Bachelor degree · university
Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
This is a primary medical degree, usually five to six years full time, with six the most common.

- How long it takes
- 5 to 6 years
- full time
- Entry ATAR
- From 84.15
- Lowest offered at James Cook University, 2026
- How you can study
- On campus
- Includes a work placement
- Leads on to
- Resident Medical Officer
- $104,000 (estimate) median pay, In demand
- Taught by
- 3 providers
- QLD, WA, SA
Is this course right for you?
What the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery asks of you, and what you might want to check first.
It helps to have
- an interest in science and how the human body works
- a genuine wish to help people when they are unwell
- good communication skills for talking with patients and colleagues
- the patience to keep learning through long years of study
Before you start
Each provider sets its own entry requirements, so check the ones you are considering.
Where this course can take you
The study that can follow this course.
Jobs you can do with it

Resident Medical Officer
Resident medical officers are hospital doctors in their first years after internship, managing patients on the ward under the supervision of senior staff.
A step towards this job. What else you need
Median pay$104,000 (estimate)
In demand
Pay is the median for everyone in the job, and “In demand” means the job is on the national shortage list. Pay marked as an estimate is our own analysis, not a published figure.
Where you can study this course
There are 3 places you can study this course. When you compare them, check they teach it the way you want to study, how far you'd be from a campus, what it will cost you and what past students say about the teaching and support. They're listed by how often people search for them, and none of them pays to be here or to move up.
- Website for Curtin University (opens in a new tab)

Curtin University
Bentley, WA
4.2from 1,745 Google reviews
- How you study
- On campus
What students like
- Staff are helpful and welcoming
- Support services help students through hard times
What to weigh up
- Enquiries can take a while to answer
- Course page for James Cook University (opens in a new tab)

James Cook University
Cairns, Townsville, QLD
4.3from 591 Google reviews
- ATAR
- 84.15 lowest
- (84.15 median, 2026)
- How you study
- On campus
- Next intake
- Feb 2027
- Fee
- $13,241 a year
- (Government-supported place)
What students like
- Staff are friendly and helpful
- Support services and learning resources are useful
- Website for The University of Adelaide (opens in a new tab)
The University of Adelaide
Adelaide, SA
4.4from 869 Google reviews
- ATAR
- 91.7 lowest
- How you study
- On campus
What you’ll learn
The main topics covered in the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery.
- Human body and disease
- Biological and social sciences
- Clinical medicine
- Hospital and community placements
- Rural and Indigenous health
Questions to ask before you enrol
Providers run this course differently, so the answers change from one to the next.
- When is the next intake, and how many are there each year?
- What is the total cost, including materials, checks and any placement costs?
- Can I study part time or online, and how does that change the length?
- Who arranges the work placement, and how many hours does it involve?
- Do the units count towards a higher qualification if I go on to study further?