Studying for a degree in medicine remains at the top of the priority list for many international students. A medical qualification is a significant investment of time and money. Choosing the right destination and university is crucial. Australia is known for exciting cities, great weather, unrivalled landscapes and an enviable lifestyle. You may not know that the country is also home to some of the best universities for medicine worldwide. We’re here to guide you through the top institutions for the subject.
To help you in your quest to find the right university for medicine in Australia, we’ve used the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023 and the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024. We look at what makes these institutions unique and what they offer.
University of Melbourne
Topping the list of the top universities for medicine in Australia is the University of Melbourne. The Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024 ranks the institution at number one in the country and 20th globally. In addition, the university is placed in the top 20 globally by the QS World University Rankings 2024. Located in one of the top five student cities in the world (QS), Melbourne, the university hosts over 48,000, of which 22,500 are international students.
Part of the faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Health Sciences, the Melbourne Medical School is the oldest in the country, founded in 1858. The school has a reputation for the quality of its teaching and research across 12 departments, each with a distinct specialisation. These are:
- Baker Department of Cardiometabolic Health
- Clinical Pathology
- Critical Care
- General Practice and Primary Care
- Infectious Diseases
- Medicine
- Medical Education
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Rural Health
The school offers 48 degree courses across various study levels and areas of specialisation. The university also caters for in-person and online modes of instruction, depending on the course. Some of the qualifications on offer include:
- Doctor of Medical Science
- Doctor of Medicine
- Master of Surgery
- Master of Psychiatry
- Master of Genomics and Health
- Master of Medicine (Radiology)
If you aim to qualify as a medical doctor, your qualification will take seven years to complete. This consists of a three-year bachelor’s degree and four years of specialist graduate study. To qualify for entry into the Doctor of Medicine course at the university, you will need:
- A relevant undergraduate degree with a high standard of academic achievement. This would usually be the equivalent of a first-class degree or a minimum of a 2:1 result.
- You must take the Graduate Australian Medical Schools Admission Test (GAMSAT). You can also take the North American Medical Colleges Admission Test (MCAT).
- You will be subject to an admissions interview.
- You must have an IELTS score of 7.0 or above with no band lower than 6.5.
Fees for this four-year degree are approximately AUD 85,000 per year, with a total cost for the degree of AUD 366,000. You do have the option of applying for scholarships available to medical students. Some of these include:
- Graduate Access Melbourne Scholarships
- The Tweddle Scholarship
- Queen’s College Medicine Scholarships
- Ormond College Medicine Scholarships
Discover more about the costs of living in Australia and tuition fees in the country.
The University of Sydney
Located in another top ten student city (QS), Sydney, the University of Sydney is ranked third in Australia and 60th worldwide by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings 2024. According to the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2023, the institution boasts the second-best medical school in the country and is ranked 25th worldwide for the subject area. The university is home to almost 33,000 international students, 55 per cent at the undergraduate level and 45 per cent at the postgraduate level. The University of Sydney also ranks 4th globally for graduate employability as per the QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022.
The University of Sydney School of Medicine has a 150-year history of teaching and research in medical science and healthcare. The school sees 2,000 undergraduate and 1,200 postgraduate students enrolled across multiple programmes. Some of the key areas of teaching and research focus at the university include:
- Emergency medicine
- Anaesthesia
- Dermatology
- Genomic medicine
- Pain medicine
- Gynaecology
- Surgery
In addition, the school actively offers student placement and research opportunities to students. If you want to qualify as a medical doctor at the University of Sydney, you should study for a Doctor of Medicine degree (MD). This is a full-time, four-year graduate entry qualification. You must have an undergraduate degree to gain admission, and this can be a bachelor’s degree in the arts or science. Throughout this qualification, you will study themes and topics, including:
- Clinical skills
- Diagnostics
- Population health
- Clinical sciences
- Ethics and law
- Professionalism and teamwork
There is also the requirement for 2,310 hours of professional work placement and the completion of a research project. Yearly tuition fees for the course average at AUD 91,000. Selection for the course is highly competitive, with only 70 places available each year for international students.
Explore more about what to expect when studying for a degree in medicine.
Monash University
Monash University enjoys a reputation as a top 10 university in Australia as per the QS World University Rankings 2024. For medicine and healthcare the institution is ranked 2nd in Australia and 54th globally by the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024. Monash has a large student population of over 85,000 students, with just under 30,000 being international, across 96 undergraduate and 170 postgraduate qualifications.
Part of the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing and Health Sciences, the Monash School of Medicine offers a Doctor of Medicine degree and a Bachelor of Medical Science (Honours) degree. A master’s degree in Public Health is another option. To progress on to a career as a doctor, the Doctor of Medicine degree is your best choice. It takes four years to complete, with one pre-clinical year and three years in clinical environments while studying.
Studying this course, you can expect to cover core modules and topics. Some of these areas of specialist knowledge include:
- Microbiology
- Immunology
- Pharmacology
- Clinical skills
- Pathology
- Surgery
- Population health
- Community engagement
- Women’s and children’s health
- Personal and professional development
Entry into the Doctor of Medicine course requires excellent academic results and the ability to conduct a professional admissions interview. Only 30 international students are accepted to study medicine at Monash each year. You must achieve a minimum of a 6.0 out of 7.0 GPA score and pass the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT). An IELTS score of 7.0 or above, or the equivalent is also needed. To find out more, you can also consult the university’s prospectus.
If you are awarded the Doctor of Medicine degree from Monash, you are eligible for provisional registration with the Australian Health Practitioner Regulation Agency and the Medical Board of Australia. This is a significant step to take if you want to live and work in Australia, as well as qualify for a post-study work visa.
What are the top 10 universities for medicine in Australia?
We’ve focused in detail on the top three medical schools in Australia, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t other excellent institutions in the country where you can study medicine. According to the Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject 2024, the top 10 universities for medicine in Australia are:
- University of Melbourne (20th globally)
- Monash University (29th globally)
- University of Sydney (38th globally)
- University of Queensland (54th globally)
- University of Adelaide (71st globally)
- University of New South Wales (74th globally)
- Australian National University (101-125 globally)
- University of Western Australia (101-125 globally)
- La Trobe University (151-175 globally)
- Macquarie University (151-175 globally)
Hopefully, you now have a better sense of the best universities for medicine in Australia. If you want to keep researching and discovering more about Australia, you may find our guides to what makes Australia unique and how to apply to study in Australia useful. You can also stay up to date with the latest news for students.
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