MBBS Rural Background Students (RBS)

Maldistribution of medical practitioners throughout Australia leaves rural areas of Australia without medical services. The School of Medicine recognises the need for rural services.

Within the total number of places available to applicants in the MBBS Program, 25% of the places available will be designated to Rural Background Students (RBS).

Students will be eligible for consideration in the RBS sub quota if they have spent at least 5 years living in a rural Australian area since beginning primary school, as determined by the ASGC-RA (Australian Standard Geographical Classification - Remoteness Area) system.

Remoteness Areas (RAs) make up the ASGC-RA classification system. The RA categories are listed below:

RA1 - Major Cities of Australia
RA2 - Inner Regional Australia
RA3 - Outer Regional Australia
RA4 - Remote Australia
RA5 - Very Remote Australia

Rural is considered ASGC-RA 2 to 5 and excludes ASGC-RA 1. To ensure you are eligible, before applying please check your ASGC-RA category on the Australian Government’s Department of Health and Ageing Doctor Connect website.

RBS Application Process

MBBS (Provisional Entry for School-Leavers) Applicants (Year 12)

You will need to provide documentary evidence. Note that the rural residence must have been your primary residence. Holiday homes and secondary residences do not qualify.

Acceptable supporting documents include:

• School reports
• Transcripts from a regional university
• Supporting letters from a school, university or workplace
• Other documents to prove residence such as invoices for telephone, rates, utilities, or bank statements showing your (or your family’s) address

Documents can be copies and don’t need to be certified. However, please note that any applicant who receives an offer in the MBBS Program based on their rural background will be asked to provide originals or certified copies of all their supporting documentation. Failure to do so may result in the offer being rescinded.

To apply please download and complete the RBS Application Form, attaching the requested documentation and email to:

Email: admissions@som.uq.edu.au

The completed RBS Application Form with all supporting documentation which supports five years of rural living must be received by Admissions no later than 5.00pm Friday 11th January 2013