Medical school guide · 2027 entry
Brighton and Sussex Medicine
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (Universities of Brighton and Sussex)
An integrated BM BS that ranks on UCAT, does not read the personal statement at any stage, and interviews through five ten-minute MMI stations.
Falmer House, University of Sussex, Falmer campus
- Course
- A100 · 5 yearsBM BS
- Typical offer
- AAA
- Interview
- MMI
- Halls from
- £124/wk
- Local private rent
- £1,816/mo
- Location
- Brighton
Preparing for Brighton and Sussex
What matters most at Brighton and Sussex.
- 01
The personal statement is not used, so your UCAT and your interview carry the whole application.
- 02
Stations are ten minutes long, longer than at most schools, which leaves room for follow-up questions; practise developing an answer, not just opening it.
- 03
Home applicants can choose to interview in person or online; the format, questions and mark schemes are the same either way.
Notes by Dr S Farooq, MBChB, BSc (Hons). Checked October 2026.
The interview
The Brighton and Sussex medicine interview.
MMI
Format
MMI (latest published format, undated).
Stations and timing
Five stations of 10 minutes each with short breaks; about one hour in total (latest published format, undated).
In person or online
For 2027 entry, home applicants choose in person (early December or early January) or online via Zoom (late January or early February). The format, questions and mark schemes are the same either way.
Dates
For 2027 entry: home interviews December 2026 to February 2027; international interview dates are not published (interviews are usually held between December and March). Offers January to April 2027.
How it counts
MMI results are reviewed by the Admissions Review Group, which decides offers. Contextual and standard applicants are ranked separately, and UCAT may be used as a final tie-breaker after interview.
What Brighton and Sussex assesses
- Medical Schools Council core values
- Attributes needed to study medicine
What the tasks involve
- Five one-to-one discussions
- Different topic at each station
- Questions linked to MSC core values
- Same questions online and in person
Preparation advice from Brighton and Sussex
Applicants are advised to reflect on work experience against the Medical Schools Council skills and values, read the Medical Schools Council core values and work experience guidance, and watch the example MMI video on the admissions process page. Photo ID is mandatory.
Six complimentary mock MMIs with reading time, timed answers and marking points, written by a doctor.
Entry and UCAT
Getting an interview at Brighton and Sussex.
Typical requirements for school leavers. Always check the full requirements on the Brighton and Sussex website.
Typical A-level offer
AAA
Required subjects
2027 entry: Biology or Chemistry, plus one further subject from Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (changed from 2026, which required both Biology and Chemistry). General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.
How the UCAT is used
For 2027 entry, applicants who meet the academic requirements and have SJT Band 1-3 are ranked by UCAT score, and the top-ranked are invited to interview. No numeric cut-off is published. The personal statement is not used at any stage.
Situational judgement (SJT)
For 2027 entry, Band 4 excludes an applicant; Band 1-3 is required to be ranked for interview (and for the Sussex guaranteed interview scheme).
Published UCAT scores
2026 entry data (2025/26 cycle): home applicants were invited with a UCAT total above 1990 and SJT Band 1–3, or exactly 1990 with SJT Band 1; overseas applicants needed above 1980 with SJT Band 1–3. Home applicants eligible for an adjusted offer were invited regardless of total score if they held SJT Band 1–3.
GCSEs
Only English (Language or Literature) and Maths are considered: grade 6/B in both for standard applicants, or 5/C in both for applicants eligible for an adjusted offer.
Other qualifications
IB (2027): 36 points with HL 6 in Biology or Chemistry and HL 6 in another of Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics (adjusted offer 35 with HL 6,5). Access to Medicine (age 21+) and graduate entry (2:1 science degree plus BBB) are accepted.
Contextual offers
Adjusted offer of AAB for home applicants meeting at least one criterion in three of five sections (geographical, educational, household, individual, care leavers). About 30% of interviews are reserved for contextual applicants, who are ranked separately. Care leavers are guaranteed an interview subject to academic criteria, and a new Guaranteed Interview Scheme applies to Sussex sixth-form and college students with SJT Band 1-3.
The course
Studying medicine at Brighton and Sussex.
At a glance
- Intake
- About 197 home + 10 international (2027 entry)
- Teaching
- Integrated, system-based, mostly small groups
- Anatomy
- Cadaveric dissection plus prosection
- Intercalation
- Optional between Years 3 and 4 (capped at 40%)
- Main campus
- Medical Teaching Building, Falmer campus
League tables weight different things, so the same school can sit in different places. Use them as one input, alongside the course, the selection method and where you would like to live.
Year by year
- Years 1–2System-based modules on the Falmer campuses with weekly clinical symposia; about 20% clinical learning in GP, hospital and community settings, plus Time for Dementia.
- Year 3Ward attachments in medicine and surgery, based mainly at the Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton, with the Scientific Basis of Medicine module.
- Year 4Specialty rotations, Time for Autism and a year-long Individual Research Project, mostly in Brighton.
- Year 5A 15-week placement at a regional centre (West Sussex, East Sussex or Redhill), finals, an eight-week Foundation 0 placement and an elective.
How it is taught
Integrated, system-based modules combining biomedical and psychosocial science, with mostly small-group teaching in Years 1-2 alongside lectures and weekly clinical symposia.
Patient contact
From Year 1, with clinical skills plus placements in primary, secondary and community care.
Intercalation
Optional intercalated BSc or Masters between Years 3 and 4, capped at 40% of the cohort (priority to those without a prior degree).
Placements
Hospitals across Sussex and Surrey, mainly Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton. Year 5 is based in regional centres in West Sussex, East Sussex and Redhill.
Distinctive features
- Full-body cadaveric dissection alongside prosection, living anatomy, ultrasound and VR/AR
- Year-long Individual Research Project in Year 4
- Time for Dementia and Time for Autism longitudinal programmes
- Eight-week 'Foundation 0' placement after finals
How you are assessed
Single best answer knowledge tests, OSCEs, case presentations and written case reports, plus end-of-placement supervisor reviews and an e-portfolio. The national MLA is taken in the final years.
Elective
An elective in the UK or abroad towards the end of Year 5, after the Foundation 0 placement.
Main teaching hospitals
- Royal Sussex County Hospital, Brighton
- Princess Royal Hospital, Haywards Heath
Placements and travel
Placements cover a wide area of Sussex and Surrey, and most placements outside Brighton of four weeks or more are residential. BSMS reimburses some travel and accommodation costs under its placement expenses policy.
Student life
Living in Brighton 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
Brighton is a seaside city between the South Downs and the sea, with a large student population, about an hour from London. The Falmer campuses are about 4 miles from the centre.
Accommodation
First-year medics are guaranteed accommodation if BSMS is their firm choice and they apply by the late-June deadline. Students are housed in University of Sussex (Lewes Court, Brighthelm, Northfield) or University of Brighton (Varley Park) halls.
Medical society
Students' union
University of Sussex Students' Union and Brighton Students' Union (automatic membership of both)
Medic societies and clubs
- BSMS Surgical Society
- Wilderness and Expedition Medicine Society
- Anatomy Society
- Medic Revue
- Homeless Medicine Society
- BSMS Women in Surgery Society
- BSMS Men's Rugby
- BSMS Hockey
Sport and gyms
Medics can use both universities' sports facilities and clubs. Sussex Sport Unlimited costs £225 a year (£190 early bird, 2026/27), and MedSoc runs its own hockey, netball, rugby, football, tennis, badminton and cricket teams.
Shops and essentials
Students can use the libraries of the University of Sussex, the University of Brighton and NHS trusts; the Audrey Emerton Building at the Royal Sussex County Hospital has a medical library and computer suites.
Getting around
Falmer station and direct buses link the campus with Brighton city centre. Gatwick Airport is about 30 minutes by train, and a Totum card gives discounts on bus and train travel.
Support for medics
Each student has a Clinical Personal Tutor who they meet once a term, and the BSMS Student Advice team offers wellbeing support. MedSoc runs a welfare hub.
Cars and parking
BSMS says yearly student parking permits are available from first year at the University of Brighton's Falmer campus and from second year at the University of Sussex; Sussex permits are otherwise limited to set criteria such as disability, caring duties or a public-transport journey over 1 hour 15 minutes. Visitor parking at Falmer is very limited and pay-by-phone.
Food and essentials
The Co-op in Bramber House on the Sussex campus is open until 11pm in term (with a Post Office), and the Union Shop in Falmer House sells meal deals; the nearest large supermarkets are Aldi and Sainsbury's on Lewes Road, about 15 minutes by the 23, 25 or 25X bus.
Going out
Medics belong to both students' unions; the Sussex Students' Union's Falmer Bar in Falmer House relaunched its food offer (Sunny's) in April 2026, and BSMS MedSoc runs its own balls, cabarets and socials.
Costs and living
Brighton and Sussex medicine fees and living costs.
Fees, university accommodation and local private rents, from official sources.
University halls
From £124/wk£124.46–£228.34 per week (2027/28 provisional rents, University of Sussex campus residences).
Accommodation pricesRoom in a private house (university estimate)
About £140 a week for private accommodation, excluding bills (BSMS estimate, 2024 figures)
University cost guideLocal rent, whole homes (ONS)
£1,816/mo£1,816 per month, Brighton and Hove, 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 (UK students starting 2026)
International tuition fee
£51,500 per year (2026/27 entry, a 5% rise on the previous year for new and continuing students); £5,000 deposit on accepting an offer. 2027/28 fee not yet published.
Fees sourceBursaries and funding
English students can get the NHS Bursary from Year 5. UK students with household income under £25,000 receive a £500 University of Brighton bursary in each of Years 1–4, and care leaver and estranged student bursaries are available.
Other routes in
Graduate, gateway and international routes.
Graduate entry
Brighton and Sussex does not run a separate graduate-entry course for 2027. Graduates can usually apply to the standard course. See graduate-entry courses
Gateway or foundation
No foundation-year route for home students. An Access to Medicine diploma route at East Sussex College offers linked places for applicants aged 21+, and the Sussex International Study Centre Foundation Year is for international students only.
International applicants
Accepts international applicants. International places: 10 (2027 entry).
BSMS expects 10 places for new international entrants in September 2027 (197 home). International applicants are selected on academic grades and UCAT, interview in February and March, and pay a £5,000 deposit on accepting an offer.
Places
197 home places (plus 10 international) for 2027 entry.
Applications, interviews and offers
2026 entry: 1,557 applications (1,338 home, 219 overseas); 787 interviews (715 home, 72 overseas); 646 offers (607 home, 39 overseas), plus 22 home offers for 2027 entry.
FAQs
Brighton and Sussex medicine FAQs.
What are the entry requirements for Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) medicine?
For 2027 entry, the typical offer is AAA. You need Biology or Chemistry plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Maths or Physics, and only GCSE English and Maths are considered (grade 5/C or above in both).
What UCAT score do you need for Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) medicine?
BSMS publishes no numeric cut-off; for 2027 entry, applicants with SJT Band 1-3 are ranked by UCAT. For 2026 entry, home applicants were invited with a total above 1990, or exactly 1990 with SJT Band 1.
Does BSMS read the personal statement?
No. For 2027 entry, the personal statement is not used at any stage of selection.
What is the Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) MMI like?
BSMS uses five 10-minute MMI stations, about an hour in total (latest published format, undated). For 2027 entry, home applicants choose in person (early December or early January) or online via Zoom (late January or early February), with the same format and mark schemes.
How does Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) decide medicine offers?
For 2027 entry, the Admissions Review Group decides offers from MMI results. Contextual and standard applicants are ranked separately, and UCAT may be used as a final tie-breaker.
How many places does Brighton and Sussex (BSMS) medicine have?
There are 197 home places plus 10 international places for 2027 entry.
Sources
Official sources.
Checked in October 2026 for 2027 entry. Requirements and dates change each cycle, so always confirm on the Brighton and Sussex website before applying.
Official links
Open days: Next in-person BSMS open day: June 2027. Next virtual open day: May 2027. Offer holder days are held in spring 2027. Check dates
Show 19 sources
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/entry-requirements.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/admissions-process.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/faqs-entry-requirements.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/our-course/course-structure.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/about/news/2026/bsms-introduces-guaranteed-interview-scheme-for-susse
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/index.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/open-days/virtual-open-day/admissions.aspx
- sussex.ac.uk/study/fees-funding/living-costs
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/our-course/assessments.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/open-days/virtual-open-day/our-course.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/admissions-process.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/applying-to-bsms/index.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/living-here/bsms-medsoc.aspx
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/open-days/index.aspx
- bsmsmedsoc.co.uk/medsoc-societies-2
- bsmsmedsoc.co.uk/sports-page
- sussex.ac.uk/broadcast/read/71167
- ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/priceindexofprivaterentsukm
- bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees-and-funding/index.aspx
Photo: Falmer House, University of Sussex, Falmer campus, The Voice of Hassocks, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Brighton and Sussex or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.
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