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Medical school comparison

UCL vs Ulster University Medical School

UCL and Ulster University Medical School are both UK medical schools, but the path to an offer at each is meaningfully different. Both sit in London, so location and clinical-placement breadth are similar — the differentiation comes from selection methodology, interview style and curriculum philosophy. Their A-Level requirements (A*AA vs AAA) place them in slightly different academic-strictness tiers. UCL is the older institution (founded 1826); the other (founded 2022) has shaped its medical school around modern integrated-curriculum thinking.

Side-by-side comparison

UCL

London

Quick comparison

Location
London, UK
A-Level offer
A*AA at A-level (offer and prediction) with the A* in Chemistry or Biology
TrueScore
2120
UCAT home cut-off
~2100+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2100, first UCAT cycle replacing BMAT)
Interview format
MMI (Home), Traditional (International)
Post-interview chance
Home Fee Status (2024): 562/1032 = 54%; Contextual (2025): 58%; International (2023): 55/131 = 42%
Decision date
Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed

Ulster University Medical School

Londonderry

Quick comparison

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

UCL vs Ulster University Medical School - in detail

A-Level and academic profile

UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology. Ulster University Medical School requires AAA including Chemistry and Biology. UCL is the stricter A-Level offer; Ulster University Medical School is slightly more forgiving. If your predicted grades are borderline, Ulster University Medical School carries the lower academic-rejection risk pre-interview. GCSE profile matters at both schools — UCL: Minimum English Language and Mathematics at grade 6. GCSE resits accepted. Ulster University Medical School: Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

Interview formats

Both UCL and Ulster University Medical School 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. That said, the specifics differ slightly: UCL runs mmi (home), traditional (international); Ulster University Medical School runs multiple mini interviews (mmi). Mock practice tailored to each school's exact format is the highest-leverage prep. Interview windows: UCL interviews in December - March; Ulster University Medical School in December - March.

Curriculum and teaching style

Both schools deliver a Integrated-style curriculum, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar across years 1-3. Specifics: Six-year MBBS BSc with compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 3. Clinical placements at UCL-affiliated NHS sites including UCLH, Royal Free, and Whitting Four-year accelerated MBBS for graduates. Clinical placements across Northern Ireland NHS sites (Magee Campus, Western HSC, Northern HSC). Intake size: UCL — ~310 home + ~24 overseas fee status places per year.; Ulster University Medical School — ~70 places per year (small cohort, NI-focused).. A larger cohort means more peer breadth; a smaller cohort means more tutor contact.

What makes each distinctive

UCL: Cut-offs differ from Imperial - UCL's home threshold is lower while its international threshold is higher, partly because UCL holds more interviews relative to offers. SJT is only used as a tie-breaker between equally scored candidates. Ulster University Medical School: New medical school serving Northern Ireland. Strong regional focus, with the course oriented around local workforce needs. Cut-offs have not yet stabilised.

Which is right for you?

For applicants with predicted A-Level grades at the lower end of the AAA-A*AA range, Ulster University Medical School is the lower-risk academic option. Both schools sit in the same London 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. UCL guidance: ~2100+ /2700 (2025 entry cut-off ≈ 2100, first UCAT cycle replacing BMAT). Ulster University Medical School guidance: UCAT required - specific thresholds to be announced..

UCL uses Multiple Mini Interviews: MMI (Home), Traditional (International). Ulster University Medical School 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 (UCL); December - March (Ulster University Medical School).

UCL requires A*AA including Chemistry and Biology. Ulster University Medical School 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: UCL — A-Level resits not accepted.. Ulster University Medical School — Resits accepted..

UCL — Minimum English Language and Mathematics at grade 6. GCSE resits accepted. Ulster University Medical School — Min 5 GCSEs at grade 6 (B) including Maths, English Language, dual-award Science.

UCL's selection methodology: Beyond minimum academic requirements, shortlisting is wholly by UCAT total score. Higher post-interview offer rate (more interviews relative to offers) than Imperial. Ulster University Medical School's selection methodology: Newer Northern Ireland medical school (first cohort 2021). UCAT + academic + interview. Designed to address NI workforce needs. 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.

UCL is in London, UK. Ulster University Medical School is in Londonderry, 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).

UCL typically releases medicine decisions Decisions are made after all the Interviews have been completed. Ulster University Medical School 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.

UCL runs a Integrated curriculum. Ulster University Medical School runs a Integrated curriculum. Both schools deliver teaching in the same broad style, so day-to-day study habits will feel similar. UCL specifics: Six-year MBBS BSc with compulsory intercalated BSc in Year 3. Clinical placements at UCL-affiliated NHS sites including UCLH, Royal Free, and Whittington. Ulster University Medical School specifics: Four-year accelerated MBBS for graduates. Clinical placements across Northern Ireland NHS sites (Magee Campus, Western HSC, Northern HSC).

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.