How to choose your 4 UK medical schools

Choose medical schools by fit, not by name. Start with how each school uses the UCAT and what it asks for in grades, GCSEs and subjects. Then look at the interview, the way the course is taught, where it is and what living there costs. Build a list of four that you can defend on paper, and check every school's own website for its current policy before you apply.

On a UCAS application you can add up to five choices. For medicine, dentistry, veterinary medicine and veterinary science you can apply to a maximum of four courses in any one of those subjects. A fifth choice can be a different subject. UCAS says you can add choices with a different deadline later, but you only get five in total.

You cannot apply to both Oxford and Cambridge for standard medicine. The exception is the four-year graduate entry courses, according to NHS Health Careers. The UCAS equal consideration date for most medicine courses starting in 2027 was 18:00 UK time on 15 October 2026. If you missed it, check the UCAS and each school's own policy on late applications.

The UCAT has four timed subtests. Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making and Quantitative Reasoning are each scored from 300 to 900, which gives a total of 900 to 2700. Situational Judgement is reported in bands, with Band 1 the highest.

Schools do not treat these results the same way. The UCAT Consortium says some universities treat the total score as a significant factor, and some use it less, or only in marginal cases. Some set a threshold score. Others weight the UCAT alongside GCSE results. Most look at the total, but some look at individual subtests and may set a subtest cut-off. An increasing number use the SJT, and some exclude lower-performing candidates because of it. Each school publishes how it uses the test, and the Consortium advises reading that carefully and contacting the school if anything is unclear.

You will know your UCAT result before the UCAS deadline. Use it. A school that sets a threshold above your score, or one that leans hard on a subtest where you are weaker, is a poor use of one of your four choices.

Entry requirements differ by school. The Medical Schools Council runs an entry requirements tool for courses starting in autumn 2027. It takes its information from the medical schools, and it warns that the information may change and should be checked on each school's website. You can filter by location, course length, campus setting and A-level requirement.

Write down, for each school you are considering:

• the A-level (or IB) grades it asks for and any required subjects
• whether GCSEs are scored or used as a threshold
• anything specific to your qualification, if you are not taking A levels

Do not assume one school's rules apply to another. If your predicted grades or GCSEs sit below a school's stated requirement, move on to a school where you meet them.

The Medical Schools Council describes several interview types. Multiple mini-interviews (MMIs) use a series of short stations, which can include practical scenarios with an actor. Panel interviews are run by two or more interviewers and usually last 20 to 30 minutes. Assessment centres mix several tasks across a day. Some schools run interviews online, and some use recorded video answers that you submit.

Schools tell applicants the format ahead of time, and the entry requirements tool has details. Check which format each of your four uses, and think about whether you will have time to prepare for each.

Teaching style. NHS Health Careers describes three broad styles: problem-based learning, traditional teaching and an integrated style. You can usually tell which style dominates from a school's prospectus. Decide how you like to learn, then check.

Course length, foundation year and intercalation. NHS Health Careers lists other points to check: whether the school offers a foundation year if you need one, whether the course includes a compulsory or optional intercalated degree (an extra year of study), and whether the school is based at a university or a teaching hospital. The Medical Schools Council tool lets you filter by course length and intercalation.

NHS Health Careers suggests thinking about whether you prefer a city, a campus or a collegiate setting, the cost of accommodation, how far it is to travel home, and whether you would live at home. It also suggests going to open days, talking to students and staff, and reading prospectuses, including alternative prospectuses.

League tables are a weak guide. NHS Health Careers notes they are often based on research ratings rather than teaching quality.

NHS Health Careers advises choosing schools with a range of offers, in case you miss your first choice. In practice, check each of your four against the same list: UCAT approach, grades and subjects, GCSEs, interview, course style, location and cost. If a school fails the first three, replace it. If two schools pass everything, choose the one where you can best see yourself studying.

How we review a four-school list. For each school, we start from its published selection method. We work out how an applicant's GCSEs and UCAT score would be scored against the interview threshold the school published for the previous year, and we check for contextual criteria. Where a school scores service or experience separately from grades, we look at whether the applicant's activities are hands-on service or observation, because some schools treat them differently. Before we suggest a four, a second reviewer challenges it, and we list anything still unconfirmed, such as predicted grades or GCSE dates, instead of guessing. Thresholds change every year, so last year's number is a guide, not a prediction.

If you want a second pair of eyes on your list, Medza offers a free personal statement review and four-medical-school choice check. You apply through a form: https://medza.org/free-review . A review request does not replace submitting your UCAS application on time.