Admission to Science-Medicine for Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) school-leavers only*

• Summary information
• Admission requirements
• Eligibility
• Application
• Areas of study
• ATSI Support

*subject to final approval

Summary information

These courses are only available to 2009 Year 12 Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander (ATSI) school leavers.

You can only add this course to your preferences via UAC until 30 November 2009. You must also apply through the Cadigal Special Entry Program of the Koori Centre by 30 November 2009.

Admission requirements

The two basic admissions criteria involve performance in:

1. ATAR (or equivalent): To be considered you must have a very high ATAR or equivalent (expected to be 95 or more for 2010 entry).
2. A semi-structured interview.

Eligibility

ATSI applicants must apply through UAC.

Short-listed applicants will be required to attend an interview.

The Koori Centre of the University of Sydney advises that Aboriginality should be demonstrated by one of the following forms of proof of identity:

• a letter of support from a relevant community organisation such as a land council, legal or medical service or from ASPAA (Aboriginal Student and Parent Awareness Association);
• an affirmation/statutory declaration stating self-identification as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander;

Please note proof of receipt of Abstudy will not be accepted as proof of aboriginality unless accompanied by one of the above documents.

Application

As well as submitting an application to UAC, people wishing to be considered for entry through the Cadigal Program must submit a Cadigal application form directly to the University.

Forms are available at www.koori.usyd.edu.au/studying/cadigal.shtml and should be returned to:

The Koori Centre
Old Teachers College (A22)
University of Sydney NSW 2006
Freecall: 1800 622 742

Areas of study

This course leads to the degree of Bachelor of Science (Advanced) or the Bachelor of Medical Science and the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. In the first three years students undertake studies in science or medical science.

A unique feature of the program is the completion of THREE compulsory zero-credit point subjects that include written communication tasks. These are designed to assess competence in the areas covered in the "Reasoning in the Social Sciences and Humanities" and writing sections of GAMSAT and in the Medical Program interview. Progress in these units will require students to satisfactorily complete several critical writing tasks. These tasks will assess the student's comprehension and reasoning in social sciences and humanities and written expression. The writing tasks will be complementary to the student's course studies in science and will address issues at the interface between science and clinical medicine.

Students can elect to go for a week placement at a Rural Clinical School during their first degree studies. Currently, Pathways students complete the placement at either Dubbo or Broken Hill during their Summer break.

Students must complete the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) or the Bachelor of Medical Science in minimum time and maintain, as a minimum, a credit average in the Bachelor of Science (Advanced) or the Bachelor of Medical Science, this being the minimum level of academic performance required for admission to candidature for the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery.

To remain in the Science-Medicine program students must:

• Complete units of study having a total value of at least 336 credit points.
• Maintain a credit average or above in each of the first three years of the program.
• Satisfactorily complete three zero-credit point units of study in the first three years of the program.

ATSI Support

Potential ATSI applicants may contact Dr Lilon Bandler for more information and support in making their application.

Dr Lilon Bandler
Email:
Phone: 02 9036 7859