UOW MD Admissions bonuses have been designed to reflect the principles underlying MD program admissions. For 2026 entry, Admissions bonuses are combined with Casper score to rank for interview offers, and combined with interview score to rank for place offers.
All bonuses are weighted equally, bonuses are cumulative, and applicants may apply for as many bonuses as they are eligible.
The following list outlines the principles for MD program admissions, and a general summary of the eligibility requirements.
Full and specific details of the bonus eligibility and documentary requirements can be found in the UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB) which must be downloaded and reviewed. The Bonus Guide also contains specific wording for statutory declarations, links to bonus application form, application checklist and FAQs. Please note many bonuses have specified equivalencies for applicants from Aotearoa New Zeeland – check the guide for more details.
BONUS 1. UOW first Preference Applicant
UOW welcomes applicants who believe the MD program at UOW offers the very best in medical education.
Eligibility summary: Applicants who select the UOW MD program as their first preference in their GEMSAS application.
BONUS 2. Registered Health Professionals
UOW values interprofessional education and believes that applicants who already have a degree and are working in a health profession are likely to become doctors who work well in multi-disciplinary teams.
Eligibility summary: Applicants who are health professionals with current unconditional registration in any AHPRA registered profession, Accredited Practising Dietitian with Dietitians Australia (DA), Certified Practising Speech Pathologist with Speech Pathology Australia (SPA), Accredited Exercise Physiologist with Exercise and Sports Science Australia (ESSA).
BONUS 3. Service Commitment
UOW believes that applicants who have shown a sustained commitment to service and demonstrate qualities of persistence, accountability, and professionalism are likely to succeed in medicine.
Eligibility Summary: Applicants with two or more years of active volunteering services with specific Australian state and national service organisations OR applicants with two or more years full time continuous service with state and national emergency services or military services (see UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB) for specific organisations listed).
BONUS 4. Full-Time Work Experience
UOW believes that applicants who have shown a sustained commitment in work environments have qualities of persistence, accountability, and professionalism that provide a strong foundation for the study of medicine and a career in medicine.
Eligibility summary: Applicants with two or more years full time paid employment (2 years at 35 hours per week or a total of 3,744 hours – over a 3-year period) in any industry.
BONUS 5. Rural Work Experience
UOW is committed to rural medical education and believes that applicants working in rural locations have a strong connection to rural communities and that these applicants are more likely to practice in rural locations.
Eligibility summary: Applicants with two or more years paid employment (2 years at 25 hours per week or a total of 2,600 hours – over a 3-year period) in any industry while living AND working in a rural (MM2-7) area.
BONUS 6. Rural High School Education
UOW believes that applicants who were educated at a rural high school have a strong connection to rural communities and that these applicants are more likely to return to rural locations. UOW also wishes to mitigate inequality of educational opportunities.
Eligibility summary: Applicants with four or more school years of education at a rural high school in Australia (MM2-7).
BONUS 7. Illawarra Local Resident MM1
UOW has a commitment to the local communities in which it is located.
Eligibility summary: Applicants who currently live in the MM1 Wollongong area (Helensburgh to Shellharbour) and have resided in the area for 5 or more years immediately prior to application.
BONUS 8. NSW Rural Resident MM2-7
UOW has a commitment to health service provision for rural NSW.
Eligibility summary: Applicants who have resided in a rural area in NSW (MM2-7) for at least 5 consecutive years (or 10 cumulative years).
BONUS 9. UOW Graduate and BONUS 10. UOW Graduate + Academic Excellence
UOW believes in the quality of UOW graduates and has a commitment to those graduates whether they come from pre-medicine, engineering, arts, or any other UOW degree. Additionally, UOW recognizes local academic excellence.
Eligibility summary: Applicants with 3 FTE years of undergraduate study or 1.5 FTE years of postgraduate study from UOW may be eligible for bonus 9. Applicants who meet bonus 9 and achieve an overall weighted GPA of 6.5 or higher may also be eligible for bonus 10.
BONUS 11. Indigenous Health Graduate
UOW is committed to the health and wellbeing of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples and believes that applicants who are working towards increasing their understanding of Indigenous Health are more likely to contribute to Cultural Safety in healthcare environments and health outcomes for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples.
Eligibility summary: Applicants holding postgraduate qualifications specialising in Indigenous Health from an Australian university (or Māori Health qualifications for applicants from Aotearoa New Zealand). See the UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB) for specific course requirements.
Check the UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB) for full and specific details on all bonuses and eligibility requirements.
Applicants wishing to apply for ANY admissions bonus must complete the UOW MD Admissions Bonus Form, even if no additional documentary evidence is required. The UOW MD Admissions Bonus Formwill be available online, along with electronic uploading of documents, when GEMSAS applications open on 1 May, 2025. The Bonus Form must be completed, and all documentary evidence uploaded, by 5:00PM AEST on Monday, 16 June, 2025.
Link to the Admissions bonus form is available in the UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB).
The bonus form will request personal details including name, email address, date of birth and contact number. Additionally, it will require a VTAC ID number to ensure we can match bonus applications to GEMSAS applications. More details are available in the Bonus Guide.
UOW MD Admissions Bonus Application Instructions
- Applicants must download and carefully read the UOW MD Admissions Bonus guide (PDF: 1,382 KB) to determine which bonuses they are eligible for and the documentary requirements.
- Applicants should then access the UOW MD Admissions Bonus Form – the link is published in the Bonus Guide, and the form will be open from 1 May, 2025 until 5:00PM AEST on 16 June, 2025.
- Applicants must complete personal identification details in the bonus form – the Bonus Form requires a VTAC ID number, so registering an account with prior to ApplyGEMSAS completing the Bonus application is vital.
- Applicants must complete each bonus question to identify which bonuses they wish to be considered for.
- Applicants must attach supporting documents as outlined in the Bonus Guide – documents must be combined into a single PDF file per bonus, and the PDF file must be named according to specified naming conventions.
- Applicants must submit one single witnessed Commonwealth Statutory declaration for their application - the statutory declaration must meet the specific requirements outlined in the Guide, must contain individual numbered paragraphs for each bonus, must contain a statement on false information, and must be witnessed by an approved witness. Further details on declaration types, PDF file naming conventions, sample wording and worked examples are provided in the Bonus Guide.
- Applicants must complete the Bonus Form with all details complete and documents attached by the due date. Note: The Bonus Form must be completed in one sitting.
Bonus applications with incomplete or incorrect statutory declarations or supporting documents will be deemed ineligible and will not be processed.
Bonuses will not be granted if:
- UOW Bonus Form is not submitted or incomplete
- Required documentary evidence is not uploaded, does not meet submission requirements or contains incomplete information.
- Bonus criterion is not met.
In these circumstances the GEMSAS application will continue to be assessed, however without the addition of any UOW admissions bonuses.
Making a false statement in a Commonwealth statutory declaration on purpose, can result in the applicant being charged with a Commonwealth criminal offence and imprisonment for up to 4 years. If any false or misleading information is submitted as part of the UOW MD Admissions process, the application will be cancelled, any interview or place offers will be rescinded, and the applicant/student will be excluded from the MD program.