Regional Training Hubs provides comprehensive support to help rural high school students navigate their pathway into medicine. This includes mentoring and guidance throughout the application process, as well as preparation sessions for the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC) applications, and medical school interviews. We provide access to current medical student mentors who share advice and encouragement based on their own experiences.

Each year we visit rural high schools to deliver information sessions for Year 11 and 12 students and offer career taster workshops tailored to each school’s needs. In addition, practical assistance is available for students who need to travel for tests and interviews. This can include financial support, airport pick-up and drop-off, transport to accommodation and test venues, and arranging accommodation in the same hotel as other rural students.

Apply here for logistical or financial support

A good place to begin is by ensuring you have selected Chemistry as one of your senior school subjects, as this keeps your options open across all universities.

If you are in Year 11 or 12, your school can arrange a meeting with the Regional Training Hubs' Rural High School Medical Program Coordinator. The Program Coordinator will provide guidance and help you stay on top of key deadlines throughout the application process.

There is no need to pay for external tutoring or coaching—all the support and information you need is available free of charge either through Regional Training Hubs or other stakeholders.

Get in contact with the Rural High School Medical Program Coordinator here

There are two main pathways to studying medicine at university. The first is the school leaver pathway, which requires you to achieve a high Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR), complete the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT), and attend a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI).

The second is the graduate entry pathway, where you will need to have a strong Grade Point Average (GPA), complete the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT), and attend a MMI.

All the resources you need to prepare for these tests are available for free on the official UCAT and GAMSAT websites, so there is no need to pay for external preparation courses.

The UCAT is required for school leavers applying to medicine or dentistry. It assesses skills such as verbal reasoning, decision-making, quantitative reasoning, and situational judgement. Even if you are unsure about studying medicine, it is worth sitting the UCAT, as you can then decide later whether to apply.

The GAMSAT is required for graduate entry into medicine or dentistry. It covers areas including humanities, social sciences, english, biology, and the physical sciences.

The Multiple Mini Interview consists of a series of short, timed interview stations, each designed to assess different skills and attributes. These may include ethics, social issues, situational judgement, and personal insight, providing a comprehensive view of your suitability for medicine.

RCSWA offers interview preparation sessions, which are typically held in September, to help you feel confident and well-prepared.

At the University of Western Australia and the University of Notre Dame Australia, the assured pathway allows you to be accepted into both an undergraduate degree and the postgraduate Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at the same time. Provided you maintain a strong GPA, your place in the MD program is guaranteed.

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) is a four-year postgraduate degree, while the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) is a five-year undergraduate degree. Both qualifications allow you to become a doctor, and your career progression remains the same regardless of which degree you complete.

The ATAR score you need to achieve to study medicine varies by university and is subject to change each year.

• Curtin 95 includes eligible bonus schemes
• UWA 98 includes eligible bonus schemes
• UNDA 90 (raw) no bonus schemes applied

It is completely normal to feel uncertain about your score. UCAT results are used to rank applicants for interviews and offers, but it is not possible to compare your score meaningfully without knowing the results and preferences of all the other applicants. Instead, focus on what you can control at this stage, achieving the strongest possible ATAR and preparing thoroughly for your interview.

Universities are required to admit a certain number of students from rural or remote areas, and each university offers specific entry options. At the University of Western Australia (UWA) and Curtin University, rural entry is available through their assured pathways, while the University of Notre Dame Australia offers rural entry through its postgraduate program.

To apply, you will need to submit the relevant rural eligibility forms. For UWA and Notre Dame, these are submitted through the Tertiary Institutions Service Centre (TISC), while Curtin University requires a direct application.

Eligibility is based on where you have lived. You must have resided in a rural or remote area, as defined by the Modified Monash Model (MM2–MM7), for either five consecutive years or ten cumulative years.

• Download UWA Rural Eligibility Form here
• Download Curtin Rural Eligibility Form here
• Access the Modified Monash Model here
• UNDA Rural Eligibility Form in development