Where are Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee located, and how does that affect cost?

Chester Medical School (GEM) is in Chester, UK. Dundee is in Dundee, UK. Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS pay no tuition fees at Scottish medical schools — a substantial funding advantage worth tens of thousands of pounds over the degree. Rest-of-UK applicants still pay £9,250/year.

When does each school release decisions?

Chester Medical School (GEM) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Dundee releases medicine decisions March onwards. If one is earlier than the other, you may need to hold a decision while waiting for the second school — be ready to compare in real time.

Medical school comparison

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee

Q: How are GCSEs weighted at Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee?

Chester Medical School (GEM) — GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent). Dundee — Biology, English and Mathematics at minimum grade 6/B if not studied at A-level. GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers); higher grades are essential due to high weighting

Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Chester Medical School (GEM) is based in Chester (England) while Dundee sits in Dundee (Scotland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Assessment day — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee.
Comparison field	Chester Medical School (GEM)Chester	DundeeDundee
Quick comparison
Location	Chester, UK	Dundee, UK
A-Level offer	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2)	AAA at A-level (minimum) - AAA or AAA* recommended for non-contextual RUK due to use in shortlisting algorithm
TrueScore	Chester Medical School (GEM) TrueScore 1820GEM	Dundee TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off	-	No published threshold for the current scale. Dundee publishes admissions statistics by year of entry, but warns that because Abstract Reasoning was withdrawn in 2025 and the maximum moved from 3,600 to 2,700, the figures shown are not directly comparable with scores from 2025 onwards.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Two-part group interview (about 1h40m including registration): an observed 30-minute group discussion, then an assessor-led discussion with the same group
Post-interview chance	-	RUK Non-Contextual (2025): 73/130 = 56%; Scottish: 647/825 = 78%; International: 86/156 = 55%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2)	AAA at A-level (minimum) - AAA or AAA* recommended for non-contextual RUK due to use in shortlisting algorithm
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	-	Chemistry plus another science from Biology, Physics or Mathematics
A-Level resit policy	Not applicable to graduate entry.	Resits not accepted (exceptional circumstances only)
GCSE requirements	GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent)	Biology, English and Mathematics at minimum grade 6/B if not studied at A-level
GCSE scoring methodology	-	GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers); higher grades are essential due to high weighting
Scottish Highers	-	AAAAB at Higher in S5 with Chemistry plus another science from Biology, Physics or Mathematics
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	Recommended at AB or higher to be competitive for offer (used in academic ranking)
International Baccalaureate	-	37 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and a second science
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or higher in any honours degree from a UK or recognised international institution. No restriction on degree subject - non-science degrees acceptable.	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in any honours degree. Graduate academic score is based only on undergraduate performance - A-level predictions/achieved grades not used in graduate ranking. Pre-interview shortlisting weights 40% academic + 60% UCAT for graduates.
Alternative qualifications	Graduate-entry only. UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT all accepted (applicant submits best score). Required: relevant healthcare or community work experience, plus a personal statement reflecting commitment to medicine.	-

Contextual cut-off	-	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT accepted - the applicant submits their best score. No fixed cut-off: Chester sets the threshold annually 'above the national mean'.	-
SJT band	-	No use of SJT
UCAT notes	Any-discipline graduate entry. 70 hours of healthcare or care-setting work experience within the three years before applying is a hard requirement. International applicants need IELTS 7.0.	Pre-interview shortlisting weights academic score 60% and UCAT 40% for school leavers, and 40%/60% for graduates. The SJT is not used. Scottish, RUK and international applicants are considered against…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBChB
Course length	4 years (graduate entry)	5 years
Teaching style	Case-based learning + Spiral	Spiral
Anatomy teaching	Plastinated specimens	Full-body dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	Cheshire, Shropshire and North Wales, plus a neurology week in Liverpool	Dundee and across Scotland
Named placement sites	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Warrington Hospital; Halton General Hospital, Runcorn), Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Crewe, Northwich, Winsford), Cheshire and Wirral Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (Wrexham Maelor), Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust (Oswestry), The Walton Centre NHS Foundation Trust (Liverpool), Elysium Healthcare (private psychiatric provider)	Ninewells Hospital, Dundee
Intercalation	-	An optional one-year intercalated BMSc (Hons), taken between years 3 and 4, with nine subjects on offer.
Course highlight	Open to graduates with a previous degree in any discipline, not just science.	Anatomy is taught on Thiel-embalmed cadavers, which retain life-like flexibility and joint mobility.

Interview window	December - March	January
Interview details	Graduate-entry MMI format with stations covering clinical reasoning, communication, motivation and reflection on prior experiences.	Dundee's interview has two parts (published for September 2027 entry). First, you discuss a set scenario with five other applicants for around 30 minutes while an assessor observes without joining in.…

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Dentistry, Life Sciences
Established	2024	1967
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Graduate entry programme with focus on serving local communities. Newer course with a regional commitment to north-west England.	Scottish medical school renowned for anatomy teaching and medical research. Shortlisting weights 60% academic / 40% UCAT for school leavers (40/60 for graduates). Both A-level predictions and GCSEs fe…
Official course page	https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/graduate-entry-medicine/	https://www.dundee.ac.uk/undergraduate/medicine

Chester Medical School (GEM)

Chester

Quick comparison

Location: Chester, UK
A-Level offer: Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2)
TrueScore: Chester Medical School (GEM) TrueScore 1820GEM
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: -
Decision date: March onwards

Dundee

Quick comparison

Location: Dundee, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (minimum) - A*A*A or A*A*A* recommended for non-contextual RUK due to use in shortlisting algorithm
TrueScore: Dundee TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: No published threshold for the current scale. Dundee publishes admissions statistics by year of entry, but warns that because Abstract Reasoning was withdrawn in 2025 and the maximum moved from 3,600 to 2,700, the figures shown are not directly comparable with scores from 2025 onwards.
Interview format: Two-part group interview (about 1h40m including registration): an observed 30-minute group discussion, then an assessor-led discussion with the same group
Post-interview chance: RUK Non-Contextual (2025): 73/130 = 56%; Scottish: 647/825 = 78%; International: 86/156 = 55%
Decision date: March onwards

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Chester Medical School (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2).

Dundee requires AAA at A-level (minimum) - A*A*A or A*A*A* recommended for non-contextual RUK due to use in shortlisting algorithm.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Chester Medical School (GEM): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent). Dundee: Biology, English and Mathematics at minimum grade 6/B if not studied at A-level. GCSEs feed the academic score (60% of pre-interview ranking for school leavers); higher grades are essential due to…

Interview formats

Chester Medical School (GEM) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)); Dundee uses Assessment day (Two-part group interview (about 1h40m including registration): an observed 30-minute group discussion, then an assessor-led discussion with the same group). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Assessment day rewards malleability and intellectual honesty.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, either may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Chester Medical School (GEM) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Chester Medical School (GEM) interviews in December - March; Dundee in January.

Curriculum and teaching style

Chester Medical School (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum; Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Chester Medical School (GEM) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Dundee uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Cheshire-based with regional NHS placements. Five-year MBChB spiral curriculum - concepts revisited with increasing complexity. Clinical placements across NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, NHS Highland, and

Intake size: Chester Medical School (GEM) — ~30-50 places per year (small newer cohort); Dundee — Home (Scottish + Contextual) ~825 places; RUK ~130; International ~156 (2025 entry). A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

Chester Medical School (GEM): Graduate entry programme with focus on serving local communities. Newer course with a regional commitment to north-west England.

Dundee: Scottish medical school renowned for anatomy teaching and medical research. Shortlisting weights 60% academic / 40% UCAT for school leavers (40/60 for graduates). Both A-level predictions and GCSEs feed the academic score.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Chester Medical School (GEM) feeds into the England foundation programme network; Dundee into the Scotland network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Chester Medical School (GEM); if you prefer lecture-led foundations, the other suits better.

Your firm/insurance choice should ultimately weight: where your UCAT and predicted grades sit relative to each school's threshold, which interview format you can prepare for most credibly, and where you'd actually want to live for five or six years.

Common questions

Chester Medical School (GEM): no fixed home cut-off published; any-discipline graduate entry. 70 hours of healthcare or care-setting work experience within the three years before applying is a hard requirement. Dundee: no published threshold for the current scale. These are the figures on record for 2027-entry applicants. Schools without a fixed cut-off rank UCAT inside a composite shortlisting score, so thresholds move with each year's applicant pool — confirm the latest figure on each school's admissions page.

Chester Medical School (GEM) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Dundee uses Assessment day: Two-part group interview (about 1h40m including registration): an observed 30-minute group discussion, then an assessor-led discussion with the same group. The two formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each, with at least 3 full mock interviews per format before sitting either. Interview windows: December - March (Chester Medical School (GEM)); January (Dundee).

Chester Medical School (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2). Dundee requires AAA at A-level (minimum) - A*A*A or A*A*A* recommended for non-contextual RUK due to use in shortlisting algorithm. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Chester Medical School (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry.. Dundee — Resits not accepted (one-sitting expectation for standard applicants)..

Chester Medical School (GEM)'s selection methodology: Degree class (2:1, or 2:2 with a Master's) plus an admission test - UCAT, GAMSAT or MCAT, best score counted, threshold set above the national mean each year - plus 70 hours of recent healthcare work experience, then MMI. Dundee's selection methodology: 60% academic score (GCSE + predicted A-Level) + 40% UCAT for shortlisting. Personal statement not scored - may be discussed at interview. SJT not used. Understanding each school's exact algorithm is the single highest-leverage piece of pre-application research — it tells you whether your profile is competitive before you spend an application choice.

Chester Medical School (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Chester Medical School (GEM) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Cheshire-based with regional NHS placements. Dundee specifics: Five-year MBChB spiral curriculum - concepts revisited with increasing complexity. Clinical placements across NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, NHS Highland, and remote/rural Scottish sites.

You can — UCAS allows 4 medicine/dentistry choices in total, so listing both is feasible if your profile fits each school's selection algorithm. Apply to both only if your UCAT, GCSE and predicted-grade profile is competitive against each school's published weighting. A common mistake is using two of your four slots on similar schools when a more spread-out portfolio (one safe + one stretch) would maximise overall offer probability.

Where to go next

Chester Medical School (GEM)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

DundeeEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 14 August 2026.

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee

Side-by-side comparison

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee?

How do interviews differ between Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee?

What A-Level grades do Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Dundee?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee use?

Should I apply to both Chester Medical School (GEM) and Dundee?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons