The first step in studying to be a doctor is applying to a medicine degree! While this sounds easy enough, the process can often be confusing. This article will run through key information for applying to a medical degree so you will be able to apply today!

What is the UAC?

The University Admissions Centre (UAC) is the platform used by universities in New South Wales and the ACT for applying and admitting students into tertiary programs. This article will walk aspiring medical students through the key steps in process of submitting a UAC application.

One of the key roles of the UAC is calculating each student’s ATAR or ATAR equivalent. This is important as ATAR usually makes up one of the selection requirements for medical school courses across Australia. An often confusing part of the UAC are preferencing and offer rounds. This is because there are multiple dates where offers to medical schools may be received, and this may impact the way one chooses to order their preference on their UAC application. Additionally, students only get a limited number of preferences per round which means you must be tactical with the courses you select when trying to gain entry.

How do preferences work?

Preferences refer to the order in which you rank the courses you are interested in when applying. The UAC allows for five preferences. The UAC will offer you your highest-preference eligible course during offer rounds. You are able to change your preferences before offer rounds, however the week before an offer round they will freeze.

This means that you can receive multiple offers if you get one during an early round, and then move it to a lower preference and try get another offer in a later round. Do note that accepting an offer in an early round DOES NOT stop you from being considered for a future round, so a general rule of thumb is to always accept an offer and decline it in the future.

Universities may offer a bonded position with a separate course code than an unbonded position. You may wish to include these in your preference list if you want to maximise your chances of getting entry into medicine. If you place the bonded position above the unbonded position in your preference list, you may receive the bonded spot even if you qualify for a CSP position in a given medical program. Hence, the general rule of thumb is to place CSP positions above bonded positions in your preference order.

How do offer rounds work?

An offer round is a set date during which a student is allocated a spot into the highest preferences course they are eligible for. While the UAC has many offer rounds, the most important ones for students interested in medicine are the December Round 2, January Round 1 and January Round 2.

• December Round 2 (the first ATAR based offer) needs preferences to be locked in by Friday 7th November 2024, and offers will be made on 23rd December 2024.
• January Round 1 needs preferences to be locked in by 5th December 2024, and offers will be made on 9th January 2025.
• January Round 2 needs preferences to be locked in by 2nd January 2025, and offers will be made on 22nd Jan 2025.
• February Round 1 needs to be locked in by 23rd January 2025, and offers will be made on 6th Feb 2025.

Key university dates

Different universities operate at different schedules, and there may even be some discrepancies based on whether you are a local or interstate student. The following list will summarise the key dates for each of the main UAC medical schools that offer an undergraduate degree. 

Note: A couple universities such as UNSW and JMP require an application to the UAC, as well as a direct application to the faculty through the university website. The deadlines for these applications are generally the 30th of September. 

Western Sydney University/Charles Sturt University (JPM)

• Deadline for including WSU as UAC preference: 27th September 2024
• Offers released: December Round 2

Note: To be eligible for Western Sydney University, applicants must have a competitive UCAT, receive a competitive ATAR and have satisfactory interview performance. Completion of the UCAT is necessary in order to be eligible to apply.

University of Newcastle and University of New England (JMP)

• Deadline for including JMP as UAC preference: 30th September 2024 if Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander, 1st December 2024 for all other applicants
• Deadline for direct application to faculty: 30th Sept 2024
• Offers released:
  • December Round 2 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants
  • January Round 1 for NSW, ACT, Qld and all rural applicants:
  • January Round 2 for Interstate non-rural applicants

Note: The admission criteria for JMP includes the UCAT, ATAR and an interview. Completion of the UCAT is necessary in order to be eligible to apply.

UNSW

• Deadline for including as UAC preference: 1st December 2024
• Deadline for direct application to faculty: 30th September 2024
• Offers released: January Round 1, January Round 2, February Round 1

Note: There are different offer rounds for UNSW. What this means is if you didn’t receive an offer in an early round, you may still receive a top up offer in a later round. Interstate applicants who have late interviews will only be eligible for later offer rounds. This also means if you receive an offer for a higher preference course in an early round, you can move UNSW to a higher preference and then attempt to get a place in the medicine program in a future round.

You should also be aware of what UCAT & ATAR you need to get into UNSW.

For a video tutorial on how to apply to start a UAC application