University of Newcastle - Medicine

Admission Highlights

• Duration of the degree is 5 years
• University of Newcastle A100 undergraduate medicine has different interview shortlisting formula depending whether the student is a domestic or international applicant
  • Domestic Applicant: GCSE + UCAT @ maximum of 100 points
  • International Applicant: UCAT @ maximum of 60 points
• Even though international applicant will only be assessed on basis for UCAT, candidates must also meet minimum academic threshold
  • UCAT Situational Judgement Band 4 will automatically be disqualified
  • UCAT ANZ will be accepted
  • UCAT and application must happen in the same calendar year
• To determine who gets offer, 50% of score will come from interview and 50% will come from academic scoring (see below academic requirements section)
  • UCAT Situational Judgement Test scores will be counted towards interview score to determine who gets offer
• University of Newcastle medicine UCAT interview threshold for
  • A100 undergraduate medicine for international applicants: Over 90%
  • A100 undergraduate medicine for domestic applicants: Close to 50%
• University of Newcastle medicine GCSE mean for A100 domestic applicants: 3 GCSEs at Grade 8 and 5 GCSE at Grade 9
• Nuances
  • This school accepts students from other medical schools as year 1 students.
  • One time resit on A level is accepted
  • For A level spanning over 3 year will be accepted only as extenuating circumstances
  • Students at University of Newcastle School of Biomedical, Nutritional and Sport Sciences with average 70% and no module lower than 65% can apply as A100 year 1 medicine
  • University of Newcastle Malaysia Foundation Certificate in Biological and Biomedical Sciences students may apply to A100 Year 1 with at least 75% average, including at least 75% in Biology 1, Biology 2 and Chemistry and at least 70% in English for Academic Purposes (EAP) and Medical Studies. This option also waive UCAT requirement!
  • Students need to turn 18 by second semester of year 1 studies

• Important note: academic requirements will be tabulated for domestic A100 applicants and or added to interview score to determine who gets offer
• Subjects required: Not specified
• GCSE: The best eight achieved grades are scored, with the maximum points = 40 out of 100
  • Grade 9 = 5 points
  • Grade 8 = 4 points
  • Grade 7 = 3 points
  • Grade 6 = 1 point
  • Grades 5 = 0 point
• A Levels: AAA (Excluding General Studies, Use of Mathematics, World Development, Communication and Culture and Critical Thinking), with the maximum points = 40, given the points allocated below, it’s suggesting that A100 candidate with A*AA can already max out their A level academic score, in despite one may have chosen to take 4 A levels or achieving much higher A level results
  • A* = 16 points
  • A = 12
  • B = 8
• International Baccalaureate (IB): 36 points including minimum of grade 5 in all subjects.
• DSE: 544 (excluding Liberal Studies and Chinese) and 3 or above in all other subjects.
• Associate degree / Higher diploma: GPA of 3.3 or 75% average or grade B overall

• IELTS: IELTS 7.0 or equivalent including 7.0 in each of the four elements of the test, one skill retake is acceptable
• TOEFL: 100, with a minimum of 22 in listening, 24 in reading, 25 in speaking, and 24 in writing.
• Pearson Test of English (Academic): 76 overall, with a minimum of 76 in all sub-skills.
• Duolingo English Test: 135 overall, with 135 in each subskill.

Admission Highlights

• University of Newcastle A101 graduate medicine only takes UCAT (maximum of 60 points) into account for interview shortlisting for either domestic or international applicant
  • UCAT Situational Judgement Band 4 will automatically be disqualified
  • UCAT ANZ will be accepted
  • UCAT and application must happen in the same calendar year
• To determine who gets offer, 50% of score will come from interview and 50% will come from academic scoring (see below academic requirements section)
  • UCAT Situational Judgement Test scores will be counted towards interview score to determine who gets offer
• University of Newcastle medicine UCAT interview threshold for
  • A101 graduate medicine for international applicants: Close to 80%

a. Degree: minimum 2:1, maximum 40 points will be added towards the interview score to calculate final score of which candidate will get A101 offer

• First honors degree = 40 points
• 2:1 degree = 35 points
• For A101 applicants: if you earned your undergraduate degree more than five years ago, you need to have Master’s program or PhD to demonstrate continuous learning.

b. English Language Proficiency

• IELTS 7.0 or equivalent including 7.0 in each of the four elements of the test.

c. Work Experiences

• For candidates don’t have required academic standing, the university is willing to consider those with five years post-registration experience in a role with significant patient contact in the health care profession.

a. Important Note: UCAT is sole basis for A101 (domestic and international) and A100 international applicants criteria for interview shortlisting

b. University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT):

• Total UCAT score conversion
  • 2400 = 60 points
  • 2390 = 59 points
  • 2380 = 58 points
  • 2370 = 57 points
  • 2360 = 56 points
  • 2350 = 55 points
  • 2340 = 54 points
  • 2330 = 53 points
  • 2320 = 52 points
  • 2310 = 51 points
  • 2300 = 50 points
  • 2290 = 49 points
  • 2280 = 48 points
  • 2270 = 47 points
  • 2260 = 46 points
  • 2250 = 45 points
  • 2240 = 44 points
  • 2230 = 43 points
  • 2220 = 42 points
  • 2210 = 41 points
  • 2200 = 40 points
  • 2190 = 39 points
  • 2180 = 38 points
  • 2170 = 37 points
  • 2160 = 36 points
  • 2150 = 35 points
  • 2140 = 34 points
  • 2130 = 33 points
  • 2120 = 32 points
  • 2110 = 31 points
  • 2100 = 30 points
  • 2090 = 29 points
  • 2080 = 28 points
  • 2070 = 27 points
  • 2060 = 26 points
  • 2050 = 25 points
  • 2040 = 24 points
  • 2030 = 23 points
  • 2020 = 22 points
  • 2010 = 21 points
  • 2000 = 20 points
  • 1990 = 19 points
  • 1980 = 18 points
  • 1970 = 17 points
  • 1960 = 16 points
  • 1950 = 15 points
  • 1940 = 14 points
  • 1930 = 13 points
  • 1920 = 12 points
  • 1910 = 11 points
  • 1900 = 10 points
  • 1890 = 9 points
  • 1880 = 8 points
  • 1870 = 7 points
  • 1860 = 6 points
  • 1850 = 5 points
  • 1840 = 4 points
  • 1830 = 2 points
  • 1820 = 2 points
  • 1810 and below = 1 point
• Situational Judgement Test Band
• Important Note: will be added to interview score to determine who gets offer, but SJT Band 4 will be disqualified automatically
  • Band 1 = 5 points
  • Band 2 = 3 points
  • Band 3 = 1 point

• At NHS units in the North East region close to the university campus, away from the campus and commutable from the campus, each for a year.
• Rotations, clerkships, assistantships, and Student Selected Components (SSCs) in medical specialties
• A100: in Year 3-5
• A101: in Year 2-4
• Highest expenditure areas include cancer services, cardiovascular diseases, transplantation, rare and complex genetic disorders, and trauma/emergency care.
• The trust invests heavily in diagnostics, specialist surgical care, and advanced therapies, such as CAR-T cell treatment for lymphoma and leukaemia, indicating cancer and advanced chronic conditions are major spending priorities.
• In fact, the Newcastle upon Tyne Hospitals NHS Trust is one of the largest NHS with highest annual budget and serving a slightly younger but diverse and sometimes deprived demographics
  • About 14% of Newcastle’s local population is aged 65 or older, below the UK national average of 18%
  • Ethnic diversity is notable, with roughly 13% BAME (Black, Asian, and Minority Ethnic) residents, similar to the national average
  • The region is among the 20% most deprived districts in England, with high rates of health inequality; life expectancy differences are significant, especially in more deprived districts

• Integrity (honesty and probity)

• • What does integrity mean to you? Why is it important in medicine?
  • You witness a peer falsifying data during a school project. What do you do?
  • A patient offers you a gift after placement—how would you approach this?
  • Why should patients trust you?

• Communication
  • Why is sincerity important in medicine
  • Without using hand gestures explain how to tie your shoelace.
  • You’re given a table of objects — explain which five you would take on a camping trip and why.
  • Who can you escalate concerns to within a hospital?
  • Tell us about a time when you communicated well in a difficult situation
  • Break the news to a colleague that they weren’t selected for a leadership role and must still help deliver the project.
  • Explain hand hygiene to a resistant visitor without sounding patronising.
• Empathy and self-awareness
  • Describe a time when you have failed at something, and what did you learn about yourself from this failure?
  • If you notice that a colleague has turned up to work drunk, what would you do?
  • A parent declines MMR immunisation for their child — how would you approach the conversation? Should physician-assisted suicide be legalised?
  • What are your best qualities?
  • How do you manage stress?
  • What is empathy? Why is it important in medicine?
  • What are your strengths and weaknesses?
  • How would your friends describe you?
  • Tell us about a situation where you have dealt with uncertainty or change.
  • A patient with long-term illness becomes frustrated with the slow progress of treatment.
    – How would you show empathy while maintaining professional boundaries?
  • You are working in a busy ward when an elderly patient becomes tearful and says they feel like a burden.
    – What would you say and do?
  • A friend is anxious before a medical procedure.
    – How would you approach reassuring them appropriately?
  • You notice a classmate struggling academically.
    – How might you approach offering support without offending them?
  • Many students find the transition from school to medical school challenging.
    – What have you done to prepare for this?
  • You make a mistake during work experience and feel guilty afterwards.
    – How would you reflect and learn from that experience?
• Motivation and commitment to be a doctor
  • Tell me about an interesting medical issue that you read about recently.
  • What are the positives and negatives of a career in medicine?
  • What areas of medicine do you think you will find more difficult to embrace and flourish in?
  • Medicine is a demanding and lifelong career.
    – What motivates you to pursue it, and how have your experiences confirmed this decision?
  • Doctors often work long hours under pressure.
    – How do you think you will cope with this lifestyle?

• Compatibility with the MBBS programme
  • Why have you applied to Newcastle? What specifically draws you towards our medical course?
  • Why medicine and not dentistry or nursing?
  • What motivates you to study medicine
  • What qualities of a doctor did you see from your work experience?
  • What is your understanding of good patient care?
  • what challenges do you foresee and how will you manage them?
  • Which parts of Newcastle’s programme excite you most, and why?
  • What are the NHS values and why are they important?
  • Newcastle offers early clinical exposure.
    – How do you think that suits your learning style?

• Teamwork (including leadership)

• • Have you had experience working with a diverse range of people? What did you learn from this?
  • Tell me about a time when you were working in a team and things didn’t go to plan.
  • Lead a brief plan for a charity health fair with limited volunteers and time clashes.
  • Describe a time you resolved a conflict in a team.
  • Provide us with an example of when you had to compromise. Is this important as a doctor?
  • Reflect on an experience that made you realise the importance of teamwork in healthcare.
    – How did it influence your motivation to study medicine?

• Personal organisation
  • You have A-level mocks, volunteering, and UCAT practice. Build a 2-week plan.
  • Tell us about a time when you had lots to do at one time. How did you go about sorting this out? How did that make you feel?
  • How will you manage time in an integrated, spiral curriculum?

• Persistence and resilience

• • Why do you think resilience is important for Doctors?
  • Describe how you manage your time. How would you cope with failing a module?
  • Provide us with an example of a time when you made a mistake, why did this happen and how will you prevent this from happening again?