North Wales Medical School Guide

North Wales Medical School is a medical school at Bangor University. As the name suggests, it is located in North Wales. The institution currently teaches Biomedical Science, Pharmacology and Physician Associate Studies. The first cohort of medical students commenced the BMBS course in September 2024. The medical school aims to train great doctors by providing excellent teaching and clinical exposure. Bangor University was founded in 1884 and 10,000 students currently study here. In terms of its location, it is close to the mountains and sea but is still connected to towns and cities. It has been ranked as the best university setting in the UK. Read further to see what more North Wales Medical School has to offer!

North Wales Medical School Entry Requirements

Academic

A-Levels	AAA including Biology and another science (Chemistry/Physics/Economics/Maths)
IB	36 overall points including 19 at Higher Level
Scottish Highers	AAB at Advanced Higher including Biology and Chemistry
GCSEs	English Language or Welsh Language at Grade 6/B Double Science at 66/BB or Biology and Chemistry at 6/B Maths 6/B + 4 other GCSEs at Grade 6/B

Admissions Test

North Wales Medical School requires all applicants to sit the UCAT. There is no minimum threshold but scores will be used to select who is invited to interviews.

Work Experience

North Wales Medical School does not have specific requirements on what type of work experience you need. However, it is a good idea to gain a realistic insight into medicine as a career. This can be by virtual work experiences and having some experiences in a caring roles. Examples are ObserveGP and volunteering in a care home or charity shop.

Personal Statement

This medical school does not rank personal statements but may use it as a factor when determining who is shortlisted. In addition, the personal statement is your time to reflect on your experiences and display them. It is extremely useful for interview preparation as you can use those reflections to formulate interview answers as well.

Interview

Applicants who are selected will have interviews in December. The interviews are held face-to-face in Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) format at Bangor University.

Graduate Entry at North Wales Medical School

Graduate applicants must have or be predicted 2:1 in their degree. You should also have achieved BBB or ABC in your A-Levels.

International Students Entry Requirements for North Wales Medical School

North Wales Medical School does not currently accept international students for their medicine course. The first cohort of Home students began in September 2024 so in the following years, the medical course could start taking international students as well.

How many places are there for Home and International students at North Wales Medical School?

Home	140 places
International	–

North Wales Medical School Ranking

Bangor University was ranked 2nd for Universities in Wales by Student Crowd 2023. It was also in the Top 5 out of UK Universities, according to the WhatUni? Student Choice Awards 2022.

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.

North Wales Medical School Fees

Home	£9,250
International	–

North Wales Medical School Acceptance Rate

There has only been one admissions cycle at this medical school. Admissions data has not been released yet however, entry to all medical schools is competitive. Therefore, this applies to North Wales Medical School as well so you should try to maximise your UCAT score and prepare thoroughly for the interview as well.

North Wales Medical School Course Strucutre

Year 1	Core knowledge of biochemistry, anatomy, immunology and developing some basic clinical skills.
Year 2	Community-based learning, SSCs and a unique conference with fifth-year students.
Year 3	Longitudinal-Integrated Clerkship within a community (GP).
Year 4	Rotating within specialties such as psychiatry, neuroscience, women’s health and paediatrics.
Year 5	Preparation for foundation years as a junior doctor.

North Wales Medical School Teaching Style

At North Wales Medical School, the primary teaching style in early years is CBL. This is Case-Based Learning in small groups which will help link your knowledge to patient cases. This will be in groups of 10 to 12 students with a trained academic facilitator to guide students. There is also modern anatomy teaching using technology such as the Anatomage electronic dissecting table.

In the clinical years, students will be on placements across North Wales. This can be in remote, rural and mountain locations.

North Wales Medical School Hospitals

Students at North Wales Medical School will undertake placements across the three acute hospitals. This includes Ysbyty Gwynedd (Bangor), Ysbyty Glan Clwyd (Rhyl) and Wrexham Maelor Hospital. Furthermore, this will be accompanied by 22 community hospitals across North Wales.

North Wales Medical School Interview Format

North Wales Medical School will conduct multiple mini interviews with many discussion stations. Each station will be timed and can discuss personal qualities and attributes that are important for doctors.

North Wales Medical School Interview Questions

1. Why Medicine?

This question will assess how genuine your interest in medicine is and what fuelled it. It requires an honest, passionate answer but not overdramatic. It is ok to share a personal experience that you may have had first-hand or with a family member. You should begin by mentioning what sparked your initial interest towards a healthcare career – e.g. was it your passion for science but also wanting a career that enables a lot of communication? Then, you should explain in chronological order how you gained further insight into medicine to confirm that this is the career for you.

1. Tell me about a time where you demonstrated strong teamwork skills.

This question asks you to draw on your experiences and talk about what you did to display teamwork. It is always advised to link your experience back to medicine and talk about the importance of teamwork as a medical student and doctor.

1. What work experience have you taken to gain an insight into the role of a doctor?

This is a typical question for you to talk about the work experiences you mentioned in your personal statement. This is why it is vital to reflect on your experiences – what did the doctor do? what skills did you witness and what was the effect on the patient?

Life as a Medical Student at North Wales Medical School

Social Life at North Wales Medical School

The location of the medical school means you are close to the sea, mountains and city. From the beautiful scenery to the restaurants and cafes, there is something new to try for all students. There are historic towns nearby to visit too. If you interested in hiking, kayaking and adventure sports then being so close to Snowdonia National Park is ideal. If beaches are your thing, then Anglesey will be your favourite destination!

Societies and Clubs at North Wales Medical School

Bangor University has a wide range of over 150 societies and clubs for students to join. There is something for everyone from sports to arts to academics. It is vital to have a work-life balance as a student and taking part in society events is a great way to branch out and meet new students. There is also a MedSoc for medical students to join and explore your interests further!

Intercalated Degree at North Wales Medical School

Due to the medicine course being very new, there is currently no information on whether students will be offered an intercalation year or not. Bangor University does offer many degrees for intercalated students from other medical schools. So in upcoming years, North Wales Medical School may also include an optional or compulsory intercalation year.

FAQs

Does North Wales Medical School Offer a Bachelor of Science (BSc) Degree?

Bangor University does offer a wide range of BSc degrees in research, biomedicine and neurology. This can be for intercalating medical students.

How Much of the North Wales Medical School Medicine Course is Clinical vs Preclinical?

The 5-year BMBS course is balanced. The first 2 years are mostly preclinical with some placements and contact with patients. The final 3 years are clinical with students rotating through specialties within medicine.

Is North Wales Medical School a Good Medical School?

North Wales Medical School has a goal to train competent doctors with its amazing facilities. 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 their Open Days to gain a realistic idea of the place and speak to the friendly staff!

Support with Getting Into North Wales Medical School

UCAT Tutoring

It’s a good idea to get a UCAT tutor to maximise your score and help you rank higher as we have no previous data on the UCAT cut-offs of Imperial Medical School. When looking for a good tutor, it’s wise to consider someone who has recently achieved an excellent UCAT score 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

Entry to North Wales Medical School is competitive and a large part of the admissions process is the MMI. You will need to thoroughly prepare if you’re serious about getting into North Wales Medical School. We recommend booking in with a medicine interview tutor at Imperial to get the most realistic preparation for the interview process. An interview tutor can help you to gain interview confidence, competence, and the knowledge base you need to stand out from the crowd.