Macquarie vs Monash

Macquarie uses GAMSAT. Monash 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.

Macquarie — Minimum 50 overall, 50 in each section. Used at 50% weight (alongside 50% GPA) for interview shortlist. 2024 intake average successful GAMSAT ~66. Monash — NOT required. Removed from Graduate Entry selection in 2017; never used for Direct Entry. 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.

Macquarie — does not publish a UCAT-ANZ cut-off (may not use UCAT-ANZ; check the admission-test question above). Monash — Direct Entry only. 2026 entry December round cut-off ~2380/2700 (~94th percentile, post-rebase). 2023 entry on old /3600 scale was ~2990 non-rural / ~2620 rural — not directly comparable due to 2024 UCAT-ANZ rebase. 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.

Macquarie — ATAR data not published in the structured AU requirements; see free-text admission requirements on the school page. Monash — Direct Entry minimum ATAR 90; competitive typically ≥99.45. 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.

Macquarie — Minimum 5.0/7.0 (or WAM 65). 2024 intake average successful GPA ~6.7/7.0. Monash — Graduate Entry: WAM minimum 70. Lowest accepted WAM (2025 cycle, student-reported) 81.179. 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.

Macquarie uses: Multi-Mini Interview (~8 stations). Monash uses: Multi-Mini Interview (8 stations × 8 min, 2 min reading). Different formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each. Interview windows: September-October (Macquarie); October-December (Monash).

Macquarie — Full-fee only — no Commonwealth Supported Places. 2027: 60 full-fee domestic + ~20 international. Up to 30 interview places reserved for Macquarie Bachelor of Clinical Science graduates. Monash — Direct Entry: ~234 domestic + 30 Extended Rural Cohort = ~264 (Clayton). Graduate Entry: ~70 domestic + 30 Rural End-to-End + ~30 international (Gippsland). BMP allocation 28.5% of all Monash medicine 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.

Macquarie — Macquarie offers an Aboriginal & Torres Strait Islander pathway; quota not specified. Monash — William Cooper Institute (formerly Yulendj Indigenous Engagement Unit) — admissions test (UCAT/GAMSAT) waived for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants; ATAR 50+ entry via VTAC with academic support via the Gukwonderuk Indigenous Health Workforces Centre. Both schools accept ATSI applicants through the standard pathway as well; the dedicated pathway typically offers adjusted academic thresholds plus wrap-around academic support.

Macquarie — bonded/rural data not published in the structured AU requirements. Monash — BMP 28.5% of all Monash places. Direct Entry Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) up to 30 places at Clayton; Graduate Entry Rural End-to-End Cohort 30 places. The federal BMP allocates ~28.5% of CSP places nationally; individual schools sit above or below that benchmark depending on their workforce remit.

Macquarie typically releases medicine offers November. Monash 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.

Macquarie runs a Integrated curriculum. Monash runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Macquarie specifics: 4-year MD with hospital-integrated placements from year 1 at Macquarie University Hospital. Years 3-4 expand to broader Sydney clinical school network. Strong emphasis on digital health, simulation, a Monash specifics: Direct Entry 5-year MD: years 1-2 foundations and clinical skills at Clayton; years 3-5 clinical placements across Monash Health, Peninsula, and rural clinical schools. Graduate Entry 4-year MD at the

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; Macquarie and Monash differ in their selection mechanics, so prepping both adds genuine optionality.