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Yes, it’s 2019 I am talking about. And that too about undergraduate medicine courses in Australia. Many Australian universities like University of Adelaide and University of New South Wales offer 6-year programs that confer the degree of MBBS or BMedSc.
Courses in Australian universities start in February-March. Students generally start preparing for application a year in advance. Now is the time to start preparing for the 2019 Feb-Mar session.
Eligibility Criteria
If you want to study medicine in Australia, you must meet these criteria:
- Must have completed 12 years of study at the time of application
- Must have good marks in Chemistry; some schools require Physics, Maths and /or Biology as well
- English language proficiency – usually a minimum score of 7 is accepted
- Minimum 17 years of age – may be higher for some universities
- High score at Higher Secondary level from recognized board or institution
- High UMAT/ ISAT score
UMAT – Undergraduate Medical Admissions Test
The UMAT test is administered by Australian Council for Education Research (ACER) to select students into the medicine, dentistry and health sciences programs in Australia. The universities that take admission on the basis of UMAT form the UMAT Consortium. Some of these colleges are:
- University of Adelaide
- Monash University
- University of New South Wales
- University of Queensland
- University of Western Australia
You can see the complete list of Consortium colleges here.
If you want to apply to a college or university that is not part of the consortium, you must check their website to see their requirements. Some universities have their own tests whereas some, like The University of Sydney, do not need to take you any standardized tests.
The registration for UMAT 2018 is open currently and the exam will be held on July 25, 2018. The results will be announced by September 2018. The scores will be sent to the universities that you choose at the time of application.
ISAT – International Students Admission Test
ISAT is also administered by ACER and has no set dates. 2018 ISAT testing is available from 5th March 2018 to mid-February 2019. You can take the test any time between these dates and share with the college of your choice. The first round of results will be available in May 2018.
You can repeat the test but only after gap of at least a year. You can see a complete list of colleges accepting ISAT scores here.
Admission Procedure
Here is a rough estimate of admission procedure:
- Registration for ISAT/UMAT
- Filling up of application forms through International Admissions Council – Till Feb/Mar
- Sharing ISAT/UMAT scores – May
- Releasing of ATARs and shortlisted candidates from eligible colleges – Sep
- Invitation to interviews – Sep
- Skype interviews – Sep-Nov
- Completion of admission formalities – Dec
- Reporting to the college – Mid Feb
Some colleges like The University of Sydney may conduct assessments/interviews via skype as part of admission procedure.
What has been shared here is a general timeline. You must refer to website of the colleges you want to apply for specific dates. A failure to do so may result in missed chance.