Where are Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland located, and how does that affect cost?

Lincoln Medical School is in Lincoln, UK. Sunderland is in Sunderland, 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?

Lincoln Medical School typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. Sunderland releases medicine decisions Until May. 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

Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland

Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland 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: Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland.
Comparison field	Lincoln Medical SchoolLincoln	SunderlandSunderland
Quick comparison
Location	Lincoln, UK	Sunderland, 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.	AAA at A-level including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics/Further Mathematics/Statistics) and a third academic subject. No use of predicted grades - Sunderland considers achieved grades only.
TrueScore	Lincoln Medical School TrueScore 1700	Sunderland 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.	Expressed in deciles: your score must fall within the top 8 deciles of the cohort, with an SJT in Bands 1-3.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	All Students (2023): 159/229 = 69%	All Home Applicants: 353/731 = 48% (2025). Not for international students - home only.
Decision date	March onwards	Until May

A-Level offer	AAA at A-level which must include Biology (or Human Biology) at grade A. Chemistry is NOT required at A-level.	AAA at A-level including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics/Further Mathematics/Statistics) and a third academic subject. No use of predicted grades - Sunderland considers achieved grades only.
Contextual A-Level offer	AAB for contextual offers, still including Biology (or Human Biology).	-
Required A-Level subjects	Biology (or Human Biology) required; Chemistry is not required at A-level	Biology or Chemistry required, plus a second designated science, plus a third academic subject
A-Level resit policy	Resits considered.	Resits accepted.
GCSE requirements	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 application.	Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, with a minimum of grade 6/B in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Dual Science may not be accepted - confirm with the school. GCSE resits permitted before application (up to 2 attempts).
GCSE scoring methodology	-	-
Scottish Highers	-	-
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	-
International Baccalaureate	36 points overall with Higher Level Biology at grade 6. Chemistry is required at GCSE level rather than Higher Level.	36 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Biology or Chemistry plus a second science / Maths (not published on the course page - treat as unconfirmed).
Graduate-entry degree requirement	-	-
Alternative qualifications	-	Sunderland does NOT accept international students - UK applicants only.

Contextual cut-off	~1500+ /2700 with WP uplifts (MEM2 Q1 = 8pts; care experienced = 15pts; UCAT bursary = 6pts)	-
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	-	-
SJT band	Band 4 automatically rejected. SJT scored heavily: B1=15, B2=10, B3=5, B4=0.	Band 4 is automatically rejected, no further use of SJT
UCAT notes	NEW scoring system for 2026 entry: UCAT cognitive /15 (5pts per subsection 801+), SJT /15 (B1=15), GCSE /30 (top 6, grade 9 = 5pts). Personal statement not used. SJT B4 auto-rejected.	Sunderland shortlists on three things together - the interview selection tool, the academic requirements and the UCAT. The selection tool is a survey you must complete by the published October deadlin…

Degree awarded	MBChB	MBChB
Course length	5 years	5 years
Teaching style	Case-based learning	Problem-based learning + Case-based learning
Anatomy teaching	Prosection	-
First patient contact	Year 3	Year 3
Placement geography	Lincolnshire	The north east of England
Named placement sites	Lincoln County Hospital, Grantham and District Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital, Boston	-
Intercalation	-	Available after year 2 as a BSc, or after year 4 as an MSc.
Course highlight	Lincoln Medical School was established in 2018 specifically to improve doctor recruitment and retention in Lincolnshire.	-

Interview window	December - March	December - January
Interview details	MMI format with stations covering motivation, ethical reasoning, prioritisation scenarios and role-play. Mix of traditional medical-school questions and broader problem-solving.	Series of short interview stations covering motivation, communication, reflection on work experience and reasoning. Includes a 30-minute online numeracy test as part of the selection day.

Specialities	Medicine, Community Medicine	Medicine, Community Medicine
Established	2019	2019
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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.	No use of personal statement. The interview-selection tool reviews up to 4 examples of paid voluntary work or caring experience (shadowing doctors does not count). Numeracy test now part of the interv…
Official course page	https://www.lincoln.ac.uk/course/mdcmbcub/	https://www.sunderland.ac.uk/study/medicine/mbchb-medicine/

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

Sunderland

Quick comparison

Location: Sunderland, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics/Further Mathematics/Statistics) and a third academic subject. No use of predicted grades - Sunderland considers achieved grades only.
TrueScore: Sunderland TrueScore 1700
UCAT home cut-off: Expressed in deciles: your score must fall within the top 8 deciles of the cohort, with an SJT in Bands 1-3.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: All Home Applicants: 353/731 = 48% (2025). Not for international students - home only.
Decision date: Until May

Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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.

Sunderland requires AAA at A-level including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Mathematics/Further Mathematics/Statistics) and a third academic subject. No use of predicted grades - Sunderland considers achieved grades only.

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 — 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… Sunderland: Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, with a minimum of grade 6/B in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Dual Science may not be accepted - confirm with the school. GCSE resits…

Interview formats

Both Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland 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: Lincoln Medical School interviews in December - March; Sunderland in December - January.

Curriculum and teaching style

Lincoln Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum; Sunderland runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Lincoln Medical School delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Sunderland centres learning around clinical cases.

Specifics: Five-year MBBChir partnered with Nottingham. Lincoln-based teaching with Lincolnshire NHS clinical placements (Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospit Five-year MBChB with PBL and case-based learning. Strong North-East NHS placement network.

Intake size: Lincoln Medical School — ~80 places per year (small cohort, focused on Lincolnshire placements).; Sunderland — ~100 places per year (smaller cohort).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

Post-interview offer rate

Lincoln Medical School: All Students (2023): 159/229 = 69%. Sunderland: All Home Applicants: 353/731 = 48% (2025). Not for international students - home only.

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

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.

Sunderland: No use of personal statement. The interview-selection tool reviews up to 4 examples of paid voluntary work or caring experience (shadowing doctors does not count). Numeracy test now part of the interview process.

Which is right for you?

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 Sunderland; 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. Lincoln Medical School guidance: ~1700+ /2700 with B1 SJT and 6× grade 9s at GCSE (combined ~51/60 target). Lower UCAT viable with stronger GCSE/SJT mix.. Sunderland guidance: Expressed in deciles: your score must fall within the top 8 deciles of the cohort, with an SJT in Bands 1-3..

Lincoln Medical School uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Sunderland 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 (Lincoln Medical School); December - January (Sunderland).

Lincoln Medical School requires AAA including Biology (or Human Biology). Chemistry is not required at A-level.. Sunderland requires AAA including Biology or Chemistry, plus another designated science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths/Further Maths/Statistics) and a third academic subject. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Lincoln Medical School — Resits considered.. Sunderland — Resits accepted..

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 application. Sunderland — Five GCSEs at grade 7/A or above, with a minimum of grade 6/B in Mathematics, English Language, Biology, Chemistry and Physics. Dual Science may not be accepted - confirm with the school. GCSE resits permitted before application (up to 2 attempts).

Lincoln Medical School's selection methodology: Lincoln operates jointly with the University of Nottingham - uses Nottingham's weighted UCAT/academic scoring system. New programme (first cohort 2019). Sunderland's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + interview. Newer programme (intake from 2019) - selection algorithm being refined annually. 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.

Lincoln Medical School: All Students (2023): 159/229 = 69%. Sunderland: All Home Applicants: 353/731 = 48% (2025). Not for international students - home only.. Post-interview odds tell you how competitive each school is at the final stage. Two schools with similar UCAT thresholds can have very different post-interview rates — a school with a 60% post-interview success rate is structurally easier to convert than one at 25%.

Lincoln Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. Sunderland runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. Lincoln Medical School specifics: Five-year MBBChir partnered with Nottingham. Lincoln-based teaching with Lincolnshire NHS clinical placements (Lincoln County Hospital, Pilgrim Hospital Boston, Grantham). Sunderland specifics: Five-year MBChB with PBL and case-based learning. Strong North-East NHS placement network.

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

Lincoln Medical SchoolEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

SunderlandEntry 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.

Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland

Side-by-side comparison

Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Interview formats

Curriculum and teaching style

Post-interview offer rate

What makes each distinctive

Which is right for you?

Common questions

What UCAT score do I need for Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland?

How do interviews differ between Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland?

What A-Level grades do Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Lincoln Medical School vs Sunderland?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Which has a higher post-interview offer rate, Lincoln Medical School or Sunderland?

Where are Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland use?

Should I apply to both Lincoln Medical School and Sunderland?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons