Graduate entry

There are a number of approved shortened courses for graduates in the UK, as follows:

Many medical schools operate a similar programme for graduate entrants as they do for traditional undergraduates, with graduates spending their first year separated and then merging with year two of the five year programme to complete the final three years together.

These courses vary in length and structure, but are shorter than standard undergraduate medical degrees and normally last four years. The majority of graduate entry programmes require students to have an upper second or higher first degree in a science subject such as biochemistry, biomedical science, medical biotechnology, molecular medicine, psychology and neuroscience. But some medical schools will also consider applicants with a first degree in an arts subject, although most 4 year programmes take only science graduates with a BSc(hons) or higher, such as students with an MSc, Mphil or PhD. You should check with your chosen medical school to see whether or not your first degree will be considered relevant before you apply.

Applying as a graduate entrant

Applying to medical school as a graduate is the same as an A level student, using the UCAS system. You will be asked to enter details of your degree and your predicted grade, if you not already completed the course. Some medical schools will expect graduate entrants to have already obtained their degree, whilst others will accept a predicted grade.

Your personal statement will be expected to be of a generally higher standard than that of school leavers applying to medical school. You will also be expected to demonstrate participation in extra-curricular activities such as university sports teams, social groups, committees and organisations.

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Entry exams

Graduate entrants, like their A level counterparts, will be expected to sit the UKCAT exam for those medical schools who require it. In addition to the UKCAT, several universities also require the GAMSAT – the graduate Australian medical schools admission test. This exam tests both the reasoning and scientific knowledge of degree level candidates and it is notoriously difficult to obtain a good percentile ranking in the GAMSAT and it is used by the more competitive schools to filter applications. Some medical schools also require candidates to sit the BMAT and even as a graduate entrant, you may also need to sit this entry exam.

Funding your medical degree

Funding arrangements for graduate entrants can be complicated as the amount of funding you will receive depends on your individual circumstances.

If you are studying on a 4 year graduate course, you will receive NHS funding from the 2^nd year of your course. In the event that you are studying on a 5 or 6 year course, you will only receive funding from the 5^th year onwards. You can apply for funding from your Local Education Authority (LEA) for the other years, but as a graduate medical student, you will only be eligible for a maintenance loan (otherwise known as a student loan) from your LEA. You will not be entitled to receive a maintenance grant or a tuition fee loan.

The maintenance loan amounts to £3450 a year providing you meet the eligibility criteria (normally resident in England for 3 years). This portion of the loan in not means tested.

In addition, you could also receive more if your household income is less than £72,000. The most you could expect to receive is £4625 per year if your household income is below £61,000.

You will have to pay your own tuition fees for the LEA funding years of study. In 2008, tuition fees were £3,145 per year in England, Wales and Northern Ireland and £2,700 in Scotland. So, the cost of your tuition fees is likely to cancel out most of the maintenance loan you will receive and you will have to fund your living expenses yourself for your LEA funded study years.

For the years that are funded by the NHS, you don’t have to pay your tuition fees at all. These will be paid straight to the university and you don’t have to pay them back. In the NHS funded years, you may only receive half the maintenance loan from your LEA, which means your student loan income will be reduced to about £2,300.

An NHS bursary is also available if your household income is below £50,000. This is a non-repayable grant from the NHS. The maximum you can receive is £2,739 if your income is below £23,664. If your household income falls between £23,665 and £50,000 you will receive a proportion of the bursary.

Many high street banks also offer loans for graduate students which vary in amount and nature. The interest rates are good by high street standards, but not as competitive as the student loan rate.