University of Lancaster Medical School Guide

Overview of Lancaster Medical School

Lancaster Medical School is relatively new with the first cohort graduating in 2011. Lancaster is a residential collegiate university located in the North West of England. There are eight undergraduate colleges named after places in the historic country of Lancashire.

Academic Entry Requirements of Lancaster Medical School

A-Levels	AAA Must include any two of Biology, Chemistry, or Psychology. Only one of Maths or Further Maths will be considered. N.B. The University of Lancaster offers a contextual offer of ABB
Scottish Highers	AAAAB A in Biology and Chemistry
Scottish Advanced Highers	AA Biology and Chemistry required
IB	36 points Any two of Biology, Chemistry or Psychology, plus one other subject at a minimum of 6 points.

UCAT or BMAT for Lancaster Medical School?

The University of Lancaster Medical School uses the BMAT exam. They rank all applicants according to their BMAT scores through a sum of their scores from Sections 1-3. The threshold is usually around 10.5 and this includes the BMAT essay section. However, this will all change for 2025 entry as the BMAT will no longer be used by any university for medical school admissions.

Life as a Medical Student in Lancaster

The medical school uses PBL (problem-based learning) predominantly, often completed in groups of 7-8 people. These sessions occur three times per module.

Once a week, for a two-hour session, students have clinical anatomy. Then, this is supplemented by non-compulsory lectures which aid with the PBL learning. As well at this, communication skills are also practiced once or twice a month. Although there are very few opportunities for clinical exposure in the first year this gradually increases with time.

The timetable for first years is less intense than some other medical schools. Despite some contact hours between 9 am – 5 pm, there is also time for self-study as well as free time for interests outside of Medicine.

Medical School Ranking

The Complete University Guide ranks Lancaster University as the 13th Medical School in the UK. For a different perspective, The Guardian ranks Lancaster Medical School as 24th in the UK.

However, it’s important to keep in mind that university rankings are subjective and based on differing criteria. Rankings may be a factor in deciding which medical schools to apply to however a holistic approach is essential. Crucially, when making decisions consider which universities you would thrive in the most.

Number of Home and International Student Places

Lancaster University takes 129 students every year with 125 home students and 4 overseas students. This makes it one of the least available medical schools, with few places for both home and international students. However, in 2021, there were only 614 home applicants. Therefore, the low number of places available does not directly correlate with how competitive Lancaster Medical School is.

Lancaster Medical School Fees

Home Students pay £9,250 whilst international students pay £36,430 per year.

Course Structure at Lancaster

Year 1 of the course covers the Foundation of Medicine. In years 2, 3, and 4 the course focuses on teaching students to diagnose and manage illness. Year 5 of the course is apprenticeship-style where students gain intense clinical experience in preparation for working as a junior doctor.

Lancaster Medical School Interviews

Lancaster uses an MMI style of interview. The MMI consists of 12-15 different stations, most of which are five minutes long. Some stations will include questions about career choice, work experience, or suitability for a medical career. Other stations may involve reading some material or watching a short video clip, taking some notes, and then attending a station. There is also a 20-minute station that involves group work which aims to assess your suitability for the problem-based learning curriculum.

The station scores are summed up and then they are ranked according to their overall MMI score.

Some example questions for Medicine at Lancaster are below, with a brief answer guide underneath each.

Why have you chosen to study Medicine at Lancaster?

There are two sections to this question – why Medicine, and why Lancaster. Make sure to tackle both of these in your answer. This is a great opportunity to talk about work experience – what have you seen/done that has inspired you to pursue a career in Medicine? Lancaster’s website is the best resource to learn more about the university and course itself. If you have the opportunity to talk to a current or previous student at Lancaster, this can also be a great way to learn more about the university and why it may appeal to you.

What are three essential qualities of a doctor?

Understanding the essential qualities of a doctor is a key prerequisite for your medical school interview. Read the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates and Good Medical Practice documents – these detail the core qualities and values that are looked for in medical students and doctors.

Is it safe and ethical for doctors to go on strike?

Industrial action in the NHS is a hugely important hot topic. In your answer to this question, ensure that you consider both sides of the argument before coming to your conclusion. This will help to strengthen your overall answer as you are demonstrating to the interviewer that you have an excellent understanding of the topic, and have weighed up multiple factors. You are not being assessed on your opinion of the topic, but on the way that you consider and justify multiple arguments and sides of the debate.