Medical school guide · 2027 entry

Dundee Medicine

School of Medicine, University of Dundee

A spiral, systems-based MBChB in Scotland whose selection now uses an observed group discussion and a structured interaction with an assessor.

The interview Compare all schools

Ninewells Hospital, Dundee (home of the School of Medicine)

Course: A100 · 5 yearsMBChB
Typical offer: AAA
Interview: Other format
Halls from: £179/wk
Local private rent: £826/mo
Location: Dundee

Preparing for Dundee

What matters most at Dundee.

01
Dundee's interview is unusual: an observed group discussion is followed by a structured interaction, so practise contributing to a group as well as answering alone.
02
In a group task, assessors watch how you listen, build on others' points and help the group reach a conclusion, not who speaks most.
03
There is no UCAT cut-off; UCAT is used with the academic record when selecting for interview.

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

The interview

The Dundee medicine interview.

Other format

Format

An observed preparatory group discussion followed by a structured interaction with an assessor (2027 entry).

Stations and timing

For 2027 entry: a group discussion of about 30 minutes (six applicants and a silent observer), then an assessor interaction. The whole visit lasts 1 hour 40 minutes including registration.

In person or online

In person at Ninewells. International applicants may be offered a remote interview on Blackboard Collaborate; UK applicants' online requests are reviewed case by case (2027 entry).

Dates

January (2027 entry). Invitations are released in phases, usually with at least two weeks' notice.

How it counts

Final decisions are made by the UCAS decision date, with some early decisions after each interview set. The personal statement is discussed at interview but not scored.

What Dundee assesses

Effective communication
Working within a group
Personal values
Professionalism

What the tasks involve

Group discussion of a scenario
One-to-one discussion with an assessor

Preparation advice from Dundee

Bring government or professional-body photo ID (e.g. passport or photocard licence) and dress smartly; school uniform is fine. An optional 30-minute tour and Q&A follows.

Prepare for the Dundee interview.

The Interview Handbook covers every common question type, with a marking rubric and two full mock interviews.

See the Interview Handbook

Entry and UCAT

Getting an interview at Dundee.

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

Typical A-level offer

AAA. Scottish applicants need Highers AAAAB in one sitting plus BB at Advanced Higher.

Required subjects

Chemistry or Biology plus another science (Maths is acceptable).

How the UCAT is used

For 2027 entry, UCAT is required in the year of application. There is no minimum cut-off score.

Situational judgement (SJT)

SJT bands are not used in initial selection for interview (latest published, 2024 statistics page).

Published UCAT scores

There is no cut-off (2027 entry). For 2023/24 entry (the latest published data), the lowest UCAT score among interviewees was 1900 (Home Scottish), 2150 (rest of UK) and 2270 (overseas), with averages of 2662, 2723 and 2690. These are on the pre-2025 scale, which included Abstract Reasoning, so they are not comparable with current scores.

GCSEs

Biology or Chemistry at 7/A if not taken at A-level; Maths and English at 6/B if not taken at A-level.

Other qualifications

IB 37 with 666 at HL. Resits are not accepted.

Contextual offers

The widening access offer is ABB at A-level or AAABB at Higher. Criteria include SIMD Q1, free school meals, carers, care-experienced, estranged and refugee or asylum seeker status.

The course

Studying medicine at Dundee.

At a glance

Intake: 218 entrants (2023/24 entry, latest published)
Teaching: Spiral, systems-based, case-based learning
Anatomy: Full-body dissection of Thiel-embalmed cadavers
Intercalation: Optional BMSc after Year 3
Main campus: Ninewells Hospital, about 3 miles from the centre

Complete University Guide 2027

11th

of 40 for Medicine · table

Guardian University Guide 2027

8th

of 40 for Medicine · table

National Student Survey 2025

92.6%

positive about teaching on the course (175 responses) · OfS

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

Foundation blockCore science behind medicine and early clinical problem-solving.
Years 1–3Body systems taught in a spiral that revisits topics in more depth each year, with history-taking from Year 1 and early GP placements.
Optional yearIntercalated BMSc after Year 3.
Years 4–5Longer clinical placements of several weeks each across a range of specialties, in Ninewells and sites across Scotland.

How it is taught

Spiral, systems-based curriculum beginning with a Foundation in Medicine block, using case-based learning. Years 4-5 have longer clinical placements.

Patient contact

History-taking and examination from Year 1 with open ward access, plus early GP placements.

Intercalation

Optional extra year after Year 3 (BMSc).

Placements

Mainly Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, plus other hospital sites and general practices across Scotland.

Distinctive features

Full-body dissection of Thiel-embalmed cadavers
Clinical Skills Centre with a replica ward, Immersion Room and Surgical Skills Centre
Accredited by the Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management

Main teaching hospitals

Ninewells Hospital, Dundee

Student life

Living in Dundee 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

Dundee is a compact city on the Tay. The main university campus is in the city centre, and the medical school is at Ninewells Hospital, about 3 miles away and a 20-minute bus ride from the centre.

Accommodation

First-year full-time students are guaranteed university or partner accommodation if they apply by the published deadline. West Park is the closest residence to Ninewells, about a 40-minute walk; rents were £179.48–£239.05 a week (September 2026 session).

Medical society

Dundee University Medical Society (DUMS)

Students' union

Dundee University Students' Association (DUSA)

Medic societies and clubs

Medic Insight Dundee (outreach to local school pupils)
Dundee Research and Academic Medicine Society (DRAMS)

Sport and gyms

Sport and Active Health runs the university gym, Strength Hub and pool; a full Sport & Exercise student membership is £234 for 2026/27 (to 5 September 2027).

Shops and essentials

Ninewells campus has a library, cafés and a newsagent; Dundee station is a few minutes' walk from City Campus.

Getting around

Most city bus routes serve Ninewells, and bus travel is free for under-22s in Scotland. DUSA runs a free nightly bus, and ScotRail reaches Edinburgh and Glasgow in about 75 minutes.

Support for medics

Students describe strong peer-to-peer learning, with upper years sharing notes, and over thirty medical societies running revision events.

Cars and parking

City Campus parking between 08:00 and 17:30 on weekdays is staff-only; students can pay by RingGo outside those hours (£3.70 a full day), and residents can buy weekend-only permits. Student parking at Ninewells Hospital is run by Saba Parking for NHS Scotland, and most city bus routes serve Ninewells.

Food and essentials

The DUSA Premier Shop in the Union on Balfour Street sells groceries until 22:00 on weekdays; from the Heathfield residences a Tesco Express and Lidl are within about 4 minutes' walk and a Tesco Extra and the Overgate Centre within about 8 minutes.

Going out

DUSA's Union on City Campus hosts live music, themed nights and the Liar Bar's weekly quiz; Perth Road and the West Port beside campus are the main student pub area (The Braes, Art Bar), with Beat Generator and Duck Slattery's for live music and club nights.

Costs and living

Dundee medicine fees and living costs.

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

University halls

From £179/wk

£179.48–£239.05 per week (September 2026 session); standard contract 39 weeks (12 Sep 2026 – 12 Jun 2027), 50-week option at City Campus Flats.

Accommodation prices

Local rent, whole homes (ONS)

£826/mo

£826 per month, Dundee and Angus Broad Rental Market Area (ONS publishes Scottish data by BRMA, not local authority), ONS Price Index of Private Rents (21 Oct 2026 release, Sept 2026 data)

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

Home tuition fee

2027/28: Scotland £1,820; rest of UK and ROI £10,050 (both subject to government confirmation)

International tuition fee

£57,600 per year (2027/28), includes £10,000 ACT levy

Fees source

Bursaries and funding

Scottish students pay £1,820 a year (2027/28, subject to confirmation) and can apply to SAAS for fees and living-cost loans; rest of UK students pay £10,050. The fees page links to scholarship searches rather than listing medicine awards.

Other routes in

Graduate, gateway and international routes.

Graduate entry

Dundee 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

Gateway to Medicine (A104) is a 1-year course, aimed mainly at S6 pupils, for Scottish-domiciled Home Scottish applicants who meet a widening access criterion (e.g. SIMD20, free school meals, care-experienced, carer, refugee, estranged). Entry requires Highers AABB by the end of S6 including Chemistry and Biology, plus National 5 Maths at B (2027 entry).

International applicants

Accepts international applicants. International places: Dundee publishes intake by fee status rather than a fixed international quota: in 2023/24, 368 overseas applicants led to 81 interviews, 55 offers and 31 entrants. Overall places are set by the Scottish Funding Council (2027 entry).

Overseas applicants are accepted; quotas are set by the Scottish Funding Council and are not published on the course pages. In 2023/24, 31 overseas students matriculated, compared with 155 Scottish and 32 rest of UK or Irish students.

Places

218 matriculated (2023/24 entry)

Applications, interviews and offers

2023/24 entry: 1,951 applications, 844 interviewed, 570 offers and 218 matriculated. Home Scottish: 985, 625, 450 and 155. Rest of UK: 597, 138, 65 and 32.

FAQs

Dundee medicine FAQs.

What are the entry requirements for Dundee medicine?

For 2027 entry, the typical offer is AAA with Chemistry or Biology plus another science (Maths is acceptable). Scottish applicants need Highers AAAAB in one sitting plus BB at Advanced Higher.

Does Dundee have a UCAT cut-off for medicine?

No. For 2027 entry there is no minimum UCAT cut-off score, and SJT bands are not used in initial selection for interview (latest published).

What is the Dundee medicine interview like?

Dundee does not use a standard MMI. For 2027 entry, an observed group discussion of about 30 minutes (six applicants and a silent observer) is followed by a structured interaction with an assessor. The whole visit lasts 1 hour 40 minutes.

When are Dundee medicine interviews for 2027 entry?

Interviews are in January for 2027 entry, in person at Ninewells. Invitations are released in phases, usually with at least two weeks' notice.

Does Dundee have a gateway or foundation year for medicine?

Yes. Gateway to Medicine (A104) is a one-year course for Scottish-domiciled widening access applicants, requiring Highers AABB by the end of S6 including Chemistry and Biology (latest published, undated).

Sources

Official sources.

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

Official links

Open days: Undergraduate Open Day on Saturday 31 October 2026 and a virtual open evening on 18 November 2026; campus and accommodation tours run to mid-December 2026 (booking required). Check dates

Show 19 sources

Photo: Ninewells Hospital, Dundee (home of the School of Medicine), Ydam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Dundee or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.

Personal statement review

Applying to Dundee? Have a doctor read your statement.

Upload your draft and receive structured comments by email: what already works, where reflection is thin, and what to strengthen before you submit. Your words stay yours. We comment and challenge, but never rewrite.

Structure, reflection and evidence, section by section
Clear priorities for your next draft
Word, PDF or pasted text, returned as written comments

£65per application cycle · included with every Applicant Diagnostic

Book a statement review How it works

Compare

Similar schools to compare.

Nearby

St Andrews

MMI · St Andrews

Nearby

Aberdeen

MMI · Aberdeen

Similar selection

Keele

Keele (Staffordshire)

Similar selection

Nottingham

See all UK medical schools

Choosing your four

Is Dundee right for you?

In the Applicant Diagnostic, a doctor weighs your chosen universities against your profile and shows how to make the strongest case for each.

About the Applicant Diagnostic Or practise a timed mock MMI Personal statement review by a doctor, £65

Questions

How can we help?

Send your admissions or programme enquiry and we'll reply by email.