Updated October 24, 2026

Charles Sturt Medicine Interview (MMI): Format, Dates and Entry

What happens at Charles Sturt's medicine interview, how you get one, and how it decides your offer.

Charles Sturt interviews with a Multi-Station Mini Interview (MMI) on Zoom in late November 2026, with eight minutes to answer each question. UCAT ANZ decides who is invited. Offers then use the interview and academic merit, with a minimum ATAR of 95.5, or 91.5 for rural applicants.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Format: Multi-Station Mini Interview (MMI). You answer one question at each station, then move on.
Stations and timing: Eight minutes to answer each question. Charles Sturt does not publish the number of stations.
Online or in person: Online, by Zoom.
When (2027 entry): Invitations in late October 2026, interviews in late November 2026 and Round 1 offers on 8 January 2027.
Who is interviewed: Ranked on UCAT ANZ. 80% of interview places go to NSW applicants and 20% to interstate applicants, and at least six are kept for current Charles Sturt students who meet the rural entry conditions.
How the interview counts: Offers use UCAT ANZ, the interview and academic merit. Charles Sturt does not publish how each one is weighted.
Other routes: Rural applicants have a lower ATAR threshold (91.5). Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants have a separate process with a panel interview.

What happens on the day

Charles Sturt's interview is a Multi-Station Mini Interview (MMI) held on Zoom in November.

One question per station. You answer a question, then move on to the next station.
Eight minutes each. You have eight minutes to respond to each question.
Number of stations not published. Charles Sturt does not say how many stations there are or what each one assesses.
Online. Interviews are held virtually on Zoom. Invited applicants are contacted in late October.

Eight minutes is long. That is a lot of time on one question. Practice answers that go deeper rather than repeating the same point.

How you get an interview

Interview invitations are based on UCAT ANZ. You apply through UAC with course code 214478 as one of your preferences.

Who can apply. Australian citizens and permanent residents. You can apply straight from school, and both rural and non-rural applicants are considered.
UCAT ANZ ranks you. You register from March to May, sit the test from July (1 July to 5 August in 2026) and the results go to the university in September. The score needed changes each year and is not disclosed.
NSW and interstate. 80% of interview places go to NSW applicants and 20% to interstate applicants.
Current students. At least six interview places are guaranteed for current Charles Sturt University students who meet a GPA target, sit UCAT ANZ that year and meet all the Rural Entry Admissions Scheme conditions.
Deadline. The UAC preference deadline for 2027 entry was 25 September 2026.

How offers are decided

Charles Sturt selects on three things. It does not publish how much each one counts.

UCAT ANZ. Your result decides whether you are invited to interview, and it is used alongside the interview and your academic results.
The interview. Your MMI performance.
Academic merit. Interviewed candidates applying on school results need an ATAR of at least 95.5, or 91.5 if eligible as a rural applicant.
University study. If you have a completed degree, the threshold is a GPA of 5.5, or 4.9 for rural applicants.

The ATAR is a threshold. The ATAR is listed as a minimum for interviewed candidates, so the interview is where you can stand out.

Other routes and dates for 2027 entry

The course is a five-year program at the Orange campus, run by Charles Sturt's School of Rural Medicine.

Rural applicants

Rural origin means living for at least 10 years in total, or any 5 years in a row, in an ASGS-RA 2 to 5 area since age five. You confirm it with a Rural Confirmation form through UAC.

Lower threshold. An ATAR of 91.5 instead of 95.5, or a completed-degree GPA of 4.9 instead of 5.5.

Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants

There is a separate admission process with confirmation documents and a panel interview, run by the university. You still apply through UAC and need a completed NSW HSC or tertiary equivalent.

Confirmation first. The School of Rural Medicine contacts you in late September to October to ask for confirmation of First Nations identity and supporting documents, such as transcripts and evidence of community involvement.
Interview timing. Interview offers come in mid to late October, and the panel interview is in late November to early December.
What the panel asks. Questions are generally about your motivation, education and aspirations. Charles Sturt says the most important criterion is your passion and desire to become a doctor.
Questions. Contact the School of Rural Medicine on (02) 6365 7611 or medicine@csu.edu.au.

Where you study

You spend the first two years on campus in Orange. You then move to an extended placement at one of nine rural clinical schools across New South Wales and northern Victoria.

Key dates

1 July to 5 August 2026. UCAT ANZ testing.
25 September 2026. UAC preference deadline.
Late October 2026. Interview invitations.
Late November 2026. MMIs on Zoom.
8 January 2027. Round 1 offers.

How to prepare

Know rural health. Students train in Orange and then at rural clinical schools. Think about what rural communities need from doctors and why you want to be part of that.
Practice on Zoom. Set up a quiet room, test your camera and sound, and rehearse speaking to a screen for eight minutes at a time.
Use a structure. With eight minutes, plan your answer in parts: your view, the reasons, the other side, then what you would do.
Reset between stations. Each question is a fresh start. Do not let one hard station follow you into the next.

School leaver maturity. Have two or three real stories ready from school, work, sport or community life that show how you handle responsibility and people.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a MMI (online) station, written for applicants to Charles Sturt University (Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine). They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.

Medical schools recruit students from rural backgrounds because they are more likely to go on to practice in the country. Whether you grew up in a city or a small town, how do you plan to contribute to rural health?

Be realistic and specific, for example a placement or a skill rural towns need, rather than making big promises.

You are a medical student on a rural placement. A local farmer comes into the clinic with a severe hand injury but refuses to be transferred to the regional hospital three hours away, because he can't leave his livestock during a drought. The clinic can't do the surgery he needs. How do you approach this?

Respect his right to decide, make sure he understands the risks, and look for practical help with the livestock so the choice is not forced.

You're applying straight from school through the UCAT ANZ pathway. What have you done to build the maturity to talk with vulnerable patients?

Give one or two specific experiences, say what you learned about yourself, and be honest about what you still need to learn.

Roleplay: you are a medical student on a rural placement. The town's only GP, Dr. Harris, tells you privately that they are exhausted and burned out, and plan to leave town next week with no replacement. Speak with Dr. Harris.

Listen first and show care for Dr. Harris as a person, then gently raise support options and the community's needs without pressuring them.

Telehealth has expanded access to care in remote areas, but it has real limits. What do you see as the main practical and social barriers to relying on telehealth in rural Australian communities?

Cover both sides, such as internet access and physical exams on one hand and travel time saved on the other, and suggest how to fill the gaps.

Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services play a big role in care across Australia. What do you think are the main benefits for an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander patient of attending a community-controlled clinic rather than a mainstream general practice?

Talk about cultural safety, trust and community control, and show you would listen to what patients want rather than assume.

Frequently asked questions

Is the Charles Sturt medicine interview online?

Yes. Interviews are held virtually on Zoom in November. For 2027 entry, UAC lists them for late November 2026.

How many stations are in the Charles Sturt MMI?

Charles Sturt does not publish the number. It says you have eight minutes to answer each question before moving to the next station.

Do you need a rural background for Charles Sturt Medicine?

No. Both rural and non-rural applicants can apply. Rural applicants, who have lived in an ASGS-RA 2 to 5 area for 10 years in total or 5 years in a row, need an ATAR of 91.5 instead of 95.5.

What UCAT score do you need for Charles Sturt Medicine?

Charles Sturt does not disclose it. UCAT ANZ scores set a ranked list for interview, and the level needed changes each year with the applicant pool.

When are Charles Sturt medicine interviews for 2027 entry?

Invitations go out in late October 2026 and MMIs run in late November 2026. Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants have a panel interview in late November to early December.

Sources

Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.

Charles Sturt University: Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine · read October 23, 2026
Charles Sturt University Handbook 2027: Bachelor of Clinical Science (Medicine)/Doctor of Medicine · read October 23, 2026
Charles Sturt School of Rural Medicine: UCAT · read October 23, 2026
UAC: Medicine, dentistry and vet key dates and pathways · read October 23, 2026