What admission tests do Sydney Dental and UQ Dental use?+
Sydney Dental uses GAMSAT. UQ Dental uses UCAT-ANZ. The test mismatch means you may need to prep two assessments simultaneously, or you can pick the school whose admission test you're stronger in. GAMSAT is graduate-only and sat in March/September; UCAT-ANZ is undergraduate-leaning and sat in July; some schools (notably Bond and JCU) run their own selection model with no national test.
What GAMSAT score do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Dental?+
Sydney Dental — Minimum 50 in each section (waived for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants). USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. 2024 entry accepts GAMSAT results from Sep 2022, Mar 2023, Sep 2023, Mar 2024. UQ Dental — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). GAMSAT results are valid for four years with ACER, but some graduate MD programs accept only the most recent two cycles — verify before relying on an older sitting.
What UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Dental?+
Sydney Dental — does not publish a UCAT-ANZ cut-off (may not use UCAT-ANZ; check the admission-test question above). UQ Dental — Mandatory. All applicants at/above the ATAR floor are ranked directly on UCAT-ANZ aggregate — ATAR acts as a hurdle, not a differentiator. UCAT section scores may separate tied applicants. Discrete percentile cut not officially published; broadly cited as 89th percentile equivalent (GradReady summary). UCAT-ANZ cut-offs are cohort-dependent, so the headline number from one cycle is not guaranteed for the next — use it as a planning anchor, not a guarantee.
What ATAR do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Dental?+
Sydney Dental — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. UQ Dental — 2026 entry: lowest rank offered 95.70 (unadjusted) → 99.00 (with adjustments); median rank offered 99.30 (unadjusted) → 99.95 (with adjustments); highest rank offered 99.95. ATAR floor 99.00 adjusted for QLD Year 12 — one of the highest in Australian dentistry. Selection rank typically includes Educational Access Scheme bonuses, rural-origin uplift, and (where applicable) Indigenous-pathway adjustments — your raw ATAR is rarely the final figure used.
What GPA do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Dental?+
Sydney Dental — Preferred minimum 4.5/7.0 (slightly lower than MD's 5.0). IAAG may consider Indigenous applicants with lower GPA if improvement demonstrated. UQ Dental — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. Many AU graduate MD programs treat the GPA as a hurdle (above the floor, all candidates are weighted equally on GAMSAT and interview) rather than as a sliding-scale rank — confirm each school's specific model.
How do interviews differ between Sydney Dental and UQ Dental?+
Sydney Dental uses: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations). UQ Dental uses: No interview — ATAR threshold then UCAT-ANZ aggregate ranking. Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: October-November (Sydney Dental); No interview (UQ Dental).
What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Sydney Dental and UQ Dental offer?+
Sydney Dental — Total annual intake ~80-100 (smaller than MD; precise figure varies by year). Categories: CSP, Domestic Fee-Paying, Rural, International — each pathway ranks applicants independently. UQ Dental — 2025 cohort: 75 admitted total (per QTAC); ~60% international; 24% from recent secondary education. Domestic fee (CSP): first-year contribution $10,140 (2026 indicative). CSP (Commonwealth Supported Place) is the lowest student contribution; BMP (Bonded Medical Program) adds a 1-year return-of-service obligation in a Modified Monash Model 2-7 area after Fellowship; Full-fee places carry no bond but the highest tuition.
What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Sydney Dental and UQ Dental offer?+
Sydney Dental — IAAG-administered pathway with lower GPA requirement and no minimum GAMSAT section requirement. Specific quota not publicly disclosed. UQ Dental — ATSI Admissions Scheme applicants are EXEMPT from UCAT-ANZ. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.
Does Sydney Dental or UQ Dental offer bonded / rural-entry places?+
Sydney Dental — Rural pathway with separate applicant ranking. Dental BMP places exist but allocation small relative to medicine. UQ Dental — Rural pathway available with adjusted ATAR threshold. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.
When does each school release decisions?+
Sydney Dental typically releases dentistry offers December-January. UQ Dental releases dentistry offers January. AU MD offers run through GEMSAS (graduate consortium) or direct school portals; if one is earlier than the other you may need to defer a decision while waiting for the second.
What curriculum style do Sydney Dental and UQ Dental use?+
Sydney Dental runs a Case-based curriculum. UQ Dental runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Sydney Dental specifics: 4-year graduate DMD. Year 1 foundations and pre-clinical simulation at Surry Hills. Years 2-4 clinical placements at Sydney Dental Hospital, Westmead Centre for Oral Health, and rural sites across NSW UQ Dental specifics: 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Dental Science (Honours). Years 1-2 foundations and pre-clinical simulation at St Lucia. Years 3-5 clinical placements at the Oral Health Centre Herston and across Que
Should I apply to both Sydney Dental and UQ Dental?+
Yes — AU medical applicants typically lodge preferences across multiple schools via GEMSAS (graduate) or direct-undergraduate portals + state TACs (UAC for NSW, VTAC for VIC, QTAC for QLD, etc.). The two schools' selection mechanics differ enough that listing both is a legitimate diversification strategy. A common mistake is over-indexing on schools with the same test-and-interview profile; Sydney Dental and UQ Dental differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.
