Domestic Applications for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science

Prerequisite subjects

To be eligible to receive an offer, you must have completed:

• English (Units 3/4, C)
• Mathematical Methods (Units 3/4, C)
• Chemistry (Units 3/4, C).

For Dentistry and Veterinary Science, JCU recommends but does not require:

• Biology (Units 3/4, C).

Students in Year 12 who are not currently taking these prerequisite subjects have options to complete them through other educational providers during the year.

Student who have successfully completed higher level mathematics subjects such as Specialist Mathematics will meet the Mathematical Methods subject prerequisite requirements.

Students who successfully complete any Queensland year 12 English subject (English, English as an Additional Language, English and Literature Extension, Essential English or Literature) will meet the English subject prerequisite requirements.

Students who did not complete their secondary studies in Queensland may still meet the prerequisite requirements. Please contact JCU to determine your eligibility.

Applicants who have already completed Year 12 can access the JCU Prep pathway program to help fulfil subject prerequisites. It cannot be used to meet ATAR or tertiary GPA requirements and is not available to students in Year 12. Bridging subjects previously offered under the JCU Certificate of Higher Education are no longer available.

If you’re not able to meet these subject prerequisites, we recommend you apply for a degree in Allied Health and Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences, Occupational Therapy or Nursing. Tertiary studies in these areas could help you transition into your preferred degree, depending on your academic results and future availability of places.

School Leaver Applicant

ATAR – Australian Tertiary Admission Rank

A school leaver is an applicant who finished their secondary schooling in the two years before the start of the course (for 2027 this means 2025 or 2026) AND has not completed 1 FTE (full time equivalent) or more of tertiary study at bachelor level or higher.

Calculated by QTAC, your ATAR is the standard measure of your overall academic achievement in relation to other students. JCU does not have set ATAR thresholds for entry to Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science courses as selections are based on a combination of academic results and a written application (Dentistry and Veterinary Science only) or interview. Check the QTAC website for more information on ATARs.

ATAR or selection rank adjustment programs including the Regional Preference Scheme, Educational Access Scheme and Subject Adjustment Scheme are not available for Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science applicants.

Non-School Leaver Applicant

GPA – Grade Point Average

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 tertiary study – 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.

The minimum unweighted GPA score required for tertiary results to be assessed is 5.75 on a 7-point scale, however this is not a threshold or benchmark. For tertiary study to be considered, a minimum of 1 full time equivalent (FTE) or more is required at bachelor level or higher within the last 10 years. Note 1 FTE is generally eight subjects.

While an applicant's most recent GPA is given the most weight, their entire academic profile as supplied by QTAC will be considered.  Selection decisions are based on a combination of all academic results and a written application or interview.

Placements

Placements are an integral part of the programs to support students learning and development.  All placements are required components of the course.

Dentistry: Students complete over 2000 hours of supervised clinical placements in a variety of settings, including private practices as well as rural and remote community health facilities across northern Queensland.

Medicine: Placements occur in every year of the program.  Students are allocated to particular locations for all rural placements, and allocated across Townsville, Cairns and Mackay for the Clinical Years (4, 5 and 6) of the program.

Veterinary Science: Students begin hands-on training and animal handling in their first year of study. As well as regular practical work and field trips, you will complete a series of clinical placements in your final two years of study, in rural or urban settings in Queensland, around Australia, or even overseas.

Disease prevention

While not required for your application, accepted students must be immune to or vaccinated against particular diseases. This is essential for professional placements, where students may be engaged in situations that would allow transmission of disease. Some health facilities may have additional vaccination requirements for students to complete their placements.

For Dentistry and Medicine:

• Hepatitis B
• Measles, mumps and rubella (MMR)
• Chickenpox (varicella)
• Whooping cough (pertussis).

For Veterinary Science:

• Q Fever

If you do not complete these requirements, you will be unable to attend placements which are a requirement of completing your degree. Please be aware that these requirements can vary.

Working with children

While not required for your application, accepted students must hold a Blue Card to work with children and young people, issued under the Queensland Government’s Working with Children Check.

Blue Cards are essential for professional placements, where students will be required to provide health and support services for children and young people. If you’re unable to comply with this requirement, you may not be able to complete your degree.

Work experience

While not required for your application, experience in your chosen field gained through paid employment or volunteering can give you real-world knowledge and help you pick up valuable time management skills. Talk with working professionals about what their jobs involve. Do a short placement at a local clinic for insights into the type of work you may do in that field and decide whether it’s for you.

JCU will consider your entire academic history within your application, with the highest weighting given to your most recent studies. You’ll submit some of this information through QTAC, and some to JCU.

Primary and secondary education

For each year and grade of your primary and secondary education, please have details ready about the:

• Year in which you completed each school grade
• Name, state and country of the school/s you attended during the year.

If you attended more than one school in a single year, you’ll need to include details of each school. Please also have details ready about any periods of home schooling or any grades you skipped.

Year 12 studies

Please have details ready about the:

• Year you completed or expect to complete Year 12
• Name, state and country of the school you graduated or expect to graduate from.

Bridging subjects

If you take prerequisite subjects with a different education provider during or after your Year 12 studies, please have details ready about the:

• Year you completed or expect to complete your bridging subject/s
• Name of your bridging subject/s or qualification/s
• Name and country of your education provider.

If QTAC is unable to access results from your education provider, QTAC will ask you to supply this information directly.

Tertiary studies commenced or completed after Year 12

If you are a non-school leaver, Tertiary study is required. Eligible studies must be at Bachelor level or higher and result in a grade point average (GPA) score. Study of 1 full time equivalent (FTE) or more within the last 10 years is required for tertiary study to be considered.  Consideration is given for studies in health.  Note, 1 FTE is generally eight subjects.

For each degree you commenced or completed, please have details ready about:

• Your dates of study
• Name of the degree
• Name and country of your university.

Inherent requirements are the fundamental abilities, attributes, skills and behaviours needed to successfully complete the course.

We recommend that all applicants understand the inherent requirements for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science, which can include certain physical and cognitive abilities, sustainable performance and communication skills. Students must demonstrate these during the learning experience to successfully complete their degree.

Preferencing is important and and you should list your preferences in order of your personal choice.  If JCU is low on your preference list, you may receive an offer elsewhere.  Check the QTAC website for further information about managing your preferences.

Students can only get one offer per offer round.  Veterinary Science is in the December 2026 offer round, while Medicine and Dentistry are in the January 2027 offer round.  You need to ensure that the offer you want to receive in this round  is the higher preference.

Veterinary Science

If you are applying for Veterinary Science, you will need to list it as preference 1 in the December offer round.  If you do not receive an offer for Vet, you will receive your second preference in this round.

Medicine - Townsville and Cairns campus preferencing

The Medicine program is offered at both the Cairns and Townsville campuses.  As this is a competitive program, there is no advantage to preferencing one campus over another.  Applicants can preference both campuses in QTAC, however eligible applicants will receive only 1 offer for either campus, so we encourage you to put your preferred campus as the higher preference.

For applicants applying to Medicine and/or Dentistry who also wish to be considered for another course offered in the December offer round (eg. Nursing or Biomedical Sciences), the alternative course must be listed as your first QTAC preference for the December offer round.

After December offers are released, and before the January offer round, you will need to update your QTAC preferences by moving Medicine and/or Dentistry back to a higher preference position.  This will allow you to receive a December offer while still remaining eligible for consideration for Medicine or Dentistry in later rounds.

To remain eligible for further QTAC offers in subsequent rounds, you must conditionally accept your December offer.

Begin to get organised early

JCU has a limited number of places available in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science.  It helps to be organised with your application, as some things take time to prepare and confirm or may require assistance from others.

Use a personal email address and phone number

We recommend using a personal email address and phone number for your applications, rather than anything specific to your school or work. Please take the time to set up a suitable email and/or phone account if you don’t already have them.

Applications to JCU need to be submitted to two locations

Apply for related degrees

As a backup, we strongly recommend you apply for degrees in Allied Health and Pharmacy, Biomedical Sciences or Nursing. Tertiary studies in these areas could help support your application for Medicine, Dentistry or Veterinary Science in the future, depending on your academic results and the availability of places.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Dentistry will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your QTAC account or create a new account if you don’t have one.

You’ll need QTAC codes to search for your preferred courses during the application process. These are the same codes provided on JCU’s individual course pages.

QTAC codes are unique reference numbers assigned to degrees based at available campuses.

You can apply for up to six courses through the QTAC portal, including all JCU courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Use your QTAC codes or course names to search for your preferred degrees and arrange your choices from 1 to 6 in order of preference.

After you submit your QTAC application, you can change your preferences up to three times free of charge. QTAC will charge a fee for each additional change.

When you’ve finished, make a note of your QTAC application number as you’ll need it for the next step. Look for it on the ‘application’ screen in the QTAC portal. It typically starts with the letter ‘A’ followed by nine digits.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Year 12 studies

• Year you completed or expect to complete Year 12
• Name, state and country of the school you graduated or expect to graduate from.

Bridging subjects

• Year you completed or expect to complete your bridging subject/s
• Name of your bridging subject/s or qualification/s
• Name and country of your education provider.

Tertiary studies commenced or completed after Year 12

• Your dates of study
• Name of the degree you commenced or completed
• Name and country of your university.

Please include any tertiary studies commenced and not completed.

Please note, your academic documents (transcripts, certificates etc) are required to be provided to QTAC only.  Applicants do not need to provide these to JCU and there isn't a place in the JCU Portal for applicants to upload them.

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.

It is compulsory to provide Letters of Support with applications submitted through the JCU Portal.

Applicants for Dentistry may source and submit up to three letters of support for their application. Letters are essential for Dentistry and Veterinary Science applications. If you are applying for both Dentistry and Veterinary Science, you can use the same three letters or three different ones for each course.

JCU will consider letters of support from employers, work experience supervisors, school guidance officers, coaching staff or similar adults who are familiar with the activities you’ve been involved in. Letters of support from individuals within your family will not be considered.

Letters can be addressed to the Selections Committee, however JCU will also accept letters addressed to any position title or group. They must describe the general nature of your referee’s relationship to you and include their contact details for JCU to validate if required.

Letters must be in PDF format.  Any letter sent separately to your application in the JCU Portal will not be accepted.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Dentistry will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your JCU account or create a new account if you don't have one.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Personal and contact details

• Include your name and date of birth, address details, phone numbers, QTAC application number and citizenship status.

Course selection

• Select the same courses you nominated in your QTAC application.

Primary and secondary education

• List all of the schools you attended in each year from Grade 1 to 12.
• Include full years, part years, skipped grades and home or alternative schooling.

Please note if you have difficulty locating your school, please contact us.

Tertiary education

• List any tertiary studies you commenced or completed after Year 12.

Applicant statements

• Enter your prepared statements, up to 300 words max each.

Letters of support

• Upload and submit your PDF letters as part of your application.
• Any letters of support sent separately to your application will not be accepted.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Medicine will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your QTAC account or create a new account if you don’t have one.

You’ll need QTAC codes to search for your preferred courses during the application process. These are the same codes provided on JCU’s individual course pages.

QTAC codes are unique reference numbers assigned to degrees based at available campuses.

You can apply for up to six courses through the QTAC portal, including all JCU courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Use your QTAC codes or course names to search for your preferred degrees and arrange your choices from 1 to 6 in order of preference.  If you're applying for Medicine in Cairns and Townsville, please also make sure you apply for both and arrange them in order. Please ensure you preference where you would most like to go as your first preference.

After you submit your QTAC application, you can change your preferences up to three times free of charge. QTAC will charge a fee for each additional change.

When you’ve finished, make a note of your QTAC application number as you’ll need it for the next step. Look for it on the ‘application’ screen in the QTAC portal. It typically starts with the letter ‘A’ followed by nine digits.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Year 12 studies

• Year you completed or expect to complete Year 12
• Name, state and country of the school you graduated or expect to graduate from.

Bridging subjects

• Year you completed or expect to complete your bridging subject/s
• Name of your bridging subject/s or qualification/s
• Name and country of your education provider.

Tertiary studies commenced or completed after Year 12

• Your dates of study
• Name of the degree you commenced or completed
• Name and country of your university.

Please include any tertiary studies commenced and not completed.

Please note, your academic documents (transcripts, certificates etc) are required to be provided to QTAC only.  Applicants do not need to provide these to JCU and there isn't a place in the JCU Portal for applicants to upload them.

Kira cost: USD $20 plus tax*
* (current as at February 2026)

I didn't get an interview - what happens now?

Medicine interview selection at JCU is highly competitive and based on a holistic review of each application.  Academic results (such as ATAR or GPA) are only one factor considered, alongside other criteria that may vary year to year.

As a regional university, JCU is committed to supporting the health workforce of North and Far North Queensland.  An applicant's location and connection to regional areas may be considered as part of the assessment, however this does not outweigh overall merit.  There is no fixed quota for regional or metropolitan students, and school type is not considered.

Because applications are assessed holistically, some applicants with similar or lower academic results may receive interviews while others do not.  Unfortunately, individual feedback cannot be provided.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Medicine will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your JCU account or create a new account if you don't have one.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Personal and contact details

• Include your name and date of birth, address details, phone numbers, QTAC application number and citizenship status.

Course selection

• Select the same courses you nominated in your QTAC application.

Primary and secondary education

• List all of the schools you attended in each year from Grade 1 to 12.
• Include full years, part years, skipped grades and home or alternative schooling.

Please note if you have difficulty locating your school, please contact us.

Tertiary education

• List any tertiary studies you commenced or completed after Year 12.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Veterinary Science will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your JCU account or create a new account if you don't have one.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Personal and contact details

• Include your name and date of birth, address details, phone numbers, QTAC application number and citizenship status.

Course selection

• Select the same courses you nominated in your QTAC application.

Primary and secondary education

• List all of the schools you attended in each year from Grade 1 to 12.
• Include full years, part years, skipped grades and home or alternative schooling.

Please note if you have difficulty locating your school, please contact us.

Tertiary education

• List any tertiary studies you commenced or completed after Year 12.

Applicant statements

• Enter your prepared statements, up to 300 words max each.

Letters of support

• Upload and submit your PDF letters as part of your application.
• Any letters of support sent separately to your application will not be accepted.

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.

It is compulsory to provide Letters of Support with applications submitted through the JCU Portal.

Applicants for Veterinary Science may source and submit up to three letters of support for their application. Letters are essential for Veterinary Science and Dentistry applications. If you are applying for both Veterinary Science and Dentistry, you can use the same three letters or three different ones for each course.

JCU will consider letters of support from employers, work experience supervisors, school guidance officers, coaching staff or similar adults who are familiar with the activities you’ve been involved in. Letters of support from individuals within your family will not be considered.

Letters can be addressed to the Selections Committee, however JCU will also accept letters addressed to any position title or group. They must describe the general nature of your referee’s relationship to you and include their contact details for JCU to validate if required.

Letters must be in PDF format.  Any letter sent separately to your application in the JCU Portal will not be accepted.

Applications in the QTAC and JCU Portal for the 2027 intake for Veterinary Science will open on 4 August 2026.

Login to your QTAC account or create a new account if you don’t have one.

You’ll need QTAC codes to search for your preferred courses during the application process. These are the same codes provided on JCU’s individual course pages.

QTAC codes are unique reference numbers assigned to degrees based at available campuses.

You can apply for up to six courses through the QTAC portal, including all JCU courses in Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science. Use your QTAC codes or course names to search for your preferred degrees and arrange your choices from 1 to 6 in order of preference.

After you submit your QTAC application, you can change your preferences up to three times free of charge. QTAC will charge a fee for each additional change.

When you’ve finished, make a note of your QTAC application number as you’ll need it for the next step. Look for it on the ‘application’ screen in the QTAC portal. It typically starts with the letter ‘A’ followed by nine digits.

Information you’ll be asked to provide includes:

Year 12 studies

• Year you completed or expect to complete Year 12
• Name, state and country of the school you graduated or expect to graduate from.

Bridging subjects

• Year you completed or expect to complete your bridging subject/s
• Name of your bridging subject/s or qualification/s
• Name and country of your education provider.

Tertiary studies commenced or completed after Year 12

• Your dates of study
• Name of the degree you commenced or completed
• Name and country of your university.

Please include any tertiary studies commenced and not completed.

Please note, your academic documents (transcripts, certificates etc) are required to be provided to QTAC only.  Applicants do not need to provide these to JCU and there isn't a place in the JCU Portal for applicants to upload them.