Admission requirements

 Degree 

Approximately 50% of medical schools require applicants to have completed a degree in a scientific field to be eligible for their 4 year program, while the other half will consider applicants from any background. Which scientific degrees are accepted vary  with some courses accepting any science degree but others requiring a science degree in a health related discipline. The 5 year program at the University of Dundee also requires applicants to have completed a degree in a scientific discipline, but all other 5 year programs will consider applicants with an undergraduate degree in any field.

Here is a list of the degree requirements of some medical schools in the UK. The full list can be found in the MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine 2012-2013 guidebook.

 Grades

Most medical schools in the UK require an upper second class honours degree, with some schools like the University of Birmingham stating that the competition in recent years for their Graduate Entry Medicine course has been such that they have only considered applicants with first-class honours degrees. On the other hand, there are some programs that are open to students with lower second class honours degrees and sometimes third class honours degrees, provided they qualify based on the other selection criteria the universities use. The grade policies and selection formulas of schools are very important to consider when deciding where to apply, whether one has a first class honours degree or third class honours degree.

Two of the medical schools that do not require upper second class honours degrees are Peninsula Medical School, where students who meet the GAMSAT score each year are given an automatic interview, regardless of the grades they received in their first degree, and St. George's, University of London, which is also open to sudents with lower second class honours degrees, and students with third class honours degrees who have completed masters degrees or other higher degrees. More details on grade requirements for each of the 53 programs is available from the MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine 2012-2013 guidebook.

Work experience 

Medical school have higher expectations regarding work experience from graduate applicants than they do from undergraduate applicants. To be competitive, you will need to demonstrate a strong interest in healthcare and measurable steps and efforts made to learn more about what a career in medicine entails. Your work experience and motivation will show through in your personal statement and your reference letter. Apart from 3 programs, all medical schools place a significant weight on your UCAS application. We have selected below a few extracts from the medical schools that illustrate what they expect, or how they select candidates for admission. You can find the selection formulae of all the medical programs in MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine 2012-2013 guidebook. 

• Barts and the London School of Medicine

“As a general rule, an application will not be accepted without relevant work experience. Selectors strongly recommend that candidates have explored what a career in Medicine entails and this includes some work experience....We look for applicants who have participated as fully as possible in School or College life, and who have also contributed in some way to the outside community.”

• Hull York University 

This medical school scores the UCAS application out of 50 points. Academics are an important part of the application, but there are 6 additional factors they look at relating to personal experience and motivation.

1 - Motivation for medicine; 2 - A realistic understanding of medicine, including hands-on experience of caring and observing healthcare in hospital and community settings; 3 - Self-motivation and responsibility; 4 - Communication skills ; 5 - Ability to work with others; 6 - Other unusual qualities or life-experience

In the MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine 2012-2013 guidebook, you will find expert advice helping you write your personal statement in an engaging and effective manner. We have compiled good advice with sample extracts of personal statements from students who have successfully gotten into medical school. Each extract is commented on to highlight the good aspects, the effective style of writing as well as the elements that can be improved, in order to help applicants evaluate their own personal statement drafts. Some of the extracts have a first version and then an improved version to help you improve your writing skills. 

Entrance exams

There are 5 medical courses open to graduate applicants that require the GAMSAT, 34 that require the UKCAT, 4 that require the BMAT and 10 that do not require an admissions exam. To view the full list of the programs that use the GAMSAT exam, the UKCAT exam, the BMAT exam or no entrance exam, click on the following link: List of medical programs for graduates 

1. The GAMSAT

To learn about the basics of the GAMSAT including test structure, how medical schools use the test and costs of writing the exam, visit Introduction to the GAMSAT. 

2. The UKCAT

For information about the UKCAT including test structure, scoring and how the medical schools use the examination, visit Introduction to the UKCAT.

3. The BMAT

To find out more about the BMAT, what is its structure, how is the test scored, and how do medical schools use the examination, visit Introduction to the BMAT.

More information 

You may browse our website or click on the links below to find out more about Graduate Entry Medicine in the UK:

• Graduate Entry Medicine UK - The application process
  
• Choosing you Graduate Entry Program in the UK
  
• List of medical programs for graduates in the UK
  
• The admissions statistics for graduates in the UK
  
• The GAMSAT

Find out more about our guidebooks:

• Browse content of MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine UK: Content of the MSAG Graduate Entry Medicine guidebook
• The Medical School Application Guide - Graduate Entry Medicine UK 2013-2014 guidebook
• The Medical School Application Guide - Worldwide 2013-2014 guidebook

You can also find information on medical school application at home and abroad:

• Irish medical courses: Irish medical schools information
• Australian medical courses in Enlgish: Australian medical schools information
• Polish medical courses in English: Polish medical schools information
• Other Estern European medical courses in English: Eastern European medical schools information
• Caribbean medical programs in English: Caribbean Medical schools information
  
• American medical schools: American medical schools information
• Canadian medical schools: Canadian medical schools information

• UK medical courses for students who have an undergraduate degree: Graduate Entry Medicine UK
• UK medical courses for students finishing secondary school: Medicine for undergraduate applicants UK