Rural and Indigenous programs

Rural Access Scheme

Applicants from rural and remote backgrounds may be considered for one of the places reserved for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science in the QTAC Rural Access Scheme.

To be eligible, you must have lived in a designated rural or remote area of Australia for at least five consecutive years (60 months) or ten years cumulatively (120 months).

All applicants for Medicine, Dentistry and Veterinary Science at JCU will be automatically invited to apply for a place under the scheme. We strongly encourage eligible students to respond to this invitation and maximise your opportunity to receive an offer.

Steps to apply

• Download and complete a cover sheet from the QTAC website
• Gather your supporting documents
• Upload your cover sheet and documents to your QTAC application.

Your supporting documents are evidence that you lived in rural and remote Australia for the period required. These could include utility bills, bank statements, notices of assessment, tax returns, Centrelink correspondence or rental agreements.

Applications for Rural Access Scheme places in the 2025 intake at JCU have closed.

Check the Rural Access Scheme webpage for full details.

Indigenous Medicine pathway

JCU currently offers an Indigenous pathway to support the recruitment of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people into Medicine.

Previous pathway programs for Dentistry and Veterinary Science did not sufficiently meet the needs of students and were discontinued as a result. Plans for new programs designed to achieve the outcomes required are in development.

To be considered for entry through the Indigenous Medicine pathway, applicants need to provide a letter of confirmation stating that they:

• Are of Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander descent
• Identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Are accepted as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander by the community.

Letters of confirmation must be:

• Issued by an incorporated Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander organisation
• Signed by an official delegate
• Stamped with the common seal.

Steps to apply

• Identify as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Apply through QTAC for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery at JCU
• Identify yourself to QTAC as an Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander
• Apply directly to JCU for the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
• Email your letter of confirmation to JCU at indigenoushealthpathway@jcu.edu.au

Applicants must successfully complete all of these steps to be eligible to receive an offer through the Indigenous Medical pathway.