Where are Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

Edinburgh is in Edinburgh, UK. Surrey (GEM) is in Guildford, 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?

Edinburgh typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Surrey (GEM) 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

Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM)

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

The interview formats diverge — Assessment day vs MMI — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Edinburgh is the older institution (founded 1583); the other (founded 2024) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM).
Comparison field	EdinburghEdinburgh	Surrey (GEM)Guildford
Quick comparison
Location	Edinburgh, UK	Guildford, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but AAA* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject
TrueScore	Edinburgh TrueScore 1850	Surrey (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off	1850+ /2700 - a hard floor for 2027 entry. Edinburgh states that an applicant scoring below the cut-off will not be considered at all.	-
Interview format	Half-day assessment day, held at Edinburgh Medical School or online (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	Around 800 applicants reach the assessment day each cycle, competing for an intake in the low hundreds across the Scottish, RUK and international pools, so a substantial share of interviewees are unsuccessful. Edinburgh publishes per-cycle admissions statistics with the current breakdown.	-
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but AAA* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject
Contextual A-Level offer	-	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics	-
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered with strong justification.	Not applicable to graduate entry.
GCSE requirements	Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. Edinburgh then scores your best 8 GCSEs as part of the academic component, applying proportional scoring where school policy meant fewer than 8 were sat. It does not publish a target grade profile beyond the minimum.	GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above
GCSE scoring methodology	Best 8 GCSEs are scored as part of the academic component, which carries the large majority of the pre-assessment-day ranking (UCAT 17.5% and SJT 7.5% make up the rest). Proportional scoring applies w…	-
Scottish Highers	National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers are all considered, and the standard offer requires strong Higher and Advanced Higher performance. Edinburgh does not publish a separate Scottish UCAT minimum - the published cut-off of 1,850 for 2027 entry applies to all applicants except those carrying a Plus Flag.	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	Strong Advanced Higher performance expected for full academic points	-
International Baccalaureate	38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics	-
Graduate-entry degree requirement	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. UCAT still required - graduate applicants ranked alongside undergraduate by total academic + UCAT score.	Minimum 2:1 UK honours degree (or equivalent) in any subject - all disciplines are given equal consideration.
Alternative qualifications	-	Graduate-entry only (4-year BMBS). GAMSAT is the general admission test; UCAT is accepted only from Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Science, Chemistry or Natural Sciences graduates. Open to UK and international applicants (IELTS 7.0 overall and in every component). The University of Exeter is the contingency awarding body while Surrey completes GMC accreditation.

Contextual cut-off	Plus Flag applicants are exempt from the cut-off entirely and are considered with any UCAT total, and they receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score.	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	GAMSAT is the general route. UCAT is accepted ONLY from applicants holding a degree in Biochemistry, Biology, Biomedical Science, Chemistry or Natural Sciences.
SJT band	The SJT band is worth 7.5% of the application score. Band 4 means you will not be considered for entry - Edinburgh applies this to everyone, including applicants eligible for widening-access concessions.	-
UCAT notes	The 1,850 cut-off is necessary but nowhere near sufficient - clearing it only keeps you in the ranking. The UCAT total is worth 17.5% of the application score and the SJT band a further 7.5%; the acad…	No numeric cut-off is published; scores sort applicants into interview, waitlist or rejection. Do not assume a UCAT route - for most degree subjects GAMSAT is the only option.

Degree awarded	MBChB with BMedSci (Hons)	BMBS
Course length	6 years	4 years (graduate entry)
Teaching style	Integrated	Team-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	Prosection
First patient contact	Year 2	Year 1
Placement geography	Lothian and the south of Scotland	Surrey and the surrounding area
Named placement sites	-	Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust, Ashford and St Peter’s Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Frimley Health NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust, Surrey and Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust, Surrey Heartlands ICS, Frimley Health and Care ICS
Intercalation	Built in — year 3 is the honours BMedSci research year.	-
Course highlight	The only Scottish institution offering a six-year MBChB.	AI is integrated into the curriculum, and virtual reality surgical training runs through the VRiMS collaboration.

Interview window	December - February	December - March
Interview details	Edinburgh invites roughly the top 800 ranked applicants to a half-day assessment day, which it runs as a series of short interviews rather than a standard MMI circuit, and which includes a collaborati…	MMI format with multiple stations assessing communication, ethical reasoning and problem-solving.

Specialities	Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Sciences	Medicine, Healthcare Technology, Clinical Practice
Established	1583	2024
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Shortlisting is dominated by the academic score: the UCAT total contributes 17.5% and the SJT band 7.5%, with the academic assessment carrying the rest. Every application is read independently by two…	New graduate-entry school taking a technology-forward approach to teaching. Still under GMC review, so the University of Exeter acts as the contingency awarding body until Surrey's own accreditation c…
Official course page	https://study.ed.ac.uk/programmes/undergraduate/354-mbchb-medicine-6-year-programme	https://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/medicine-graduate-entry

Edinburgh

Quick comparison

Location: Edinburgh, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but A*A*A* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore: Edinburgh TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off: 1850+ /2700 - a hard floor for 2027 entry. Edinburgh states that an applicant scoring below the cut-off will not be considered at all.
Interview format: Half-day assessment day, held at Edinburgh Medical School or online (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')
Post-interview chance: Around 800 applicants reach the assessment day each cycle, competing for an intake in the low hundreds across the Scottish, RUK and international pools, so a substantial share of interviewees are unsuccessful. Edinburgh publishes per-cycle admissions statistics with the current breakdown.
Decision date: March onwards

Surrey (GEM)

Guildford

Quick comparison

Location: Guildford, UK
A-Level offer: Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject
TrueScore: Surrey (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: -
Decision date: March onwards

Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Edinburgh requires AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but A*A*A* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics.

Surrey (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Edinburgh: Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. Edinburgh then scores your best 8 GCSEs as part of the academic component, applying proportional scoring where school policy meant… Surrey (GEM): GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above.

Interview formats

Edinburgh uses Assessment day (Half-day assessment day, held at Edinburgh Medical School or online (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')); Surrey (GEM) 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, Surrey (GEM) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Edinburgh interviews in December - February; Surrey (GEM) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

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

Specifics: Six-year MBChB — the only six-year MBChB in Scotland — with a compulsory intercalated honours year in Year 3 (one of the largest intercalated cohorts Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Surrey-based with South-East NHS placements.

Intake size: Edinburgh — ~210 Scottish + RUK + ~22 international places per year.; Surrey (GEM) — ~30-50 places per year (small newer cohort).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

Edinburgh: Shortlisting is dominated by the academic score: the UCAT total contributes 17.5% and the SJT band 7.5%, with the academic assessment carrying the rest. Every application is read independently by two admissions staff, and only your FIRST attempt at a required subject counts - retaking it in a different qualification does not help.

An SJT of Band 4 ends the application outright, with no widening-access exemption. Strong research focus and international reputation.

Surrey (GEM): New graduate-entry school taking a technology-forward approach to teaching. Still under GMC review, so the University of Exeter acts as the contingency awarding body until Surrey's own accreditation completes - worth confirming before you accept an offer.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Edinburgh feeds into the Scotland foundation programme network; Surrey (GEM) into the England network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Surrey (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

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. Edinburgh guidance: 1850+ /2700 - a hard floor for 2027 entry. Edinburgh states that an applicant scoring below the cut-off will not be considered at all.. Surrey (GEM) guidance: No numeric cut-off is published; scores sort applicants into interview, waitlist or rejection. Do not assume a UCAT route - for most degree subjects GAMSAT is the only option..

Edinburgh uses Assessment day: Half-day assessment day, held at Edinburgh Medical School or online (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format'). Surrey (GEM) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). 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 - February (Edinburgh); December - March (Surrey (GEM)).

Edinburgh requires AAA including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Surrey (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Edinburgh — Resits considered with strong justification.. Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry..

Edinburgh — Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. Edinburgh then scores your best 8 GCSEs as part of the academic component, applying proportional scoring where school policy meant fewer than 8 were sat. It does not publish a target grade profile beyond the minimum. Best 8 GCSEs are scored as part of the academic component, which carries the large majority of the pre-assessment-day ranking (UCAT 17.5% and SJT 7.5% make up the rest). Proportional scoring applies where school policy meant fewer than 8 GCSEs were sat. Surrey (GEM) — GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above.

Edinburgh's selection methodology: Each application is assessed independently by two members of admissions staff against the academic criteria, scoring the best 8 GCSEs plus A-level/Higher performance. Weighted UCAT (17.5%) and SJT (7.5%) points are added, applications are ranked, and roughly the top 800 are invited to a half-day assessment day - which Edinburgh itself calls an interview. Offers follow soon after the final assessment day. Surrey (GEM)'s selection methodology: Degree class hurdle (2:1, any subject), then GAMSAT - or UCAT for bioscience/chemistry graduates only - sorting applicants into interview, waitlist or reject, then a virtual MMI lasting under an hour. 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.

Edinburgh runs a Integrated curriculum. Surrey (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Edinburgh specifics: Six-year MBChB — the only six-year MBChB in Scotland — with a compulsory intercalated honours year in Year 3 (one of the largest intercalated cohorts in the UK). Graduates leave with TWO qualification Surrey (GEM) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Surrey-based with South-East NHS placements.

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

EdinburghEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Surrey (GEM)Entry 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.

Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM)

Side-by-side comparison

Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM) - 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 Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM)?

How do interviews differ between Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM)?

What A-Level grades do Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Edinburgh vs Surrey (GEM)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM) use?

Should I apply to both Edinburgh and Surrey (GEM)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons