GEMSAS Offers 2026: When They Come Out, How Later Rounds Work, and What to Do While You Wait

If you interviewed this year, you are probably refreshing your inbox far more than you'd like to admit. That's normal. The weeks between your interview and your GEMSAS offer are some of the hardest in the whole application process, mostly because nobody tells you clearly how offers work.

So here it is, in plain English. When GEMSAS offers are released, what happens in later rounds, whether there is really a "waitlist", and what to check before you accept or decline anything.

When do GEMSAS offers come out?

For 2027 entry, GEMSAS releases main place offers at the end of October or early November 2026. Offers arrive by email, and the email tells you how to accept or decline and the deadline for doing so.

That isn't the end of it, though. Additional offers are made through November, December and January to fill places that open up when other applicants decline.

If you didn't get an offer in the first round, you will be told. But you are still automatically considered for later offers in the same intake. You don't need to do anything to stay in the running.

How GEMSAS offers actually work

This is the part most applicants get wrong.

Through GEMSAS you only ever interview at one medical school. Only people who have interviewed can receive an offer. But your interview score doesn't stay locked to that one school. It is standardised, and if you don't get a place where you interviewed, your lower-preference schools can use that score to rank you.

In other words, you can receive an offer from a school you never set foot in.

It happens every year. Some schools may contact you before making that kind of offer, to talk about course requirements. That call is not a second interview, and it doesn't guarantee an offer. It's just a conversation.

Offers are then made from each school's ranked list, working through place types in order. At most schools that means Commonwealth Supported Places (CSP) first, then Bonded Medical Places (BMP), then full fee places where a school offers them. The highest ranked applicants get CSPs, and the school works down the list until the places are gone.

Is there a GEMSAS waitlist?

Not in the way most people imagine. There is no public waitlist, and GEMSAS doesn't give you a position number. You won't find out that you're "14th in line".

What does exist is the ranked list each school is already working from. When someone declines an offer, or lets it lapse, that place goes to the next eligible person on the list. That's what later rounds are. So when people on Reddit talk about being "on the waitlist", what they really mean is that they interviewed, they haven't had an offer yet, and they're still being considered.

That's a frustrating answer when you want certainty. But it also means that silence in November is not a rejection.

GEMSAS second round offers: how late can they come?

Later than you think. GEMSAS states that additional offers can be made right through to January 2027, and courses don't start until late January or February.

Every year, some applicants get their offer in the new year, with only a few weeks to sort out moving cities, leave from work and a lease. Keep that possibility in your head if you're making plans over summer. You don't need to put your life on hold. Just avoid locking yourself into anything you can't get out of before February.

Got an offer? Read this before you accept

First of all, congratulations. Take a moment. Then read the offer email properly, because a few rules really matter here.

Declining or missing the deadline ends your application for the year. If you decline an offer, or let it lapse, GEMSAS will not consider you for any other offer in that intake. Some people turn down a lower preference in the hope that their first choice comes through in a later round. Under the GEMSAS rules, declining takes you out of the running altogether. If you're unsure how accepting one offer affects your other preferences, email GEMSAS and the medical school before your deadline and ask. Don't guess.

Check what type of place you've been offered. A CSP is government subsidised. A BMP is also subsidised, but you commit to working in an area of workforce shortage after you graduate. A full fee place means you pay the whole cost of the course yourself. At some schools, including Melbourne and Notre Dame Sydney, once you are offered a full fee place you can't swap into a CSP or BMP. If you aren't sure what you've been offered, ask now, not in February.

Watch for conditions. Many offers are conditional, especially if you were still studying this year. You might need to show you've completed your degree, provide final results or meet a minimum GPA. For some universities that means releasing your completion data to GEMSAS or uploading an official transcript by 5pm on 23 December 2026. Put that date in your calendar today.

Decline quickly if you're not taking it. If you already know you're going elsewhere, tell GEMSAS and the school as soon as you can. Your place goes to someone else who has been refreshing their inbox for weeks. Be kind to them.

No offer yet? What to do now

Wait, but wait well. Some practical things help.

• Check your spam folder and your GEMSAS account every few days. An offer that sits unread is an offer that can lapse.
• Keep your contact details current. If you're travelling over summer, make sure your email works on your phone.
• Don't pay big non-refundable deposits on anything that would stop you moving in late January.
• Start a quiet Plan B. Not because you won't get in, but because having one makes the wait easier. My post on why you need a Plan B goes through this in more detail.

If January ends without an offer, that doesn't mean medicine is over for you. It means this year is over. Lots of people get in on their second or third attempt. When you're ready, read what to do after the "email of death" and look at whether your GAMSAT, GPA or interview is the weakest part of your application. If GPA is the issue, my bad GPA guide covers your options.

Frequently asked questions

When do GEMSAS offers come out for 2027? Main offers are released at the end of October or early November 2026. Additional offers continue through November, December and January 2027.

Can I get an offer from a medical school I didn't interview at? Yes. Your interview score is standardised, so lower-preference schools can use it to make you an offer.

Is there a GEMSAS waitlist? There's no published waitlist or position number. If you interviewed and haven't had an offer, you're automatically considered in later rounds.

What happens if I decline my GEMSAS offer? You won't be considered for any other offer in that intake. You can reapply the following year.

When is the latest a GEMSAS offer can arrive? Additional offers can be made into January, and most courses start in late January or February.

One last thing

If you're reapplying next year, or you've just decided to sit the GAMSAT for the first time, my weekly email has a practice question, study tips and updates like this one as they happen. And if Section 2 is what's holding you back, you can send me an essay for free marking.

Good luck. I really hope that email comes.

Dates and rules in this post come from the GEMSAS key dates, offers and interviews pages, checked in October 2026. Always confirm details with GEMSAS and your medical school.