Medical School
Are you considering studying Medicine at a university in the UK?
Do you need more information about British medical schools, the application process, and how to get into them?
Then, you have come to the right place. We at The Future Medic enjoy helping students with their medical school applications, so that they can enter the universities of their dreams and begin their journey as a doctor.
We hope you find our resources helpful.
What are the entry routes to getting into medical school?
There are various routes to studying Medicine in the UK, which are:
Undergraduate Medicine
Undergraduate Medicine marks the first phase of training to be a doctor for medical students who join straight after taking their A-Levels. The standard Medicine degree course is 5 years long.
Foundation Medicine
In this 6-year programme, during the first year, students learn scientific knowledge and clinical skills needed for Medicine. They then progress onto the five-year Medicine programme. It is aimed at students who have the potential to become a doctor but don’t yet have the academic entry requirements needed.
Graduate Entry Medicine
This programme is for students who already have an undergraduate degree, and are now ready to study Medicine. It generally takes four years to complete. Some schemes are open to students from non-science backgrounds.
Transfer to Medicine
Certain UK universities allow students to transfer to Medicine if they are already studying relevant subjects such as Biological Sciences, Neuroscience or Medical Genetics.
Study Abroad
UK students can study Medicine overseas if they wish to gain an internationally recognised qualification. There are countries in Europe which offer medical degrees that are recognised all over the European Union, such as Bulgaria and the Czech Republic.
Click here to read our blog articles on ‘How to Study Medicine in Europe’ and ‘Top 3 Best Countries to Study Medicine.’
Which are the best medical schools in the UK?
The UK boasts some of the best and most prestigious medical schools in the world, which are renowned for their excellent teaching, high-quality research and for producing graduates of the finest calibre.
Every year, over 28,000 international students apply to the top medical schools in the UK, showing how in-demand UK medical degrees are.
Here is a list of the best medical schools in the UK, ranked by data from The Times Higher Education:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
- University College London
- King’s College London
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Glasgow
- University of Manchester
- University of Bristol
- University of Birmingham
Why study Medicine in the UK?
There are various benefits to studying Medicine in the UK. Students who graduate from medical schools in the UK are never short of job opportunities and career progression, whether they return to their home country, or stay on in the UK to practice as a doctor.
Here are several reasons why studying Medicine in the UK will lead to success and career satisfaction:
- The UK is home to some of the leading medical schools in the world, such as the University of Oxford, the University of Cambridge and Imperial College London.
- UK medical degrees are widely recognised around the world and looked favourably on by employers. There is a huge demand all over the world for English-speaking doctors.
- Medicine is available at undergraduate level in the UK, whereas in other countries, students can only begin studying Medicine at postgraduate level.
- There is a high quality of teaching at UK medical schools. Some of the world’s most distinguished professors and lecturers teach Medicine courses across the UK.
- Medical students in the UK get lots of hands-on experience, practical learning and clinical placements- especially in NHS institutions.
- The UK attracts some of the finest academic researchers in the world. Many universities offer excellent research opportunities, so students can go on to complete post-doctoral training and become researchers or medical lecturers.
Click here to read our blog article on ‘Why Study Medicine? A Beginners Guide to a Career in Medicine’.
What skills are needed to get into medical school?
Medical schools only have a limited number of places on their courses, so they can only select a small handful of applicants with every intake. That is why medical school recruiters and interviewers have a tough admissions process, as they want to select the very best candidates to take on the programmes.
The core skills that candidates need to enter medical school are:
- Excellent communication skills – to show that you can adequately interact with patients, provide them with good care, and work well in a team with colleagues.
- Academic competence – you will spend a lot of time studying, so you should be an excellent student, who is not thrown by the number of exams and assignments.
- A strong interest in the human body – to show that Medicine is the right pathway for you, as opposed to dentistry or any other scientific subject.
- Genuine ambition to become a doctor – you must justify your passion to become a doctor and illustrate the steps you are already taking to get there.
- Conscientiousness – to show that you can take responsibility for your own actions and do your job well.
- Empathy – to display your level of understanding of the large diversity of circumstances that befall your patients. A lack of empathy will cause a person to not treat patients with the level of care they deserve.
- Leadership – to show that you can set goals, delegate effectively, and help others develop their skills.
- Managing risk and solving problems – to show that you are level-headed when problems arise and you know how to deal with them effectively.
- Flexibility – to show that you can adapt to the pressures and challenges of working as a doctor.
How do you prepare for a medical school interview?
Attending an interview for medical school can be a daunting process for students. It is not easy to convince a university admissions team that you belong on their Medicine course.
That is why we at The Future Medic enjoy sharing our secrets to successfully nail a medical school interview.
Remember the following tips and tricks:
- Explain your motivation to study Medicine, as opposed to dentistry, nursing, midwifery, veterinary sciences, or any other scientific subject.
- Justify your passion for Medicine.
- Pick out aspects of the Medicine programme that appeal to you and explain why they excite you.
- Illustrate your desire to treat patients and care for them when they are at their most vulnerable.
- Demonstrate your relevant work experience and outline how they have helped stimulate your desire to become a doctor.
- Show that you understand the challenges and pressures of being a doctor.
- Outline how you are expanding your knowledge of the medical and healthcare industry, e.g. by doing wider reading.
- Be prepared to answer questions on your views about different medical issues, such as euthanasia or prescription cannabis.
Click here to read our blog articles on:
About The Future Medic
At The Future Medic, we have made it our mission to supply aspiring doctors with all the knowledge, skills and resources you could possibly need to enter the competitive yet rewarding field of Medicine.
Our team of highly experienced tutors are all British doctors, and we have coached thousands of Medicine applicants over the years to help them successfully enter the medical schools of their dreams.
If you want to benefit from advice that you can trust, email us at info@thefuturemedic.com or fill in our online contact us form. With our help, getting into one of the best medical universities in the UK can be a reality!
For a full list of our services, visit our website.
We provide Medicine interview tutoring services, personal statement coaching, and UCAT coaching.
Register for a place on our 2022/2023 Mentorship Programme here.
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FAQs
Applicants from the UK and international students can apply to study Medicine at UK universities.
To get into medical school, there are eligibility criteria, which vary across each university.
You should look up the entry requirements at each university you apply to, to ensure the best chances of success for your application.
As a general rule, UK applicants for Medicine need to demonstrate that they have:
- Good GCSE grades in Maths, Science and English
- Good A Level grades in Biology and Chemistry.
- A third A Level in an arts or humanities subject (such as History or a modern language) will usually be accepted.
- General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies and Global Perspectives may not be accepted by all UK medical schools.
- Combinations of very similar subjects will not be accepted- e.g. Biology and Human Biology; or Maths and Further Maths.
- Two AS-Levels will not be accepted in place of one A2-Level.
Click here to read our blog post on ‘What are the A-Levels needed for Medicine?’
Here at The Future Medic, we offer Medicine Interview Coaching, to help students feel more confident about their medical school interviews.
You can book between 1 to 20 hours of Interview Coaching with one of our fully qualified doctors and medical school interview experts.
Choose from our Interview Tuition Service, which offers you personalised 1-to-1 lessons with our highly qualified tutors. You will have access
Our team of tutors has over 14 years of experience in mentoring, public speaking, and the medical school admissions process. We have helped thousands of aspiring medical students successfully enter the medical schools of their choice.
Click here to book our Medicine Interview Coaching package, which starts from only £100.
If you need further help with your medical school application, click here to view our UCAT coaching and personal statement coaching packages. We also help international students who are applying to UK medical schools.
These are the A level requirements specified by the University of Glasgow
A-level Standard Entry Requirements
- AAA
- Additional requirements: A-levels Chemistry and Biology or Physics or Mathematics. GCSE English at Grade B or 6. GCSE Biology at Grade B or 6 (if not studied at A-level). UCAT (ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview.
IB Standard Entry Requirements
- 38 (6,6,6 HL)
- Additional requirements: HL subjects Chemistry and Biology SL Physics or Mathematics at 6 (HL recommended) SL English at 6. UCAT (ucat.ac.uk for more information). Interview
These are the requirements set out by Hull York Medical School:
A Levels: AAA
AAA including Biology & Chemistry. The third A-level can be any subject (excluding General Studies, Applied Science, Citizenship & Critical Thinking. All 3 A-Levels should be taken in one sitting.
GCSES: 6 GCSES at level 9-4 or A*-C
Required subjects include English Language and Maths at grade 6/B or above.
IB: 36 Points
36 points with 6, 6, 5 in three higher level subjects including 6 in Biology and Chemistry.
UCAT: SJT Band 1,3 or 3
Situational Judgement test band of 1, 2 or 3. The UCAT must be taken in the calender year of the application.
The entry requirements for King’s College London are as follows.
GCSE: Grade 6/B in both English Language & Mathematics is required.
A-Levels: A*AA
General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills & Global Perspectives are not accepted by King’s as one of your A-Levels
Must include grade A in Biology and Chemistry, applicants must also take the UCAT.
This what has been specified by the Medical University of Americas in regards to students from outside the US or Canada.
In order to complete the program in medicine, students from outside the US and Canada may need to obtain certain visas in order to undertake all or a portion of the requisite clinical training in affiliated hospitals in the U.S. and Canada.
Additionally, all students from outside the U.S. and Canada will need certain visas to take one or more segments of the USMLE exams in the U.S. These visas are solely the student’s responsibility to obtain. The School understands that as a result of policies or practices adopted by the U.S. State Department, a number of medical students from outside the U.S. and Canada have been unable to obtain the required visas.
Students from outside the U.S. and Canada who are unable to obtain the necessary visas will not be able to complete the School’s degree program. In such a case, no refund of tuition or other expenses incurred in connection with his or her attendance at the School will be made.
Here are the specifications set by Swansea University:
To apply for Graduate Entry Medicine, you must have achieved the following by the time of application:
- Minimum grade C at GCSE in Mathematics
- Minimum grade C at GCSE in English/Welsh
AND achieved or predicted* to achieve a minimum of one of the following:
- 2:1 undergraduate degree in any subject, or
- Merit in an integrated master’s degree in any subject, or
- 2:2 undergraduate degree AND a Pass in a postgraduate higher degree (Masters or PhD) in any subject
*Pending results of degrees used in support of applications must be confirmed no later than 31 July in the year of intended enrolment. Offers which are conditional on degree results will be withdrawn if results are outstanding after this date.
For the full list of specifications, click here.
- General Studies, Critical Thinking, Citizenship Studies and Global Perspectives may not be accepted by all UK medical schools.
- Combinations of very similar subjects will not be accepted- e.g. Biology and Human Biology; or Maths and Further Maths.
- Two AS-Levels will not be accepted in place of one A2-Level.
Click here to read our blog post on ‘What are the A-Levels needed for Medicine?’