Edinburgh vs Hertfordshire

Edinburgh requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology/Physics/Mathematics.

Hertfordshire requires AAA offer including chemistry or biology, completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years. Applicants encouraged to consider arts/humanities for their 3rd A-level. GCSEs: minimum 5 subjects at grade 6 including English, maths, biology, chemistry and physics (or dual award).

Both demand the same A-Level grade band, so academic prediction is unlikely to differentiate your application between them — provided you meet the required subject combination at each.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Edinburgh: Strong GCSE/National 5 profile expected; not algorithmically scored. Hertfordshire: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Edinburgh uses Assessment day (Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')); Hertfordshire uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)). These two formats reward different skills — Assessment day emphasises academic reasoning and thinking aloud through unfamiliar problems, while MMI rewards breadth and quick recovery.

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

Interview windows: Edinburgh interviews in December - February; Hertfordshire in December - March.

Edinburgh runs a Integrated curriculum; Hertfordshire runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Edinburgh delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Hertfordshire centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Six-year MBChB with compulsory intercalated honours degree in Year 3 (one of the largest intercalated cohorts in the UK). Five-year MBChB. Hertfordshire-based with East-of-England NHS placements.

Intake size: Edinburgh — ~210 Scottish + RUK + ~22 international places per year.; Hertfordshire — ~50-100 places per year (newer cohort).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Edinburgh: Around 50% academic, 35% UCAT and 15% SJT in shortlisting; SJT band 4 is rejected outright. Scottish applicants face a much lower bar than RUK and are effectively guaranteed an interview if they meet minimums. Strong research focus and international reputation.

Hertfordshire: For international students only and new this year - can apply directly in addition to your 4 UCAS medical choices, so no harm in giving it a try. New medical school actively seeking links with international applicants.