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UK Medicine · 2027 Entry

Pears Cumbria (GEM) Medical School

2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format

University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School in Carlisle runs a graduate-entry medicine course for 2027 entry, asking for 2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree. It publishes no fixed UCAT cut-off; NextGen MedPrep's TrueScore model predicts 1700+ for an interview invitation (graduate tier, 2027 entry). Pears Cumbria holds multiple mini interviews (MMI): December 2026 - March 2027. Decisions for 2027 entry: March 2027 onwards.

Location
Carlisle, UK
Established
2023
Interviews (2027 entry)
December 2026 - March 2027
Decisions (2027 entry)
March 2027 onwards
Pears Cumbria (GEM) — University of Cumbria

Photo: Tom Edwards · Public domain · cropped

Photo: Euan Nelson · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Colin Park · CC BY-SA 2.0 · Photo: Euan Nelson · CC BY-SA 2.0

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Overview

About Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Home-fee applicants only. Home-fee applicants only (all UK nations qualify); there is no international route.

Pears Cumbria is a four-year graduate-entry MBBS (A102) awarded by Imperial College London and taught in Carlisle, built around rural and community healthcare and the regional workforce shortage.

What makes Pears Cumbria (GEM) 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 awarded by Imperial College London.

Pears Cumbria (GEM) course & teaching

PBL curriculum. Four-year accelerated graduate-entry programme. Imperial College London partner. Clinical placements across Cumbria NHS sites (UHMBT, North Cumbria Integrated Care).

Pears Cumbria (GEM) research strengths

Pears Cumbria (GEM) is strong in these research areas:

  • Rural & remote medicine
  • Population health
  • Primary care research

Intercalation at Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Not standard (4-year accelerated graduate-entry).

How the Pears Cumbria (GEM) interview runs

Format: Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI)

Graduate-entry MMI format with stations focused on clinical reasoning, ethics, communication and motivation for rural and community healthcare.

Pears Cumbria (GEM) intake

~58 places per year. Imperial reported an 11:1 applications-to-places ratio for 2025.

Where Pears Cumbria (GEM) is

University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School was founded in 2023 and is based in Carlisle.

Programmes offered:

  • Medicine
  • Rural Healthcare
  • Community Medicine
Practise

Practise the Pears Cumbria (GEM) interview with an AI interviewer

These are real recordings of the interviewers you would meet, from a panel of 52 photoreal faces. Speak your answers out loud, get pressed with follow-ups, and receive rubric-scored feedback about two minutes after you finish, with a replay of your answers.

Try the AI interviewer
TrueScore

Predicted UCAT for Pears Cumbria (GEM)

TrueScore

Indicative

What is TrueScore?

A data-driven estimate of the UCAT score you'll likely need to be invited to interview at Pears Cumbria (GEM) for 2027 entry entry — based on its published cut-offs and recent admissions data. Treat it as a target to aim past, not a guarantee.

  • Graduate1700

Pears Cumbria (GEM)'s graduate-tier TrueScore is 1700. Build a week-by-week UCAT plan that works back from your test date — free for the first two weeks.

Entry requirements

What you need to apply to Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Pears Cumbria (GEM) at a glance

University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School Medicine — 2027 entry at a glance
Degree requirement2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree
NGMP TrueScore (2027 entry)1700+ predicted for interview (graduate tier)
Interview formatMultiple mini interviews (MMI)
Intake~58 places per year
Decisions (2027 entry)March 2027 onwards
University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School Medicine entry requirements — 2027 entry
A-Level requirementsGraduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree
GCSE requirementsGCSE English Language and Mathematics at minimum grade 4/C - assessed alongside degree
Graduate-entry degree requirement2:1 (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.
Alternative qualificationsGraduate-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.
UCAT Selection at Pears Cumbria (GEM)

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 within the two years before it.

University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School Medicine — other selection criteria, 2027 entry
Specialities offeredMedicine, Rural Healthcare, Community Medicine
Interview

How Pears Cumbria (GEM) interviews applicants

University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School Medicine interview — 2027 entry
FormatMultiple Mini Interviews (MMI)
Interview window (2027 entry)December 2026 - March 2027
Decision date (2027 entry)March 2027 onwards
Tutor insight
Check the degree-subject gate first — this is not an any-discipline graduate course. You need a 2:1 in biosciences or allied healthcare (nursing, physiotherapy, pharmacy, paramedic science, biomedical science and similar), and it is open to home-fee applicants only. If you clear those, the admission test is a pass/fail hurdle rather than a ranked score, so there is no advantage in a very high UCAT — put the effort into the MMI and into speaking credibly about rural and community healthcare, which is the whole point of the school.
Practice

Practise for your Pears Cumbria (GEM) interview

PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside

Interview questions matched to Pears Cumbria (GEM)

Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Pears Cumbria (GEM)’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.

MediumMMIQ1

Console a Peer Who Didn't Get In

A close friend has just been rejected from their first-choice medical school. Console them.

Likely follow-up · What do you say in the first 30 seconds?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
EasyPanelQ2

What Drives You

What drives you - beyond getting into medical school?

Likely follow-up · How is that visible in your life today?

3 expert tips in Prometheus
Get support

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We've helped students into Pears Cumbria (GEM) and other UK medicine schools — get tailored support for each stage of the application.

Sources

Where Pears Cumbria (GEM)'s figures come from

Checked field-by-field against University of Cumbria - Pears Medical School's official course page in our August 2026 source review.

FAQ

Pears Cumbria (GEM) — frequently asked questions

Graduate entry - 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree

Apply to Pears Cumbria (GEM) with confidence

We've helped students turn their UCAT, personal statement and interview prep into offers from Pears Cumbria (GEM) and other UK medicine schools.