Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathways and opportunities

We can help you achieve your career goals in medicine and health

There are plenty of opportunities available to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in medicine and health. Discover our courses and career pathways and let us help you start planning your future.

Our support programs

We are committed to creating higher education and leadership opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students and aim to provide you with resources and support throughout your studies. This includes support programs and services at a university and faculty level:

Gadigal Program

The Gadigal Program is open to Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students as both an admissions pathway and a support program. Whether you’re currently in Year 12 or not, the program can help you gain entry to a course with a lower minimum ATAR requirement and provides ongoing support while you’re studying.

Complete your application online.

Yooroang Garang student support unit

The Yooroang Garang student support unit provides advice, assistance and academic services specifically for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students enrolled at the Sydney School of Health Sciences. Services and activities include:

Student orientation
Advice on university courses, requirements, administration and services
Information on cadetships and scholarships
Tutorial rooms, common spaces and library resources
Study spaces and access to computer lab
A place where students can meet and socialise and develop an Indigenous student community
Assistance in dealing with external departments, ie Abstudy
Tutoring
Assistance with scholarships and cadetships
Pastoral care

Address: Cumberland Campus, T Block, Level 4, Via Gate 1, East Street, Lidcombe NSW 2141

For more information, please contact Simone-Cherie Holt at simone-cherie.holt@sydney.edu.au or +61 2 9351 9114.

Other support services and programs

Admission pathways: MD and DMD

While we encourage applications to all our degrees, we have two specific admissions pathways for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) and Doctor of Dental Medicine (DMD).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander facilitated entry scheme

For applicants with a bachelor's degree and GAMSAT results

Applicants must have completed a previous degree or be in the final year of a bachelor’s degree to be considered. In general, applicants are required to have their qualifications assessed and the Grade Point Average (GPA) for their tertiary studies calculated, by the Universities Admission Centre (UAC) through its Qualifications Assessment Service (QAS), and to have achieved at least a GPA of 4.5 (7-point numeric scale).

However, applicants with a lower mark who can demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies will be considered eligible for admission, particularly if their final year of most recent tertiary study demonstrates high-level skills, with approval from the Advisory Committee on Indigenous Admissions (ACIC) at the Sydney Medical School. The "two-year" rule requiring students to have completed their previous degree with at least two years in their awarding institution will be waived.

Applicants must have sat their GAMSAT examination. It is preferred that applicants have achieved a minimum score of 50 in each section of the GAMSAT, and in particular that they have passed the GAMSAT III (science) paper. However, applicants may still be considered eligible for admission if this result is not achieved, with approval from the ACIC only.

Applications will be assessed on an individual basis. Eligible applicants will be asked to:

undergo the same multiple mini interview process as all other applicants
attend an additional interview as part of the multiple mini interview process.

For more detailed information on the application process please see the MD and DMD Domestic Admissions Guide (pdf, 1.4MB).

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander entry pathway

Pending academic board approval

Applicants must have completed a postgraduate degree within three years before 1 January of the year in which the applicant is seeking admission, which is either:

a postgraduate degree accredited at level 9 or 10 under the Australian Qualifications Framework, from an Australian university or self-accrediting higher education institution
a postgraduate degree at an overseas university listed in the National Office of Overseas Skills Recognition Guide, provided that the postgraduate degree is equivalent to an Australian postgraduate degree accredited at Level 9 or 10.

In general, the applicants’ GPA (as calculated by UAC) should be at least a GPA of 4.5 (7-point numeric scale), but applicants with a lower mark who can demonstrate improvement over the duration of their tertiary studies will be considered eligible for admission, particularly if their final year of most recent tertiary study demonstrates high-level skills, with approval from the ACIC.

This pathway does not require the completion of a bachelor's degree or the undertaking of the GAMSAT examination.

Applications will be assessed on an individual basis. Eligible applicants will be asked to:

submit a curriculum vitae (CV), including an outline of education and work experience
undergo the same multiple mini interview process as all other applicants
attend an additional interview as part of the multiple mini interview process.

Indigenous applicants are encouraged to contact us on +61 2 8627 9424 or med.iheu@sydney.edu.au for more information and support.

For more detailed information on the application process please see the MD and DMD Domestic Admissions Guide (pdf, 1.4MB).