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

Chester Medical School (GEM) is in Chester, UK. Leicester is in Leicester, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

When does each school release decisions?

Chester Medical School (GEM) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Leicester 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 Leicester

Chester Medical School (GEM) and Leicester are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in England, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Chester Medical School (GEM) and Leicester.
Comparison field	Chester Medical School (GEM)Chester	LeicesterLeicester
Quick comparison
Location	Chester, UK	Leicester, UK
A-Level offer	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2)	AAA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences
TrueScore	Chester Medical School (GEM) TrueScore 1820GEM	Leicester TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off	-	Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	-	UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%
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 including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A must be in one of the sciences
Contextual A-Level offer	-	Predicted ABB acceptable for UKWPMed (widening-access) applicants
Required A-Level subjects	-	Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics / Psychology. A* must fall in one of the sciences.
A-Level resit policy	Not applicable to graduate entry.	Resit applicants who did not attain required grades at first sitting only considered if they previously held a conditional firm offer from Leicester and have significant mitigating circumstances
GCSE requirements	GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent)	Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96.
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	-	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science / Maths / Psychology
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. Achieved-grades graduate route assessed at 5th decile UCAT minimum.
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	-	The equivalent automatic-interview route requires the top 3 deciles, again with an SJT of Band 1-3.
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	-	Band 4 automatically rejected - no further use
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.	Everyone else is scored on academic ability and UCAT together, then ranked within one of five groups - predicted A-level, achieved A-level, resitting A-level, graduate and access - with the highest sc…

Degree awarded	MB ChB	MBChB
Course length	4 years (graduate entry)	5 years
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	Imaging and models	Full-body dissection
First patient contact	-	-
Placement geography	Cheshire, the Wirral, Shropshire and north Wales	Leicester, the Midlands, Lincolnshire and Northamptonshire
Named placement sites	Countess of Chester Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, Warrington and Halton NHS Trust, Mid Cheshire Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (Crewe, Northwich, Winsford), Cheshire and Wirral Partnership, Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (Wrexham Maelor), Robert Jones & Agnes Hunt NHS Foundation Trust (Oswestry)	Glenfield Hospital
Intercalation	-	-
Course highlight	Open to graduates with a previous degree in any discipline, not just science.	One of the few UK medical schools still teaching anatomy through full-body cadaveric dissection.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Graduate-entry MMI format with stations covering clinical reasoning, communication, motivation and reflection on prior experiences.	In-person MMI testing problem solving, analytical reasoning, communication, writing, listening and speaking abilities. Plenty of follow-up questioning, so staying focused on the actual question matter…

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Genetics
Established	2024	1975
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.	Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.
Official course page	https://www.chester.ac.uk/study/graduate-entry-medicine/	https://le.ac.uk/courses/medicine-mbchb/2026

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

Leicester

Quick comparison

Location: Leicester, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences
TrueScore: Leicester TrueScore 1750
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: UK Undergraduate: 797/1351 = 59% (2025); UK Graduate: 19/32 = 59%; Overseas Undergraduate: 57/199 = 29%
Decision date: March onwards

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Leicester - 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).

Leicester requires A*AA at A-level including Chemistry or Biology, plus one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics or Psychology - A* must be in one of the sciences.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Chester Medical School (GEM): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent). Leicester: Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with…

Interview formats

Both Chester Medical School (GEM) and Leicester use MMI interviews, so the underlying prep approach is the same — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot-topic answers and (for MMI) structured station responses against a timer.

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

Curriculum and teaching style

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 MBChB. Cheshire-based with regional NHS placements. Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering,

Intake size: Chester Medical School (GEM) — ~30-50 places per year (small newer cohort).; Leicester — ~270 home + ~30 international places per year (A100 standard 5-year programme).. 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.

Leicester: Combined UCAT + GCSE scoring out of 96. Predicted A-level applicants only need AAB UKWPMed; achieved-grade applicants assessed in top 5 deciles UCAT instead. Personal statement is not routinely used.

Which is right for you?

Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. 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

Neither school publishes a single fixed UCAT cut-off; both use UCAT as part of a composite shortlisting score alongside GCSE and personal-statement weighting. Chester Medical School (GEM) guidance: 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.. Leicester guidance: Expressed in deciles, not raw scores. Applicants who meet the minimum GCSE requirement, achieved the A-level requirement within two years of their GCSEs, and sit in the TOP 5 DECILES with an SJT of Band 1-3 are automatically invited to interview..

Chester Medical School (GEM) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Leicester uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: December - March (Chester Medical School (GEM)); December - March (Leicester).

Chester Medical School (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject (a Master's offsets a 2:2). Leicester requires A*AA including Chemistry or Biology plus a second science, with the A* in one of the sciences. 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.. Leicester — Resits accepted with mitigating circumstances..

Chester Medical School (GEM) — GCSE English Language and Mathematics at grade 4/C or above (or accepted equivalent). Leicester — Minimum grade 6/B in GCSE English Language, Mathematics, Biology and Chemistry (or Dual Science). Resits in English Language and Maths accepted to meet minimums; resits in other subjects only with very significant mitigating circumstances. Top 8 GCSEs scored /48 (new system 2026 entry): grade 9 = 6 pts, 8 = 5 pts, 7 = 4 pts, 6 = 3 pts. Combined with UCAT /48 = total /96.

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. Leicester's selection methodology: UCAT-banded shortlisting after academic minimums met. SJT band 1-3 typically required. Multiple Mini Interview format. 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. Leicester runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Chester Medical School (GEM) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Cheshire-based with regional NHS placements. Leicester specifics: Five-year MBChB with problem-based learning. Clinical placements across Leicestershire NHS hospitals (Leicester Royal Infirmary, Glenfield, Kettering, Lincoln).

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

LeicesterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 19 September 2026.

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Leicester

Side-by-side comparison

Chester Medical School (GEM) vs Leicester - 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 Leicester?

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

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

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

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

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

When does each school release decisions?

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

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

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons