Places to study at medical schools in the UK are highly sought after, by both domestic and international students, and require a great degree of commitment from prospective applicants. Understanding just what medical school involves can really help you decide whether it’s right for you and, once you’re sure it is, give you the very best chance of securing a place at the school of your choice.
What are the best Universities for Medicine in the UK?
There are lots of ways to rank courses at different universities - including facilities, student satisfaction, research and teaching scores, and their overall reputation. A good place to start is the Complete University Guide’s rankings of medical schools, which in 2024 had the following top 10:
- University of Cambridge
- University of Oxford
- UCL (University College London)
- Imperial College London
- The University of Edinburgh
- University of Bristol
- University of Glasgow
- Queen’s University Belfast
- University of Dundee
- University of St Andrews
What rankings are less useful for conveying is whether the university and course in question will match your needs and expectations. Taking the time to look into student testimonials, visit open days, and to do as much research as you can into your personal shortlist of universities is a worthwhile task, helping you to discover which of the many excellent medical schools in the UK are right for you.
Does it matter which Medical School you go to?
There are two different ways to think about this.
One perspective is that broadly speaking, it doesn’t matter which UK medical school you go to - they are all highly rated and will all qualify you to pursue a career in medicine.
The other perspective is that there’s a range of factors that will make different medical schools more or less of a good fit with you and your future career ambitions. Medical schools teach medicine differently, ranging from ‘Traditional’ courses, which split into pre-clinical and clinical sections, through to ‘Integrated’ courses where clinical work is part of the course from the beginning. There are also Case-Based Learning (CBL), and Problem-Based Learning courses (PBL). You may find some of these different approaches more appealing and likely to suit your learning needs than others, so understanding which medical schools use which approach is a vital step.
How hard is it to get into Medical School in the UK?
The short answer is - it’s hard!
There were just under 27,000 applications for places to study at medical school in the UK in 2023. For context, there are around 6,700 places available at medical schools in the UK, guaranteeing a high level of competition from very well qualified candidates for each and every place.
What are the GCSE and A Level requirements to study medicine?
GCSE English and Maths are normally required, as are Science subjects like Biology, Chemistry, and Physics. At A Level, the subjects required vary between medical schools, but Biology and Chemistry are often required, with Physics, Maths, and Further Maths also key for many Schools. In terms of the grades required for these subjects, the minimum requirements are normally extremely high, with straight A-grades or equivalent being the typical benchmark.
How do I choose a Medical School?
As mentioned above, student testimonials, open days, and online research are great ways to whittle down to a shortlist of medical schools that match your requirements. Given the stiff competition for places, it’s not wise to set your sights on only one School - so you should decide on a shortlist of four that suit your needs (the maximum number of medical schools you are allowed to apply to via UCAS).
How do I prepare an effective personal statement?
Your personal statement is a key tool for signalling your commitment to and suitability for a place at a UK medical school. You should ideally look to draw on a broad range of work experience undertaken in advance of applying, to illustrate what you have learned about the medical profession and your own motivations for wanting to enter it. A personal statement is a good chance to differentiate yourself in advance of what are sure to be challenging application interviews. On the topic of interviews, remember that these can vary enormously between medical schools, with some involving multiple interviews or even group interviews - so use your personal statement to give your interviewers some pointers on the kinds of question they may wish to ask to fully understand your personality and potential.
Remember, you’re only able to submit the same personal statement for all of your five allocated applications via UCAS, of which only four can be to medical schools, so your personal statement should also be suitable for whichever course you select for your fifth application!
Do I have to sit an entrance exam to study medicine in the UK?
In most cases, yes. Those applying to medical and dental degree programmes will in 2024 have to sit the UCAT or University Clinical Aptitude Test. A similar test – the BMAT – has now been scrapped and those universities that used the BMAT before (Imperial, Oxford, Cambridge, Lancaster, Brighton and Sussex, UCL and Leeds) now require applicants to sit the UCAT instead.
What is the UCAT?
The UCAT is a computer-based test, sat at a Pearson VUE Test Centre in the UK (also worldwide). You can check whether your choice of university and course requires the UCAT.
You will get your UCAT results on the day of your test!
When can I register to sit the UCAT?
There are a few logistical things to consider when booking your UCAT and a summary of the main things can be found here.
In 2024, you can create a UCAT account from 14 May until 12 noon (BST) on 19 September, and book your test from 18 June. There is a fee to sit the test but it is also possible to apply for a UCAT Bursary: make sure you do this before booking and use your voucher code to pay.
How can I prepare for the UCAT?
The UCAT has sections on Quantitative Reasoning, Abstract Reasoning, Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, and Situational Judgment, all of which are designed to assess the aptitude of a candidate to succeed in studying Medicine or Dentistry, rather than their academic capabilities.
There is much helpful advice on the relevant UCAT provider pages, from how to put together a preparation plan, to a tour of the test tutorial, and the all-important UCAT question banks.
Keystone has a range of specialist tutors who can assist students approaching university aptitude tests for medical school and help you prepare for the UCAT via online or in-person tuition.
View a sample of the UCAT tutors we work with.
How important is work experience?
Relevant work experience is an essential part of demonstrating your suitability to study Medicine. It’s proof of your commitment to and passion for the subject, as well as being evidence that you have some awareness of the challenges involved in putting medical knowledge into practice. The understanding you gain from your work experience helps to differentiate you from other, equally well-qualified students.
There are plenty of different options available for gaining work experience, and you should look to undertake a wide range of placements to help ensure you gain a broad understanding of medicine in different contexts. You could shadow a General Practitioner or another medical professional - but there are also other ways to gain valuable experience. You could work in a retirement home or hospice, and see what medical care is like for older or terminally ill patients. You could work in a pharmacy, and gain a better understanding of their role. Healthcare is a varied area of activity, and understanding how medical knowledge is applied across a range of different settings will stand you in good stead.
Medical School interviews
Medical school interviews vary a great deal from school to school. In general, there are three types of interview:
‘traditional’ interviews, with a single interviewer or panel who will assess your suitability
group interviews, where in addition to the ‘traditional’ interview above, you will be asked to discuss a specific topic with a group of fellow applicants
multiple mini-interviews, where you will undertake a series of shorter interviews or scenarios assessing you on a particular quality or attribute.
It’s important to read up on the particular approach taken by the schools you have applied to, and to prepare accordingly!
If you'd like further information about applying to Medical School do contact us. We work with a range of tutors who have experience preparing students for the UCAT.