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Medical school comparison

Sunderland vs Surrey (GEM)

Sunderland 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.

Side-by-side comparison

Sunderland

Sunderland

Quick comparison

Location
Sunderland, UK
A-Level offer
AAA at A-level (no use of predicted grades - Sunderland considers achieved grades only)
TrueScore
1700
UCAT home cut-off
~1700+ /2700 (2nd decile cut-off; 2025 entry lowest invited ≈ 1695). Stable around 1695-1710 for past 4 cycles.
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

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

Sunderland vs Surrey (GEM) - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

Sunderland requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. Surrey (GEM) requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. 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 — Sunderland: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry (or dual-award Science). Surrey (GEM): Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Interview formats

Both Sunderland 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: Sunderland interviews in December - January; Surrey (GEM) in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a PBL-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3. Specifics: Five-year MBChB with PBL and case-based learning. Strong North-East NHS placement network. Four-year accelerated graduate-entry MBChB. Surrey-based with South-East NHS placements. Intake size: Sunderland — ~100 places per year (smaller cohort).; 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

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. 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?

Both schools sit in the same England foundation-programme catchment, so post-graduation training paths overlap heavily. 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. Sunderland guidance: ~1700+ /2700 (2nd decile cut-off; 2025 entry lowest invited ≈ 1695). Stable around 1695-1710 for past 4 cycles.. Surrey (GEM) guidance: New graduate-entry medical school (first cohort 2024 entry). UCAT required; no cut-off published yet..

Sunderland 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 - January (Sunderland); December - March (Surrey (GEM)).

Sunderland requires AAA 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: Sunderland — Resits accepted.. Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable to graduate entry..

Sunderland — Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 including Maths, English Language, Biology, Chemistry (or dual-award Science). Surrey (GEM) — Not applicable - graduate-entry programme. Requires a 2:1 honours degree.

Sunderland's selection methodology: UCAT + academic + interview. Newer programme (intake from 2019) - selection algorithm being refined annually. 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.

Sunderland is in Sunderland, 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).

Sunderland typically releases medicine decisions Until May. 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.

Sunderland runs a PBL curriculum. Surrey (GEM) runs a PBL curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. Sunderland specifics: Five-year MBChB with PBL and case-based learning. Strong North-East NHS placement network. 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.