Medical school guide · 2027 entry

Leicester Medicine

Leicester Medical School, University of Leicester

An integrated, explicitly non-PBL MBChB with dissection, where UCAT and GCSEs decide interviews and the MMI largely decides offers.

The interview Compare all schools

Engineering and Attenborough towers, University of Leicester main campus

Course: A100 · 5 yearsMBChB (top 10% graduate MBChB (Hons))
Typical offer: A*AA
Interview: MMI
Halls from: £85/wk
Local private rent: £1,020/mo
Location: Leicester

Preparing for Leicester

What matters most at Leicester.

01
UCAT makes up half of the pre-interview score, and the bottom two deciles are not considered.
02
One MMI station is a simple numeracy task with no calculator allowed, so practise mental arithmetic.
03
For most candidates the interview score alone decides the offer.

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

The interview

The Leicester medicine interview.

MMI

Format

MMI. For 2026 entry, one of the seven in-person stations was a simple numeracy station (no calculator); online applicants sat a separate invigilated numeracy test after six stations.

Stations and timing

2026 entry: home applicants sat seven stations of about 10 minutes each in person, with 1 minute of reading time per station. International applicants sat six online stations of 7 to 8 minutes, followed by an invigilated numeracy test. For 2027 entry, Leicester confirms only MMIs plus a numeracy test.

In person or online

For 2027 entry, face to face at the George Davies Centre for Home applicants; online for international applicants.

Dates

For 2027 entry, Home interviews run 8-18 December 2026 and 6-13 January 2027, and International 8-12 February 2027. Invitations are sent from late November 2026.

How it counts

For most candidates the interview score alone decides the offer, ranked by total station score. Borderline candidates have their whole application reviewed, and a second panel interview may be held if concerns arise.

What Leicester assesses

Communication (verbal and listening)
Problem solving
Personal qualities and values
Motivation and suitability
Empathy and compassion
Emotional intelligence
Ethical judgement
Organisational ability and numeracy

What the tasks involve

Simple numeracy task
Reading material then questions
Video clip then questions
Personal qualities and values scenarios

Preparation advice from Leicester

Applicants must complete a consent form and upload certificates to the portal before interview. Leicester does not endorse commercial interview courses.

Practise for the Leicester 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 Leicester.

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

Typical A-level offer

A*AA, AAAB, or AAA plus a B in an EPQ or a fourth AS-level in a different subject (2027 entry)

Required subjects

Chemistry or Biology, plus one other science from Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths or Psychology.

How the UCAT is used

For 2027 entry, scoring is points-based. UCAT is 50% of the pre-interview score (up to 48 points; 2400 or above scores 48, with bands below that). It is combined with GCSE points in a 50:50 split and ranked within applicant groups. The bottom two UCAT deciles are not considered.

Situational judgement (SJT)

For 2027 entry, SJT Band 4 means automatic rejection before interview. Bands 1-3 are required for the automatic-invite and guaranteed-interview routes.

Published UCAT scores

2026 entry interview thresholds, as an academic-plus-UCAT score out of 96: Home predicted-grade applicants 79; Home graduates 68 (predicted) or 70 (achieved); Overseas predicted-grade applicants 88.

GCSEs

Minimum grade 6/B in English Language, Maths and Double Science (or Chemistry and Biology). Eight GCSEs (first sittings) are scored and make up 50% of the pre-interview score (9 = 6, 8 = 5, 7 = 4, 6 = 3, 5 = 0).

Other qualifications

IB 34 (7,6,6 at Higher Level) or 36 (6,6,6 at Higher Level). Access to Medicine is accepted for A100 from applicants aged 22 or over.

Contextual offers

An adjusted AAA offer applies to applicants from IMD quintile 1 (deciles 1 or 2) who also have a UCAT bursary, a 16-19 bursary, free school meals for over 6 months or more than 3 months in local authority care, and to completers of Realising Opportunities, Access Leicester: Medicine and Sutton Trust Pathways to Medicine. These programmes and UKWPMED give a guaranteed interview with UCAT in the top 7 deciles and SJT Band 1-3. Applicants with two or more contextual markers can be favoured over equally scored applicants.

The course

Studying medicine at Leicester.

At a glance

Intake: 293 a year (A100, 2027 entry)
Teaching: Integrated, not problem-based
Anatomy: Full-body dissection
Intercalation: Optional after Year 2 or 3
Main campus: George Davies Centre, main campus

Complete University Guide 2027

6th

of 40 for Medicine · table

Guardian University Guide 2027

10th

of 40 for Medicine · table

National Student Survey 2025

94.3%

positive about teaching on the course (241 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

Years 1–2Phase 1: integrated modules, dissection, community attachments and HCA training with ward experience in Year 1. A clinical exam must be passed to progress.
Year 3Longer apprentice-style placements in medicine, surgery and general practice.
Year 4Specialty blocks including obstetrics and gynaecology, child health, cancer care and psychiatry.
Year 5Extended foundation assistantship to prepare for F1, plus elective and finals.

How it is taught

An integrated, patient-focused course (explicitly not problem-based learning). Phase 1 (Years 1-2) uses interdisciplinary modules with lectures, small-group work and dissection, with about 50% guided group work led by Clinical Teaching Fellows. Phase 2 (Years 3-5) is full-time clinical.

Patient contact

From Year 1: simulated patients first, then ward patients. Year 1 students can train and qualify as Healthcare Assistants.

Intercalation

Optional and encouraged: an iBSc after Year 2 or 3, or an iMSc in Medical Research after Year 3 (either makes the course 6 years). Intercalating elsewhere is possible.

Placements

Leicester city hospitals (including Glenfield) and district centres across the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire.

Distinctive features

Full-body cadaveric dissection
Year 1 HCA training and qualification
Stoneygate Centre for Empathic Healthcare
Year 5 extended foundation assistantship; iPad and digital course materials

How you are assessed

Phase 1 has regular formative tests and summative exams that must be passed to progress. Finals combine the Applied Knowledge Test, a final OSCE (CPSA) and a short-answer paper, all passed in the same year.

Elective

Taken towards the end of the course, in the UK or overseas; length is not stated on the course page.

Main teaching hospitals

Leicester Royal Infirmary
Leicester General Hospital
Glenfield Hospital
Northampton General Hospital
District hospitals across the Midlands and Lincolnshire

Placements and travel

Placements run across Leicester, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire, so expect travel costs, mainly in Years 3 and 4. The school offers some help depending on funding.

Student life

Living in Leicester 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

Leicester is a diverse East Midlands city with two universities and over 35,000 students. Living costs are lower than in many UK cities.

Accommodation

First-years who apply by 1 September are guaranteed an offer of University-managed accommodation. Many halls are at The Village in Oadby, about 20 minutes by bus from the main campus; Knighton Court rooms cost £168–£189 a week (2026/27, 42 weeks).

Medical society

LUSUMA (Leicester University Students' Union Medical Association)

Students' union

University of Leicester Students' Union

Medic societies and clubs

Leicester Wilderness and Emergency Medicine Society
Teddy Bear Hospital
Street Doctors
Medics' Revue
Aviation and Space Medicine Society
Medical Research Society
Leicester Medical Students Revision Society
Ten medic sports teams (Medics' Varsity v Nottingham)

Sport and gyms

Danielle Brown Sport Centre on campus and Roger Bettles Sports Centre in Oadby. Student Gold membership £173 early bird or £208 (2026/27). LUSUMA runs medic teams in sports including rugby, football, hockey, netball and cricket.

Getting around

Leicester station is about 15 minutes' walk from campus, with trains to London St Pancras in 70–90 minutes. Arriva buses 48 and 80 link the station, city centre, campus and Oadby halls.

Support for medics

Clinical Teaching Fellows lead about half of Phase 1 learning in small groups. LUSUMA has a welfare officer and runs peer-led academic support.

Cars and parking

There is no student parking on the main campus or at the City halls; Oadby Student Village has limited spaces that need a permit, so the University suggests choosing the Village if you need to keep a car. The public Freemen's Common multi-storey near campus charges £4 for up to 3 hours, and student permits are not sold there.

Food and essentials

A new Co-op opened in September 2026 at the heart of Freemen's student village on Welford Road, beside the main campus.

Going out

The Students' Union is in the Percy Gee Building, where the O2 Academy partnership ends in December 2026; a new operator is expected to run a refurbished nightclub there in 2027, with works and possible temporary closures through 2027. The city centre is a short walk from campus.

Costs and living

Leicester medicine fees and living costs.

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

University halls

From £85/wk

£85–£189 per week across halls checked (2026/27, 42-week contracts); some hall pages still show older rates, e.g. Freemen's Common up to £263 (2024/25)

Accommodation prices

Local rent, whole homes (ONS)

£1,020/mo

£1,020 per month average private rent, Leicester, ONS Price Index of Private Rents (Sept 2026 data, 21 Oct 2026 release)

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

Home tuition fee

£10,050 (2027/28, expected)

International tuition fee

2027/28 fees not yet confirmed. 2026/27 entrants pay £30,150 a year for Years 1 and 2; clinical Years 3 to 5 are indicatively £48,900 a year (based on 2026/27 rates) and are expected to rise.

Fees source

Bursaries and funding

English students on the 5-year course have Year 5 funded by the NHS Bursary (Years 5–6 if intercalating). Extra scholarships are available for the Foundation Year route (A199).

Other routes in

Graduate, gateway and international routes.

Graduate entry

Leicester 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 Foundation Year MBChB (A199), 6 years: for Home fee status applicants with no previous higher education, aimed at under-represented and disadvantaged backgrounds. The typical offer is BBB. 2026 entry had 38 places (15 East Midlands, 23 rest of UK).

International applicants

Accepts international applicants. International places: 18 places for overseas fee-paying students on the A100 course, out of 293 in total (2026 entry). The Foundation Year course (A199) has no overseas places (2027 entry).

Maximum of 18 international A100 places each year (2027 entry). Fees, a deposit and IELTS 7.5 (7.0 in each component) apply. International applicants are interviewed online.

Places

293 A100 places for 2027 entry (275 Home, including up to 38 for students progressing from the A199 foundation year, and 18 International).

Applications, interviews and offers

2026 entry: 2,622 applications and 1,638 interviews (Home predicted-grade: 1,743 applications and 1,347 interviews). For 2027 entry, about 1,400 Home and 100 international interviews are planned.

FAQs

Leicester medicine FAQs.

What are the entry requirements for Leicester medicine?

For 2027 entry, the typical offer is A*AA, AAAB, or AAA plus a B in an EPQ or an A in a fourth AS-level, with Chemistry or Biology plus one more from Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. GCSE English Language, Maths and Double Science (or Chemistry and Biology) are needed at 6/B minimum.

What UCAT score do you need for Leicester medicine?

For 2027 entry, UCAT is 50% of a points-based pre-interview score, combined with GCSE points, and the bottom two UCAT deciles are not considered. For 2026 entry the home interview threshold was 79 out of 96 for predicted-grade applicants.

What is the Leicester MMI like?

For 2026 entry, home applicants sat seven in-person stations of about 10 minutes each with 1 minute of reading time, and international applicants sat six online stations followed by a numeracy test. For 2027 entry, Leicester confirms only MMIs plus a numeracy test.

When are Leicester medicine interviews for 2027 entry?

For 2027 entry, Home interviews run on 8-18 December 2026 and 6-13 January 2027, and international interviews on 8-12 February 2027.

How does Leicester decide medicine offers?

For 2027 entry, the interview score alone decides the offer for most candidates, ranked by total station score. Borderline candidates have their whole application reviewed.

How many places does Leicester medicine have?

293 A100 places for 2027 entry: 275 home (including up to 38 for students progressing from the A199 foundation year) and 18 international.

Sources

Official sources.

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

Official links

Open days: Next open day: Saturday 7 November 2026. Campus and accommodation tours can be booked at other times. Check dates

Show 22 sources

Photo: Engineering and Attenborough towers, University of Leicester main campus, NotFromUtrecht, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons. Vetta Education is independent and not affiliated with Leicester or any university. No offer, interview or admission outcome is guaranteed.

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