All the information you need before applying to Medicine at UNDA!

The University of Notre Dame, as the name suggests, also a catholic university, the only religious medical school of it’s kind in Australia.

At UNDA, the Doctor of Medicine (MD) aims at providing constructive training and clinical experience to students determined to establish themselves in a medical career. The University of Notre Dame is now in the process of amalgamating its Sydney and Fremantle medical schools into one single medicine hub operating throughout the country. The impact this will have on future applications is yet to become clear.

For now, UNDA functions as two separate medical schools, varying in the final medical places offered to prospective students but sharing similar requirements for GPA, GAMSAT, Portfolio and medical interviews!

The School of Medicine, located at Darlinghurst and Fremantle, emphasises on creating excellent, caring and ethical doctors for the medical profession. The Notre Dame MD curriculum has also developed innovative strategies towards advancing bioethics and focuses on improving rural medicine, palliative measures, and Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health.

The University of Notre Dame Doctor of Medicine Course Information

The medical program at University of Notre Dame Australia is a four-year, full-time course. The first and second years of study provides a problem-based learning approach tutored by leading medical professionals, clinical and communication skills workshops, clinical debriefing tutorials, interspersed by site visits.  The second year of the study period primarily focuses on ‘Foundations of Clinical Practice’ that includes a professionally-focused Notre Dame MD project.

The third year will focus on a series of apprenticeships in clinical practices across Sydney, Melbourne, Lithgow, Wagga Wagga or Ballarat for UNDS; or Fremantle, Perth and Broome in the case of UNDF. Year 3 is a fully immersive clinical learning experience for students to closely understand the real work of healthcare professionals. To further complement the experience, students will have the opportunity of weekly ‘Back-to-Base Days’ in which you will return to your principal clinicals school for short case tutorials, grand rounds and expert guest lectures.

Once you have reached your final year of study, you will further explore a range of healthcare settings, as well as present your MD project for review under the Applied Research Project course. Following the fourth year end-of-the-year examination, students will get the chance to start a four-week elective to further extend their medical knowledge in a field of their interest.

UNDA Medical Program Entry Requirements

Doctor of Medicine (MD) at University of Notre Dame is currently only available for Australian citizens, Australian permanent humanitarian visa holders, Australian permanent residents and New Zealand citizens. See below for information about international students, as this space is evolving.

To be considered eligible for the MD course at UNDA, you must have completed:

  • A bachelor’s degree (recognised by the Australian Qualifications Framework or the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide) within the last 10 years or be in the final year of a Bachelor’s degree in any field of interest.
  • A Notre Dame Portfolio specifically designed to define personal qualities, motivation and professional experiences to study Doctor of Medicine. 
  • GAMSAT score: An overall minimum score of 52 and at least 50 in each section
  • Overall Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.2 or higher. (The GPA requirement has significantly dropped for 2023)
  • The MD course at UNDA uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) process to assess an applicant's ability and understanding of the medical program. For the online version of the University of Notre Dame MMI, applicants will be asked five separate interview questions. All the interviews conducted online will be recorded for assessment purposes via an online interviewing software tool, SONRU. 

Refer to the information provided on Fraser’s Medical Portfolio Guide before creating your Notre Dame Portfolio or undertake one of our detailed portfolio course packages, meant to give you a A-Z guide on developing the 'ideal' portfolio!

How to apply to Medicine at the University of Notre Dame Australia

Domestic Applicants 

Applicants must submit a GEMSAS application inclusive of the Notre Dame Portfolio. According to the GEMSAS, the University of Notre Dame ranks applicants based on their combined GPA, GAMSAT exam result and the written portfolio.

Applicants coming from Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander communities are also eligible to apply via the standard entry pathway for medicine at Notre Dame University through the GEMSAS process mentioned above. They can also use an alternative entry pathway known as SoMF for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students.

Interested applicants must complete their application for entry into medicine at Notre Dame University, Australia application form.

GAMSAT exam for Notre Dame Medicine

The University of Notre Dame, Australia Medical program ranks applicants by taking an average of the three sections of the GAMSAT, also known as the unweighted GAMSAT score rather than using their overall GAMSAT score. All applicants applying to the medical program should achieve a minimum total score of 52 in the GAMSAT.

Supporting Documentation

Applicants may need to submit additional documents to support their application if the applicant has studied at a non-ARTS university and/or has an Australian rural background.

International applicants

The University of Notre Dame, Australia Sydney campus has not specified the number of places allocated for international applicants through the GEMSAS application and instead requires them to contact the UNDA International Office for more information.

Graduate Access Notre Dame Medicine

For those applicants who haven’t been offered an interview through the Graduate Entry Medical Schools Admissions System (GEMSAS) process, there are other means to receive an opportunity to perform at the UNDA MMI process. see the table below:

Alternative Entry Pathways to Medicine at UNDA

Facilitated Pathways to Interviews Interview Offers
UNDA Graduates 10
Graduate Diploma of Health and Medical Sciences Graduate 20
UTS Bachelor of Advanced Science in Pre-medicine Graduates 5
ACU Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences 5

Refer to the Medical MMI Question Generator created by the Fraser’s Interview Training team grouped by University, topics and sub-categories to perform better at the MMI stations.

University of Notre Dame Australia Fees Structure

The University of Notre Dame, Australia is recognised as a Table A University which means the University’s fees are on similar standards with public universities presently. 

Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) is offered to most domestic undergraduate students. The CSP offers a subsidy to domestic students, reducing the amount of fee they must pay to the university. Currently Full-Fee Paying students are eligible for a CSP and must complete an electronic Commonwealth Assistance Form (eCAF) before their census date to convert a CSP.

To be eligible for the CSP, you must be: an Australian citizen or permanent visa holder or a New Zealand citizen, who will live and study in Australia during the duration of the course.

UNDA Places Available for 2023 Intake

Location Type of Places Total Number of Places Offered 
UNDA Sydney Commonwealth Supported Places 43
Bonded Medical Places 17
International Places 26
Full-fee Paying Places Upto 60
UNDA Fremantle Commonwealth Supported Places 71
Bonded Medical Places 29
International Spots 5

Fees and Course Costs for Medicine at Notre Dame Sydney and Fremantle

Fee Type Course Fees TBA (Full-time study load in MD program)
Domestic Applicants/ Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) AUD $11,300
Fee Paying Places (FFP) AUD $45,000
International Applicants
AUD $75,000

What Should You Read Next?

Now that you have read about the application process for medicine at The University of Notre Dame, see Fraser’s Guide to Medical School Applications for information on GPA, GAMSAT, and Portfolio etc. or alternatively try our GAMSAT and GPA score cutoffs.