Ep 20: Applying For Non-GEMSAS Medical Schools

Tom Forfa (00:18)
Welcome back everyone to the Nurses Doing GAMSAT podcast. Dr Tom here, founder and CEO of ThankFlip, and I’m joined by our amazing applications expert Amlan. We did a podcast last week together and we’re doing another one today. Welcome, Amlan!

Amlan (00:33)
Thank you so much for having me back. Last week was very fun, so I’m excited to be with you all again today to discuss some non-GEMSAS unis.

Tom Forfa (00:41)
Yes, we’re going to dive a bit deeper into the application process. If you haven’t listened to the previous one—or Episode 18—you probably should. Across those episodes, we cover the application process in a lot of depth.

Before we jump in, Amlan asked me an interesting question before we started—what TV shows I’ve been watching. Bit of a tangent, but a fun one, so I thought I’d share. Sometimes I struggle to find a show I enjoy. I’ve got Netflix, Mare likes Binge—she’s got stuff on there—but I can’t always find anything good.

We found one recently that Mare and I both agreed on—reasonably at least. It’s a murder mystery set in the White House with a detective trying to solve a murder. It’s kind of funny too, made by Shonda Rhimes. Great show. And then just recently Mare goes, “Hey, there’s this show called Rhythm and Flow.”

Amlan (01:53)
Yeah, she makes good shows.

Tom Forfa (02:02)
I don’t know what platform it’s on, but Rhythm and Flow is basically about up-and-coming rappers and hip-hop artists in America. Ludacris is one of the judges—Busta Rhymes was on there. I grew up listening to that stuff. You probably can’t tell, but in Western Sydney—Southwestern Sydney—it was all hip-hop and rap.

Amlan (02:22)
I’m just going to smile and nod.

Tom Forfa (02:32)
Yeah, seeing those guys now and the new artists coming through—it’s really inspirational. I’m not out rhyming and rapping, obviously, but the message resonates. These people are chasing a better life, pushing through obstacles, honing their skills, and being totally obsessed with improving. It’s exactly what GAMSAT and the med school application journey is about.

So if you want a bit of GAMSAT or med school inspo in an entertaining way, check out Rhythm and Flow. Plus, the music’s good.

Amlan (03:27)
I do not have any inspirational recommendations, guys. I tend to watch brain-dead reality TV—Kardashians, Real Housewives. Maybe Mare and I need to do a spin-off podcast just talking about our favourite reality shows.

Tom Forfa (03:38)
Yeah, Mare loves that stuff. That’s why she’s got Binge—it’s got all the Real Housewives on there. She’s into it.

Amlan (03:53)
So good. But today’s episode, sadly, is not about the Housewives. It’s about something more exciting—the non-GEMSAS unis.

Tom Forfa (04:02)
Yep, so let’s get into it. What’s the difference between GEMSAS and non-GEMSAS unis?

Amlan (04:08)
As I mentioned last week, GEMSAS is a centralised platform where around 10 unis participate—it’s basically the unis outsourcing the hard work. It serves as a bridge between applicants and medical schools.

With GEMSAS, you apply centrally, and you can only get one interview and one offer.

Non-GEMSAS unis operate outside that system. If you’re applying to graduate-entry medicine in Australia, don’t stop at GEMSAS. Some of the most competitive and even desirable schools are outside the system. You apply to them separately.

I received offers from both GEMSAS and non-GEMSAS pathways. My Notre Dame offer was through GEMSAS, and I also got a medical offer from Flinders via their independent system. Having that non-GEMSAS offer gave me real choice—and I recommend looking into both.

Tom Forfa (05:09)
Amazing. This is where it gets exciting. People can end up with multiple interviews and even multiple offers. One of our bootcampers, Holly, got three interviews and offers from two of them. It’s a great position to be in.

So let’s talk about which schools are the non-GEMSAS ones.

Amlan (05:45)
There are three main ones:
University of Sydney (NSW), Flinders University (SA), and University of Tasmania (TAS).

There’s also Monash Graduate Entry, but it’s only available to Monash undergrads. If you’re one of them, definitely apply—but it’s not open to the general population.

Tom Forfa (06:23)
Yeah, I’ve got a whole rant about Monash monopolising their program, but that’s another episode. If you’re a Monash student, you can find more info through your uni or on our website. We’ve got a page that breaks down the application processes for every medical school and compares them side by side. I’ll link that in the show notes.

Let’s talk about the entry requirements and break them down by school.

Amlan (07:17)
Sure. GEMSAS and non-GEMSAS unis have a lot of overlap in their requirements. You still need a competitive GAMSAT score, a solid GPA, and usually an interview. There are also quotas or pathways for certain applicants, like rural or Indigenous applicants.

Let’s start with Flinders. I actually did my undergrad there. The GAMSAT cut-off depends on a few things. If you’re a Flinders graduate, the cut-off is much lower—around 64 or 65 in recent years. If you’re from a rural background or on a humanitarian visa, it’s lower again.

But if you’re a non-Flinders graduate, the score shoots up—like 75 or higher. So there’s a huge difference. Most postgrad places go to Flinders grads.

Tom Forfa (08:32)
Yeah, that’s an interesting point. We talked last week about how Monash favours its own students—Flinders does too, but they’re the only postgrad med school in South Australia. Their justification is that they want local grads to stay and practise in SA.

They’re trying to support people with humanitarian visas too, which is great—but this is something you really need to know about when you apply. Being a Flinders grad or not makes a massive difference to your chances.

Amlan (09:33)
Exactly. Some people even do an extra diploma or graduate certificate at Flinders—sometimes online—just to be considered a Flinders graduate. It can have a huge impact on your eligibility.

Tom Forfa (09:45)
Massive. If you can drop your GAMSAT cut-off from 75 to 64—that’s huge. That could be the difference between getting in or not.

Amlan (09:58)
Flinders also recently launched a new rural pathway—SARM—which started last year. Hardly anyone knew about it, so lots of eligible people didn’t even apply. That’s a shame.

And if you’re from the Northern Territory, there’s a conjoined Flinders program based in Darwin. There are lots of rural-focused options. You do your third year in rural SA, and honestly, the rural areas are beautiful. The Flinders campus itself is also lovely—set in the hills.

Tom Forfa (11:00)
Is it in Adelaide proper or outside?

Amlan (11:02)
It’s in Adelaide—just on the outskirts. And yeah, the whole “City of Churches” thing? We’ve kind of moved past that. The tourism boards are pushing wine now—Barossa, McLaren Vale—that’s the new vibe.

Tom Forfa (11:15)
They’ve rebranded from communion to cabernet! Makes sense. Maybe it’s still a bit of both—mass and Merlot.

Amlan (11:44)
Exactly—why not both? I always say SA is for people who want a more laid-back lifestyle. You’ve got beaches within 10 to 15 minutes. I can get to three different beaches within 20 minutes from my place. It’s way less chaotic than cities like Sydney. Flinders and SA in general are worth considering.

Also, Flinders has interviews—but they’re panel interviews, not MMIs. What would you say is the difference, Dr Tom?

Tom Forfa (12:30)
Yeah, I’ve done both. Panels are more flexible. You can build rapport, go off on tangents, let them get to know you more deeply. They still have guidelines and timing, but there’s room to breathe.

In MMIs, it’s very structured—five to seven minutes per station, and there’s no interaction. It’s straight in, straight out. No chit-chat. But each station is a fresh start.

With a panel, if it doesn’t go well, that could impact the whole interview. You can’t reset. So there are pros and cons to each format. You just need to know what type you’re getting and prepare accordingly.

Amlan (14:03)
Great point. That’s why we run our Interview Bootcamp. You can’t prep for this stuff in a day. It takes time and focused effort.

And interviews carry a lot of weight. I’ve had friends with amazing GPAs and GAMSAT scores who didn’t get in because they underestimated the interview. Confidence is great, but if you haven’t practised, it shows.

Tom Forfa (14:53)
Totally. That happened to me with my USyd interview. I had the GPA, GAMSAT, work experience—I thought I had it in the bag. But I didn’t prep properly and I didn’t get in. It felt personal because they actually met me and still didn’t offer me a spot.

The next year, I changed my approach. I prepared properly, did the Notre Dame interview, got in—and later ended up interviewing candidates myself.

That whole experience shaped what we offer in the Interview Bootcamp. We don’t give you answers—we give you a framework so you can answer any question. Then we practise with you, give live feedback, and you see others doing it too. It lifts everyone.

Last year, every bootcamper who got an interview and joined our bootcamp got an offer—some got multiple offers. We can’t guarantee that’ll always happen, but the structure and support are there.

We’ll drop a link in the show notes if you want to check it out.

Amlan (16:21)
Yeah, I think that’s a real testament to the power of the program. It helps you get inside the mindset of an interviewer, which is what you need.

Amlan (16:26)
So now that we’ve covered Flinders, let’s talk about the University of Sydney. It’s a very popular choice—New South Wales is a highly desirable place to live.

USyd has two streams: the metropolitan Sydney stream and the rural Dubbo stream. You apply directly to the university—it’s not part of GEMSAS. That’s really important to know.

For the metro stream, they don’t consider GPA beyond the minimum requirement. As long as you’ve passed that threshold, they don’t use it to rank you. As for the GAMSAT, it’s a bit of a mystery—but the consensus is they place much more weight on Sections 1 and 2 than on Section 3.

Tom Forfa (17:22)
Yeah, USyd really is its own beast. They’ve ditched interviews for the metro pathway, only care that your GPA meets the hurdle, and then re-calculate your GAMSAT score themselves. They don’t just use the one that ACER gives you. It’s a completely different formula.

Amlan (17:40)
Exactly. And my theory is that because they’ve removed the interview from the Sydney stream, they’re using Sections 1 and 2 of the GAMSAT—which focus on reasoning, communication, empathy—to fill that gap. They’re essentially using the GAMSAT to gauge your suitability for medicine from a humanities and communication perspective.

But the Dubbo stream is different—it does include an interview and a personal statement. They really want to know why you’re interested in rural medicine, what your values are, and how committed you are to working in underserved areas.

Tom Forfa (18:29)
It always makes me laugh how different the unis are. They’re all trying to find the same thing—the best med students—but they each have their own “magical” process. And USyd is the perfect example of that. No interview. GPA doesn’t count for much. They re-weight the GAMSAT. It’s wild.

Amlan (19:13)
It is! But if you’re someone with a high Section 1 and 2 GAMSAT and a lower Section 3, USyd might be your best bet. Just keep in mind—you’re not the only one thinking that. You probably need Sections 1 and 2 to be in the 70s to be competitive.

Tom Forfa (19:58)
That reminds me—Ruby’s ukulele teacher did the GAMSAT. He had an Honours degree in theology and did really well in Sections 1 and 2. Not great in Section 3, but still got into USyd. Just goes to show how diverse the backgrounds of med students can be.

Amlan (20:17)
Absolutely. In my cohort, my friend Shabnam and I were the youngest—we got in at 20 and started at 21. But we also had people in their 40s and 50s. I never thought I’d say, as a 24-year-old, that I have friends who are 40. But it’s awesome.

We have people from science, arts, music, law—even entrepreneurs and dentists. Medicine attracts people from every walk of life. And USyd really embraces that diversity.

Tom Forfa (21:24)
Amazing. Now, the rural pathway at USyd is super important too. Want to explain that a bit more?

Amlan (21:28)
Sure. For the Dubbo stream, you need to submit a personal statement and do an interview. The statement needs to clearly express why you want to work in rural or disadvantaged communities—what your values are, what motivates you, and how you see yourself contributing.

That, alongside your interview performance, plays a big role in whether you get an offer.

Tom Forfa (22:16)
We cover personal statements in our Applications Bootcamp too, so if you need help with that, check it out.

And again—this is where it gets really exciting. You could get one offer from USyd’s Dubbo stream, one from Flinders, and another from a GEMSAS school. If you’re a rural applicant, the possibilities are even greater.

Amlan (22:30)
Exactly. Just remember—if you’re applying for the Sydney metro stream, the GAMSAT is everything. If you want to strengthen that area, consider joining our GAMSAT Bootcamp. It’s designed to be personalised and comprehensive.

Alright, now on to University of Tasmania. UTAS is kind of an enigma. I’ve never been, and I still joke that I’ve never met anyone from Tasmania, so I’m not even convinced it’s a real place!

Tom Forfa (23:44)
Haha, yeah—UTAS only popped up a few years ago as a med school. It’s got a tiny cohort, and they really favour local Tasmanian applicants.

Amlan (23:50)
Yes, UTAS considers GAMSAT and GPA and also uses a written application and structured interview.

They combine your unweighted GPA and GAMSAT overall score. But they also have strong quotas—Tasmanian residents, rural backgrounds, and people who studied the UTAS medical research science undergrad degree get preference.

They want to train doctors who will stay in Tasmania. So if you’re a local, this could be your best shot.

Tom Forfa (24:24)
Yeah, and now that we’ve covered the schools, we should talk about timelines. The GEMSAS applications all close at the same time, but the non-GEMSAS unis have different—and later—deadlines. That’s why we released this episode separately.

Do you have the dates handy?

Amlan (24:41)
Yes. For USyd, the key date is 29th May—that’s when applications close. Super important. If you miss it, you can’t apply.

For Flinders, the application deadline—including payment—is Monday, 7th July. If you’re completing your degree mid-year, your official transcript needs to be ready by Thursday, 31st July.

UTAS has several deadlines in June—documentation and UAC submissions must be done by around the 26th. Check their website and ours for full details.

Tom Forfa (26:29)
So USyd’s deadline is first—29th May. Don’t miss that. All the others are later.

Amlan (26:42)
Exactly. Offers usually come out around September. Flinders interviews are held late September. Offers can keep rolling through until mid-February. I’ve seen offers go out even after the course starts.

Tom Forfa (27:15)
Yeah, second, third, fourth-round offers. We had a bootcamper once who was on holiday, thought he’d missed out—then got a call saying, “You’ve got an offer. You start tomorrow.” He packed his family in the car and drove overnight to Sydney. A rare outcome, but it happens.

Amlan (28:14)
That definitely sounds like a Notre Dame thing—we love doing things last-minute!

Tom Forfa (28:43)
Yep, but an offer’s an offer. He’s probably well into his medical practice now.

Tom Forfa (28:54)
Alright, is there anything else we need to cover for the non-GEMSAS schools?

Amlan (28:59)
I think the main takeaway is—don’t overlook these schools, even if your GAMSAT isn’t ultra-high. For example, Flinders might prioritise a strong GPA or rural background over a top GAMSAT. These unis give you another chance.

If you’ve got a high GAMSAT score, USyd could be a great option. And if you’re geographically limited—say, you’ve got kids or family and can’t relocate beyond Sydney—then having these extra applications really helps increase your chances.

And to those thinking it’s too hard to apply separately—honestly, we tend to underestimate ourselves and overestimate others. Give it your best shot. There’s nothing to lose, and you’ll learn from the process either way.

Tom Forfa (30:10)
Exactly. As I always say at bootcamp, the worst-case scenario isn’t applying and getting rejected. The worst-case is not applying and finding out later you could have gotten in. That’s what haunts people.

Every year we have students in the Applications and Interview Bootcamp who didn’t think they stood a chance—but they followed the process, implemented the steps, and got in.

A great example is Ashley Beaman—we did a podcast with her. She was a nurse from the bush, full of self-doubt, struggled with GAMSAT, and didn’t think she had a shot. But she joined our Applications Bootcamp, followed the framework, got an interview, we coached her through it, and she got in. She’s now at Notre Dame Fremantle and loving it.

Amlan (31:10)
Amazing.

Tom Forfa (31:12)
Alright, so to wrap up—if you’ve enjoyed this episode, make sure you check out the previous two in this series where we cover the overall application process and GEMSAS unis.

There’s a bunch of free resources in the show notes, including links to our Med School Info hub, Applications Bootcamp, Interview Bootcamp, and GAMSAT Bootcamp.

Amlan (31:29)
Thank you, Tom. That was fantastic. And yes—I’ve got a trip coming up tonight. I’m flying off to Korea, so I’ll see you when I get back.

Tom Forfa (31:37)
Safe travels, Amlan.

Amlan (31:39)
Thanks, everyone—and best of luck with the application process. You’ve got this.