The University of Notre Dame Australia, Sydney, selects Doctor of Medicine students with an online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) that you record on your own, with no live interviewer. The interview counts for half of your ranking for an offer. For the 2027 intake, interview offers were released in September 2026, with interviews in September and October 2026. Dates for 2028 entry are not published yet.
Notre Dame Sydney MMI at a glance
| Item | Detail | Source |
|---|---|---|
| Program | Doctor of Medicine (MD), 4 years, School of Medicine Sydney (Darlinghurst campus) | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney; School of Medicine, Sydney |
| Entry type | Graduate entry (bachelor degree needed), applied for through GEMSAS | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| What gets you an interview | GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points, weighted 30:30:30:10 | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Interview weight in offers | 50% interview, 50% GAMSAT/GPA/Casper/bonus points | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Interview type | Online Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Online / in person | Online, recorded (asynchronous) | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Number of stations and time per station | Not published on official public pages. Details come with your invitation. | – |
| Reading or thinking time | Not published on official public pages. Check your invitation. | – |
| Platform | Not named on official public pages | – |
| Interview offers (2027 entry) | September 2026 | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Interview period (2027 entry) | September/October 2026 | GEMSAS key dates |
| Main offers (2027 entry) | End of October / early November 2026 | GEMSAS key dates |
| Places (2027, subject to change) | 40 Commonwealth supported, 17 Bonded Medical Places, up to 57 domestic full-fee | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
| Program starts (2027 intake) | 18 January 2027, with compulsory in-person orientation | GEMSAS – Notre Dame Sydney |
For the 2026 intake, Notre Dame lists the Sydney interview averages as a GPA of 6.74 and a GAMSAT of 68.23 (Notre Dame – Doctor of Medicine).
What does Notre Dame Sydney look for?
The Sydney School of Medicine says it aims to produce "excellent, caring and ethical doctors". It names its founding values as respect for human life, human dignity, social justice and ethics (School of Medicine, Sydney). The wider university describes itself as Catholic and lists guiding principles including academic excellence, active community engagement and responsible stewardship (Notre Dame – Our vision).
The MD learning outcomes include person-centred and culturally safe care, communication and teamwork, ethics and professionalism, reflective practice, and an understanding of the social causes of poor health (Notre Dame – Doctor of Medicine).
What this means for your answers:
- Dignity comes first. In any scenario, think about how the person feels and what they want, not only what is "correct".
- Fairness matters. Notre Dame Sydney highlights social justice. Be ready to think about people who find it hard to get care, such as people experiencing homelessness or living far from a hospital.
- Ethics is a skill, not an opinion. Explain the different sides of an issue and how you reach a decision. You do not need to share a religious view.
- Care at every stage of life. The school names palliative care as a specialty area, so be comfortable talking about end-of-life care with kindness and honesty.
How does the Notre Dame Sydney MMI day work?
- Invitation in September. Your email sets out the deadline, how to log in and the rules. Read it twice.
- Prepare your space. Use a quiet, private room, good light in front of you and a steady internet connection. Test your camera and microphone early.
- Complete it in your window. As the MMI is recorded, you can choose a time that suits you within the deadline. Give yourself a buffer in case something goes wrong.
- Stations one by one. Each station shows a prompt on screen, such as a question, a short scenario, a quote or a picture. You record your answer while the timer runs. No one will interrupt, ask follow-up questions or give you feedback.
- Reset between stations. Treat each one as a fresh start.
- After you submit. Your recordings are reviewed later. Your interview score is then combined 50:50 with your GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points to rank applicants for offers.
Your invitation is the only reliable guide to the number of stations, time per station and any thinking time. Do not rely on what friends experienced at other universities.
Notre Dame Sydney MMI questions: common themes
These are themes that suit Notre Dame Sydney's values and setting. They are not real questions:
- Motivation: why medicine, why Notre Dame and why Sydney.
- Ethics and dignity: consent, honesty, end-of-life care, and fair use of limited health resources.
- Social justice: caring for people who are disadvantaged, for example people experiencing homelessness, mental illness or addiction.
- Rural health in NSW and Victoria: what changes when you work in a town far from a big hospital.
- Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander health: respect, cultural safety and building trust.
- Teamwork: working in a busy hospital team and dealing with conflict or a colleague's mistake.
- Communication: responding to a worried, upset or angry person as if they were in front of you.
- Picture or quote prompts: giving a balanced, thoughtful response to an image or statement.
Worked example (a new, practice-style question): You are a medical student in a busy emergency department. A man who has been waiting for four hours walks up to you, clearly upset, and says he will leave unless someone sees him right now. Speak to him as if he were in front of you.
A strong answer would:
- Speak calmly and directly to him, introduce yourself as a medical student and use his name if you know it.
- Acknowledge his frustration and apologise for the wait without blaming staff or making excuses.
- Ask how he is feeling now, so that any change in his condition is picked up, and tell him you will pass this on to the nurse or doctor in charge straight away.
- Be honest that you cannot promise when he will be seen, and avoid giving medical advice beyond your role.
- Explain the risk of leaving before being assessed, while respecting that the choice is his.
- Close with a clear next step: you will speak to the team now and come back to update him.
How to answer "Why Notre Dame Sydney?"
The best answers connect your own story to things that are true about this school. Some features you can draw on:
- Clinical schools in city and country. Years 3 and 4 are spent at clinical schools in Sydney, Melbourne, rural NSW and Victoria, allocated by ballot (GEMSAS). The school lists Lithgow, Wagga Wagga, Hawkesbury (Windsor), Auburn and St Vincent's & Mater (Darlinghurst) in NSW, and Melbourne (Werribee) and Ballarat in Victoria (School of Medicine, Sydney). Rural host sites include Calvary Health Care Riverina in Wagga Wagga and St John of God Hospital Ballarat (Clinical Schools).
- An inner-city hospital that focuses on people in need. St Vincent's Hospital, home of the St Vincent's & Mater Clinical School, says it prioritises care for at-risk groups. People experiencing disadvantage make up 36% of its inpatient admissions, and it provides mental health and drug and alcohol services (St Vincent's Hospital Sydney).
- A real rural focus. The school states a focus on rural medicine, supported by its rural clinical schools (School of Medicine, Sydney). National data show life expectancy in the rest of NSW is about three years lower than in Greater Sydney (AIHW).
- Bioethics and research. The school offers a bioethics program and a Master of Bioethics, and every MD student completes a supervised research project (School of Medicine, Sydney). The university's Core Curriculum is taught within the MD as bioethics (Core Curriculum).
- Small-group learning and support. Years 1 and 2 use problem-based learning in small groups led by a clinician, with mentoring from academic staff (School of Medicine, Sydney).
Because clinical schools are allocated by ballot, avoid saying you are coming for one particular site as if it were certain. Say instead why the mix of city and rural training suits you.
Common mistakes in the Notre Dame Sydney MMI
- Treating the Catholic ethos as a test of faith. The interview is not checking your religion. It is checking whether you can reason about ethics with respect for everyone involved.
- A "Why Sydney?" answer that could fit any uni. Saying you like the city or the hospital's reputation is not enough. Link your reasons to real features, such as the clinical schools or the focus on people in need.
- Talking to the screen instead of the camera. Look at the lens so your answer feels like a conversation.
- Running short or running over. With no interviewer to guide you, it is easy to stop too early or get cut off mid-sentence. Practice full-length answers with a timer.
- Forgetting the person in role-play prompts. When asked to speak to someone, talk to them, not about them. Use "you", not "I would tell him...".
Free practice.
Recording yourself is the closest thing to the real Notre Dame format. Our free Notre Dame half-mock lets you practice answering on camera with a timer and no prompts: Try the free Notre Dame mock.
Talk to us
Preparing for your Notre Dame Sydney interview? Book a free 15-minute call to talk about one-to-one coaching on what the MMI assesses and mock interviews in the recorded format: [Book a free call](book a free call).
Your coach
Taught by current medical students who have sat these interviews. Every m.i ready coach has been through a medical interview recently, got in, and still remembers the nerves. Sessions are one-on-one, online and built around your university's real format, with a written summary after every lesson.
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Notre Dame Sydney MMI FAQs.
Does Notre Dame use Casper?
Yes. For 2027 entry, GEMSAS says Notre Dame selects applicants for interview using GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points, weighted 30:30:30:10. After the interview, offers are ranked 50% on the interview and 50% on GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points (GEMSAS). Casper is a separate online test, so prepare for it on its own. Check GEMSAS for the 2028-entry rules.
Do I have to be Catholic to get into Notre Dame Sydney medicine?
No. The university's objects welcome students of all faiths and beliefs (Our vision), and no religious requirement is listed for MD applicants (GEMSAS). The Core Curriculum is offered to all students "whatever their religious background" (Core Curriculum).
Is the Notre Dame Sydney MMI online?
Yes. GEMSAS describes it as an online MMI on a recorded (asynchronous) platform (GEMSAS). You record your answers yourself, with no live interviewer.
How much does the interview count?
A lot. Applicants who are interviewed are ranked 50% on the interview and 50% on GAMSAT, GPA, Casper and bonus points (GEMSAS).
When will I hear about an interview and an offer?
Interview offers usually come out in September. For the 2027 intake, offers were released in September 2026 (GEMSAS), and GEMSAS listed interviews in September/October 2026 and main offers at the end of October or early November 2026 (GEMSAS key dates). Dates for 2028 entry are not published yet, so check GEMSAS before you plan.
Do I choose my clinical school?
You can give preferences, but allocation is by ballot and you may not get your first preference (GEMSAS).
Are there special pathways into Notre Dame Sydney medicine?
Yes. GEMSAS lists a dedicated Indigenous pathway, reserved places for Bachelor of Biomedical Sciences graduates, and facilitated interview pathways for some Notre Dame and ACU graduates (GEMSAS). At least 28.5% of Commonwealth supported places must go to students from a rural background.
Can I switch between Sydney and Fremantle later?
Only in exceptional circumstances (GEMSAS). Choose the campus you can commit to for the full four years.
Does work experience count?
No. GEMSAS states that work experience and extracurricular achievements are not considered for Notre Dame Sydney (GEMSAS). Your experiences can still help you give strong, real examples in the interview.
Sources
- GEMSAS – The University of Notre Dame, Sydney: gemsas.edu.au/schools/notredame-sydney
- GEMSAS – Key dates: gemsas.edu.au/key-dates
- Notre Dame – Doctor of Medicine: notredame.edu.au/programs/school-of-medicine/postgradua…
- Notre Dame – School of Medicine, Sydney Campus: notredame.edu.au/about-us/faculties-and-schools/school-…
- Notre Dame – Clinical Schools (Sydney): notredame.edu.au/about-us/faculties-and-schools/school-…
- Notre Dame – Our vision (Objects): notredame.edu.au/about/objects
- Notre Dame – Our Core Curriculum: notredame.edu.au/study/core-curriculum
- St Vincent's Hospital Sydney – About us: svhs.org.au/about-us
- Australian Institute of Health and Welfare – Rural and remote health: aihw.gov.au/reports/rural-remote-australians/rural-and-…
Facts checked against official university and admissions-centre pages on 28 October 2026. Interview details change each year, so always check your invitation email and the university's own page. m.i ready is independent and not affiliated with any university.
