Practicing Veterinary Medicine

Many Canadians wish to fulfill their career goals after getting married, having kids, or both! We’ve had plenty of students who have taken their partner and/or children with them.

If you want to take your partner or family with you, you’ll need to add them as a secondary applicant or dependents to your student visa application. Even if you don’t plan on taking them with you, we suggest you add them to your application anyway because it can be complex, expensive, and time-consuming to add them afterwards. You’ll then need to provide additional documentation to support your claims of a relationship or your children’s dependency status.

In addition to looking after the visa, you’ll also need to ensure they’re included on your Overseas Student Health Cover (OSHC), you have appropriate accommodation, and if you’re bringing children, you’ll need to enroll them in school.

Visit our Health Insurance page for more information.

Yes, but you’ll require parental or guardian consent (signature). OzTREKK will provide the necessary documentation for this signature.

If you won’t be 18 when your program starts, you’ll be required to show that you’ll be living with an approved guardian until you turn 18. If you don’t have an approved guardian in Australia, you may need a family member to apply for a guardian visa to accompany you. This guardian visa should be obtained as part of the student visa application.

Absolutely. We manage and submit your application(s) on your behalf and communicate any updates from the universities.

Applying to an Australian or New Zealand university starts by filling out our OzTREKK application: You’ll tell us a bit about yourself, like your name, address, date of birth, education history, and what schools you want to apply to!

When you click “Submit,” the application with all your information only comes to us, so there’s no need to worry about making a mistake at this stage. We create a file for you and email you a list of documents required to complete your application(s), like passport photo page, transcripts, résumé, personal statement.

If you get an offer, we’ll help you with that part, too! Whether you want to accept or decline, we’ll help you figure out your next steps. If you accept your offer, we’ll even help you get ready to go. We’re here to be an advocate for you, and to walk you through the entire process from start to finish.

Should you have any questions along the way, just send us an email or book a chat. That’s why we’re here!

Scholarship options in Australia are usually limited for international students as they tend to be reserved for those undertaking postgraduate research degrees; however, we can advise you where to look and whether specific programs have a history of offering scholarships.

Occasionally, scholarships are granted to high achievers—those with very high marks. In previous years, we have seen $5000- to $10,000-scholarships given to OzTREKK students.

Check out OzTREKK’s Financing page to learn more about scholarships and paying for your degree.

Before sending us outlines, check in with your admissions team to see if we’ve already got them. We can save you a lot of time and ensure we’re submitting good outlines on your behalf. Outlines must be within 2 years of the time you took the course (as listed on your transcript).

To meet the prerequisite subjects, you need to have been granted the credit (passed); the grade itself isn’t considered in the prerequisite assessment. If there are any exceptions, we’ll let you know.

Rolling admissions means the university assesses applications as they are received, AKA “first come, first served” or “first come, first offered.” As soon as they’ve met the quota and the program is filled, they usually start a waitlist and close the applications. So, for a program that has rolling admissions, the earlier you apply the better!

Most Canadians applying to full-degree programs in Australia (i.e., not study abroad courses, which usually only last a semester or two) apply through OzTREKK. They’re studying medicine, dentistry, law, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, etc.

Since they’re using OzTREKK’s services, this gives us a good idea of the starting point of a competitive application each year, allowing us to help you determine which universities/programs are most likely to present you with a letter of offer!

You can get started on determining your chances by reviewing the admissions requirements on each program page. Then, visit our GPA Conversions and Eligibility pages for details and suggestions to help you get into the program of your dreams. Of course, we’re always here to help if you have questions.

Unlike in Canada, GPAs in Australia are simple. They’re standardized, so they mean the same thing to everyone.

In Australia, a 5.0/7.0 would roughly translate to a 2.7/4.0 or approximately 70%–72%, but keep in mind all universities assess slightly differently. We leave the official calculations to the universities.

Learn more on our GPA Conversions page where we list the most common Canadian GPA scales to their corresponding Australian GPA grade. If you’re not sure where you land, just reach out!

Prerequisite courses vary by university and by program. We’ve listed university- and program-specific requirements on each program’s page under “Admissions Requirements.”

Calculations differ by university, but most use cumulative (all units within a program) or weighted GPA (typically last 2 or 3 years of study). See GPA Conversions for more information.

“School leaver” is a term used by Australians (and those in the UK) that refers to someone who has graduated high school.

Australia offers professional undergraduate programs—like medicine or veterinary science—that allow an applicant to apply straight from high school without having any post-secondary education. In their admissions requirements, you may see “open to school leavers only,” so anyone who has post-secondary studies (completed or not), aren’t eligible to apply.

An official transcript is one that is

• emailed directly from your university to OzTREKK via an official transcript service like Parchment or MyCreds; or
• mailed directly from your university to OzTREKK.

To process your application(s), universities require your transcripts to be certified, which we do on your behalf.

For veterinary programs, entry is competitive and meeting minimum GPA requirements does not guarantee an offer.

Most undergrad-entry eligible candidates have a high school diploma with an overall average of approximately 85% – 90% or higher.

If applying with some university studies to The University of Queensland or Murdoch University, an average of 3.0 – 3.4 (76% – 80%) or above is recommended.

For graduate-entry programs, most candidates have a university degree with an average of approximately 3.3 – 3.9.

Murdoch University: Competitive score unknown; minimum is 90% from high school or 2.5/4.0 with university studies

University of Queensland: Approximately 85%+ from high school or approximately 3.0/4.0 with university studies

University of Melbourne: Approximately 3.3/4.0 (77%+) in upper-year 300- and 400-level subjects

University of Sydney: Approximately 3.9/4.0 (85%+) cumulative

Application deadlines vary by university. Often there are multiple deadline rounds for the veterinary programs and you’re encouraged to apply as early as possible before the deadline. Most OzTREKK students begin their applications in January/February.

For competitive programs, many universities will only accept applications from students who have studied within the last 10 years. Universities want to make sure the knowledge that students have is still relevant and that students are prepared to take on additional studies. If you’ve studied more than 10 years ago, consider the following options:

1. Complete another degree
If you haven’t completed a degree within the last 10 years and your program of choice requires it, you’ll need to complete another degree. For some universities, this may mean you can complete a master’s (or bachelor’s) degree in Canada and then apply again.

University of Sydney DVM – You must be able to provide evidence that you’ve passed the prerequisite subjects with at least credit average by showing the official transcript with final mark. There is some flexibility for applicants who have stayed in scientific academia.

University of Melbourne DVM – If you graduated more than 10 years ago, you’ll be required to demonstrate your capacity for continued study. Typically, this would mean demonstrating that your knowledge of the prerequisite subjects is still current by having achieved a mark of at least 70% in each of those subjects within the last three years.

University of Queensland BVSc – Qualifications completed more than 10 years ago may be considered as basis for admission to undergraduate or postgraduate programs; however, credit will not be granted for studies completed more than 10 years ago.

2. Complete additional studies and re-apply

University of Sydney DVM

Must complete another degree – Where there are more than one completed degrees, the best GPA will be used. GPA is calculated over the entire duration of the degree and all years of study are weighted equally. Results from completed honours and postgraduate coursework degrees are included in the GPA calculation. Incomplete degree results will not be included. The discipline of the degree is not considered during the ranking process.

University of Melbourne DVM

Complete additional upper-level science courses – The University of Melbourne will consider upper-year science subjects (300- and 400-level courses), rather than cumulative GPA. Melbourne weights their science GPA 75:25 toward the 400-level subjects, meaning your 400-level courses are weighed 3 times as much as your 300 level. Subjects can be taken outside a degree (non-award) will be considered. Courses must be science subjects Melbourne defines a science subject as a subject dealing with the scientific basis of physical or biological sciences, but not including social sciences such as sociology, human behavior, history of science, economics, philosophy (including philosophy of science), and anthropology. This list is indicative and not comprehensive.

The University of Melbourne DVM program requires applicants have a science degree with a majors in one of the following areas: agriculture, animal science, biochemistry, biomedicine, physiology, or zoology. If you don’t have an applicable degree, consider the following options:

1. Take science-related studies and re-apply
You may re-apply with either a master’s degree or after having completed upper-level science courses (if eligible). The University of Melbourne will consider upper-year science subjects (300- and 400-level courses), either at bachelor’s or master’s level. Subjects can be taken outside a degree (non-award studies).

Melbourne defines a science subject as a subject dealing with the scientific basis of physical or biological sciences, but not including social sciences such as sociology, human behavior, history of science, economics, philosophy (including philosophy of science), and anthropology. This list is indicative and not comprehensive.

2. Consider applying to a different program
If you’re interested in working with animals, but the other options won’t work for you, consider applying to a degree in veterinary technology, zoology, animal or environmental conservation, etc. instead, as long as your GPA meets the minimum requirements.

If your GPA does not meet the minimum requirement for veterinary medicine, we’re not able to submit the application.

University of Melbourne DVM
Complete additional upper-level science courses – The University Melbourne will consider upper-year science subjects (300- and 400-level courses), rather than cumulative GPA. Melbourne weights their science GPA 75:25 toward the 400-level subjects, meaning your 400-level courses are weighed 3 times as much as your 300 level. Subjects can be taken outside a degree (non-award) will be considered. Courses must deal with the scientific basis of physical or biological sciences, but not including social sciences such as sociology, human behavior, history of science, economics, philosophy (including philosophy of science), and anthropology. This list is indicative and not comprehensive.

University of Sydney DVM
Must complete another degree – For the University of Sydney’s DVM program, where there are more than one completed bachelor’s degrees, the best GPA will be used. GPA is calculated over the entire duration of the degree and all years of study are weighted equally. Results from completed Honours and postgraduate coursework degrees are included in the GPA calculation. Incomplete degree results will not be included. The discipline of the degree is not considered during the ranking process.

Undergraduate veterinary degrees (Sydney BVB/DVM and UQ BVSc)
Take college/university studies – The GPA requirement is lower for applicants with a year of more of post-secondary studies (uni or college).

Consider another program
If you’re interested in working with animals, but the other options won’t work for you, consider completing a degree in veterinary technology, zoology, animal or environmental conservation, etc. instead, as long as your GPA meets the minimum requirements.

It’s uncommon for OzTREKK to see students not meet the Casper requirements for Sydney, UQ, and Melbourne veterinary schools.

If you failed to meet conditions of an offer due to the Casper situational judgement test, you’ll need to re-apply for next available intake, and you’ll be required to retake the test. Your application must be submitted to the university before you’ll be able to register for the test. Please read Applying to veterinary schools in Australia: What is the Casper test? for more information

If you haven’t taken courses in the required prerequisite areas, but you are still interested in applying to the program, you will need to make up for this course on your own.

Enroll in the missing prerequisite(s)
You’ll need to provide a transcript showing that you have enrolled in the missing prerequisite(s) before we can submit your application to the university. This will allow the university to proceed with your primary assessment. Once you’ve successfully completed your course(s), you’ll need to provide a final transcript so the university can complete your assessment.

Melbourne and Sydney DVM

• Take an intro-level university course – Generally, introduction courses work best for the prerequisite requirements as they cover a broad range of understanding.

University of Queensland BVSc

• Take a high school-level calculus course – Many students do so either through summer school, at another institution, or online. Keep in mind, the course must be a full calculus course. Pre-calculus and math courses which cover only some calculus content will not suffice.
• Take an intro-level college or university calculus course – You will need to provide the course outline for this subject for a prerequisite assessment to confirm comparability. Be sure to provide the course outline before you enroll! We can ask UQ to assess a course before an app is submitted to confirm the course will meet the requirements.
• Take a course through Unilearn – Offers a self-paced online course, Senior Mathematics (UNL32), which satisfies the Mathematics B prerequisites requirement as noted in the Bridging Subject table. The Unilearn course allows you to enroll at any time and typically takes 18–26 weeks to complete.

Please reach out to OzTREKK at study@oztrekk.com for details about these options.