Flinders University Medical Program Guide 2024

Flinders University's Doctor of Medicine program stands out as a prestigious four-year postgraduate medical course, renowned globally for its innovative curriculum and comprehensive clinical training. Specifically designed to prepare students for the medical workforce, with a focus on serving rural and regional Australia, this program offers a platform for students to enhance their knowledge, communication skills, and diversify their medical practice.

Flinders University School of Medicine offers three entry pathways for students from all walks of life to choose from.

1. Undergraduate Entry Pathway - Double Degree with a Bachelors of Clinical Sciences and a Doctor of Medicine at Flinders University
2. Undergraduate Entry Pathway - Double Degree with a Bachelor of Clinical Sciences offered in a joint medical program at Flinders University Northern Territory Medical Program and Charles Darwin Uni.
3. Graduate Entry Pathway - Doctor of Medicine at Flinders University

This article will shed light on the course structure, entry requirements, course fees, application process, and relevant key dates for Flinders University’s undergraduate and graduate entry pathway only (the first and third points).

For more information on the undergraduate joint program at Flinders University Northern Territory Medical Program and Charles Darwin Uni, you can refer to the university website.

This double degree program offers a pathway for school leavers who do not have an undergraduate degree to embark on a career in medicine. Through this six year full-time program, students receive rigorous academic, clinical, and professional medical training of the highest standard. The curriculum is designed to equip graduates with the essential skills required to assume roles as hospital interns, thereby meeting the qualifications necessary for medical registration in Australia.

Please note that this program is only available for recent school leavers.

NOTE: In 2023, the university accepted 30 high school school leavers based on ATAR and the UCAT and 36 International students.

In the first year of the Doctor of Medicine & Bachelors of Clinical Sciences Undergraduate program, students can anticipate a comprehensive curriculum encompassing various core subjects and practical sessions.

1. Foundational Biology and Chemistry
2. Foundational health sciences and psychology
3. Chemistry
4. Anatomy and Physiology
5. Elective Subjects

In the second year of the  Doctor of Medicine & Bachelors of Clinical Sciences Undergraduate program, students can expect to delve deeper into various core subjects while also gaining practical experience through workshops and hands-on sessions.

1. Continuation of Biochemistry
2. Human Physiology and Disease
3. Elective Subjects

In the third to sixth years of the program, students will embark on a comprehensive journey towards becoming competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.

1. Themes in Doctor-Patient Interaction
2. Themes in Health and Illness
3. Themes in Health Professions and Society
4. Introduction to Clinical Practice
5. Clinical Performance Topics
6. Option Topics
7. Continuation of Clinical Practice
8. Advanced Clinical Studies
9. Professional Induction to Clinical Practice

Flinders University Medicine is a four-year full-time program designed for students who have completed their bachelor's degree. The Doctor of Medicine postgraduate degree aims to strengthen a student's medical profile by providing diverse hospital internships, clinical-scenario based experiences and scope to upgrade research skills to practice medicine locally and globally.

The Flinders University Doctor of Medicine aims to:

• Integrate basic science and clinical methods into practice and discoveries within medical research;
• Provide a structured approach towards simulated learning, early patient care and interpreting clinical scenarios in-person at the Flinders Medical Centre;
• Encourage students to undertake clinical knowledge in hospital settings and community environments spread across Adelaide, South Australia, Western Victoria and Northern Territory;
• Improve knowledge around the community and social health;
• Recognise and diagnose multi-faceted illness;
• Implementing strategies to improve patient care and service as part of the medical practice;
• Motivate students to undertake working within collaborative team settings and ensure each student becomes attuned to a professional attitude..

Conducted in affiliation with the Australian Medical Council, Flinders University Medicine has four Graduate Outcome Statements, pathways that graduates excel in:

1. Science and Scholarship - Medical graduates can pursue pathways to become a scientist and a scholar.
2. Health advocacy - Med school graduates have the potential to improve community health and safety.
3. Professionalism and leadership - Medical graduates can initiate self-learning and collaborative learning within their enterprises.

Applicants must have successfully completed Year 12 (or its equivalent) and should not have pursued higher education studies previously.

For domestic applicants, participation in a selection test is compulsory. The final ranking is determined by combining scores from the test and the applicant's academic performance in Year 12.

International applicants are required to attain a minimum Year 12 (or equivalent) score. Those meeting this criterion will be invited for an interview. Selection for admission will be based on performance in this interview. In case of more eligible applicants than available places, selection will be determined by a rank score, which combines the Year 12 qualification score with the interview score.

Additionally, all applicants must complete the University Clinical Aptitude Test for Australia and New Zealand (UCAT ANZ). Final ranking for a place is determined by combining scores from the applicant's Year 12 subject results used to calculate the ATAR (or equivalent) and their UCAT results.

To be competitive for a place, it is anticipated that applicants will need to achieve:

• An ATAR of 95 or above (after the addition of any relevant adjustment factors).
• Ranking for offers will be based on a composite score combining Year 12 subject results (90%) and a UCAT ANZ-derived score (10%)

Only those applicants with a most recent bachelor's degree from an Australian University or any tertiary institution of the equivalent standard or have completed a one year Honours qualification are deemed eligible for entry via the Graduate entry pathway.

For international students who are in their final year of bachelor's degree or have pursued their studies from an overseas educational institution (such as international applicants), Flinders University assesses their overseas qualifications to determine the student's ability to study at their university.

Applicants qualify as a domestic applicant if they are considered:

• Australian citizen
• Australian permanent resident
• Humanitarian visa holder

This is purely for medical places offered in South Australia and the Northern Territory. It should be noted that you can apply only to places available in South Australia if you are a New Zealand citizen.

In order to be eligible as a domestic applicant for the Flinders University Doctor of Medicine program, applicants must achieve:

1. Hold a Bachelor's degree or an equivalent qualification. Alternatively, applicants should be on track to complete their most recent Bachelor's degree or equivalent qualification before commencing the course.
2. Normally achieve a minimum Flinders equivalent non-weighted Grade Point Average (GPA) of 5.00 or higher.
3. Possess a valid Graduate Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT) result with a minimum score of 50 in each section.
4. The final offer is granted to those students who performed well in the GAMSAT and proved their non-cognitive skills during the Flinders Medicine Interview.

You can apply as an international applicant provided you meet the minimum academic requirements and English language requirements. Similar to domestic applicants, you must submit official academic transcripts from a recent key bachelor's degree that you received from an overseas educational institution.

In order to be eligible as an international applicant for the Flinders University Doctor of Medicine program, applicants must achieve:

1. GPA score of 5.0 out of 7.0 is required.
2. Have a valid GAMSAT score of 50 in each Section or a valid MCAT score of 123 in each Section, with an overall score of 492 or higher.
3. English language competency required.
4. Based on their academic scores and admission test results, students will receive the Flinders Medicine Interview Offers.

Want to predict your odds of getting an interview offer from your first choice medical school? Try our Medical Interview Calculator!

For school leaver applicants, they must ensure that they are eligible and apply via the South Australian Tertiary Admissions Centre (SATAC) website to submit the application online.

Postgraduate domestic applicants eligible to apply to the Flinders Doctor of Medicine must apply directly via the university's online application portal. Additionally, applicants must submit one application for either the Doctor of Medicine locations to confirm their preferences: Bedford Park - South Australian Medical Program, CSP and/or Darwin - Northern Territory Medical Program (NTMP).

Note: NTMP is based in Northern Territory and expects students to practice a four-year return of service post-graduation, during which the student cannot transfer to SA. The NT Government fully funds these medical places.

International applicants, on the other hand, must submit their application form directly to Flinders University via the International Application System. Applicants can also opt to apply via a Flinders University recognised agent.

The Flinders University Medicine Interview follows a vastly different format to that which we are used to seeing from the other medical schools across Australia. Instead of the typical ‘Multiple Mini Interview’ format, the Flinders University medicine interview utilises a 45-minute panel interview to select their candidates for the Doctor of Medicine (MD) programme.

Successful applicants will receive an online link to book their preferred date and time for the interview. Applicants from Adelaide and Darwin will be interviewed in person. The interview format is semi-structured, which uses a standard set of scenarios and questions for all applicants to evaluate their qualities to succeed both in med school and subsequent medical practice.

These are some of the qualities the university assess an applicant on:

• Quality of motivation
• Learning style and team skills
• Communication skills
• Pro-social attitude
• Personal management and self-evaluation skills
• Approach to decision-making

Whilst a small panel of interviewers will conduct the interviews for domestic applicants, there is however generally a single interviewer for international applicants. Interviewers are not provided with any academic achievement or related information about the applicant besides the applicant's names. The semi-structured panel interview lasts approximately 45-50 minutes for both domestic and international applicants, the latter receive a Skype link to conduct the interview.

Applicants must receive 50% and above out of a total score of 100 in the medical interview to receive a medical offer to the Flinders University Medicine program.

For all domestic students, the Doctor of Medicine Flinders Uni offers two types of medical places: Bonded Commonwealth Supported Places and the Non-Bonded Commonwealth Supported Places.

First, let's understand how Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) work. The Australian Government has taken the initiative to financially support domestic applicants by covering a part of the tuition fee as a subsidy and not a loan. This is known as the CSP. As a component of the CSP program, the Bonded Medical Program in the MD course requires every applicant to commit to working in eligible regional, rural and remote areas for a specified duration of time upon completing their medical degree. The commitment is known as Return of Service Obligation (RoSO). Students who successfully enrol via this program must pay an annual indicative fee of AUD $12,720.

Want to know more about the types of medical school places available in Australia? Read our article now!

International students are ineligible for a CSP or a BMP and must look into Full-fee paying places available within the Flinders Doctor of Medicine.

Where To From Here?

We hope our detailed medical interview guide about Flinders University was helpful, here’s a range of Free Resources, for you to help you through your medical school journey!

Alternatively, here’s are a few more relevant articles for you to read:

1. Medical School Tuition Fees Explained
2. How to prepare for a medical interview - Solo preparation
3. What is problem-based learning in medicine?
4. Medical School Interviews: Why are they hard?
5. Get to know your interviewer: Who does the med school interviewing?

At Fraser’s we also offer a range of student-friendly interview prep courses for you to perform well at your medical school interview!