Medical School changes process to help increase SA student numbers

Monday, 14 November 2005

South Australian students will have an increased chance of gaining entry to the prestigious Medical School of the University of Adelaide under plans announced by the Vice-Chancellor, Professor James McWha, today.

"The University of Adelaide's Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery degree is one of the most highly sought-after courses in the country, with applicants from all around Australia pursuing 104 positions," Professor McWha said.

"We have refined the admission criteria in order to increase the number of South Australian students likely to gain entry to the process and to help increase the number of qualified doctors staying in the state."

Entry into the Medical School is judged on a combination of Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER) score, Undergraduate Medicine and Health Sciences Admissions Test (UMAT) score and an interview.

"From the 2006 intake, the University of Adelaide will give greater emphasis to an applicant's TER in the rankings. Also, UMAT scores for South Australian applicants will be adjusted to align with other states as this has previously excluded a number of local applicants," Professor McWha explained.

"We will also offer a second round of interviews in January, for students who achieved very high TER scores, but were not offered interviews in the first round due to lower UMAT scores.

"Over the next two to three years we will be also be increasing the number of places available for applicants wishing to transfer from other University of Adelaide science courses. These are usually South Australian students.

"The University believes these changes will create a greater number of opportunities for South Australian students to be offered places within the medical course.

"The changes take into account the Federal higher education legislation, which ultimately controls the number of funded places in the course that are available to Australian students. Unfortunately the University cannot simply increase the number of student places available, despite high demand for the course and a need for more doctors in Adelaide and regional areas of SA.

"The University of Adelaide is committed to helping provide constructive solutions to the problems faced by the health sector in South Australia."

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