King’s College London Medical School Guide

Overview of King’s College London Medical School

King’s was one of the first two founding colleges of the University of London and is one of the oldest higher-level education institutions in England. King’s has five campuses, with the medical education based at Guy’s & St Thomas’. It is also the fifth-largest university in the United Kingdom by total enrolment.

The course at King’s is five years in length with an optional extra year if you decide to intercalate.

Academic Entry Requirements for King’s College London Medical School

A-Levels	A*AA which must include A-Level Biology and Chemistry
Scottish Highers	AAA
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA (Chemistry and Biology Required)
IB	35 points required. Must include grade 6 in Higher Level Biology and Chemistry

Graduate Entry Medicine at King’s College

As well as their undergraduate course, King’s offers a 4-year graduate course. The entry requirements for this are as follows:

A minimum of a 2:1 in an undergraduate degree in a Biosciences subject. However, there are no A-Level requirements. The UCAT exam is also required.

UCAT Score Needed for King’s College?

King’s requires all applicants to sit the UCAT exam. 2899 was the mean score of offer holders in 2021. King’s College is known to have a high UCAT requirement and thus is a competitive medical school.

Life as a Medical Student at King’s College London

In the early stages of the course, your timetable will often be a 9-5 consisting of lectures, practicals, clinical skills, and anatomy. However, King’s is in the heart of London, so there is a lot to get involved in outside of studying Medicine.

Some pros of being at King’s include cadaveric dissection, location, approachable lecturers, and access to a good support system.

Some cons are the lack of early clinical exposure and the varying usefulness of the compulsory tutorials.

King’s College Medical School Ranking

The Complete University Guide ranks KCL as the 12th medical school in the country. The Guardian ranks KCL as the 26th medical school in the country.

It’s important to keep in mind that university rankings are subjective and can be based on different criteria. Rankings can be a factor when deciding which medical schools you apply to, but make sure to have a holistic approach when making your decisions and consider which universities you would thrive in the most.

Home Students and International Students at King’s College Medical School

430 students are accepted per year. This includes 400 home students and 30 overseas students.

King’s College Medicine Fees

Home students pay £9,250 whilst international students pay £40,800 for medicine at KCL.

Course Structure at King’s College Medical School

KCL offers an integrated medical course combining both the medical sciences and clinical exposure. The medical course divides up into three stages.

The first stage provides a foundation in the biomedical sciences and population sciences. It also provides the ability to integrate them with clinical practice.

Stage 2 brings together science and clinical practice. Blocks are organised around the human life cycle and common pathological processes. During this stage, there is a focus on the care of patients with a range of common conditions and also following patients for a prolonged period of time.

Stage 3 focuses on future practice and includes the opportunity to undertake elective study abroad. You will also carry out a quality improvement project.

There is also the option to do an intercalated BSc between Years 3 and 4. 

King’s College London Medical School Interviews

King’s College London conducts MMI interviews. Overall, GCSE grades, predicted A-level grades, the personal statement, and the UCAT score are used to shortlist for the interview. However, exam results and the UCAT are the most critical of these when shortlisting candidates.

Applicants will interview between November and May. The interview will cover communication skills along with social and ethical issues. Additionally, there will be an overall assessment of the interviewee’s suitability for the program as a health professional.

Some example questions for King’s College London are below, with a brief answer guide underneath each.

What is your view on the shift to an opt-out organ donation system in the UK?

This question is testing both your understanding of NHS hot topics and your ability to communicate your thoughts effectively. It is important to discuss both sides of the argument in your answer – feel free to express which side you agree with more, but ensure that you’ve discussed points from opposing views.

What steps have you taken to understand the realities of a career in Medicine?

Having an understanding of what medicine will be like as a career is a very important prerequisite to studying Medicine. Remember – this type of interview should also be thought of as a job interview, as after leaving medical school you’ll (most likely!) be heading straight into becoming an FY1 doctor. This is a great opportunity to talk about your work experience and any discussions you’ve had with others in the field.

Please describe a given image to the interviewer without showing it to them.

Questions like these test your ability to communicate effectively with an interviewer in an abstract situation you probably haven’t been in before. This type of question will cause you to think on your feet. When describing images, it is best to start broad and hone in on finer details. Giving a wider description of the image will help the interviewer to understand the context and general setting of the image, before specific details are given.

Is it ethical to charge for COVID-19 tests in order to travel?

Similar to the organ donation question above, this question is testing both your understanding of the topic and your ability to communicate. Make sure to present both sides of the argument in a logical structure. It’s equally important to ensure that you give your view – the interviewer will want to see how you decide between two competing arguments. No answer will be considered ‘wrong’ – you are being examined on how you justify and consider your arguments.