Rurality, First Nations peoples and other Bonuses

Rural Schemes

The Graduate Entry Medical School Admissions System (GEMSAS) uses the Modified Monash Model (MMM) when processing Rurality Claims. The Modified Monash Model (MMM) is how the Department of Health define whether a location is a city, rural, remote or very remote. The model was developed to better target health workforce programs to attract health professionals to more remote and smaller communities.

The model measures remoteness and population size on a scale of Modified Monash (MM) category MM 1 to MM 7. The MMM classifies metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas according to geographical remoteness, as defined by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), and town size.

The Modified Monash Model (MMM 2023) is made up of 7 categories:

  • MM 1 Metropolitan areas
  • MM 2 Regional centres
  • MM 3 Large rural towns
  • MM 4 Medium rural towns
  • MM 5 Small rural towns
  • MM 6 Remote communities
  • MM 7 Very remote communities

For the 2027 GEMSAS intake, rural background assessment will be completed using the Modified Monash Model 2023 (based on 2021 data). The Modified Monash Model (MMM) 2023 has been updated to align with the latest available census data.

If you have resided in an Australian rural area, MM 2 to MM 7, for 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively, you may be eligible for consideration in rural schemes and sub-quotas. The Australian Government currently defines 'Rural origin' as residency for at least 10 years cumulatively or any 5 years consecutively in a MM 2 - MM 7 area.

You can check your MMM status at the Department of Healths webpage.

To use the locator please:

  • Select Modified Monash Model 
  • Enter the full physical address and search
  • Refer to the 2023 result

How do I apply for Rural Schemes?

If you have resided in an MM 2 to MM 7 area for 5 years consecutively or 10 years cumulatively and wish to be considered for rural schemes and sub-quotas, you will need to complete the Rurality question in the application and provide documentary evidence.

Please note, submitting incorrect or misleading information is considered fraudulent. Applicants who submit fraudulent documents, or otherwise seek to gain an advantage by fraudulent means, or who engage in any misconduct during the application process may be banned from future applications through GEMSAS. Actions taken in such cases may include cancellation of an application for admission, withdrawal of an offer of admission, or cancellation of an enrolment.

What documentation do I need to provide to support my rural claim?

You, the applicant, must provide a statutory declaration in your name. If you are providing bills or invoices in a parent's name, from when you were under 18, then both a statutory declaration from a parent and one from yourself will be required. The statutory declaration/s must be accompanied by either:

  1. Professional supporting letters from a GP/dentist, bank, school, university or workplace.
    • Professional supporting letters must be dated, signed, include your rural residential address and rural address history, and the dates that you resided at the address.
    • The professional supporting letters must detail how you are known to the author of the letter and you must be known in a professional capacity e.g. patient of the GP or student of the school/university.
    • The GP practice/school/bank/work place/university should be in or around the same rural area you are providing support for residing in. If not, the letter needs to clearly detail how the author is able to confirm the rural address history and time periods. The professional letter of support must be official on letterhead and include, if from a GP their AHPRA registration number or official practice stamp.
OR
  1. Documents to prove residence such as invoices for telephone, utilities, or bank statements showing your (or your family's) address, can be provided.
    • If you were over 18 at the time, bills and invoices will only be accepted if in your name.
    • An online printed invoice will only be acceptable if dated the year it was issued. E.g. a bank statement must be dated the year you are supporting (i.e. dated 19 July 2020 if you are supporting the year 2020, it cannot be dated 2024 if you are supporting the year 2020).
    • Rates notices are not acceptable.

The professional letters of support and statutory declarations must include the rural address history and time periods.

Applicants must also provide their Rural Coversheet. This is available once in your GEMSAS account after you have formally submitted and paid for your GEMSAS application.

Supporting documentation must be emailed no later than 5pm AEST on Monday 15 June 2026. Please email your supporting documentation with the Rural Coversheet to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.

Emailed documentation:

  • must include the Rural Coversheet, supporting documentation and an official statutory declaration completed by you, or it will not be assessed
  • subject line should include your full name and GAMSAT ID/VTAC ID
  • should only be submitted once

Please note:

  • Applicants must only claim the time that they physically resided in a rural area and only provide supporting documentation for this time. Ensure the time is consecutive if consecutive has been claimed.
    • Consecutive means “follow one after another without an interruption”
    • Residing means “where you physically reside/live”
  • You cannot claim time in the future as part of the 5 or 10 years, as there is no way to establish proof that you will continue to reside in a rural setting
  • All rural residences should be included in the online application. However, supporting documentation only needs to support 5 years consecutive or 10 years cumulative rural residing.
    • If selecting 5 years consecutive, then the supporting documentation must support 5 full years (documentation is required for every year) and must be consecutive.
    • If selecting 10 years cumulative, then the supporting documentation must support 10 full years and documentation will be needed for each time period, one document for the start of each time period and one for the end of each time period (documentation is required for every year).
  • If you physically resided for more than 5 years consecutively in a rural location and prior to or after this time, resided in a non-rural location, you should not detail the non-rural time in your application.
  • If you are residing on campus, this can be taken into consideration if it is in a rural location. If the campus is not in a rural location, it is not considered rural time and cannot be claimed as rural residing.
  • If you do not physically live at the claimed rural location, it will not be considered. The location of your family or primary residence has no impact, and documentation cannot be provided to support the family home where you have not physically resided. We will only consider rural locations where you physically reside.
  • Time spent at a holiday home (second residence) or during school holidays in a rural setting, will not be considered.
  • If you are claiming a time period where you resided in a rural location and studied via distance education, you must provide a letter from the university to confirm that the studies were via distance education.
  • School reports are not sufficient documentation as we need to clearly see your rural residential address
  • An official statutory declaration template must be used, either your state or territory one or a Commonwealth one. We also accept digital Commonwealth statutory declarations via myGov - information found here
  • Submitting incorrect or misleading information is considered fraudulent. Applicants who submit fraudulent documents, or otherwise seek to gain an advantage by fraudulent means, or who engage in any misconduct during the application process may be banned from future applications through GEMSAS. Actions taken in such cases may include cancellation of an application for admission, withdrawal of an offer of admission, or cancellation of an enrolment.
  • Applicants are strongly encouraged to read the Rural Background Document Guide. It provides further information regarding evidence requirements, including examples of statutory declarations and professional supporting letters.

Will I be contacted if my Rural application is successful?

If you apply for the Rural background and are found ineligible, you will be emailed and informed of this. We do not send confirmation emails if your rural documentation was found to be eligible. You can log into your GEMSAS Account and see your rural background outcome, on the MyApplication page, in early to mid-August.

First Nations peoples

Each Medical School offers access schemes for First Nations peoples. GEMSAS encourages First Nations peoples to learn more about eligibility criteria, application pathways and the range of academic and cultural support services available to them at each Medical School. Please view each schools' entry in the Medical Schools Admission Guide for further information.

Other Bonuses

All Medical Schools offer bonuses for GEMSAS applicants that meet certain criteria. Bonus criteria may include but is not limited to:

  • Where the applicant lived or studied
  • Personal circumstances such as financial disadvantages, medical circumstances or socioeconomic hardship
  • Clinical or work experience in a relevant area

Bonuses may be automatically applied as part of the GEMSAS application. Others require an application directly to the Medical School in addition to their GEMSAS application.

GEMSAS manages the bonus application process for Deakin University, including their Rural Training Scheme (RTS), clinical and work experience, and other bonus adjustments. Please view the Deakin University Medical School Admission Guide and the GEMSAS Deakin Adjustment Document Guide for further information.

Applicants are encouraged to view each Medical Schools’ entry in the Medical Schools Admission Guide for further information on bonus eligibility and how to apply.