University of Cambridge Medical School Guide

The University of Cambridge Medical School is one of the few to be completely split into pre-clinical and clinical medicine. The teaching of the preclinical part of the course is in the historic city center of Cambridge. The clinical part of the course is all over East Anglia, although the main hub is in Cambridge itself.

As expected, the course is more scientific, and great for those interested in research. Essays are another unique part of the Cambridge experience. This is because it promotes understanding of medicine, not just learning facts. 

University of Cambridge Medical School Entry Requirements

Academic

Content	Grade	Other
A-Level	A*A*A	A-levels will need to be in Chemistry and two other subjects from Biology, Human biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics ( grade requirements may vary from college to college). You must pass the practical component of any A-level which has a practical endorsement.
IB	41-42 Points, with 776 at Higher Level
GCSE	A* / 7	Grades must include Chemistry and at least one other science or mathematics subject.

In 2017, 2018 and 2019 the majority of entrants from an A level background achieved at least A*A*A (77% of entrants). All of these successful applicants took Chemistry, 98% took Mathematics and 97% took Biology. The majority of IB entrants achieved at least 44 points overall and/or grades 777 at Higher Level.

Admissions Test

Starting in 2025, candidates must take the UCAT examination. Currently, it is unknown how Cambridge will use the scores as previously, the BMAT was the entrance exam. With the BMAT, the score was the primary factor determining which candidates to invite for interviews.

Work Experience

Whilst not required, work experience is strongly recommended. Cambridge states this can be either “paid or voluntary, in a health or social care organisation” . Currently, MedicHut offers both online and in-person work experience.

Personal Statement

Usually at Cambridge Medical School, admissions committees do not score personal statements. But, they can discuss them in interviews, although this varies at different colleges. 

We recommend that candidates include relevant work experience on their personal statement. Also, they should include relevant academic work such as an EPQ or a ‘massive open online course’ (MOOC) on a topic related to the science underlying medicine. This is due to the scientific focus of Cambridge Medical School in the pre-clinical years.

Interview

The interview style consists of multiple panel interviews at the same college. The exact number of interviews and the number of people on the panel will vary from college to college. Most colleges now perform these on Zoom but this may return to in-person in the future. About 70% of applicants receive invitations for interviews usually based on their entrance exam scores.

Interviews are usually focussed on the science underpinning medicine. This tests if you’re compatible with the traditional teaching style in pre-clinical studies. They may start with a brief discussion. It will be about something you wrote in your personal statement or Supplementary Additional Questionnaire (SAQ). After this, they usually ask about a concept covered at A-Level, adding complexity and noting how you handle it.  

Some colleges will also ask some clinically oriented questions which you would be more likely to find in an MMI interview.

Graduate Entry at Cambridge Medical School

The Graduate Entry course is a 4-year degree with 22 spaces only open to those who are ‘home’ students rather than international. Applicants have different requirements depending on their degree classification.

2:1

If you achieved a 2:1, you must have achieved at least A*A*A in A-levels (Chemistry with two of Biology, Physics, Mathematics) or 41-42 points, with 776 at Higher Level in IB. Furthermore, you must complete the UCAT.

1:1

If you achieved a 1:1, you must at least ABB in A-levels (Chemistry with two of Biology, Physics, Mathematics) or 38-40 points, with 665 at Higher Level. Additionally, you must complete the UCAT.

Currently, the colleges which offer the graduate entry programme are Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s or Wolfson Colleges.

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

In the 2023 entry cycle, there were 273 places, 22 of which were for international students.

Cambridge Medical School Ranking

The Complete University Guide and The Guardian rank Cambridge as the top medical school in the UK. Additionally, The Times ranks Cambridge as the 2nd medical school in the world.

It’s important to keep in mind that university rankings are subjective and are often based on different criteria. Whilst rankings can be a factor when deciding which medical schools to apply to, there are more important factors to consider.

Also, no matter which medical school you go to, you’ll get the same degree and F1 job offers do not consider which university you graduated from. It goes without saying that rankings aren’t important for medicine. Instead, pick the university that you think will fit you best.

Cambridge Medical School Fees

Currently, tuition fees for home students are £9250 and for international students, it is £67,194. There are numerous bursaries and scholarships offered by the University and also by individual colleges. See the relevant websites for more detail.

Additionally, there are course and equipment fees which are estimated to be £250 across the first three years of the course.

Cambridge Medical School Acceptance rate

In the 2023 entry cycle, there were 1754 applicants, 288 of whom received an offer, an acceptance rate of 16.4%. This rate differs depending on the college with more detail found here.

Cambridge Medical School Course Structure and Teaching Style

The University of Cambridge uses a traditional teaching style and the course is 6 years long. This involves splitting the teaching into pre-clinical and clinical. In the first two years, students learn the biomedical sciences that underpin Medicine. In the third year, students complete an intercalated degree. Then from Years four to six, students enter the clinical school to gain hands-on medical skills in various medical settings.

This system has pros and cons. So, think about what you want from a medical course and what best suits your learning style.

Cambridge offers full body dissection in the first year as part of the Anatomy teaching. The Clinical School from Years four to six is all around East Anglia and is not only kept in Cambridge.

Small group teaching is a large part of the teaching in college. This involves 3-4 students and one academic. These sessions will often involve going over essays, practical questions or discussing lecture topics.

Another key part of the first two years is essay writing. The ethos behind this is promoting a broader understanding of topics and drawing links between topics. This can be difficult at the start but with the number of practice essays you will be writing you pick up the skills pretty fast.

Cambridge Medical School Term dates

At Cambridge, the year is divided into the 3 terms of 2 months each separated by holidays of 6 weeks. Every year begins in October and ends in June.

Year	Michaelmas Term	Lent Term	Easter Term
2023-24	Tues 3rd Oct to Fri 1st Dec	Tues 16th Jan to Fri 15th Mar	Tues 23rd Apr to Fri 14th Jun
2024-25	Tues 8th Oct to Fri 6th Dec	Tues 21st Jan to Fri 21st Mar	Tues 29th Apr to Fri 20th Jun
2025-26	Tues 7th Oct to Fri 5th Dec	Tues 20th Jan to Fri 20th Mar	Tues 28th Apr to Fri 19th Jun
2026-27	Tues 6th Oct to Fri 4th Dec	Tues 19th Jan to Fri 19th Mar	Tues 27th Apr to Fri 18th Jun
2027-28	Tues 5th Oct to Fri 3rd Dec	Tues 18th Jan to Fri 17th Mar	Tues 25th Apr to Fri 16th Jun
2028-29	Tues 3rd Oct to Fri 1st Dec	Tues 16th Jan to Fri 16th Mar	Tues 24th Apr to Fri 15th Jun
2029-30	Tues 2nd Oct to Fri 30th Nov	Tues 15th Jan to Fri 15th Mar	Tues 23rd Apr to Fri 14th Jun

Cambridge Medical School Interview Format

The interview style consists of multiple panel interviews at the same college. The exact number of interviews and the number of people on the panel will vary from college to college. Most colleges now perform these on Zoom but this may return to in-person in the future. About 70% of applicants receive invitations for interviews usually based on their entrance exam scores.

Interviews are usually focussed on the science underpinning medicine. This tests if you’re compatible with the traditional teaching style in pre-clinical studies. They may start with a brief discussion. It will be about something you wrote in your personal statement or Supplementary Additional Questionnaire (SAQ). After this, they usually ask about a concept covered at A-Level, adding complexity and noting how you handle it.  

Some colleges will also ask some clinically oriented questions which you would be more likely to find in an MMI interview.

Cambridge Medical School Interview questions

As mentioned above, Cambridge Medical School interviews are primarily science based but can have more clinically relevant questions.
Interviewers may begin with more ordinary questions such as

• Tell me about a patient you saw during your work experience?
• Why do you want to do an intercalated degree?
• What is a better trait in a doctor, intelligence or compassion?

Afterwards they may focus on a scientific aspect of medicine such as

• Why is oxygen carried in red blood cells and not the plasma?
• How does the body maintain its pH?
• Why do we only have one heart but two lungs?

Some colleges are known for asking questions purely designed to see how you approach a problem such as

• How would you calculate the number of neurones in the brain?
• What is the most important organ?
• When is an organism ‘dead’?

It is not always expected to know the answer to a question as the interviewers want to see if you can logically talk through your thinking to arrive at a well-reasoned conclusion. This gives you an experience of the tutorial system at Cambridge, testing if you will be suitable for this format.

Life as a Medical Student at Cambridge University

The first two years of preclinical studies are quite intense. During the week, you will have lectures and practicals from 9am-5pm. In the evening, you will often have small group teaching sessions where you will go your essays you wrote. Afterwards, the rest of the evening is free for doing what you decide. That could be chilling with friends, attending a society event or consolidating on work.

In third year where students intercalate the number of contact hours you have will reduce. This means you have more time for independent study and more free time generally. This is a good time to get involved with other parts of University outside of your course.

Years four to six are much more like a 9-5 job where you will be in hospitals/GP for teaching and shadowing. However, it is then on you to decide how you utilise the time outside of this.

The myth that Oxbridge students don’t have time to socialise is definitely false. There are clubs and societies in your college and also at the level of the University. This means there is lots to get involved with, no matter what level of experience you are at!

Intercalated Degree at Cambridge Medical School

A required intercalated degree is something that few medical schools have, one of them being Cambridge. Most students choose to pick a natural science (e.g. physiology, pharmacology or psychology etc.) to explore in more detail. Yet there is also an option to sdo a humanities topic that the University offers for one year. These options include, but are not limited to, Human Social and Political Sciences, Theology or Philosophy. Switching to some courses will require a test or be longer than one year but the range of subjects on offer is definitely a unique selling point.

Support with Getting into Cambridge Medical School

UCAT Tutoring

As Cambridge 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. Ultimately, getting a good UCAT tutor can potentially enhance your performance in the exam and improve your chances of gaining admission to Cambridge Medical School

Medicine Personal Statement Tutoring

For Cambridge Medical School, your personal statement serves as a way to demonstrate your commitment to medicine, your understanding of the profession, and your relevant experiences, such as work placements, volunteering, extracurricular activities, or research. It allows you to articulate your interest in studying medicine at Cambridge. Having an expert review your personal statement can be beneficial in securing your place at Cambridge. You can also book a personal statement tutor who can guide you to write a genuine reflection of who you are and why you’re passionate about studying at Cambridge.

Medicine Interview Tutoring

With an acceptance rate under 17% in 2023, entry to Cambridge is competitive. 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 Cambridge. We recommend booking in with a medicine interview tutor at Cambridge to get the most realistic preparation for the interview. An interview tutor can help you gain interview confidence, competence, and the knowledge base you need to stand out from the crowd.