Medicine

Graduates:
You are also able to apply for this course if you already have a degree.

If you are applying with an undergraduate (bachelors or undergraduate masters) degree, you may not need to meet the standard A level requirements if you have achieved or are predicted to achieve a First Class honours degree at undergraduate level in a relevant subject with enough Biology and Chemistry content.

Degrees will be checked for relevancy, and you may be contacted for further information during the application process. For more information on which degrees are relevant, please contact the Student Recruitment Support Hub.

You will still, however, need to have achieved as least a 4 (C) in GCSE in both maths and English language.

Applicants with a predicted or achieved degree at grade 2:1 or below in any subject will still need to meet the standard A level requirements and a minimum of GCSE level 4 (C) in Maths and English Language.

You may also consider applying for our Graduate Entry Medicine course as this is specifically aimed at graduates of other disciplines.

Candidates may apply for medicine during any year of their existing degree studies – you do not need to withdraw. You may continue with your studies while awaiting your new Medicine application outcome. Any exams taken while on the degree will not be taken into consideration. A-levels and GCSE’s must therefore meet the requirements as outlined in our standard requirements.

Where a candidate is reliant on their degree for academic entry purposes, they may apply for our course through UCAS at the beginning of their final year with their degree or integrated masters result pending. In these cases, offers to study Medicine will be conditional on candidates achieving the necessary academic requirements. The degree must be an honours degree and the award must be conferred to us by providing a final transcript no later than 20 July each year.

Degrees must have been completed in the natural length intended for your qualification - for example 3 years for a bachelors (like a BSc) or 4 years for an undergraduate masters (like an MSci).

Accelerated degrees resulting in the award of a BSc Hons (completed over two years rather than three) may be accepted in lieu of A levels where a 1st class has been achieved. We will review these applications on a case-by-case basis. GCSE maths and English language must still be achieved at a minimum of C grade. For information on whether your degree is accepted please contact the Student Recruitment Support Hub.

Admission tests

Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland)

We must be confident in your conduct, health and ability to be professional and interact safely with patients. As part of your application you will be required to have an occupational health assessment and a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check. This will take place after an offer we have made has been accepted by you.

Health checks

We must be confident in your conduct, health and ability to be professional and interact safely with patients. As part of your application you will be required to have an occupational health assessment and a disclosure and barring service (DBS) check. This usually takes place around May or June for offer holders. We are able to accept pre-existing DBS checks as long as they meet the enhanced criteria check and are registered on the Update Service. If we have any serious concerns we will not offer you a place, and reserve the right to revoke offers should serious concerns arise before starting the course.

Interview

You will be required to have an interview. This usually takes the form of Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). For 2026 entry, interviews will take place online using Microsoft Teams. Interviews are offered to candidates based on scores as calculated by our selection process. The percentage threshold varies from year to year based on the number of applicants. Fast track to interview is available for elite athletes if the minimum entry requirements are met. If you are eligible for the fast track to interview you will still need to sit the UCAT and achieve Band 1 to 3 on the Situational Judgement Test.

Other

Work Experience: Applicants are usually expected to complete regular work experience when applying for medicine. This can be: Volunteering in a care related setting Volunteering with disadvantaged groups Paid employment in a job working with the general public Please note, we are not expecting any work experience to have taken place or be ongoing after March 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic. Your application for 2024 entry will not be negatively affected if you’ve been unable to complete any work experience you had planned. We will however be looking for knowledge of the profession and an understanding of the scope of the role and we may ask about this during your interview. If possible we'd advise that you speak to someone working in the NHS to ensure you are making an informed choice about your career in medicine. We expect you to demonstrate a commitment to caring for people and a realistic idea of what working as a doctor entails. Any students considering a gap year should use their time constructively either by working or further preparing yourself for a future career in medicine. Deferral requests: Requests to defer must be received by 1st May in order to be considered. Requests are considered on a case-by-case basis.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

All applicants must take the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) in the same year you are applying. We do not accept the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) for this course. Applicants who achieve a Band 4 in the Situational Judgement Test in the UCAT will not be considered. For more information, please refer to the UCAT website www.ucat.ac.uk

We consider applicants solely on the basis of their merits, abilities and potential – we use exam grades to prioritise applicants but look at a range of factors and aim to give everyone an equal opportunity to show their achievements.

We understand that background and personal circumstances can have an impact on academic performance at school or college. Applicants who are eligible under our contextual admissions policies may be considered for a reduced contextual offer.