Where are Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

Hull York (HYMS) is in Hull/York, UK. Pears Cumbria (GEM) is in Carlisle, UK. Tuition is £9,250/year at both for UK home applicants; the main cost difference is accommodation (London accommodation typically runs 30-50% above the national average).

When does each school release decisions?

Hull York (HYMS) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Pears Cumbria (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

Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Q: How are GCSEs weighted at Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM)?

Hull York (HYMS) — Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending). Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive. Pears Cumbria (GEM) — GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree.

Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) 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.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM).
Comparison field	Hull York (HYMS)Hull/York	Pears Cumbria (GEM)Carlisle
Quick comparison
Location	Hull/York, UK	Carlisle, UK
A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree
TrueScore	Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980	Pears Cumbria (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off	~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%	-
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree
Contextual A-Level offer	ABB at A-level for widening-access applicants	-
Required A-Level subjects	Biology and Chemistry both required. AAB + grade A in EPQ also accepted.	-
A-Level resit policy	Resits accepted only if first sitting was BBB or higher. Applicants may repeat or restart Year 12 once with no restrictions.	Not applicable to graduate entry - degree class is the academic measure.
GCSE requirements	Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending).	GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree
GCSE scoring methodology	Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly grade 8/9s typically needed to be safely competitive.	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Biology and Chemistry	-
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree — e.g. anatomy, biochemistry, biomedical science, biology, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, paramedic science, pharmacy, dentistry or veterinary science. NOT open to any-discipline graduates.
Alternative qualifications	-	Graduate-entry only, home fee status required (international applicants are not eligible). UCAT or GAMSAT accepted — the applicant chooses one; MCAT is not accepted. MBBS awarded by Imperial College London and taught at the University of Cumbria Fusehill Street campus, Carlisle.

Contextual cut-off	~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements)	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	~2020+ /2700 (similar threshold to home, ranked separately)	-
Graduate cut-off	-	1960+ /2700 for 2026 entry (1910+ contextual). GAMSAT alternative: 59 overall (53 contextual).
SJT band	Used to shortlist, scored /15. Band 4 automatically rejected. (B1 = 15, B2 ≈ 10, B3 ≈ 5)	-
UCAT notes	Points system out of 100: UCAT by decile /35 + SJT band /15 + best six achieved GCSEs /35 + contextual /15. HYMS states it does not look for a specific score - it ranks applicants numerically within t…	UCAT or GAMSAT — the applicant chooses one; MCAT is NOT accepted. Both are minimum-threshold hurdles rather than ranked scores. The UCAT must be sat in the same year as the UCAS submission; the GAMSAT…

Degree awarded	MB BS	MBBS (awarded by Imperial College London)
Course length	5 years	4 years (graduate entry)
Teaching style	Problem-based learning	Integrated
Anatomy teaching	-	Imaging and models
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	East and North Yorkshire, northern Lincolnshire and Teesside	North and south Cumbria
Named placement sites	-	Cumberland Infirmary, Carlisle (North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust), Furness General Hospital, Barrow-in-Furness (University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust)
Intercalation	An optional additional year, with options including clinical anatomy, immunology and infection, neuroscience, pharmacology and drug development, public health, and health professions education.	-
Course highlight	The MB BS is awarded jointly by the University of Hull and the University of York.	The MBBS is awarded by Imperial College London, delivered in partnership with the University of Cumbria.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Five-station MMI: two 10-minute mini-interviews with 5 minutes' prep each, a 10-minute student station, a 20-minute PBL group exercise led by a tutor, and a 5-minute scenario station built around a pr…	Graduate-entry MMI format with stations focused on clinical reasoning, ethics, communication and motivation for rural and community healthcare.

Specialities	Medicine, Medical Education	Medicine, Rural Healthcare, Community Medicine
Established	2003	2023
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-bas…	The only medicine route in Carlisle, and graduate-entry only — there is no school-leaver course here. Restricted to home-fee applicants holding a 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare, with the MBBS…
Official course page	https://www.hyms.ac.uk/medicine/mbbs-medicine	https://cumbriamed.ac.uk/study/

Hull York (HYMS)

Hull/York

Quick comparison

Location: Hull/York, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently)
TrueScore: Hull York (HYMS) TrueScore 1980
UCAT home cut-off: ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT); ~1950+ consider with strong GCSE/SJT mix
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%
Decision date: March onwards

Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Carlisle

Quick comparison

Location: Carlisle, UK
A-Level offer: Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree
TrueScore: Pears Cumbria (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off: -
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: -
Decision date: March onwards

Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently).

Pears Cumbria (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Hull York (HYMS): Minimum 6 GCSEs at grade 4/C or equivalent, including English Language and Mathematics at grade 6/B or above. GCSE resits accepted (including pending). Top 6 GCSEs scored /35 in points system. Mostly… Pears Cumbria (GEM): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree.

Interview formats

Both Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) 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: Hull York (HYMS) interviews in December - March; Pears Cumbria (GEM) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3.

Specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Four-year accelerated graduate-entry programme. Imperial College London partner. Clinical placements across Cumbria NHS sites (UHMBT, North Cumbria In

Intake size: Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year; Pears Cumbria (GEM) — ~58 places per year. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

Hull York (HYMS): Points-based shortlisting: UCAT decile (/35) + SJT (/15) + GCSE top 6 subjects (/35) + contextual data (/15). The PBL group exercise is unusual among UK medical schools and reflects HYMS's problem-based curriculum.

Pears Cumbria (GEM): The only medicine route in Carlisle, and graduate-entry only — there is no school-leaver course here. Restricted to home-fee applicants holding a 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare, with the MBBS awarded by Imperial College London.

Which is right for you?

Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. 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

Hull York (HYMS): home applicants — ~2010+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s safest (~7th decile UCAT). Pears Cumbria (GEM): no fixed home cut-off published; mCAT is NOT accepted. These are the figures on record for 2027-entry applicants. Schools without a fixed cut-off rank UCAT inside a composite shortlisting score, so thresholds move with each year's applicant pool — confirm the latest figure on each school's admissions page.

Hull York (HYMS) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Pears Cumbria (GEM) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). The format is the same, so the same prep approach applies — practise ethics frameworks, NHS hot topics, and (for MMI) structured 5-7 minute station answers. Interview windows: December - March (Hull York (HYMS)); December - March (Pears Cumbria (GEM)).

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA at A-level including Biology and Chemistry (3 A-levels studied and awarded concurrently). Pears Cumbria (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Hull York (HYMS) — Resits accepted.. Pears Cumbria (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry - degree class is the academic measure..

Hull York (HYMS)'s selection methodology: Joint Hull-York programme. UCAT + academic + MMI. Distinctive 'Hull York' brand with placements across both cities. Pears Cumbria (GEM)'s selection methodology: Degree subject and class hurdle (2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare), then a UCAT or GAMSAT threshold, then MMI. Home fee status is an eligibility requirement, not a preference. MBBS awarded by Imperial College London. 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.

Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum. Pears Cumbria (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Hull York (HYMS) specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Pears Cumbria (GEM) specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry programme. Imperial College London partner. Clinical placements across Cumbria NHS sites (UHMBT, North Cumbria Integrated Care).

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

Hull York (HYMS)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Pears Cumbria (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 11 September 2026.

Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Side-by-side comparison

Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (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 Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM)?

How do interviews differ between Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM)?

What A-Level grades do Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Hull York (HYMS) vs Pears Cumbria (GEM)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM) use?

Should I apply to both Hull York (HYMS) and Pears Cumbria (GEM)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons