Medicine is an incredibly competitive degree to apply for, so applying to one of the most highly regarded medical schools in the world is going to be even more difficult.
Although there is no definitively “better” medical school between the two Oxbridge universities, Cambridge is more established and commonly ranks above Oxford on medical school rankings. Essentially, it is typically considered one of the best medical schools in the world, meaning applicants need to really stand out in order to have a good chance of being accepted.
In this guide, we will be learning more about the Medicine degree at Cambridge, including what it’s like to study there, what the entry requirements are and how you can improve your chances of getting in. Let’s get started:
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Cambridge Medicine Entry Requirements
There are multiple steps to the application process for Cambridge Medicine, all of which will need to be completed to a very high standard. Let’s go through these one by one, starting with your grades:
A-Levels/IBs
As it is very rare to receive an Unconditional offer from Cambridge, you will of course have to achieve the required grades once you have received your offer. Your predicted grades and GCSE (or equivalent) grades will also help the admissions team during the shortlisting and decision-making processes.
Cambridge Medicine Required A-Level Grades:
A*A*A.
Among your A-Levels, you must achieve a grade in Chemistry and another in Biology, Physics or Mathematics. There are no requirements for the third subject. However, it is stated by Cambridge that most applicants study at least the three sciences or Mathematics. Different colleges at Cambridge will also have their own requirements, so be sure to do your research.
Cambridge Medicine International Baccalaureate Requirements:
40-42 (776 at Higher Level)
For International Baccalaureates, applicants must have Higher Levels in Chemistry and one other science or Mathematics. Similar to A-Levels, it is stated that the most competitive applicants will have Higher Levels in two sciences and Maths, which may be required by some colleges anyway.
UCAS Personal Statement
As with any university application in the UK, you will need to write and submit a Personal Statement via UCAS. This 4,000-character document is your way of presenting your abilities, character and drive to study medicine to the admissions team at Cambridge, so it is important to take your time and ensure you have presented yourself in the best possible light.
The Personal Statement will need to be submitted by October 15th, when it will be used in conjunction with your grades and UCAT results to decide if you will be shortlisted for an interview with the university.
You can learn more about how Personal Statements work and how you perfect yours in our Ultimate UCAS Personal Statement Guide, but the basic topics that you will need to cover include your motivation, research, relevant super/extra-curricular activities and work experience (more on this soon). By writing about all of these things in a concise, engaging and genuine manner, you should stand a good chance of being invited to interview.
In 2025, the UCAS Personal Statement system will be changing into a three-question system that requires applicants to answer multiple predetermined questions about themselves. You will still be covering the same general topics, just in a more rigid, less free-form structure. You can find out more about this here:
UCAT
Prior to 2024, Cambridge Medicine had to sit the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT). However, applicants will now need to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) following the removal of the BMAT. The UCAT is designed to test a variety of general skills that are important for anyone working in the field of medicine.
Previously, there was no minimum required grade for the BMAT, although the average applicant scored a 5.0, with applicants scoring 6.0 or above having a better chance of success. The same is true for the UCAT as no cut-off score has been implemented, but applicants should aim to score highly due to the competitive nature of the course.
Cambridge Medicine Interview
If you are successfully shortlisted by the admissions team, you will be invited to be interviewed by your chosen colleges. In the 2023/2024 admissions cycle, these interviews were held both virtually and in-person, depending on which college is interviewing you.
These interviews are held in a traditional panel format, where you will be speaking to a university admissions tutor and medical practitioner. These interviews aim to expand upon what you have shown about yourself in your Personal Statement and UCAT results and allow the university to see how you react under certain conditions.
Subject knowledge will be tested there, although the interviewers rarely expect a perfect answer from applicants, instead looking to judge their thought process and ability to communicate their ideas. You can learn more about what to expect from these interviews here:
Other Requirements
Aside from the four major elements of your application, there are various other smaller, but equally important, things to consider and prepare for.
Work Experience:
Although not officially required for an application to Medicine at Cambridge, accumulating work experience is expected of all medicine applicants and is incredibly beneficial to not only your application but also your own personal development. By taking part in a wide range of placements, you will have lots to discuss in your Personal Statement and Interview.
This work experience needs to be relevant to the subject but isn’t limited to just clinical placements at hospitals or GP surgeries. As these placements are very competitive and can be difficult to get, you will also be able to take part in voluntary work for other areas of the industry, including care work and charity work.
These placements aren’t just about what you did but the skills you learnt, both general and specific. This is what admissions tutors want to see from you regarding your work experience – reflection and understanding of how the experiences have benefited you as a medical applicant.
UCAS References and Recommendations:
As with any kind of job application, universities want to see some form of reference to demonstrate that you would be a good fit to study there. These can come from teachers, mentors or people who you have worked with during medical work placements. Find out more about how this works in our dedicated guide below:
College Selection
At Cambridge, you don’t just apply to attend the university as a whole, you also need to choose which college you want to attend. There are over 30 colleges to pick from, so you’ll need to research what they offer students.
Your college will be the centre of your university experience, being a major part of your accommodation, dining, social life and studies. Some colleges are better at catering to specific subjects, so be sure to research which Cambridge colleges are best for medicine.
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Studying Medicine at Cambridge
In order to prepare your application effectively, you need to understand what it is actually like to study at Cambridge, as it is very different from other medical schools in a number of areas. It’s also important to do this research if you are still unsure of where you want to study, so let’s take a look at what it’s like to study at Cambridge Medical School:
Cambridge Medicine Overview
At Cambridge, medical knowledge and its application are given the utmost importance. Studying Cambridge medicine has not been restricted to theory only. The students there are prepared for combining human interactions with technical knowledge. It aims to provide technically superior skills to students that are aligned with the medical discoveries made over the years.
The coursework at Cambridge University is diverse enough to help students in getting adequate knowledge to practice medicine. In the first two years of study, medical sciences are taught through lectures and practical classes. The initial coursework is designed to help students in learning the practical aspects of medical studies. These courses are included to guide students so that they are well-acquainted with research findings and clinical studies that they can implement in their future medical careers.
In the third year of study, students need to decide about their area of specialisation. In the fourth, fifth and sixth year, there are clinical studies that students need to conduct, visiting specified hospitals.
To fully register as a medical professional while studying at Cambridge, you need to complete your registration with the General Medical Council. This helps in getting a license so that you can effectively finish your degree requirement. There is a two-year period of service that needs to be done in a Foundation Programme so that you can fully qualify as a doctor.
How Is Cambridge Medicine Different?
Competition
It goes without saying that the admissions process is fiercely competitive. On average, there are five students applying per place available, most applying with an excellent academic background, meaning you will need to work hard to have a good shot of being viable for the course.
Terms
The terms at Cambridge Medicine are much shorter than at most other universities. They last just eight weeks each and typically have double the workload of other medical degrees. You will have to submit essays, as well as work on scientific worksheets and presentations.
Teaching Style
How you’re taught and go about your work on a day-to-day basis is the most important factor that will affect how you develop into a medical practitioner.
Cambridge offers very small class sizes in comparison with other universities. A supervision session (led by a doctor or professor) typically contains 3-4 students and can sometimes even be one-on-one sessions. This makes the standard of teaching much more intense on an individual scale and offers excellent opportunities for specific questions and areas of interest for the students.
The approach to medicine taken by Cambridge is fairly unique, focusing more heavily on the scientific and theoretical aspects of medicine, aiming to teach the students the underlying principles behind the subjects they are learning. For the first 3 years of the 6-year degree, there is no contact with patients, instead using the time for detailed scientific studies.
This is known as a “Traditional” teaching style and is exclusive in the UK to just Oxford and Cambridge (learn more about Oxford Medicine here). You will find that most other universities in the UK use either “Integrated” or “Problem-Based Learning” teaching styles. You can learn more about these different styles of teaching in our Oxbridge vs Non-Oxbridge Medical School Guide:
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Why Choose Cambridge Medicine?
The intensity of the workload and rigorous academic standards can be off-putting for many people. It can be easy to think that a different university would give you a much more relaxed time and still give you a medical degree in the end. However, while you will get a good education at any medical school in the country, not all of them are created equally.
There are definitely reasons why a degree from Cambridge may be more highly sought after when compared to another medical school. Firstly, the high workload is a marker of the university’s high standards, and a degree from here goes a long way to show that you are one of the best around. Rightly so, considering its requirements and close teacher-student relationship tutoring style.
There is a reason that Cambridge can boast that almost 100% of its medical students are employed within 6 months of leaving. Employers will certainly notice the name of the university and consider it in your application. This is true for any subject taught by either Oxford or Cambridge, with Cambridge Medicine being one of the best examples of this.
Final Tips for Your Cambridge Medicine Application
So, if you think you’re up to the challenge and you like looking at the scientific principles behind things, Cambridge might be for you. If you are getting your application started, here are a few final tips to help you make your application a success.
Be aware of the acceptance rates for Medicine at Cambridge. In 2023, out of 1,754 applicants, only 273 were admitted to the course. This means the course had a success rate of 15.6%.
Go to one of the Cambridge Open Days, where you can talk to tutors, subject heads and existing students about what the degree is really like. They will be happy to talk you through their experience of their Cambridge medicine degree! Just remember to make note of what questions you should be asking at an Oxbridge open day!
Go through multiple drafts of your Personal Statement. You’re never going to get it perfect the first time around, so don’t be afraid to make as many alterations as you feel are necessary to get it right. You should also get feedback from a variety of people, including peers, mentors and professionals. You don’t have to implement everything you’re told, but it’s good to get a different opinion.
Give yourself plenty of time to revise and practice for the UCAT. We would suggest giving yourself as many as six months to get yourself ready for the test, as you will need to have a good understanding of the five different subtests and how to effectively approach them. Many of these skills take time to build up and can’t be revised for in a traditional sense.
Try to get at least one mock interview under your belt before the real thing. It’s easy to plan things out ahead of time but then freeze under the pressure when the time comes, so get some practice to see how well you react in an interview setting.
If you feel that you are unable to take on this process on your own and have no one who is experienced to help you with it, there are a wide variety of services available to assist you. These cover almost any budget, although the most comprehensive solutions will have a higher price. The most effective option for an applicant who is struggling either in one area or all areas of the application is to take part in a programme from an Oxbridge Preparatory School, which will provide everything needed to boost your chances of success.
Of course, there is much more to learn about how to effectively prepare for your application, but this guide will have given you an effective starting point for it. Be sure to check out our other free guides, or learn how you can enrol in our Oxbridge Medicine Premium Programme today to triple your chances of getting into Cambridge.
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