Bachelors in Medicine

The objectives of the Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery course are to:

+ Produce knowledgeable, caring and competent graduates, well prepared to practise under supervision as interns and subsequently to commence postgraduate vocational training in any area of medicine
+ Impart knowledge, attitudes and skills that will encourage and enable graduates to practise ethical and scientifically-based health care with a high level of skill and social responsibility and continue to develop their knowledge and skills throughout their career
+ The teaching and learning environment encourages students to develop their own learning styles and ability to use academic resources, while reflecting on their experience of the practice of medicine. The medical course is designed to develop and maintain lifelong patterns of appropriate professional behaviour.

Structure

The course provides an integrated learning environment in which students are introduced to the principles of clinical medicine simultaneously with their introduction to the scientific basis of medicine. The course incorporates the following themes:

+ The Scientific Basis of Medicine
+ Population Health
+ Clinical Skills
+ Professional Behaviour
+ Teaching and learning is practically based and takes place on campus, in community settings and in hospitals.

Teaching and learning methods include:

+ Problem based learning - students work in small groups to understand and solve clinically relevant problems
+ Working in groups, with skilled tutor guidance, to develop team skills and individual learning styles
+ Early and continued exposure to diverse health practice settings to develop clinical skills and professional attitudes
+ Computer assisted learning packages, suitable for group and individual learning
+ Lectures and practical classes
+ Direct patient related teaching in hospitals or clinics

IELTS Requirement :  An overall score of 6.5 or more in the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), including the completion of the Academic Reading and Academic Writing modules, achieving a score of at least 6 in all bands will be required.                   

Weighted UMAT (Melbourne University):

The standardised study scores were taken for each of the three sections for all who took UMAT in 2007. In calculating the weighted UMAT score, Section 1 was given a double weighting and Sections 2 and 3 were given single weightings. The results were then ranked in numerical order of this overall weighted UMAT. The 20th percentile was then calculated from the bottom of this ranked list.

ENTER & weighted UMAT (WUMAT) ranges for 2008 entry

Course ENTER WUMAT

MBBS (CSP) 38241

ENTER stream 99.90 to 99.95 Min 201

UMAT stream 99.40 to 99.95 Min 298

ENTER/UMAT stream 99.80 to 99.85 Min 266

Minimum WUMAT for selected ENTER in ENTER/UMAT stream:

99.85 266

99.80 279

MBBS (Aust full fee) 38242

ENTER stream 99.85 to 99.95 Min 208

UMAT stream 98.25 to 99.95 Min 277

ENTER/UMAT stream 99.30 to 99.80 Min 212

Minimum WUMAT for selected ENTER in ENTER/UMAT stream:

99.80 212

99.70 220

99.60 239

99.50 251

99.40 242

99.30 250

MBBS (CSP bonded) 38111

ENTER stream 99.80 to 99.95 Min 215

UMAT stream 97.15 to 99.90 Min 282

ENTER/UMAT stream 99.05 to 99.75 Min 222

Minimum WUMAT for selected ENTER in ENTER/UMAT stream:

99.70 223

99.60 230

99.55 236

99.40 238

99.30 254

99.20 265

99.10 265

99.05 271

Selection requirements

Selection for MBBS graduate entry in 2009 will be based on:

Academic Record, mainly the grade point average (GPA) from a completed 3 (or more) year university degree
GAMSAT (Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test) or for international applicants only, MCAT (US Medical College Admissions Test)

Structured interview - held in early October 2008

Please note that CVs, references, testimonials, etc are not used in our selection process and should not be submitted or brought to the interview.

Grade point average (GPA)

Applicants must have completed or be completing the final year of a university undergraduate degree recognised by the Faculty and have achieved a weighted GPA of at least 5.5 at the time of application on a seven point scale (approx. 65%). The weighted GPA is calculated on grades achieved in the last three full-time equivalent years of the applicant's most recent undergraduate degree, including an Honours year, with the years progressively weighted x1, x2 and x3. A bonus of 0.2 will apply to PhD graduates. Other qualifications (eg Graduate Diplomas, Masters) are not included in the GPA calculation. The method of calculation of the GPA (prior to weighting) is set out in the Admission Guide which is published on the GAMSAT website

Full academic transcripts covering subjects studied in the years prior to application must be submitted with applications to ACER by early June. Successful applicants completing their degrees in the year of application must submit final results to the University of Melbourne no later than the end of the first week of January 2009. Applicants completing an approved accelerated two-year bachelor's degree (three semesters per annum) must have completed the program before being eligible to be considered.

Applicants whose undergraduate degrees were completed more than 10 years prior to the year of application cannot be considered unless evidence is provided of postgraduate study at university level of not less than one year's full time duration or equivalent, or evidence of other substantial scholarly productivity acceptable to the Selection Committee, within the 10 years prior to the year of application.

No advanced standing or exemptions are available. In the interests of equity, applicants who fail to meet the entrance criteria for selection, irrespective of the circumstances, cannot be considered.

Graduate Australian Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)

GAMSAT is held in late March each year but registration for this year's test has now closed.

For more information please refer to the GAMSAT information booklet which is available from the GAMSAT website as a PDF and from the School of Medicine office in hard copy format.

For 2009 entry, acceptable GAMSAT dates are 2007 and 2008.

The University of Melbourne does not conduct any GAMSAT preparation courses and does not endorse any private GAMSAT preparation courses.

GPA and GAMSAT cutoffs

To determine the applicants shortlisted for interview, we use a combined ranking system of GPA and GAMSAT. Every applicant is ranked from highest to lowest for both GPA and GAMSAT and the two ranks are added together. Applicants are then sorted by the combined rank and we make interview offers to the top 112 approximately.

To be considered, applicants must have a weighted GPA of at least 5.5 and all GAMSAT section scores at least 50. For the 2008 interview cohort, the minimum GPA/GAMSAT combinations ranged from a weighted GPA of 5.8 with an overall GAMSAT score of 71, to a weighted GPA of 7.0 with an overall GAMSAT score of 56. A typical GPA/GAMSAT combination for applicants close to the cutoff was around 6.3/64.

Interviews

Interviews for local places will be held at the University of Melbourne in early October 2008. All costs in relation to the interview will be at the applicant's own expense. Interviews for international places are normally conducted by telephone in late October.

The interview format will be a multiple mini interview (MMI). The qualities to be assessed at interview include the applicant's interest in and motivation for undertaking the course, their likely capacity for establishing and maintaining rapport with patients in a clinical situation, their communication skills, and aptitude for collaboration and decision making.

Offers are made to applicants with the highest interview rankings. When the number of applicants in a rank exceeds the number of places remaining, offers will be made on the basis of performance in the undergraduate degree (weighted GPA) and GAMSAT score. Where applicants are unsuccessful in gaining an offer of a place in a higher preference school following interview, and where they had applied for the medical course at the University of Melbourne, they will be considered on merit for a place using all the information passed on from the other school.

Offers

Offers will normally be made each year in early November. Deferral of commencement for places offered for 2009 will not be permitted.

Applicants offered places who are Australian citizens or permanent residents will be asked for their expressions of interest in Medical Rural Bonded Scholarship (MRBS) and Extended Rural Cohort (ERC) places. There is no separate application process for MRBS or ERC places.

Bridging course

A one-week compulsory bridging course commencing immediately prior to Semester 2 will give graduates information on the topics covered in Semester 1, as well as an introduction to the learning methods. The course will be supplemented with the workbooks and course materials used in Semester 1.

How to apply

The first stage of applying to enter the MBBS Graduate Entry Program is to apply to sit the GAMSAT. Full details are in the GAMSAT information booklet which is available from the GAMSAT website

Applications from local applicants for entry in 2009 must be made via the GMAC Online Admission System which will be operational from May 2008. International applicants may apply either via the GMAC Online Admission System or direct to International Admissions at the University of Melbourne.

For important dates please refer to our timeline for 2009 admission.

Graduates interested in a place in the Extend Rural Cohort (ERC) must apply through ACER for the University of Melbourne's MBBS course. Applicants offered an interview will also receive a form asking them to declare their rurality and their interest in being offered a place in the ERC. Normal selection procedures will apply.

International students

Applications from international students are welcomed. International applicants may take either GAMSAT or MCAT. All other requirements are the same as for Australian citizens, except that international applicants may apply either via the GMAC Online Admission System or direct to International Admissions at the University of Melbourne.

Closing dates and all other requirements for international applicants applying via our International Admissions will be the same as for those applying via ACER. For specific closing and interview dates for international applicants please refer to our timeline for 2009 admission.

For 2009 entry, acceptable GAMSAT dates are 2007 and 2008. Acceptable MCAT dates are from August 2006 to June 2008. Please also refer to the GAMSAT website and the MCAT website

For more information please refer to the Admission Guide 2009 which will be available from the GAMSAT website from early May 2008.

Other important requirements( Melbourne University)

Clinical school placement

The School of Medicine has four clinical schools:

Austin/Northern Clinical School
Royal Melbourne/Western Clinical School
Rural Clinical School (Shepparton, Ballarat, Wangaratta)
St Vincent's Clinical School

Students are allocated to one of these clinical schools for Semesters 8-12. Acceptance of a place in the medical course indicates acceptance of subsequent clinical school placement. Students accepting MRBS or BMP offers at the University of Melbourne will be required to undertake at least 3 semesters of their 5 semester clinical training at the Rural Clinical School. Students accepting places in the Extended Rural Cohort will be required to undertake all of their 5 semester clinical training in rural clinical placements.

First aid certificate

All students entering the medical course are required to obtain, by the end of their first semester of studies, a currently valid first aid certificate, as detailed below, or equivalent:

St John Ambulance Senior First Aid (Level 2)
Royal Life Saving Senior First Aid
Metropolitan Ambulance Service First Aid (Level 2)
Australian Red Cross First Aid (Level 2)
Australian First Aid (Level 2)

Immigration status change

Students admitted under the international quota who gain Australian permanent residency or New Zealand citizenship during the course cannot remain in the international quota. They will be transferred to an Australian full fee place.

Infectious Diseases and Immunisation Policy

Students are required to establish their infectious or immune status regarding certain viruses, including hepatitis B and C, and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), either prior to entry to the medical course or soon after. Acceptance of a place in the medical course indicates acknowledgement of this requirement. Applicants should note the Faculty's Infectious Diseases and Immunisation Policy.

Internships

Internships in Australian hospitals cannot be guaranteed for international students in Australian medical courses. However international medical graduates who are not required to complete an internship in their country of origin may apply for an internship in Victoria. Unsuccessful applicants may obtain internships elsewhere in Australia. Many others successfully find internships in their own countries. Applications for internships are facilitated by the Postgraduate Medical Council of Victoria on behalf of the hospitals.

Police checks

Organisations who host clinical students require a police check regarding their suitability to undertake a placement. Enrolled and prospective students are therefore advised that they will be required to obtain, and pay for, a police check from their home country prior to commencing the medical course. In subsequent years students will be required to provide new police checks issued by the Victoria Police. Please refer to the Faculty's Police Check Policy

Registration

All medical students are required to register with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria upon commencement of their enrolment in the course.

Rural rotations

Rural rotations are a required component of the course. All students undertake at least ten weeks in rural clinical settings with the opportunity for more extended rural and regional experience.

Transfer to a Commonwealth Supported Place (CSP)

The University of Melbourne allows transfers from Australian full fee to Commonwealth Supported Places after a student has successfully completed at least one year of study with exceptional results. In 2007, this level was set at H2A (75%) average.

Working with Children Checks

The Working with Children (WWC) check creates a mandatory minimum checking standard across Victoria. The WWC check helps to keep children safe by preventing those who pose a risk to children from working with them, in either paid or voluntary work. As a new student you will be required to obtain a WWC check at the commencement of your course. Checks have a 5 year validity and this will ensure you need only obtain one WWC check for the duration of your course.