University of Newcastle Medical School Guide

Newcastle University is one of the red-brick universities and a member of the Russell group. The founding of the University occurred with the establishment of the School of Medicine and Surgery in 1834. It is home to one of the largest medical teaching institutions in the UK. The medical school aims to deliver evidence-based teaching and produce compassionate and competent doctors. The city of Newcastle is situated in the north east of England and is known for its industrial heritage, nightlife and ‘Geordie’ dialect. Read more about Newcastle Medical School and how to get in!

University of Newcastle Medical School Entry Requirements

The medical school scores all applicants out of 100 in terms of their achieved grades (GCSEs or completed A-levels) and UCAT score.

Academic

Academic requirements are worth 40 points.

Category	Grade	Other
GCSEs (for school leavers)		Best 8 grades for GCSE or equivalent level 2 qualifications
A-Level (for students who have completed A-levels)	AAA	These will be the best 3 subjects and must include Maths and any Sciences.
Scottish Highers	AAAAA
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA
IB	36 points with a minimum of grade 5 in all subjects

Admissions Test

Newcastle Medical School requires all applicants to sit the UCAT. Applicants will then be scored out of 60 based on their UCAT scores. Candidates with a Band 4 in the SJT will be rejected. There is also a threshold that you must surpass to be invited to interview. Here are the thresholds in 2023 for the A100 medicine programme:

Category	UCAT Threshold
Home	2820
International	2600

Work Experience

Newcastle Medical School wants applicants to have had some type of caring experience – not necessarily in a clinical environment. There are many places you can gain some work experience apart from a hospital. For example, a care home, hospice, pharmacy or nursery. This will provide you with transferable skills like communication and empathy.

Personal Statement

Like most medical schools, the personal statement isn’t used as part of the screening process. However, it is a way to consolidate your experiences and can be used to prepare for interviews.

Interview

The interview stage is the final step of the admissions process. At Newcastle, for Home students, there are Multiple-Mini Interviews (MMIs) to test multiple skills, qualities and attributes. For International students, there are online panel interviews with 2 selectors each.

Graduate Entry at University of Newcastle Medical School

Newcastle has a Graduate Medicine Programme. This is an accelerated 4 year degree where Year 1 and 2 are combined into one year (45 weeks). The course has an integrated case-led approach. In years 2-4 students rotate through clinical placements in a variety of medical specialties. There is some element of student choice with student-selected components and an eight-week elective.

Newcastle requires a minimum of a 2.1 Honours degree or an equivalent.
How many places are there for Home and International students at University of Newcastle Medical School

Category	Number of Places
Home	342 places
International	26 places

University of Newcastle Medical School Ranking

Newcastle Medical School is ranked 18th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide 2024. It is also part of the Global Top 130 University according to the QS World University Rankings 2025.

It’s important to keep in mind that university rankings are subjective and can be based on different criteria. These rankings must only be one of your deciding factors. It is important to have a holistic approach when making your decisions and consider which universities you would thrive in the most.

University of Newcastle Medical School Fees

Home	£9,250
International	£42,200

University of Newcastle Medical School Acceptance Rate

In the 2023 application cycle, over 1500 applications were made and 1100 were invited to interview. Then, offers are made for the 342 places. This results in an overall acceptance rate of 22.8%.

University of Newcastle Medical School Course Structure

Year 1 and 2	The primary years will teach you the basics of medical sciences, clinical skills and ethics. You will also cover 24 clinical cases to consolidate and apply your learning. You will also have the opportunity to visit general practices and hospitals.
Year 3, 4 and 5	The final years will prepare you for your career as a doctor. You will rotate around a variety of clinical specialties and develop the knowledge and professionalism needed. This part of the course also gives you a lot choice. For example, there will be 2 x 4 week student selected components and an 8 week elective. This can be at home or abroad to broaden your medical exposure.

University of Newcastle Medical School Teaching Style

The early years are mainly taught via case-based learning. This means you will be allocated into groups and given clinical cases. You will then answer questions which will help you put the content into context. Clinical skills are taught using patient simulators and anatomy is taught via prosections and full-body dissections. There are also 3D anatomy platforms to enhance your learning.

University of Newcastle Medical School Hospitals

The medical school’s teaching hospitals span across the North East. Examples are:

• Royal Victoria Infirmary
• Freeman Hospital
• Great North Children’s Hospital
• Arthur’s Hill Clinic
• Northern Centre for Cancer Care
• Newcastle Fertility Centre
• Institute of Transplantation
• Northern Genetics Service
• Westgate Urgent Treatment Centre
• Ponteland Road Health Centre

University of Newcastle Medical School Interview Format

Home applicants will be interviewed by the Multiple-Mini Interview (MMI) format. This means there will be a circuit of 7 stations. Each station is seven minutes long. The first station will have an extra 2 minute ice breaker question. One of the stations will have a role-play scenario. The following attributes will be assessed:

• integrity

• communication
• empathy and self-awareness
• motivation and commitment to be a doctor
• compatibility with the MBBS programme
• teamwork (including leadership)
• personal organisation
• persistence and resilience

University of Newcastle Medical School Interview Questions

What is your biggest strength?

This question assesses your ability to evaluate yourself.

• Pick a strength and explain why it is an important part of medicine. This can be why it will help you as a doctor or as a medical student.
• Then, you should give an example of a time where you displayed the skill or quality.
• You should then be able to assess yourself and say what went well and what you can improve. ]
• Lastly, link it back to where you saw this skill in a doctor. This can be in your work experience.

Should COVID-19 vaccines be made mandatory for the public?

This is an ethics question where you also need to give your opinion. Remember to always leave your opinion till the end to make an informed decision.

• Introduce your answer by defining what vaccines are – a weakened pathogen to active the immune system.
• Give arguments for and against vaccinated the whole population

Pros: herd immunity, less chances of an outbreak, beneficence

Cons: against the autonomy of all patients, vaccines can have side-effects (non-maleficence)

• Sum up your answer and make an informed decision

Roleplay – You have received the x-ray results of a patient and see a fracture. Break the bad news to them.

The mnemonic for a breaking bad news question is SPIKES.

• Setting – ask if patient is comfortable having this consultation
• Perception – ask patient if they know why they are here and how much they know about their reports
• Invitation – tell the patient that you have bad news so they know what to expect
• Knowledge – give the x-ray results without beating around the bush
• Empathy – give the patient time to process and be understanding
• Summarise – sum up the conversation and make a strategy

Roleplay scenarios are common across all medical school interviews. They test your communication skills and ability to show empathy. Practicing with an interview tutor will help your chances as it will teach you how to have these conversations with someone you don’t know.

Life as a Medical Student at University of Newcastle Medical School

At Newcastle, you will have a few hours of contact hours everyday. This will include anatomy, clinical skills and case-led teaching. You will also be allocated a lot of free time to spend with friends, exploring your extra-curricular interests and catching up with work.

Social Life at University of Newcastle

Newcastle is a vibrant city with lots to do. You can go on walks in Quayside along the River Tyne. It is also just a short journey to the coast. If nights out are your thing, then Newcastle is also known for its nightlife. There are world-class museums, galleries and music venues to visit. One of the major plus points are also that Newcastle is very economic for students.

Societies and Clubs at University of Newcastle

The student union at Newcastle is home to 160 societies. There is something for everyone to get involved in. It is a great way to meet more people, spend your free time and maintain your work-life balance. For example, there are sports, culture and medical societies.

Intercalated Degrees at University of Newcastle

Medical students can intercalate at Newcastle after second, third or fourth year. The university offers BScs, MScs and MRes. Also, these are available from students at Newcastle but also external students. It is a great opportunity to widen your interests in medical sciences. Examples are:

• Biochemistry BSc Honours
• Biomedical Genetics BSc Honours
• Biomedical Sciences BSc Honours
• Pharmacology BSc Honours
• Physiological Sciences BSc Honours

FAQs

How Much of the University of Newcastle Medicine Course is Pre-clinical vs Clinical?

Year 1 and 2 are considered preclinical as they mainly have case-led teaching along with anatomy. Year 3-5 are clinical because you will be on clinical placements majority of the time.

Is University of Newcastle a Good Medical School?

The University of Newcastle is world-class and ranks good as a medical school. It is ideal for all medical students however, it depends on what your priorities are when selecting a medical school. It is best to visit the university on its Open Days to gain a realistic insight into the place and speak to the friendly staff!

Support with Getting Into University of Newcastle Medical School

UCAT Tutoring

As Newcastle Medical School has high UCAT requirements, it’s a good idea to get a UCAT tutor to help you exceed the threshold. When looking for a good tutor, it’s wise to consider someone who has recently achieved an excellent UCAT score themselves and who has experience with tutoring. Your tutor should be able to assess your strengths and weaknesses to focus your lesson time on improving the areas you need improvement in.

Medicine Interview Tutoring

With a low acceptance rate, entry to Newcastle is competitive. A large part of the admissions process is the MMI, which you’ll need to thoroughly prepare for. We recommend booking a medicine interview tutor at Newcastle to get the most realistic preparation for the Newcastle interview. An interview tutor can help you to gain interview confidence, competence, and the knowledge base you need to stand out from the crowd.