Doctor of Medical Science

The Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at Griffith University is a GRADUATE ENTRY program. As such, ALL applicants are to have completed or be in the final year of completing an undergraduate degree before they are eligible to apply for entry.

Applicants to the MD are encouraged from all degree backgrounds.

The medical selection criteria comprise three essential components:

1. completion of a Bachelor degree or other 'key degree' (see below) achieving an overall GPA of 5.0 or above on a 7-point scale calculated using the GEMSAS schema.
2. performance in the Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT) - applicants must achieve a minimum score of 50 in each GAMSAT section.
3. performance in the Griffith University Multi Station Admissions Assessment (GUMSAA).

The GPA will be added to the GAMSAT score (50:50) by converting GPA and GAMSAT to a percentage score in order to rank applicants for selection for GUMSAA.

Key degree

Applicants must have achieved a minimum GPA of 5.0 in their most recent Bachelor or other key degree. A key degree is a Bachelor degree, Honours degree, Masters (coursework or research) or a PhD.

Applicants are ranked for interview based on selections rank derived from a 50/50 combination of an unweighted GPA (converted to a percentage) and the overall GAMSAT score (also from 100). This combination rank means that a lower GAMSAT score may be offset by a higher GPA and vice versa (within the minimum requirement limits).

Griffith recognises two year accelerated Bachelor degrees or one year conversion degrees for the purposes of admission to Medicine. However, these degrees MUST be complete at the time of application.

For completed Bachelor degrees, the GPA will be calculated using the GEMSAS grading schema and will be calculated over the final three years of full-time study. Applicants who are in the final year of a Bachelor degree at the time of application will have a GPA calculated over all grades available to date.

The GPA for completed Honours degrees will have a final year GPA applied according to the classification awarded (as per the conversion table in this guide). The balance of the GPA calculation will be based on the final two years of the undergraduate degree.

Completed Masters by Research only (where the degree is non-graded) will receive a GPA of 7.0 for the duration of equivalent full-time study up to a maximum of two years. The balance of the GPA calculation will be based on the final one or two years of the undergraduate degree.

Completed Masters by Coursework (or a combination of coursework and research) will have a GPA calculated from the graded components of the program for the duration of equivalent full-time years of study in the program with the balance of the GPA calculation being based on the final one or two years of the undergraduate degree.

Completed PhDs will receive an overall GPA of 7.0.

The key degree must have been completed within 10 years of the projected commencement date. Applicants whose key degree was completed outside the 10 year period are considered for admission if they have completed (with a passing GPA) the equivalent of one year of full time tertiary study within the past 10 years.

Offer types

There are 198 Commonwealth Supported Places available in the graduate entry Doctor of Medicine (MD) program at Griffith University. One of the place types has bonding arrangements.

Approximately 80 places each year are reserved for students entering the graduate entry medical program from the Bachelor of Medical Science facilitated entry into Medicine pathway. Applicants for the MD program are required to nominate their preferred offer types in order of preference when filling out their GEMSAS applications. Applicants must nominate at least one preference out of the two possible options. Offers are subsequently made according to the student's entry rank and offer preference.

To qualify for the bonded offer type that the School has available, applicants must be an Australian citizen or permanent resident of Australia at the time of application (citizens of New Zealand do not meet this requirement).

Griffith University Rural Priority Access Scheme

A proportion of the Griffith University medical intake will be required to be from a rural background (MM 2-7). Therefore, applicants who meet these criteria will be given priority access to Griffith University selection interviews (GUMSAA). More information is available here.

Griffith University First Peoples' Health Pathway

Griffith upholds a commitment to support people of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander descent to pursue a medical career. More information is available here.

Graduate Medical School Admission Test (GAMSAT)

All applicants may apply using a valid GAMSAT score. The minimum GAMSAT score for applications to be considered further is 50/50/50.

GAMSAT scores are required to be no more than two years old at the time of application.

MD/PhD pathway

Applications for admission are to be submitted to the Dean of Medicine (Head, School of Medicine) during Year 2/Trimester 2 of study in the Doctor of Medicine program. Applicants to the MD/PhDs pathway should have:

• a numerical score equivalent to a Distinction for Year 1 of the MD;
• approval by the Head of School and satisfying the admission requirements as detailed in the Higher Degree Research policy:
  • a Bachelor degree with first-class Honours or second-class Honours (Division A); or
  • a Masters degree incorporating a significant research component from a recognised institution; or
  • a record of research, such as publication authorship, research employment, or a qualification granted by a professional or other body deemed by the Dean, Griffith Graduate Research School, to be of a standard comparable to a Bachelor degree with second-class Honours (Division A).