How to apply for medicine (MBBS)

Step 1: Initial application assessment

Your application will be assessed against both academic and non-academic set criteria. For UK students, your University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) will be taken into consideration too. You can find out more about admissions tests on the UCAS website.

Step 2: Interview selection

Your personal statement and academic reference will be evaluated and scored to determine if you will be offered an interview.

Step 3: Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) and School facilities tour

The interview stage takes place between December and April each year. This usually consists of a multi-station MMI. For those interviews taking place at our Preston Campus you will also have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the School facilities.

For more information see the interview section in this guide.

Step 4: Offers and feedback to applicants

Offers are made based on performance at interview. If you're successful at interview, you'll need to do an occupational health screening as part of the enrolment process.

A satisfactory enhanced DBS check, in country police check and a satisfactory health check will be required at enrolment. The University reserves the right to check any application form submitted against the Excluded Student Database. We also reserve the right to add students details to the database if deemed necessary.

Your commitment to medicine can be demonstrated in many ways. The length of time that you have been committed to a career in medicine is an aspect of this. But it's important that your reference explains any roles you have taken on that confirm your commitment to medicine. This could be work or volunteering experience in a caring role.

It would be helpful to show your awareness of the realities, advantages and disadvantages of a medical career. If you have work or volunteering experience in other fields that convinced you they're not the right fit, your referee can mention that here.

Your reference should provide an understanding of your interest and enthusiasm for a career in medicine. You should not be discourage if your interest in a career in medicine has begun later in life. A reference can assist applicants whose interest and dedication to medicine developed later. This could be relatively late in your school career, or as a graduate or other later applicant. 

Effective communication is essential to the practice of medicine. Good communication begins with listening. We want to know more about how you get along with others, especially students who may struggle more or are younger than you. We're also interested in how you handle feedback. This information is just as important as your class participation and extracurricular activities.

Your referee should talk about your ability to be empathetic and about your suitability to work in a caring profession. They should also discuss how you see yourself in your school and community, or for later applicants, in your workplace or higher education.

We'd like your referee to share examples of when your readiness to take on responsibilities and how well you handle them.

Your intellectual potential is not just shown by your actual or predicted grades. It is important for your referee to tell us about late academic developers. For example the student who achieved a less than perfect score but is likely to blossom during upcoming examinations. We also welcome other evidence of intellectual potential beyond the ability to pass exams. 

You can show good teamwork skills in various situations, not just in sports. Your referee should talk about your involvement in social activities or charity work. They may wish to discuss your membership in groups like choirs or orchestras. Your ability to work well in teams during field trips, expeditions, or treks is also important. They should mention examples where you showed leadership. However, remember that part of successful teamwork is recognising that not everyone has to be the leader.

Mitigating circumstances refer to situations or events that give an explanation for someone's performance. Typically, these situations are beyond their control. They have most likely affected their abilities or decision-making skills.

Your referee should tell us about any mitigating circumstances that might have influenced you. This is not just your grades but any part of your application. If you had tough times during your exams, your school or college should inform the exam boards right away. This is so they can make appropriate allowances.

If any mitigating circumstances are mentioned in your reference, we will assess these. If we think they should be formally considered, we'll contact your referee for more information.