There are thirty-one medical schools in the UK, a complete
listing of which is available
here or from the
University and College Admissions
Service (
UCAS), the central agency
for application to any undergraduate degree within the UK.
Applying
Medical schools set their own criteria for
accepting students onto their courses, details of which are
published annually by the Universities and Colleges Admissions
Service (UCAS). The criteria for a place
on a medical degree are usually high.
Degrees are called Batchelor of Medicine and
Batchelor of Surgery and abbreviated to MBBS, MB ChB, MB Chir and
others. MBBS is the most frequently used. Some medical students
leave university with extra degrees like BSc (Hons) or BA (Hons) or
BMedSci (Hons).
Make sure you look into the type of courses on
offer. There are 3 different types of course: problem-based
learning; intergrated and traditional. You may not find that you
are suited to all of these so read up.
The GMC identified a core curriculum which all
medical schools must follow but this doesn’t mean that each degree
is taught in the same way. Student Selected Components (SSCs) form
about a quarter of some courses so find out about these before you
commit. Intercalating allows you to incorporate a degree (BSc or
BA) into your medical course. This is normally done by very able
students after their second or third year.
Applications per place
For information and statistics on the competition see
medschoolsonline.co.uk
Mature Students
Some medical schools run accelerated courses
for mature students but others will ask for the same entrance
requirements as those applying from college. Read Mike Crisp's experience of
applying for medicine as a graduate.
The interview
The length and format will vary from school to school but
regardless, you need to spend time preparing. Know your application
inside out. Familiarise yourself with current affairs related to
your chosen degree and form an opinion. As with all interviews,
smile, be smart, be confident and be honest. Ask someone to
‘test’ you before as part of your preparation. Consider all possible
questions you might get asked. As a medical student you will have
to make presentations so the more practice you get the better.
While you’re studying
You’re unlikely to experience anything like
your time at medical school ever again so we say, make the most of
it! A career in medicine is one of the most demanding in terms of
knowledge and learning but, we hope, one of the most rewarding. As
the old saying goes ‘you get out what you put in’.
One of the best ways to get involved is to
join a society.
Being part of a medical society of GP group is an easy way of
meeting people, learning, having fun and gaining skills to put on
your CV.
Useful links
Resources
Societies
Tomorrow’s Doctors - The GMC’s core undergraduate guidance
booklet