Academic FAQs
What are your minimum academic entry requirements?
For Scottish Highers / A Levels / International Baccalaureate / Graduate entry, please see details of our minimum entry requirements.
For International entry requirements, please see details of our minimum entry requirements here: International Entry Requirements.
If your qualifications are not listed, please email the Admissions Team with a detailed account of your qualifications obtained or still to complete: med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk.
I’ve done an access or foundation course at a different institution, can I apply?
No, I’m afraid we do not consider applications from applicants who have studied an access or foundation course at a different institution. To be considered, you would need to meet our year 1 minimum entry requirements or apply via our graduate route.
Do you have any preference over my other subject choices?
No, apart from the key subjects that we ask for, we have no preference over other subject choices, and all are considered equal (except where specified).
Do you accept A-Level, Highers or Advanced Higher resits?
No, we do not normally accept re-sits or additional time to sit qualifications. The required grades and subjects must be obtained at one sitting and at the first attempt.
Mitigating factors should be taken into account at the time of the exams rather than retrospectively by the Medical School. We will honour grades obtained from successful appeal/re-mark procedures by the applicant’s school (subject to them meeting our minimum entry requirements).
Resits would only be considered in exceptional circumstances. Applicants with exceptional circumstances should contact the Admissions Team prior to submitting an application.
Do you accept GCSE or Nat 5 resits?
Yes, we will allow for GCSE or Nat 5 resits.
I’m studying A-Levels. Do I need GCSE English?
Yes. All students studying A-Levels in the UK or International A-Levels are required to have GCSE English at Grade B/6 or above OR equivalent. If providing an equivalent, this must be an official qualification. We ask for GCSE level English as we need evidence that an applicant will be able to meet the rigorous academic nature of the course in regard to essay and exam writing.
We will accept either GCSE English literature or GCSE English language. IGCSE in either English literature or English language is also acceptable (B/6 or above).
We will not accept yearly school reports as evidence. IELTS or any other English language proficiency test does not count as meeting the GCSE English requirement or vice versa.
If you are a graduate applicant with a degree from a majority English speaking country, then you will not need to meet the GCSE English requirement.
Does the Undergraduate Medical School take extenuating circumstances into consideration?
We appreciate that a candidate's exam sitting could have been adversely affected by extenuating circumstances, but any special consideration must be applied by the relevant Examination Board, via the candidate’s school or university. Mitigating factors should be taken into account at the time of the exams rather than retrospectively by the Medical School. We will honour grades obtained from successful appeal/re-mark procedures by the applicant’s school (subject to them meeting our minimum entry requirements).
Applicants should notify the Admissions Team by email of their intention to appeal their exam grades. Applicants should also notify the Admissions Team of the outcome of their appeal as soon as possible. If the appeal has not taken place in time for the appropriate administration to take place before the start of the academic year, a deferred offer may be granted for the following year providing the conditions set are achieved.
Please note that submitting evidence does not automatically guarantee extenuating circumstances will be granted.
Can I apply as a graduate?
Graduate applicants are considered for entry to the Undergraduate Medicine course. We do not have a quota for graduate places and graduate applicants are considered in the same way as all applications for entry in the current year. Graduate entry is for year 1 only.
Applications to Medicine will be considered from graduates provided they have a minimum of 2.1 Honours degree or equivalent in a relevant science degree, obtained within seven years of the entry date.
Applicants whose degree was obtained more than seven years from the date of entry, or graduated in a non-science degree will be required to have A-level/Scottish Higher Chemistry and A-level/AS-level/Scottish Higher Biology to be sat within seven years of entry (minimum grades AB, or AA with AS-level Biology).
Graduates with a minimum of 2.1 Honours degree obtained more than seven years ago plus a Masters or PhD in a relevant field (obtained within seven years of the entry date) may compensate for not having Higher/A-level Chemistry and Biology.
A list of relevant science degrees, can be found here: Relevant Science Degrees. Please note, the list isn’t exhaustive.
If you have achieved your undergraduate degree from outside the UK or are unsure if your degree has enough Chemistry and Biology to meet our requirements, then please get in touch with our Admissions Team. Please send official academic transcripts and degree certificates to be reviewed: med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk.
Graduate applicants must also complete the UCAT and may be invited for interview.
How do I know if I am eligible for an adjusted/contextual offer?
We operate a system of contextualised admissions for applicants living in Scotland only. This means we consider all circumstances faced by individual applicants, which may have prevented them meeting our standard entry requirements and make adjusted offers of entry accordingly.
Please click the link to see if you meet the widening participation criteria: widening participation criteria.
Applicants taking part in REACH do not automatically qualify for an adjusted/contextualised offer. They must also meet one of the widening participation criteria outlined above.
Graduate applicants are not eligible for consideration for contextualised admissions as they have already achieved a Higher Education qualification. Graduate applicants are also ineligible for our Gateway to Medicine programme.
UCAT FAQs
Is the UCAT test required?
Yes, all those applying for admission to enter undergraduate medicine must complete the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) prior to application. For more information on how we use UCAT, please see our section on UCAT.
Applicants must book their test directly through UCAT.
UCAT is a mandatory component of our selection process. We will not consider any applicant who has not sat the UCAT. No exceptions will be made.
Will you consider any other medical entrance test instead of the UCAT?
To ensure fairness, all applicants must complete the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). No other medical entrance test will be accepted.
Will you accept the UCAT ANZ?
Yes. We will accept the UCAT ANZ.
How can I prepare for the UCAT?
You are strongly recommended to book a test date early in the testing window. If you choose to book a late test date and then encounter illness or other issues which prevent you from attending your test appointment you may not be able to rebook within the testing window.
The test is designed to be a test of aptitude rather than academic achievement and does not draw on any particular body of knowledge or curriculum that you can learn in advance. We encourage you to practise answering the types of questions that will be presented in the UCAT and to familiarise yourself with the test format so that you know how to move the mouse, answer questions, and move through the test.
We encourage you to sit the practice questions on the website at least three times before sitting the actual test. UCAT offers free materials for students to support their test preparation; including preparation plans, question banks and practice tests. Click here for more information.
NOTE: The University medical and dental schools participating in UCAT do not endorse any commercially available preparatory course or material for the UCAT.
Application FAQs
How many places are available each year and how many applications do you receive?
Entry to this programme is highly competitive, attracting large numbers of applications from highly qualified and motivated applicants. Additionally, we are required to manage the number of students admitted to our programme in line with targets set by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council, which are set annually.
We receive in the region of 1500-2000 applications per year. We invite in the region of 800-900 applicants to attend for interview, with approximately 300 places available.
Can I apply if I’m under 18 years old?
An applicant is welcome to apply at any age providing they meet our minimum entry requirements. Given the rigours nature of the programme and the application process we would advise any applicant to consider their experience and maturity prior to applying.
International applicants who are under 18 years old would need a signed parental consent prior to commencing studies.
Can I apply for the MBChB if I am currently an undergraduate on a different course?
It is not possible to directly transfer onto the MBChB at the University of Glasgow from another degree.
However, applicants who have commenced the first year of a degree programme other than medicine can apply through UCAS and have their application considered for entry to Year 1, providing they meet our standard entry requirements, with required grades/qualifications obtained within seven years of the proposed entry date.
Applicants who have commenced Year 2 or more of their degree studies will need to complete their undergraduate degree and apply via our graduate route.
How will my application be assessed?
All aspects of the application form (academic attainment, personal statement, and reference) are considered in the screening process. In November, the UCAT results are sent to the Medical School by UCAT and the results will be considered as the last element of the screening process. The range of UCAT scores considered varies each year as the performance of each admissions cohort varies.
Candidates who are being considered further are normally interviewed in December. The format of the interview is outlined in the invite to interview letter, with a guide on areas assessed. For further information, please visit our interview section.
Decision
After interviews have taken place, interview results are processed in January-February. Medical School offers are then made to the required number of applicants (normally approx. 450) by the end of March, through UCAS.
Re-application
Unsuccessful applicants can apply for the MBChB course in future years. All applicants must meet our minimum academic entry requirements for the current admissions cycle (with qualifications obtained within seven years of the proposed entry date). The school will consider a re-application as a “fresh application.”
Please also note that if you reapply for admission, you must re-sit the UCAT test.
Can I apply through UCAS clearing?
Due to the number of applications received, it is unusual for places to be made available through UCAS Clearing or UCAS Extra for Medicine. If places become available later in the admissions process, we may contact applicants who narrowly missed an offer after an interview during that particular admissions cycle and who are not holding a place at another institution.
Can I send you a direct application and not go through UCAS?
All applications must be submitted via UCAS by the October deadline. This is usually the 15th but may change. To keep up to date for your admissions cycle, please see UCAS’ Key Dates Timeline. Any application sent to us directly will automatically be rejected.
Can I defer my application?
We do consider applications for 1-year deferrals only.
- Option 1: apply via UCAS by the October deadline in your current year (e.g. 2025) but put on your application the deferred year of entry (e.g.2027)
- Option 2: apply the following October (e.g. 2026) for the next September entry (e.g. 2027).
We do not consider applicants who have deferred as lower priority. Please note, all applicants must complete the UCAT by the October deadline date in the same year as application and you must also meet the entry requirements/offer conditions in the year of application.
Will taking a gap year disadvantage my application?
We consider applicants who have taken one or more gap year before applying, providing they meet our standard requirements with qualifications achieved within seven years from the proposed date of entry. It is important to spend gap years wisely. We strongly encourage applicants spend the majority of their time out in a manner which will be of educational benefit. Gaining work experience or becoming involved in a voluntary project relating to care or community work may be useful in developing skills.
Can I apply for the MBChB if I have previously been enrolled on a medicine programme?
No. Applicants who have previously been enrolled on or are currently enrolled on a MBBS/MBChB programme at a different institution (in the UK or abroad) are not eligible to apply for or transfer to our medical school.
The only exceptions are:
- If there is a formal transfer system between Medical Schools.
- If a medical student is seeking asylum or has refugee status, under extenuating circumstances. All standard entry requirements must be met, and an interview will be required for those being considered further. Successful transfers are likely to be permitted entry into Year 1. Please contact med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.ukfor further information.
Is work experience essential?
No, obtaining work experience in a medical setting is not necessary to study or obtain entry to medicine but it is expected that candidates will have a realistic understanding of what a career in medicine entails and be aware of current issues facing the medical profession. A commitment to caring for others is also expected, which can be demonstrated through voluntary or paid work in a community setting. Any commitment to work experience or similar is expected to last beyond the offer- making stage of the admissions process.
Can I submit multiple references?
To ensure fairness, we do not allow applicants to provide additional references. We will only consider the one reference that has been submitted as part of your UCAS application.
I've been rejected, what do I do?
We would welcome a new application the following year providing you still meet our published entry requirements for that year of application. Please note the UCAT must be sat in each year of application.
Applicants can undertake another degree and then reapply as a graduate, and we would recommend this for applicants that do not meet our minimum high school entry requirements.
We would also encourage applicants to research how each Medical School assesses an application and consider applying to those that play to their strengths.
How do I find out my fee status if I am unsure?
For information regarding how your fee status is determined, please see: Fee Status.
Applications will be assessed in full before we can decide on your fee status. If your application is successful, we will advise you of your fee status and the fees that you will be liable for in your Offer Letter. I’m afraid the Medicine Admissions team does not make residential category/fee decisions.
If you disagree with your fee status, you will need to contact our Central Admissions team via the Fee Status Enquiry form. The form should be returned to the Recruitment and International Office for determination of your fee status and we uphold the decision made by them in relation to this.
Please note, you will hold this status during the whole MBChB course; fee status cannot be amended after you matriculate onto a degree programme. Your status must be determined before your unconditional offer is made. Once your status is set and you accept the offer it becomes locked for the duration of your study.
Other FAQs
Can I visit the Medical School?
Yes, we encourage applicants to visit on one of our Open Days. You will be able to meet with current students and staff from the Medical School at these events.
Applicants who are successful following interview are invited to attend our Offer Holders' Day usually held in March/April.
Please note we are not normally in a position to arrange individual visits to the Medical School at other times, out with Open Days. If you cannot make one of our Open Days then please feel free to book a campus tour.
What facilities are available to medical students?
In addition to University facilities and support, the Wolfson Medical School Building offers excellent facilities specifically designed for our medical students, with group learning rooms, a Vocational Studies suite, a Clinical Skills area and a School Library.
From Year 3, Medical students at the University of Glasgow regularly attend clinical placements in a number of hospitals throughout the Glasgow area and in the wider West of Scotland.
If your question isn’t answered below, please email the Admissions Team at: med-sch-admissions@glasgow.ac.uk.