UoW, Notre Dame, USYD, and UoM all break the standard combo model. Understanding these exceptions can open doors that most applicants don't know exist.
Most Australian medical schools rank applicants using a combo score (GPA + GAMSAT), with a benchmark around 1.68. But several universities break this model entirely - and understanding these exceptions can open doors that many applicants don't even know exist.
For postgraduate medicine, CASPer is used only by UoW, UNDS and UNDF. The chances calculator handles those pathways alongside the non-CASPer GPA/GAMSAT schools.
UoW is the biggest exception in the system. They set minimum hurdles for GPA (5.5) and GAMSAT (50) - but these are pass/fail cutoffs, not used for ranking. Instead, your ranking is determined almost entirely by your CASPer quartile.
A Q4 CASPer has been the safest planning assumption in recent observed cohorts. Bonus points are available for rural ties, UoW study, AHPRA registration and other criteria that can change by year. Recent successful applicants have often sat around 3-4 bonuses; the chances calculator uses about 3.5 as a rough benchmark, while still allowing for lower-bonus applicants with exceptional CASPer performance.
This makes UoW one of the most accessible medical schools for mature-age students, career changers, and anyone whose GPA or GAMSAT falls below the standard threshold - provided they perform exceptionally in CASPer.
If UoW is a target school, your CASPer preparation should be your top priority. Use our free CASPer practice tool to build genuine skill across all 9 tenets.
Notre Dame operates with a significantly lower combo threshold than the sector average. In recent years (2024-2025), combos as low as 1.56 have received interview invitations - well below the usual 1.68.
Notre Dame is one of the only postgraduate medicine pathways where CASPer is formally part of selection. CASPer sits alongside GPA, unweighted GAMSAT and bonus points; the other postgraduate universities outside UoW/UNDS/UNDF do not factor CASPer at all. Strong interpersonal performance can compensate for a lower academic profile, making Notre Dame an important option for students whose numbers are borderline.
USYD took the radical step of dropping MMIs entirely and now uses only GAMSAT for selection - but with unusual weighting that strongly prioritises Sections 1 and 2 over Section 3.
Based on aggregated student data, the approximate weighting is 1xS1 + 1xS2 + 0.1xS3. Scores above approximately 152.5 on this formula typically receive offers. This means a student scoring 75/82/63 would get a USYD score of about 163.3 - comfortably above the threshold despite a modest Section 3.
The exact weighting and threshold shifts annually based on cohort competitiveness. Always verify with the latest USYD admissions information.
UoM uses the standard GPA + GAMSAT combo for initial ranking, but then applies an internal GPA re-distribution that affects a small number of applicants. The 1.68 benchmark generally applies - the re-ranking only meaningfully impacts the bottom 1-3% of invitees.
UQ splits interview shortlisting between assessed GPA and unweighted GAMSAT. It does not factor CASPer into postgraduate selection. UQ interviews are run as MMIs, with regional pathway and rural-access rules adding extra complexity for some applicants.
Schools such as ANU, Deakin, Griffith, UWA and Macquarie sit closer to the usual GPA/GAMSAT ranking model, although each has its own details around bonuses, GAMSAT weighting, rural entry and interview format. Published cutoffs shift annually with cohort competitiveness - always check each university's latest figures.
These exceptions matter, but they sit on top of the standard pathway. If you're still mapping out the basics - pathways, GAMSAT, GPA, interviews - start with the complete guide to getting into medicine in Australia.