Bachelor of Medicine

Medicine is an intellectually rigorous program leading to a challenging and demanding professional life. Whether you choose to work in general practice or to specialise, medicine offers personal satisfaction on numerous levels.

The Bachelor of Medicine – Joint Medical Program (JMP) is a great opportunity to study a course of international standing and obtain early and broad clinical experience through this unique partnership. The JMP is an expansion of the highly successful University of Newcastle Bachelor of Medicine program in partnership with the University of New England, Hunter New England Health and Northern Sydney Central Coast Health.

Our program recognises that the best type of learning is practical and so your clinical experience begins in the first semester and increases throughout the program. This means you will begin to meet with patients, visit hospital wards and outpatient clinics, and spend time with doctors in practice right from the start.

In Year 3 you will begin rotations in general practices throughout the region and have the opportunity to undertake an overseas placement. In Years 4 and 5 much of your time will be spent attached to one of the five JMP clinical schools.

Your learning will be self-directed and problem-based which reflects a doctor’s encounter with a patient’s health problem. You will work in small tutorial groups, learning from each other through discussion and teamwork under a facilitator’s guidance.

The JMP’s partnerships enable you to access a greater range of tutors, electronic resources, library facilities and clinical experiences. You will learn from practising doctors with a variety of backgrounds in metropolitan and rural health care. This will be combined with expertise from health professionals and tutors in related health and scientific fields.

While your medical program will be the same, you can choose where you would like to study your degree. Newcastle is a busy metropolitan centre and Armidale a vibrant regional city and each will leave you with lifelong memories and friendships.

This program provides initial training for a career in any aspect of medicine. Graduates undertake a one year internship in a teaching hospital. Following internship, most graduates continue to work in the NSW public hospital system for a variable period of time while undertaking specialist training, including those training in General Practice.

Australian Year 12 students

Apply for entry through UAC, register to sit the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT), apply directly to the University of Newcastle/University of New England (either rural or standard) and attend if required, attend a Multi-Mini Interview and psychometric test.

Entry is based on ATAR or equivalent, results of UMAT and interview.

Non school leavers and previous Australian Year 12 students

Apply for entry through UAC, register to sit the Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT), apply directly to the University of Newcastle/University of New England (either rural or standard) and attend if required, a Multi-Mini Interview and psychometric test. Entry is based on:

• previous Year 12 studies or Higher education qualifications or overseas qualifications considered equivalent to Australian qualifications.
• Results of UMAT and interview.

Following a review of BMed admission and selection procedures in 2010/2011 a number of changes will be introduced for 2012 admission. These include:

• Replacement of the existing BMed interview structure with a Multiple Mini-Interview (MMI) which requires applicants to progress through a sequence of separate interview stations each supervised by a trained interviewer/assessor and devoted to assessing a single discrete quality.

and

• Introduction of a psychometric test – the Personal Qualities Assessment (PQA), a non-cognitive admissions test.

Aboriginal and / or Torres Strait Islander Selection Procedure

• Applicants are required to lodge an application to the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) by the relevant UAC closing date. Indigenous applicants must also complete the Multi-Mini Interview process and the Personal Qualities Assessment Test.

No formal prerequisites

Any 2 Units of English

• National Police Certificate
• Working with Children Check
• Prohibited Employment Declaration

• A Department of Health Adult Vaccination Card, and sign a Health Records and Information Privacy ACT 2002 Student Undertaking.

  Alternative selection procedures apply for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants.

There are no credit transfer/articulation arrangements for entry to the Bachelor of Medicine Program at The University of Newcastle. Credit applications will be assessed on an individual basis.

Where a candidate's performance has reached a standard determined by the Pro Vice-Chancellor on the recommendation of the Program Convenor, the Degree may be conferred 'with Distinction'.

Students wishing to undertake an Honours year should consider the Bachelor of Medical Science program - http://www.newcastle.edu.au/program/10329.html

Laboratory skills and professional skills attachments are integrated throughout the 5 years of the Bachelor of Medicine curriculum.

After completing a one year internship, graduates can be registered for medical practice in Australia and New Zealand. Medical registration bodies in Australia and New Zealand, the General Medical Council (UK) and the Singapore Medical Council.

Places for International students within the program are filled via contractual agreements with specific overseas institutions. In addition, limited places are reserved for International students entering via the University of Newcastle International Foundation Program.

English Language Proficiency

Only those applicants who can demonstrate a high level of proficiency in both written and spoken English will be considered for entry to this program. Proficiency is assessed on the basis of results in one of the standard English tests such as TOEFL or IELTS. With respect to TOEFL, a minimum score of 61500 (4.5 TWE) paper based or TOEFL score of 103250 (24.5 Essay Writing) computer based is required; for IELTS a score of 7.0 or greater is required with a minimum mark in each subtest of 76.0. Candidates who have undertaken senior secondary study or at least two years of successful tertiary study in an overseas tertiary institution, in a non-English speaking country, where the medium of instruction was English may satisfy the English Language requirements. English language understanding and verbal use is assessed at interview.

The Faculty accepts that it is responsible for providing reasonable accommodations for students with special needs, in liaison with the Student Support Unit, which offers practical assistance and advice to students with a disability or chronic illness. The Faculty will seek advice from the Student Support Unit as to what constitutes "reasonable accommodations" under Anti-Discrimination legislation.

The B Medicine – JMP is offered jointly by the University of Newcastle and the University of New England and has a common curriculum at both institutions. Applicants successful in gaining entry to the B Medicine – JMP will be offered a place at either the University of Newcastle or University of New England based on their stated enrolment location preferences listed on their JMP direct online university application.