Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine

The Bachelor of Medical Science and Doctor of Medicine at the University of Tasmania is a five-year combined degree for school leavers who want to become doctors. It is not a graduate-entry MD. You start the medical science component in first year and move into the Doctor of Medicine stage in the later years, graduating with both awards. The course is registered on CRICOS (course code 107736D), so international students can enrol on a Student visa.

How the degree is structured

Australian medical degrees of this type are usually built around a mix of campus-based teaching and clinical placements. At Tasmania, the early years cover biomedical sciences, anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pathology, pharmacology, plus population health, professional practice and communication skills. Later years are largely clinical. You rotate through hospital and community settings in areas such as medicine, surgery, paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, general practice and emergency medicine. The exact unit sequence and credit points are set out in the official course structure, and you should confirm those details on the University of Tasmania page and the CRICOS register.

Because this is a five-year degree, it does not follow the standard three-year bachelor plus one-year honours pattern. It is an integrated qualification. The final years typically include a capstone or research component, and you will spend significant time on clinical placement in Tasmanian hospitals and health services. That placement is work-integrated learning in the fullest sense, you are learning on the wards, not just in lecture theatres.

What you actually study

You learn to take a history, examine a patient, order and interpret tests, form a diagnosis and manage care. You also study the Australian healthcare system, ethics, law, cultural safety and the social determinants of health. Communication matters: you will practise explaining conditions to patients, families and colleagues. By the end, you should be able to work as an intern under supervision.

Who it suits

This degree suits school leavers with strong science results who are certain they want a medical career and are ready for a long, demanding course. It also suits students who want to train and eventually work in Tasmania or regional Australia, because much of the clinical training happens outside the big mainland cities. If you already have a bachelor degree and want graduate-entry medicine, this is a different pathway, check whether the university offers one separately.

English, visas and work rights

International applicants must meet the university's English requirement. For medicine, the published standard is at the higher end, IELTS Academic 7.0–7.5 overall, or an accepted equivalent such as TOEFL iBT, PTE Academic or Cambridge C1 Advanced. The Department of Home Affairs also sets its own English threshold for the Student visa, which is separate from the university's requirement. While you study, the Student visa lets you work up to 48 hours per fortnight during term. After you graduate, the Temporary Graduate visa (subclass 485) post-study work stream may allow you to stay and work in Australia, subject to the rules at the time. Tuition is published on the CRICOS register. Always confirm fees, intake dates and English requirements on the official University of Tasmania page before applying.

• Intern (first-year doctor), after graduating, you apply for an internship in an Australian public hospital. This is the standard next step before general registration.
• Resident medical officer, later hospital years, rotating through specialties such as emergency, general medicine and surgery.
• General practice registrar, training towards a career as a GP, often in regional and rural Tasmania.
• Specialist training, physician, surgeon, psychiatrist, obstetrician, paediatrician and other college training pathways.
• Hospital and health service employers, state health departments, private hospitals and community health organisations across Australia.
• Research and public health, medical research institutes, universities and government health agencies.
• Rural and remote medicine, Tasmania and mainland rural health services actively recruit medical graduates.