There has been general confusion about the Australian admission process for medical school and while I am currently going through it I can tell you this:

Each school varies in its decision making process while Canadian and US schools have more uniformity.

Check the ACER website for the updated handbook on Australian med school admissions and they list the EXACT criteria for each school and what they look for. For example, UQ, the school I am looking to go to, requires only a minimum for internationals (on a 4 pt scale) and weights your final admissions score 50% MCAT, 50% interview (phone). Univ. Sydney does it a little different so you will have to check the handbook.

But from my research, yes, US school are far more strict in terms of GPA. However, this means that your MCAT becaomes a greater focus.

Read the handbook: http://gamsat.acer.edu.au/images/doc...nGuide2008.pdf(page 13 for internationals)