NSW hosts the densest cluster of Australian medical schools, from the research-intensive Sydney MD and undergraduate UNSW pathway through to rural-mandate joint programs at Charles Sturt and the Joint Medical Program at Newcastle. Selection methods span every major test on the Australian market — GAMSAT (Sydney, Macquarie, Notre Dame, Wollongong) and UCAT-ANZ (UNSW, Western Sydney, Newcastle, Charles Sturt) — with MMI the dominant interview format.
Overview
Studying medicine in New South Wales
NSW applicants split across two completely different application systems. Undergraduate school-leaver entry (UNSW, Western Sydney, Newcastle/JMP, Charles Sturt) runs through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) on UCAT-ANZ plus ATAR, while graduate entry (Sydney, Macquarie, Notre Dame Sydney, Wollongong) runs through GEMSAS on GAMSAT plus GPA. Most NSW schools weight UCAT-ANZ or GAMSAT heavily at the shortlisting stage, with MMI the dominant interview format. Rural-origin and Indigenous pathways operate alongside the standard quota at almost every school, and Charles Sturt and Western Sydney carry explicit rural-workforce mandates tied to the Modified Monash Model (MM2–7).
Places + funding. Domestic places are Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) — you pay a student contribution (the medicine band is roughly AUD $12,700/year) and can defer it through HECS-HELP. Around 28.5% of CSP places nationally are Bonded Medical Places (BMP), committing you to a period of practice in an eligible regional, rural or remote area after fellowship. International full-fee places run from roughly AUD $80,000–$95,000/year.
Schools
Medical schools in New South Wales
8 medical schools in New South Wales for 2027 entry — click any school for the full how-to-get-in guide including GAMSAT / UCAT-ANZ thresholds, ATAR cut-offs, and New South Wales-specific entry advice.
Eight: the University of Sydney, UNSW Sydney, Western Sydney University, Macquarie University, the University of Notre Dame (Sydney), the University of Newcastle / University of New England Joint Medical Program (JMP), the University of Wollongong, and Charles Sturt University (the Western Sydney–Charles Sturt joint rural program).
Undergraduate school-leaver programs use UCAT-ANZ plus ATAR (UNSW, Western Sydney, Newcastle/JMP, Charles Sturt). Graduate programs use GAMSAT plus GPA (Sydney, Macquarie, Notre Dame Sydney, Wollongong). Sydney ranks standard-pathway applicants on individual GAMSAT section scores and has had no interview since the 2021 cycle.
Undergraduate NSW courses are listed through the Universities Admissions Centre (UAC). Graduate-entry NSW programs are processed through GEMSAS, the national consortium that handles graduate medical applications. Notre Dame Sydney and Macquarie also take direct applications for some pathways — always check each school's current process.
Undergraduate NSW programs typically set an ATAR threshold around 95–96 (UNSW historically the most competitive), used alongside UCAT-ANZ and the MMI. Adjustment factors — rural origin, educational disadvantage (the Educational Access Scheme) and Indigenous pathways — can lower the effective ATAR requirement. See each school's page for the current cut-off.
Yes. Charles Sturt and Western Sydney run an explicitly rural-mandated joint program, and most other NSW schools reserve a share of places for rural-background applicants under the Rural Background entry stream tied to the Modified Monash Model (MM2–7). Newcastle/JMP and Wollongong both have strong regional clinical footprints.
Each NSW school runs a dedicated Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathway — for example Sydney's Gadigal Program (formerly Cadigal; administered via the IAAG), UNSW's Gateway and Indigenous admission schemes, and equivalent pathways at the other schools. These typically combine a relaxed academic hurdle with a values-and-motivation interview rather than the standard ranking.
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