- Medical School Teaching Styles
- Traditional Medicine Courses
- Integrated Medicine Courses
- Oxbridge Medicine
- Oxford vs Cambridge Medicine
- Foundation Medicine Courses
- Medicine Entry Requirements
- Which Medical Schools Make Contextual Offers?
- Minimum Age Requirements
- Comparison Tool
- GCSE Requirements
- A-Level Requirements
- Mitigating Circumstances: What if I Fail My Exams?
- Reapplying To Medical School
- A Level Resit Policies
- Medical School Rankings 2024
- Intercalated Degree
- School by School
Entry requirements vary for different Medicine courses, but there are some key common factors – such as admissions tests and at least one A-Level science subject. Understanding the entry requirements will help you choose a Medical School, because you’ll be able to shortlist the ones with criteria that you can realistically meet.
Do I Meet The Entry Requirements?
When you’re thinking about applying for Medical School, the first thing you should consider is whether you meet the basic entry requirements:
- Do you meet the GCSE requirements for Medicine?
- Do you have the right A-Levels?
- If you’re studying Scottish Highers or the IB, do you meet those requirements?
- Do you meet the UCAT requirements?
- Do you have the right work experience and a strong personal statement?
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Which Admissions Test Is Required?
Med Schools require you to sit the UCAT as part of the admissions process.
You’ll know your UCAT score before you apply with your Med School choices – so you can use your score to choose your Med Schools strategically. If you scored highly in the UCAT, you’ll probably want to shortlist Med Schools which rank candidates by score.
Or if you didn’t perform as well as you’d hoped in the UCAT, you should focus on Med Schools which don’t place such an emphasis on the test – as long as you meet their minimum score requirements. Find out how different Med Schools judge UCAT scores.
How Can I Check Medical School Requirements?
The quickest way to check Medical School requirements is with our Med School Comparison Tool. It shows you the requirements for GCSE, A-Level, IB, Scottish Highers and Scottish Advanced Highers in an easy-to-read table, and lets you compare up to four Med Schools at a time.
You should also check university websites to get to know their criteria, as there could be more details or nuances to be aware of.
What If I Don’t Meet Medicine Entry Requirements?
If you don’t think you’ll meet the requirements for Medical School, some of your alternative options include:
- Taking a gap year to bolster your application (e.g. with more work experience, more UCAT preparation, etc) and re-applying to Medical School next year
- Resitting A-Levels to improve your grades and re-applying next year (but make sure you keep in mind that certain Med Schools won’t consider candidates who are resitting A-Levels)
- Checking if you are eligible for any Foundation Medicine Courses
- Doing a different degree course (e.g. Biomedical Science) with a view to applying for Graduate Entry Medicine later, after you’ve completed this degree
