Medical school guide · 2027 entry
Keele Medicine
Keele University School of Medicine, Keele University
An integrated MBChB with problem-based and case-based learning, where the personal statement is scored and two separate interviews decide offers.
Keele Hall, Keele University campus
- Course
- A100 · 5 yearsMBChB
- Typical offer
- A*AA
- Interview
- Other format
- Halls from
- £128/wk
- Local private rent
- £837/mo
- Location
- Keele (Staffordshire)
Preparing for Keele
What matters most at Keele.
- 01
Keele scores the personal statement against five criteria alongside UCAT, so it matters more here than at most schools.
- 02
There are two 15-minute interviews, usually about two hours apart, so pace yourself and treat the second as a fresh start.
- 03
Home applicants need a UCAT total of at least 1700 to be considered.
Notes by Dr S Farooq, MBChB, BSc (Hons). Checked October 2026.
The interview
The Keele medicine interview.
Other format
Format
For 2027 entry, two separate structured interviews online, each based on material sent in advance (a GMC professionalism section and a short case).
Stations and timing
For 2027 entry, two 15-minute interviews, usually about 2 hours apart.
In person or online
For 2027 entry, online via Microsoft Teams.
Dates
For 2027 entry, interviews run December 2026 to April 2027; earliest decisions in January or February 2027, most by the end of March 2027.
How it counts
The final decision is based on interview performance; ties at the threshold are broken by UCAT score, and a reserve list is used.
What Keele assesses
- Person specification attributes
- Roles and responsibilities of doctors
- Ethical and social issues in health
- NHS Constitution values
- GMC standards
What the tasks involve
- Discussion of GMC 'Achieving Good Medical Practice'
- Short case sent with the invitation
Preparation advice from Keele
Read the advance materials, which are released 1-2 days before; no memorising is needed.
The Interview Handbook covers every common question type, with a marking rubric and two full mock interviews.
Entry and UCAT
Getting an interview at Keele.
Typical requirements for school leavers. Always check the full requirements on the Keele website.
Typical A-level offer
A*AA, or AAA plus EPQ at A
Required subjects
Biology or Chemistry, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Economics, Maths, Physics or Psychology, plus a third academic subject; practical endorsement required
How the UCAT is used
For 2027 entry, home applicants need a minimum total of 1700, then are ranked on a combined UCAT and personal statement score (personal statement graded on five criteria); Verbal Reasoning is used as a tiebreaker. International: minimum of 1950, ranked on UCAT total.
Situational judgement (SJT)
For 2027 entry, SJT Band 1-3 is required; Band 4 is automatically rejected.
Published UCAT scores
For 2027 entry, minimums are Home UCAT 1700 and International 1950. The home shortlisting threshold in 2025 was 15/25 on the combined UCAT and personal statement score; applicants on 14/25 were also invited if their Verbal Reasoning score was 600 or higher.
GCSEs
Five GCSEs at 7/A, with at least 6/B in English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or Combined Science 6/6); these must be met before applying.
Other qualifications
IB 37 including HL Biology or Chemistry at 7/6 plus another listed HL subject at 7/6, or 766 at HL. For 2027 entry, one 360-GLH alternative academic qualification (for example a BTEC National Extended Certificate) at D* may be accepted alongside two A-levels.
Contextual offers
Contextual offer one grade lower, plus an extra shortlisting point (POLAR4/IMD Q1-2, care leavers, refugees, free school meals, young carers, first in family, armed forces). +1 point for a Keele-region school and for a UCAT bursary. UKWPMED completers are automatically interviewed with an ABB offer; Steps2Medicine is also recognised.
The course
Studying medicine at Keele.
At a glance
- Intake
- 171 a year on A100 (2026 entry)
- Teaching
- Integrated, spiral; PBL then case-based learning
- Anatomy
- Dissection in the anatomy suite
- Intercalation
- Optional after Year 2 or Year 4
- Main campus
- Keele campus, then Royal Stoke and Shrewsbury
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 1Body systems taught through weekly PBL cases, anatomy in the dissecting room, early primary and secondary care placements, and a library-based mini-review.
- Year 2Revisits the sciences with more emphasis on complexity and disease, still on Keele campus.
- Years 3–4Immersive clinical placements with case-based learning: medicine, surgery, elderly care, mental health, paediatrics and GP in Year 3; women's health, neurology and musculoskeletal added in Year 4. AKT sat at the end of Year 4.
- Year 5Student assistantships including out-of-hours work, acute and critical care, GP, medicine and surgery, plus a final-year elective. Years 4 and 5 are split between Staffordshire and Shropshire.
How it is taught
Integrated; problem-based learning (PBL) and case-based learning in small groups alongside lectures, laboratories, anatomy, seminars, skills workshops and placements.
Patient contact
Placements in primary and secondary care from Year 1; immersive clinical placements from Year 3.
Intercalation
Optional 12-month intercalation after Year 2 (Bachelor's) or after Year 4 (Bachelor's or Master's).
Placements
Royal Stoke University Hospital, County Hospital Stafford, Royal Shrewsbury Hospital and Princess Royal Hospital Telford, plus community and mental health sites and GP practices throughout.
Distinctive features
- Whole-body dissection in anatomy teaching
- Years 4 and 5 based in different counties (Staffordshire and Shropshire)
- Student-selected components, including a final-year elective
- Small cohort
How you are assessed
Written SBA and short-answer exams, OSCEs and workplace-based assessments, plus in-course assignments. The MLA AKT is sat at the end of Year 4, the CPSA is the final skills assessment, and the Prescribing Safety Assessment is in Year 5.
Elective
A final-year elective forms part of the student-selected components.
Main teaching hospitals
- Royal Stoke University Hospital
- County Hospital, Stafford
- Royal Shrewsbury Hospital
- Princess Royal Hospital, Telford
- Harplands Hospital, Stoke-on-Trent
- Redwoods Centre, Shrewsbury
Placements and travel
Placements span Staffordshire and Shropshire, and one of Years 4 or 5 is based around Shrewsbury and Telford. Students pay reasonable local travel costs themselves; NHS Bursary-funded students on mandatory placements may claim excess travel and, where needed, placement accommodation.
Student life
Living in Keele (Staffordshire) 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
Keele is a self-contained campus university set in about 600 acres of parkland, near Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent.
Accommodation
On-campus rooms are guaranteed for September-entry undergraduates who make Keele their firm choice and apply by 30 June. Keele has over 2,500 rooms on site, all within a short walk of the campus centre.
Medical society
Students' union
Medic societies and clubs
- Sports and Exercise Medicine Society
Sport and gyms
The on-campus Sports Centre gym costs £158 for an academic-year student membership including classes (current price list). Joining any Keele SU sports club needs Team Keele membership, £65.95.
Shops and essentials
The campus has a grocery store, library, post office, pharmacy, GP surgery and cafés within walking distance.
Getting around
A regular bus from the centre of campus runs to Newcastle-under-Lyme and Stoke-on-Trent, where the railway station is.
Support for medics
Every student has a personal tutor, and the course is taught in smaller year groups than many schools, which students say makes tutors easier to reach.
Cars and parking
Student permits cost £115 a year (£57.50 a semester) and are limited to set groups, such as students with health issues, campus residents whose placements are over an hour away or unreachable by public transport, and long-distance commuters. Medicine students who study or attend placement at the UHNS hospital may get free parking on campus if they show a hospital-site permit.
Food and essentials
Keele SU runs a campus Co-op for groceries, meal deals and essentials, plus Dirty Dipz for street food and The Squirrel Bar & Kitchen for burgers.
Going out
Most nights out are on campus at Keele SU: the Ballroom and Blueprint Bar hosts weekly themed club nights, live music and comedy (including Bongo's Bingo), and The Squirrel is the everyday student bar showing live sport.
Costs and living
Keele medicine fees and living costs.
Fees, university accommodation and local private rents, from official sources.
University halls
From £128/wk£128.03–£231.98 per week (2026/27); contracts of 38, 41 or 51 weeks (also semester-only options)
Accommodation pricesLocal rent, whole homes (ONS)
£837/mo£837 per month, Newcastle-under-Lyme, 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
£10,050 (2027/28 entry); £9,790 for 2026/27 entrants
International tuition fee
£46,700 per year (2026/27 entry); the 2027/28 fee is not yet confirmed. Fees for continuing international students rise each year with RPI, capped at 5%.
Fees sourceBursaries and funding
English students on this 5-year course can apply for the NHS Bursary from Year 5, which also covers placement travel claims. Keele's Student Financial Support team helps students find university bursaries and scholarships.
Other routes in
Graduate, gateway and international routes.
Graduate entry
Keele 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
Medicine with Health Foundation Year (A104), 6 years, for Home applicants meeting educational or socio-economic disadvantage criteria; UCAT 1700+ and SJT Band 1-3. About 10 Home places are expected for 2027 (down from 20).
International applicants
Accepts international applicants. International places: 10 (2027 entry).
For 2026 entry: up to 171 places, up to 10 of which may go to international students. 2027 figures not yet published.
Places
171 on A100 for 2026 entry (161 Home and 10 overseas), plus up to 20 on the A104 Health Foundation Year.
Applications, interviews and offers
2026 entry: 2,738 A100 applications (2,320 Home, 418 overseas) for 171 places. For 2027 entry Keele plans to interview 750+ applicants across A100 and A104.
FAQs
Keele medicine FAQs.
What are the entry requirements for Keele medicine?
For 2027 entry, the typical offer is A*AA, or AAA plus an EPQ at A, with Biology or Chemistry plus another listed subject. You need five GCSEs at 7/A, with at least 6/B in English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics.
What UCAT score do you need for Keele medicine?
For 2027 entry, home applicants need a minimum UCAT of 1700 (international 1950). Home applicants are then ranked on a combined UCAT and personal statement score, and SJT Band 4 is automatically rejected.
Does Keele score the personal statement for medicine?
Yes. For 2027 entry, the personal statement is graded on five criteria and combined with UCAT to rank home applicants for interview (the published criteria are the 2026-entry ones, due to be updated).
What is the Keele medicine interview like?
For 2027 entry, Keele holds two separate 15-minute interviews, usually about 2 hours apart, online via Microsoft Teams. Interviews run from December 2026 to April 2027.
How does Keele decide medicine offers?
For 2027 entry, the final decision is based on interview performance. Ties at the threshold are broken by UCAT score, and a reserve list is used.
How many places does Keele medicine have?
171 A100 places for 2026 entry (161 home and 10 overseas), plus up to 20 on the A104 Health Foundation Year.
Sources
Official sources.
Checked in October 2026 for 2027 entry. Requirements and dates change each cycle, so always confirm on the Keele website before applying.
Official links
Open days: Undergraduate open day on Saturday 21 November 2026 (09:00–16:00); register on Keele's open days page. Check dates
Show 18 sources
- keele.ac.uk/media/keeleuniversity/policyzone20/facultyofmedicineandhealthscience
- keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduatecourses/medicine/medicineentryrequirements
- keele.ac.uk/medicine/undergraduate/howtoapply
- keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/medicine
- keele.ac.uk/medicine/intercalateddegrees
- medschools.ac.uk/courses/keele-medicine-a100
- keele.ac.uk/media/courseinformationdocuments/Undergraduate%20International%20Cou
- keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/tuitionfeesandfunding/undergraduatetuitionfees/u
- keele.ac.uk/medicine/intercalateddegrees
- keele.ac.uk/accommodation/accommodationfees
- keelesu.com/activities/society/14035
- keelesu.com/shop/product/10002480
- kuic.keele.ac.uk/life/campus-university
- keele.ac.uk/personaltutoring
- ucas.com/events/keele-university-undergraduate-open-day-475021
- keele.ac.uk/accommodation/accommodationfees
- ons.gov.uk/economy/inflationandpriceindices/datasets/priceindexofprivaterentsukm
- keele.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/undergraduatecourses/medicine
Photo: Keele Hall, Keele University campus, Catherine E M Glover, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Keele or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.
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