Hey, I'm a Canadian who got into both UniMelb and USyd for medicine, and I was wondering if any current students at either school could share their experiences and why they chose one over the other. Would especially love to hear from other Canadian/international students!

From what I've heard, Melbourne as a city might suit me better than Sydney, but ultimately I'm going there for med school, so my decision will mostly come down to the opportunities each school offers. Especially since international tuition is so expensive, I really want to make sure I'm getting the most out of my experience and that the opportunities justify the cost.

I'm interested in things like international clinical electives (especially in Canada), how big the Canadian student community is and whether there are resources for preparing for applying back home, how the programs are structured, and how supportive the schools are in general.

I've also heard that Melbourne relies quite a bit on pre-recorded lectures, but I'm not sure if that's still the case or if students actually find it affects their learning. I'm also curious about research opportunities, especially whether there are paid positions available for med students.

I'd really appreciate hearing about what you like or dislike about either program, or anything you think is worth considering that I might've missed. Especially if you were deciding between the two schools yourself, what ultimately made you choose one over the other?

Edit: For context, Melbourne is probably $30,000 more in tuition per year, so basically is it worth that much? I'm pretty sure the answer is no, but I wanted to double check with y'all.

Hi all,

I'm wondering if there are any MD1+ students from UQ who could please share their typical weekly workload of study. In particular, I'm keen to know the following:

- Roughly how many hours/days are required on-campus and in hospital,

- How much could be done online (recorded lectures, etc), and

- How much extra time should typically be allocated to extra study (probably highly variable).

I'm interested so as to weigh up various potential work options should I be accepted.

Thanks in advance.

Hey all. I’m reaching out looking for some advice before starting my Dentistry course at unimelb.

1. What is the timetable like? Is it fixed and given to me by the uni or do I allocate my subjects?

2. how many days a week would I be expected to go to uni and would I be able to work on the side?

3. How is the workload and what is some advice on keeping up with the workload so as not to fall behind?

4. I saw that some practical assessments are hurdle and failing them can lead to repeating the year. This is kind of giving me some anxiety. Are these practical assignments super difficult or doable?

I’m sorry if these questions seem silly or stupid. Congratulations on everyone else who’s received an offer and good luck to everyone who’s applied and waiting for second rounds and to all those on their medical and dental school journeys!

I saw in the admissions guide that if you have been to a course academic progress meeting, you need to declare it so USYD can decide if they would consider admitting you even if you have met the requirements. I am debating if I should sit GAMSAT or not and I would like to know if anyone has been through this process and if they have made it through.

Having sat the test for sep 2026, i realized how much the actual exam deviates from ACER material (way more data/graph interpretation and cognitive overload). Right after taking the test, I got some advice from ai tools that I can practice those skill via MCAT passages, and I've been grinding MCAT (mainly graph) passages to enhance reasoning and several skills. Since time is pretty limited, i want to make sure i am studying as efficiently as possible. How are you guys working on it? any specific resources or routines?

I’m graduating high school this year and will be completing an arts (or Arts/Law) degree, beginning next year. I have always been strongest in English, History etc, but I also love STEM and am doing higher-level maths at the moment. I am not, however, doing any of the sciences as a senior - I dropped Physics in Year 11 (I enjoyed it, but it was the hardest of my subjects, it took up too much time and I didn’t need it as I already had enough subjects to fulfil HSC requirements).

If I complete an undergrad Arts degree and tutor myself in Section 3 content (by doing bridging courses and GAMSAT tutoring/self-tutoring, for example) can I excel in the GAMSAT?

Many people I’ve spoken with say that this is quite possible but I would like your honest perspectives as GAMSAT-sitters.

Thank you!

Hi everyone!

Hope you are all doing well!

Just wondering if anyone has experience with adding the UNDS Full Fee Paying (FFP) option after submitting their original GEMSAS application.

If you initially didn’t select FFP on GEMSAS but then submitted the separate UNDS form to opt in before the deadline:

- How long after the deadline did you receive the confirmation/approval email?

- Was it generally fairly soon after the deadline, or did it take a few weeks?

- Has anyone ever had their request to add FFP rejected/declined, despite submitting the form before the deadline?

Would really appreciate hearing from anyone who has gone through this in previous application cycles!

Thanks!

Hey guys just wanted to ask how everyone else found the interview, heard things over on the discord but wanted to see how others felt about it.

I reckon I did well on 7-8/10 of the questions but I occasionally rambled because of how long the questions / stems were, did anyone else experience the same

They also deliberated for 4 mins, dont know if that is good haha

Hey everyone,

I’m in a bit of a stressful situation with my GPA and could really use some advice from anyone who has applied to Irish Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) with an international degree.

I’m an EU citizen, but I’m currently finishing my final year of a B.Sc. in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology at the University of Health and Allied Sciences (UHAS) in Ghana. My plan is to move to Ireland right after graduation and work for 3 years to clear the residency requirement so I can get EU fee status before applying to GEM.

Here’s where it gets messy. I’m on track to finish with a 3.00 CGPA out of 4.00. In Ghana’s national university system, a 3.0 is universally recognized as a Second Class Upper. But my specific university uses a strict internal scale where a 3.25 is required for a Second Class Upper, meaning my 3.0 will officially be printed on my final transcript as a Second Class Lower.

I know Irish GEM is super rigid about needing a 2:1 (Upper Second Class) on your very first degree.

Does anyone know if the CAO just looks at the literal words "Second Class Lower" and auto-rejects you? Or do Irish admissions offices actually look at the numerical value (3.0/4.0) and use databases like NARIC to see what it’s actually worth internationally?

If the text means an automatic rejection for GEM, my backup is to do a Master's in Biotech in Ireland and apply for the standard 5-year undergrad medicine route as an EU mature graduate instead. Has anyone taken that path?

My dream is to eventually train in neurosurgery in Ireland, so I'm trying to figure out the best way to handle this transcript hurdle without killing that goal before I even start. I’ve already emailed UCD, RCSI, UCC, and UL, but I’d love to hear from anyone who has actually dealt with the CAO on something like this.

Thanks so much!

Hi everyone,

I have a somewhat unusual situation and was hoping someone might have experience with this.

I'm currently a Chinese citizen with Australian permanent residency and have lived in Australia for about 12 years. I'm considering applying for graduate-entry medicine in the UK.

As I understand it, I'd be considered an international student in the UK regardless of whether I'm a Chinese citizen or an Australian citizen, so citizenship itself may not affect the application process. My main concern is what happens afterwards.

If I complete medical school in the UK and then undertake 1 year of foundation/residency training there, would returning to Australia be straightforward while holding Australian permanent residency? Or would obtaining Australian citizenship make the process significantly easier?

I'm also curious whether anyone has given up Australian PR to apply to Australian postgraduate medicine programs as an international student instead. I currently have a GPA of 6.8 and a GAMSAT score of 62. These scores were not competitive enough for an interview as a domestic applicant, but I understand they can almost guarantee a spot in international applicant pool.

I'd really appreciate hearing from anyone who has been through a similar situation or has knowledge of the medical registration and training pathway between the UK and Australia.

Thanks very much!

Hi guys,

For anyone that claimed the 2% full-time work bonus. Were your annual leave/sick leave hours accounted for in relation to the total hours worked? Unsure if they're only thinking about pure work hours rather than total work hours.

Hello!

I'm 26 years old. I graduated with a Bachelor of Nursing at VU, and have been working in mental health nursing since I graduated.

Growing up, I was super disinterested in school and actually missed out on a lot of school from year 7 to year 12. Because of this, I did a diploma of nursing as a pathway into the bachelors of nursing.

In my nursing degree, I got a WAM of 70.90 and GPA: 5.50.

I was super interested in all things medical related in my nursing placements. However, mental health had been a long term passion for me so I went through that pathway.

For a while now, I've been considering sitting the GAMSAT and giving it my best go.

I guess, I'd really appreciate any advice from nurses particularly who have made that transition into medicine?

Thank you, any advice would be appreciated :))

Hi all,

As the title says, i'm looking for a second opinion on my next steps. My current GPA is sitting at 6.3, but I'm about to finish my honours year and pretty confident I'm on track to a H1 given what I'm currently sitting on + feedback from my supervisor. If I do manage to pull it off, it gives me a 7 for UQ and a new weighted GPA of 6.67 for some unis. Weighted GAMSAT is 67.

I really enjoyed my honours year as I chose to do it not only to improve my GPA but as a passion project in a field I am genuinely interested in. I would definitely do a PhD if I didn't get into med, but if did get accepted with the next round of applications, that would definitely be my priority.

The predicament is that I won't find out if I've been accepted until November 2027, meaning that my options are:
1. Apply for PhD, commence in June, with the possibility that I get accepted in September and bail PhD. The positive of this option would be that if I didn't get into med, I'd still be on a trajectory I'm happy with (although the end goal really would still be MD, so I'm worried I may no longer be eligible for HECS if I complete a PhD?) Any information on this would also be appreciated!
2. Find a research-related/ TI/ Exercise Physiologist job (was previously an EP) and work for a year, maybe work on GAMSAT score and hope I get in over the next year or two

I'm also 27, which I know is not old but 1) i've been trying to get into med for a few years now and 2) I'd like to have kids at perhaps 34/35 (among other goals) so I think I'm really at my last couple of years trying to get in..

I'd really appreciate any advice, and maybe a fresh perspective if anyone is willing to share.

Thanks guys and good luck to everyone else out there. It's certainly a rough road.

I've just recieved an email from Flinders Uni that I've been waitlisted for an interview which is honestly way more than I was expecting when I applied for it, especially as I didn't get anything from gemsas. But I'm just wondering if anyone actually doesn't attend their interview and as such how high (or low) the chances are that I will actually get an interview. Ik its a long shot and I definitely haven't got my hopes up but I was just wondering if anyone else has had a similar experience they could share

Hi all,

Don’t want to be identified so to keep it simple I’m in allied health and have been at my current place of work for almost a year. I applied for another job in July as I’m looking to advance in my career and get trained up in a specific sector of my field in allied health. I would’ve stuck it out at my current job if I felt my gamsat was high enough to get an interview. And it was unlikely I’d even get an interview for this job because it’s so far above my skill bracket (for the year of experience I have)

They never got back to me. Then I got a med interview for my top preference…..and 3 days later I got an interview for this job!

I’ve done both, I’m 90% sure I’ll get the job but not sure about medicine (at my top preference). If I don’t get into med I do want this job.

Only issue is I start November, it’s an hour from home so I’d move out and sign a lease before I start med. And maybe a week into the job (or even a week before I start) I’d know about med.

This is an issue because I’d quit my current job which is close enough to my parents place to work casually in the first year of med if I get into my top preference med school near home.

Also I feel so bad taking a job only to drop to causal after working 2 months

I haven’t told the job this because I don’t wanna hurt my chances and it’s honestly unlikely I’ll get in. Getting an interstate place is more likely and that’ll require a bit more thought on my end

Anyone else in a similar predicament?

EDIT: scores (so you can understand why I’m suprised I got an interview).

- 5.9-6.1 GPA (unimelb vs GEMSAS weighting)
- 59 GAMSAT (59,67,55)
- interview: I feel I went okay and not great considering my scores are low even for rural. If I had a 6.3 GPA and maybe 65 gamsat I’d feel better (I’m MM3)

Hellooo. Im currently in my second to last year of my Degree and I was wondering how to actually apply and what admin things I must and should do prepare and apply for dent schools in Aus. - Also does anyone have actual insider about dent schools reputation and the reality of getting in etc.

For the GAMSAT how does it work? Can you do it as many times as you want in the month of March, when theyre actually doing the exams, then they take your best score (out of however many times you did it), or are people doing practice GAMSAT (free online resources) basing their score off that? Or are people actually paying thousands of dollars to redo GAMSAT many, many times to get their best GAMSAT score? Please let me know everything I need to know, I would seriously appreciate it. - Also im assuming that the GAMSAT is similar to the UCAT but harder (idk thats what ive heard). Also whats different from the March and September GAMSAT exam?

Does anyone know if applying via international has an "easier" advantage of getting in etc (im not international just wondering) - And which dent school has the most amount of spots and is "easier" (not easier just a higher chance due to more spots etc) to get in?

Would love and greatly, greatly appreciate all advice - Thank you sm!

Hi Guy,

Applying to Graduate Entry Medicine can feel overwhelming, especially when you have no idea how your GAMSAT score compares to other applicants or which universities people are applying to.

Every year, the Graduate Entry Medicine and UCAT UK subreddit creates a spreadsheet where applicants can anonymously share their GAMSAT scores, university choices, and application outcomes.

I’ve attached a Google Sheets link where you can:
Compare GAMSAT scores with other applicants.
See which universities people have applied to.
Track interview invitations and application outcomes.
Find important dates, including when universities begin sending interview invitations.
The spreadsheet will also be moderated by me to help keep the information organised, accurate, and useful for everyone. I’ll do my best to update and maintain the spreadsheet throughout the application cycle.
The aim is to help applicants get a general idea of where they stand, understand application trends, and connect with others going through the same process.

Also on the Google Sheets on the first page you will see 2026
2025
2024
2023
2022

Click on it and it will show you previous sheets. So it gives you a good advantage to look at the previous years stats for you application.

⚠️** Please remember**: All information is self-reported, and scores or previous application outcomes do not guarantee an interview or offer. Use the spreadsheet as a guide rather than a definitive predictor of your chances.
Whether you’re applying for the first time or reapplying, hopefully this helps you feel more informed throughout the process.

In previous sheets we’ve had problems with UK GAMSAT only students being left out so this me trying to increase
Exposure that you aren’t alone!

I HOPE THE MOD KINGS WILL POSH IT PLSSSS. It’s though out here for GAMSAT UK students.

ITS ALL FREE BTW! If you need any help of guidance reach out to me as I’m the Sheets moderator for this cycle. 🫶🏻🫶🏻

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1hHILzfutBxlfycH3-xDwTnzkHkC-pEcaqdMcrj3CHis/edit?usp=sharing

I really think they need to bring back portfolio applications alongside GAMSAT and GPA.

I’ve heard some amazing stories on here about people working as researchers, nurses, physiotherapists, in business, law and so many other areas. There’s such a goldmine of experience and expertise among applicants that just isn’t being showcased at all through GPA and GAMSAT alone.

I feel like medicine would benefit from actually recognising what people have done, the skills they’ve developed and what they could bring to the profession, rather than reducing applicants to two numbers

Happy to hear others take on this

Hello, here is my profile:

Australian domestic student;

Unable to afford full fees, so CSP/BMP slots only;

Hobart (MM2 region) since January 2021, never left, save for travels and holidays;

Undergraduate degree completed December 2017 (conferred summer 2018), 3-ish GPA on US 4 scale, Australian degrees 2020 and 2022, both 5.8-ish GPA;

Doing GAMSAT now;

No prior medical background;

Willing to relocate to rural localities;

Prefer UTAS or UQ, if possible, though open to all other schools.

Can anyone give me some GAMSAT advice on how much I should be aiming for, and how realistic they are?

I have heard some anecdotes, and am aiming for 70+, and am taking courses now.

Also, any books recommended to read?

Have downloaded anatomy stuff, quite interesting, so far.

Do you think doing Biomed helps with GAMSAT ?

Sat the GAMSAT in March this year and felt confident for half of my answers for S3 and ended up with a 70. Felt a lot better for this September sitting, mainly because I got a lot of familiar sets and had more time to focus on the unfamiliar ones. Does anyone who achieved 75+ for S3 know roughly what raw mark they were achieving prior to sitting this GAMSAT?

Yes, I know about IRT, relative difficulty etc etc, just want to understand whether there is any possibility of achieving a decent S3.

Hey guys!

Basically, what the title says. I'm in my 3rd year of an undergraduate degree, and I don't think I'm going to be making it into an Australian med course this intake. Therefore, i've very recently been considering taking a loan from my parents and studying abroad (i.e Ireland). My WAM is 79 (GPA 3.5/4 -> 80% = HD) and my overall GAMSAT is currently 64.

Does anyone have any advice about chances, which universities to consider, what it's like studying medicine overseas, likelihood of working back in Australia afterwards, etc?

Thank you so much!

Edit: Realising my GPA info might not be clear enough so I'm going to add my weighted GPAs (I think??) down here.

GEMSAS

Fraser Calculator

Flinders = 5.6000 

USyd = 4.4043 

Deakin = 5.9600

UniMelb = 5.2273

ANU = 6.1167

MQ = 6.1167 

Griffith = 6.1333

Griffith Choice GPA = 5.7667*

UND S&F = 5.6854

UQ = 5.2708

UWA = 5.2424

UoW = 6.1167