University of Bristol - Medicine

• Duration of the degree is 5 years
• Domestic students’ competition in getting admitted: 24%
• International students’ competition in getting admitted: 8%
• University of Bristol A100 medicine welcomes students with bachelor degree at 2:1 standing or those graduating from high school
• All applicants need to satisfy advanced numeracy and standard literacy requirements as per university, details as follows
• University of Bristol A100 medicine welcomes students studying first of second year post secondary to apply as first year if they satisfy academic requirements
• 18 years of age by 14 September

Subjects required: Chemistry and another science (Biology or Human Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics, for IB, either Analysis and Approaches or Applications and Interpretations is fine)

Standard Literacy definition: one would have to meet one of the following in order for his or her UCAT to be used for MMI shortlisting

• GCSE essay based subject C
• EPQC
• IGCSE English Literature or English first language C
• IGCSE English second language B
• IGCSE essay based subject B
• O level English C
• IB MYP English 5
• IB English A (Literature, Language and Literature, or Literature and Performance) SL 5
• IB English A (Literature, Language and Literature, or Literature and Performance) HL 4
• IB English B SL 6
• IB English B HL 5
• IB Essay based subject SL 6
• IB Essay based subject HL 5
• AS or A level essay based subject C
• AS or A level English Language, English Literature, or English Language and Literature C

Advanced Numeracy definition: one would have to meet one of the following in order for his or her UCAT to be used for MMI shortlisting

• IGCSE Math A
• Level Math A
• IB MYP Math 6
• IB AA Math SL 6
• IB AI Math SL 6
• IB AA Math HL 5
• IB AI Math HL 5
• AS Math B
• A level Math or Further Math C

A Levels: AAA

International Baccalaureate (IB): 36 points overall with 18 at Higher Level, 2 level 6 on mandatory subjects

HKDSE: 5*5*5, with no lower than 3

Bachelor degree holders: 2:1 plus BBB at A-level per subjects required listed above

English Language Proficiency

• IELTS: 7.5 overall with 7.0 in all skills
• GCSE: English Language grade B or 6
• IGSE: English as a 1^st Language grade A or 7, English Literature grade A or 7, English Language A / B grade B or 6
• TOEFL: 103 overall with R24, L22, S25, W24
• AS Level/ A Level: English Language/ Literature grade C
• IB: English A (Literature) SL/ HL at grade 6, English A (Literature and Language) SL at grade 7, or HL at grade 6, English B HL at grade 7
• IB MYP Language Acquisition: English at grade 6, Middle Years Programme (IB MYP) Language and Literature: English at grade 7
• NCUK EAP: A* overall with A in all skills

Retake and Predicted Grade Policies

• A Levels: do not require three A-levels to be taken in one sitting
• Predicted grades are not used as part of the selection process.

Interview Shortlisting Requirements: UCAT (GCSE not required)

• University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in the same calendar year as application.
• All parts of UCAT except SJT will be used to shortlist applicants for MMI interviews.
• Home applicants 2025 UCAT cut off for interview was 3010 (3600 full marks) & overseas applicants was 3080 (3600 full marks)

Where is it going to take place?

The clinical placement will be taken place at Clinical Academies by The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust across the South West region of England.

• Royal United Hospital
• Gloucestershire Hospitals
• Southmead Hospital
• Musgrove Park Hospital
• Yeovil District Hospital
• Bristol Royal Infirmary (including the Bristol Heart Institute, Bristol Royal Hospital for Children, Bristol Haematology and Oncology Centre, Bristol Eye Hospital and St Michael's Hospital)
• Weston General Hospital
• Great Western Hospital

What is The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust like?

Serves over 500,000 residents in Bath, and the surrounding towns and villages in North East Somerset and Western Wiltshire.

The Royal United Hospital Bath NHS Foundation Trust major spending is on:

• Cancer care
• Cardiac and stroke
• Care for older people, particularly those with dementia
• Higher levels of critical care
• Pulmonary hypertension
• Maternity services
• Rheumatology, pain, and fatigue
• Specialist orthopaedics (surgery on joints and bones)

How is clinical placement going to be for undergraduate students?

• Year 1-2: clinical placements in primary and secondary care.
• Year 3: primary, community and secondary care settings in the clinical academies.
• Year 4: the care of patients from birth to old age in primary, community and secondary care in clinical academies.
• Year 5: working within clinical teams, experiencing teamwork and decision-making in primary, community and secondary care.

Motivation to study medicine

1. Why medicine?
2. Why Bristol?
3. What do you know about the Bristol Medicine course? How is it taught?
4. Why do you think you will be well suited to this course?
5. Why medicine and not dentistry or nursing?
6. Tell us about your volunteering.
7. What are your hobbies?
8. What are the negatives of a career in medicine?
9. Why would you make a good doctor?
10. What is it like to be a doctor?
11. What specific aspect of Bristol Medical School appeals to you the most?
12. Tell me about a time you demonstrated perseverance in the face of adversity. How do you think this skill will help you in medical school?
13. How do you plan to manage the demands of medical school while maintaining a healthy work-life balance?
14. Reflecting on your journey so far, what has motivated you to pursue a career in healthcare, and how has it shaped your perspective?
15. What inspires you about working within the medical field, especially in a city like Bristol?

Personal Insight

1. Why should patients trust you?
2. What are your best qualities?
3. How do you manage stress?
4. Can you provide us with an example of a time when you demonstrated resilience?
5. Give us an example of a time when you demonstrated teamwork.
6. What are your strengths and weaknesses?
7. How would your friends describe you?
8. Tell us about an article that you have recently read.
9. Should doctors always tell the truth?
10. Should doctors be healthy?
11. What could be done to improve healthcare delivery?

NHS & Local Area

1. What changes would you make to the NHS if you could?
2. What are the NHS values and why are they important?
3. What do you know about the local area here in Bristol?
4. How has COVID changed the way the NHS operates?
5. What do you think are going to be the long-term consequences of COVID on the NHS?
6. How does the healthcare system differ here compared to other areas in the UK?
7. If you could choose to allocate an additional £20 million to either of the following areas of healthcare, which one would you choose and why? Cancer research, mental health, Covid-19 research, palliative care, prolonging life research.
8. How do you see the future of the NHS?

Ethical Scenarios

1. What is the debate surrounding euthanasia, should it be legalised?
2. Please explain what do you understand by the term 4 pillars of medical ethics.
3. Who would you give this organ to?
4. If you notice that a colleague has turned up to work drunk, what would you do?
5. If you had multiple patients in need of a heart for transplant, but only one viable heart, how would you select a patient to give it to?

Teamwork Interview Questions

1. Describe a time when you worked in a team with conflicting opinions. How did you help resolve the conflict?
2. How would you support a team member who is struggling to meet deadlines in a high-pressure environment?
3. In a healthcare team, how do you think the role of the leader differs from that of a follower?
4. What skills do you believe are essential for effective teamwork in a clinical setting?
5. How do you ensure clear communication when working in a fast-paced, multidisciplinary team?
6. Describe a time when you had to rely on a teammate to succeed in achieving a common goal.

Roleplay Interview Questions

1. A patient refuses to attend their follow-up appointment after a major surgery. How would you convince them to prioritize their health?
2. As a medical student, how would you respond to a colleague who arrives late to clinical rounds repeatedly?
3. You are asked to deliver bad news to a patient’s family in a roleplay scenario. How would you structure the conversation?
4. How would you speak to a parent who is hesitant about their child receiving a vaccination?
5. What would you do if a patient disclosed they were experiencing domestic abuse?

Science/Medicine Interview Questions

1. What are the main causes of delays in A&E departments, and how would you propose solutions to address them?
2. How do you think medical advances such as gene editing will shape future healthcare?
3. What are the challenges associated with rationing care, and should doctors be involved in this process?
4. What medical innovation or research have you found particularly inspiring recently, and why?