Curtin vs UWA

Curtin uses UCAT-ANZ and CASPer. UWA uses UCAT-ANZ and 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). UWA — Graduate Pathway: minimum 55 overall, 50 each section. 2027 interview shortlist: 60% GPA + 40% GAMSAT (changed from prior 50/50). 2026 successful interview cohort average GAMSAT 68.53. 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). UWA — Direct Pathway only — competitive UCAT ~3000+ with effective cut-off ~2970 for local WA applicants (old /3600 scale; aggregator-derived). UCAT cut-off year-on-year not officially published. 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. UWA — Direct Pathway: HAA / Broadway / Rural streams require ATAR 98 minimum; Indigenous Pathway via CAMDH ATAR 90. Underlying Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) UP056 TISC ranks: 92.00 minimum / lowest selected 96.65 (2024) → 97.50 (2025) — a +0.85 year-on-year tightening. 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. UWA — Graduate Pathway minimum 5.5 unweighted. 2026 successful interview cohort average GPA 6.82. Direct Pathway: students enrol in Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) UG056 for 2 years, then progress to MD conditional on GPA 5.5 minimum. 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). UWA 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 (UWA).

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. UWA — 2027 cycle: 74 CSP + 29 BMP (28.5%) + up to 40 international ≈ 143-145 domestic (Fraser's). Indigenous allocation up to 10% of domestic places. 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. UWA — CAMDH / Boola Boola Djinda — Centre for Aboriginal Medical and Dental Health runs the dedicated Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander pathway for both UWA MD and DMD. Direct Pathway Indigenous ATAR threshold 90 (vs 98 standard). 2027 Indigenous allocation up to 10% of domestic places. 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. UWA — ~30% of domestic places allocated rural. 2027 final ranking (rural): GPA 22.5% + GAMSAT 15% + Interview 27.5% + Rurality rating 25%. Standard non-rural final ranking: GPA 30% + GAMSAT 20% + Interview 50%. 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. UWA releases medicine offers December-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.

Curtin runs a Integrated curriculum. UWA 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 UWA specifics: Direct Pathway: Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) (UG056) 2 years with GPA 5.5 minimum to progress, then MD. Graduate Pathway: 4-year MD. Both converge into shared MD clinical years. Foundations a

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 UWA differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.