Entry pathways
You may be eligible to apply for one of the following entry schemes, which may assist your application to the Joint Medical Program. The schemes include support for students from rural areas and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.
The Bonded Medical Program is part of the Stronger Rural Health Strategy and aims to provide more doctors in areas of workforce shortage in regional, rural and remote Australia. This ensures that Australia’s medical workforce is well distributed, flexible and targeted to areas of most need.
The Program provides a Commonwealth Supported Place in a medical course at an Australian university. In return, bonded participants commit to work in an eligible regional, rural or remote area for up to 3 years after completion of their medical course. This is called a ‘return of service obligation’ (RoSO). Participants from legacy schemes can also opt-in to the Program.
The Bonded Medical Program is available to Australian citizens and permanent visa holders only.
The Rural and Remote Admissions Scheme aims to increase the number of students from rural and remote locations being admitted into our program. Our target is to see 30% of students in the program from rural and remote locations (18 at the University of New England and 33 at the University of Newcastle).
If you're successful in gaining entry through this scheme, there will be a greater expectation for you to complete clinical placements within a rural area.
If you are an Australian citizen or permanent resident and you can prove you have resided for at least five years consecutively or ten years cumulatively in a rural and/or remote location, you may be eligible to apply.
If you're considering applying for a position under RRAS, please carefully read and ensure you understand the information provided in the RRAS information document and the Joint Medical Program Prospectus. These documents contain important information regarding your requirements and responsibilities under RRAS.
To be eligible for the RRAS Scheme, you must:
- lodge all three applications outlined in the Joint Medical Program application process, choosing the rural option when you complete the JMP direct university application
- satisfy the minimum academic requirement for admission to the Joint Medical Program
- satisfy the personal assessment qualities (UCAT ANZ, MSA and PQA) as outlined in the JMP selection process
- provide a statement from a rural community leader verifying that you have resided in a rural/remote location for at least five years consecutively or ten years cumulatively
- be an Australian citizen or Australian permanent resident; New Zealand citizens are ineligible
Enquiries should be directed to:
University of Newcastle, Enquiry Centre P: 1300 ASK UON W: AskUoN |
Each year, up to 17 places are set aside for admission into the program for applicants of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent. Currently there are 75 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled in the Joint Medical Program. To date, 105 Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander doctors have graduated from our program.
There are different entry requirements for students who are applying for entry via this scheme. You're not required to lodge the online Joint Medical Program direct university application and aren't required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ).
To be eligible for consideration for admission to the JMP as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander, you must:
- submit an application to the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) by 31 October 2023
- establish your Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Island status with the University of Newcastle
- undertake a day of testing for the Multiple Skills Assessment and Personal Qualities assessment
- attend a series of pre-admission activities, which will be held over a one week period 4 to 8 December 2023
Find out more about applying as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander student.
This pathway is for UON Bachelor of Biomedical Science graduates wanting to apply for entry into the JMP. This pathway only applies for entry to the JMP at the University of Newcastle.
To be considered under this scheme the applicant must have completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science at the University of Newcastle within the two years prior to the year admission is sought. i.e. if admission is sought for entry 2025 the applicant must have completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science in either 2023 or 2024.
Applicants must submit a direct application to the Joint Medical Program and indicate that they are completing or have completed the Bachelor of Biomedical Science as part of that application.
Applicants will need to sit the UCAT ANZ test in the year of their application and score at, or above, the lower UCAT ANZ cut-off score used for rural applicants in order to progress to MSA interview.
There is no cap on the number of applicants who will progress to MSA interview and PQA under this scheme.
Applicants must also satisfy the minimum academic requirements (a GPA of 4.3 or above) for entry into the JMP.
Applicants who have completed, or are about to complete, a Bachelor of Biomedical Science at another University in Australia or NZ are not eligible for this scheme, but can still apply for entry to the JMP via the standard application process.
Applicants applying on the basis of secondary examination results (that is, applicants who have not completed one full-time year - 1 EFTSL - of tertiary studies) and who have completed their Year 12 examination at a school in a designated rural/remote location in Australia, regardless of the year the examination was undertaken, will be considered for entry under the Rural Bonus Scheme. Determination of eligibility for the Rural Bonus Scheme will be based on the address (including street and postcode) of the high school attended.
The JMP uses the Australia Statistical Geography Standard - Remoteness Area (ASGS-RA 2016) to determine a schools rural/remote status. Schools located in areas classified as RA2 to RA5 will be considered to be rural/remote. Applicants are able to assess their eligibility for the Rural Bonus Scheme by entering their school’s street address (not PO Box) in the ASGS-RA (2016) locator map.
Applicants who are eligible to be considered under the Rural Bonus Scheme will be assessed as having satisfied the minimum academic requirement if their ATAR is 91.4 or greater (rather than the standard minimum requirement of 94.3) – refer Academic Eligibility.
Up to 6 places are set aside each year for University of Newcastle Pathways students to be admitted into the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine (Joint Medical Program). If you are an Open Foundation student, this entry scheme could be for you.
Students who have graduated from Newstep or Open Foundation in the past 5 years, completed an additional 12 months study, and meet the criteria will also be eligible for this pathway.
The Joint Medical Program has targeted international student cohorts who are eligible to apply for direct admission to the Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine program.
International students currently undertaking either secondary or tertiary studies both onshore or offshore are eligible to apply for the program. See here for further details.
The University of Newcastle acknowledges the traditional custodians of the lands within our footprint areas: Awabakal, Darkinjung, Biripai, Worimi, Wonnarua, and Eora Nations. We also pay respect to the wisdom of our Elders past and present.