UK Medical Entrance Preparation Course for International Students
Do you want to become a Doctor or Surgeon?
Are you an international student wanting to study medicine in the UK?
ABMA can help you in achieving your dream in every step to study medicine in the UK.
MBBS in the UK
Introduction
Medicine is one of the most competitive courses in the UK to gain entry on to, but every year thousands of international students are accepted into medical school. If your grades are good, and if you can prove that you have set your heart on studying medicine, then applying to become a qualified doctor from a UK university is for you.
The entry standards for any medical school are strict and exacting. Interviews for admission can be tough and students should expect questioning on motivation, previous work, personal interests, as well as being able to produce evidence of all previous achievements, including relevant work experience. ABMA can help you at every step to ensure your application process is smooth and you pass the entrance test.
Medicine Entry Requirements
Typically, a medicine course is five or six years long. Sometimes called an MBBS or MBChB, they all result in a bachelor’s degree in medicine.
- Minimum Qualification in your own country
- English Language proficiency: IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
- UCAT (previously UKCAT) and / or BMAT
- Personal Statement
- Interview
Minimum Qualification in your own country: 10+2 / A level or equivalent
International
- Baccalaureate: 37 points including chemistry and another science subject
Or - A-level: AAA including chemistry and one other science, such as maths, physics biology or psychology
Or - Ontario high school diploma: 85% minimum in Biology and Chemistry and an average above 85% in 6 Grade 12 subjects
English Language Test: IELTS:
English Language proficiency: IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
For international students wishing to study Medicine at undergraduate level, an IELTS score of no less than 7 across all four categories – reading, writing, speaking and listening – with an overall 7.5 score generally required at most universities.
UK Clinical Aptitude Test:
UCAT (previously UKCAT) and / or BMAT:
There are 2 possible entrance tests (UCAT or BMAT) which are required – different universities require different ones, so make sure you check to see if you need to sit the UCAT, the BMAT or both. The UCAT is a computer-based exam which students sit anytime from June-September just before you apply. The BMAT has 2 dates, an earlier one in September and a later one in November, and this is a paper exam arranged to be sat in school. While these exams are probably one of the toughest parts of the process, it is possible to achieve high scores with practice and strategic prep. ABMA provides comprehensive preparatory courses to achieve high score in UCAT or BMAT.
The UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) is part of the selection process of some UK medical and dental schools. It is an online test designed to test cognitive abilities, attitudes, critical thinking, and logical reasoning. There are four reasoning tests and a situational judgement test.
- Verbal Reasoning. Assesses ability to think logically about written information and arrive at a reasoned conclusion: 21 minutes, with 11 passages to read and 44 questions.
- Quantitative reasoning. Assesses ability to solve numerical problems: 24 minutes, 9 tables, charts, graphs etc. as information and 36 questions.
- Abstract reasoning. Assesses ability to infer relationships from information by convergent and divergent thinking: 13 minutes and 55 questions.
- Decision Analysis. Assesses ability to deal with various forms of information to infer relationships, make informed judgements, and decide on an appropriate response: 32 minutes, 1 scenario full of information and 28 questions (basic calculator provided)
- Situational Judgement. Measures your responses in situations, and your grasp of medical ethics: 27 minutes and 67 questions on 20 scenarios.
The test is taken at your local test centre, with each subtest in a multiple choice format. Past papers are not available but there are specimen questions on the UCAT website. The UCAT must be taken by applicants at the following universities:
University of Aberdeen | Aston University |
University of Birmingham | University of Bristol |
Cardiff University | University of Dundee |
University of East Anglia | University of Edinburgh |
University of Exeter | University of Glasgow |
Hull York Medical School | Keele University |
King's College London | University of Leicester |
University of Liverpool | University of Manchester |
University of Newcastle | University of Nottingham |
Plymouth University | Queen Mary, University of London |
Queen's University Belfast | University of Sheffield |
University of Southampton | University of St Andrews |
St George's, University of London | University of Warwick |
Personal Statement:
The personal statement is a crucial part of the application process when wishing to study in the UK and, because of the competitive nature and limited number of medical school spaces, it is vital that the medicine personal statement is of an extremely high standard. Important topics to cover include:- What you wish to achieve as a doctor
- Work experience at any GP or medical institution and what you achieved
- Your commitment to medicine and the NHS
- Your achievements academically
- Why you will succeed on the course
- Hobbies and interests
Interview:
The last big hurdle in the application process is the interview, which can either be in a panel format or as an MMI (multiple-mini interview), depending on the university. While this can often seem like a daunting experience, remember the interview is an opportunity to really showcase your communication skills, and put some real personality behind the person writing the personal statement. Luckily, there are certain types of questions which come up often in interview so preparation plays a huge role. The biggest thing I have learnt about interviews is how important it is not to prep full answers to every questions as you will be thrown off by anything else. Instead, preparing examples and a couple of points for the common questions meant I was able to approach interviews with a conversationalist manner while sounding confident.Medicine Career Pathway
Foundation: Once undergraduate study of two-years has been completed, medical students will then move on to Foundation training, lasting another two-years. This brings together medical school graduates, other postgraduates and various health care providers. Once completed, you will move into your specialist training path. Speciality Training: Once you have completed four-years of study, now the serious work begins! The entry process once you have decided on which area you wish to specialise in is extremely competitive, so plenty of hard work is needed to ensure you can secure a place in the area you wish to focus on. Training here can last for anything up to seven years, and upon completion you will be awarded a Certificate of Completion Training (CCT). Post-Graduation opportunities With the number of positions medical graduates can move into numbering over 60, there is no shortage of opportunity depending on what area you wish to specialise in. Areas of expertise generally fall into the following categories:- Anaesthetics
- General Practice
- Medicine and associated specialties
- Pathology
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Surgery and associated specialties
- Accident and Emergency
UK Medical School
Learn more about each Medical School in the UK below:- University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine
- Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, Queen Mary, UoL
- University of Birmingham, School of Medicine
- Brighton and Sussex Medical School
- University of Bristol, Faculty of Medicine
- University of Cambridge, School of Clinical Medicine
- Cardiff University, School of Medicine
- University of Central Lancashire Medical School
- University of Dundee, Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry and Nursing
- University of Edinburgh, College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
- University of Exeter, Medical School
- University of Glasgow, College of Medical, Veterinary and Life Sciences
- Hull York Medical School
- Imperial College School of Medicine, London
- Keele University, School of Medicine
- King’s College London School of Medicine
- Lancaster University, Faculty of Health & Medicine
- University of Leeds, School of Medicine
- University of Leicester, Leicester Medical School
- University of Liverpool, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (Postgraduate Medical School)
- University of Manchester, Faculty of Medical and Human Sciences
- Newcastle University Medical School
- Norwich Medical School, University of East Anglia
- University of Nottingham, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- University of Oxford, Medical Sciences Division
- Plymouth University Peninsula Schools of Medicine and Dentistry
- Queen’s University Belfast, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences
- University of Sheffield, School of Medicine
- University of Southampton, School of Medicine
- University of St Andrews, Faculty of Medical Sciences
- St George’s, University of London
- Swansea University Medical School
- University College London, University College Medical School
- University of Warwick, Warwick Medical School