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

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) vs Swansea (GEM)

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) and Swansea (GEM) are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is based in Belfast (Northern Ireland) while Swansea (GEM) sits in Swansea (Wales), and the regional context shapes everything from fee status to NHS-deanery destination. Their A-Level requirements (AAA vs Graduate) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. The interview formats diverge — MMI vs Panel — and the prep approaches for the two are fundamentally different. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the older institution (founded 1849); the other (founded 2004) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)

Belfast

Quick comparison

Location
Belfast, UK
A-Level offer
A*AA at A-level including Chemistry and Biology (or Maths/Physics - see subject rules)
TrueScore
1700
UCAT home cut-off
~1700+ /2700 with 9× grade 9s GCSE (~35/45 target). Lower UCAT viable with stronger GCSE.
Interview format
Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Post-interview chance
Home: 332/778 = 43%; International: 51/214 = 24%
Decision date
April onwards

Swansea (GEM)

Swansea

Quick comparison

Location
Swansea, UK
A-Level offer
Graduate entry programme - degree required
TrueScore
-
UCAT home cut-off
-
Interview format
Assessment Day
Post-interview chance
-
Decision date
Until May
Compare different schools

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) vs Swansea (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Swansea (GEM) requires Graduate entry programme - degree required. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the stricter A-Level offer; Swansea (GEM) is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Swansea (GEM) carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview.

Interview formats

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)); Swansea (GEM) uses Panel (Assessment Day). 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, Swansea (GEM) may suit you more. If you prefer discrete capsule answers under time pressure, Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is the better fit. Interview windows: Queen's University Belfast (QUB) interviews in January - February; Swansea (GEM) in March.

What makes each distinctive

Queen's University Belfast (QUB): Less weight on NHS hot topics than most schools. Stronger emphasis on reflective examples of personal qualities. SJT may be used if borderline before or after interview, but in 2025 anyone with 30/42 received an interview regardless. Swansea (GEM): Graduate entry programme with a written SJT exercise as part of the selection day. Personal statement and detailed course knowledge feature prominently - applicants should know Swansea's programme structure in detail.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Swansea (GEM) is the lower-risk academic option. Regionally, the choice often comes down to cost of living and NHS-deanery preferences — Queen's University Belfast (QUB) feeds into the Northern Ireland foundation programme network; Swansea (GEM) into the Wales network. 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. Queen's University Belfast (QUB) guidance: ~1700+ /2700 with 9× grade 9s GCSE (~35/45 target). Lower UCAT viable with stronger GCSE.. Swansea (GEM) guidance: UCAT not required - graduate entry programme..

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) uses Multiple Mini Interviews: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI). Swansea (GEM) uses Assessment day: Assessment Day. The two formats reward different skill sets. Plan separate prep streams for each, with at least 3 full mock interviews per format before sitting either. Interview windows: January - February (Queen's University Belfast (QUB)); March (Swansea (GEM)).

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Swansea (GEM) requires Graduate entry programme - degree required. Most successful applicants achieve these grades on first sitting with strong predicted grades from their school.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) — GCSE performance considered as part of the broader academic profile; specific scoring not published. Swansea (GEM) — Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB)'s selection methodology: shortlisting weight not fully disclosed; check the official admissions page. Swansea (GEM)'s selection methodology: GAMSAT-based selection (UCAT alternative for graduate-entry). Strong Welsh/regional focus. 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.

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) is in Belfast, UK. Swansea (GEM) is in Swansea, 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).

Queen's University Belfast (QUB) typically releases medicine decisions April onwards. Swansea (GEM) 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.

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.