Undergraduate Medical School in the UK

Choosing a UK Medical School

Advice for international students on choosing a medical school in the UK.

Medical Schools in the UK

How to choose the right medical school

Deciding which medical school in the UK to apply for can be a difficult decision for an international student. Factors such as rankings, reputation and cost all play a huge part, as well as which part of the UK to study because of the long course length.

Types of medicine course

- Traditional courses are taught through lectures, seminars and tutorials for the first 2 years before students move into practical and clinical work for the following 3 years. For pre-clinical study, teaching covers areas such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and pathology and each block is taught as a separate course. The clinical stage will see students work at hospitals as student doctors.

- Integrated courses differ as lecture and seminar-based work is taught alongside clinical studies of the same area, meaning you will begin clinical work from the very beginning of your program. This type of course is recommended by the General Medical Council.

- Problem-based learning courses are unique and fewer UK medical schools offer them. Small groups of no more than ten students are presented with a problem and a virtual patient as the case study. The group will then be guided by a facilitator and have to present their hypothesis at a later date. Medical schools in the UK that offer this style of course include Liverpool, Sheffield and Queen Mary.

Competitive entry

Medicine is one of the most competitive programs in the world to secure a place in, so researching and looking into each program and medical school is of huge importance when selecting the right location to study.

Exceptional academic results are required, while work experience is looked upon greatly by the applications board. If your grades fall short of the entry requirements, many medical schools provide foundation programs if they believe you have the required ability to succeed. 

Undergraduate medical schools in the UK

There are 33 undergraduate medical schools in the UK:

Applying to study medicine in the UK

If you need help choosing the right medical school for your future, arrange your free consultation today. Our Medicine Service will help prepare you fully for being accepted at a UK medical school.

SI-UK's service is fast, reliable and efficient. My consultant improved my chances of getting into a top university.
Carla T.
International Business Economics at City University

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  • university-college-london
  • manchester
  • University of Birmingham
  • University of Leeds
  • sheffield
  • southampton
  • manchester
  • exeter
  • cardiff
  • warwick
  • loughborough
  • edinburgh
  • bristol
  • lancaster
  • durham
  • bath
  • york
  • st-andrews
  • sussex
  • nottingham
  • aberdeen
  • belfast
  • Oxford Brookes
  • University of Essex
  • National University of Ireland, Galway
  • University of Cumbria
  • Birmingham University
  • Liverpool John Moores University