Explain Antibiotic Resistance to a Child
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UK Medicine · 2027 Entry
Edinburgh Medical School2027 Entry Requirements & Interview Format
Location Edinburgh, UKEstablished 1583Interviews (2027 entry) December 2026 - February 2027Decisions (2027 entry) March 2027 onwards
Photo: AlasdairW / Wikimedia Commons · CC BY-SA 4.0 · cropped
Photo: Stinglehammer · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: First1132 · CC BY-SA 4.0 · Photo: ClareB · CC BY-SA 4.0
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Full guide
How to get into Edinburgh medicine
Step-by-step: entry requirements, UCAT prep, personal statement, interview format and the key deadlines.
Open the guide →Interview guide
Prepare for the Edinburgh interview
Format breakdown, school-specific sample questions, FAQs and prep tips from tutors who interviewed here.
Read the guide →Overview
About Edinburgh
Edinburgh combines a research-heavy curriculum with one of the UK's most distinctive interview formats - multi-panel sessions that probe depth rather than breadth.
What makes Edinburgh different
Around 50% academic, 35% UCAT and 15% SJT in shortlisting; SJT band 4 is rejected outright. Scottish applicants face a much lower bar than RUK and are effectively guaranteed an interview if they meet minimums. Strong research focus and international reputation.
Edinburgh course & teaching
Integrated curriculum. Six-year MBChB — the only six-year MBChB in Scotland — with a compulsory intercalated honours year in Year 3 (one of the largest intercalated cohorts in the UK). Graduates leave with TWO qualifications: a BMedSci (Hons) as well as the MBChB.
Clinical placements run across Edinburgh's teaching hospitals, regional sites in the south of Scotland, and south-east Scotland general practices.
Edinburgh research strengths
Edinburgh is strong in these research areas:
- Regenerative medicine
- Genomic medicine
- Veterinary & comparative biology
- Global health
Intercalation at Edinburgh
Compulsory intercalated honours degree in Year 3 (BMedSci or other).
How the Edinburgh interview runs
Format: Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')
Multi-panel format that sits between MMI and a traditional panel - applicants face a series of panels with deeper follow-up questioning than a typical MMI. Includes a collaborative group task. Expect questions on NHS policy, wider reading and personal experiences.
Edinburgh intake
~210 Scottish + RUK + ~22 international places per year.
Edinburgh at a glance
Founded in 1583. Based in Edinburgh.
Programmes offered:
- Medicine
- Veterinary Medicine
- Biomedical Sciences
TrueScore
Predicted UCAT for Edinburgh
TrueScore
What is TrueScore?
A data-driven estimate of the UCAT score you'll likely need to be invited to interview at Edinburgh 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.
- Scottish1700
- Contextual1500
- Rest of UK1900
- International2100
Edinburgh's Scottish-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 Edinburgh
A-Level requirements
AAA at A-level (theoretically minimum, but A*A*A* predictions ideal for RUK/English applicants to maximise post-interview chances) including Chemistry plus one of Biology, Mathematics or Physics
Required A-Level subjects
Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics
GCSE requirements
Minimum grade 7/A in Chemistry, Biology, Mathematics and English. In practice, RUK applicants need top 8 GCSEs scored - 5 grade 8s + 3 grade 7s ideal.
Scottish Highers
National 5s, Highers and Advanced Highers all considered. Standard offer requires strong Higher and Advanced Higher performance - 4th decile (≈ 2040 /2700) UCAT minimum for Scottish applicants with B2+ SJT and good academics.
Scottish Advanced Highers
Strong Advanced Higher performance expected for full academic points
International Baccalaureate
38 points overall, 6,6,6 at Higher Level including HL Chemistry plus one of Biology / Mathematics / Physics
Graduate-entry degree requirement
2:1 (Upper-second-class Honours) or above. UCAT still required - graduate applicants ranked alongside undergraduate by total academic + UCAT score.
UCAT Selection at Edinburgh
Weighting
Pre-interview: 50% academic + 35% UCAT (decile-based) + 15% SJT. UCAT minimum 1650 /2700 (necessary, not sufficient). Post-interview: 50% pre-interview score + 50% interview. SJT band 4 auto-rejected.
SJT band
B1/B2 consider; B3 unlikely for English RUK; international B1 safer; Band 4 automatically rejected
Contextual / WP eligibility
WP Flag applicants get 5% UCAT uplift; Scottish SIMD40 applicants get 10%. SIMD Plus Flag and UCAT bursary applicants have no minimum UCAT requirement.
Scottish - lowest invited
15842024 entry
Rest of UK - lowest invited
17242024 entry
International - lowest invited
19312024 entry
1650 /2700 is the absolute minimum (necessary not sufficient). Decile-based UCAT scoring within the 35% UCAT pre-interview weight.
SJT Band
B1/B2 consider; B3 unlikely for English RUK; international B1 safer; Band 4 automatically rejected
Specialities offered
Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Biomedical Sciences
Interview
How Edinburgh interviews applicants
Format
Assessment day: three 12-minute individual stations plus a 45-minute group exercise (Edinburgh describes it as 'not a typical MMI format')
Interview window (2027 entry)
December 2026 - February 2027
Decision date (2027 entry)
March 2027 onwards
Post-interview chances
RUK student: 166 offers from 300 interviewed (~55%); Scottish student: 424/432 = 98% (effectively not interviewed); Overseas student: 45/98 = 46%
Tutor insight
Edinburgh's deeper follow-ups reward applicants who can defend an opinion under pressure. In the group task, contribute structure as well as content - volunteering to keep time or summarise positions tends to land well. Keep current on NHS hot topics and policy debates.
Practice
Practise for your Edinburgh interview
PrometheusQuestion Bank621 medicine questions inside
Interview questions matched to Edinburgh
Two questions our tutors flagged as a strong fit for Edinburgh’s interview style. Try answering them out loud, then open Prometheus for the model answers and follow-up tips.
Breaking Bad News (Personal)
Describe a situation where you had to deliver difficult news to someone close to you.
Likely follow-up · How did you prepare?
3 expert tips in Prometheus
Get support
Apply to Edinburgh with confidence
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UCAT Tutoring
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Learn moreSources
Where Edinburgh's figures come from
A field on this record was corrected against University of Edinburgh's official course page on 14 August 2026; the record as a whole has not been re-checked against source.
FAQ
Edinburgh — frequently asked questions
Contextual applicants: ~1500+ /2700 with WP uplift (SIMD40: 10% uplift; SIMD Plus / UCAT bursary: no min requirement). International applicants: ~2100+ /2700 (2024 entry lowest invited ≈ 1931; mean ≈ 2330). 1650 /2700 is the absolute minimum (necessary not sufficient). Decile-based UCAT scoring within the 35% UCAT pre-interview weight.
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