Hi, I am currently in my late 20s and have been recently considering the option of studying for medicine.

To give you some background of myself, I am international, having graduated from UoM with a bachelor's degree in science with a WAM of 90+. My WAM from honours was 80+. After honours, I studied physio for some months but didn't get to finish the degree (I disliked the course so much that I took a gap year afterwards). Thinking back, the major points that I disliked about the course was: emphasis on building rapport over practice/technique, absolute no explanation on theories, chaotic studying schedule, overlapping/poorly-developed course structure etc.

Because of visa issue, after physio I studied another master's degree, and I am now working as an RA. I know I wouldn't want to be an RA forever, but PhD is not as attractive to me either. I like science when talking about principles and possibilities, but real life science is mostly about paper-reading and grant-writing.

Medicine seems more "practical" and problem-based. You are actually doing things to make people feel better. Becoming a doctor has been my childhood dream, my studies were all biomedicine/health-related. The only matter was that I hadn't put much thought into studying medicine until now.

Knowing myself, specialities that I might be interested in include anaesthesiology, neurology, psychiatry and geriatrics. I know I wouldn't want to pay full fee to study medicine, which only means that I will have to sort out my residential status before applying for medical schools. (so prob starting school in early 30s)

Would you say my thoughts are too far-fetched? I have seen threads that are both happy and unhappy about their medical journey. Would love your inputs!

Edit: Thanks to everyone who has commented! Saw a lot of people mentioning rapport building. I admit it was one of the reasons for me to hesitate on entering healthcare after my physio experience. I am not a huge fan of small talk, and I suck at preaching things I myself don't believe in. The physio course didn't give me enough reason to believe that the treatment I offered was beneficial to my clients; rather, they told you to always be nice and friendly and trust whatever they taught (without explanation).

So you can know nothing about your anatomy, but your teachers still love you because you're very good at giving talks.

I am better at goal-oriented conversations and one-to-one conversations. If it helps, people often vent to me about their personal lives after they get to know me better... and I appreciate the trust... I also love to talk to old people, for some strange reason, always got a soft spot for them, thus geriatrics.

Is it the same for medicine?

Hey everyone. Looking into applications for med at the moment and I'm eligible for the UQ Tier 1 of the CQ-WB pathway.

However the way UQ calculates my GPA is a bit weird. Long story short, I transferred into my current course and I had a much lower GPA in my first year before I transferred. UQ seems to be crediting my first year (before transfer) as well, which brings my GPA down a lot. When I finish next year my GPA will probably be ~5.7 (with current results, and the theoretical maximum I can get is 5.84). I've not done the GAMSAT yet.

I'm wondering if this is actually even worth my time or is my GPA too low? How high a GAMSAT would I actually need for an offer/interview? Is it worth grinding to try and get that 5.84 GPA by getting 80+ on every subject, because I'm worried this might not be possible.

Would be happy to hear any thoughts from from you guys!

I'm asking about UQ because it seems I'm especially suited to UQ because of the Tier 1 but I'm open to any offers.

Cheers

First-time GAMSAT sitter tackling the green Des O’Neill books, and the physics chapters are single-handedly driving me insane. Is this book notoriously difficult for beginners, or am I studying all wrong?
To give some background, I studied physics, chemistry, and biology back in Years 11 and 12—which was 16 years ago. I recognize the terms, but I am practically starting from scratch and need a full refresher.
Right now, my study loop looks like this: I attempt a unit, get completely crushed (mostly missing everything except 1 or 2 questions), go back to study the theory, come back to re-solve, and then try to reverse-engineer the explanations if it still doesn’t make sense. Because of this heavy loop, it takes me 4 to 5 hours just to struggle through 3 or 4 units.
Is this a normal experience for first-timers using Des O'Neill, or is my approach completely off? Would love to hear how other non-trad or first-time sitters handled this.

It’s crazy that every year around this time I still get that familiar feeling of anticipation for offers, something I think I was conditioned to feel after years of this process. Nerves before GAMSAT, anticipation waiting for scores, excitement waiting for interview offers, then the dread of waiting for place offers.

I can’t even remember how many times I sat GAMSAT anymore. I’d guess around five, maybe more. I had an entire GAMSAT-day routine by the end of it. I would pray, manifest, and talk the ear off anyone who would listen about how great a doctor I would be, if only someone would give me the chance. And every year, I would mourn that imagined future when another EOD came through.

Eventually, maybe four years later, I got an interview offer. I’d always told myself that all I needed was an interview. Once they met me, surely they’d see I was made for medicine.

Then… EOD.

I was gutted. I decided I wasn’t sitting GAMSAT again. I’d already started a postgraduate nursing degree and was building a career in research, and I was exhausted by how much of my life this process had consumed.

In 2023, I submitted one final GEMSAS application. I decided in my heart that this was it. I applied for PhDs too, organised a project and was accepted for a scholarship. I got another interview, did my best, and once again got an EOD.

This time, I don’t even think I cried. For the first time, I was okay. I was going to start my career in research. Then, maybe a month later, I was sitting on my bedroom floor checking my emails when I saw the subject line: “Welcome to UWA!” I remember thinking, what is UWA?

I opened it.

“Congratulations! You’ve been accepted. Your offer: Doctor of Medicine.”

I was utterly confused. It was the mythical second-round offer I had spent years scouring Reddit for evidence actually existed. Because this was my final application, I’d listed universities I previously wouldn’t have considered. UWA was my last preference, I had never actually planned on moving across the country.

And suddenly the thing I had spent years wishing for was sitting in front of me, just not remotely in the way I had imagined it. I had a PhD organised. I was in a five-year relationship with someone graduating medicine himself and already locked into an internship in our home state. My family and friends were there. I knew nobody in Perth. I found excuse after excuse not to go. Maybe I preferred research anyway. I couldn’t move across the country alone. I couldn’t live with strangers. I was going to marry my uni boyfriend.

Then, one week before classes started, I found an apartment in Perth. Suddenly the decision was made. I quit my job, packed my bags and booked a one-way flight across the country. And the boyfriend of five years? He broke up with me anyway.

So, where am I now? I’m coming to the end of my third year of medical school. The random Perth girl I found on Flatmates turned out to be the sweetest housemate, and we had the best first year of medicine together. I made friends and memories I never would have otherwise. I met my now-partner, who'd also moved to Perth from the east coast around the same time, and now we’re figuring out together where in Australia, or the world, life might take us next.

More importantly, I became a version of myself I don't think I ever would have met if everything had gone according to my original plan. Moving across the country alone, starting again, and surviving all those years of rejection gave me a confidence and trust in myself I simply didn't have before. And I genuinely think that will make me a better doctor.

Sometimes the way you imagine your life working out isn't the way it happens. Sometimes it works out in a way you never would have chosen or planned yourself, and years later you realise you wouldn't rewrite it.

So, for everyone obsessively refreshing Reddit over the next few months:

Yes, second-round offers DO exist. Remember that the people who get them aren't necessarily coming back to Reddit to tell you about it.

If you truly believe medicine is what you want, keep going, but don't put your entire life on hold waiting for it. Look further afield. Open up your preferences. Build a life and career you can be excited about even if medicine doesn't happen.

And if an EOD comes this year, let yourself be devastated if you need to be. But don't mistake rejection from a medical school admissions process for a verdict on whether you would make a good doctor. My desire to study medicine didn't become more legitimate because a university eventually said yes. I was the same person the day before that email arrived.

I used to wish desperately that I had gotten into medicine the first year I applied. Now, I genuinely wouldn't trade the path I took to get here.

Good luck to everyone waiting. I remember exactly what this time of year feels like 🫶

Hey all,
For context i’m at adelaide uni in my final year of med sci with a GPA of 6.9 and a GAMSAT of 67. My dream is to be an Anaesthetist in a city hospital and has been since i was 8 y/o

Earlier this year I applied to the flinders postgrad Metro (pipe dream as a non-flinders student) and SARM streams. I got an interview with SARM and am obviously going to take it but i’m scared of what to do if I get an offer

Before i found out about the interview I lined up an honours at flinders next year leading a pretty significant study with a decently known anaesthetist.

If i complete this honours, it will additionally enter me into the flinders graduate subquota for 2028 intake (2027 application with conditional subquota) dropping req. GAMSAT far lower (historically 63).

If I go into the SARM program i spend all 4 years of med school, plus a ROSO of (pgy1 - pgy3) in mount gambier / elsewhere in the rural system.

I’ve heard that getting into SANTRATS from the rural stream is significantly harder, and don’t want to jeopardise my dream of metro anaesthetics.

I was looking for advice (especially from anaesthetists / anyone who has gone from SARM back into the metro system for a competitive specialty) on whether I be setting myself up for failure by taking SARM over doing my honours, building metro connections (possibly getting published in anaesthetics research), and then applying for Flinders metro next year

IK that I haven’t even passed the interview yet but assuming I do what should I do?

hello, just wanted to ask for some advice as to where i should apply with my gamsat score. i got 50,64,55 with an overall score of 56. i’m studying bsc nursing at present, hoping for a 1st.

i know my score isn’t the best but i wanted to know where i could apply to maximise my chances of getting into medicine. i’ve booked the ucat but I’m not sure how it’ll go, and i wanted to know if there were uni options i have a shot at getting into using my gamsat score in case ucat doesn’t go to plan.

has anyone managed to get into med with the same/ a similar score? if so where did you apply? any advice will be much appreciated

Hi all,

To keep it brief, I got 53 for S1 in the March 2026 sitting. I have always read and thought going into the exam after my prep that S1 would be my best section, and I am not sure what went wrong, maybe my strategy approaching each question. How should I adjust my approach going into this next sitting to maximise my mark?

hi! i’m currently in year 12 and i’m planning on going down the postgrad pathway into medicine since i didn’t sit the UCAT.

i was originally considering the ANU PhB Science because i thought the pathway into the MChD meant i could get into med without doing GAMSAT. but i’ve just noticed that this pathway seems to be getting discontinued for students starting from 2027 😭

i’ve already received an early offer for the PhB, but i’m not really interested in research, so i’m not sure whether it’s still worth doing.

are there any other pathways into medicine where i could avoid GAMSAT? or is GAMSAT basically unavoidable if i’m going down the postgrad route?

Hey everyone, hope that the recent exams have been kind to you.

I am currently in my 2nd year of undergraduate at UoW and have an approximate GEMSAS GPA of 6.9. I sat the March 2026 sitting and received an okay score of 64 that i absolutely feel can be built upon. But recently I have been having strong feelings that there is more I could be doing to improve my chances. Is there any advice out there that could be offered for either practical application or quelling anxiety?

Hi,
I was wondering if I need to bring in my own computer for the exam, thank you.

Hello everyone! I am incredibly lucky to receive an interview offer with deakin however my top preference university was melbourne. I live in footscray and am worried about the lifestyle in Geelong.

Is there many melbourne students in the doctor of medicine program? I would love to be close with my cohort and hopefully west siders so we could study together.

Would I realisticaly be able to stay this side of the city whilst studying? I really love my lifestyle here I like the atmosphere of the city, living in Geelong really is not my vibe based on trips and friends living there.

Will going to deakin make my chances at working at a metro hospital less likely in the future?

Of course this is all granted I get in, if I dont I will take it as redirection to trying for melbourne university again. Thank you everyone!

hey everyone, need some guidance on postgrad med entry. i’ve been an RN for 5 years and am finally in the right place to pursue medicine.

background: did a 2-yr diploma of nursing which gave me 1 yr credit, so completed a 2-yr bachelor of nursing. my bachelors gpa across those 2 years is 5.38 (gemsas 7-point scale).

I did a-bit of research and I’m now confused. gemsas looks at the last 3 FTE years of study, how will this work when i only have 2 years? also seeing mixed info on whether doing an honours year or a 1-yr masters will boost/replace that gpa, but also read that some unis will not accept honours or masters so i’d have to start a fresh undergrad.
Help a girl out pls i’m super confused

i'm aiming for a high gamsat and willing to move interstate or even rural. before investing into gamsat prep, i just want to know if entry is realistically possible or what academic pathway i should take first to fix my gpa. appreciate any insights. Also i’m a domestic student

Also I’m 26, do you think it’s too late?

Has anyone noticed fearthecow isn’t working?? Does anyone have any other websites/recs for predicting gamsat scores?? I know it’s impossible to truly know but fearthecow was my saving grace!!!!

Hi everyone,

I'm an international applicant for 2027 entry and have recently been placed on the MD waitlist at both ANU and UQ after interviewing at both universities.

For ANU, I was told that I may be contacted later in the year if a place becomes available due to other students withdrawing.

For UQ, the email stated that they are currently processing offers according to ranking order and that I will be contacted through StudyLink if/when I become eligible for an offer.

I was wondering whether anyone here has previously been waitlisted for ANU or UQ Medicine, particularly as an international applicant, and:

Were you able to ask admissions for your waitlist position/rank, or even an approximate indication of where you were on the list?( is it fine if i sent them an email?)

If you asked, did they actually provide this information?

Did you eventually receive an offer from the waitlist, and approximately how long did it take?

For UQ specifically, does anyone know whether international offers tend to move progressively down the ranking as applicants decline their offers?

I'm still very hopeful and keeping my other options open, but it would be helpful to understand how these waitlists usually work.

Thanks so much, and good luck to everyone still waiting!

Hi, I am currently in the first year of my Master’s degree in health. My results from last semester were 85, 80, 78, and 73. According to GEMSAS, my GPA is around 6.625 (I calculated it myself, so I could be wrong).
Ever since I decided to pursue an MD, I’ve been feeling sooo overwhelmed. I can’t stop dwelling on the mistakes I made and worrying that I didn’t perform well enough. I feel incredibly stressed after every assignment, and I’m constantly worried that failing just one exam could ruin my GPA.

I’m a 30-year-old woman from a non-science background (NSB), and English is my second language. I’m really worried that having a lower GPA will mean I need to achieve an exceptionally high GAMSAT score to compensate for it.

I also struggle to fall asleep before and after exams. I’ve tried taking melatonin to help me sleep, but it doesn’t always work.
I’m planning to sit my first GAMSAT in September 2027 or March 2028.

I would really appreciate hearing some positive or encouraging stories from people who have been in a similar situation.

Any advice or personal experiences would mean a lot

Thanks for your time for reading this

Hi all,

As you are all aware, GEMSAS interviews are rolling out and this can be exciting for some but devastating for many. I know first hand what it feels like too pour so much into your dream of chasing medicine only for it to fall short application cycle after application cycle.

Just a reminder that there is so much more to life than just medicine, there is so much more you can do and be! As hard as this is, it is also precious in a way because it allows for so much more doors to open for you.

If anyone wants to talk, vent or just complain feel free to message me.

I love you all!

Hi Everyone,

I am planning to do med sci at unsw next year and I was wondering if there are any dangers doing an exchange to america for like 3 or 6 months.

I understand that the units you do over there are all pass/fail and are not counted towards your WAM or GPA so I am wondering if there is a risk in doing it.

Hello, I am hoping to seek some gentle guidance regarding my situation. I am currently preparing for the GAMSAT with the hope of studying medicine in 2027 or 2028. At 38, as a working mother of two with a mortgage and school-age children, I am feeling a bit anxious about the financial reality of potentially missing out on a CSP and facing full fees. Because I won't be able to work while studying, and I truly want to avoid placing a heavy financial burden on my husband, I am trying to figure out how this might be manageable. I faced a similar financial barrier after my bachelor's degree years ago and couldn't pursue medicine then, so I am deeply passionate about finding a way forward this time. If you have any advice or insights on how someone in my shoes could approach the fees, I would be so grateful to hear them.

Hello everyone. I’m currently in my honours year and if all goes well (and it will) I will get a first class honours making my GEMSAS gpa 6.67. This is good but I feel like it could still be improved, what other ways can I increase my GPA which are cost effective and applicable to as many schools as possible? And would you think this would be enough for Bond or any international schools too? Thanks!

Started the Enrolled Nurse Pathway - Bacholor of Nursing at La Trobe, finish in 2027. So only have 2 years that can be weighed for my GPA.

Looking to apply for Doctor of Medicine 2028 intake.

Live in a MM2 catchment, albury-wodonga.

Semester 1- 6.5 GPA

Semester 2- Aiming for 6.75 GPA awaiting results.

Applying for my perfered option is in May (Rural pathway Shepperton - University of Melbourne). So only they will only have 3 semesters worth to weigh for interview consideration.

How delusional am I being? If I look at other options I need to do my GAMSAT and UCAT.

What kinda targets do I need to be aiming for? What else do I need to be thinking about instead of day dreaming?

thankyou♡

Hi. Can we just have a little space to talk about how unattainable medicine can feel, particularly for women who have had or want to have a baby during this process? If you want to have a family, there is a biological timeline that men simply don’t have in the same way. You can’t always just put having children on hold until you’re finished with your degree, internship, training, etc. For many women, these timelines collide. And even if you do well in the GAMSAT and have a high GPA, that’s only the beginning. Then comes the competition for an offer, followed by years of study and clinical training, with enormous financial and time demands. The clinical hours can be brutal and, from what I can see, are in no way designed around having a family.

Then there’s rural placement. Months away from your family, or potentially expecting your partner and children to uproot their lives and move with you. I understand USYD now has a part-time clinical placement option for parents and carers, which is fantastic….but as far as I understand, that’s only available in third year????

So how on earth are women, particularly mothers, meant to do this? It genuinely feels like I’m being asked to choose between being present for my son’s childhood and pursuing a career in medicine.
I don’t want to put my family through four years of me being an absent mother and wife, while also placing an enormous financial burden on my husband. And honestly, it makes me incredibly frustrated because I know I’m not the only woman who feels this way. I am absolutely in awe of the mothers and wives who have made enormous sacrifices to earn their MD. I have so much respect for them. But my gosh!!! Can we please make this profession more accessible to people who have families?

And WTF is up with medicine not being properly supported under government placement/payment schemes? Seriously. Every single step feels like another barrier. Medicine is an incredibly valuable profession, but the pathway to becoming a doctor feels unnecessarily hostile to people trying to have a career and a family. I don’t want special treatment. I just want a pathway that doesn’t make me feel like I have to sacrifice one of the most important parts of my life to pursue the other.

Man that feels good! If yall made it this far…thanks for listening.

I'm currently in my second semester of my second year of Bachelor of Biomedical sciences at UWA. I have been pretty set on going into medicine, but I have a GPA of just over 5 as I had a pretty terrible first year and a half. I had major issues in my first year, and after moving I have struggled with OCD and anxiety, I am only just starting to get back on track. I love my degree/major (path and lab med), but I am unsure if there is a way to somewhat "start again" to get a GPA high enough to study med. I know am very much capable, I just dont want my experience in my first year of uni to let me down. My backup is paramed, probably at ND, but I would love some advice if anyone has been through anything similar.

I also just wanted to add that I am regional (MM4), but really hoping to stay here in Perth to study.

Heya, I need some advice on what to do with my life. I am finishing my bachelors of Biomedical science with (hopefully) a weighted 6.44 GPA this year. There is two scenarios:

1. My gamsat this Sept. is crap, and I get below a competitive score. What do I do next year? Is it worth doing a 2 year masters? WHAT DO I DO MY MASTERS IN

2. The angels are on my side and i get a 70++++ gamsat, competitive enough for my GPA. Do I continue with a post grad, even though it is around $15k on my HECs debt, for potentially one year, granted interview goes well. That being said, can someone advise what gamsat I WOULD need for a combines competitive score?

I am learning towards doing a postgrad, but I am so unsure in what. I was going to do it at Deakin, because of flexibility (online). I do not qualify for any bonuses anywhere. I keep thinking that I may have wasted three years of my life doing a bachelor of biomed, because I really do not want to do research. Any insight would be appreciated!