Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine/Arts

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Students learning in the Medicine & Health facilities at the UNSW Kensington campus

Diversify your study and expand your career prospects by combining the medicine program with an arts degree.

Faculty

Faculty of Medicine and Health

Award

Bachelor of Arts, Bachelor of Medical Studies, Doctor of Medicine

Commencing Terms

Term 1

Duration (Full Time)

8 Year(s)

Overview

Complement your medical studies with an arts education. This degree offers the flexibility to shape your studies and pursue subjects you love in the humanities and social sciences during leave taken between phases of the medicine program.

Our medical program will prepare you for professional practice and empower you to lead the future of health. Through your arts degree, you can pursue a range of disciplines in the humanities and social sciences, including languages, arts, history, philosophy and business. The arts component of your study will help you develop transferable skills in critical thinking, communication and research. It offers a diverse range of internationally minded subjects, which brings a global perspective to your learning.

Key features

Combined undergraduate/postgraduate degree
We’re one of the few universities in Australia that offers a medicine degree at an undergraduate level. You’ll enter our combined program as an undergraduate student and graduate with both a bachelor’s degree and the Doctor of Medicine. When you complete the Doctor of Medicine, you’ll be eligible for provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia and be ready to commence the next phase of your career.
Design your degree
Personalise a degree unique to your interests, aspirations, and career goals. You can explore culture-defining knowledge that spans the humanities, languages, media, social sciences, environment, and much more.
Research skills and experience
In the research year of the medicine program, you’ll complete either an Independent Learning Project (ILP) or honours year on a topic of your choice. Research enhances your employability, widens your knowledge as a clinician and opens doors to career opportunities beyond clinical practice, like medical research.

Why study this degree at UNSW?

Study the most in-demand degree in NSW
The Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine was the most popular first preference choice in NSW for the last six years running (2018 – 2023).^*

Learn within a world-class biomedical precinct
You’ll be learning within the Randwick Health and Innovation Precinct – a world-leading health, education and research environment. Attracting the best clinicians and academics from around the world, the precinct fosters collaboration between healthcare professionals, providing an environment for ground-breaking research.

Leverage UNSW’s industry connections
Our strong industry links give you the opportunity to learn within Australia’s best hospitals and private practices. Gain valuable exposure to one of the world’s best healthcare systems and work and study as part of interdisciplinary teams on hospital wards. Study alongside some of Australia’s best medical researchers through our affiliated Independent Medical Research Institutes. Leverage our connections to gain professional opportunities and start building your own professional network.

Join our innovative health community
Our health community features award-winning educators, clinicians and leaders in medicine. You’ll have close engagement with our distinguished alumni community of celebrated doctors and researchers. You’ll be welcomed into our supportive community of healthcare professionals, who are working together to improve life for all.

^{*Universities Admissions Centre (UAC) 2018 - 2023}

Program Code

3856

CRICOS Code

079181D

Campus

Kensington

UAC Code

428000

Total Units of Credit (UOC)

372

Indicative Enrolments

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Entry requirements

This double degree is only open to students who have been accepted into the medicine program. If you wish to undertake this program, you’ll need to contact the Medicine Education and Student Office during your first year to apply to transfer into the double degree. To apply to study medicine, you’ll first need to determine which applicant category you fit under. Visit the how to apply page for more information.

2023 Lowest Selection Rank

ATAR + UCAT ANZ

2023 A Levels

A Levels + UCAT ANZ

2023 IB Diploma

IB + UCAT ANZ

2023 Lowest ATAR

97.20 (local)
91.65 (rural)

The 2022 Lowest Selection Rank (LSR) is the adjusted rank (ATAR plus adjustment factors) you would have needed to gain entry to this degree in 2022.

The 2022 A levels score is based on four Advanced Level (A2) subject. Entry scores are calculated from the best three or four A2 subjects (excluding repeated subjects) using the following values: A*=6, A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1. At most one Applied A Level subject may be included in the best four subjects used to calculate the aggregate.

The 2022 IB Diploma is an indication of the IB you would have needed to gain entry to this degree in 2022. It is to be used as a guide only.

The 2022 Lowest ATAR is the lowest ATAR (before adjustment factors were applied) to which an offer was made. Where <5 is listed, this indicates that less than 5 ATAR-based offers were made and so the score has not been published. N/A indicates no offers were made on the basis of ATAR.
At UNSW, we are committed to ensuring prospective students have all the information they need in order to make informed decisions about their study options.

To assist you in gaining a better understanding of how Admissions works at UNSW, we have provided you with a summary of ATAR offers and the student profile.

We hope this information will help you identify the degree that is right for you.

See more

Additional Selection Criteria

All applicants must complete an external test (UCAT ANZ) and also complete an interview. Please see here for more info on applying to Medicine.

Assumed knowledge

English Standard. English as a Second Language and Fundamentals of English are not considered suitable preparation

Adjustment Factors

Educational Access Scheme (EAS)
Factors such as illness, financial hardship, language difficulties or attending a particular school can mean you don't always get the best possible marks in Years 11 and 12. If one of these situations applies to you, submit an application for the Educational Access Scheme (EAS) via UAC. Eligible students can receive between 1 and 10 points towards their chosen UNSW degree.

Admission pathways

Our students come to us from many backgrounds and all walks of life. We offer a range of entry schemes to ensure the brightest minds have the opportunity to study with us. Explore your options below and get in touch with our future student advisors to discuss your path to UNSW.

Visit the special entry schemes page for detailed information on our medicine pathways, including:

Gateway Entry Scheme
Lateral Entry Scheme
Rural Entry Scheme
Indigenous Entry Scheme
Students from other medical schools.

English language requirements

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on your educational background and citizenship. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If you’re completing an Australian Year 12 qualification (e.g. NSW HSC or equivalent), you do not need to provide anything extra to prove your proficiency. Your qualification will be used as evidence of your English proficiency.

If you do need to provide evidence of your English proficiency, this will be indicated in your application. You can prove this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:

If you need to improve your English skills before you start your degree, UNSW College’s Academic English Programs are for you. The programs are suitable for various English levels and help you prepare for university studies and life in Australia.

International entry

I studied in:

We do not accept secondary qualifications from this country. We may accept tertiary study results, please contact us for more information.

Please contact us for direct entry requirements.

Additional Selection Criteria

All applicants must complete an external test (UCAT ANZ or ISAT) and also complete an interview. Please see here for more info on applying to Medicine.

Admission pathways

If you do not meet the requirements for direct entry into your chosen degree, you may be eligible for a pathway program with UNSW College. UNSW College provides alternative entry options using university-approved content so that you can start your UNSW journey with confidence. 

English language requirements

You may be asked to provide evidence of your English proficiency to study at UNSW depending on whether you are from an English-speaking background or non-English speaking background. English language skills are vitally important for coping with lectures, tutorials, assignments and examinations - this is why UNSW requires a minimum English language competency for enrolment.

If English is not your first language, you’ll need to provide proof of your English proficiency before you can be given an offer to study at UNSW. You can do this by providing evidence that you meet one or more of the following criteria:

Check the specific English language requirements for this program

Select from the options below

Which applies to you?

Program structure

This program allows you to complete the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine and Bachelor of Arts within seven or eight years. The medicine program is split into three phases, with two years in each phase. It’s recommended that you take your arts year in between the third and fourth year of the medicine program (middle of phase two), before you begin your research year.

Phase One: Scenario-based learning
In your first two years, you’ll learn the basic medical sciences in relation to the human life cycle and social/ethical/legal issues related to healthcare. Clinical and communication skills training also begins in this phase.

Phase Two: Practice-based learning
In your third year, you’ll gain increased clinical exposure in hospital placements with ongoing learning in biomedical and social sciences. Your fourth year is dedicated to research, where you’ll complete either the Independent Learning Project (ILP) or the Medicine Honours Program.

Phase Three: Independent reflective learning
Years five and six consist of clinical placements and include content from the basic medical and social sciences.

Full program structure

The Medicine/Arts program can be completed in seven or eight years of full-time study. To complete the combined program in seven years, you’ll need to complete an approved arts-focused Independent Learning Project (ILP) and an additional arts course above the normal study load (24 units of credit) in at least one term. All other students will require eight years to complete the combined program.

This phase consists of eight core courses. Basic medical sciences, clinical skills, teamwork, ethical/legal issues and socio-cultural aspects of health are anchored by clinical scenarios.

The majority of teaching in your first two years takes place at UNSW’s Kensington, Port Macquarie or Wagga Wagga campus and includes lectures, small group work, tutorials and practical classes held in laboratories. Clinical sessions are held in hospitals.
In your third year, you’ll undertake clinical placements and spend three days per week in hospitals, practicing and applying your clinical skills. Lectures, small group work, tutorials and practical classes are held on the other two days per week on campus.

In your fourth year, you’ll complete an Independent Learning Project (ILP) or the Medicine Honours Program. You’ll also complete 12 units of credit (generally two courses) of general education courses from a faculty other than Medicine & Health to broaden your education.
This phase consists of ten eight-week courses, including seven core courses in the major disciplines:

Medicine

Surgery

Psychiatry

Primary Care (General Practice)

Obstetrics & Gynaecology

Children’s Health (Paediatrics)

Emergency/Selective

In this phase, almost all teaching is conducted in hospitals. It includes bedside tutorials, classroom tutorials, ward rounds and attendance at clinics.
Collaborative learning and teamwork are cornerstones of this program. Within each phase, vertical integration occurs, where you’ll collaborate with students from different years. For example, first and second year students are combined in Phase One in the second half of the year. This means you’ll play the roles of both learner and mentor as you progress through phases one, two and three.
In all phases of the program, you’ll be required to travel to various clinical environments associated with UNSW. These will be the predominant learning locations in Phases Two and Three.

The main hospitals located in Sydney used for clinical teaching are:

Prince of Wales Hospital, Randwick

St George Hospital, Kogarah

St Vincent's Hospital, Darlinghurst

Liverpool Hospital, Liverpool

Sydney Children’s Hospital, Randwick

Royal Hospital for Women, Randwick

Sutherland Hospital, Caringbah

The main hospitals located outside of Sydney and in rural New South Wales and Victoria used for clinical teaching are:

Wagga Wagga Base Hospital, Wagga Wagga

Albury Base Hospital, Albury

Wodonga Regional Health Service, Wodonga (Victoria)

Port Macquarie Base Hospital, Port Macquarie

Coffs Harbour Hospital, Coffs Harbour
To fulfill the requirements of your arts degree, you need to complete 96 units of credit within the Faculty of Arts, Design and Architecture (ADA). This needs to include a:

a major specialisation (48 units of credit)

AND

a minor specialisation (36 units of credit)

ADA prescribed electives (12 units of credit)

OR

a second major specialisation (48 units of credit)
Asian studies

Chinese studies

Criminology

Creative writing

English

Environmental humanities

European studies

Film studies

French studies

Geographical studies

German studies

Global development

History

Indigenous studies

Japanese studies

Korean studies

Linguistics

Media, culture and technology

Music studies

Philosophy

Politics and international relations

Sociology and anthropology

Spanish studies

Theatre and performance studies
Your arts courses are generally taken between phases of the medicine program. It’s recommended that you start your arts courses in your second year of study. The best time to take a year off the medicine program to concentrate on your arts studies is in your third or fourth year, before doing your Independent Learning Project (ILP) and clinical refresher course.

Go to the handbook

Future careers

Our medicine graduates go on to pursue diverse and rewarding careers in a wide range of roles across the medical industry. Upon successful completion of this program, you’ll be eligible to apply for provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia. This will allow you to commence your one-year hospital internship following graduation, which is required to gain general registration as a doctor in Australia.

Further study and experience will allow you to specialise in a specific area of medicine, such as general practice, paediatrics, cardiology, oncology, general surgery, orthopaedics, pathology, radiology or psychiatry. If you choose not to work as a medical practitioner in a hospital or private practice, this degree will also prepare you for other career opportunities in medical research, health policy and medical education.

The arts component of your degree has two key career benefits. Firstly, you’ll expand your knowledge beyond the medical realm, which can enhance your future career prospects. Secondly, the arts courses you choose can complement your medical degree. For example, you could use your arts degree to study a foreign language which will directly help you communicate as a clinician.

Accreditation

Upon successful completion of the Doctor of Medicine, you’ll be eligible to apply for provisional registration with the Medical Board of Australia. This will allow you to commence your one-year hospital internship following graduation, which is required to gain general registration as a doctor in Australia.

Our alumni

“Knowing that UNSW is a leader in medical research was really crucial in my decision making because I know the medical workforce is getting more and more competitive. UNSW builds research into its medical program, which means once you graduate, you’re in a much better position to get a job.”  

Ashna Basu

Junior Medical Officer, Prince of Wales Hospital

How to apply

To study the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine at UNSW, you must sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ). You’ll also need to apply through UNSW’s Medicine Application Portal before submitting a UAC application. The final step for entry into the degree is an interview.

Step One: Register for the UCAT ANZ
Step Two: Sit the UCAT ANZ
Step Three: Apply via the Medicine Application Portal (MAP)
Step Four: Submit a UAC Application
Step Five: Attend an interview

If you’re successful based on our selection criteria and you’ve submitted your MAP and UAC applications, you’ll be invited for an interview, which will also count towards your overall application.

Admission process for Special Entry

Additional or different steps may need to be taken by applicants that apply under one of our special entry schemes - including Indigenous, Rural and Gateway applicants. Additional information and deadlines are available on our Special Entry Schemes page.

For further information on the application process, visit our dedicated how to apply page

Visit how to apply

To study the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine at UNSW, you must sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT ANZ) or the International Student Admission Test (ISAT). You’ll also need to apply through UNSW’s Medicine Application Portal before submitting a UAC application or applying via our Apply Online portal. The final step for entry into the degree is an interview.

Step One: Register for the UCAT ANZ and /or ISAT
As of 2021, you can choose to sit the UCAT ANZ and/or ISAT. If you sit more than one test, we’ll take your best score.
Step Two: Sit the UCAT ANZ and/or ISAT
Step Three: Apply via the Medicine Application Portal (MAP)
Step Four: Submit your application through UAC or our Apply Online portal. If you’re sitting an Australian or New Zealand high school qualification, you must apply through UAC. If you’re not sitting an Australian or New Zealand high school qualification, or if you have completed all or part of a tertiary degree program, you’ll need to submit your application via our Apply Online portal.
Step Five: Attend an interview

If you’re successful based on our selection criteria and you’ve submitted your MAP and UAC/Apply Online portal applications, you’ll be invited for an interview, which will also count towards your overall application. Interviews can be completed via Skype, Zoom, face-to-face or, in some circumstances, via telephone. Interviews commence in April and continue throughout the year for the following year’s Term One (T1) commencement.

For further information on the application process, visit our dedicated how to apply page

Visit how to apply

Fees & Scholarships

2023 Indicative First Year Full Fee

$11,800*

Commonwealth Supported Place: Student Contribution Band 3

*The student contribution for a Commonwealth Supported Place is an indication only of the amount payable in Year 1 based on a standard full-time load of 48 credit points (1.0 EFTSL). The actual student contribution you will be liable for depends on your individual program of study and the calendar year in which you enrol. Actual fees are calculated upon enrolment. Student contribution amounts are subject to annual review by the university and may increase each year during your studies (subject to caps determined by the Australian Government), effective at the start of each calendar year.

The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only - other fees and charges are not included.

2023 Indicative First Year Fee

$76,505*

2023 Indicative Fee to Complete Degree

$656,440*

*Fees are subject to annual review by the University and may increase annually, with the new fees effective from the start of each calendar year. The indicative fees listed here are based on an estimated average and are for tuition only other fees and charges are not included. The amount you pay will vary depending on the calendar year to enrol, the courses you select and whether your study load is more or less than 1 Equivalent Full Time Student Load (8 courses per year).

Indicative fees are a guide for comparison only based on current conditions and available data. You should not rely on indicative fees. More information on fees can be found at the UNSW fees website.

Indicative fees to complete the program have been calculated based on a percentage increase for every year of the program. Fee increases are assessed annually and may exceed the indicative figures listed here.

Indicative fees to complete the program include tuition plus an estimate of study-related costs of approximately $1,000 per year. To find out more about other costs, visit UNSW International.

Scholarships

At UNSW, we award over $83 million in scholarships each year. We pride ourselves on rewarding excellence and making university accessible to students from all walks of life. Whether you’re a domestic or international student, our range of scholarships, prizes and awards can support your journey.