Admissions criteria

The UQ-Ochsner MD program is only open to citizens and permanent residents of the United States. The UQ-Ochsner program is designed to train US citizens and US permanent residents to practise medicine in the US. We acknowledge that individuals may be citizens of multiple countries, and are therefore supportive of dual citizens and permanent residents of Australia/New Zealand and the United States applying for, and being accepted into, the program.

UQ-Ochsner MD students are required to remain in this program for the duration of their studies and are unable to request to transfer to the onshore MD cohort. In addition, students are considered international students for the purposes of enrolment and tuition fee payment. Tuition for the UQ-Ochsner program is paid in United States dollars, and students are ineligible to change their tuition fee status to that of a domestic student. Lastly, students are also ineligible to access a FEE-HELP loan, or other Australian tertiary funding support packages.

Applicants must in their final year, or have completed their most recent degree to apply. The Academic Calendar in Australia differs from Schools in the United States in that it runs from January to November each year. Please keep this in mind when applying to indicate the most appropriate entry year.

Applications will be assessed on the following criteria:

MCAT

A minimum MCAT score of 504 is required. Please note that a score of 504 is not a guarantee that you will receive an interview, or offer. This is a very competitive program and the final cut-off MCAT scores may be higher than 504. The MCAT must be gained in the four years preceding the year of commencement.

GPA and pre-requisites

B average in your most recently completed degree (Bachelor or Masters degree). This degree must have been completed within the ten year period preceding the proposed commencement date. If you have graduated more than ten years prior to the program start day, your degree can be 'reactivated' if you have completed the equivalent of one semester of coursework at an undergraduate level, or higher (this will be determined upon application)

If you have completed both a Bachelors degree, and a Masters degree, the GPA from your masters degree will be calculated as this is the most recent. Science courses are not weighted any higher than other courses; if you fail a course and retake it, the higher grade is not taken instead. Every grade taken as credit towards your degree will be used to calculated GPA evenly. The pre-requisites are not weighted at all, only marked as having been completed. 

If you apply and have completed a Bachelors degree, but are still in progress of a Masters degree, only the Bachelors GPA will be used for admission as it is the degree that is complete at the time of application. For this reason, we require applicants to apply as a senior, and provide a semester 1 transcript that includes finalised grades. 

Pre-requisites will be determined based on previously completed, or in progress academic history. If your academic history fails to meet the pre-requisites at application, the Faculty of Medicine will provide further advice and support to aid you to achieve the requirements. 

Interview

Please see below for information on our Multiple Mini Interviews.

Please note applications will not be assessed on resume, extra-curricular activities, essays, or letters of recommendation. You are not required to supply these with the application, and any documents sent through will not be reviewed. 

The Medical School fosters a culture of inclusivity and the provision of equivalent opportunities to access an education in medicine. Enabling effective inclusion requires a collaborative effort by an applicant and the Medical School. We ask that applicants read the Medical Deans Inclusive Medical Education Guidelines and report identified likely barriers to participation by emailing the Academic Guidance staff, med.academicguidance@uq.edu.au.

All commencing medical students are required to be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Please note, no medical exemptions will be accepted. 

How to apply

Applicants applying for entry into the UQ-Ochsner MD program are not required to have completed a specific program, or degree of study. The current cohort comes from a range of backgrounds including arts, humanities, sciences, and economics.

While a particular degree is not required, it is recognised that science, biomedical science, or health sciences degrees are good preparation for medical study and a subsequent medical career. Therefore, all graduate entry applicants need to have successfully completed two subject pre-requisites subjects/courses, or equivalent in order to be given a place in the UQ-Ochsner MD program.

Please note that pre-approval is not required prior to submitting your application. Pre-requisite assessments will be determined based on courses already completed, or in progress as noted on your official transcript(s). If more information is required, you may be asked to provide course outlines and/or syllabi to assist the Academic Assessing team in reviewing your academic history. If your academic history is not adequate to meet the pre-requisite requirement initially, the Faculty of Medicine will provide alternative options to move your application forward.

Eligible applicants will be invited to participate in a Multiple-Mini Interview (MMI). Invitations to interview are based on MCAT, GPA, and places available. Interviews begin in March and continue into the Fall. Review a summary of important dates between submitting an application and commencing classes. 

Learn more about MMI's.

English language proficiency is required for International students at UQ. If you completed your degree (undergraduate or postgraduate) in a designated English-speaking country, you will meet the minimum English language proficiency requirements mandatory for entry.

International students who are accepted into full-time study in the Doctor of Medicine (MD-Ochsner) program are eligible to apply for an Australian student visa.

The Australian Government has simplified the visa application process. Now, all international students apply for the Student Visa (subclass 500).

There are a number of requirements you must satisfy before a visa is granted. Please note to enter Australia you are required to be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Find out more about the visa application process.

All commencing medical students are required to be fully vaccinated with a completed dosage of a vaccine approved or recognised by Australia’s Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA). Please note, no medical exemptions will be accepted. 

• Gender: 46% male, 54% female
• Average age: 26
• Terminal degree background: Bachelors 70%, Masters 30%
• MCAT average: 510