Applying for medicine at Oxford and Cambridge means sitting the UCAT, submitting a UCAS application by the earlier October deadline, choosing Oxford or Cambridge for that year, and attending an interview if shortlisted. Both universities describe a three-year pre-clinical phase followed by clinical study, and both state that they use UCAT results when selecting applicants, so the main preparation tasks fall in Year 12 and the autumn of Year 13.
The UCAT is a Pearson test that has replaced the BMAT at both universities, which means students who find older advice online should check that it matches the pages of Oxford, Cambridge and UCAS. Whilst the course pages carry the detail for each university, the sections below set out what each one says, so that a parent can plan the sequence of tests, application and interview with the right facts to hand.
How are the medicine courses at Oxford and Cambridge structured?
Both universities teach medicine as a pre-clinical phase of three years followed by three years of clinical study, and each phase includes a Bachelor of Arts degree. Cambridge describes the first two years as core medical science with a clinical strand, and the third year as a specialisation in another subject that leads to the BA. Progression to the clinical years at Cambridge requires passing the second MB examinations and reaching honours level in the third year.
Oxford describes the pre-clinical stage as five terms leading to the First BM, followed by a four-term BA Honours course in Medical Sciences. Its clinical years are based mainly at Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, whilst Cambridge describes placements in its own hospitals, regional hospitals and GP practices.
Which admissions test do Oxford and Cambridge use for medicine?
Oxford and Cambridge both require the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) for medicine, including their graduate-entry courses. The UCAT is a Pearson test, and applicants register for it in advance, so booking falls before the UCAS deadline. The BMAT, which both universities used previously, has been replaced, and the organisation that ran it no longer delivers tests.
Cambridge states that UCAT results inform which applicants are invited to interview and may be used when making offers. Oxford states that it uses the UCAT to shortlist candidates for interview. Each university publishes how it treats the individual UCAT sections on its own course page, and applicants should read that page before relying on any score advice from other sources.
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Enquire about this tutorWhen is the earlier UCAS deadline, and can you apply to both Oxford and Cambridge?
Medicine applicants to Oxford or Cambridge submit their UCAS application by the earlier October deadline, which falls in the autumn of Year 13 and is set out on each university's admissions pages. Cambridge states that this deadline applies to most applicants, and that mature student and foundation year applications follow a separate, later deadline.
Cambridge also states that applicants cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year, and that only one application to Cambridge is allowed in a year. A student therefore chooses one of the two before completing the UCAS form, ideally after reading the course pages of both.
How does the medicine interview work at Oxford and Cambridge?
Interviews form part of the assessment at both universities, alongside the applicant's academic record and UCAT result, and only shortlisted applicants are invited. Cambridge states that applicants are not asked to submit written work before interview. Oxford interviews are arranged through its colleges, and Oxford states that the UCAT is used to decide who is shortlisted.
Because the universities publish limited detail about interview format on their course pages, applicants tend to prepare by practising how to explain their reasoning aloud, discussing what they have learned from work experience, and keeping up with current health topics. A tutor can help a student practise and prepare for this.
What should the personal statement and work experience show?
The personal statement is a required part of the UCAS application, and Cambridge links applicants to its own guide on what it looks for. The Medical Schools Council says medical schools want evidence that an applicant understands what a medical career involves, and that reflections kept in a journal are useful when writing the statement and preparing for interviews.
Cambridge strongly recommends work experience before applying, either paid or voluntary, in a health or social care organisation, and points to the Medical Schools Council work experience guide. The Medical Schools Council says caring or service roles and observing healthcare both count, that the experience does not have to be clinical, and that the focus falls on what the applicant learns and can reflect on.
- Caring or service roles, paid or unpaid
- Observing healthcare, in person or online
- A reflective journal to draw on for the statement and interview
How does Oxbridge medicine differ from other UK medical schools?
Oxford and Cambridge each keep a distinct pre-clinical stage that leads to a BA degree before the clinical years, which is the feature their pages emphasise most. Cambridge's third year is a specialisation in another subject, and Oxford's pre-clinical stage ends with a four-term BA Honours course in Medical Sciences.
Selection also differs in having a single Oxbridge application each year and a college-based interview process at Oxford. For the structure and admissions rules of any other medical school, applicants should check that university's own course page, since requirements vary between institutions.
Related guides
- Medicine interview tutors
- Oxbridge application support
- UCAT tutors
- University application tutors
- UCAT guide
- How to apply to UK medical schools
- Medical school personal statement guide
- Super-curricular activities for medicine
- Oxford and Cambridge admissions tests
- Oxford interview preparation
- Cambridge interview preparation
- Oxford or Cambridge: how to choose
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Frequently asked questions
- Can applicants apply to both Oxford and Cambridge for medicine?
- Cambridge states that applicants cannot apply to Cambridge and Oxford in the same year, and that only one application to Cambridge is allowed in a year. A student applying for medicine therefore chooses one of the two universities for that application cycle. Reading each university's course page before the UCAS form is completed helps with that decision.
- Do Oxford and Cambridge still use the BMAT for medicine?
- No. Both universities now use the UCAT for medicine, including their graduate-entry courses, and the BMAT has been replaced. The organisation that delivered the BMAT no longer runs any tests. Applicants should rely on the current course pages of the university and UCAT materials, and should disregard older guidance written for the BMAT.
- What work experience do Oxford and Cambridge expect for medicine?
- Cambridge strongly recommends work experience before applying, either paid or voluntary, in a health or social care organisation. The Medical Schools Council says caring or service roles and observing healthcare both count, and that the experience need not be clinical. The emphasis falls on what the applicant learns and can reflect on.
- Do applicants need to send written work before a Cambridge medicine interview?
- Cambridge states that no written work is required before interview for medicine. Interviews form part of the assessment alongside the academic record and the UCAT result. Applicants who are shortlisted can use the time beforehand to practise explaining their reasoning aloud and to revisit what they learned from work experience.
- How long is the pre-clinical phase at Oxford and Cambridge?
- Both universities describe a three-year pre-clinical phase that includes a BA degree, followed by three years of clinical study. Cambridge's third year is a specialisation in another subject, and Oxford's pre-clinical stage ends with a four-term BA Honours course in Medical Sciences. Clinical years are based in hospitals and GP practices.
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