UWA Medicine Interview
Format, Questions & Prep Tips
UWA medicine interviews for 2027 entry are multiple mini interviews (MMI). Published figures: Dual pathway School-leaver Assured Pathway (Bachelor of Biomedicine then MD, 7y) + Graduate MD via GEMSAS (4y); MMI 8 stations × 7 mins (2 min reading + 5 min response); Indigenous Direct Pathway ATAR 90 (vs 98 standard).
- Institution
- University of Western Australia Medical School
- Interview (2027 entry)
- Graduate: 22 September – 3 October 2026 (online); school leaver: 30 November – 11 December 2026
- Decisions (2027 entry)
- Graduate: from November 2026 (GEMSAS); school leaver: per TISC offer rounds
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How to get into UWA medicine
Step-by-step: entry requirements, admission tests, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →UWA entry requirements
Admission profile, interview format, decision dates and what makes UWA different.
See the profile →The UWA medicine course
Integrated + Case-based learning, 4 years (graduate entry), placements across Perth and rural Western Australia, from Esperance to Kununurra.
See the course →The UWA medicine interview
UWA is one of only a handful of Australian medical schools with a true dual-pathway entry: a 7-year school-leaver Assured Pathway through the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) into the MD (ATAR + UCAT ANZ + MMI; minimum ATAR 98, or 90 for the Indigenous school leaver pathway) and a 4-year Graduate MD via GEMSAS (GAMSAT). Both streams converge into the same MD clinical years.
For 2027 entry, the interview-shortlist weighting moved to 60% GPA / 40% GAMSAT (changed from 50/50). Domestic graduate applicants invited to interview for 2026 entry averaged GAMSAT 68.53 / GPA 6.82. Graduate interviews for 2027 entry are online, between 22 September and 3 October 2026; school-leaver interviews run 30 November – 11 December 2026.
The domestic MMI runs 8 stations of 7 minutes each — 2 minutes to consider a written question, then 5 minutes to respond to a different interviewer at each station (about 70–75 minutes including registration) — for both pathways. UWA assesses attributes including accountability, ethical and moral judgement, communication, problem solving, self-awareness, teamwork, conflict resolution, empathy and resilience. Examiners are clinicians and academics from the South Metropolitan and North Metropolitan Health Services.
UWA lists 206 domestic MD places plus 40 international, with up to 50% allocated via school-leaver entry; GEMSAS lists up to 103 domestic graduate places for 2027, 28.5% of them bonded. UWA has the largest Rural Clinical School footprint in Australia, spanning Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha, Narrogin, and Port Hedland. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants have alternative pathways through the Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health (Boola Boola Djinda), including an Indigenous school leaver pathway with a minimum ATAR of 90 (vs 98 standard).
UWA interview at a glance (2027 entry)
| Dual pathway | School-leaver Assured Pathway (Bachelor of Biomedicine then MD, 7y) + Graduate MD via GEMSAS (4y) |
|---|---|
| MMI | 8 stations × 7 mins (2 min reading + 5 min response) |
| Indigenous Direct Pathway ATAR | 90 (vs 98 standard) |
| 2027 graduate shortlist weighting | 60% GPA / 40% GAMSAT (changed from 50/50) |
| 2026 domestic interviewee averages (graduate) | GAMSAT 68.53 / GPA 6.82 |
| 2027 interviews | Graduate: online 22 Sep–3 Oct 2026; school leaver: 30 Nov–11 Dec 2026 |
| Indigenous pathway | CAMDH / Boola Boola Djinda |
Interview format
- Dual pathway: school-leaver Assured Pathway via the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised), ranked ATAR 30% / interview 50% / UCAT ANZ 20%; Graduate MD via GEMSAS, ranked GPA 30% / GAMSAT 20% / interview 50%.
- School-leaver minimum ATAR 98 (90 for the Indigenous school leaver pathway); UWA does not publish UCAT ANZ thresholds.
- Graduate-pathway interview shortlist weighting changed for 2027 to 60% GPA / 40% GAMSAT (previously 50/50).
- Multiple Mini Interview with 8 stations of 7 minutes each (2 minutes to consider the question + 5 minutes to respond).
- **Graduate interviews for 2027 entry are online** (22 September – 3 October 2026).
- Both Direct Pathway and Graduate MD applicants progress to the same MMI structure.
- Each station is one written question; attributes assessed include ethical judgement, communication, problem solving, self-awareness, teamwork, conflict resolution, empathy and resilience.
- Largest Rural Clinical School footprint in Australia (8+ rural sites).
- CAMDH / Boola Boola Djinda alternative pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; Indigenous school leaver minimum ATAR 90 (vs 98 standard).
Sample interview questions
Why UWA specifically? What attracts you to the dual-pathway program?
Engage with the Crawley precinct, the Sir Charles Gairdner / Fiona Stanley / Royal Perth network, and the rural clinical footprint. Authentic specifics over branding.
Why did you choose Direct Pathway (or Graduate MD)? What does this stream offer you?
Defensible reasoning. Articulate stream-fit. Examiners read hesitation as treating it as backup.
A patient in a Kimberley clinic refuses Western medicine and asks for traditional healer involvement. They have capacity. What do you do?
Engage with cultural responsiveness, two-way medicine models, AMS partnerships, and respect for autonomy.
Voluntary assisted dying is legal in WA (since 2021). How does the WA framework differ from other jurisdictions?
Engage with the WA VAD Act's eligibility criteria, the conscientious objection provisions, and the navigator service.
Role-play: a patient at Fiona Stanley is angry about a wait time. Demonstrate the conversation.
Acknowledge. Apologise for inconvenience, not for triage. Explain. Concrete next steps.
What does the UWA Rural Clinical School footprint mean to you? Name specific sites.
Concrete engagement — Albany, Bunbury, Geraldton, Kalgoorlie, Broome, Karratha, Narrogin, Port Hedland. Vague rural enthusiasm scores poorly.
Explain Medicare and the role of Aboriginal Health Services to a patient new to the WA system.
Plain language. Cultural context. The role of AMS alongside mainstream services.
Closing the Gap targets continue to lag dramatically in the Kimberley and Pilbara. What role can a UWA graduate play?
Concrete:
- AMS partnerships (Kimberley Aboriginal Medical Services, Mawarnkarra)
- cultural safety
- recognising racism
- workforce closing the gap
Describe a time you delivered difficult news.
STAR with reflection.
A patient in a Pilbara clinic needs urgent retrieval to Perth. Weather has grounded flights for 24 hours. What do you do?
What they are listening for:
- Holding measures
- telehealth specialist support
- family communication
- RFDS coordination
What does cultural safety mean in practice in a WA Aboriginal community context?
Engage with structural safety, recognising racism, the role of Aboriginal Health Workers, two-way medicine.
Describe a time you worked in a team where progress was blocked.
Process focus. UWA values constructive problem-solving.
Should the WA government mandate rural service for new graduates as a condition of CSP funding?
What they are listening for:
- Workforce maldistribution
- autonomy
- existing BMP
Balanced reasoning.
Tell us about a non-academic interest you'd want to continue.
Authentic. Sustainable lives.
A teammate at UWA has been making concerning comments about a particular cultural group. Address it.
Specific behaviour. Private conversation first. Escalation if recurring.
Why might a UWA graduate choose to work in the Kimberley rather than Perth?
Genuine engagement with workforce pull factors — scope of practice, community connection, lifestyle, mentorship pipelines.
Describe a time you reflected on critical feedback and changed your approach.
Authentic reflection.
Practise the UWA interview
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UWA interview — frequently asked questions
Sources & official admissions information
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