Buckingham Medicine 2027: UCAT, Entry Requirements & Interview

Prebend House, University of Buckingham, Hunter Street, Buckingham

Buckingham Medicine (University of Buckingham Medical School (UBMS)) for 2027 entry: entry requirements, A-level and GCSE grades, how it uses the UCAT, admissions statistics, interview format and graduate entry - from MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Last reviewed: August 2026 by MedicHut's medical admissions team.

Buckingham Medicine entry requirements (2027 entry)

Buckingham Medicine asks for ABB including Chemistry or Biology. Third subject can be any academic subject at A-level, or Minimum 32 points overall (excluding TOK/EE) across 3 Higher Level subjects, with at least H6 in Biology or Chemistry and at least H5 in the other (both subjects must be studied) in the IB. At GCSE: Grade 4 in English and Maths. UCAT is NOT required and is NOT used at any stage. Buckingham selects on academics + a written personal statement + a Multi-Station Selection Assessment (MSSA) interview.

A-level requirement: ABB including Chemistry or Biology. Third subject can be any academic subject.
Minimum A-levels: ABB at first sitting - Chemistry or Biology required
IB requirement: Minimum 32 points overall (excluding TOK/EE) across 3 Higher Level subjects, with at least H6 in Biology or Chemistry and at least H5 in the other (both subjects must be studied)
GCSE requirement: Grade 4 in English and Maths
UCAS code: Not applicable - Buckingham accepts direct applications, not UCAS
Places: ~70 places per intake (approx 140 per year total across January and September starts)
Applications per place: Not published by Buckingham - applications, interview and offer numbers are undisclosed
Contextual offers: Buckingham does not run a formal contextual admissions scheme in the WP sense, but offers merit-based and access scholarships that reduce the effective annual fee for eligible applicants.
Fees: From £41,500/yr Home and from £47,000/yr Overseas (2027 entry) - Buckingham is a private university and does not receive the Home tuition-cap subsidy

How Buckingham uses the UCAT

UCAT is NOT required and is NOT used at any stage. Buckingham selects on academics + a written personal statement + a Multi-Station Selection Assessment (MSSA) interview.

N/A - Buckingham is one of the very few UK medical schools that does not require the UCAT.

Buckingham medicine interview format

Three-stage selection: Academic Screening, then a Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) - a computer-based test of analysis, interpretation and judgement based on GMC Good Medical Practice guidance - followed by a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) assessing personal attributes. Exceptional MMA performers may receive an offer before the MMI. Rolling from application submission until each intake fills. September 2027 intake: most interviews March-July 2027. January 2028 intake: most interviews August-December 2027.

Sample Buckingham interview questions

Why the University of Buckingham specifically - what draws you to a smaller, fee-paying medical school over a traditional UCAS route?
Tell us about your work experience and one specific patient interaction that shaped your view of medicine.
Role-play: your patient is anxious about starting a new medication they've read scary things about online. Explain and reassure them.
Ethics: is it fair that Buckingham students pay ~£43,000 per year while home students at other UK medical schools pay ~£9,535?
Discuss the pros and cons of a 4.5-year accelerated MB ChB vs a traditional 5-6 year MBBS.
Describe a time you worked in a team where things went wrong. What did you do?
A colleague on placement is repeatedly late and appears hungover. How do you handle it?
Prioritisation station: you have four patients waiting - a chest pain, a distressed relative, a medication query and a discharge letter. Rank them and explain.
What are the biggest pressures facing the NHS in 2027 and how would you contribute as a junior doctor after graduating?
Tell us about a time you received difficult feedback and how you used it.
Reflect on a medical or scientific news story from the last six months and its implications for patients.
Why should we offer you a Buckingham MB ChB place over an equally qualified applicant?

Buckingham Medicine FAQs

Do I need the UCAT for University of Buckingham Medical School?

No. Buckingham is one of the very few UK medical schools that does NOT require the UCAT at any stage. Selection is based on academics (AAB including Biology and Chemistry), a personal statement, references and a Multi-Station Selection Assessment (MSSA) interview. If you scored lower than expected on the UCAT, Buckingham is one of the strongest fallback routes into UK Medicine.

Is the University of Buckingham Medical School good?

Yes - Buckingham's MB ChB is fully GMC-approved, its graduates hold provisional GMC registration on graduation on the same footing as graduates of any other UK medical school, and Foundation Programme placement rates are strong. The school runs a small-cohort, accelerated 4.5-year integrated programme with early clinical exposure from Phase 1, and student satisfaction scores are consistently high. The main trade-off is cost - fees are ~£43,000 per year rather than the Home-capped £9,535 charged elsewhere.

Is Buckingham a private medical school?

Yes. The University of Buckingham is the UK's only independent, fully chartered non-profit university, and its Medical School is fee-paying for both Home and Overseas students at approximately the same rate (~£43,000 per year). It does not draw on the Home tuition fee cap subsidy, which is why UK applicants pay significantly more than they would at other UK medical schools.

How much are Buckingham Medical School fees for 2027 entry?

Approximately £42,700-£44,000 per year for BOTH Home and Overseas students, with a small annual uplift expected. Over the 4.5-year MB ChB the total tuition cost is typically £190,000-£200,000. This is not eligible for the standard Student Finance England undergraduate tuition fee loan (which is capped at £9,535), though means-tested maintenance loans and Buckingham's own scholarships may partially offset costs.

How do I apply to Buckingham Medical School?

Apply directly through the University of Buckingham's own application portal, not through UCAS. You submit academic transcripts, a personal statement, two references and ID. Crucially, a Buckingham application does NOT count against your four UCAS Medicine choices - you can apply to four A100 schools via UCAS AND to Buckingham as a fifth medicine route in the same cycle.

When does Buckingham Medical School start each year?

Buckingham runs TWO MB ChB intakes per year: a September start and a January start. Each intake takes approximately 70 students, giving roughly 140 places per year in total. The January intake is a genuine second chance for applicants who miss out at other UK medical schools in the standard UCAS cycle.

How long is the Buckingham Medicine course?

4.5 years - an accelerated integrated MB ChB. Phase 1 (Foundations of Medicine) covers pre-clinical sciences on the Buckingham campus. Phase 2 (Clinical Practice) is delivered at NHS teaching hospitals across the region, primarily Milton Keynes University Hospital, Bedford Hospital and other partner trusts.

Where does Buckingham Medical School do clinical placements?

Clinical placements from Phase 2 onward run at Milton Keynes University Hospital NHS Foundation Trust and Bedfordshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Bedford Hospital), plus community GP placements across Buckinghamshire, Bedfordshire and Northamptonshire.

What A-level grades does Buckingham require for Medicine?

AAB at first sitting, including A in Biology and A in Chemistry. The third subject can be any academic subject (General Studies and Critical Thinking excluded). This is slightly lower than the AAA / A*AA expected at most UCAS medical schools, making Buckingham accessible to applicants with strong-but-not-elite academic profiles.

Does Buckingham accept the IB for Medicine?

Yes - 34 points overall with 6,6,5 at Higher Level, to include HL Biology and HL Chemistry.

Is the Buckingham Medicine interview MMI or panel?

Buckingham runs its own Multi-Station Selection Assessment (MSSA), functionally very similar to MMI. Six to eight short stations covering motivation, ethics, communication, teamwork, role-play and reflection. Held online for most applicants, particularly international candidates; in-person options are available for candidates who can travel to the Buckingham campus.

Does Buckingham accept international applicants for Medicine?

Yes - Buckingham has one of the largest international quotas of any UK medical school (roughly 40-50% of each cohort). International and Home students pay the same tuition fees (~£43,000 per year), and the entry requirements are identical: AAB / IB 34 including Biology and Chemistry, plus the MSSA interview.

Does Buckingham offer Graduate Entry Medicine?

The 4.5-year MB ChB is open to graduates - graduate applicants typically hold at least a 2:1 in a relevant science degree in addition to (or in place of) the AAB A-level profile. Buckingham does not run a separate 4-year A101 graduate-entry programme; the 4.5-year MB ChB IS the accelerated route.

Can I use Student Finance for Buckingham Medical School?

The standard Student Finance England undergraduate tuition fee loan is capped at £9,535 per year, so it covers only a fraction of Buckingham's ~£43,000 annual fees. Means-tested maintenance loans are available on the standard terms, and Buckingham publishes its own merit-based and access scholarships. Most Home applicants fund the balance through family support, private education loans or NHS bursaries in the later clinical years.

When does Buckingham Medical School make decisions?

Rolling - Buckingham reviews applications in the order they are received and interviews on a rolling basis until each intake fills. For a September 2027 start, most interviews run March-July 2027; for a January 2028 start, most run August-December 2027. Applying early materially increases your chances because late-cycle applications may find the intake already full.

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