How to Study Medicine in Australia and New Zealand: GAMSAT and UCAT ANZ Explained

Two routes into medicine: undergraduate and graduate-entry

Medical schools in Australia and New Zealand offer two broad entry routes, and the one you take decides which admission test you sit. Undergraduate (school-leaver) programs admit students directly from secondary school into a combined Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (often written MBBS or MBChB) or a similar primary medical qualification. Graduate-entry programs admit students who already hold (or are finishing) a bachelor's degree, and lead to a graduate medical degree, frequently a Doctor of Medicine (MD).

A single university may offer one route or both, and the degree titles, length and structure vary by institution. Some schools take school-leavers; others take only graduates; a few do both through separate streams. Always check each medical school's own course page for the exact program offered to your applicant category.

• Undergraduate / school-leaver: enter directly after secondary school
• Graduate-entry: enter after a completed (or final-year) bachelor's degree
• Degree titles differ — MBBS, MBChB or MD depending on the school

The admission tests: UCAT ANZ vs GAMSAT

Undergraduate medicine in Australia and New Zealand is generally gated by the UCAT ANZ (University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand). It is a computer-based aptitude test currently with four subtests — Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement — used by the UCAT ANZ Consortium of universities to help select applicants to medicine, dentistry and some clinical-science degrees. The test format and subtests can be revised between cycles, so confirm the current structure on the official UCAT ANZ site before you register.

Graduate-entry medicine in Australia is generally gated by the GAMSAT (Graduate Medical School Admissions Test), administered by ACER. It assesses reasoning across the humanities and social sciences, written communication, and the biological and physical sciences. A small number of graduate programs use different arrangements, so confirm whether your target school requires UCAT ANZ, GAMSAT, or neither, on its official admissions page.

• UCAT ANZ — undergraduate route; sat through ucat.edu.au (verify the current subtests)
• GAMSAT — graduate-entry route in Australia; sat through ACER
• Check the exact test each school requires for your category

How applications work in Australia

Many Australian graduate-entry medical schools use a centralised application portal, GEMSAS (the Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admissions System), which lets you list course preferences across participating universities, calculates your GPA, and applies each school's eligibility rules. GEMSAS describes itself as a system for domestic applicants, not every school is in it, some universities require a separate direct application, and at least one graduate program does not require the GAMSAT at all. Eligibility for centralised systems can also differ for domestic and international applicants.

Undergraduate medicine in Australia is usually applied for through the relevant state tertiary admissions centre and/or directly to the university, alongside your UCAT ANZ result. Because the mix of portals, tests and rules changes between schools and between domestic and international categories, verify the current process for each university and your applicant type on its official page before you apply.

• GEMSAS — centralised graduate-entry portal (states it is for domestic applicants); used by many, not all, schools
• Some schools require a separate direct application
• Undergraduate entry typically via a tertiary admissions centre and/or the university

How entry works in New Zealand

New Zealand's long-established medical schools are at the University of Otago and the University of Auckland, and both award the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB); a further graduate-entry medical school at the University of Waikato has been confirmed and is expected to begin taking students in the future. The common school-leaver route at Otago and Auckland is to first complete a designated first-year health-sciences or biomedical-science year (Otago's Health Sciences First Year, or Auckland's equivalent first-year study) and then apply for entry into medicine. There are also graduate categories for applicants who already hold a relevant degree.

Selection at the existing universities combines academic results (GPA), the UCAT ANZ, and a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), with each university weighting these differently and setting its own thresholds. International-student places, categories and requirements differ from domestic ones, and intakes and programs change over time, so check the official Otago, Auckland and (when it opens) Waikato medicine pages for the current details that apply to you.

• Long-established schools: University of Otago and University of Auckland (both award MBChB)
• A further graduate-entry school at the University of Waikato has been confirmed — verify its intake on the official site
• Common Otago/Auckland route: first-year health/biomedical science, then apply to medicine
• Selection blends GPA, UCAT ANZ and a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI)

Interviews and what to prepare

Beyond test scores and grades, most medical schools interview shortlisted applicants, commonly using the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) — a series of short stations assessing communication, ethical reasoning, and motivation rather than memorised facts. Some schools also weigh a portfolio, structured questionnaire, or rural/regional background as part of selection.

Build your plan around three pillars: strong academic results, a competitive admission-test score (UCAT ANZ or GAMSAT), and interview readiness. Map deadlines early — test registration, the application portal, and interview windows each have separate dates that differ by school and country, so confirm every date on the official pages. No preparation guarantees a place; medicine is highly competitive and selection is at each school's discretion.