Medical school guide · 2027 entry
Glasgow Medicine
Undergraduate Medical School, University of Glasgow
A spiral-curriculum MBChB with a 30-minute online panel interview, where offers are based solely on interview score.
Wolfson Medical School Building, University of Glasgow
- Course
- A100 · 5 yearsMBChB
- Typical offer
- AAA
- Interview
- Panel
- Halls from
- £168/wk
- Local private rent
- £1,266/mo
- Location
- Glasgow
Preparing for Glasgow
What matters most at Glasgow.
- 01
Offers are decided entirely by interview performance, with no adjustments, so the panel is decisive once you are invited.
- 02
The panel has two parts; the second tests communication, including a choice between two short ethical scenarios.
- 03
The personal statement and reference are screened before interviews are allocated, but interviewers know only your name, so bring your own examples to the panel.
Notes by Dr S Farooq, MBChB, BSc (Hons). Checked October 2026.
The interview
The Glasgow medicine interview.
Panel
Format
Panel interview (two interviewers, two sections; 2027 entry)
Stations and timing
For 2027 entry: 30 minutes in total, Panel A (motivation, teamwork and similar) and Panel B (communication, including a choice of one of two short ethical scenarios).
In person or online
Online (2027 entry)
Dates
For 2027 entry: late November 2026 to March 2027; invitations are sent on a rolling basis, with at least 10 days' notice where possible (applicants invited in the last week of November may get 7 days). Decisions are targeted for 31 March and can extend to the end of April.
How it counts
Applicants are ranked on interview score, and offers go to those above a yearly threshold. Decisions are based solely on interview performance, with no adjustments for WP or extenuating circumstances.
What Glasgow assesses
- Motivation to become a doctor
- Teamwork
- Communication
- Ethical reasoning
- Understanding of a medical career
- Characteristics of a future doctor
What the tasks involve
- Motivation and teamwork questions
- Ethical scenario discussion (choice of two)
Preparation advice from Glasgow
Review programme information, revisit your personal statement, prepare examples, reflect on experiences and be aware of NHS issues.
The Interview Handbook covers every common question type, with a marking rubric and two full mock interviews.
Entry and UCAT
Getting an interview at Glasgow.
Typical requirements for school leavers. Always check the full requirements on the Glasgow website.
Typical A-level offer
AAA
Required subjects
Chemistry plus one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics (international applicants: Chemistry, Biology and one of Physics or Maths)
How the UCAT is used
For 2027 entry, after academic, personal statement and reference screening, interviews are allocated by UCAT total score ranking against a threshold that varies by year and by applicant group (Scottish, rest of UK, international).
Situational judgement (SJT)
Not considered (2027 entry).
Published UCAT scores
2026 entry interview threshold: Scotland 1870, rest of UK 1990, international and EU 2150 (three-subtest UCAT, maximum 2700). 2027 thresholds will be published after the cycle ends in September 2027.
GCSEs
GCSE English (Language or Literature) grade 6/B; GCSE Biology 6/B if not taken at A-level.
Other qualifications
Scottish: AAAAB at Higher (S5) including Chemistry, Biology and Physics/Maths, plus BB at Advanced Higher (S6) and N5 English at B. IB 38 (666 at HL) with HL Chemistry and Biology, SL Physics/Maths 6 and SL English 6. Resits and extra time are not permitted.
Contextual offers
Scotland-domiciled applicants only (SIMD 1-20, care experienced, estranged, carers, refugee/asylum): adjusted Highers offer of AAABB or AAAAC plus BC at Advanced Higher, typically requiring a Glasgow pre-entry programme (for example Top-Up, REACH or Summer School). There are no contextual offers for the rest of the UK.
The course
Studying medicine at Glasgow.
At a glance
- Intake
- 341 in Year 1 (2025 entry)
- Teaching
- Spiral curriculum with PBL and case-based learning
- Intercalation
- Optional between Years 3 and 4
- Main campus
- Gilmorehill (Wolfson Medical School Building)
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
- Year 1Phase 1: biomedical principles, first clinical skills and an A&E or GP visit. Phase 2 begins: systems-based anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and biochemistry.
- Year 2Phase 2 continues with clinical systems, communication and clinical skills, plus a student-selected component.
- Year 3Pathophysiology and case-based learning, then junior clinical blocks in medicine, surgery and general practice.
- Year 4Four-week attachments including obstetrics and gynaecology, child health, GP, psychiatry and oncology, followed by the junior elective in the summer.
- Year 5Ten-week senior medicine and senior surgery blocks, finals, shadowing in Preparation for Practice, then the senior elective.
How it is taught
Spiral curriculum mixing problem-based learning (PBL), case-based learning, small-group teaching, lectures, laboratories, and clinical and vocational studies.
Patient contact
Clinical environment experience from Year 1, including an A&E or GP visit in Phase 1.
Intercalation
Optional: a one-year BSc (20+ options) or a two-year BSc (Hons), between Years 3 and 4.
Placements
Glasgow Royal Infirmary and Queen Elizabeth University Hospital; 25 hospitals and 150 GP practices across Glasgow and the West of Scotland.
Distinctive features
- Two electives (junior after Year 4, senior in Year 5)
- COMET (Community Orientated Medical Experience Track) primary care scheme
- Placements across 25 hospitals and 150 GP practices
How you are assessed
Students sit year-end examinations and final examinations in Year 5, and must complete Preparation for Practice to graduate.
Elective
Two electives: a junior elective in the summer after Year 4 and a senior elective in Year 5 after Preparation for Practice.
Main teaching hospitals
- Queen Elizabeth University Hospital
- Glasgow Royal Infirmary (New Lister Building)
Placements and travel
Placements use 25 hospitals and 150 GP practices across Glasgow and the west of Scotland. The University offers travel bursaries for students facing public transport costs.
Student life
Living in Glasgow 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
Early teaching is in the Wolfson Medical School Building on the Gilmorehill campus in the West End.
Accommodation
First-years are guaranteed a room if they apply by 14 July and are Unconditional Firm by 25 August (2026/27 policy). In very high-demand years, students living within about an hour's commute may wait for a room. Rooms cost £168–£239.40 a week (2026/27).
Medical society
Students' union
Medic societies and clubs
- Medical Peer Support Group
- Glasgow University Medical Arts and Humanities
Sport and gyms
A 12-month UofG Sport full-access membership costs £192, or £105 for Semester 1 (2026/27), and includes access to all GUSA sports clubs.
Getting around
Students aged 21 and under who have lived in Scotland for six months get free bus travel under the national scheme.
Support for medics
Each student has an Adviser of Studies for pastoral support, backed by the medical school's Student Support Team. The student-run Medical Peer Support Group offers a confidential weekly drop-in in the Wolfson Medical School Library.
Cars and parking
Students cannot get parking permits for the main Gilmorehill campus unless they hold a Blue Badge (who park free in accessible bays); the only student permit is for Garscube Campus at £84 a year, based on travel alternatives or caring responsibilities.
Food and essentials
Around the University there is a Co-op in the Fraser Building on Hillhead Street, plus a Tesco Express, Sainsbury's Local and Waitrose on Byres Road; the nearest large supermarkets are Morrisons and Sainsbury's in Partick.
Going out
Glasgow has two student unions: the GUU, with at least nine bars and the HIVE nightclub, and the QMU, a live music venue with the Scran bar-restaurant. Ashton Lane, linked to campus by a staircase, and Byres Road (including Òran Mór) are the West End's main student bar area.
Costs and living
Glasgow medicine fees and living costs.
Fees, university accommodation and local private rents, from official sources.
University halls
From £168/wk£168–£239.40 per week (2026/27); most contracts 11 Sep 2026–11 Jun 2027, Havannah House 51 weeks. Page does not separate university-run from partner residences.
Accommodation pricesLocal rent, whole homes (ONS)
£1,266/mo£1,266 per month, Greater Glasgow (Broad Rental Market Area; ONS PIPR gives Scotland by BRMA, not by council area), ONS Price Index of Private Rents (Sept 2026 data, published 21 Oct 2026)
Average for a whole home of any size; a room in a shared house costs much less.
Home tuition fee
2026/27: Scotland £1,820; rest of UK £9,790 per year
Bursaries and funding
Eligible Scottish students have tuition paid by SAAS. Glasgow offers a World Changers RUK Access Bursary for students from England, Wales and Northern Ireland in financial hardship, and Undergraduate Talent Scholarships of about £1,500 a year.
Other routes in
Graduate, gateway and international routes.
Graduate entry
Glasgow 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 Medical Studies (A900), about 40 places: for Scotland-resident applicants (3+ years) in S6 or on SWAP who meet WP criteria (for example SIMD1, care experienced, estranged, refugee/asylum, or two of REACH, SWAP Access, carer, remote/rural school); Highers AABB or AAAC.
International applicants
Accepts international applicants. International places: Glasgow does not publish a fixed quota of international places. In 2025, 33 international and EU students entered Year 1 (568 applications, 119 interviews, 97 offers), compared with 43 in 2024 (2027 entry).
The 2027 course page sets international entry and English requirements (IELTS 7.0, with no sub-test below 7.0). Glasgow does not publish a fixed number of international places.
Places
Year 1 intake of 341 in 2025 (Scotland 261, rest of UK 47, international and EU 33) and 362 in 2024.
Applications, interviews and offers
2025 entry: 2,001 applications, 1,128 interviews, 719 offers and a 341 intake.
FAQs
Glasgow medicine FAQs.
What are the entry requirements for Glasgow medicine?
For 2027 entry, the typical offer is AAA with Chemistry plus one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics. GCSE English needs grade 6/B, and GCSE Biology 6/B if not taken at A-level.
What UCAT score do you need for Glasgow medicine?
For 2026 entry the interview threshold was 1870 for Scotland, 1990 for rest of UK and 2150 for international and EU applicants (out of 2700). For 2027 entry the SJT is not considered.
What is the Glasgow medicine interview like?
For 2027 entry, Glasgow uses a 30-minute online panel interview: Panel A covers motivation, teamwork and similar, and Panel B covers communication, including a choice of one of two short ethical scenarios.
When are Glasgow medicine interviews for 2027 entry?
Interviews run from late November 2026 to March 2027, with at least 10 days' notice where possible (7 days for some late-November invitations). Decisions are targeted for 31 March and can extend to the end of April.
How does Glasgow decide medicine offers?
For 2027 entry, interview performance is ranked, with secondary screening to confirm all requirements are met. The final decision is made solely on interview performance.
How many places does Glasgow medicine have?
The Year 1 intake was 341 in 2025 (Scotland 261, rest of UK 47, international and EU 33). For 2025 entry there were 2,001 applications, 1,128 interviews and 719 offers.
Sources
Official sources.
Checked in October 2026 for 2027 entry. Requirements and dates change each cycle, so always confirm on the Glasgow website before applying.
Official links
Open days: The October 2026 open day has passed; 2027 dates are not yet listed. Check dates
Show 18 sources
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions
- gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/degrees/medicine
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/mbchbinterviews
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/universityclinicalaptitudetestucat
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/frequentlyaskedquestions
- gla.ac.uk/media/Media_1233096_smxx.pdf
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/gateway-to-medical-studies-programme/g
- medschools.ac.uk/courses/glasgow-medicine-a100
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/mbchbinterviews
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/admissions/universityclinicalaptitudetestucat
- gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation/fees
- glasgowstudent.net/clubs/a-to-z/m/page/3
- gla.ac.uk/schools/medicine/mus/currentstudents/mbchbwellbeing
- gla.ac.uk/explore/visit/undergraduate/opendays
- transport.ed.ac.uk/public-transport/discounts
- gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation/fees
- ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/priceindexofprivaterentsukm
- gla.ac.uk/undergraduate/fees/eufees
Photo: Wolfson Medical School Building, University of Glasgow, dun_deagh (Flickr), CC BY-SA 2.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Glasgow or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.
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