Question 1

What admission tests do Sydney Dental and UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine use?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental uses GAMSAT. UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine uses GAMSAT. Both schools share the same test stack — your single sitting can support both applications. 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.

Question 2

What GAMSAT score do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental — Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.) UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine — Minimum 50 in each section, sat within 4 years prior to the year of commencement. 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.

Question 3

What GPA do I need for Sydney Dental vs UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental — Minimum GPA 5.0/7.0 as calculated by UAC's Qualifications Assessment Service, assessed as at 4 June 2026 for 2027 entry — a hard hurdle, and the same one the USyd MD applies, not a lower one. The 4.5 figure applies to the Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme; the Indigenous schemes also work to 4.5, and the IAAG may recommend applicants with a lower GPA who demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies. UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine — Minimum GPA 5.0 on a 7-point scale. 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.

Question 4

How do interviews differ between Sydney Dental and UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental uses: No interview for standard domestic applicants — ranked on GAMSAT section scores (international applicants submit a portfolio and may be interviewed). UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine uses: No interview — selection on GPA, GAMSAT and a situational judgement test. Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: No interview (domestic) (Sydney Dental); see school page (UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine).

Question 5

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Sydney Dental and UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine offer?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental — For 2027 entry USyd anticipates 76 domestic offers — 30 Commonwealth Supported Places (a number that 'includes places reserved for undergraduate Double Degree Dentistry students') and 46 Domestic Fee-Paying places, both marked TBC, with the University reserving the right to make more or fewer at the Dean's discretion. Identical admission criteria apply to both types, and applicants nominate a preference order at the confirmation-page stage. USyd publishes no anticipated number of international offers. Rural and Indigenous applicants are not separate place types but facilitated entry schemes whose ranking lists may differ from the standard pathway, and under which offers may be made to applicants scoring below the standard cut-off. UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine — place-type breakdown not published. 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.

Question 6

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Sydney Dental and UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine offer?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental — Three separate Indigenous Facilitated Entry Schemes, overseen by the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group (IAAG): (1) bachelor's degree plus GAMSAT — GPA 4.5 and 50 per section are both 'preferred' rather than required, and an interview may be required; (2) postgraduate master's or PhD completed within three years — no bachelor's degree and no GAMSAT needed, GPA of at least 4.5 subject to IAAG discretion, résumé required and an interview may be required; (3) Bachelor of Oral Health — no GAMSAT, plus a compulsory written assessment and panel discussion. The requirement to have completed two years FTE at the awarding institution is waived across the schemes. No quota is published. UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine — pathway details not published in the structured AU requirements; see the school admissions page. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Question 7

Does Sydney Dental or UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine offer bonded / rural-entry places?

Accepted Answer

Sydney Dental — Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme: at least 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years from birth in an ASGS Edition 3 Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area, certified on a Confirmation of Rural Origin form completed by a registered medical practitioner, dentist, pharmacist, lawyer, school principal or current/former employer. USyd audits these forms by contacting the author; family members cannot complete them and statutory declarations are not accepted. Rural applicants get a lower GPA hurdle (4.5 vs 5.0), their ranking list may differ from the standard pathway, and offers may be made below the standard cut-off. USyd publishes no bonded places for the DMD — the only domestic place types in the 2027 Offer Preferences are Commonwealth Supported and Domestic Fee-Paying. UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine — bonded/rural data not published in the structured AU requirements. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Question 8

Should I apply to both Sydney Dental and UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine?

Accepted Answer

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 Doctor of Dental Medicine differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Comparison field	Sydney DentalSydney	UQ Doctor of Dental MedicineBrisbane, Queensland
Quick comparison
Location	Sydney, Australia	Brisbane, Queensland, Australia
Entry pathway	Graduate	Graduate
Admission tests	GAMSAT	GAMSAT
GAMSAT	Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.)	Minimum 50 in each section, sat within 4 years prior to the year of commencement.
UCAT-ANZ	-	-
ATAR	-	-
Interview format	No interview for standard domestic applicants — ranked on GAMSAT section scores (international applicants submit a portfolio and may be interviewed)	No interview — selection on GPA, GAMSAT and a situational judgement test
Post-interview chance	Not applicable — there is no interview stage for domestic applicants, and USyd publishes no applicant-to-offer ratio.	-
Decision date	September (domestic first round) / October (international), rolling to January	-

ATAR	-	-
Contextual ATAR	-	-
GAMSAT	Minimum 50 in each section is a hard eligibility hurdle for standard applicants. The guide exempts Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants from that hurdle, but this is not a blanket waiver of GAMSAT: under the Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme for applicants with a bachelor's degree, eligible GAMSAT results must still be submitted and 50 per section is 'preferred', with the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group able to recommend applicants who score lower. Only the postgraduate-degree and Bachelor of Oral Health Indigenous schemes require no GAMSAT result at all. USyd ranks DMD applicants on individual section scores. For 2027 entry, eligible GAMSAT sittings are September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 and March 2026 only — USyd requires results from the past two years "despite any contrary advice from ACER or GAMSAT", and notes this requirement may change for future cycles. (International applicants may instead submit US DAT or Canadian CDAT results; see the international admission-test note for the current minima.)	Minimum 50 in each section, sat within 4 years prior to the year of commencement.
UCAT-ANZ	-	-
CASPer	-	-
ISAT	-	-
GPA	Minimum GPA 5.0/7.0 as calculated by UAC's Qualifications Assessment Service, assessed as at 4 June 2026 for 2027 entry — a hard hurdle, and the same one the USyd MD applies, not a lower one. The 4.5 figure applies to the Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme; the Indigenous schemes also work to 4.5, and the IAAG may recommend applicants with a lower GPA who demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies.	Minimum GPA 5.0 on a 7-point scale.
Prerequisites	-	University-level human anatomy and human physiology or cellular physiology within the preceding 10 years.
Place types	For 2027 entry USyd anticipates 76 domestic offers — 30 Commonwealth Supported Places (a number that 'includes places reserved for undergraduate Double Degree Dentistry students') and 46 Domestic Fee-Paying places, both marked TBC, with the University reserving the right to make more or fewer at the Dean's discretion. Identical admission criteria apply to both types, and applicants nominate a preference order at the confirmation-page stage. USyd publishes no anticipated number of international offers. Rural and Indigenous applicants are not separate place types but facilitated entry schemes whose ranking lists may differ from the standard pathway, and under which offers may be made to applicants scoring below the standard cut-off.	-
Indigenous pathway	Three separate Indigenous Facilitated Entry Schemes, overseen by the Indigenous Admissions Advisory Group (IAAG): (1) bachelor's degree plus GAMSAT — GPA 4.5 and 50 per section are both 'preferred' ra…	-
Bonded / rural	Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme: at least 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years from birth in an ASGS Edition 3 Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area, certified on a Conf…	-

Interview window	No interview (domestic)	-
Interview details	The Sydney DMD has no interview stage for standard domestic applicants. The 2027 Domestic Admissions Guide sets three eligibility requirements — an eligible bachelor's degree with a UAC-assessed GPA h…	-

Specialities	Oral Surgery, Orthodontics, Public Dental Health, Indigenous Oral Health, Periodontics	Dentistry, Oral health
Established	1901	1936
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Sydney runs a 4-year graduate-entry Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD) co-located with Sydney Dental Hospital. Domestic selection is unusually mechanical: GPA and a minimum of 50 in every GAMSAT section…	-
Official course page	https://www.sydney.edu.au/courses/courses/pc/doctor-of-dental-medicine0.html	https://study.uq.edu.au/study-options/programs/doctor-dental-medicine-5763

Sydney Dental vs UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine

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Sydney Dental

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Sydney Dental vs UQ Doctor of Dental Medicine - in detail

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