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Medical school comparison

Cumbria Medical School vs Hull York (HYMS)

Cumbria Medical School and Hull York (HYMS) 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.

On UCAT alone there is roughly a 310-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (BBB vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Cumbria Medical School

Carlisle

Quick comparison

Location
Carlisle, UK
A-Level offer
BBB at A-level including Biology and Chemistry
TrueScore
1700
UCAT home cut-off
~1700+ /2700 estimated (no published cut-off)
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
-
Decision date
March onwards

Hull York (HYMS)

Hull/York

Quick comparison

Location
Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore
1980
UCAT home cut-off
~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date
March onwards
Compare different schools

Cumbria Medical School vs Hull York (HYMS) - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

Cumbria Medical School's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 1700, while Hull York (HYMS) sits at approximately 2010.

That's a 310-point gap — large enough to put the two schools in completely different competitiveness tiers. An applicant scoring in the 1800-1900 band would be competitive at Cumbria Medical School but borderline at Hull York (HYMS).

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Cumbria Medical School: not separately disclosed; Hull York (HYMS): ~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

Cumbria Medical School requires BBB including Chemistry and Biology.

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Hull York (HYMS) is the stricter A-Level offer; Cumbria Medical School is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Cumbria Medical School carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Cumbria Medical School: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. Hull York (HYMS): Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Interview formats

Both Cumbria Medical School and Hull York (HYMS) 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: Cumbria Medical School interviews in January - March; Hull York (HYMS) 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: Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning. Cumbria-based with rural/remote NHS placements (UHMBT, NCIC). Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites.

Intake size: Cumbria Medical School — ~30 places per year (small newer cohort).; Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

Cumbria Medical School: First medical school in Cumbria, focusing on rural and community healthcare to serve underserved areas in the region.

Hull York (HYMS): Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-based curriculum.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Cumbria Medical School is the more realistic firm-choice option. For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Cumbria Medical School is the lower-risk academic option. 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

Where to go next

Cumbria Medical SchoolEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in fullHull York (HYMS)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 4 August 2026.