closed July 22, 2020. For information about the 2022 intake and to apply, please contact OzTREKK.
Student Reviews
What do OzTREKK students think about studying Medicine at The University of Sydney? Read on!1/10PREVIOUSNEXT
“The clinical days are extremely useful learning opportunities.”
“The early clinical exposure is really good”
“The Usyd Med program has such a family-like culture”
“World class lecturers teaching challenging material is very cool and rewarding.”
“We have a close relationship with some of the staff, especially at our clinical schools.”
Admissions OfficerAmanda Rollich
Kind, thoughtful, tidy. Road-tripping, nature-loving, nutrition-learning introverted empath. Happy to hunt the thrift shops for hidden treasures! INFP.
Amanda works closely with her medicine teammate Charlynn and is the point of contact for students for all medicine application questions or concerns. Need help figuring out which medicine program is right for you? Contact Amanda!
Food: Steak and veggies
Fav Hikes: Valley of the Winds in Oz outback
Movie: I Am
Music: Posty, and a little bit of everything
Book: Into the Wild
Superpower: Intuition
Email: amanda@oztrekk.com
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