LAUNCHING HEALTHCARE CAREERS

International Students
Applying to Medicine in the UK

Published:

August 2022
Applying to Medicine in the UK
as an International Student
If you are considering applying to study medicine in the UK as an international
student, there are some key things you need to know. Competition for spaces for
international students is very high due to the limited number of international spaces
available, and the high demand to study medicine in the UK. There are also several
critical steps you will need to take that have strict deadlines and requirements.

In this document we will cover some key topics you will need to know when applying
to medical school in the UK.

It is important to note that students applying from the EU are now classed as
international students. Before Brexit, EU students could apply in the same way as UK-
based students, but this is no longer the case.

This guide applies to students within the EU and outside of the EU.
 How Competitive is it
Applying to UK Medical
Schools?
UK Universities have a quota which determines the number of
"non-UK" students that can be accepted to study medicine. Thus, this
can make applying to medical school very competitive for international
applicants. We have selected some key summary data for the number of
spaces available for international students below.

37 3 570

Number of Medical Schools that Number of Medical Schools that Total number of published spaces for
accepted International students in primarily accept International International students in their 2022
their 2022 entry cycle students onto their Medicine entry cycle
courses.

In addition to these 570 publicly published spaces, there are also 7 large
universities that did not specifically publish their international spaces for
2022, so the total number of spaces is approximately 1200 for international
students.

Included in these, 1 university has an 'uncapped' availability of places for

international students, 1 accepts only international students and 1 has
predominantly international spaces available, with only a few UK spaces
each year.

4
Uncapped

Lancaster University had the lowest University of Buckingham has the

number of spaces available for highest number of spaces available
international students for international students in the 2022
in the 2022 entry cycle. entry cycle.

More data can be found in the Appendix at the end of this document.
What Grades Do I Need
for UK Medical Schools?
Medical schools use grades as one of their main criteria to narrow down
the number applicants and decide who to invite to interview. The most
widely accepted international qualifications medical schools accept are A
levels and The International Baccalaureate (IB). Medical schools do accept
more qualifications but will require research with each university
individually.

39 Points or Above
Less than 36 Points
3
6

36-38 Points
31
Minimum IB requirements for UK medical schools for 2023 applicants

The vast majority of UK medical schools require students to achieve 36-38

IB points. There are 6 medical schools with entry grades lower than this.
There are 3 medical schools that require 39 points above, these are;
Oxford University, The University of Cambridge and University College
London (UCL).

30
26

20

10
8

1 1 1

0
A*A*A A*AA AAA AAB ABB

Minimum grade requirements for 2023 applicants

The vast majority of medical schools have set a minimum grade

requirement of AAA for their 2023 medicine undergraduate applications.
There are only two universities with requirements lower than this; Kent
and Medway Medical School and The University of Buckingham.

The University of Cambridge tops the highest grade requirements with a

minimum of A*A*A.
Language Requirements
If you are not attending an English speaking or International
school, you might be required to take an additional language
certification exam; this is to ensure you have a good enough English
language level to study medicine in English.

There are various accepted certifications, which include the IELTS and
TOEFL tests, as well as several others; you can choose which one you
prefer to take according to your availability.

IELTS TOEFL
International English Language Testing System Test of English as a Foreign Language

100% 58%

100% of UK medical schools accept 58% of UK medical schools accept

IELTS as a valid language examination TOEFL as a valid language examination

7.0 100

Average minimum IELTS score required Average minimum TOEFL score required
for UK medical school entries for UK medical school entries

These statistics are based on university entry requirements for 2022.

Language examinations are usually valid for at least 2 years. We

recommend students sit them well in advance before the application
deadline, so you have time to resit if you do not achieve the score
required. This also means students are not overwhelmed by having to
prepare for a language test, UCAT, and your school examinations at the
same time.

Language tests can usually be taken online.

When submitting your UCAS application, you will submit your results
and language certification number in the English language skills
section.
How Much Does it Cost to
Study Medicine in the UK?
An important factor you should consider before finalising your decision to
study in the UK, are the fees involved in applying to study in the UK and the
annual tuition fees.

Students in the EU are no longer automatically classed as 'home' students

for fee-paying purposes by universities. Many factors can affect whether a
student is classed as a 'home' or 'international student.' If you are unsure,
you can check this on the UK Council for International Student Affairs
(UKISA) website.

£22,100 £60,942

£40,000

Average annual international

tuition fees for medicine in 2022

For international students, the lowest annual tuition fees for 2022/23 were
£22,100 at The University of Plymouth (Peninsula Medical School) and the
highest fees were £60,942 at The University of Cambridge. On average
international students can expect to pay around £40,000 per year in tuition
fees.

We expect these fees to rise for 2023 & 24 entry. We estimate these will
be approximately £1000-£2000 higher than the 2022/23 figures.

In addition to the annual tuition fees, students need to factor in additional

costs such as; visas, accommodation, living expenses, flights home, storage
and transport costs.

UK average purpose-built £8632

student accommodation

UK average private
£8060
accommodation (Room + ensuite)

London average purpose- £11,024

built student accommodation

London average private

accommodation (Room + ensuite) £13,468

£0 £5,000 £10,000 £15,000

Average Annual Student Accommodation fees -

Source: Unipol, 2021
According to the 2019 National Student Money Survey, the average living
costs for students across the UK was £389 per month (excluding rent). This
figure is closer to £500 per month for students living in London. And both of
these figures will be higher in 2023/24 with inflation and rising energy bills.
We would recommend budgeting around £600 per month for students
outside of London and £750+ per month for students living in London.

It is also important to note there are one-off costs international students

need to budget for when applying to medical school in the UK:

UCAT examination fee (taken outside the UK) - £115

BMAT examination fee (UK & EU) - £75
BMAT examination fee (outside EU) - £100
UCAS application fee - £26.50 (for 2-5 choices)
Student visa - £363
Visa extension or switch fee - £490 (only applicable if changing or
extending your stay in the UK)

Will I Need a Visa?

All EU and non-UK passport holders will require a visa to study in the UK.
Following Brexit, EU students are now classified as international students;
consequently, they now also need to acquire a visa in order to be allowed to
reside and study in the UK.

You are eligible for a student visa if you have been offered a place on a
course by a student sponsor (University), if you can prove that you have
enough money to support yourself and pay for your licensed course and if
you are fluent in English.

The application for a student visa can be done online and can take up to
three months to be accepted and returned to you. You should start the
visa application process only once you have been offered a place to
study in a UK university.

The earliest you can apply for it is 6 months before the start of your course.
The visa application process also has additional costs and planning that you
must take into account.

The visa type you need to obtain is 'Student visa' previously known as 'Tier 4
(General) student visa'.
How do I apply to Medical
Schools in the UK?
The process of submitting an application as an international student is very
similar to the one for UK students. All applications to UK universities are
submitted through "University and College Admission Service" - also known
as UCAS. The deadline for medical school applications is always 15th
October each year.

UCAS is a centralised system where students submit their personal

information, past grades, predicted grades for upcoming examinations and
a personal statement. This must be submitted before the 15th October
deadline. Some medical schools will potentially accept applications after this
but you will have to speak directly to their admissions team if you miss this
deadline. We strongly recommend sticking to this deadline.

It is important to note: students applying to study medicine in the UK can

only apply to 4 medical school courses and 1 additional non-medical course
in a single application cycle. We recommend students only apply to medical
schools where they meet the entry requirements.

Important: Students apply to medical school in October of their final year

of study, therefore they do not know their final examination results when
applying on the UCAS website.

A Teacher or Careers Advisor at your school will be required to enter your

"predicted grades" into UCAS. It's essential these predicted grades meet
the universities entry requirements or you will be rejected.

Check the entry requirements for the medical schools you are
applying to.
Check with your Teacher or Careers Advisor your predicted grades
meet these before you apply.

Do not apply to a medical school where you do not meet the entry
requirements.
Application Timeline
There are many steps students need to take when applying to medical
schools in the UK, we have added some key milestones with timeframes
when they typically must be completed by. Quite often students don't realise
these steps are required until its too late. We recommend you study, plan
and review these tasks every three months with a Teacher or
Parent/Guardian.

Year 11 (or equivalent)

Early - Mid Year 11 Mid - End of Year 11

Students should ideally start considering Select IB/A Level (or equivalent)
medicine and their application at some subjects that will meet medical
point during this year school entry requirements

September August

Mid Year 11 onwards End of Year 11

Students should be planning If required, sit your English
and gaining work experience in language examinations in
this year the summer between year
11 and 12

Year 12 (or equivalent)

All of Year 12 June - Year 12 End of Year 12

You will need to gain as much work If applying to UCAT universities, Consider attending a Medical
experience and volunteering as book your UCAT exam Projects medical school
possible throughout this year preparation course in London

September August

All of Year 12 July to September - Year 12

Study as hard as possible to ensure your grades Sit your UCAT (if applying to
and predicted grades are as strong as possible UCAT universities)

Year 13 (or equivalent)

September - Year 13 15th October November to April May to July - Year 13 End of Year 13
Finalise your personal Submit your medical school - Year 13 Sit your final school If successful, confirm your
statement application via UCAS Medical School Interviews examinations place at medical school

September August

Early October - Year 13 October to November May - Year 13 July to August - Year 13
Finalise your medical - Year 13 If successful, you will Receive your final school
school choices Sit your BMAT (if applying receive offers from examination results
to BMAT universities) medical schools
Additional Support
In addition to the reports we produce, Medical Projects deliver a wide range of support,
advice, guidance and courses for students wanting to progress into healthcare careers. Each
year our resources support over 25,000 students and 600 schools and 6000 teachers. We
have signposted several key resources for you below.

Articles Webinars

Medical
Projects

UK Medical Work
Experience Week
Reports

Online Courses

Schools & Teachers Scan for website

We work directly with over 600 schools each year and can deliver either group or
bespoke courses tailored to your school's specific requirements. If you are a teacher
and wish to discuss one of these options, you can email us directly at:
schools@medicalprojects.co.uk
Appendix
This table shows the published number of international spaces at each medical school in
their 2022 entry cycle. It also shows their entrance examination requirements and annual
tuition fees.

Number of spaces for

Universities Annual fees for
international students Admission Exam

international students
2022

University of Aberdeen 19 UCAT £47,500

Anglia Ruskin University 0 N/A N/A

Aston University 20 UCAT £43,650

£32,800 (additional £10,000 levy

a year, but partial funding may
University of Belfast
be available, more info
(Queen's University Belfast School of 26 UCAT
https://www.qub.ac.uk/courses/
Medicine)
undergraduate/medicine-mb-
a100/#fees)

£26,640 years 1 - 2,
University of Birmingham 28 UCAT
£44,100 years 3 - 5

Universities of Brighton and Sussex 10 BMAT £39,158

University of Bristol 19 UCAT £36,800

Unconfirmed by university.
Brunel University London Open to international students, UCAT £44,908 (2023)
only.

Un-capped,
University of Buckingham Open to primarily international Unconfirmed £38,000 (2023)
students.

University of Cambridge 22 BMAT £60,942

Cardiff University 20 UCAT £36,700

Unconfirmed by University.
University of Central Lancashire Open to primarily international None £44,500
students.

18 enrolments in 2021.
University of Dundee UCAT £47,475
Unconfirmed for 2022.

University of East Anglia

13 UCAT £35,200
(Norwich Medical School)

Edge Hill University 0 - -

21 enrolments in 2021. £32,100 years 1 - 3,

University of Edinburgh UCAT
Unconfirmed for 2022. £49,900 years 4 - 6

University of Exeter 10 UCAT or GAMSAT £38,500

University of Glasgow 22 UCAT £52,000

Universities of Hull and York

11 UCAT £38,500
(Hull York Medical School)

Imperial College 24 BMAT £46,650

 Number of spaces for
Fees for international
Medical School international students Admission Exam
students
2022

BMAT (UCAT only for UK

Keele University 10 £39,000
applicants)

Universities of Kent and

Canterbury Christ Church Unconfirmed by University UCAT £46,600
(Kent and Medway Medical School)

King’s College London 30 UCAT £42,840

Lancaster University 4 BMAT £38,500

University of Leeds 19 BMAT £36,500

£23,000 years 1 - 2,
University of Leicester 18 UCAT
£40,140 years 3 - 5

University of Liverpool 23 UCAT £33,750

£29,000 years 1 - 2,
University of Manchester 28 UCAT
£48,000 years 3 - 5

University of Newcastle 26 UCAT £36,000

University of Nottingham
25 UCAT £28,000
(Nottingham Medical School)

University of Nottingham
20 UCAT £26,500
(Lincoln Medical School)

£36,800 years 1 - 2,
University of Oxford 14 BMAT
£48,600 years 3 - 5

University of Plymouth £22,100 years 1 - 2,

6 UCAT
(Peninsula Medical School) £41,100 years 3 - 5

Queen Mary, University of London

(Barts and the London school of 24 UCAT £42,500
Medicine)

University of Sheffield 18 UCAT £38,050

£25,000 years 1 - 2,
University of Southampton 18 UCAT
£49,000 years 3 - 5

University of St Andrews Unconfirmed by University UCAT £33,570

St George's, University of London 19 UCAT £38,500

Sunderland University 0 N/A N/A

£29,400 years 1 - 2,
University College London 24 BMAT
£43,733 years 3 - 5