Where are Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

Imperial College London is in London, UK. Surrey (GEM) is in Guildford, 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?

Imperial College London 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

Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM)

Q: How are GCSEs weighted at Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM)?

Imperial College London — Grade 6/B in GCSE English Language. No further GCSE requirements. GCSE used only as minimum threshold - not used to rank applicants beyond meeting the floor Surrey (GEM) — GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above.

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

Imperial College London is the older institution (founded 1907); 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: Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM).
Comparison field	Imperial College LondonLondon	Surrey (GEM)Guildford
Quick comparison
Location	London, UK	Guildford, UK
A-Level offer	AAA including A and A in Biology and Chemistry (A* in either) plus A in a third subject. All qualifications must be taken in the same sitting; General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted, and a pass in the science practical endorsement is required.	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject
TrueScore	Imperial College London TrueScore 2340	Surrey (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off	2320+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off)	-
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	Good. Imperial interviews only about the top third of applicants, then makes offers against 345 places from the 852 (2025 entry) and 870 (2026 entry) candidates it invited - so well over half of interviewees receive an offer. The offer threshold moves each year and is set separately for widening-participation applicants.	-
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	AAA including A and A in Biology and Chemistry (A* in either) plus A in a third subject. All qualifications must be taken in the same sitting; General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted, and a pass in the science practical endorsement is required.	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in any subject
Contextual A-Level offer	AAA - the same grades as the standard offer, but the A may be in any subject rather than in Biology or Chemistry	-
Required A-Level subjects	Chemistry and Biology both required	-
A-Level resit policy	Resit qualifications not accepted	Not applicable to graduate entry.
GCSE requirements	Grade 6/B in GCSE English Language. No further GCSE requirements.	GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above
GCSE scoring methodology	GCSE used only as minimum threshold - not used to rank applicants beyond meeting the floor	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including Chemistry and Biology	-
Graduate-entry degree requirement	Graduate applicants accepted on the standard 6-year MBBS - typically holding 2:1 or higher in any subject, plus required A-level Chemistry and Biology grades	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	2170+ /2700 (2026 entry official contextual cut-off)	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	2310+ /2700 (2026 entry official 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	Band 4 rejected, otherwise B1, B2 & B3 equal	-
UCAT notes	Imperial sets the threshold each year by ranking candidate UCAT scores against the number of interview slots, so it moves annually. The personal statement is not graded in shortlisting, but it is hand…	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	MBBS/BSc	BMBS
Course length	6 years (BSc built in)	4 years (graduate entry)
Teaching style	Case-based learning + Team-based learning	Team-based learning
Anatomy teaching	-	Prosection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	West and central London	Surrey and the surrounding area
Named placement sites	Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust (Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s, Western Eye), Chelsea and Westminster Hospital, London North West Healthcare NHS Trust (Ealing, Northwick Park), Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust, Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust, West Middlesex University Hospital	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	Not a separate option — the BSc is integral to the six-year course.	-
Course highlight	Exceptional students may be offered the opportunity to include a PhD as part of their studies.	AI is integrated into the curriculum, and virtual reality surgical training runs through the VRiMS collaboration.

Interview window	December - February	December - March
Interview details	A single live MMI. Imperial ran six stations for 2026 entry, each scored out of 6 and combined into one interview total. Published station themes are teamwork and leadership, motivation to study medic…	MMI format with multiple stations assessing communication, ethical reasoning and problem-solving.

Specialities	Medicine, Bioengineering, Public Health	Medicine, Healthcare Technology, Clinical Practice
Established	1907	2024
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	Heavy emphasis on scientific reasoning and the integrated London course structure. Around a quarter of places are now reserved for international applicants. UCAT is the primary shortlisting factor, wi…	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://www.imperial.ac.uk/study/courses/undergraduate/medicine/	https://www.surrey.ac.uk/undergraduate/medicine-graduate-entry

Imperial College London

London

Quick comparison

Location: London, UK
A-Level offer: A*AA including A* and A in Biology and Chemistry (A* in either) plus A in a third subject. All qualifications must be taken in the same sitting; General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted, and a pass in the science practical endorsement is required.
TrueScore: Imperial College London TrueScore 2340
UCAT home cut-off: 2320+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off)
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: Good. Imperial interviews only about the top third of applicants, then makes offers against 345 places from the 852 (2025 entry) and 870 (2026 entry) candidates it invited - so well over half of interviewees receive an offer. The offer threshold moves each year and is set separately for widening-participation applicants.
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

Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Imperial College London requires A*AA including A* and A in Biology and Chemistry (A* in either) plus A in a third subject. All qualifications must be taken in the same sitting; General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted, and a pass in the science practical endorsement is required.

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

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Imperial College London: Grade 6/B in GCSE English Language. No further GCSE requirements. GCSE used only as minimum threshold - not used to rank applicants beyond meeting the floor Surrey (GEM): GCSE Maths and English at grade C/5 or above.

Interview formats

Both Imperial College London and Surrey (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: Imperial College London interviews in December - February; Surrey (GEM) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

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

Specifics: Six-year MBBS BSc with integrated science teaching from Year 1. Compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 4. Clinical placements from Year 3 across Imperial Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Surrey-based with South-East NHS placements.

Intake size: Imperial College London — A government-capped target intake of 345: 271 home places and 74 overseas, one of the largest international intakes in the UK.; 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

Imperial College London: Heavy emphasis on scientific reasoning and the integrated London course structure. Around a quarter of places are now reserved for international applicants. UCAT is the primary shortlisting factor, with personal-statement use limited to exceptional cases.

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 — Imperial College London feeds into the London 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. Imperial College London guidance: 2320+ /2700 (2026 entry official cut-off). 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..

Imperial College London uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Surrey (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 - February (Imperial College London); December - March (Surrey (GEM)).

Imperial College London requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology, with the A* in Chemistry or Biology. 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: Imperial College London — Resits not generally accepted for first-attempt A-Levels.. Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry..

Imperial College London's selection methodology: Around top ⅓ of applicants interviewed. Mainly UCAT-based shortlisting (special-circumstances applicants reviewed case-by-case). SJT band 4 rejected; B1/B2/B3 treated equally. 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.

Imperial College London runs a Integrated curriculum. Surrey (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Imperial College London specifics: Six-year MBBS BSc with integrated science teaching from Year 1. Compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 4. Clinical placements from Year 3 across Imperial-affiliated NHS Trusts in west London. 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

Imperial College LondonEntry 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.

Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM)

Side-by-side comparison

Imperial College London 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 Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM)?

How do interviews differ between Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM)?

What A-Level grades do Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM) require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Imperial College London vs Surrey (GEM)?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM) located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM) use?

Should I apply to both Imperial College London and Surrey (GEM)?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons