UK Medicine & Dentistry Glossary
Plain-English definitions of every term, exam and acronym you will meet applying to UK medicine or dentistry. Curated by current medical-student tutors. 20 terms covered.
Admissions tests
- UCAT— University Clinical Aptitude Test
- A 2-hour computer-based aptitude test of Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and a separately-banded Situational Judgement Test, taken between July and early September of the year you apply to medical or dental school. Used by ~30 of 46 UK medical schools as a primary shortlisting tool.
- MMI— Multiple Mini Interview
- A circuit-format interview with 6-10 short stations (typically 5-8 minutes each), each assessing a different attribute — communication, ethics, role-play, data interpretation, motivation. The dominant interview format at most UK medical and dental schools.
- BMAT— BioMedical Admissions Test
- A 2-hour written admissions test previously used by Cambridge, Oxford, Imperial, UCL and a few overseas medical schools. Discontinued after the 2024 testing cycle — replaced school-by-school with the UCAT or in-house assessments.
- GAMSAT— Graduate Medical School Admissions Test
- The 5-hour written admissions test for graduate-entry medicine programmes (e.g. Swansea, St George's, Nottingham). Tests reasoning in humanities + social sciences, biological + physical sciences, and written communication.
- SJT— Situational Judgement Test
- The 4th sub-test of the UCAT, scored separately as a band (1-4) rather than a numeric score. Tests how you would respond to professional and ethical dilemmas a junior doctor or medical student might face. Several schools (Liverpool, Sheffield) reject Band 4 outright.
Qualifications & degrees
- A-Level— Advanced Level
- The standard UK pre-university qualification, typically taken in 3-4 subjects over 2 years (Years 12-13). Most UK medical schools require AAA or A*AA including Chemistry and (usually) Biology.
- GCSE— General Certificate of Secondary Education
- The UK qualification taken at age 16 (end of Year 11). Most UK medical schools require strong GCSE performance — typically 7+ subjects at grades 7-9 (A/A*) including English Language, Mathematics, and dual-award or separate Sciences.
- IB— International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme
- A 2-year pre-university qualification offered as an alternative to A-Levels. Typical UK medical school IB requirement is 36-39 points overall with 666 at Higher Level (including Chemistry).
- MBChB— Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery
- The undergraduate medical degree awarded by most UK medical schools (also written MBBS, BMBS, MBBChir or BMedSci). Typically 5 years; 6 years if intercalated. Graduates qualify for GMC provisional registration.
- BDS— Bachelor of Dental Surgery
- The undergraduate dental degree awarded by all 14 UK dental schools (also written BChD at some schools). 5-year programme; graduates qualify for GDC registration.
- BSc— Bachelor of Science (intercalated)
- An optional one-year degree taken between years of an MBChB or BDS programme, usually after Year 3. Awards a separate honours degree without extending the medical degree timeline beyond +1 year.
Organisations & regulators
- GMC— General Medical Council
- The independent regulator of doctors in the UK. Maintains the Medical Register, sets professional standards (Good Medical Practice), and approves UK medical schools. Fitness-to-practise decisions sit with the GMC.
- GDC— General Dental Council
- The independent regulator of dentists and other dental professionals in the UK. Maintains the Register of Dentists and approves UK dental schools.
- BMA— British Medical Association
- The professional association and trade union for doctors in the UK. Provides medical-student and doctor resources, career-pathway guidance, and represents doctors in NHS contract negotiations.
- BDA— British Dental Association
- The professional association and trade union for dentists in the UK. Provides student resources, career pathways, and NHS dental-contract updates.
- MSC— Medical Schools Council
- The coordinating body of UK medical schools. Publishes the "Selecting for Excellence" guidance, the A-Z of UK medical schools, and entry-requirements comparison tools.
- NHS— National Health Service
- The publicly-funded healthcare system of the United Kingdom. NHS placements form the backbone of clinical training in every UK medical and dental school programme.
Application process
- UCAS— Universities and Colleges Admissions Service
- The single application portal for all UK undergraduate medicine and dentistry. The UCAS deadline for medicine and dentistry is 15 October — earlier than the general 31 January deadline.
- Personal Statement— UCAS Personal Statement
- From 2026 entry the UCAS personal statement is structured into three answers (reasons for applying, preparation, key skills/experiences) of up to 1,000 characters each — 4,000 characters total. The same statement goes to all 4 of your UCAS choices, so school-specific content is wasted space.
- Contextual Offer— Contextual Offer (Widening Participation)
- A reduced offer (lower UCAT threshold and/or lower A-Level grade) made to applicants from socio-economically disadvantaged backgrounds — typically state-school applicants in deprived postcodes (POLAR4 Q1-2), free-school-meals eligible, care-experienced, or first-in-family university entrants.
Ready to apply?
Get personalised guidance from medical-student tutors who have been through every step.
Reviewed by Isaac Butler-King, medical student at the University of Glasgow. Last reviewed: 14 May 2026