What admission tests do Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney use?+
Flinders uses GAMSAT. Notre Dame Sydney 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.
What GAMSAT score do I need for Flinders vs Notre Dame Sydney?+
Flinders — Minimum 50 in each section. Flinders explicitly does not publish a fixed cut-off — "dependent upon the profile of the applicant pool and places available for each sub-quota, and therefore vary every year". Forum-derived range ~62-67 for CSP. Notre Dame Sydney — Minimum 52 overall, 50 in each subsection. UNDA averages the three sections rather than using the overall weighted GAMSAT. 2023 intake average successful GAMSAT ~66. 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.
What GPA do I need for Flinders vs Notre Dame Sydney?+
Flinders — Minimum 5.00 (Flinders MD Admissions Guide 2027). Typical successful ~6.0+ (forum-derived). Notre Dame Sydney — Minimum 5.2/7.0 weighted from 3 years FTE. 2023 intake average successful GPA 6.70; competitive target ≥6.3. 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.
How do interviews differ between Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney?+
Flinders uses: 45-minute Panel Interview (NOT MMI — distinctive among AU med schools). Notre Dame Sydney uses: MMI (asynchronous online via Modern Hire). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: September-October (Flinders); September-November (Notre Dame Sydney).
What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney offer?+
Flinders — ~75% of Bedford Park CSP reserved for Flinders graduates. SARM (South Australian Rural Medical Program) up to 60 rural SA places. NTMP (Northern Territory Medical Program) up to 24 NT-funded places. International separate. Notre Dame Sydney — 2027: 40 CSP + 17 BMP + up to 57 Full-fee domestic + up to 35 international = ~149 total (147 in 2026 intake). 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.
What Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathways do Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney offer?+
Flinders — Indigenous Entry Stream (IES) supports and prepares Aboriginal/Torres Strait Islander applicants who hold a bachelor's degree, including those without a valid GAMSAT. Poche Centre for Indigenous Health connections. NTMP prioritises: (1) ATSI applicant meeting NT residency, (2) other NT residents, (3) other applicants. Notre Dame Sydney — UNDA Indigenous entry pathway available; quota not publicly specified. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.
Does Flinders or Notre Dame Sydney offer bonded / rural-entry places?+
Flinders — NTMP: NT government pays course fees in exchange for 4-year NT service commitment. SARM up to 60 rural SA places. Distinctive ~6-month NT placement for non-NT-stream students; full 4-year course delivery available at Darwin. Notre Dame Sydney — 17 BMP places (~30% of CSP equivalents) per 2027 cycle. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.
When does each school release decisions?+
Flinders typically releases medicine offers November-December. Notre Dame Sydney 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.
What curriculum style do Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney use?+
Flinders runs a PBL curriculum. Notre Dame Sydney runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Flinders specifics: 4-year graduate MD with strong PBL backbone — Flinders was one of the first AU schools to adopt PBL in the 1990s. Year 1 foundations and clinical skills at Bedford Park (Adelaide) or Royal Darwin Hosp Notre Dame Sydney specifics: 4-year graduate MD. Years 1-2 foundations with clinical immersion; years 3-4 hospital and rural placements. Mandatory medical ethics thread runs across all four years.
Should I apply to both Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney?+
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; Flinders and Notre Dame Sydney differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.
