Medicine is a career that is distinguished, renowned and comparably well paid. Practicing medicine can be strenuous, exasperating and frustrating though, and it is not for everyone eve if you have desired to become a doctor for a long period of time.
Medicine is one of the most competitive courses in the world to secure a place on and, according to UCAS, in 2012 there were 82,489 application to UK medical schools with only 7,805 places available. Doing your research and looking into each programme and medical school is of huge importance when selecting the right location to study.
Medicine course types
Standard Entry Medicine: Lasts for five years, resulting in bachelor’s degree i.e. MBBS.
Graduate entry medicine: For those who already have a bachelor’s degree. Some universities require the degree to be Science only and it is a four-year accelerated course.
Medicine with a foundation year: A five-year standard entry medicine course with an additional year at start for those who achieved highly at A-level without the required science subjects.
Medicine with a gateway year: A degree for students who are of high ability confronting barriers to learning. The “adjusted criteria” is used to change the entry requirements.
Medicine entry requirement
Undergraduates: Courses specify at least two sciences, typically a minimum of three A’s at A-level taken together at first sitting over a maximum of two years study, including Chemistry and Biology as well as the third subject either of Math or Physics.
Some Universities may ask for one or more A grades. International students will need IELTS with a score of no less than 6.5 across all four categories - reading, writing, speaking and listening – with an overall 7.0 score.
Foundation: Medical students move on to Foundation training after undergraduate study of two years. It gives medical students a training experience in a range of different areas of medicine. They are responsible for caring for patients under the supervision of more experienced doctors and other healthcare professionals. Once completed, students choose an area of medicine to focus their training on. This may be a specialty or it may be general practice.
Specialty training: It includes training in general practice and is the period of training after four years of study. A good deal of hard work is required to ensure you can secure a place in the area you wish to get specialised. After finishing specialty training, doctors are awarded a Certificate of Completion of Training (CCT) which allows them to apply to specialist register.
Entrance exams
Nearly all medical degrees use a compulsory exam for medical entrants as part of their entry requirements. There are three admissions tests and applicant may sit different combinations of these tests according to the requirement:
- UK Clinical Aptitude Test: The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is part of the selection process of some UK medical schools. It is an online test designed to test cognitive abilities, attitudes, critical thinking, and logical reasoning and helps filter through highly qualified applicants.
- BioMedical Admissions Test: The BMAT is an online test used by seven medical schools including Cambridge and Oxford.
- Graduate Medical School Medical Test: The role of the GAMSAT Exam is to assist in the selection criteria primarily for students who are applying to study medicine on the new fast-track graduate entry programs.
Work experience
Medical school short listing will take place on the basis of your personal statement which in turn depends upon your work experience that could be volunteering or taking part in some medical work placement. Candidate having no work experience will be at great disadvantage.
Interview
Do plenty of research regarding questions asked because interviewers look for a more rounded individual having communication and interpersonal skills as well as knowledge and understanding of the health service than just scoring high in tests. Give yourself the best chance of success at this stage of the process.
Top 32 Medical Schools in UK
1 Oxford
2 Cambridge
3 Queen Mary
4 Dundee
5 Exeter
6 Keele
7 UCL
8 Glasgow
9 Swansea
10 Edinburgh
11 Imperial College
12 Aberdeen
13 Newcastle
14 Plymouth
15 UEA
16 Brighton Sussex Medical School
17 St Andrews
18 Hull York Medical School
19 Cardiff
20 Birmingham
21 Leeds
22 Nottingham
23 Bristol
24 Southampton
25 Sheffield
26 Manchester
27 Queen's, Belfast
28 Leicester
29 Liverpool
30 St George's, UoL
31 King's College London
32 Warwick
Study Medicine in the UK
For course or University-specific entry requirements you can arrange a free consultation at SI-UK today to get started.
Other related articles:
Genomic Medicine courses in the UK Universities
Study Medicine at Swansea University in the UK
I sincerely thank SI-UK for getting me accepted to UCL. The MSc in Urban Development and Planning is extremely competitive, but the right guidance provided by SI-UK made my dream of studying at University College London a reality. The services were exceptional from beginning to end. 
