University of Birmingham - Medicine

• Duration of the degree is 5 years
• Domestic students’ competition in getting admitted: 63%
• International students’ competition in getting admitted: 18%
• Students must reach 18 by 1st October
• Program is also open for international students with 2:1 bachelor degree in any subject and the candidate graduated high school within 5 years
• Program is not opened for medical school transfers or students that have started universities
• University of Birmingham medicine shortlist home applicants on a formula with details below, meanwhile, international applicants are scored in UCAT (excluding SJT) + Non Academic merits + bachelor degree results (if applicable). Therefore, international students without GCSE will be not disadvantaged

a, Subjects required: must include Chemistry and a second science (Biology, Physics, Maths)

b. Academic Threshold

• A Levels: A*AA with a minimum of predicted grades AAA (General Studies, Critical Thinking and EPQ are not accepted as a third A level) + GCSEs: 7 subjects will be scored with minimum grade 6 in English, Math, Bio and Chem.
• International Baccalaureate (IB): 32 points overall with 7,6,6 at Higher Level + MYP minimum of 5 must have been achieved in Science, English and Mathematics + 4 other subjects are required and converted into GCSE grading scale
  • IB 7 = GCSE 8
  • IB 6 = GCSE 7
  • IB 5 = GCSE 6
• HKDSE: 5*555 with 5 in Chemistry, Mathematics, English and other science (Biology, Physics); Minimum of 4 in all other subjects (except Chinese)
• ATAR 96
• Canadian high school 90% with required subjects 93%
• USA: ACT 29 or SAT 1380 + 3 AP at 554
• Bachelor degree holder 2:1 or above in any discipline and graduated high school within the last 5 years

c. English Language Proficiency

• TOEFL: 95 overall with no less than 23 in any band.
• IELTS: 7.0 overall with no less than 7.0 in any band.
• Pearson Test of English (PTE): PTE 67 in all four skills.
• Cambridge English: Proficiency Minimum overall score of 185, with no less than 185 in any component.

Retake and Predicted Grade Policies

• A Levels: Resit grades for GCSEs, A Levels or equivalent qualifications are not considered

a. Where is it going to take place?

• The Barberry
• Birmingham Children's Hospital
• Sandwell and West Birmingham Hospitals NHS Trust / Birmingham City Hospital
• Birmingham Heartlands Hospital/Solihull Hospital
• The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital
• Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham
• Birmingham Women's and Children's NHS Foundation Trust
• Russells Hall Hospital – Dudley
• Good Hope Hospital – Sutton Coldfield
• Walsall Manor Hospital – Walsall
• New Cross Hospital
• The Alexandra Hospital – Redditch
• Worcestershire Royal Hospital – Worcester
• Hereford County Hospital

b. What is University Hospitals Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust like?

• UHB is one of the largest NHS trusts in the UK, serving a regional, national, and international population.
• More than 2.6 million patients are treated across UHB’s multiple sites each year and it is the highest number of outpatients in England.

c. How is clinical placement going to be for undergraduate students?

• Year 1: 1 GP placement + 1 Hospital placement (Hospital orientation day)
  • The placements start in week two of year 1 and continue throughout the five years of the course.

• Year 2: 1 GP placement + 1 Hospital placement (Hospital preparation week)
• Year 3: 1 GP placement + 2/3 Hospital placements (Integrated clinical medicine and surgery - Semester 1 & 2, Student Selected Experience)
• Year 4: 1 GP placement + 5 Hospital placements (Specialty Medicine A/B, Psychiatry, Neuro-muscular Medicine and Palliative Care, Surgery & Peri-Operative Care, Selected Career Experience)
• Year 5: 1 GP placement (CBM Assistantship & CBM Group) + 4 Hospital placements (Acutely Ill Patient, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics & Assistantship)

• Domestic interviews will happen on site with six or seven 8-minute (including 2 minutes of preparation time) stations
• international candidates’ interviews will take place via Zoom regardless of where the candidate is located, calculation and role play will definitely be tested
• each station will be scored along with UCAT SJT
  • Band 1 = 3 points
  • Band 2 = 2 points
  • Band 3 = 1 point

1. Critical thinking (Interview format)

• a topic relevant to healthcare but are not expected to have prior clinical knowledge
• must identify the issues and present rational arguments for possible appropriate courses of action in attempting to resolve any inherent challenges

Questions:

1. Why antibiotics don’t work for colds. How would you give a clear, engaging explanation?
2. A smoker asks about lung cancer screening. How would you explain eligibility, benefits and risks?
3. A patient wants to understand HbA1c. How would you explain what it measures and targets?
4. A parent worries about fever/febrile seizures. How would you explain red flags and safety-netting?
5. New hypertension diagnosis: “why me?” How would you discuss modifiable vs non-modifiable risks?
6. Runner with knee pain wants an MRI now. How would you explain conservative management and imaging indications?
7. Curious about placebos. How would you ethically explain placebo vs nocebo?
8. Viral TikTok supplement trend. How would you appraise evidence and discuss safety?
9. Calorie vs nutrient density. How would you give practical, culturally sensitive advice?
10. “Are e-cigarettes safe?” How would you present a balanced harm-reduction explanation?

2. Commitment and insight into medicine (Interview format)

• discuss specific aspects of the work or other relevant experience, in particular of the experience in providing care or support to vulnerable individuals or witnessed others providing care or support to vulnerable individuals
• focus on the reflections and insights gained from the work experience or from observation of healthcare professionals
• the reflections could be referred to the Reflective Diary by The Royal College of General Practitioners.

Questions:

1. Work experience lacked direct patient contact. How would you reflect honestly on learning?
2. You received tough comms feedback. How would you show growth and a plan to improve?
3. You faced an exam-day setback. How would you demonstrate resilience and learning?
4. You volunteered at a food bank. How did this shape your view on health inequalities?
5. You observed excellent MDT teamwork. What made it effective?
6. You changed your mind after new evidence. How do you show openness and professionalism?
7. You balanced study with caring responsibilities. What time-management skills did you gain?
8. You had a group-project disagreement. How did you resolve the conflict, and what changed?
9. You shadowed GP, then the hospital. How would you compare the settings constructively?

3. Dealing with personal and ethical challenges (Interview format)

• a scenario relating to potential challenges faced by staff working in healthcare
• need to demonstrate the understanding of the personal qualities important for coping in a demanding career and the capabilities in dealing with challenge

Questions:

1. A patient arrives late and is upset that they can’t be seen today. How would you acknowledge their feelings and propose a fair plan?
2. A teenager looks disengaged while their parent answers for them. How would you bring the young person into the conversation appropriately?
3. A patient with limited English keeps nodding but doesn’t understand. How would you check understanding and adapt your explanation?
4. A patient with limited English keeps nodding but doesn’t understand. How would you check understanding and adapt your explanation?

4. Professionalism

• a scenario reflecting potentially poor professional behaviour or attitudes from a member of the healthcare team
• think through how to respond to this as a student and to explore the scope and importance of professionalism in the context of healthcare.

Questions:

1. A colleague smells of alcohol on shift. How would you escalate concerns fairly?
2. A receptionist asks you to check a friend’s record. How would you respond to information governance?

5. Data interpretation and debate

• interpret the clinically relevant information and draw conclusions that are appropriate to the scenario
• think about how to communicate information to a patient or their carer in an accurate but accessible manner

Questions:

1. A child needs 12.5 mg/kg paracetamol; 22 kg; liquid 120 mg/5 mL. How would you calculate the dose volume safely?
2. eGFR falls from 60 to 45 in a year. How would you interpret and safety-net?
3. Test has sens 90%, spec 95%, prevalence 2%. How would you explain PPV to a patient?
4. A chart shows a BP step-rise after caffeine. How would you summarise the pattern and limits?
5. Trial RR 0.8, 95% CI 0.6–1.1. How would you communicate uncertainty?
6. A patient asks about absolute risk reduction. How would you contrast ARR with relative risk using numbers?
7. Run 500 mL over 4 h. How would you compute a safe hourly rate and checks?
8. BMI calculator shows 29.9 at 1.70 m and 86.5 kg. How would you interpret and advise empathetically?
9. Adverse event risk 1 in 20,000. How would you frame that risk clearly?
10. The QI run chart shows 8 points above the median. How would you describe special-cause variation?

6. Interaction in a healthcare setting station (role play)

• engage with one of the professional role-players used for training and assessing healthcare students
• interact with the role player as if the situation is real
• skills in establishing an effective rapport whilst dealing effectively with the challenges will be assessed

Questions:

1. You must apologise after a clinic delay caused distress. How would you deliver a sincere apology and remedy?
2. A planned scan is postponed. How would you share the update and safety-net?
3. You suspect a frail patient is being financially exploited. How would you explore sensitively and protect them?
4. A parent thinks vaccines caused a fever. How would you address concerns and explain reactions?
5. A flatmate is worried about a student’s mental health. How would you signpost and discuss confidentiality?
6. An OSCE patient accuses you of being rude earlier. How would you respond to feedback in the moment?
7. A patient refuses to see a trainee. How would you advocate for training while prioritising choice?
8. A colleague is tearful after a documentation error. How would you support them and uphold candour?
9. A smoker wants “quick fixes.” How would you deliver a brief intervention effectively?
10. A patient needs an urgent private letter for housing. How would you manage expectations and fairness?

7. Calculation station

• undertake simple mathematical calculations involving data that has clinical relevance
• recognise which piece or pieces of data need to be manipulated at a particular stage and to determine the precise logical and mathematical approach