choosing a right medical school
Choose The Best Medical Schools Across UK
Whether you are successful in becoming a future doctor is hugely dependent on choosing the right medical school. Choosing a medical school may not mean the same thing to everyone.
To the MSE team, it means applying to the medical school where you have the greatest chance of being made an offer. This is called applying strategically. The goal should be to become a doctor rather than go to X university, although in an ideal situation, you want both.
Choosing from 45 Medical Schools
There are over 45 medical schools in the UK, so narrowing it down to four choices can feel overwhelming.
Things you might want to think about
- Location– do you want to stay close to home, especially if you have dependents or a financial situation?
- City vs Campus – living in big cities such as London can be expensive, although it offers more opportunities, such as research and extracurricular facilities.
- Course curriculum – are you looking for a traditional model of teaching, such as at Oxbridge, where it is divided into pre-clinical and clinical, or are you looking for a course that is integrated with more early patient contact.
- Intercalated degree – at some medical schools, you are required to do an extra year of study, such as UCL and Oxford. For some, this is a great opportunity to delve into a subject they find interesting; however, to others, this is an extra year of expense and study, which may not appeal.
- Learning styles – medical schools use different approaches to deliver their teaching. For example, PBL (problem-based learning), which is student-led group work used in places like Manchester.
Entry requirements & Selection Criteria
Each medical school shortlists students differently. Some place emphasis on your academic records, others will place more on UCAT. So, it is vital that when you are shortlisting 4, you look at these in turn for each university.
Key Things to Note
- GCSE requirements – some universities will put emphasis on this, such as Cardiff, King’s and Leeds. Some universities will just have a minimum threshold for core subjects.
- UCAT score – some universities have a threshold that you must achieve to be shortlisted. Some will combine your UCAT and interview score to offer a place. Such information is on the university website; however, not all universities release their historical UCAT scores.
- A-level/IB requirements – most medical schools require AAA; however, there are some that want A*AA, while Cambridge requires AA**A. A couple of medical schools such as Kent and Brunel, will accept AAB. A handful of medical schools don’t use predicted grades, such as Keele. However, if you are below the predicted grades required, it is inadvisable to apply there.
- Personal statement – medical schools such as Keele and UCLan and weigh the personal statement and want it completed in a specific way.
- Interview – all medical schools require passing an interview, which can be as MMI or panel format.
Know each area of your application and use your strengths to match the medical school requirements. For example, if you have a high UCAT score, consider Bristol, but if your UCAT is not competitive enough, you can consider places like Sunderland.
As well as the entry requirements, it is worth noting the applications per place some medical schools receive more applications than others, which means they are oversubscribed and have less of a chance at obtaining the place. This will include places like Oxford, which has an application per place of 10:1. Once you have your UCAT score, then begin to choose wisely and narrow down your 4.
