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Medical school comparison

University of Greater Manchester vs Lincoln Medical School

University of Greater Manchester and Lincoln Medical School 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 326-point gap between them — a substantial difference that should shape which you list as firm choice vs. insurance. Their A-Level requirements (AAB vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

University of Greater Manchester

Bolton

Quick comparison

Location
Bolton, UK
A-Level offer
Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.
TrueScore
University of Greater Manchester TrueScore 1700intl
UCAT home cut-off
Not applicable - the course is not open to home applicants for 2026-27 entry
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
-
Decision date
March onwards

Lincoln Medical School

Lincoln

Quick comparison

Location
Lincoln, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level which must include Biology (or Human Biology) at grade A. Chemistry is NOT required at A-level.
TrueScore
Lincoln Medical School TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off
~1700+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s at GCSE (combined ~51/60 target). Lower UCAT viable with stronger GCSE/SJT mix.
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
All Students (2023): 159/229 = 69%
Decision date
March onwards

University of Greater Manchester vs Lincoln Medical School - in detail

UCAT thresholds compared

University of Greater Manchester's published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2026, while Lincoln Medical School sits at approximately 1700.

That's a 326-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 Lincoln Medical School but borderline at University of Greater Manchester.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — University of Greater Manchester: not separately disclosed; Lincoln Medical School: ~1500+ /2700 with WP uplifts (MEM2 Q1 = 8pts; care experienced = 15pts; UCAT bursary = 6pts). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

A-Level and academic profile

University of Greater Manchester requires Minimum AAB at A-level (offer and prediction) including Chemistry or Biology and one further subject from Biology / Chemistry / Physics / Mathematics. Completed in one sitting across a maximum of two years.

Lincoln Medical School requires AAA at A-level which must include Biology (or Human Biology) at grade A. Chemistry is NOT required at A-level.

Lincoln Medical School is the stricter A-Level offer; University of Greater Manchester is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, University of Greater Manchester carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — University of Greater Manchester: Five GCSEs at grade 6/B or above, including Mathematics, English Language and two science subjects. Resits accepted in GCSE English Language or Mathematics.

Lincoln Medical School: At least six GCSEs at grade 7/A or above including Biology and Chemistry (or Double Science), plus a minimum of grade 6/B in English Language and Mathematics. GCSE resits accepted before the time of…

Interview formats

Both University of Greater Manchester and Lincoln Medical School 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: University of Greater Manchester interviews in December - March; Lincoln Medical School in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

University of Greater Manchester runs a PBL curriculum; Lincoln Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — University of Greater Manchester leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Lincoln Medical School uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBChB taught at the Institute of Medical Sciences on the Royal Bolton Hospital site, with clinical placements through the school's own healt Five-year MBBChir partnered with Nottingham. Lincoln-based teaching with Lincolnshire NHS clinical placements (Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospit

Intake size: University of Greater Manchester — Not published by the school.; Lincoln Medical School — ~80 places per year (small cohort, focused on Lincolnshire placements).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

University of Greater Manchester: For 2026-27 entry the MBChB is open to international students only. Applications are made directly to the school, so a place here costs you none of your four UCAS medical choices. Teaching is based at the Institute of Medical Sciences on the Royal Bolton Hospital site.

Lincoln Medical School: Strong choice for low-UCAT, high-SJT applicants. SJT scored heavily (B1 = 15, B2 = 10, B3 = 5, B4 = 0). A band 1 SJT can offset a relatively modest UCAT score in the overall ranking.

Which is right for you?

If your UCAT lands below the UK median (~1880/2700), Lincoln 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, University of Greater Manchester is the lower-risk academic option. Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily.

If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer University of Greater Manchester; 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

University of Greater Manchester's typical home cut-off is around 2026, while Lincoln Medical School sits at approximately 1700 — a 326-point spread. That's a meaningful gap; Lincoln Medical School is materially more accessible for an average-to-good UCAT, while University of Greater Manchester expects performance closer to the top 25% of test-takers. Cut-offs change year on year and vary by tier — check each school's latest published threshold before submitting your UCAS form.

Where to go next

University of Greater ManchesterEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full
Lincoln Medical SchoolEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

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