Skip to main content
NextGen MedPrep logoNextGenMedPrep
Back to Medical School Compare
Medical school comparison

Lincoln Medical School vs Surrey (GEM)

Lincoln Medical School and Surrey (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. Their A-Level requirements (AAB vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers.

Side-by-side comparison

Lincoln Medical School

Lincoln

Quick comparison

Location
Lincoln, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level including Biology (or Human Biology) and Chemistry
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

Surrey (GEM)

Guildford

Quick comparison

Location
Guildford, UK
A-Level offer
AAA including Chemistry and Biology
TrueScore
1700GEM
UCAT home cut-off
-
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
-
Decision date
March onwards
Compare different schools

Lincoln Medical School vs Surrey (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Lincoln Medical School requires AAB including Chemistry and Biology. Surrey (GEM) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Surrey (GEM) is the stricter A-Level offer; Lincoln Medical School is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Lincoln Medical School carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview. GCSE profile matters at both schools — Lincoln Medical School: Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or dual-award Science). Surrey (GEM): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Interview formats

Both Lincoln Medical School 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: Lincoln Medical School interviews in December - March; Surrey (GEM) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Lincoln Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum; Surrey (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Lincoln Medical School delivers more didactic lectures with structured systems-based progression, while Surrey (GEM) 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 Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Surrey-based with South-East NHS placements. Intake size: Lincoln Medical School — ~80 places per year (small cohort, focused on Lincolnshire placements).; 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

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. Surrey (GEM): New graduate-entry medical school with focus on innovative teaching methods and the use of technology in healthcare delivery.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Lincoln Medical School 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 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. 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.. Surrey (GEM) guidance: New graduate-entry medical school (first cohort 2024 entry). UCAT required; no cut-off published yet..

Lincoln Medical School 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 - March (Lincoln Medical School); December - March (Surrey (GEM)).

Lincoln Medical School requires AAB including Chemistry and Biology. Surrey (GEM) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Lincoln Medical School — Resits considered.. Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry..

Lincoln Medical School — Min 6 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry, Physics (or dual-award Science). Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

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). Surrey (GEM)'s selection methodology: New programme. UCAT + degree class + interview. Surrey-based graduate medicine. 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 is in Lincoln, 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).

Lincoln Medical School 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.

Lincoln Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. Surrey (GEM) 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). 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.

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 20 June 2026.