Dundee vs Swansea (GEM)

Dundee requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Swansea (GEM) requires Graduate entry programme - degree required.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Dundee: Biology, English and Maths required at GCSE grade 6/B (if not studied at A-Level). Higher GCSE/National 5 grades essential due to high academic weighting in shortlisting. Swansea (GEM): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Dundee uses Traditional (Two-part selection (~1h40m): observed 30-minute group discussion, then a structured traditional one-to-one discussion with an assessor); Swansea (GEM) uses Panel (Assessment Day). These two formats reward different skills — Traditional emphasises academic reasoning and thinking aloud through unfamiliar problems, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

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

Interview windows: Dundee interviews in December - February; Swansea (GEM) in March.

Dundee runs a Spiral curriculum; Swansea (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Dundee delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Swansea (GEM) centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB spiral curriculum - concepts revisited with increasing complexity. Clinical placements across NHS Tayside, NHS Fife, NHS Highland, and Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBBCh. Swansea-based with South Wales NHS placements (Swansea Bay UHB, Hywel Dda UHB).

Intake size: Dundee — Home (Scottish + Contextual) ~825 places; RUK ~130; International ~156 (2025 entry).; Swansea (GEM) — ~70 home + ~10 international places per year (4-year accelerated MBBCh).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

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.

Swansea (GEM): Graduate entry programme with a written SJT exercise as part of the selection day. Personal statement and detailed course knowledge feature prominently - applicants should know Swansea's programme structure in detail.