The University of Notre Dame is a Catholic University that has a graduate entry medicine program. Notre Dame has two university campuses - in Fremantle, Western Australia and in Sydney, New South Wales. Sydney has 146 places, and this is a slightly larger program than that of Fremantle (with 105 medicine program places). There are 5 international places available in Fremantle and 26 international places in Sydney. The Sydney program includes up to 60 full fee paying places.

The University of Notre Dame Summary shows there is now 2 paths to medicine at Notre Dame. The first path is the graduate entry path, requiring a previous university degree. Notre Dame does not specify the type of degree or where this needs to have been obtained (apart from being from a recognised university). Importantly Notre Dame accepts accelerated and conversion degrees. The second path is only available through Notre Dame Sydney and is the assured entry path through the Bachelor of Biomedical Science degree. Students progressing through this path need to maintain a minimum GPA of 2.5 per semester and on this basis are able to progress directly through to the Doctor of Medicine.

Entry Requirements - The full details regarding the entry requirements for medicine at the University of Notre Dame are given in the table below.

How the University of Notre Dame Compares with Other Universities - Scroll further down, below the table  and you'll also see the University of Notre Dame Comparitor. This tool enables you to compare the paths to medicine at the University of Notre Dame, with other university paths to medicine (offered by 19 Australian universities).  

University of Notre Dame detailed entry Requirements

The notable aspects in how Notre Dame structures its graduate medicine degree are - 

Notre Dame has a 10 year rule

Many universities that offer graduate medicine have the proviso your undergraduate degree needs to be less than 10 years old and, if older, you have to undertake further study. Notre Dame in this regard enables applicants to refresh their degree by either completing a 0.5 FTE Graduate Certificate or equivalent/above study or studying at least 1 year at Bachelor Level.

The Notre Dame change to CASPer

Notre Dame has now changed its application requirements and have replaced the Notre Dame Portfolio. The CASPer situational judgement test has now been included. As part of this change, Notre Dame have disclosed the relative weightings of all components - both in terms of criteria to be selected for interview and also for receipt of an offer. CASPer represents 30% of the weighting for the offer of an interview. An applicant’s rurality, WA residency and Higher Degrees by Research are taken into consideration (in terms of being offered an interview) through bonus points worth 10%.

The importance of higher degrees

Notre Dame’s grade point average calculation is based on Bachelor and Honours degrees and also enables Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters by coursework to be included in the GPA calculation - noting Graduate Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Masters by coursework results are now weighted (ie giving greatest weight to the most recent results).

Guaranteed interview in Fremantle if you have a Certificate

If you are studying an undergraduate degree at Notre Dame Fremantle you have the opportunity to also undertake a Pre-Medicine Certificate. This additional four course program is studied alongside your undergraduate degree and is specifically designed for students who wish to apply for medicine. The Certificate needs to be separately applied for through the Notre Dame Admissions Office at Fremantle and the option of a Pre-Medicine Certificate does not appear to be offered at the Sydney campus.

There is a minimum ATAR requirement of 90 for students applying to study the Certificate directly after high school. Current undergraduates studying at Notre Dame Fremantle are also able to apply provided they have a 70 percent average and have sufficient time left in their undergraduate degree to complete the four course program.

The key benefit of completing the Pre-Medicine Certificate (that is full fee based) is, provided you meet grade point average and GAMSAT requirements during your undergraduate degree, you are able to secure a guaranteed interview for the Doctor of Medicine degree.

Priority entry path through the Bachelor of Biomedical Science

Bachelor of Biomedical Science graduates from Notre Dame (both Sydney and Fremantle Campuses), who consistently achieve top results throughout their undergraduate degree are eligible to apply for Doctor of Medicine admission (known as the Priority Pathway). In this regard applicants need to meet GAMSAT, GPA and CASPer (plus eligible bonuses) requirements in order to secure an interview.

The priority entry path is in additional, separate path to the assured path offered through Notre Dame Sydney. All in all Notre Dame provide up to 30 places in the medicine program for Notre Dame Bachelor of Biomedicine graduates.

Sydney also offers a Graduate Diploma and other facilitated entry paths

Notre Dame Sydney also provides a Graduate Diploma in Health and Medical Sciences that provides further scientific knowledge, important particularly to graduates who do not have a scientifically based undergraduate degree. The offer of an interview for the medicine program to these graduates is the same as for all other applicants, namely based on GAMSAT, GPA and CASPer results (plus eligible bonuses).

In addition, Notre Dame Sydney also offer facilitated entry paths to interview. Top candidates from the following degrees who have not secured an interview get a second chance for interview through this pathway. These candidates do, however, require a higher minimum GPA (ie of 6 compared to the ordinarily required 5.2 min) and may also require a higher GAMSAT as below (ie than 52 min) as follows:

Pathway* GAMSAT min Ranking Number of Interview Places

• Notre Dame Graduate 55 Top 10 10

• Grad Dip Health and Medical Science 52 Top 20 20

• UTS Bachelor of Advanced Science in Pre-Medicine* 55 Top 5 5

• ACU Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences 55 Top 5 5

* Notre Dame indicates offers are based on Interview plus GPA and GAMSAT

Indigenous Entry Arrangements

Indigenous applicants as part of the application and entry process are interviewed by the Aboriginal Health Team and secure a place in Notre Dame medicine based on the outcome of the interview, assessment of specific forms that are submitted and assessment of academic achievements (based on your undergraduate degree or academic transcripts). Indigenous students who successfully gain a place are then required to undertake a mandatory Premedicine preparation program in the December preceding commencement.