Medical school guide · 2027 entry

Bangor Medicine

North Wales Medical School, Bangor University

A case-based learning BMBS in North Wales with a year-long community clerkship in Year 3, where offers follow MMI rank.

The interview Compare all schools

Main Arts Building quadrangle, Bangor University

Course: A100 · 5 yearsBMBS
Typical offer: AAA
Interview: MMI
Halls from: £110/wk
Local private rent: £728/mo
Location: Bangor

Preparing for Bangor

What matters most at Bangor.

01
There is no UCAT cut-off; interview invitations follow UCAT rank until places are filled, so a strong UCAT matters at the shortlisting stage.
02
Each station asks two questions with three minutes per answer, which rewards concise, well-organised responses.
03
Case-based learning in small groups is central to the course, so be ready to show how you learn with and from others.

Notes by Dr S Farooq, MBChB, BSc (Hons). Checked October 2026.

The interview

The Bangor medicine interview.

MMI

Format

MMI.

Stations and timing

6 verbal stations, each with two questions and 3 minutes per answer, and 3 minutes between stations; about 1 hour (latest published guidance, undated).

In person or online

In person in Bangor (latest published guidance, undated).

Dates

Invitations are sent from late November into December, with a link to book a slot; interviews are in person only; offers are made after all interviews, with outcomes by the end of March (latest published guidance, undated).

How it counts

Interviewed applicants are ranked by MMI score to make offers. Unsuccessful A100 applicants may be offered the BMedSci Medical Sciences course (B100).

What Bangor assesses

Personal qualities for medicine
Attributes important for doctors

What the tasks involve

Six verbal discussion stations
Two questions per station
Three minutes per question

Preparation advice from Bangor

No pen or paper is allowed and photo ID is required. Adjustments should be requested two weeks ahead (no extra time is given).

Practise for the Bangor MMI under timed conditions.

Six complimentary mock MMIs with reading time, timed answers and marking points, written by a doctor.

Start a mock MMI

Entry and UCAT

Getting an interview at Bangor.

Typical requirements for school leavers. Always check the full requirements on the Bangor website.

Typical A-level offer

AAA

Required subjects

Biology plus one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Economics or Maths/Further Maths/Statistics. Compulsory sciences must be at grade A and practicals passed.

How the UCAT is used

No cut-off. Eligible applicants are ranked by UCAT score and the highest are invited to interview until places are filled (latest published guidance, undated).

Situational judgement (SJT)

The SJT is not currently considered (latest published guidance, undated).

Published UCAT scores

The school does not publish typical UCAT scores.

GCSEs

English or Welsh Language B/6, Maths B/6, Double Science BB/66 (or Biology and Chemistry B/6), plus four other GCSEs at B/6.

Other qualifications

IB 36 (19 at HL, with 6 in Biology and Chemistry); Advanced Highers AAB including Biology and Chemistry. The WBQ Advanced Skills can replace one A-level. BTEC and Access qualifications are not accepted, and A-level resits are not accepted; GCSE resits must be within 12 months of the first sitting. Predicted grades must meet the entry requirements.

Contextual offers

Contextual offer of AAB (A grades in the compulsory sciences) for applicants who meet the contextual criteria. Applicants with a Welsh First or Second Language GCSE may also receive this offer.

The course

Studying medicine at Bangor.

At a glance

Intake: About 90 a year (A100, 2027)
Teaching: Case-based learning in small groups
Intercalation: No intercalation route set out
Main campus: Bangor (Wrexham possible in Years 3–5)

Year by year

Year 1Medical sciences, clinical skills, communication and professionalism through case-based learning, with early patient contact including GP placements.
Year 2Community-based learning, a student selected component and the Rural Health Simulation Day with Mountain Rescue, RNLI and ambulance services.
Year 3Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship: a full year embedded in one community and GP practice, following patients across primary and secondary care.
Year 4Specialist placements and a further student selected component.
Year 5Preparation for the Foundation Programme, consolidating clinical judgement, with a final SSC.

How it is taught

Case-Based Learning (CBL) in small groups using real patient stories; learner-centred.

Patient contact

Early patient contact is a key part of Year 1.

Intercalation

Bangor's published course information for its new BMBS does not set out an intercalated degree route. Applicants should check with medicineadmissions@bangor.ac.uk.

Placements

Across North Wales with Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board and primary care, including rural GP practices.

Distinctive features

Year 3 Longitudinal Integrated Clerkship embedded in one community or GP practice
Rural and remote/mountain medicine, including a Rural Health Simulation Day with Mountain Rescue, RNLI, ambulance and fire services
Bilingual (Welsh/English) communication skills, including working with interpreters
Small cohort (about 90 A100 places in 2027) with a personal tutor and peer guides

Main teaching hospitals

Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board hospitals
GP practices across North Wales, including rural practices

Placements and travel

Placements run across North Wales, and your base may move from Bangor to Wrexham in Years 3–5 depending on placement. Expect to travel to rural GP practices.

Student life

Living in Bangor as a medic.

Where you will live, the societies and sport on offer, and how you will get around. Prices and dates change, so check the linked pages.

The city

Bangor is a small, walkable city, the oldest in Wales, with one of the UK's highest student-to-resident ratios. Eryri (Snowdonia) and Anglesey's beaches are a short drive or bus ride away.

Accommodation

Halls are guaranteed for new undergraduate applicants (conditions apply) in Ffriddoedd or St Mary's village. Halls for healthcare students are available; rooms cost from £105 a week (2026/27), bills and gym included.

Medical society

Bangor MedSoc

Students' union

Undeb Bangor

Sport and gyms

Canolfan Brailsford sports centre sits in Ffriddoedd village, and gym membership is included in hall fees. Over 68 sports clubs, with Athletic Union passes from £50.

Shops and essentials

Most major supermarkets have branches in Bangor, and St Mary's village has an on-site shop.

Getting around

Most of Bangor is walkable, and Ffriddoedd village is five minutes from the station. Trains reach Manchester in about 2 hours and London in about 3.5 hours.

Support for medics

Every student has a personal tutor and peer guides, and a medical student wellbeing lead runs a wellbeing curriculum through all five years.

Cars and parking

Students need a University permit to park in student zones in Bangor, and permits are currently free while the University reviews its fees (a permit does not guarantee a space). Parking charges at all NHS hospitals in Wales were scrapped in 2018, so there is no fee to park at placement hospitals such as Ysbyty Gwynedd.

Food and essentials

Ffriddoedd Village has a University grocery shop (open until 10pm daily) and St Mary's Village has Barlows café and shop; on campus, Café Teras in Main Arts and Cegin Café in Pontio serve hot food.

Going out

Undeb Bangor is based on the third floor of Pontio, which also has a bar, cinema and theatre; Academi is the student nightclub, and Bar Uno in Ffriddoedd Village serves food and drink until late with live sport and karaoke.

Costs and living

Bangor medicine fees and living costs.

Fees, university accommodation and local private rents, from official sources.

University halls

From £110/wk

From £110 a week (Budget Single) to from £265 a week (Studio Deluxe), as listed on Bangor's rooms pages.

Accommodation prices

Local rent, whole homes (ONS)

£728/mo

£728 per month, Gwynedd, ONS Price Index of Private Rents (September 2026 data, released 21 October 2026)

Average for a whole home of any size; a room in a shared house costs much less.

Home tuition fee

£9,790 per year for Home students starting September 2026; the 2027 fee awaits Welsh Government confirmation

International tuition fee

Not applicable: medicine is open only to applicants with permanent UK residency

Fees source

Bursaries and funding

Bangor's Money Support Unit helps with budgeting, and students can apply to the Hardship Fund for unexpected essential costs.

Other routes in

Graduate, gateway and international routes.

Graduate entry

BMBS Medicine Graduate Entry · A101 · 4 years. 2:1 or above from a listed feeder degree (Cardiff B210 Medical Pharmacology, Cardiff BC97 Biomedical Sciences, Bangor B100 Medical Sciences, USW B901 Medical Sciences); other relevant degrees at 2:1 considered individually (RPEL), normally within 3 years of graduating. Test: UCAT (no minimum threshold; used for interview selection). Places: 20 places a year (2026 listing).

Gateway or foundation

Gateway to Medicine (BMBS), A103, 6 years, for Wales-domiciled students whose circumstances prevented direct entry to the five-year course.

International applicants

Not open to international fee-paying applicants for 2027.

NWMS FAQs say medicine applicants need permanent UK residency on the date of application; about 90 places in 2027. The Medical Schools Council course listing also shows 'UK only'.

Places

Approximately 90 (A100, 2027).

Applications, interviews and offers

Bangor has not published application, interview or offer figures. Planned A100 places: 80 (2026), 90 (2027), 100 (2028) and 110 (2029).

FAQs

Bangor medicine FAQs.

What are the entry requirements for Bangor medicine?

Bangor's A100 course page (checked October 2026) asks for AAA, including Biology or Chemistry plus one further subject from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Economics or Maths/Further Maths/Statistics, with the compulsory sciences at grade A. GCSEs: English Language or Welsh First Language, Maths and Double Science at B/6, plus four other GCSEs at B/6.

What UCAT score do you need for Bangor medicine?

Bangor has no UCAT cut-off and does not publish typical scores. Eligible applicants are ranked by UCAT and the highest are invited to interview; the SJT is not currently considered (latest published guidance, undated).

What is the Bangor MMI like?

Bangor's MMI has 6 verbal stations, each with two questions and 3 minutes per answer, lasting about an hour. It is held in person in Bangor, with invitations sent from late November into December (latest published guidance, undated).

How does Bangor decide medicine offers?

Interviewed applicants are ranked by MMI score, and offers follow once all interviews are done. Unsuccessful A100 applicants may be offered the BMedSci Medical Sciences course (B100) (latest published guidance, undated).

How many places does Bangor medicine have?

About 90 A100 places for 2027 entry, up from 80 in 2026, with 100 planned for 2028 and 110 for 2029.

Does Bangor have a gateway or foundation year for medicine?

Yes. Gateway to Medicine (A103) is a six-year course for Wales-domiciled students whose circumstances prevented direct entry to the five-year course.

Sources

Official sources.

Checked in October 2026 for 2027 entry. Requirements and dates change each cycle, so always confirm on the Bangor website before applying.

Official links

Open days: Next undergraduate open day: Saturday 28 November 2026. Book through the university's open day pages. Check dates

Show 17 sources

Photo: Main Arts Building quadrangle, Bangor University, Llywelyn2000, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Bangor or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.

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