Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) vs Sheffield

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1820, while Sheffield sits at approximately 2050.

The 230-point spread matters: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) offers slightly more headroom for an average-strong UCAT, while Sheffield expects performance closer to the national 75th-90th percentile.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) requires 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare profession. UK applicants only. A-levels not used.

Sheffield requires AAA prediction and offer. Must include chemistry and biology. Resit accepted with achieved BBB on first sitting, else apply with achieved results.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree. Sheffield: AAA at A-Level including Chemistry and Biology. Min 5 GCSEs at grade 7 (or 5×6 for Access Sheffield).

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) uses MMI (90-minute MMI; offers made on interview performance only); Sheffield uses Panel (Semi-structured face-to-face 15 min in-person panel + group task (Feb 20–27)). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Sheffield may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) interviews in Spring; Sheffield in 20–27 February.

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry BDS. Aberdeen-based with clinical placements across NHS Grampian and remote/rural Scotland. Five-year BDS with PBL. Clinical placements at Charles Clifford Dental Hospital and Yorkshire community sites.

Intake size: Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry) — ~30-40 places per year (small graduate-entry cohort).; Sheffield — ~75 home + ~15 international places per year for BDS Dentistry.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Approximately 30 offers from 60 interviews (~50%) for 20 places. Sheffield: Home applicants: 132/317 = 42% (2024). International: 4/11 = 36%. Typically ~130 offers and ~350 interviews.

Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.

Aberdeen (Graduate Dentistry): Academic attainment weighted 60% (predicted/achieved degree result), UCAT 40%. A-levels not used. UK applicants only. ~60 candidates interviewed; ~30 offers made for 20 places - ~7 offers to RUK candidates.

Sheffield: All applicants must be SJT band 1 or 2 for 2026 entry. Top-25-percentile UCAT required (around 2050+/2700 for home applicants). Tighter SJT and UCAT thresholds than at most other dental schools.