Updated October 24, 2026

Sydney Medicine Interview: MD, Dubbo and Double Degree (2027)

Who actually gets an interview for medicine at the University of Sydney, what it looks like, and how offers are decided.

Sydney's 2027 admissions guide lists no interview for standard applicants to its graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine. They are ranked on their GAMSAT section scores, after a GPA minimum of 5 and at least 50 in each section. Applicants to the 24-place Dubbo stream and through Indigenous Facilitated Entry may be required to attend an interview, and Sydney may add an interview or SJT if applicants are ranked equally. School leavers applying for the double degree sit an online Assessment Day with a group interview.

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Key facts (2027 entry)

Standard MD (Sydney stream): No interview listed in the admissions guide. Ranked on GAMSAT section scores (at least 50 in each section). Overall and average GAMSAT scores are not used.
Who may be interviewed: Dubbo stream applicants (selected for interview on admissions test results and a personal statement), Indigenous Facilitated Entry applicants, and applicants who are ranked equally. The guide says each of these may be interviewed, not that they will be.
Tie-breaker: If applicants are ranked equally, Sydney may use an interview or a Situational Judgement Test (SJT), with due notice.
Double degree (school leavers): Online Assessment Day on Zoom with a group interview and a written assessment. ATAR 99.95 to be invited (lower minimums for some equity pathways).
When (2027 entry): MD: first-round offers were made on 3 September 2026. Double degree: Assessment Day 1 on 18 December 2026 and Day 2 on 18 January 2027.
Places: About 300 MD students a year, including 24 Dubbo stream places. About 30 domestic and 10 international double degree places across arts and science.
Other routes: Indigenous Facilitated Entry Scheme (GAMSAT waived from 2027 entry) and the Rural Applicants Facilitated Entry Scheme (GPA minimum 4.5).

What the interview looks like (if you get one)

Sydney has no single interview. Whether you are interviewed, and how, depends on the stream you apply for.

Standard MD: no interview listed

Scores, not an interview. The admissions guide ranks standard applicants on their GAMSAT section scores and lists no interview for them. Overall and average GAMSAT scores are not used.
Unless there is a tie. If applicants are ranked equally, Sydney may add an interview or a Situational Judgement Test (SJT). It gives those applicants due notice.
Other tools possible. The course page says Sydney may ask applicants to take part in further assessment, with due notice.

Dubbo stream: personal statement and interview

Dubbo applicants write a personal statement and may be interviewed. The interview checks your interest, intention and aptitude for practicing medicine in rural and regional areas.

Double degree: online Assessment Day

Group interview plus writing. The Assessment Day is held online and includes a group interview and a written assessment.
On Zoom. Use a laptop or desktop with a camera and microphone. Sit alone in a private, secure room.
Check your setup. Sydney suggests a wired connection (at least 1 Mbps, ideally 4 Mbps), a headset with a microphone, and testing your microphone and speakers beforehand.

Indigenous Facilitated Entry

Eligible Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander MD applicants may be required to attend an interview. Indigenous school leavers with an ATAR of 90 or higher are invited to the double degree Assessment Day interview.

Interview details are not published. Sydney does not publish the length, number of questions or scoring of the Dubbo interview or the Assessment Day group interview.

How you get an interview

Each stream has its own gate. Meeting the minimum only makes you eligible.

Dubbo stream. Applicants (other than Indigenous Facilitated Entry) are picked for interview on their admissions test results and personal statement.
MD minimums. A UAC-calculated GPA of at least 5 (4.5 for rural applicants) as of 4 June 2026, and at least 50 in each GAMSAT section. GAMSAT results must be from September 2024, March 2025, September 2025 or March 2026.
Double degree. You must reach the required ATAR (99.95, or equivalent) to be invited. The minimum is 90 for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and 99.5 for Regional and Remote Entry Scheme or MySydney applicants.
No special consideration on ATAR. For the double degree, the ATAR requirement applies regardless of illness, misadventure or disadvantage at school.
Invites arrive by email. Day 1 invitations are emailed after 9am on ATAR release day, and Day 2 invitations after 9am on 14 January. Either way you must RSVP by 2pm the next day or your application lapses.

How offers are decided

Offers go in order of final rank. Different streams and place types can have different ranking lists.

Standard MD. Ranked on admissions test results. You number your place preferences (for example Commonwealth Supported or Bonded Medical places) on the online confirmation page.
Dubbo. The interview counts toward your Dubbo ranking. Offers start with Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander applicants and rural applicants with the highest rank, after a satisfactory personal statement and interview.
One offer only. You can apply to both the Sydney and Dubbo streams but can get only one MD offer. Transfers between the streams are not allowed.
Double degree. You need the ATAR and a satisfactory Assessment Day. Students who finish their bachelor's degree move on to the MD without sitting the GAMSAT.
Review. MD applicants can ask the Academic Lead of Admissions to review a decision within 10 working days.

Streams, pathways and 2027 dates

There are two ways into Sydney's MD: graduate entry after a bachelor's degree in any field, or a seven-year double degree for school leavers.

The streams and pathways

MD, Sydney stream. Four years, graduate entry. Intake is usually around 300 a year, with up to 70 full-fee places for international students.
MD, Dubbo stream. 24 places a year at the School of Rural Health in Dubbo, only for students eligible for a Commonwealth Supported Place. It is funded under the Australian Government's Murray-Darling Medical Schools Network.
Double degree. Bachelor of Arts or Bachelor of Science, then the MD (seven years). About 30 domestic and 10 international places a year across both.
Rural origin. At least 5 consecutive or 10 cumulative years living in an Inner Regional, Outer Regional, Remote or Very Remote area. A registered doctor, dentist, pharmacist or lawyer, a school principal, or a current or former employer must confirm it on Sydney's form. Family members cannot.
Indigenous Facilitated Entry. From 2027 entry, the GAMSAT is waived. A GPA of at least 4.5 is preferred, with lower GPAs considered where results show improvement.

MD dates (2027 entry, now closed)

Applications. UAC Qualifications Assessment Service open 13 April to 28 May 2026. MD applications open 21 April and closed 4 June 2026.
Confirmation page. Completed by eligible applicants from 3 to 10 August 2026.
Offers. First-round offers on 3 September 2026. Offers may continue until January 2027.

Double degree dates (domestic)

Day 1: 18 December 2026. Add the double degree as a UAC preference by 13 December. Invitations go out after 9am on 16 December (ATAR release), and RSVPs are due by 2pm on 17 December.
Day 2: 18 January 2027. Add the preference by 10 January. Invitations go out after 9am on 14 January, and RSVPs are due by 2pm on 15 January.
No other dates. Dates are not negotiable. You must attend the first Assessment Day after your results are released.

How to prepare

Sydney-only graduate applicant? Put your effort into the GAMSAT. Prepare for an interview only if you apply to Dubbo, apply through Indigenous Facilitated Entry, are told you are tied with other applicants, or apply to other schools that interview.
Dubbo: make rural real. Have specific reasons for wanting to train and work in rural and regional NSW, beyond getting a place. Link them to things you have actually done or seen.
Group interview: share the floor. Practice short discussions with two or three friends. Build on what others say, bring quieter people in and help the group reach a conclusion.
Test Zoom early. Do a full run-through on the computer and room you will use, with your camera, microphone and headset.

Watch your inbox. Day 1 invitations come on ATAR release day with a next-day RSVP deadline. Check your junk folder too.

Practice questions

Questions in the style of a No interview listed for standard MD applicants station, written for applicants to The University of Sydney (Sydney Medical School). 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?

Give a concrete plan tied to your own experience, and show you understand what rural communities actually lack.

Why do you think many doctors are reluctant to practice in rural and remote areas of Australia, and what changes could encourage them to build careers outside the major cities?

Name real barriers like isolation, training access and family, then suggest fixes that tackle each one.

Why is it important for you to understand the goals of Closing the Gap, even if you plan to spend your whole career working in a large metropolitan hospital?

Show that Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander patients use city hospitals too, and give one thing you would do differently day to day.

You are applying for medicine straight from school. What makes you confident that medicine is right for you now, rather than exploring other fields at university first?

Use specific experiences that tested your interest, and be honest about what you still have to learn.

You and another applicant have five minutes to assemble a puzzle. You are blindfolded, and your partner is not allowed to speak. How will you set up a way to communicate, and what challenges do you expect?

Agree on a simple system first, check it works, and say how you would adapt when it breaks down.

You have already completed a first degree. What happened during your undergraduate studies that made you decide to sit the GAMSAT and move into medicine?

Tell one clear turning point and connect it to what you will bring to patients, not just to the course.

Frequently asked questions

Does the University of Sydney interview for medicine?

Not for standard Doctor of Medicine applicants, according to the 2027 admissions guide. They are ranked on GAMSAT section scores. Dubbo stream applicants may be interviewed, Indigenous Facilitated Entry applicants may be interviewed, and tied applicants may face an interview or SJT.

Is the Sydney double degree interview online?

Yes. The double degree Assessment Day is held online via Zoom and includes a group interview and a written assessment.

When is the Sydney double degree Assessment Day for 2027 entry?

Domestic Assessment Day 1 is on Friday 18 December 2026 and Day 2 is on Monday 18 January 2027. You must attend the first one after your ATAR (or equivalent) is released.

Does Sydney use overall GAMSAT scores?

No. Sydney ranks on the scores for each GAMSAT section and does not use overall or average GAMSAT scores. You need at least 50 in each section.

Can I apply to both the Sydney and Dubbo streams?

Yes, but you can receive only one MD offer, and you cannot transfer between streams later. Dubbo also needs a personal statement in Sydney's template.

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.

University of Sydney: Doctor of Medicine Domestic Admissions Guide 2027 · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Important dates for 2027 admission, Doctor of Medicine · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Doctor of Medicine course page · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Doctor of Medicine, Dubbo Stream · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Bachelor of Science and Doctor of Medicine · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Bachelor of Arts and Doctor of Medicine · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: DDMP 2027 entry, information for Assessment Day 1 · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: DDMP 2027 entry, information for Assessment Day 2 · read October 23, 2026
University of Sydney: Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander pathways (medicine and health) · read October 23, 2026