Bachelor of Medical Studies

The Northern Community Care Stream (NCCS) pathway offers students the opportunity to complete all six years of the integrated medicine program with a strong focus on the health needs of Adelaide's northern communities.

Students in this stream will undertake the majority of their medical education and placements at Adelaide University campuses and health services in Adelaide’s northern suburbs (including Lyell McEwin Hospital, Modbury Hospital and affiliated General Practices). Selected learning activities will also take place at various other University teaching sites, including the Adelaide city campuses. The curriculum, learning outcomes and degree requirements are identical for all BMS/MD students. 

This pathway is designed to allow applicants who are committed to improving health outcomes in Adelaide's north to train in Adelaide’s northern suburbs, with a clear view towards working in the region upon completing their medical education. The pathway has been developed to help address significant medical workforce shortages and health inequality in the region.

Entry to the Northern Community Care Stream pathway is competitive. Applicants will be ranked using a weighted combination of their ATAR or IB score and interview score. Applicants without an ATAR or IB score will not be eligible, and applicants with any prior Higher Education record will not be considered for this stream for the 2027 intake.

The NCCS pathway has both bonded and non-bonded positions available, each with unique SATAC codes as noted below. Eligible students are welcome to apply for one or both of these if they choose.

• Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (Northern Community Care Stream) (ABP292) or
• Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (Northern Community Care Stream) (Bonded Medical Program) (ABP293)

Applying for the NCCS pathway(s) does not disqualify prospective students from simultaneously applying for any of the UCAT-dependent streams and programs, including the following:

• Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (ABP171)
• Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine - Bonded Medical Program (ABP271)
• Bachelor of Dental Surgery (ABP116)
• Bachelor of Oral Health (ABP126)

Applications for these UCAT-dependent pathways, will be assessed separately, and will still require a valid UCAT score to be eligible for consideration.

Eligible applicants are welcome to include any combination of the above courses in their SATAC preferences, if they wish to do so.

Applicants who apply only for the NCCS pathway [ABP292 (Non-bonded) and ABP293 (Bonded)] medicine pathways are not required to have sat the UCAT. However, entry into the NCCS pathway program is competitive, and simply satisfying the eligibility criteria (as noted below) and achieving the minimum ATAR or IB equivalent does not guarantee an offer for an interview.

Interviews

Those who applied for the Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine (ABP171), or Bachelor of Medical Studies/Doctor of Medicine - Bonded Medical Program (ABP271) in the same application year and attended an interview for one of these programs, will be considered to have a valid interview score in the current application cycle. This score will be applied to any application to the NCCS pathway (non-bonded and bonded programs), and therefore these applicants will not be required or invited to attend a second Medicine interview for the NCCS pathway.

Applicants to the NCCS pathway who have not previously interviewed for either of the medicine programs named above (i.e. ABP171 or ABP271) during the current admissions cycle, may be invited to a special round of interviews for the NCCS pathway, to be held in late January 2027. Invitation to this round of interviews will be offered in January 2027 on the basis of their ATAR or IB score alone. Applicants who rank highly enough in the ATAR or IB will be invited to attend an interview.

Applicants who do not attend an interview for one of the available pathways will not be considered for an offer into the program. Interviews for Dental Surgery and/or Oral Health cannot be used for Northern Community Care Stream pathway Medicine preferences.

Eligibility Criteria

The NCCS pathway (non-bonded and bonded) program is available only to applicants with a valid ATAR or IB score and without any prior tertiary record.

To be considered eligible for the Northern Community Care Stream pathway, an applicant must have completed their final three years of secondary school education at a school located within the Adelaide northern suburbs region. The area is geographically defined by the applicant’s principal place of education residing in the following postcodes:

5010, 5012, 5013, 5084, 5085, 5093, 5094, 5095, 5096, 5098, 5106, 5107, 5108, 5109, 5110, 5111, 5112, 5113, 5114, 5115, 5116, 5117, 5118, 5120, 5121, 5125

It is expected that this requirement will be met by an applicant having attended one (or more) of the schools named below (see list of schools).

Applicants must submit an Education Verification Form. This form is available on the SATAC website under ‘NCCS Education Verification Form’. This form must be signed by the applicant in front of a witness, and by the applicant’s school’s Principal (or Deputy Principal). The form must be uploaded into the SATAC application within five days of lodgement. The form must confirm that the applicant meets the eligibility criteria outlined above.  

For added clarity on eligibility, please carefully review the clarifying points noted below.

1. The ‘final three years’ of secondary schooling refers to either: Years 10, 11 and 12 for those who have completed (or intend to complete) their secondary school study at the end of year. Alternatively, for those students who elected to complete an additional full-time year of study after year 12, this will be considered Years 11, 12 and 13. Please note, if year 13 is not undertaken full time, years 10, 11, 12 and 13 must have been undertaken in the named area to be considered.
2. The final three years refers to three years of Full-Time study. Applicants who have completed any of these years on a part-time basis, may still be eligible, however, they will be required to prove that they have completed the studies within the defined geographical area, over a longer equivalent period.
3. Note that the ‘final three years’ do not need to be consecutive. For example, if an applicant was required to pause their education for an extended period of time (e.g. for personal reasons), and later returned to resume study at the same point at which their education was last paused, that would not be considered disqualifying.
4. If an applicant is currently undertaking year 12 or 13, the final year of study will be defined as the end of the 2026 calendar year.
5. Where a school operates across more than one campus (and an applicant’s studies were split across multiple sites), at least 80% of teaching in each year (i.e. no less than 4 days per week) must have been undertaken at campuses located within the eligible northern Adelaide region (as defined by the postcodes provided).
6. Applicants who attended a school outside of the defined geographical distribution in their final three years of secondary school education for more than 20% of their education in any given year (i.e. one day per week of full-time study) will not be considered eligible to apply for this pathway.
7. Applicants who attended more than one school during the qualifying period must provide a completed Education Verification Form from each relevant school. Together, these forms must demonstrate that the required period of schooling was completed within the eligible geographic area.
8. Applicants who were home-schooled during any part of the qualifying period (i.e. their final three years of secondary school) are not eligible for this pathway.
9. If a student believes they meet the geographical criteria, however, their school is not named, they can contact the Domestic Admissions team (https://adelaide.edu.au/study/enquire/) to clarify their candidacy.
10. All documents submitted in support of an application will be verified by Adelaide University before any offers are made. Any applications found to include fraudulent documents or claims that are found to be untrue may result in an offer being withdrawn.

Schools that may be eligible, based on the named address within the defined geographical catchment area, are noted below.

Please note, if a student believes their school satisfies the required criteria, but is not named, they can contact the Domestic Admissions team for clarification.

The various conditions students are required to meet when enrolled in the Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine at Adelaide University are outlined below.

Clinical deed poll

Adelaide University and the Minister for Health have a clinical placement agreement in place which allows the University to request clinical placements in SA Health facilities. As part of this agreement students are required to complete a deed poll. A deed poll is an agreement between the student and SA Health to ensure patient information is treated with confidentiality and that the student has met the required clearances. By signing a deed poll students understand their obligations and agree to comply with the relevant state legislation.

Australian Health Practitioners Regulation Agency (AHPRA) registration

Students undertaking a clinical placement at a hospital or other health facility require student registration with the relevant National Board. This process is undertaken by the AHPRA. It is completed on enrolment into the program and does not require action by the student. Students will be advised when they have been registered.

Criminal history clearance

Students who undertake clinical placements, internships or research projects involving children or people who are ill, elderly or vulnerable are now required to demonstrate clearance by producing a Criminal History Check and Working with Children Check, obtained through a Department for Communities and Social Inclusion (DCSI) check. International students are required to obtain a certificate from their home country. All students studying a clinical-based program will be required to demonstrate a satisfactory criminal history clearance and maintain an up to date National Police check throughout their study.

Immunisation

Students undertaking clinical placements are required to have the appropriate level of health checks and immunisation. Prior to commencing professional placements, students will be advised by their program area to be screened and immunised for the following infectious disease as recommended by the most recent Immunisation Guidelines for Health Care Workers in South Australia Policy Directive including, but not limited to, recommendations for Prescribed Communicable Infections (PCI) screening and, COVID-19 vaccines.

They may choose to do this through the University Health Practice, or a practitioner of their choice.  Failure to adhere to these guidelines means that a student will not be allowed to attend clinical placements. It is a student's responsibility to acquire their immunisations record and take it with them to all clinical placements.

As part of commencing enrolment, all students are required to have blood tests to determine their immunity status to Hepatitis A, B and C, HIV, Measles, Mumps, Rubella, and Chicken Pox. Students will need to provide evidence of previous vaccinations, including for the aforementioned diseases as well as Pertussis, Diphtheria, Tetanus and Polio.

Tuberculosis clearance

Students who undertake clinical placements, internships or research projects involving children or people who are ill, elderly or vulnerable are now required to demonstrate tuberculosis (TB) clearance through obtaining a TB Screening Notification from SA Tuberculosis Services.

Inherent requirements

Students are required to acknowledge their understanding of Adelaide University medical programs inherent requirements. See previous accordion for more information on inherent requirements.

Interruption of a program

Students must apply for permission from the Program Director before taking a Leave of Absence. Any extension of the leave without approval will result in the loss of place in the program but an application may be made to be re-admitted to the program subject to the admission procedures in place at the time. 

Rural placements

Enrolment in Adelaide University’s Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine requires students to undertake rural clinical placements. The specific rural placement requirements may vary from time to time, depending on Federal Government Agreements and funding requirements.  Adelaide University will endeavour to keep Commonwealth Supported Student apprised to these conditions and requirements.  The University reserves the right to ballot students to rural placements should places not be filled by students on a voluntary basis.

Clinical placements

Enrolment in Adelaide University’s Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine requires students to undertake travel to a range of clinical practice sites (General Practices, Clinics and Hospitals) across the greater Adelaide region. Students are required to undertake travel to these placements at their own cost.

All students on Clinical Placements are expected to comply with the Scope of Practice documents for their respective year level.

Uniform

During clinical placements, students are required to comply with professional dress standards. University Medical Student scrubs can be worn by students in the Doctor of Medicine program only.

Personal Laptop Computer

Each student requires their own personal laptop for this program. The laptop needs to meet the following requirements: https://examsoft.com/resources/examplify-minimum-system-requirements/.  If students already owns a suitable laptop, a new laptop will not be necessary. 

Program maximum duration

This program must be completed within a Maximum Duration which includes any periods of non-enrolment, leave of absence or approved study at other institutions for credit towards a Program.

There will be additional costs, over and above tuition fees for all Bachelor of Medical Studies and Doctor of Medicine students. This includes (but is not limited to) textbooks, equipment, required immunisations, clearance renewals, first aid certificates, student amenities fees. For an indicative guide to these costs, see below.