Excerpt
Applying to medical school is an exciting time, but the various components involved in the application can make it a stressful process for most. While it may be challenging, Icon Education is here to aid you throughout your application journey.
What does UWA Medicine look for?
The University of Western Australia’s (UWA) has a competitive medical programme that boasts robust clinical practice and research opportunities. It has approximately 206 domestic places and 40 international places, with half of those places reserved for postgraduate applicants.
Students who intend to enter via the Assured Pathway will graduate with two degrees within six years, first reading the Bachelor of Biomedicine (Specialised) programme with the extended Integrated Medical Sciences and Clinical Practices major, before directly progressing to the Doctor of Medicine (MD) professional degree. Do note that acceptance into the MD is conditional upon successful completion of the Bachelors’ component.
Undergraduate Assured Pathway
The typical grade profiles of accepted applicants who apply through the school level entry path into the Assured Pathway programme are as follows:
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Australian Tertiary Admission Rank (ATAR) |
Minimally 98.00 points total for Rural/ Broadway/ High Academic Achievers (HAA), and minimally 90.00 points total for applicants in the Indigenous school leaver pathway. |
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International Baccalaureate |
Minimally 40 points total. |
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Singapore and Cambridge General Certificate of Education Advanced Level/ GCE A-Levels |
Minimally 14.5 points total. The point system is as follows for subjects taken at a H2 level: A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, and as follows for subjects taken at a H1 level: A=2.5, B=2, C=1.5, D=1, E=0.5. |
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Scholastic Assessment Test (SAT) |
Minimally 1420 points total. Take a SAT diagnostic test. |
These are the required scores for some common tests taken by applicants to prove their English proficiency levels:
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IELTS |
Overall score of minimally 6.5, with no individual band score falling below 6.0. |
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Special Tertiary Admissions Test (STAT) |
Minimum score of 140 for both verbal and written english sections. |
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Pearson Test of English (Academic) |
Overall score of minimally 64, with scores that do not fall below 59 in the speaking and writing sections, and scores not falling below 54 in the listening and reading sections. |
The University Clinical Aptitude Test Australia and New Zealand (UCAT ANZ)
The UCAT ANZ is a test specifically designed to assess your aptitude to study medicine, covering sections on verbal reasoning, decision making, quantitative reasoning and situational judgement. Although the exact cut-off score has not been made public, do work on scoring highly for your UCAT as it has a 20% weightage on the final ranking for the MD programme.
You can take a free UCAT diagnostic test here at Icon Education.
International Student Admissions Test (ISAT)
International students have to take the additional ISAT as well, which aims to test your suitability to embark on tertiary education. The sections in the ISAT are structured in a way that assesses your critical thinking and quantitative reasoning skills, and a competitive score usually sits around the 25th percentile.
You can also take a free ISAT diagnostic test here at Icon Education.
Postgraduate Pathway
For those applying for graduate entry into the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme, you have to obtain a minimum of 5.5 for your selection GPA (sGPA).
The Medical College Admission Test (MCAT) or the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)
Both the MCAT and GAMSAT serve to determine how you will likely perform in medical school.
The MCAT has four sections, namely: Biological and Biochemical Foundations of Living Systems; Chemical and Physical Foundations of Biological Systems; Psychological, Social, and Biological Foundations of Behaviour; and Critical Analysis and Reasoning Skills. To have a chance at gaining entry into the MD programme, you have to obtain an overall score of minimally 500, with no section score falling below 124.
Similarly, the GAMSAT has three sections, namely: Reasoning in Humanities and Social Sciences, Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences, and Written Communication. A competitive score would be an overall score of minimally 55, with no section score falling below 50.
Interviews
Successfully shortlisted applicants who rank highly for both undergraduate and postgraduate entry pathways will be invited to attend an interview, which will take up 50% weightage on the final ranking.
The interview functions similarly to that of a Multi Mini Interview (MMI), with stations created to assess your fit with the programme in a holistic manner. The series of questions asked can range from topics such as understanding your motivation to study medicine to even posing ethical dilemmas for you to unpack.
Tips to enhance your application
In order to stand out amongst the other equally academically inclined applicants, these are a few pointers that you can take into consideration:
1. It is always wise to prepare early and give yourself sufficient buffer time to properly prepare for all the components that make up your application. Do not underestimate the amount of time needed to study for the additional entry tests, and ensure that you account for retake timings as a backup.
2. Strategise which test to take, which is particularly relevant for graduate entries. Understand and familiarise yourself with the format of the different tests, and leverage your specific learning style to select accordingly.
3. Medicine is a lifelong vocation, and while you are not obligated to have prior experience in the medical field, it is certainly recommended to try to apply activities in the likes of internships and shadowing experiences. These will help you to better understand your own motivation to pursue medicine, and your alignment with the programme.
We hope that this has helped to clarify the process. If you find yourself requiring targeted help, definitely reach out to us at Icon Education, we are more than happy to accompany and guide you through this journey!
Additional resources
https://www.icon-plus.com/articles/australia-med-guide-2024
