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Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
  • 6 Years
  • Full-Time
  • 1 October 2027
  • Undergraduate
Main Site
More about Lancaster University

Course options

2026-20272027-2028
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Course summary

Designed for talented UK students from backgrounds under-represented in medicine, our Gateway Year builds the academic skills, knowledge and confidence needed to progress onto the full five-year MBChB Medicine and Surgery programme — and to become a skilled, compassionate, patient-centred doctor.

Our approach

Studying medicine at Lancaster is about more than diagnosis and treatment. You will learn about the body's systems — cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal, renal and more — before exploring how dysfunction leads to ill health. Social, psychological and ethical dimensions are woven throughout, helping you treat the whole person.

How you'll learn

Teaching is active and small-group focused. Methods include:

  • Case-based learning

  • Think through real clinical problems

  • Clinical skills

  • Hands-on practice from year one

  • Simulation

  • Practise safely, build confidence

  • Placements in locations from rural GPs to urban hospitals

  • Placements and assessment

Clinical placements begin in year two, aligned to what you've just studied. Assessment combines written exams, OSCEs (structured clinical exams testing communication, history-taking and practical skills), and an ongoing online portfolio built from year two onwards. Final exams take place at the end of year four, leaving year five free for Foundation training preparation.

Support and values

Lancaster is committed to social justice, inclusion and sustainability. We offer dedicated pastoral support for medical students covering academic, health, disability and personal matters, in addition to the university's wider student services.

Ways to study this course

Campuses

  • Main Site

Study options

  • Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery • Full-Time • 6 Years

Start dates

  • 1 October 2027

Apply by
15 October 2026

This is the equal consideration deadline. You can still apply after this date, but your application may not receive guaranteed consideration.

Application codes

Course code:
A104
Institution code:
L14
Campus name:
Main Site
Points of Entry:
Year 1

Lancaster University has participated in the Teaching Excellence Framework. These ratings were awarded in 2023, for four years.

See why these ratings were awarded
What does this TEF outcome mean?

How to apply

Apply by
15 October 2026

This is the deadline for applications to be completed and sent for this course. If the university or college still has places available you can apply after this date, but your application is not guaranteed to be considered.

Application codes

Course code:
A104
Institution code:
L14
Campus name:
Main Site

Points of entry

The following entry points are available for this course:

  • Year 1

Open days

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Entry requirements

Typical qualification requirements

A level
BBB

BBB in three subjects taken at one sitting, after two years of study. Required subjects include: Biology and Chemistry.

Please note: Candidates who have taken longer to achieve their grades or who have undertaken additional study at Higher Education Level since completing their A levels (e.g. any years of an undergraduate or foundation degree) are not eligible to apply.

UCAS Tariff
Not accepted

Scottish Higher
ABBABB

ABBBB in 5 subjects, including Maths, English, Biology and Chemistry plus Advanced Highers: BB in Biology and Chemistry.

Please note: National 5 requirements will vary depending on individual circumstance, but all applicants must have achieved at least grade B in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, English and Maths.

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
Offer: 30

30 points overall, including at least 5,5,5 in three Higher Level subjects and at least 5 in three Standard Level subjects. HL subjects must include both Biology and Chemistry.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma (first teaching from September 2016)
Not accepted

GCSE/National 4/National 5

Requirements will vary depending on individual circumstances but all applicants must have achieved grade 6/B in double award Combined Science (trilogy) or Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Mathematics and English Language.

Only UK applicants are eligible. International applicants are not eligible for this course.

Only applicants who meet two or more widening participation criteria are considered for this course. Please visit our website for further information.

Applicants who take longer than two years to achieve the required grades at A level (resitting either Year 12 or 13) or who are enrolled upon, or have already completed another undergraduate degree or a Foundation/Gateway Year elsewhere are not eligible for this course. https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lms/medicine/medicine-and-surgery-with-a-gateway-year/how-to-apply/

Additional entry requirements

Health Checks
All offers of a place on this programme are subject to health checks in line with General Medical Council requirements. These typically take place after an offer is made.
Interview
No applicant will be offered a place without being interviewed. The format of the interview at Lancaster Medical School is Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI).
Disclosure Barring Service (DBS) / Disclosure Scotland Check
All offers of a place on this programme are subject to enhanced DBS checks as part of fitness to practice protocols. These typically take place after an offer is made.
University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
All applicants must take UCAT to be eligible for consideration at Lancaster Medical School. Applicants will be ranked according to their overall UCAT score. We anticipate selecting candidates who have an overall score within the top 7 deciles, and with an SJT score between 1 and 3.

English language requirements

TestGradeAdditional details
IELTS (Academic)7with at least 7.0 in each element
PTE Academic70with at least 70 in each element

Applicants must demonstrate their English language proficiency before application. Applicants who do not include details of their English language proficiency qualification on their application may not be considered. Please see the Admissions Policy on our web page for other important details of the English language requirement for this course.https://www.lancaster.ac.uk/lms/medicine-and-surgery/how-to-apply/

Contextual admissions

Universities and colleges consider more than grades when assessing applications and may make offers based on a range of criteria. Learn more about contextual offers.

At Lancaster, we are committed to widening access to higher education for all. As part of this we take a holistic approach to reviewing applications, taking into account exceptional circumstances and potential as much as we can. We run a Contextual Offer Scheme which incorporates a reduced grade offer for applicants that meet our eligibility criteria. For more information on the scheme, and other widening participation activity such as the Lancaster Access Programme, please visit our website.

Learn more on the Lancaster University website

Historical entry grades data

This section shows the range of grades that students who received offers were previously accepted on to this course with (learn more).

It is designed to support your research but does not guarantee whether you will or won't get a place.

Admissions teams consider various factors, including interviews, subject requirements, and entrance tests. Check all course entry requirements for eligibility.

Not enough data available

We are unable to show previous accepted grades for this course. This could be because the course is new, it's a postgraduate course, there isn't enough historical data, or the provider has opted out of sharing their entry grades data for this course - learn more.

Fees and funding

Tuition fees

No fee information has been provided for this course

Tuition fee status depends on a number of criteria and varies according to where in the UK you will study. For further guidance on the criteria for home or overseas tuition fees, please refer to the UKCISA website.

Additional fee information

For information about fees and funding please visit www.lancaster.ac.uk/fees.

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