A-Level and academic profile
Glasgow requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. St Andrews requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. 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 — Glasgow: GCSE English at grade 6/B; Biology at grade 6/B if not studied at A-Level. GCSE retakes accepted. St Andrews: Strong National 5 / GCSE profile. Biology required if not studied at A-Level (per Glasgow partnership rules).
Interview formats
Both Glasgow and St Andrews 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. That said, the specifics differ slightly: Glasgow runs mmi format for dentistry, panel interview for medicine; St Andrews runs multiple mini interviews (mmi). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep. Interview windows: Glasgow interviews in December - February; St Andrews in December - March.
Curriculum and teaching style
Glasgow runs a PBL curriculum; St Andrews runs a Traditional curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Glasgow leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while St Andrews uses a more traditional lecture-led structure. Specifics: Five-year MBChB built around problem-based learning groups, with early clinical exposure from Year 1. First 3 years at St Andrews leading to BSc (Hons) Medicine. Most students then transfer to a partner clinical school for years 4-6 of MBChB. Intake size: Glasgow — ~40-50 RUK + ~22 international + ~190 Scottish places per year (A100).; St Andrews — RUK ~24 places, Scottish ~150, International ~30 (3-year pre-clinical only - clinical years at partner schools).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.
Post-interview offer rate
Glasgow: Scottish: 473/565 = 84% (2025); RUK: 128/216 = 59%; International: 114/161 = 71%. St Andrews: RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%. Post-interview odds give you the clearest signal of how competitive each school is at the final stage — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%, even if the interview thresholds look identical on paper.
What makes each distinctive
Glasgow: One of the oldest medical schools in the English-speaking world. Personal statement and reference must meet minimum requirements but shortlisting is then driven by UCAT alone. Personal statement reviewed post-interview before offers. St Andrews: Three-year pre-clinical course at St Andrews followed by transfer to a partner medical school for clinical years. SJT not used (was used many years ago, not now or in future). Scottish students face much lower cut-offs than RUK applicants.
