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CONTENTS

1. How is applying for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry different from other courses?

2. Applying for Medicine courses

3. Applying for Veterinary Medicine courses

4. Applying for Dentistry courses

How is applying for Medicine, Veterinary Medicine or Dentistry different from other courses?

The deadline for these courses is 6pm GMT, 15 October. There’s also some extra work and tests to complete before you can apply.

Applying for Medicine courses

Medicine will involve extra tests such as UCAT (if you're an undergraduate) or GAMSAT (for graduate-entry medicine). You will also need to attend an interview, which could be an MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews).

Check our page on Medicine admissions tests for more information.

Most medical schools expect you to have experience that gives you insight into the work of a doctor or healthcare setting. Teamwork activities can also help, including sport.

A Levels (or equivalent) in Biology and Chemistry are usually essential.

Once you’re studying, you can become a member of the . As a student, you’ll be eligible for reduced fees. Your first year is free; after this it's £3.50 a month.

Things to do before you apply

Do your research

Before applying to medical school, find out as much information as possible about studying the subject area and what a career in medicine is like. Look into the entry requirements for courses you're interested in across different institutions.

This will help you get a full view of what to expect and what will be expected of you. The number of universities that offer clinical Medicine courses (Medicine & Surgery, denoted as MBChB or MBBS) is relatively small, so it’s fairly easy to find what’s available.

Be realistic

Medicine is a very competitive subject to get into, so consider your predicted grades and think carefully about your chances of success. There’s little point in applying to four Medicine courses if there’s a slim chance of getting in.

Applications per place range from five to 18 (for UK students). The vast majority of those applicants will be on track to achieve AAB and better in their A Levels or equivalent. A 40% chance of success is a reasonable approximation.

If you want to pursue Medicine, use your UCAS 5th choice wisely. Choose a healthcare-related course or biology subject. UCAS rules don’t let you apply to five Medicine & Surgery courses but see below for other options outside of the UCAS process.

Get experience

Practical experience is crucial. Make yourself as appealing to universities as possible by gaining as much as you can, from short placements to longer-term volunteering work. This will show your skills and demonstrate how dedicated you are.

You can find suitable work experience opportunities in places such as a local GP, hospice, nursing home, hospital or pharmacy. Look for placements on volunteer websites, talk to people who may know someone who works in the industry, and search online for work in your area.

Shadowing a doctor may be helpful but check with the institution you're applying to, as not all accept this as suitable. 

Be proactive, and if you can’t find something you want to do, find someone who can help you more.

Know what to expect

There are different admissions and testing processes across institutions offering Medicine courses. Increasingly, universities are using MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews) as a way to objectively select students. University websites normally have brief explainers to give you an idea of what to expect.

Non-standard routes into Medicine

You may be able to transfer after the first year of a different degree to the first or second year of a medical course. This is unusual and should always be checked with the university.

One example is Newcastle University, where you can transfer to a Medicine course from a programme in the School of Biomedical Sciences. Other transfer schemes offer a guaranteed interview for Medicine after your first year, but you must apply for the medical degree via UCAS.

If you're considering this route into Medicine, be sure to research the funding position. You should consider contacting your funding body (SFE, SFW, SFNI or SAAS) to check whether tuition fee loans are available for the whole course. Or you can ask the university you're applying to, as they should be able to advise you.

Alternatively you can complete an undergraduate degree in a related area. You could then take a four-year graduate-entry Medicine degree.

The final option might be a medical doctor degree apprenticeship. These are only offered in England, and may not be widely available – as of December 2024, the scheme is paused for a review. If places become available, they may be reserved for local applicants who might not have considered medical school. Check with your local health trust for details.

Fees and funding

An NHS bursary is available for most medical students from the UK who study an eligible Medicine degree. Students from Scotland do not get NHS funding, and neither do graduates from Northern Ireland.

Be aware that NHS bursary amounts are not high, and they also reduce the amount of maintenance loan you get through student finance.

Undergraduates should apply for student finance as normal. For most, an NHS bursary will be available from year five of your course.

If you're entering medical school as a graduate, funding is slightly different.

If you're a graduate from England or Wales taking a fast-track graduate-entry Medicine degree, you can get a tuition fee loan for part of your year one fees. You'll need to self-fund the rest. You can also apply for a maintenance loan. From year two you can apply for an NHS bursary. Graduates from Northern Ireland or Scotland will only qualify for a maintenance loan and must pay all tuition fees.

If you're a graduate taking a standard Medicine degree, you won't get a tuition fee loan. You can apply for a maintenance loan. In the fifth year of medical training, those from England or Wales will be eligible for an NHS bursary.

We go into the amounts available depending on which UK nation you're from in our page on NHS funded courses. 

Veterinary Medicine

Like Medicine degrees, Veterinary Medicine is a popular subject that requires discipline and academic excellence. A Levels (or equivalent) in Biology is usually essential.

Because of its competitive nature, students who want to apply for Veterinary Medicine should try to add something to their application other than grades. This can be in the form of an insightful personal statement or relevant work experience or volunteering. 

Tutors will be looking for evidence of passion for animals and care, as well as work experience with animals or in a veterinary practice. 

Once you’re studying, you can become a member of the . As a student, your first year is free then you'll pay £47 per year. However, check with your university as some will contribute to the cost of membership as part of your degree. 

Do you have what it takes to be a veterinarian?

The University of Edinburgh has a designed to give A Level students an idea of what studying a veterinary course will be like. It’s designed to take 3–4 hours a week for five weeks and will give you a taster of the first year.

Dentistry

A lucrative and competitive course, Dentistry also has an early application deadline of 15 October. 

A Levels (or equivalent) in Biology and/or Chemistry are usually required by most universities. Physics and Mathematics are also considered complementary courses by tutors.

Extra tests aren’t usually necessary, but some universities will ask you to pass the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test). 

Once you’re studying, you can become a member of the . As a student, you’ll be eligible for reduced fees of £33 per year. However, check with your university as some will contribute to the cost of membership as part of your degree.