Medical School Entry Requirements 2010

Medical schools in the UK set their own selection criteria. The table below gives the typical A-level grades required at first attempt for entry to medical school (excluding foundation courses) for 2010. Please note that requirements may change and you should always confirm these with the medical school of your choice, before making your application. Individual medical schools will also be able to advise applicants with other qualifications, such as those obtained from overseas, whether these meet their entry requirements.

A-levels

The majority of medical schools require good grades in science subjects as these form the foundation of the medical curriculum. Academic requirements for entry into medical school can vary greatly between institutions and can change each year. In general, most courses require a minimum of AAB at A-level, many with an additional a or b grade in an As subject. Many courses will specify what they would like the A-levels in, for example, they may look for a good grade in Chemistry at A-level and often A-level Biology. Other science subjects may also be required.

General studies A-level is generally not accepted by the majority of medical schools and an increasing number of medical schools are not accepting Critical Thinking as a relevant qualification.

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Foundation courses

Some medical schools will accept students who have studied non-science related subjects, although a general understanding of the sciences is preferred. These medical schools will require you to take a foundation course, also known as a pre-medical course. Following successful completion of the foundation year, you enter the standard five-year course with everyone else. Taking a foundation course will effectively add an extra year to the standard five-year course.

A foundation course is designed to allow students with good grades in non-science related A-level subjects, the opportunity to study basic science, and thereby providing a route into studying the full medical degree.

Medical schools that currently offer a foundation course are:

Bristol
Cardiff
Dundee
Keele
London, King's College
London, St Georges'
Manchester
Sheffield
Southampton

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Medical school entry requirements 2010

University	No of places	Application ratio	Entry requirements	A- Level specific requirements	UKCAT	BMAT	GAMSAT	Graduate entry (BSc grade)
Aberdeen	175	9:1	AAB	Chemistry required, plus at least one from Biology, Mathematics or Physics & one other. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Barts, The London & Queen Mary	277	7:1	AAA	Chemistry or Biology, General Studies & Critical Thinking excluded	Y	N	N	Y (2:i)
Belfast	250	4:1	AAAa	Chemistry at grade A and Biology, Mathematics or Physics at grade A. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Birmingham	372	7:1	AAA	Chemistry and either Biology or Physics or Mathematics. General Studies excluded	N	N	N	Y (2:i)
Brighton & Sussex	138	16:1	AAB	Biology or Chemistry required at grade A. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Bristol	216	17:1	AAB	Chemistry at grade A and one other laboratory based science at grade A or B. General Studies & Critical Thinking excluded	N	N	N	Y (2:i)
Cambridge	280	5:1	AAA	One from Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics. Chemistry required at least to AS level	N	Y	N	Y (2:i)
Cardiff	305	9:1	AABc	Two required from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Mathematics and Statistics, one being Chemistry or Biology. General Studies is excluded	Y	N	N	N
Dundee	154	8:1	AAA	Chemistry at grade A. General Studies is excluded	Y	N	N	N
East Anglia (UEA)	170	8:1	AAB	Biology should be at least at grade B. General Studies & Critical Thinking excluded	Y	N	N	N
Edinburgh	218	12:1	AAAb	Chemistry and any of Mathematics, Physics or Biology	Y	N	N	N
Glasgow	241	7:1	AAB	Chemistry required and one from Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Biology or Human Biology in addition to Chemistry is preferred. General Studies is excluded	Y	N	N	N
Guy's, King's & St Thomas' (GKT)	336	10:1	AAAb	At least one from Biology and Chemistry. General Studies & Critical Thinking excluded	Y	N	N	Y (2:i)
Hull York (HYMS)	141	8:1	AABb	Chemistry and Biology required. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Imperial College London	286	8:1	AAAb	Biology or Chemistry required. General Studies excluded	N	Y	N	Y (2:i)
Keele	130	9:1	AAB	Chemistry plus one from Biology, Physics, Mathematics plus one further academic subject if only two sciences are offered	Y	N	Y	Y (2:i)
Leeds	238	13:1	AAB	Chemistry required. General Studies & Critical Thinking excluded	Y	N	N	N
Leicester	184	10:1	AAB	Chemistry required at grade A. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	Y (2:i)
Liverpool	268	11:1	AABb	Chemistry and Biology required. Critical Thinking excluded	N	N	N	Y (2:i)
Manchester	380	8:1	AAB	Chemistry and either Biology or Human Biology or Physics or Mathematics, plus a futher rigorous academic subject. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Newcastle	327	9:1	AAA	Chemistry or Biology required. General Studies and Critical Thinking excluded	Y	N	N	Y (2:i)
Nottingham	246	7:1	AAB	Chemistry and Biology or Human Biology at grade A. General Studies excluded	Y	N	Y	Y (2:ii)
Oxford	150	7:1	AAA	Chemistry with either Mathematics, Biology or Physics. General Studes excluded	N	Y	N	Y (2:i)
Peninsula	200	10:1	AABb	Biology, Chemistry or Physics at grade A plus two further subjects at A level, preferably including a non-science subject	Y	N	Y	N
Sheffield	241	12:1	AAB	Chemistry and any science subject. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
Southampton	206	11:1	AAB	Chemistry required. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	Y (2:i)
St Andrews	160	7:1	AAB	Chemistry and Biology, Mathematics or Physics. General Studies excluded	Y	N	N	N
St George's	175	8:1	AAAb	Chemistry and Biology required. General Studies excluded	Y	N	Y	Y (2:ii)
Swansea	70	9:1	Graduate entry		N	N	Y	Y (2:i)
University College London	330	7:1	AABe	Chemistry and Biology required	N	Y	N	N
Warwick	176	6:1	Graduate entry		Y	N	N	Y (2:i)

Entry requirements are noted as, for example, AABc - this means applicants must have two A levels at grade A, one at grade B and an AS level at grade C (denoted by the lower case).

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