FAQs
General
A: For our competitive courses at JCU we divide our applicants into school leaver and non-school leavers.
- A school leaver is an applicant who finished their secondary schooling in the two years before the start of the course (for 2027 intake this means 2025 or 2026) AND has not completed 1 FTE (full time equivalent) or more of tertiary study at bachelor level or higher.
- A non-school leaver is an applicant who finished their secondary schooling more than two years ago AND/OR has completed 1 FTE or more of tertiary study at bachelor level or higher within the last 10 years. Note, non-school leaver applicants MUST have tertiary study to be considered. Consideration is given for studies in health.
A: If you accept an offer as an international applicant and wish to change to domestic (due to receiving PR), you will be required to complete 48 credit points of study as a Domestic Fee Paying student at the International Tuition fee rate.
More information can be found in the Tuition Fee Policy for International Students.
A: In 2026, JCU had approximately 40 places available for Medicine (across both Cairns and Townsville), 20 places for Dentistry and 5 places for Veterinary Science.
A: JCU does not use the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) or Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as part of the selection process.
A: Generally, deferrals are not an option for international students. Deferrals will only be considered where there is evidence of unexpected medical, compassionate, or compelling circumstances that were unforeseeable before or during the application process preventing the student from starting the course.
A: Offers to successful applicants for Dentistry and Medicine will be released on 9 October 2026. Veterinary Science have rolling offers between August and October 2026.
Applicants who are unsuccessful will be notified.
A: 30 June 2026 is the closing date for international student applications and supporting documents for 2027 entry. Submissions received after this date will not be accepted.
A: QTAC does not process applications for international students on JCU's behalf.
A: Yes, we encourage applicants to reapply for a future year if you are unsuccessful in receiving an offer.
A: No, we only offer one intake a year.
A: Unfortunately, as of this moment, JCU does not offer Scholarships for the Medicine or Dentistry programs. However, there could be External Scholarships that you may be eligible for. Please note that James Cook University has no involvement in the administration or maintenance of any of the sites listed. For further information or to submit an application, please contact the managing organisation directly.
A: If your application is not successful, you may like to consider studying a Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences, Science or other health related field at JCU.
Please note that undertaking studies in one of these degrees with a view to eventual acceptance into JCU for Dentistry, Medicine or Veterinary Science, does not guarantee an applicant will be successful in receiving an offer.
A: Yes, if you’re able to meet the inherent requirements for your course, which could include physical or cognitive abilities, sustainable performance, and communication skills. Students must demonstrate these consistently during the learning experience to successfully complete their degree.
You can review the inherent requirements for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science at the following links:
Specific information for Dentistry and/or Veterinary Science applicants
A: For Dentistry, interviews are not part of the application or selection process.
Veterinary Science applicants are required to complete a Casper test (an online, open-response situation judgement test) and participate in an interview using an online system managed by Kira Talent. Further information on these requirements can be found here.
A: The written statement is part of the Dentistry and Veterinary Science application forms.
Letters of support give applicants the opportunity to provide a reference for their character, academic goals and suitability for a career in their preferred discipline. They are required to be included in applications submitted to JCU. You may attach a maximum of three letters of support to your application. Make sure to ask your referees to include their phone number in case we need to contact them.
A: Please tell us about your career motivations, work experience in health industries, your interest in regional and rural health and anything else you think we should know. We encourage all applicants to read and consider the questions carefully and respond honestly and in their own words.
Specific information for Medicine applicants
A: If you have been offered a place in the James Cook University Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery program and you have commenced a university degree, you may apply for advanced standing. It is expected that you will have completed at least one year of an equivalent degree at the time you apply for credit within your James Cook University course.
Please do not apply for advanced standing unless you have been offered a place in the program. Each application is carefully reviewed by a panel before a decision on advanced standing is made.
A: For the 2027 intake, JCU will not hold rolling interviews for Medicine. Instead there will be two rounds of interviews which are listed in the table of important dates. Invitations are sent by email on dates identified in the table of important dates.
A: Statements and letters of support are not part of the application or selection process for Medicine and will not be reviewed.
A: Unfortunately, no. Meeting the entry requirements doesn’t guarantee a Medicine interview, as these are competitive courses with a high volume of applications.
A: The Medicine program is offered at both the Cairns and Townsville campuses. As this is a competitive program, there is no advantage in preferencing one campus over the other. It is important that you list your genuine campus preference. We encourage you to research each location carefully and select the campus that best aligns with your personal circumstances and goals.
A: Applicants are separated and considered in different pools. Within these pools, applicants are selected for an interview based on their academic achievements.
School leaver applicants are considered using their PAA or actual secondary schooling score.
Non-school leaver applicants need a minimum GPA of 5.75 to be considered competitive, however this does not guarantee that an applicant would receive an interview. While an applicant's most recent GPA is given the most weight, their entire academic profile, as supplied in their application, will be considered.
A: JCU is unable to provide guidance on what will be discussed during Medicine interviews or how to prepare for this. We encourage all applicants to consider what’s important to them about a career in Medicine and respond to the panel in your own words.
A: We suggest interviewees should dress comfortably but professionally, like a job interview.
A: You do not need to be onshore. All interviews are conducted online to allow students from around the world to participate. Interviews are usually held between 8am – 5pm AEST. This does mean some may be quite early (eg. UK) or in the evening (eg. Canada).
Do you have a different question?
Our friendly team can provide you with the assistance you need to complete your application.