Didn't get into medicine? What your child can do next

What can my child do if they didn't get into medicine?

They have four real options: apply again next year, take a gap year and apply again, start a related degree and apply as a graduate, or choose another career in health. Missing out at 17 or 18 does not close the door on medicine.

It will not feel that way in the first week. Entry is very competitive, and capable, hard-working students miss out every year. A missed offer says how many applicants there were for each place. It does not say whether your child would make a good doctor.

What should we do in the first few weeks?

Give it time, then look at what actually happened before deciding anything.

  • Let the disappointment be what it is. Your child has worked towards this for years. A few flat weeks are normal.
  • Check the other offers. A place in another course may be on the table, and acceptance deadlines can be short.
  • Find out which part fell short. School results, the test and the interview each lead to a different next step.
  • Ask the university. Admissions offices can explain their own process and what a new application involves.

The answer to the third point shapes everything else. A student who missed an interview offer has a different year ahead from one who interviewed and narrowly missed a place.

Can my child sit the UCAT ANZ again?

Yes. The official FAQ confirms that a candidate can sit the test again in later years. The limit is once in each test year.

Three points matter when planning a second attempt.

  • The old result cannot be reused. A result counts for one round of applications only, so a new application needs a new sitting.
  • Starting a degree does not rule your child out. A student who has started or finished an undergraduate degree is still eligible to sit.
  • Not every course takes non-school-leavers. The official FAQ notes that some courses requiring the test do not offer places to applicants who are no longer school leavers.

That last point is the one to check carefully. Before your child commits to another attempt, read each university's rules for applicants who have left school or begun other study. The universities guide lists the courses, and each university's admissions page has the detail.

Is a gap year a good idea?

It can be, if it has a purpose. A gap year gives a student time to prepare for the test again without Year 12 alongside it, to work, and to find out more about health care.

Think through three things first.

  • How the university will treat the application. Rules for applicants who have left school differ between universities, so ask.
  • What the year will contain. Paid work, volunteering or care work gives the year shape and gives your child something to talk about at interview.
  • What happens if the second application also misses. Agree on that plan at the start of the year, not at the end.

A gap year spent only on test practice is a long year. Most students do better with a job or a routine around it.

Can my child start another degree and still become a doctor?

Yes. Graduate entry exists for exactly this. A student completes a bachelor degree, then applies to a graduate medical course.

In Australia the graduate route has its own test and its own application system.

  • The test is GAMSAT. It is run by the Australian Council for Educational Research for applicants to graduate-entry courses. A student can sit it while still enrolled in a bachelor degree. See the GAMSAT website.
  • Applications go through GEMSAS. It is the shared application system for its member graduate medical schools. See the GEMSAS website.

Some universities also offer provisional entry, where a school leaver starts a bachelor degree with a medical place held for them. Those places are decided at the end of Year 12, so they are part of the first application, not a fallback after it.

When choosing a first degree with graduate medicine in mind, two things count for more than the degree's title.

  • Your child should want to study it. University grades matter for graduate entry, and students do best in subjects they enjoy.
  • It should lead somewhere on its own. A degree that opens a career your child would be glad to have is a safer choice.

Each graduate medical school publishes its own requirements. Check them before enrolling.

What about New Zealand?

The route there is different, because selection happens after a first year at university. Our page for New Zealand families explains it. The University of Otago also admits graduates, in a separate category, under rules set out in its guidelines for admission.

What other health careers are there?

Many, and some suit a student better than medicine would have. A student drawn to medicine usually wants to work with people, use science and do something that matters. Plenty of careers offer that.

Nursing, midwifery, paramedicine, physiotherapy, pharmacy, dentistry, optometry, psychology, speech pathology, occupational therapy, radiography and medical science all lead to skilled work in health care. Some have their own competitive entry, and some lead on to postgraduate study.

It is worth your child asking what, exactly, appealed about medicine. If the answer is working closely with patients, several of these careers offer plenty of it. Shadowing or talking to people in two or three of these jobs can change the picture quickly.

How can a parent help most?

By staying steady. Your child will take their cue from you on whether this is a setback or a catastrophe.

  • Do not rush the decision. A week or two of thinking costs nothing.
  • Keep your own disappointment out of the room. It is real, and it is yours to carry elsewhere.
  • Back the plan they choose. A second attempt, a new degree and a different career are all respectable choices.
  • Watch how they are coping. If low mood lasts for weeks, the school counsellor or your GP is the right person to see.

None of these paths is a lesser one. The right one is the one your child chooses with clear information and your support.

Sources

Each university's own website is the authority on its course. Check it before your child applies.

MyelinMed is not affiliated with UCAT ANZ, the UCAT Consortium, Pearson VUE or any university.

Common questions

Can last year's UCAT ANZ result be used again?

No. A result is valid for one admissions cycle only. A student who applies again the following year sits the test again.

Can my child sit the UCAT ANZ after starting another degree?

Yes. A candidate who has started or completed an undergraduate degree is eligible to sit. The official FAQ adds that not every course requiring the test offers places to applicants who are no longer school leavers, so check each university.

Which test does graduate entry use?

In Australia, graduate-entry courses use GAMSAT, run by the Australian Council for Educational Research. A student can sit it while still enrolled in a bachelor degree.

Should my child accept another course while deciding?

Often it is sensible to hold a place, but read the conditions first. Ask the university how accepting, deferring or starting another course affects a later application to medicine.

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Facts checked 13 Oct 2026