What are the lowest entry requirements for medicine?

Worried About Getting into Medical School? Find out the Lowest Entry Requirements for Medicine

There are various different requirements for medical schools that, of course, can vary at each university. It’s useful then to check the websites to make sure. Here, we break down the lowest entry requirements for medicine into sections, so you can see what you need to achieve to succeed.

WHAT ARE THE LOWEST ENTRY REQUIREMENTS FOR MEDICINE APPLICATIONS?

Before asking “what are the lowest entry requirements for medicine?” you must first ask “what are the entry requirements?”. Medicine is not all about the grades, you must be a rounded individual and impress the medical school in more ways than simply academic.

1. GRADES

Although I mentioned that grades are not everything, academic excellence is normally assumed as a baseline for medical school applications. This being said, what is the lowest entry requirement for medicine with regards academic achievement? That all depends on where you are applying. Medical schools such as Cambridge will be unlikely to accept anything short of A*A*A with most students having three or more A* grades at A-Level. So if you struggle academically, then Oxbridge may not be a sensible application for you. Universities such as Cardiff and Anglia Ruskin are slightly more lenient with their entry requirements and may take lower entry requirements for medicine based on other variables.

An example of how medical schools can be slightly more lenient with their lowest entry requirements for medicine is as follows…

If you have missed your requirement by one grade but have some other academic evidence such as an EPQ then the medical school may still allow you your place. However, it’s important to be aware that this is rare and tends only to happen if you have been predicted high grades or already have your grades.

If you are predicted less than the minimum grade requirements then there is not often anything that you can do to improve this. In a situation where you are predicted something like AAB, it may be advisable to do your A Levels and then take a year out to reapply. It’s also a great opportunity to build on your work experience! If you already have your grades when you apply then a medical school is taking less of a gamble on you than someone with only predicted grades.

 

2. WORK EXPERIENCE

Work experience is a simple and easy issue to overcome. Plan ahead and go and get some! It really is that simple. Medical schools do not want to see that you have shadowed the best cardiologist in the world, or that you are personal friends with a consultant anaesthetist who got you into theatres once. Here are some ideas on how to make the most out of your medical work experience.

They want to see that you have gained something from your work experience whether it be in a care home, a hospital, or at a local GP. What you gain from your experience is far more valuable than what you actually undertook.

In line with the article title, the pressing question is what are the lowest entry requirements for medicine and medical work experience? Well, obviously the best thing to do is to do lots. It gives you something to talk about in an interview and will look a lot better on a personal statement. But if, for whatever reason, you couldn’t get that much work experience and only had, say, two days of experience, identify what you gained from it and identify its limitations. For example, a limitation of two days of work experience is that you might not have a strong understanding of the medical profession and what it means to be a doctor. To remedy this, see if you can speak to any healthcare professionals. Although not as good as longer-term work experience, it proves to the medical school that you are able to weigh up your experiences.

3. UKCAT AND BMAT

The ukcat and BMAT are admissions tests which are daunting for a lot of applicants and understandably can be a source of much anxiety. The important difference is that you sit the ukcat before selecting your medical schools whereas you will sit the BMAT after selecting your medical schools. If you are in doubt as to whether you are likely to perform well, it’s advisable that you sit the ukcat first so you can select your medical schools more appropriately. Find out what the UKCAT medical entry requirements are.

Identifying your weak points will help your application too as medical schools often put different emphases on different sections. That’s why it’s difficult to answer the question of what are the lowest entry requirements for medicine with regards to admissions tests.

Many medical applicants struggle with the situational judgement component, however, there are some medical schools that do not take this into account. It is all about being aware of what the medical school wants and to play your cards right to give yourself the best chance of success.

Also remember that if you score badly through lack of preparation, there is always the possibility of taking a year out and reapplying. This shows commitment and it gives you time to focus on the ukcat or BMAT where you might have struggled before due to exam stress.

What is the Hierarchy of Medical School Work Experience?

You might have heard of the expression before, but just in case it’s all new to you, we’ve explained why the hierarchy of medical school may be an archaic thought-processed used as a scare-tactic for want to be medical students. Work experience is important no matter where you go and we’ve listed the top places where you can make the most of your medical work experience.