Medicine (graduate entry)

You must be a citizen of the UK, EU or EEA or have indefinite leave to remain in the UK. You must also have been ordinarily resident in the UK, EU or EEA for a minimum of three years before 1 September in the year of entry to the programme. More information is available from UKCISA (UK Council for International Student Affairs) who publish the guidance.

You may apply to graduate entry medicine if you have achieved either an undergraduate degree or postgraduate degree.

GAMSAT is a professionally designed and marked written entrance test based on a model developed for Australian graduate-entry medical schools. It tests knowledge, reasoning and communication skills across a range of disciplines.

We accept test scores achieved in the year before application, as long as you make the request when you apply to UCAS. We cannot accept unverified scores on your UCAS form or communicated directly to us. You must provide your GAMSAT candidate ID, UCAS Personal ID number, name and date of birth to UCAS at gamsat@ucas.ac.uk.

GAMSAT overall cut-off score for previous years

• 2015: 62

• 2016: 60

• 2017: 57

• 2018: 59

• 2019: 59

At the interview, you will need to show that you've gained insight into medicine through relevant work/voluntary experience.

Undertaking relevant work experience and gaining insight from those activities helps you to learn about yourself and to decide whether medicine is the right choice for you.

You are expected to have a combination of experience in both healthcare and non-healthcare settings and be able to demonstrate why these experiences are relevant to an application for medicine. Experience could include, but is not limited to:

• paid/unpaid voluntary placements

• school, college or university societies

• full or part-time employment

• the Guides, Scouts, Red Cross or similar

• shadowing a healthcare professional

• gap year experience

• caring for a sick relative or first-hand experience of illness.

It is good to have a broad range of experience in a variety of settings, including hands-on healthcare experience, in order to gain insight into different aspects of the skills and qualities needed in a medical student and future healthcare professional.

We will ask you to:

• demonstrate knowledge of your own abilities and limitations
• explain what you have learned and what you have contributed

We also expect you to show insight into transferable skills, such as communication, patience, accuracy, teamwork, leadership and perseverance and to be able to relate those to your application for medicine.

Evidence that you have made a consistent effort to gain these experiences as a regular commitment is preferred.

If invited to interview, you will be asked to provide references for any formal work experience you have carried out (dates, hours worked and duties undertaken) within the last two years.    

If you have previously studied, but not completed, medicine at another university, you will need to provide formal evidence as to why you previously withdrew from your studies. Applicants will be reviewed on a case by case basis. However, we are unable to consider individuals who were suspended from previous medicine studies due to fitness to practice issues or failure in assessments or examinations.

Typical year one clinical sciences learning week

The course is structured across four years. The first year (clinical science year) gives you a thorough understanding of clinical science and first-hand clinical experience through a range of placements, giving you an insight into the patient journey and the role of multidisciplinary teams.

At the start of year two (T year) you will begin your transition from clinical science to clinical practice. You will undertake three five-week clinical attachments (medicine, general practice and surgery) interspersed with problem-based learning and lectures to consolidate and maximise the learning from your clinical experience.

In your third year (P year) you will rotate between 10-week clinical attachments in four specialties:

• surgery and surgical specialities

• medicine and medical specialties

• paediatrics, obstetrics and gynaecology

• neurology and psychiatry.

In your final year (F year) you will deepen your understanding of different areas of clinical practice through a series of assistantships where you shadow junior doctors and understand the role for which you are preparing. In this year you can also arrange to undertake elective study anywhere in the world.

We utilise a variety of teaching styles to encourage learning including:

• lectures

• expert tutorials

• clinical and Communication skills sessions

• demonstrator-led anatomy teaching using whole-body prosections in the Dissecting Room

• directed self-learning

• student-selected special study

• independent study.

Case-based learning

Each week begins and ends with a tutorial based on a clinical scenario. By applying the taught theory to a clinical context, both your critical skills and learning techniques develop.

Problem-based learning

Given a clinical problem, you use self-directed research to make a diagnosis and suggest an appropriate course of action. Problem-based learning encourages learning in context, self-motivation and deep, rather than surface, understanding.

Teaching takes place on our site in Tooting which is shared with St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. It is supplemented by general practice attachments throughout south London and the south-east of England, including:

• St George’s University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, London

• Epsom and St Helier NHS Trust, Carshalton, London

• Kingston Hospital NHS Trust, Kingston, Surrey

• Croydon Health Services NHS Trust, Croydon, London

• South West London and St George’s Mental Health Trust.

The emphasis is on regular formative and summative assessments with detailed feedback throughout.

Assessment methods include:

• short answer questions

• single best answer questions

• clinical cases – for example, mini-CEX (Clinical Evaluation Exercise), Direct Observations of Practical Procedures (DOPS), Case Based Discussion (CBD).

You will also be assessed with Objective Structured Practical Examinations in the Dissecting Room, and Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) where you perform a set of structured tasks, which can include practical procedures, interviewing skills and examination of patients.

You will be assessed in three domains:

• doctor as practitioner: through objective structured clinical examinations (OSCE)

• doctor as scientist: through year-end knowledge tests

• doctor as professional: through longitudinal professional assessment, attendance and case-analysis project.

The GMC is in the process of implementing a national Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) that all UK medical graduates will need to pass in order to be granted registration with a licence to practise. Currently, indicative timelines suggest this will be applicable to students graduating in 2023 and beyond.

The format and details of the assessment are yet to be decided while the GMC is in consultation with all UK medical schools. However, it is not envisaged that the type or amount of assessment is likely to be significantly different from the existing assessments students undertake in their final year of Medicine. 

You can read more information on the GMC website.

Applicants to all courses must provide:

• a personal statement (more information about this document is available on the UCAS website)

• an academic reference from your current or most recent institutions with predicted grades.

Applicants to graduate entry MBBS (UCAS code A101) must also provide:

• full details of your undergraduate education with achieved/predicted grades (and postgraduate qualifications, if applicable).

After submitting your application to UCAS:

• log in to UCAS Track and make sure all your academic details have been included
• if any subjects or predicted results are missing, email admissions with your UCAS number and missing subjects and grades 

• International applicants must provide a full syllabus/transcript of the subjects they have completed up to year 12 (or equivalent).

• Students from outside the EU/EEA/Switzerland will need a Tier 4 visa to study in the UK.

Read our immigration and visa advice.

After making an application, shortlisted candidates will be invited to a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). These are held from December to April. They combine traditional-style questions with task-based activities. The interview consists of up to eight activities each lasting five minutes (40 minutes in total).

This interview format provides a high level of interaction between you and the interviewer. It gives you a chance to demonstrate more than just a taught knowledge of your chosen field of science.

MMIs are a better predictor of academic performance and professional behaviour than traditional panel interviews. This format also allows us to assess more candidates in a shorter period of time, which means you will get the results sooner.

Visit Taste of Medicine (Scrubbing Up section) for more advice on preparing for interviews.

Learn more about how to ace your MMI.

Medical students at Oxford University and Cambridge University may apply for direct entry to the third year of our Medicine MBBS course through the Metropolitan Oxbridge Common Admissions Group (MOCAG) admissions scheme. Information and application forms can be obtained from individual tutors at Cambridge colleges or from the Oxford Medical School at John Radcliffe Hospital.

With the exception of the MOCAG Admissions Scheme, we are unable to consider transfers from other courses or from other institutions.

We define extenuating circumstances as unforeseen and outside of an applicant’s control. The circumstances must demonstrate that there has been a substantial, serious impact on your academic studies and results.

For example, such circumstances would include: health and personal problems, disability or difficulties with schooling. Whilst St George’s is keen to widen participation for particular groups, we are required to ensure that you as an applicant can cope with the rigours of, and are suited to, the programme you apply for.

Please note that we cannot consider extenuating circumstances in regards to degree classification or GAMSAT score for application to this programme.

Who can complete the form?

You will need to ask a representative or teacher at your college or university to complete the Extenuating Circumstances Form for Applicants (please note that this form is only for use by applicants and not current St George's students).

If your college or university is unaware of your circumstances, the form can be completed by another official such as a GP or social worker. Forms completed by family members unfortunately cannot be considered.

How and when the form needs to be submitted?

The form needs to be completed and submitted by a representative or teacher at your college or university within 15 working days of you submitting your application form (UCAS or direct applications). For the two MBBS courses, the form must be received no later than 1 November in the year of application. (For all other healthcare courses, the form should be received no later than 1 March in the year of entry.)

Please send the form to admissions@sgul.ac.uk

What else you need to include

The form should include any information that is relevant to the application and the circumstances. Formal supporting documentation (eg from a GP) can also be attached. This will ensure that the Admissions Tutors are able to accurately assess the circumstances in context with the academic record.

Notes for schools/colleges/universities

When considering endorsing an applicant’s circumstances, please note that appropriate circumstances would be:

• serious, acute or chronic illness since the age of 14 or recently diagnosed illness (for example, depression) that has led to significant educational disruption

• significant caring responsibilities or a recent bereavement or serious illness of an immediate family member

• serious disruption of educational provision at their school/college/university.