Hull York (HYMS) vs Southampton

Hull York (HYMS)'s published UCAT threshold for home applicants is around 2010, while Southampton sits at approximately 2000.

Their UCAT bars are statistically indistinguishable (within 10 points), so the UCAT is unlikely to be your differentiator between them.

Contextual / widening-participation cut-offs differ — Hull York (HYMS): ~1700+ /2700 with WP eligibility (4th decile minimum + minimum entry requirements); Southampton: ~1850+ /2700 (WP - 2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1778). Eligible applicants should weight this heavily when choosing.

Hull York (HYMS) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology.

Southampton 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 — Hull York (HYMS): Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science. Southampton: Strong GCSE profile expected - typically 6+ at grade 7+ including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Hull York (HYMS) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)); Southampton uses Panel (Selection Day - Panel and Group). These two formats reward different skills — MMI emphasises breadth, station-recovery and structured answers under time pressure, while Panel rewards depth and consistency.

If your strengths lie in conversational depth, Southampton may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Hull York (HYMS) is the better fit.

Interview windows: Hull York (HYMS) interviews in December - March; Southampton in January - March.

Hull York (HYMS) runs a PBL curriculum; Southampton runs a Integrated curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Hull York (HYMS) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while Southampton uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Five-year MBBS jointly run by Hull and York universities. Clinical placements across Hull, York, Scarborough, and Yorkshire NHS sites. Five-year BM5 integrated programme with strong emphasis on research methodology. Clinical placements across Southampton, Portsmouth, Winchester, Salis

Intake size: Hull York (HYMS) — ~165 home + ~25 international places per year.; Southampton — ~210 home + ~25 international places per year (BM5 standard programme).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Hull York (HYMS): All (2024): 678/750 = 90%; Home: 655/695 = 94%; Overseas: 20/55 = 36%. Southampton: Home Students: 574/834 = 69%; International (2023): 17/59 = 30%.

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.

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.

Southampton: Personal statement carries unusual weight - selectors use it to drive the panel section if you reach Selection Day. SJT is not considered. Course updated for 2025: the integrated BMedSc award is being removed in favour of more clinical learning time.