Federation University's New Medical School: What does this mean?

There's a new medical school in the works in Australia. You can't apply yet, but if you want to study medicine it's worth knowing about.

Federation University has teamed up with a medical education company called NewMed to set up the Federation University NewMed School of Medicine. It's quite different to the other programs, and depending on who you are and where you live, it could change your path into medicine.

This is what we know so far.

What is it?

It's a four-year, graduate-entry Doctor of Medicine (MD) built around general practice rather than hospital rotations. Students study online from anywhere in Australia, with teaching done in small online groups.

The structure is different too. In first year you spend 4 hours a week on supervised placement in a GP clinic. That goes up to 8 hours a week in second year and 3 days a week in third year. Fourth year is hospital-based. Most medical schools do it the other way round, with 2 years of mostly classroom learning and then 2 years of placements in hospitals and GP clinics.

So it isn't fully online and it isn't only GP. It's a mix that starts in general practice and finishes in hospital.

Why does it exist?

Australia is short on GPs, especially in rural and regional areas. About 3,900 doctors graduate from our 22 medical schools each year, and more than 4,000 overseas-trained doctors arrive every year to fill the gaps.

The thinking is simple. When students leave their home towns to study, a lot of them don't come back. If they can train where they already live, they're more likely to stay, and those communities get the GPs they need.

It's a serious response to a real problem, not a gimmick.

Can I apply?

Not yet.

NewMed isn't a medical school yet, so it can't take enquiries or applications. The program is going through accreditation with the Australian Medical Council (AMC) and plans to start in 2027 if it's approved. It has finished its Stage 2 submission to the AMC and has formal academic approval from Federation University. Both are good signs, but full AMC accreditation hasn't happened yet.

Until it does, there's nothing to apply for.

What will the application process look like?

We don't know the details yet, but there are some strong hints. NewMed has said it wants a broader selection process than the usual GAMSAT and GPA cut-offs, most likely with a personal statement and an MMI-style interview.

That would make sense for what they're trying to do. If you want students from rural and regional areas who'll stay there, selecting purely on GAMSAT and GPA probably won't get you there.

None of this is confirmed, so keep an eye on their website as accreditation moves along.

What we still don't know

There are a few big unanswered questions.

Whether it will be accredited. AMC accreditation isn't a given. It's a tough process and several proposed medical schools haven't made it through. This is the biggest unknown.

How the application process will work. Apart from hints about a broader approach, they haven't published any entry requirements.

What happens after graduation. In Australia, new graduates usually do two years as an intern and junior doctor before specialising. We don't know yet whether graduates of this program will follow the same path.

Cost. No fees have been published. They plan to start with about 90 full-fee paying students, plus some scholarship places. Graduate medicine in Australia usually costs $40,000 to $60,000 or more a year.

My honest take

When I first heard about it I was sceptical. How do you become a competent doctor without much hospital experience? It's a fair question.

The more I've thought about it, though, the more I think it could work well for the right student.

Most of what you learn as a doctor, you learn on the job. Taking a history, reading the room, handling uncertainty and building rapport with patients are skills you pick up at work, not in a lecture theatre. A motivated student who spends three years working alongside a good GP is going to come out clinically sharp. In my experience, the students who did best at med school were the ones who turned up to placements, asked questions and treated every consult as a chance to learn. This model more or less makes you do that.

The GP shortage is also very real. A program that trains doctors who want to be GPs, and who are already part of rural communities, is tackling something that matters.

I do think the lack of early hospital time is a fair concern, and fourth year will have a lot of work to do. A lot will depend on how well that year is set up and what internship looks like afterwards.

I also like that it makes medicine more accessible, which is something I care a lot about (it's why I run free Section 2 marking). There are plenty of people who'd make fantastic doctors but can't move to a city to study because of family or money. Others are held back by a GPA that isn't quite high enough and can't afford more postgrad study or another GAMSAT sitting. If this model opens the door for them, I think it's worth doing.

One thing to remember is that every medical school in Australia has to be accredited by the AMC, and every graduate has to meet the same standards, however they got there.

What should you do right now?

1. Keep an eye on the news. Accreditation is still under way. Follow the NewMed website, as they've been open about their progress so far. You'll want to hear quickly about anything big, like accreditation being approved, applications opening or entry requirements being published.

2. Start thinking about your personal statement. If they do go with a personal statement and an MMI, that needs very different preparation to the GAMSAT. I'll be writing a post on how to approach a medical school personal statement soon. Sign up below and I'll send it to you when it's out.

3. Keep your focus on the GAMSAT. This program isn't taking applications yet, and it may not until late 2026 at the earliest, assuming accreditation goes smoothly. The GAMSAT still gets you into every other medical school in Australia, so don't let this distract you from the prep in front of you. My Section 1 and Section 2 courses are built around the kind of reasoning the GAMSAT tests, so they're worth starting now if you haven't already.

The bottom line

The Federation University NewMed School of Medicine is an interesting development for medical education in Australia. It isn't guaranteed to happen, and there are still more questions than answers. If it is accredited, though, it could open up medicine to people who'd otherwise never have had a realistic way in, especially in rural and regional areas where moving to a capital city to study isn't an option.

Keep an eye on it, but don't put all your eggs in one basket while you wait.