Question 1

What admission tests do Charles Darwin University and Wollongong use?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University uses no admission test. Wollongong uses GAMSAT and CASPer. 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.

Question 2

What GAMSAT score do I need for Charles Darwin University vs Wollongong?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). Wollongong — Minimum 50 overall, no section below 50. Minimum 50 overall with no individual section score below 50. For 2027 entry GAMSAT is a pure qualifying hurdle: "GAMSAT score will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met." International applicants may substitute MCAT (495 overall, no section below 123). 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 ATAR do I need for Charles Darwin University vs Wollongong?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — 85 or above after adjustment factors (recent school leavers). Wollongong — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. 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.

Question 4

What GPA do I need for Charles Darwin University vs Wollongong?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. Wollongong — Accurate as far as it goes, but two published conditions are missing: offers to applicants finishing a degree in 2026 are "conditional on maintenance of the minimum required weighted GPA of 5.5", and qualifying degrees used in the GPA calculation "must be completed by 23 December 2026". There is also a ten-year currency-of-qualification rule that can render an applicant ineligible for both interview and place. 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 5

How do interviews differ between Charles Darwin University and Wollongong?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University uses: Panel interview, 30 minutes. Wollongong uses: Live online Multiple Mini Interview (8 stations, live interviewers) — 2027 entry. Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: see school page (Charles Darwin University); September — 2027 entry: the week commencing 17 September 2026, with interview offers released in early September. (International and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway applicants are interviewed in rolling rounds from late March to late September instead.) (Wollongong).

Question 6

What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Charles Darwin University and Wollongong offer?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — place-type breakdown not published. Wollongong — 2027 cycle: 37 Unbonded CSP + 30 CSP Rural End-to-End + 27 BMP + 15 International = ~109 total. 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 7

What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Charles Darwin University and Wollongong offer?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — NT First Nations 40% and non-NT First Nations 10% of the 40 Commonwealth Supported Places. Wollongong — A standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway — applied for either direct to UOW (no application fee; 2 March–31 August 2026 for 2027 entry) or through GEMSAS (1–29 May 2026, fees apply). Applicants are not required to sit GAMSAT or Casper. Requirements are the weighted GPA 5.5/7.0 hurdle plus a certified Confirmation of Aboriginality (or a witnessed Commonwealth statutory declaration with supporting evidence; state/territory and unwitnessed myGov declarations are not accepted). Applicants who meet the GPA hurdle and provide that certified confirmation "will be offered an interview place". Selection then involves TWO interviews: the 8-station live online MMI, and a UOW GSM Community Interview with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander community members and UOW staff, run in rounds from late March to late September. UOW aims for 15% of places in each of the Rural-Regional Combined Track, the Health Access Stream and the Rural End-to-End Track to be filled from this pathway. 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 8

Does Charles Darwin University or Wollongong offer bonded / rural-entry places?

Accepted Answer

Charles Darwin University — Quota-based: NT residency 30%, NT residency MMM 4–7 15%, rural and remote 5%. Wollongong — UOW is the only NSW medical school awarded Commonwealth funding in 2024 for a rural end-to-end program. Combined Track (54 places): min. 32 Rural Entry Pathway; End-to-End Track (30 places): min. 17 Rural Entry Pathway; Health Access Stream (10 places): min. 6 Rural Entry Pathway. Eligibility: 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years in MMM2-7 NSW location. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Question 9

Should I apply to both Charles Darwin University and Wollongong?

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; Charles Darwin University and Wollongong differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.

Comparison field	Charles Darwin UniversityDarwin, Northern Territory	WollongongWollongong
Quick comparison
Location	Darwin, Northern Territory, Australia	Wollongong, Australia
Entry pathway	Undergraduate	Graduate
Admission tests	None	GAMSAT + CASPer
GAMSAT	-	Minimum 50 overall, no section below 50. Minimum 50 overall with no individual section score below 50. For 2027 entry GAMSAT is a pure qualifying hurdle: "GAMSAT score will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met." International applicants may substitute MCAT (495 overall, no section below 123).
UCAT-ANZ	-	-
ATAR	85 or above after adjustment factors (recent school leavers).	-
Interview format	Panel interview, 30 minutes	Live online Multiple Mini Interview (8 stations, live interviewers) — 2027 entry
Post-interview chance	-	UOW does not publish interview-to-offer conversion, and no Tier-1 source supports a numeric figure. GEMSAS does record one qualitative pattern: "In the past, the majority of eligible Rural Entry Pathway applicants who selected the UOW MD program as their first preference in their GEMSAS application were successful in interviewing and receiving an offer to study medicine at UOW." That statement is specific to rural-origin first-preference applicants and is not a published conversion rate.
Decision date	-	October

ATAR	85 or above after adjustment factors (recent school leavers).	-
Contextual ATAR	-	-
GAMSAT	-	Minimum 50 overall, no section below 50. Minimum 50 overall with no individual section score below 50. For 2027 entry GAMSAT is a pure qualifying hurdle: "GAMSAT score will not be used in ranking for interview or place offers once the hurdle has been met." International applicants may substitute MCAT (495 overall, no section below 123).
UCAT-ANZ	-	-
CASPer	-	Required, and for 2027 entry it is half of the interview-selection score, not a hurdle. Applicants who clear the GPA (weighted 5.5/7.0) and GAMSAT hurdles are ranked for interview offers on an algorithm of 50% Casper score + 50% UOW MD Admissions bonuses. UOW sets "a minimum eligible Casper score ... annually, reflecting the application cohort" and does not publish the figure; an applicant with no valid Casper score is ineligible regardless of other results. Casper is NOT carried into the place-offer ranking, which is 70% interview score + 30% admissions bonuses.
ISAT	-	-
GPA	-	Accurate as far as it goes, but two published conditions are missing: offers to applicants finishing a degree in 2026 are "conditional on maintenance of the minimum required weighted GPA of 5.5", and qualifying degrees used in the GPA calculation "must be completed by 23 December 2026". There is also a ten-year currency-of-qualification rule that can render an applicant ineligible for both interview and place.
Prerequisites	No Year 12 subject prerequisites are published.	-
Place types	-	2027 cycle: 37 Unbonded CSP + 30 CSP Rural End-to-End + 27 BMP + 15 International = ~109 total.
Indigenous pathway	NT First Nations 40% and non-NT First Nations 10% of the 40 Commonwealth Supported Places.	A standalone Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Pathway — applied for either direct to UOW (no application fee; 2 March–31 August 2026 for 2027 entry) or through GEMSAS (1–29 May 2026, fees apply).…
Bonded / rural	Quota-based: NT residency 30%, NT residency MMM 4–7 15%, rural and remote 5%.	UOW is the only NSW medical school awarded Commonwealth funding in 2024 for a rural end-to-end program. Combined Track (54 places): min. 32 Rural Entry Pathway; End-to-End Track (30 places): min. 17 R…

Interview window	-	September — 2027 entry: the week commencing 17 September 2026, with interview offers released in early September. (International and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathway applicants are interviewed in rolling rounds from late March to late September instead.)
Interview details	A 30-minute panel interview at CDU’s Casuarina campus, with an online Teams option. 160 candidates are interviewed for the 40 Commonwealth Supported Places. For 2027 entry interviews run 16–20 Novembe…	Wollongong runs a live online, 8-station MMI with live interviewers. Neither UOW nor GEMSAS publishes a per-station duration. Interviews are "blueprinted to assess areas such as communication skills,…

Specialities	Remote and rural medicine, First Nations health, Tropical health	Rural Medicine, Regional Health, General Practice, Indigenous Health
Established	2003	2007
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	-	Wollongong was established with an explicit rural and regional workforce mission. A minimum of 55 of the 94 domestic places for 2027 entry are ring-fenced for the Rural Entry Pathway — 32 of the 54 Ru…
Official course page	https://www.cdu.edu.au/study/course/bachelor-clinical-science-medicinedoctor-medicine-smed01	https://www.uow.edu.au/study/doctor-of-medicine/

Charles Darwin University vs Wollongong

Side-by-side comparison

Charles Darwin University

Wollongong

Charles Darwin University vs Wollongong - in detail

Admission tests compared

ATAR and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Which is right for you?

Common questions

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons