Applying

How to get into medicine as a graduate

To get into medicine as a graduate, you meet a degree rule, sit an admissions test, apply through your country's admissions system, interview, and accept an offer. This page sets out each step for Australia, the UK and Ireland.

The short version

Check that your degree, or the one you are finishing, meets the school’s rule.
Check the GPA (Australia) or degree class (UK and Ireland) you need.
Sit GAMSAT in March or September, or another test the school accepts.
Apply through GEMSAS in May, UCAS by 15 October, or the CAO by 1 February.
Interview, if the school interviews. Irish schools do not interview EU applicants.
Accept an offer and meet its conditions before the course starts.

How graduate entry works in each country

The same six steps, with the timings of the current cycle.

Step	Australia	United Kingdom	Ireland (EU applicants)
Degree rule	Three-year bachelor in any discipline	Usually a 2:1 or First	Level 8 honours degree at 2H1 or above
Academic measure	GPA, minimum 5.0 to 5.5	Degree class as a hurdle	Degree class as a hurdle
GAMSAT validity	4 years	2 years at most schools	2 years
Application	GEMSAS, during May	UCAS, by 15 October	CAO, by 1 February
Interview	September to October	Set by each school	None
Offers	End of October or early November	Through UCAS	CAO Round 0, early August
Course starts	Late January or February	Set by each school	Late August or early September

Australian dates are for 2027 entry from GEMSAS. UK dates are for 2027 entry from UCAS. Irish dates are for 2027 entry from the CAO. Flinders, Sydney and Tasmania run their own application dates outside GEMSAS.

Step 1: check you are eligible

Two separate rules apply. ACER decides who may sit GAMSAT, and each medical school decides whether your degree qualifies you to apply. The ACER rule and its exceptions are on GAMSAT eligibility.

Australia. GEMSAS asks for a completed three-year full-time bachelor or honours degree in any discipline, or to be in its final year when you apply. Most GEMSAS schools also want the degree completed within the last ten years.
United Kingdom. Most GAMSAT courses need a degree, often in any subject. Exeter and Plymouth accept applicants with no degree. A few courses limit the subject: Pears Cumbria wants a bioscience or allied health degree, and Brunel a subject relevant to medicine.
Ireland. You need a Level 8 honours bachelor degree. To compete for a CAO place you must also be eligible for EU fees.

Step 2: meet the GPA or degree class rule

In Australia, your GPA is ranked. The published minimum is 5.0 to 5.5 on a 7-point scale. At most schools GPA and GAMSAT carry equal weight when interviews are offered. GEMSAS schools calculate GPA in 5 different ways, and most weight your later years more heavily. The GPA and GAMSAT calculator runs each method on your results.

In the UK, your degree class is a hurdle. 13 of the 16 UK GAMSAT courses in our dataset ask for at least a 2:1. Some accept a 2:2 with a Master’s or PhD.

In Ireland, it is a 2H1 or nothing. All four schools require a 2H1. Once you meet it, your GAMSAT score alone decides the ranking, and a First counts the same as a 2H1.

At most GEMSAS schools your final year carries the most weight, so results in that year move your GPA furthest.

Step 3: sit GAMSAT, or another accepted test

GAMSAT runs in March and September each year. A score lasts 4 years in Australia and 2 years in the UK and Ireland. Registration closes weeks before each sitting. Current dates are on GAMSAT dates.

Which sitting you need depends on where you apply:

Australia: sit in March of the year you apply, or earlier. The September sitting in your application year cannot be used for that intake.
United Kingdom: sit by September of the year you apply through UCAS. In your ACER account, tick UK and add your UCAS Personal ID by the deadline ACER sets.
Ireland: for 2027 entry, the CAO accepts the September 2025, March 2026, September 2026 and March 2027 sittings. Add your CAO number to your GAMSAT account.

Some schools accept other tests. Worcester accepts UCAT in place of GAMSAT, and Keele asks for UCAT as well. Several Australian and Irish schools accept MCAT from international applicants. Casper is also required at 3 Australian programs.

You can prepare with our GAMSAT practice test, which is timed to ACER’s limits. The GAMSAT preparation guide covers each section.

Step 4: apply through GEMSAS, UCAS or the CAO

GEMSAS (Australia). For 2027 entry, applications opened on 1 May 2026 and closed at 5pm AEST on 29 May 2026. Supporting documents were due by 15 June. You rank up to six schools. Flinders, Sydney and Tasmania take separate direct applications. The GEMSAS guide covers how to order your preferences.
UCAS (UK). For 2027 entry, applications opened on 12 May 2026 and could be submitted from 1 September. The deadline for most medicine courses was 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026. You have five choices in total. Some schools add a second form with its own deadline, listed on GAMSAT in the UK.
CAO (Ireland). For 2027 entry, apply by 1 February 2027, or by the late deadline of 1 May 2027. Graduates from before 2027 send their documents by 15 March, and 2027 graduates by 1 July. Documents go through the CAO portal if they can be verified online. Otherwise you post the originals. More on GAMSAT in Ireland.

The Irish deadline falls before the March sitting. You can apply to the CAO first and sit GAMSAT in March of the same year.

Step 5: interview

Australia.GEMSAS releases interview offers in early September, and interviews run in September and October. You interview at one GEMSAS school only. Many schools use a multiple mini interview (MMI). Sydney’s standard stream and Tasmania do not interview.
United Kingdom. Many schools rank applicants on GAMSAT to decide who to invite. Each school sets its own interview dates and format.
Ireland.UCC, UCD, UL and RCSI do not interview EU applicants. They screen eligibility jointly from 5 to 8 July 2027, then rank you on your best valid GAMSAT score. Galway’s new course interviews every shortlisted applicant.

Step 6: offers and starting the course

Australia. GEMSAS releases place offers at the end of October or early November. More offers follow from November to January to fill vacancies. Most courses start in late January or February.
United Kingdom. Offers come through UCAS. Your conditions are set by the school.
Ireland. Offers go out in CAO Round 0 in early August 2027. You normally have about a week to accept. Teaching starts on 30 August at RCSI and UCC, and 6 September at UCD and UL.

If you do not get an offer, you can sit GAMSAT again. There is no limit on attempts. Our guide on whether to resit the GAMSAT covers that decision.

Common questions

Can you get into medicine as a graduate with any degree?

Yes, in most places. GEMSAS accepts a three-year bachelor in any discipline, and most UK and all Irish GAMSAT schools accept any subject. A few UK courses want a health or bioscience degree.

How long does it take to get into graduate medicine?

In Australia, about 11 months: sit GAMSAT in March, apply in May, interview in September and start the following January or February. In Ireland, a March sitting can lead to a start that August or September.

What GPA do you need for graduate medicine in Australia?

The published minimum is 5.0 to 5.5 on a 7-point scale. Notre Dame and UWA report average GPAs above 6.5 among the applicants they interviewed.

Can you get into graduate medicine with a 2:2?

At some UK schools, if you also hold a Master’s or PhD. Irish graduate medicine requires a 2H1, so a 2:2 is not eligible there.

Do you need GAMSAT for graduate medicine?

At almost every graduate-entry course in Australia and Ireland, yes. In the UK some courses accept UCAT instead, and some Australian rural and First Nations pathways waive GAMSAT.