Where are Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews located, and how does that affect cost?

Pears Cumbria (GEM) is in Carlisle, UK. St Andrews is in St Andrews, UK. Scottish-domiciled applicants funded by SAAS pay no tuition fees at Scottish medical schools — a substantial funding advantage worth tens of thousands of pounds over the degree. Rest-of-UK applicants still pay £9,250/year.

When does each school release decisions?

Pears Cumbria (GEM) typically releases medicine decisions March onwards. St Andrews 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

Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews

Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Pears Cumbria (GEM) is based in Carlisle (England) while St Andrews sits in St Andrews (Scotland), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination.

St Andrews is the older institution (founded 1413); the other (founded 2023) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Show only differences

Side-by-side comparison: Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews.
Comparison field	Pears Cumbria (GEM)Carlisle	St AndrewsSt Andrews
Quick comparison
Location	Carlisle, UK	St Andrews, UK
A-Level offer	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree	AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore	Pears Cumbria (GEM) TrueScore 1700GEM	St Andrews TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off	-	No threshold published. Applicants who meet the requirements are ranked on their UCAT global score, and roughly the top 650 are invited to interview.
Interview format	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)	Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance	-	RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%
Decision date	March onwards	March onwards

A-Level offer	Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree	AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
Contextual A-Level offer	-	AAB at A-level for widening-access applicants
Required A-Level subjects	-	Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics
A-Level resit policy	Not applicable to graduate entry - degree class is the academic measure.	Resits considered with extenuating circumstances.
GCSE requirements	GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree	Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not offered at A-level. GCSE resit allowed.
GCSE scoring methodology	-	Used only as a minimum threshold - once met, shortlisting is entirely UCAT-based
Scottish Highers	-	Standard entry: AAAAB in S5, predicted to achieve at least BBB in Highers, Advanced Highers or a mix in S6. Minimum entry: AAABB in S5, predicted at least BB in S6.
Scottish Advanced Highers	-	Mix of Highers and Advanced Highers in S6 acceptable - minimum BB
International Baccalaureate	-	38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level + 6,6,6 at Standard Level. Minimum: 36 points (6,6,5 HL + 6,6,5 SL). Must include HL Chemistry and HL in one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics. If Maths not at HL, applicants must have SL in Biology, Maths and English. Either Maths Analysis & Approaches or Applications & Interpretation accepted.
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.	ScotGEM applicants must have achieved (or be predicted to achieve) a 1st or 2:1 Honours degree in any discipline (Arts, Science, etc.). Plus: Chemistry Higher or A-level (grade A or B) or equivalent; Mathematics at Standard Grade Credit 1/2, Intermediate 2 (A or B), National 5 (A or B), or GCSE (B). GAMSAT required.
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	-	Widening-access applicants receive a 10% uplift on their UCAT score.
Scottish (where applicable)	-	-
Rest of UK (where applicable)	-	-
International cut-off	-	-
Graduate cut-off	1960+ /2700 for 2026 entry (1910+ contextual). GAMSAT alternative: 59 overall (53 contextual).	-
SJT band	-	No use of SJT (was many years ago but not any more or in the future)
UCAT notes	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…	St Andrews warns explicitly that the 2025 UCAT changes - three subtests and a maximum of 2,700 - mean historical UCAT figures are not comparable with current cycles, so older "lowest invited" numbers…

Degree awarded	MBBS (awarded by Imperial College London)	BSc (Hons) Medicine, then MBChB/MBBS elsewhere
Course length	4 years (graduate entry)	6 years (3 at St Andrews + 3 clinical)
Teaching style	Integrated	Integrated + Spiral
Anatomy teaching	Imaging and models	Full-body dissection
First patient contact	Year 1	Year 1
Placement geography	North and south Cumbria	St Andrews for years 1–3, then a partner school in Scotland or England
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)	Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin, Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, MFT Oxford Road Campus, MFT Wythenshawe Hospital, LFT Preston, SRFT Salford, Royal London Hospital, Whitechapel, St Bartholomew's Hospital, West Smithfield
Intercalation	-	Built in — the honours programme runs through years 2 and 3, and the BSc (Hons) Medicine is awarded at the end of year 3, before transfer to the partner school.
Course highlight	The MBBS is awarded by Imperial College London, delivered in partnership with the University of Cumbria.	You graduate with a BSc Honours before you begin clinical training.

Interview window	December - March	December - March
Interview details	Graduate-entry MMI format with stations focused on clinical reasoning, ethics, communication and motivation for rural and community healthcare.	MMI format with chatty, casual interviewers across multiple stations. Topics include ethical scenarios, role-play and motivation for the unusual three-year BSc Honours course before transferring to a…

Specialities	Medicine, Rural Healthcare, Community Medicine	Medicine, Medical Sciences, Gateway to Medicine
Established	2023	1413
Course type	Undergraduate	Undergraduate
What makes it different	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…	Three-year pre-clinical course at St Andrews followed by transfer to a partner medical school for clinical years. SJT not used (was used many years ago, not now or in future). Scottish students face m…
Official course page	https://cumbriamed.ac.uk/study/	https://www.st-andrews.ac.uk/subjects/medicine/medicine-bsc-a100/

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

St Andrews

Quick comparison

Location: St Andrews, UK
A-Level offer: AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
TrueScore: St Andrews TrueScore 1850
UCAT home cut-off: No threshold published. Applicants who meet the requirements are ranked on their UCAT global score, and roughly the top 650 are invited to interview.
Interview format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance: RUK Student (2025): 123/162 = 74%; Scottish + RUK: 411/505 = 81%; International (2023): 56/82 = 68%
Decision date: March onwards

Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

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

St Andrews requires AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics.

GCSE profile matters at both schools — Pears Cumbria (GEM): GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree. St Andrews: Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not…

Interview formats

Both Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews 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: Pears Cumbria (GEM) interviews in December - March; St Andrews in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Pears Cumbria (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum; St Andrews runs a Traditional curriculum. The teaching philosophies are different — Pears Cumbria (GEM) leans on small-group case-based learning from year 1, while St Andrews uses a more traditional lecture-led structure.

Specifics: Four-year accelerated graduate-entry programme. Imperial College London partner. Clinical placements across Cumbria NHS sites (UHMBT, North Cumbria In First 3 years at St Andrews leading to BSc (Hons) Medicine. Most students then transfer to a partner clinical school for years 4-6 of MBChB.

Intake size: Pears Cumbria (GEM) — ~58 places per year; St Andrews — RUK ~24 places, Scottish ~150, International ~30 (3-year pre-clinical only - clinical years at partner schools). A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

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.

St Andrews: Three-year pre-clinical course at St Andrews followed by transfer to a partner medical school for clinical years. SJT not used (was used many years ago, not now or in future). Scottish students face much lower cut-offs than RUK applicants.

Which is right for you?

Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Pears Cumbria (GEM) feeds into the England foundation programme network; St Andrews into the Scotland network. If you learn best in small-group case discussion, prefer Pears Cumbria (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

Pears Cumbria (GEM): no fixed home cut-off published; mCAT is NOT accepted. St Andrews: no threshold published — applicants who meet the requirements are ranked on their UCAT global score, and roughly the top 650 are invited to interview. 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.

Pears Cumbria (GEM) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). St Andrews 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 (Pears Cumbria (GEM)); December - March (St Andrews).

Pears Cumbria (GEM) requires Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree. St Andrews requires AAA at A-level (offer and predicted) including Chemistry and one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school. Resit policies differ: Pears Cumbria (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry - degree class is the academic measure.. St Andrews — Resits considered with extenuating circumstances..

Pears Cumbria (GEM) — GCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree. St Andrews — Minimum 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A in one sitting (achieved A-level applicants may be considered with fewer). GCSE grade 5 in Biology, Mathematics, and English (Language or Literature) required if not offered at A-level. GCSE resit allowed. Used only as a minimum threshold - once met, shortlisting is entirely UCAT-based

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. St Andrews's selection methodology: Applicants who meet the academic requirements, provide a positive reference and can show relevant medically related work experience are ranked on their UCAT global score; roughly the top 650 are interviewed. Offers then turn on the interview score and the route applied for. St Andrews teaches the first three years (BSc Medicine) and most students then transfer to a partner clinical school such as Glasgow, Manchester or Dundee. 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.

Pears Cumbria (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. St Andrews runs a Traditional curriculum. The teaching philosophies differ — pick the style that matches how you learn best. 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). St Andrews specifics: First 3 years at St Andrews leading to BSc (Hons) Medicine. Most students then transfer to a partner clinical school for years 4-6 of MBChB.

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

Pears Cumbria (GEM)Entry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

St AndrewsEntry requirements, interview format and key dates in full

Other medical school comparisons

School data reviewed by the NextGen MedPrep editorial team — last reviewed 14 August 2026.

Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews

Side-by-side comparison

Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews - 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 Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews?

How do interviews differ between Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews?

What A-Level grades do Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews require?

How are GCSEs weighted at Pears Cumbria (GEM) vs St Andrews?

How does each school actually shortlist applicants?

Where are Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews located, and how does that affect cost?

When does each school release decisions?

What curriculum style do Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews use?

Should I apply to both Pears Cumbria (GEM) and St Andrews?

Where to go next

Other medical school comparisons