Non-standard Medicine Entry

[AnubisHorus&Ra]

Thank you sm for the information! Out of curiosity, they would only know whether you did or didn't do shadowing during your interview right? or would is there a written section before in the application where you disclose those details? Just trying to work out the best times to get a shadowing experience as I've got to be on call for some antenatal appointments and births.

For medicine, i believe so. You don't supply details of your life, just personal details in your application.Youve basically got between now and September-ish when applications open. It's not a necessity, but it helps to give you something to talk about if you havent got rural backing. Basically build rapport with the interviewers

 

[bubbleteaaaa]

For medicine, i believe so. You don't supply details of your life, just personal details in your application.Youve basically got between now and September-ish when applications open. It's not a necessity, but it helps to give you something to talk about if you havent got rural backing. Basically build rapport with the interviewers

thank you!! also bit of a dumb question, but do they take my sem 1 gpa as an academic prediction? or can non standards only get an interview once the final gpa has been released (1fte)

 

[A1]

do they take my sem 1 gpa as an academic prediction? or can non standards only get an interview once the final gpa has been released (1fte)

JCU usually does two interview rounds - round-1 invites early Nov for late Nov interviews, round-2 invites Dec for late Dec (or early Jan) interviews.

We hardly saw any 1st-year-uni applicants getting round-1 interviews. Suspected reason is at early-Nov they only have one semester's results to show for, but they are okay for the December round-2 invites.

Btw both rounds' interviewees are combined into one pool for the mid-January offer round, so round-2 ones are not disadvantaged in any way.

 

[stoobious]

Anyone have any info on CDU? With a 6 (or maybe 5.8) GPA and under the rural cohort, is there any chance or an invite/offer. Apart from UNE (which I know only does a threshold GPA), are there any other Uni's which I would be competitive for (assuming a like 90th UCAT)?

 

[A1]

Anyone have any info on CDU? With a 6 (or maybe 5.8) GPA and under the rural cohort, is there any chance or an invite/offer. Apart from UNE (which I know only does a threshold GPA), are there any other Uni's which I would be competitive for (assuming a like 90th UCAT)?

I don't know if CDU has newly introduced a pathway for non-standard uni students. Previously CDU is part of the Flinders MD program with no non-standard.

Being a rural applicant GPA 5.8-6 + 90th UCAT should get you multiple interviews, from JMP, CSU, possibly UNSW & JCU. All the best.

 

[sloth]

Any idea how old mature aged students are at WSU and UON? Anyone in their 30s?

 

[scotchie1997]

Any idea how old mature aged students are at WSU and UON? Anyone in their 30s?

Also keen to hear this as a 29 year old who is applying for 2027 intake

 

[A1]

Any idea how old mature aged students are at WSU and UON? Anyone in their 30s?

On page 11 this Med Deans report
> https://medicaldeans.org.au/md/2025/05/MSOD-National-Data-Report-2025_FINAL-1-1.pdf

The stats are for Australia-wide final-year students so subtract 4 years for starting : around 10% are 26-35yo.

 

[sloth]

Looking at the report, there is no info on the highest age in UON and WSU. I am mature age so I guess I will be in my 40s. Any past students have any idea what the highest age was? I'm wondering whether I should do Gamsat. I did that many years ago.

 

[DrDrLMG!]

Looking at the report, there is no info on the highest age in UON and WSU. I am mature age so I guess I will be in my 40s. Any past students have any idea what the highest age was? I'm wondering whether I should do Gamsat. I did that many years ago.

There’s a previous MSO user (sometimes still pops in) who was in their 40s when they started at WSU.

 

[Scan]

Anyone know (anecdotally) what cutoffs would look like for non-standard (non rural or GWS) applicants at any uni UCAT wise? Also, how does this change depending on GPA? Any help would be much appreciated!!!

 

[A1]

Anyone know (anecdotally) what cutoffs would look like for non-standard (non rural or GWS) applicants at any uni UCAT wise? Also, how does this change depending on GPA? Any help would be much appreciated!!!

JMP around 97%ile UCAT (unless you're a UoN MedSci graduate then substantially lower).

WSU generally 95%ile for NSW applicants, 98%ile for non-NSW. But also dependent on your UCAT VR score. Higher VR lower %ile vice versa, due to higher weighting on VR.

UNSW seems to be GPA+UCAT combination. GPA 6.9-7.0 + 93-94%ile or GPA 6.5-6.6 + 96-97%ile
(sub-6.5 have been screened out regardless of UCAT).

 

[Some guy]

There’s a previous MSO user (sometimes still pops in) who was in their 40s when they started at WSU.

Yeah still here sometimes! In my year at WSU about 1/3 were no school leavers and there were a few of us who were post-30. I was post-40. There were enough of us to form our own study group.

 

[YZY]

Anyone have any info on CDU? With a 6 (or maybe 5.8) GPA and under the rural cohort, is there any chance or an invite/offer. Apart from UNE (which I know only does a threshold GPA), are there any other Uni's which I would be competitive for (assuming a like 90th UCAT)?

CDU Med student here.

I'm a undergrad student, but majority of the intake (approximately 27 out of the total 42) are not undergrads, meaning you have a good chance. As you are rural, you will be their target. Following, from the students I have met, majority of them had GPA above 5.5 (only like two had below 6). But don't let that pull you down as they heavily emphasise their interview. I personally know this as I know people who had not done UCAT, got an ATAR below 90, (GPA below 6), and got in w/out any other adjustment factors.

So do apply, work hard, but smash your interview.

Also, I saw A1 said that 'Previously CDU is part of the Flinders MD program with no non-standard.'
Just to respond, it still is. The program that i am part of is the inaugural, first-ever CDU Menzies Medical Program. (The 5yr undergrad course)

Hope that helps and all the best on your journey!

 

[link1]

I'm planning on trying to apply to UNSW this year as a first year uni student. I had EAS during year 12 and I was wondering if this would still be considered in my application as I'm aware that UNSW takes whatever rank is highest either your GPA or ATAR. If i include EAS, my atar rank would be 99.95 but even with a GPA of 7, am i correct in saying the highest rank I can receive is 99.5? Therefore, would this EAS still be considred and if so do i just reattach them on UAC?

 

[A1]

I'm planning on trying to apply to UNSW this year as a first year uni student. I had EAS during year 12 and I was wondering if this would still be considered in my application as I'm aware that UNSW takes whatever rank is highest either your GPA or ATAR. If i include EAS, my atar rank would be 99.95 but even with a GPA of 7, am i correct in saying the highest rank I can receive is 99.5? Therefore, would this EAS still be considred and if so do i just reattach them on UAC?

From data posted on MSO I have seen 2-3 cases which indicated the GPA conversion was not capped to 99.5, so a high GPA can reach 99.8-99.9.

I don't know if your year 12 EAS will still apply to your ATAR. No harm applying for it anyway.

 

[link1]

From data posted on MSO I have seen 2-3 cases which indicated the GPA conversion was not capped to 99.5, so a high GPA can reach 99.8-99.9.

I don't know if your year 12 EAS will still apply to your ATAR. No harm applying for it anyway.

Does the fact that I am only first year uni student reduce my chances of the GPA converting higher. I saw some older MSO posts about how it would actually convert even lower Than 99.5 potentially

 

[A1]

Does the fact that I am only first year uni student reduce my chances of the GPA converting higher. I saw some older MSO posts about how it would actually convert even lower Than 99.5 potentially

GPA converts to less than 98 if it's less than 1FTE.
You being first year uni will have 1FTE by mid-December when UNSW interview invites & place offers are considered, so you are fine on that front.

The only minor issue for first yearers is JCU issues 1st round interview invites around early Nov. At that stage they only have 1st-semester results not enough to convince JCU. First yearers tend to only get JCU 2nd round invites.

 

[link1]

GPA converts to less than 98 if it's less than 1FTE.
You being first year uni will have 1FTE by mid-December when UNSW interview invites & place offers are considered, so you are fine on that front.

The only minor issue for first yearers is JCU issues 1st round interview invites around early Nov. At that stage they only have 1st-semester results not enough to convince JCU. First yearers tend to only get JCU 2nd round invites.

ok thats more reassuring thank you. Also would you say ATAR of 99.5 would be too low. I see on all posts it says 99.5+ does this not include 99.5 to be competitive enough?

 

[A1]

ok thats more reassuring thank you. Also would you say ATAR of 99.5 would be too low. I see on all posts it says 99.5+ does this not include 99.5 to be competitive enough?

From memory, 2-3 years ago UNSW interview cutoff was 99.50. First round offers had lowest ATAR rank 99.60 (it was from this lot that I saw a GPA 6.7 with a 1st round offer, meaning it must've been converted to 99.60+).

But note this didn't mean 99.60 was a hard cutoff for offers. Since it's a combination of ATAR+UCAT+Interview a 99.50-.55 could have qualified for an offer had their interview score been better.

Last year 1st round interview cutoff was 99.60. I believe 2nd round dropped slightly to 99.55. This cutoff is more crucial since you don't get an invite you don't have an opportunity to balance up with a top interview.