Three Counties Medical School (Graduate Entry) Guide

The Three Counties Medical School is a new medical school that serves the three counties of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire, and Worcestershire. Its 4 year graduate entry program aims to stand out by focusing on interdisciplinary practice and a problem-based learning approach. Three Counties Medical School follows the new line of medical schools that seek to widen access to careers in Medicine, it has had one cohort since 2023.

The Three Counties Medical School is part of the University of Worcester. Worcester has a rich history and heritage dating back to Roman times. It is also known for the notorious Worcestershire sauce and Worcester Cathedral. Continue reading this article to learn more about the entry requirements and course requirements!

Three Counties Medical School Entry Requirements

Academic

Applicants must have:

·       At least a 2:1 in an undergraduate degree (or a 2:2 plus Masters or Doctoral degree)

·       Passed GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above in Maths and English

·       Not have previously started a medical degree in the UK or overseas

If the degree you chose was not a science subject then you will need to:

·       Have passed GCSEs (or equivalent) at grade C/4 or above in two science subjects (not including maths)

Admissions Test

You will need to sit either the UCAT or the GAMSAT. If you are shortlisted based on these scores you will then be invited to sit the Casper situational judgement test AND attend two panel interviews.

• There are no official exam cut-offs but most shortlisted applicants scored more than 50 on GAMSAT (maximum 73) or 2500 on UCAT (maximum 3020).

They give preference to the following criteria:

·       Substantial geographical links to the area e.g. currently living in Three Counties

·       Worcester graduate

·       First in family to go to University

·       Currently resident in POLAR quintiles 1 and 2

·       Working in, or significant knowledge of, the NHS especially if NHS employment in the Three Counties

·       Refugee status

Work Experience

Three Counties does not specify what experiences they look for. However, medical applicants should aim to have work experience (or volunteering) in a healthcare environment. Additionally, they state they welcome non-scientific backgrounds, which means any experience that reflect core skills a doctor needs could simply be what they are looking for. This includes teamwork, communication, empathy and organisation skills.

Interview

Three Counties does not specify what interviews could consist of. The interviewers would most likely want to see reflection on how an applicant has developed core skills through their experiences, their motivation to pursue medicine and a good understanding of what medicine will be like. They have also stated they want applicants who are ‘well rounded, not just academic’ and someone who is ‘willing to put the work in and passionate’.

International Students Entry Requirements for Three Counties Medical School

The only additional requirement is a minimum 7.0 IELTS (with 7 in the speaking component and at least 6.5 in all other all components) or equivalent.

How many places are there for home and international students at Three Counties Medical School?

In 2023, the medical school received funding for 20 home students, they studied alongside 24 international students. They had announced 50 funded places for home students and are currently accepting home and international students for a 2025 entry.

Three Counties Medical School Ranking

As only one small cohort has enrolled at this Medical School there is no clear information online yet. However, it won’t vary considerably from the other medical schools that already exist.

Three Counties Medical School Fees

Home students: £9,250 per year

International and EU students: £46,500 per year

Three Counties Medical School Course Structure

The course spans across 4 years and is split into 2 phases:

Phase 1 (Year 1 + 2)

Consists of two Foundations of Medicine modules, in which students cover the basics of medical science, and clinical skills. There is also a focus on maintaining patient care and the community. Students will also complete two longitudinal studies, which involve patient contact. – Family case study: Visiting a family and their new baby, to learn about childbirth, development and other key topics. – Living with a diagnosis: Allocated a patient with a chronic illness, to learn about their specific illness, as well as, improve communication and clinical skills. Placement: 15 weeks in phase 1 in a hospital. One day per week in a GP

Phase 2 (Year 3 + 4)

Consists of two Practice in Medicine modules, in which students are immersed in clinical practice and encouraged to learn through their experiences alongside online university sessions. Students will also design and carry out a Quality Improvement project. The aim of this is to help students become more well-rounded as a doctor and have better system-wide approaches. Placement: full-time – Year 3: community placements in both primary and secondary care – Year 4: secondary care in acute hospitals + elective

Three Counties Medical School Teaching Style

The university has a Problem-based Learning course style, and emphasises community placement alongside other healthcare professionals. They do not use dissections or wet labs but instead use their Health and Wellbeing campus for anatomy teaching. There is roughly 8 hours of teaching per day, this will also include use lectures, workshops and seminars. These transition to being online for the last two years but students are still supported by detailed study guides and staff. Independent learning is supported by The Hive library and extensive online resources. The curriculum follows a spiral shape meaning that topics visited in the first year will be revisited in later years, to build upon knowledge.

Three Counties Medical School Term Dates

2024/2025 Semester dates for Year 1:

Induction week	Early September
Semester 1	Mid September – Late December
Semester 2	EarlyJanuary – Late July (Easter break included)
Assessment/Revision weeks (3)	Early January + Mid May + Early July
Placement block (1)	Mid May – Mid June

Note that students may have placement outside ‘normal timetable hours’ e.g. on the weekend.

Three Counties Medical School Hospitals

Hospital and other clinical placements for a student can be anywhere in Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire.

Three Counties Medical School Elective

The medical school offers an elective in the final year.

Life As A Student at Three Counties Medical School

One highlight for students who attend this medical school is access to a new Health and Wellbeing campus. This campus contains high-quality simulation and visualisation resources, helping students to further their anatomy and clinical skills. This is through the use of technology, hospital and GP simulation and a specialised Anatomy Skills room.

Societies and Clubs at Three Counties

There are around 25 student societies, and 35 sports clubs. This includes a Medicine Society (MedSoc), for students to meet others studying to be in healthcare and access educational lectures.

FAQs

Does Three Counties Medical School Offer a Bachelor of Science (Bsc) Degree?

The university offers an undergraduate Biomedical Science Bsc. If this is completed and the graduate medicine requirements are met, they guarantee a medicine interview.

Does Three Counties Medical School Offer Medicine Scholarships?

Three counties does not state they offer scholarships however their home medicine students are eligible for The John Weston Stretton Charity grants for up to £4000.

The university also offers a Hardship fund in general to students.

Support with Getting Into Queen’s University, Belfast Medical School 

UCAT Tutoring 

As Three Counties Medical School has competitive entry requirements, it’s a good idea to get a UCAT tutor to help you exceed the UCAT 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

A large part of the admissions process is the MMI, which you’ll need to thoroughly prepare for if you’re serious about getting into Three Counties Medical School. We recommend booking in with a medicine interview tutor with experience of the Three Counties Medical School interview style to get the most realistic preparation for the interview. An interview tutor can help you to gain interview confidence, competence, and the knowledge-base you need to stand out from the crowd.