Curtin vs UQ

Curtin uses UCAT-ANZ and CASPer. UQ uses GAMSAT. 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.

Curtin — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). UQ — Minimum 50 in each of Sections I, II, III (any section below 50 = ineligible). Interview shortlist: 50% unweighted GAMSAT (mean of 3 sections) + 50% GPA, GPA as tiebreaker. Final offer: 25% ATAR/GPA + 25% UCAT/GAMSAT + 50% MMI (Fraser's reconstruction). 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.

Curtin — No official Curtin-published cut-off. Curtin ranks total UCAT score, not a fixed threshold. Aggregator-derived competitive score ~2970 for local WA applicants (2024-2026 entry, old /3600 scale). Interview shortlist ratio 35 ATAR : 35 CASPer : 30 UCAT (per MedEntry / Curtin official Q&A — Fraser's 35:35:40 reporting is an error). UQ — Provisional Entry (school-leaver) only — 2025 intake lowest invited UCAT-ANZ 3110 (non-rural) / 2670 (Rural Access). 25% ATAR + 25% UCAT (cognitive sections only, excluding SJT) + 50% MMI. 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.

Curtin — Minimum ATAR (WA applicants) 95.00 (inclusive of bonus points); minimum ATAR (non-WA applicants) 92.00. TISC 2025 (Dec 2024 round) for CUMBS: min rank n/a, lowest n/a — selection is NOT solely on ATAR. UQ — 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.

Curtin — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. UQ — Minimum 5.0/7.0 in key degree. Currency rule: degrees > 10 years before commencement require ≥ 0.50 FTE subsequent coursework at GPA ≥ 5.0. 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.

Curtin uses: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations). UQ uses: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise reflective MMI-style answers on Medicare structure, AHPRA professionalism, ACCHO and rural-health context, and Indigenous health priorities. Interview windows: October-November (Curtin); October-November (UQ).

Curtin — 2024 intake: ~110 places total (CSP + BMP). ~28% of CSPs nationally are BMP (applies as proxy). Place priorities: WA candidates rural/regional → ATSI → long-term educationally disadvantaged → remaining strategic priority. UQ — 2027 graduate intake: 107 CSP + 43 BMP + up to 190 international (incl. UQ-Ochsner). Provisional Entry adds ~140 CSP school-leaver places with 28% reserved for Rural Access Scheme. 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.

Curtin — Indigenous Pre-Medicine and Health Sciences Enabling Course (EN-INPMHE) — 12-month / 200-credit pre-entry pathway via the Centre for Aboriginal Studies (the "Karda" centre). CASPer waived for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants. Yamatji-Wajarri community partnerships via Curtin's broader Indigenous engagement function. UQ — Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander Provisional Entry scheme; UCAT not required for ATSI Admissions Scheme; no set graduate quota. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Curtin — WA's only undergraduate medical school. Rural quota embedded in selection priorities with explicit prioritisation of rural/regional WA candidates. Numeric rural quota not publicly disclosed as a percentage. UQ — 28.5% of CSP places reserved for rural-background applicants (≥5 consecutive or ≥10 cumulative years in rural Australia per MMM 2023). Rural applicants receive two upward GAMSAT score adjustments. Regional pathways: Central Queensland-Wide Bay (CQ-WB RMP) and Darling Downs-South West (DD-SW MP). The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Curtin typically releases medicine offers December-January. UQ releases medicine offers November-December. 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.

Curtin runs a Integrated curriculum. UQ runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Curtin specifics: 5-year undergraduate Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS). Years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at Bentley with early community placements. Years 3-5 clinical placements across Royal UQ specifics: 4-year graduate MD. Years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at the Herston Health Sciences precinct. Years 3-4 clinical placements distributed across Princess Alexandra, Royal Brisbane, Mater, Gold

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; Curtin and UQ differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.