08 Mar 2019
Students interested in medicine and Dentistry recently attended a presentation from NIE on pathways into medicine and dentistry with particular focus on UCAT the aptitude test that universities use to select students along with ATAR scores for an admissions interview. Candidates must excel in all 3 areas to be accepted into a course at the following institutions.
The University of Adelaide Medicine, Dental Surgery, Oral Health
Curtin University Medicine
Monash University Medicine
The University of Newcastle / University of New England Joint Medical Program
The University of New South Wales Medicine
The University of Queensland Medicine (provisional entry), Dental Science
University of Tasmania Medicine
The University of Western Australia Medicine (Direct Pathway), Dental Medicine (Direct Pathway)
Western Sydney University Medicine
The University of Auckland Medicine
University of Otago Medicine, Dental Surgery
Other institutions not included here such as University of Sydney, James Cook University and Bond University use other criteria for course entry and usually require a selection rank of 99.95 however, this may include adjustment factors (formerly bonus marks).
Some interesting Information came from the presentation
Bookings must be made for the UCAT and opened 1st March, close 16th May
Cost is $299 to sit the test
Testing is in July as per booking
Doctor of Medicine or Dentistry courses usually require application direct to the University as well as through UAC
Each University requires a separate application
93 ATAR is often sufficient and 90 has been successful, depending on UCAT and interview,
Committing to a bonded position at UNSW (commitment to working in a rural area) reduces the selection rank by approximately 2 marks.
UCAT practice will benefit greatly as the test depends on problem solving skills and speed,
The most economical method for preparing for UCAT as advised by the presenter is the Kaplan resources only $59
https://www.nie.edu.au/ucat-courses/ucat-books