Medicine and Surgery

The Gateway Year is designed for students who need additional academic preparation before starting year one of the degree. This additional year offers a route into medicine for those who do not meet the standard grade requirements and who meet specific Widening Participation criteria.

Medical students practicing on a manequin
Academic eligibility
Non-academic eligibility
UCAT
Interview
Fitness to Practise
Resits and reapplication

Academic eligibility for Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year

The first stage of the application process is to check whether you meet our academic entry requirements.

The Gateway Year is designed for talented applicants who have the potential to succeed in medicine but do not meet the standard entry requirements.

Academic entry requirements accordion

Non-Academic eligibility for Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year

Alongside academic entry requirements we assess your academic qualifications, domicile status, English language proficiency (if applicable), and any contextual information you provide to ensure a fair and thorough admissions process.

To be eligible for Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year, you must meet at least two of our Widening Participation criteria.

Non-Academic eligibility for Medicine and Surgery with a Gateway Year accordion

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

The second stage of the application procress requires you to complete and pass the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT).

Registration for the UCAT is separate from the UCAS application process. The test must be taken in the summer before application.

The UCAT consists of five separately timed subtests in multiple-choice format:

  • Verbal Reasoning: assesses your ability to critically evaluate information presented in a written form
  • Decision Making: assess your ability to make sound decisions and judgements using complex information
  • Quantitative Reasoning: assesses your ability to critically evaluate information presented in a numerical form
  • Abstract Reasoning: assesses your use of convergent and divergent thinking to infer relationships from information
  • Situational Judgement: measures your capacity to understand real world situations and to identify critical factors and appropriate behaviour in dealing with them

Applicants will be ranked according to their overall UCAT score. We anticipate selecting from candidates who have an overall score within the top 7 deciles, and with an SJT score between 1 and 3 but will consider contextual information in cases where a candidate's UCAT score is borderline

More information about UCAT, how and when to register, how to prepare and how and when to book the test can be found on the UCAT website.

Interview

Stage three of the application process is the interview stage.

All applicants must remotely attend Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) to be considered for a place.

If you meet the prior eligibility requirements, you will be invited to interview remotely in January and February.

You will complete approximately 15 separate 5-minute individual interviews and one group interview. These will involve:

  • Discussion about your career choice or work experience
  • Reading, comprehension and discussion tasks
  • Assessment of your suitability for problem-based learning

Applicants will be ranked based on their overall MMI score, which is calculated by combining individual station scores. Interviews are assessed by trained interviewers, including university staff, NHS clinicians, GPs, patients, public representatives and medical students. We make offers to the highest scoring applicants, subject to a successful Fit to Practise check.

Applicants who perform well at interview may be considered for a contextual offer of ABB.

Fitness to practise

Finally, you will be assessed on your fitness to practice.

The professional body that governs medical practice in the UK, the General Medical Council (GMC), has specific requirements to protect staff and patient safety. In accordance with these requirements, all medical students must have the ability to function as a fully competent doctor and fulfil the rigorous demands of professional fitness to practise.

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Reapplications and resits

We do not accept reapplications from candidates who were unsuccessful after interview in a previous cycle. However, if you were rejected before interview, you may reapply if you can demonstrate additional work experience and self-reflection.

We will consider applications from those who have taken longer than two years to achieve the required A-level (or equivalent) grades — including applicants who have:

  • Retaken Year 12
  • Resat A-levels
  • Taken additional A-level subjects after Year 13

To be considered, resit applicants must:

  • Achieve A*AA within three years of study
  • Reflect on their circumstances in their UCAS personal statement

If you're applying during your resit year:

  • You must have achieved at least ABB at first attempt, unless…
  • You can provide evidence of exceptional circumstances, in which case BBB to CCC may be accepted

Note: COVID-19 alone is not considered exceptional.

We apply similar criteria to those resitting the IB or Scottish qualifications.

We do not accept GCSE resits unless exceptional circumstances are clearly evidenced at the time of application. For further guidance, please contact the Admissions Team.