Floating around the internet there are a number of statistics which relate to the percentage of applicants getting accepted into medical schools and for interviews.
Ensure you are interpreting the values in the table below correctly. Higher numbers indicate that the university is more competitive as there are more applicants for each student interviewed.
Medical School | Number Of Applicants/Interview |
University of Aberdeen Medical School | 1.72 |
Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine | 2 |
Aston University Medical School | 2.9 |
University of Birmingham Medical School | 2.2 |
Brighton and Sussex Medical School |
|
University of Bristol Medical School |
|
University of Buckingham Medical School |
|
University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine |
|
Cardiff University School of Medicine | 1.9 |
University of Dundee School of Medicine |
|
Edge Hill University Medical School | 1.5 |
University of East Anglia, Norwich Medical School | 1.4 |
University of Edinburgh Medical School | N/A |
University of Exeter Medical School | 2 |
University of Glasgow Medical School | 3 |
Hull York Medical School | 2 |
Imperial College London School of Medicine | 2 |
Keele University School of Medicine | 2.5 |
Kent and Medway Medical School | 5.2 |
Kings college London School of Medical Education |
|
Lancaster University Medical School | 3.8 |
University of Leeds Medical School | 2 |
University of Leicester Medical School | 1.8 |
Lincoln Medical School | 1.5 |
University of Liverpool School of Medicine |
|
University of Manchester School of Medicine |
|
Newcastle University Medical School | 2.1 |
University of Nottingham School of Medicine | 2 |
University of Oxford Medical School | 3.5 |
Plymouth University Peninsula Medical School | 1.4 |
Queen Mary University, Barts and the London School of Medicine | 2 |
Queens University Belfast, Medical School |
|
University of Sheffield Medical School | 1.9 |
University of Southampton Faculty of Medicine | 2 |
University of St Andrew’s Medical School |
|
St George’s, University of London | 2 |
University of Sunderland School of Medicine | 3 |
University College London Medical School | 3 |
University of Central Lancashire Medical School |
|
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Before we go any further with deciphering what these statistics mean and how to use them to your favour; we would like to make you aware of some of the potential drawbacks of being too reliant and placing emphasis on these values.
A strategic application definitely increases your chances of being accepted to study medicine. Considering what percentage of medical school applicants get interviews can help you to narrow down the list of medical schools you will select to apply to. However, it is not only how many students they select for interview that is important to consider but how admission tutors select their applicants. Some areas of your application will be stronger than others; you may have an excellent academic history with fabulous GCSE results and predicted grades. Perhaps your UCAT/ BMAT score is very impressive or maybe you have an outstanding personal statement. Choose universities which highly weight your area of strength as part of the selection process. Noting both the number of students interviewed and the selection process ensures that nothing is left to chance when trying to get the coveted interview.
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Another point to note is that universities may have a number of other criteria which inform which students they interview. Set percentages of interview offers are granted to individuals from a variety of backgrounds. Students from widening participation groups should consider if there are an increased number of interview places for them if they meet criteria. In addition, Universities in Scotland are required to provide a certain number of places to Scottish students in line with targets set by the Scottish Government and the Scottish Funding Council. This will impact who they select for interview.
Note that each year the number of students applying to medicine changes. Think about applicants applying in 2021, during that period the coronavirus pandemic will have had a huge impact on people’s motivation to study medicine and therefore the number of medical applications each university receives. In addition, in line with the NHS Long Term Plan many new medical schools have opened within the UK, this may reduce the competition that students face when applying to get interviews. On the contrary to this the number of international applicants will significantly influence the aptitude and ability of the cohort applying to each university. Funding laws, international relations and policies will have a huge impact on how many international students apply to UK medical schools each year. It is important to have an awareness that each year medical school statistics change.
Information gathering for the medical application process in a mine field. It can be impossible to know which sources to trust especially when different sources provide contradictory information. When trying to find out applicant to interview or selection ratios use official websites only. The Medical Schools Council or individual University websites will provide reliable and up to date information.
Its important to note that the cohort of students applying to medical school does not represent the general aptitude and intelligence of your academic year. You should never define your self-worth with how you did compare to others. However, when seeing statistics, it can be quite demoralizing to think about what percentage of students were perceived by the university as “better” than you or more suitable for studying medicine. Remember, universities need to select students some how and just because you didn’t meet the on paper requirements for one university it does not mean that you can never be a doctor or are worthless.
