University of Sheffield - Medicine

• Duration of degree is 5 years
• 18 by first day of class but welcome apply and defer entry if you won’t be at that age
• AS Levels: Not considered

Subjects required: Biology or Chemistry + another science (Further math not accepted unless it is taken with A level math and together they will be counted as 1 subject & Psychology is accepted as science subject)

GCSEs: five grade A or level 7 at GCSE.

• must have a minimum of Grade B in GCSE Mathematics, English Language and Science, these three subjects can be taken as part of the five A grades or separate from them.
• GCSEs should be taken over two years.
• Psychology, environmental science, physics are all counted as science subjects

A Levels: AAA

• Must be taken in 2 years
• A levels taken earlier won’t be accepted
• If Further Math is taken, it must be taken with Biology and Chemistry in Year 13 while Math A level is taken at Year 12 and must have 4 A levels
• Can consider AAB if Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) at A or A* and A or A* in Biology or Chemistry

Bachelor degree holders: 2:1 + BBB A level in Chemistry or Biology

• All three A Levels must have been taken in the same sitting
• We accept A Level resits. Any and all A Level resits must be taken in the same sitting, and only one resit per A Level is permitted. Only those A Levels that do not meet the above entry requirements need to be retaken

International Baccalaureate (IB): 36 points overall, with 6 in three Higher Level subjects and no less than 4 in any Standard Level subject.

English Language Proficiency:

• IELTS score of 7.5 overall with no less than 7.0 in each component

Retake and Predicted Grade Policies

• Resits: A Level and GCSEs resits are accepted, but only one resit per subject is permitted and all resits must be taken in the same sitting and can only resit if grades didn’t meet academic threshold. Resits should happen the year after first sitting.

• Predicted Grades: The predicted grades of applicants should be submitted along with all the previous qualifications for determination of whether the candidate is able to meet the minimum requirements.

Interview Shortlisting Requirements: UCAT

• UCAT: achieve 40^th percentile per previous 3 years’ average
• References and personal statements won’t be used for interview shortlisting
• UCAT SJT will be used along with interview scores to see who gets offer but won’t be used for interview shortlisting
• Domestic UCAT threshold 2760/3600
• International UCAT threshold 2590/3600
• 2026 entry Minimum UCAT requirements: 1800/2700

Research and Clinical Training Environment

The Clinical Placement for students would start in Phase 2 (from September in Year 2 to December in Year 3) of the course, taking place in specialised centres, including,

• The Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research
• The Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE)
• The Versus Arthritis Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
• The Health and Care Research Unit (HCRU)
• The Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR)
• The Neuroscience Institute
• The Healthy Lifespan Institute
• The Insigneo Institute for in silico medicine
• Number of patients reached: around 1.5–2 million; predominantly urban White British
• Largest spending area
  • Cancer (oncology)
  • major trauma
  • cardiac/cardiovascular
  • specialist surgery
  • neurosciences
  • chronic disease

• Specialist centre:
  • Major trauma
  • specialist cancer
  • cardiac surgery
  • neurology
  • musculoskeletal
  • maternity
  • dental

Interview Policies & Situational Judgement test (SJT) score

• Candidates’ performance of MMIs will be scored in each sections out of 5
  • 5: Excellent
  • 4: Good
  • 3: Satisfactory
  • 2: Border line
  • 1: Unsatisfactory

• The score in the UCAT Situational Judgement Test (SJT) will be converted into a score out of five as accordance with the interview score
  • 5: 1^st quartile
  • 4: 2^nd quartile
  • 3: 3^rd quartile
  • 2: 4^th quartile
  • 1: not applicable
• MMIs and Situational Judgement Test (SJT) score would be combined into a total score of 45, then rank alongside with other applicants on this basis

a. Where is it going to take place?

The clinical placement will take place in hospitals and General Practices across Yorkshire and the surrounding areas. Some are list as below:

• The Mellanby Centre for Musculoskeletal Research
• The Centre for Urgent and Emergency Care Research (CURE
• The Versus Arthritis Centre for Integrated Research into Musculoskeletal Ageing (CIMA)
• The Health and Care Research Unit (HCRU)
• Sheffield Centre for Health and Related Research (SCHARR)
• The Neuroscience Institute
• The Healthy Lifespan Institute
• The Insigneo Institute
• Northern General Hospital
• Royal Hallamshire Hospital
• Jessop Wing Maternity Hospital
• Charles Clifford Dental Hospital
• South Yorkshire Fire & Rescue
• Bluebell Wood Children's Hospice
• St Luke's Hospice

b. What is Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust like?

• The trust is one of the UK’s biggest providers of integrated hospital and community-based healthcare providing a comprehensive range of local and tertiary services to the residents of Sheffield, South Yorkshire, Mid Yorkshire and North Derbyshire and also some highly specialist services to all parts of England.
• The trust has a history of delivering high quality care, training and developing high calibre multidisciplinary health professionals, clinical excellence and innovation in medical research.
• The trust delivers over 2 million patient contacts every year and over 1 million outpatient attendances.

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

The placements will start in week two of Phase 1 and go on throughout the course with its own focus as below:

• Phase 1: spending 10 half-days in general practice in Year 1
• Phase 2: 12 weeks on a longitudinal hospital placement + voluntary work with patient or community groups
  • learn how to take patients’ histories and conduct physical examinations and
  • spend most of the time in hospital wards, operating theatres and outpatient clinics
  • become part of a clinical team, attending ward rounds, surgical operations, pathology meetings and outpatient clinics.
• Phase 3: work in general practice during community placements + complete hospital placements based on sub-specialities, including children’s health (paediatrics), women’s health (obstetrics and gynaecology), mental health (psychiatry), critical and emergency care, and multiple other specialist areas
• Phase 4: two longitudinal placements + six-week student assistantship

d. What is the course structure?

The five-year course is divided into 4 phases:

• Phase 1 (Year 1)
  • detailed understanding of the systems of the human body, including cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, nervous and reproductive
  • the normal structure and function of the systems
  • medical ethics and public health
  • key clinical skills
• Phase 2 (from September in Year 2 to December in Year 3)
  • a six-week research project
  • medical science knowledge including disease symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, covering topics such as pathology, microbiology, immunology and pharmacology
  • medical law and ethics
  • clinical skills and clinical placements
• Phase 3 (from January in Year 3 to August in Year 4)
  • work in general practice during community placements
  • complete hospital placements based on sub-specialities
• Phase 4 (Year 5)
  • final preparation for becoming a foundation doctor
  • two longitudinal placements + student assistantship

e. What is the teaching style in University of Sheffield medical school?

The following teaching methods are adopted in the course:

• Lectures
• Seminars
• Tutorials
• Group Work
• Practical Classes
• Personal Development Sessions
• Clinical Placements

f. Does University of Sheffield offer the intercalated degree?

The students are welcomed to apply for studying a BSc Medical Sciences (Research) or an intercalated masters degree. The intercalated degree will take place in Phase 3. The Intercalated BSc Medical Sciences projects are available in the below departments:

• Clinical Medicine
• Neuroscience
• Population Health
• Sheffield Children’s Hospital
• Sheffield and Chesterfield Hospitals
• Surgical

A wide range of programmes for intercalated masters degree are offered including the followings:

• Faculty of Health
  • Public Health MPH
  • Public Health (Management and Leadership) MPH
  • Public Health (Health Services Research) MPH
  • Clinical Neurology MSc
  • Clinical Research MSc
  • Reproductive and Developmental Medicine MSc
  • Translational Neuroscience MSc
  • Cancer Biology and Therapeutics MSc
  • Health Economics and Decision Modelling MSc
• Faculty of Science
  • Biomedical Science MSc
  • Cognitive and Computational Neuroscience MSc
  • Cognitive Neuroscience and Human Neuroimaging MSc
  • Drug Discovery Science MSc
  • Human and Molecular Genetics MSc
  • Molecular Biology and Biotechnology MSc
  • Science Communication MSc
• Faculty of Arts and Humanities
  • Cognitive Science and Philosophy of AI MA

For home applicants, the interview will be conducted in multiple mini-interview (MMI) format, which applicants attend in person. International applicants will be invited to an online panel interview. The below criteria are covered in the interview:

• Knowledge of Sheffield
• Medicine in a wider context
• Good medical practice
• Attitudes and values
• The candidate as a person
• Communication skills
• Ethics
• Information processing

• Knowledge of Sheffield

1. Can you tell me a bit about the curriculum for Medicine at Sheffield?
2. You’ve chosen a city with strong links to the Royal Hallamshire & Sheffield Children’s Hospital. How will these settings shape your learning and contribution as a student doctor?
3. The course emphasises early clinical exposure and interprofessional learning. How does that match your learning style—and where might you need support?
4. You’ll engage with a diverse local population across primary and secondary care. What experiences prepared you to work effectively in Sheffield communities?
5. Phase-based curriculum with strong patient contact. Which part excites you most and why?
6. The university recommends reviewing NHS values and GMC guidance. How have you applied these in real life so far?
7. If you are successful in your application you may be spending 5 years living and studying in Sheffield. What can you tell me about the City of Sheffield and the University of Sheffield?
8. Medical schools around the world receive far more applications than there are places. This means that many excellent applicants will receive no offers. If this happens to you, what will you do?
9. What excites you the most about living and studying in Sheffield?
10. Why is Sheffield's emphasis on collaboration and research particularly important to you?

• Medicine in a Wider Context

1. What inspired you to want to become a doctor?
2. A local GP practice faces rising winter pressures and finite appointments. How should access be prioritised fairly?
3. Tell me about a patient that you saw during your work experience or volunteering who inspired you to find out more about what was wrong with them.
4. Do you think that non-emergency services should be provided 7 days a week in the NHS?
5. An NHS Trust is rolling out AI triage tools. What are the potential benefits and risks for patients and staff?
6. Vaccination uptake has dipped in one Sheffield neighbourhood. What factors might explain this, and how would you address them respectfully?
7. A newspaper headline claims “Junior doctors’ strike causes harm.” How would you discuss strikes with a worried patient while remaining professional?
8. Social prescribing is expanding in primary care. Where does it fit—and what pitfalls should clinicians avoid?
9. A cost-of-living crisis is worsening health inequalities. How can clinicians respond beyond the consulting room?
10. How should Sheffield address its 23% GP vacancy rate in Barnsley?

• Good Medical Practice

1. What can you tell me about the General Medical Council’s code of conduct for doctors?
2. Do you think it might ever be appropriate to breach a patient’s confidentiality? Can you give any examples?
3. While working at your Saturday job in a shop you find that one of your colleagues has arrived at work smelling of alcohol. They appear to be intoxicated, and you know that they drove to work. What actions will you take?
4. A colleague makes a dismissive remark about a patient. What steps would you take in line with GMC expectations?
5. You notice a documentation error in an electronic record. How do you act to maintain safety, candour and integrity?
6. A patient asks you to keep a clinically relevant risk secret from the team. How do confidentiality and duty of care interact here?
7. You’re asked to perform a procedure you’ve never practised. How do you manage the scope of competence and escalation?
8. A medication error is discovered post-discharge. What should happen next for the patient and the team?
9. You witness unsafe practice on placement. How would you raise concerns appropriately?

• Attitudes and Values

1. Tell me about a time when you have made a positive impact on someone else’s life.
2. Based on your work or voluntary experiences, what do you think are the challenges of delivering quality care to patients?
3. How do you think demonstrating respect and dignity impacts on patients?
4. A peer is struggling but refuses help. How would you balance compassion with standards and safety?
5. Your timetable clashes with caring responsibilities. How do you show professionalism and ask for reasonable adjustments?
6. You’re allocated a team role you didn’t want. How do you demonstrate teamwork and flexibility?
7. A patient’s beliefs conflict with your own. How do you ensure equitable, person-centred care?
8. You receive feedback that feels unfair. How do you respond and use it for growth?
9. You’re under time pressure at an MMI station. How do you prioritise clarity, empathy and structure?

• The Candidate as a Person

1. Studying medicine can be intense, so maintaining a work-life balance is important. How do you relax and unwind?
2. Medical students are selected from the best and the brightest students around the world. How will you cope with moving from an environment where you were one of the best students to one where everyone has a similar level of ability?
3. As a doctor you will have to break bad news and deal with things when they go wrong. How do you think you will cope with this emotionally.
4. You faced a significant setback at school. What did you learn and how did you adapt?
5. You’ve balanced study with work/volunteering. How did you manage time and maintain wellbeing?
6. You’re asked why medicine, not another caring profession. What evidence shows informed, sustained commitment?
7. Describe a time you changed your mind based on new evidence. How did that shape you as a learner?
8. You led a project that didn’t go as planned. How did you handle conflict and course-correct?
9. You experience imposter feelings at university. What practical strategies will you use?

• Communication skills

1. A parent misread an online article about antibiotics for colds. How would you explain appropriately and reassure?
2. A patient is angry about a long wait. How do you de-escalate while validating their feelings?
3. You must explain a clinical study’s findings to a layperson. How would you adapt language and check understanding?
4. You need to refuse an unreasonable request kindly. What language and body language would you use?
5. You’re asked to deliver feedback to a peer. How do you keep it specific, kind and actionable?
6. You’re paired with a simulated patient who is hard of hearing. How do you adjust?
7. At this station you will meet a patient with a long-term illness. You are asked to engage them in conversation and find out about the nature of their illness, how it is managed, what effect it has on their daily life and how they think it is likely to affect their life in the future.
8. “A patient refuses a COVID booster, citing misinformation. How do you respond?”

• Ethics

1. The use of social media websites such as Facebook is now widespread amongst the public, students and healthcare professionals. Is it appropriate for medical students and doctors to use such websites?
2. How would you advise a doctor who is wondering whether to accept one of their patients as a friend on a social media website such a Facebook? Why?
3. Should medical students and doctors always declare their profession/ professional status when interacting with others on a social media website? Why?
4. An 11-year-old requests confidentiality about sexual activity. How do capacity, safeguarding, and confidentiality apply?
5. A relative demands details without consent. How do you respond ethically and legally?
6. A patient refuses a blood transfusion on religious grounds. How should the team proceed?
7. A limited ICU bed is available for two candidates. What frameworks guide fair allocation?
8. A pharma rep offers gifts to the team. What are the conflicts and the right course?
9. An AI tool misclassifies a dermatology image set. What are the ethical duties around bias and oversight?
10. What is your opinion on the current opt-out system for organ donation in the UK?
11. How would you balance respecting a patient's autonomy with their refusal of life-saving treatment?
12. What ethical considerations do you think arise with advances in genomic medicine?
13. How would you handle a case where a patient refuses a recommended treatment for cultural or religious reasons?
14. What is your perspective on the legalization of euthanasia in the UK?
15. The NHS plans to reduce meat in hospital meals for sustainability. Discuss ethical implications.”

• Information processing

1. A bar chart shows A&E attendances by age group. What patterns and caveats do you see?
2. A drug dose is 0.15 mg/kg for a 72-kg adult. What dose do you calculate and how do you check safely?
3. You’re given a triage flowchart. Walk through your decision for a specific case.
4. You’re shown a clinic timetable and staff roster. How do you plan to meet demand?