England’s educational system

Before you may work as a doctor in the United Kingdom, you must first earn a medical degree from a medical school that accepts our medical degrees. Courses usually run five years, or four years if you’re a graduate student. Basic medical sciences are covered, as well as clinical training on the wards.

You’ll begin the two-year Foundation Program after graduation. While completing the first year, you’ll be provisionally registered with a license to practice. Once you’ve finished year one, you’ll be granted full registration.

Standard Entry Medicine

This normally lasts five years, however it can last up to six years in some institutions. It may be abbreviated differently, such as MBBS or MBChB, but it all refers to a bachelor’s degree in medicine.

Medicine for Graduate Students

Those who already hold a bachelor’s degree are eligible to apply. Many colleges accept any degree, although some demand that the preceding degree be relevant to science or medicine. In most cases, it is a four-year accelerated degree, while other colleges provide a five-year program. Graduate Entry Program is another name for it.

Medicine with a Preliminary Year

This program is a five-year Standard Entry Medicine program with an additional year at the beginning, making it a six-year program. This program is for students who excelled at A level or equivalent but did not complete the required science topics. This extra year provides pupils with the science training they need to catch up. It is not a technique of improving the grades of individuals who do not meet the Standard Entry Medicine entry standards.

Medicine with a Gateway Year

These medical degrees are for people who have a lot of potential but have had difficulty learning in the past.

The courses can take this into account in a variety of ways, such as changing the entry requirements for candidates from low-participation areas using “adjusted criteria.” These are frequently six-year programs, with the first year serving as a foundation year. Some schools offer a stand-alone foundation year that prepares students for entry into a traditional medicine program.

International students must follow the same application procedures as domestic students, but they must consider additional factors. It is crucial to note that the material provided below is for informational purposes only and should be validated directly with medical schools or the specified organizations.

Non-UK entry requirements

Medical schools accept a variety of non-UK credentials and have different prerequisites. Normally, this information may be found on each university’s website, but if you are unable to locate your credentials, you should contact the medical school directly. To assist with questions, most medical schools provide a dedicated admissions email address or phone number, which can usually be located on their entry criteria webpage. Comparing UK and international qualifications is also possible with the help of the UK National Recognition Information Centre (UKNARIC).

Fee status

Fee status of students at publicly financed universities is normally divided into two categories: ‘home’ and ‘overseas.’ Fees for home students vary by university in England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland, so check with the school you’re interested in applying to for specific criteria. To be eligible for home fee status, you must have been settled and normally resident in the United Kingdom for the previous three years. The primary reason for your visit to the United Kingdom must not be to pursue full-time education.

EU Students

Unless you meet one of the following conditions, if your degree begins on or after August 1, 2021, you will no longer be eligible for home fee status, undergraduate, postgraduate, or further education financial support from Student Finance England.

If you are an Irish national living in the United Kingdom or the Republic of Ireland, you can take advantage of the citizens’ rights agreements; benefits for Irish nationals under the Common Travel Area agreement will continue.

If you’re an EU student studying in Scotland, Wales, or Northern Ireland, you should check with the local student funding authority to see if you’re entitled for any financial assistance.

Almost all medical schools require an admissions test as part of the application process. There are three entrance exams. Applicants may take different combinations of these tests depending on which medical schools they plan to apply to.

UCAT

Between May and late September, applicants must register for the UCAT. The applicant’s findings are submitted directly to the medical schools to which he or she applied after the UCAS deadline. The UCAT is used by thirty medical schools. UCAT also administers the Situational Judgement Test for Admission to Clinical Education (SJTace) which is an admissions test used for entry to the Scottish Graduate Entry Medical Programme (ScotGEM).

BMAT

Each year, there are usually two BMAT test dates. The first will take place in early September, and applicants must register by early August. The second takes place in late October or early November, and students should register by the end of September, however late registrations are permitted until the UCAS application deadline. The results of individuals who took the exam a second time are given directly to the medical schools to whom they applied. The BMAT is used by seven medical schools.

GAMSAT

A number of Graduate Entry Medicine courses require this test. It’s also utilized for graduate students applying to a few Standard Entry Medicine programs. Before submitting a UCAS application, the applicant must first register for and take the GAMSAT. The GAMSAT is used by seven medical schools.