What admission tests do Griffith and Newcastle / JMP use?+
Griffith uses GAMSAT. Newcastle / JMP uses UCAT-ANZ. 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 Griffith vs Newcastle / JMP?+
Griffith — Minimum 50 in each section AND 50 overall. Interview shortlist rank: 50:50 unweighted GPA (as %) + overall GAMSAT (out of 100). Final offer rank: 50% interview-selection rank + 50% GUMSAA interview score. 2025 intake average GAMSAT 66.39. Newcastle / JMP — does not publish a GAMSAT cut-off (may not use GAMSAT; check the admission-test question above). 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 UCAT-ANZ score do I need for Griffith vs Newcastle / JMP?+
Griffith — does not publish a UCAT-ANZ cut-off (may not use UCAT-ANZ; check the admission-test question above). Newcastle / JMP — No published cut-off; first-stage interview selection is essentially 100% weighted on UCAT-ANZ after the ATAR hurdle is met. Lowest recorded UCAT for a JMP interview (non-rural, 2022/2023 cycle) ~95th percentile. 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.
What ATAR do I need for Griffith vs Newcastle / JMP?+
Griffith — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. Newcastle / JMP — ATAR hurdle: Standard / metropolitan 94.30; Rural Bonus Scheme 85.00. Once met, ATAR no longer ranks — UCAT and interview drive ranking. 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.
What GPA do I need for Griffith vs Newcastle / JMP?+
Griffith — Minimum 5.0/7.0. Griffith explicitly states "a GPA required for interview selection is likely to be significantly higher than 5.0". 2025 intake average GPA 6.68. Newcastle / JMP — GPA not published in the structured AU requirements. 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 Griffith and Newcastle / JMP?+
Griffith uses: Multi-Mini Interview (typically 8-10 stations; exact count varies cycle to cycle per GUMSAA framework). Newcastle / JMP uses: Multi-Mini Interview (~10 stations). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: September-October (Griffith); October-November (Newcastle / JMP).
What place types (CSP / BMP / Full-fee) do Griffith and Newcastle / JMP offer?+
Griffith — 2027 cycle: 148 CSP + 60 BMP + 80 BMedSci pathway (incl. 28.5% BMP) + up to 35 international. Newcastle / JMP — Total CSP across JMP (UoN + UNE combined): ~170/year, including ~48 BMP (~28.5% of CSP under national mandate). International stream separate and smaller. 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 Griffith and Newcastle / JMP offer?+
Griffith — Bespoke Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathway via GEMSAS. Newcastle / JMP — Miroma Bunbilla pre-entry program for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; dedicated places not publicly specified. Indigenous applicants exempt from the Personal Qualities Assessment. 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 Griffith or Newcastle / JMP offer bonded / rural-entry places?+
Griffith — BMP places carry rural-bonded service obligations. Rural priority: ≥5 consecutive or ≥10 cumulative years in MM2-MM7 area (2019 MMM). BMedSci provisional UG pathway has 28.5% BMP-reserved places. ATAR for BMedSci pathway: 99.85 for school-leaver entry. Newcastle / JMP — Rural Bonus Scheme (ATAR 85). ~48 BMP places per year. JMP is one of Australia's longest-standing rural-focused programs. Note: Situational Judgement Test excluded for 2026 entry applicants. 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?+
Griffith typically releases medicine offers November. Newcastle / JMP 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.
What curriculum style do Griffith and Newcastle / JMP use?+
Griffith runs a Integrated curriculum. Newcastle / JMP runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Griffith specifics: 4-year graduate MD. Years 1-2 hospital-integrated foundations at the Gold Coast (Southport) campus and Gold Coast University Hospital. Years 3-4 clinical placements across Gold Coast Health, Logan, To Newcastle / JMP specifics: 5-year joint program (BMedSci + MD). Years 1-2 foundations and PBL at Callaghan or Armidale; years 3-5 clinical placements across Hunter New England LHD, Central Coast, and rural clinical schools.
Should I apply to both Griffith and Newcastle / JMP?+
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; Griffith and Newcastle / JMP differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.
