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What ATAR do you need for medicine in Victoria?

Direct-entry MBBS, undergraduate biomed, graduate medicine — every Victorian pathway broken down by ATAR cutoff, prereqs, and what changes in 2026.

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AtarMate5 min read

Medicine in Victoria is one of the most competitive courses to enter, but the path isn't a single number. Here's what each pathway actually requires.

Direct-entry medicine in Victoria

Two main programs accept students directly out of VCE:

Monash MBBS (5-year) — the only direct-entry MBBS in Victoria. ATAR cutoffs typically sit at 96+ for non-bonus applicants. Add UCAT and an interview. The lowest "guaranteed" admission ATAR shifts year to year, but 96 is a working floor.

Other states' direct-entry MBBS programs (UNSW, Adelaide, JCU, etc.) accept Victorian students. Adelaide's MBBS dropped its ATAR cutoff to 95 with UCAT and interview. UNSW sits at ~96.

Prereqs for both: English (any Unit 3/4), Mathematical Methods, and one of Chemistry or Physics. Adelaide additionally wants Chem.

Undergraduate Biomedicine

If you're aiming at medicine via grad-entry, Biomed is the standard track in Victoria.

Melbourne Bachelor of Biomedicine — ATAR cutoff hovers around 96.0–97.0. Then graduate medicine (Doctor of Medicine, MD) which is a separate, very competitive entry process: GAMSAT + GPA + interview.

Monash Biomedical Science — ATAR cutoff typically 94–95. Same pathway considerations as above.

Other Victorian unis (La Trobe, Deakin, RMIT) offer biomed-adjacent degrees with cutoffs in the 80–88 range.

Prereqs: English, Methods, Chemistry usually. Biology is recommended but rarely strictly required.

Graduate-entry medicine pathway

The most common Victorian medicine pathway in 2026:

  1. Year 12: ATAR ~95+ to get into Biomed at Melbourne or Monash.
  2. Three years of Biomed → strong GPA (above 6.0/7.0).
  3. GAMSAT (or MCAT for some interstate options).
  4. Interview.
  5. Doctor of Medicine (MD) at Melbourne, Monash, Notre Dame, or Deakin.

The honest truth: getting into Biomed is the easier half of the journey. The MD entry is where most students get filtered out.

What you actually need to do in VCE

For direct-entry medicine pathways:

  • English at solid Unit 3/4 level (no UG, no fail). Most students aim for raw 35+.
  • Mathematical Methods at minimum. Specialist Maths helps the aggregate but isn't required.
  • Chemistry is the most common medicine prereq. Take it.
  • Biology is helpful but not required. If your aggregate is tight, drop it for a stronger 5th subject.
  • Physics is required by some programs (UNSW, Adelaide if you skip Chem).

A typical strong-medicine line-up: English, Methods, Specialist, Chemistry, Biology. Aim for a 96+ ATAR.

Bonus points

Most universities apply bonus points after your ATAR for selection at their uni only. Schemes vary:

  • SEAS (Special Entry Access Scheme) — for socioeconomic disadvantage, regional, indigenous, etc. Usually 4–10 ATAR points.
  • Subject-specific bonuses — some unis give 2–4 points for top scores in Methods, Chem, etc.
  • Hamilton Bonus for rural/regional applicants at Melbourne.

These don't change your published ATAR — they're added by individual unis for their selection. If you're 95 and qualify for SEAS, you could be at 100+ for selection at the unis that grant it.

Try the numbers

Open the ATAR Calculator. Plug in realistic raw scores for the medicine line-up above. If you're hitting 95+ comfortably, you're on a medicine track. If you're at 90 and stretching, the Biomed → grad path is more realistic.

For the math behind the ATAR, see how the ATAR is calculated.

Pillar guide
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ATAR explained: from a study score to a percentile

How VTAC turns your VCE study scores into an ATAR. The primary-four rule, the 10% increments, and the aggregate-to-ATAR table — without the jargon.

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Log every SAC. Predict your ATAR as marks come in. Plan revision around your weakest components. Free, no ads, made by Victorian students.

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