Dundee

About The Course

The University of Dundee’s undergraduate medicine program offers early hands-on experience with real patients at Ninewells Hospital. Dundee’s five-year programme has a spiral curriculum that enables students to build knowledge year-on-year, meaning you will not have to learn everything in an area and remember it forever. Teaching occurs in a working NHS hospital, fostering practical learning.

Students have open access to hospital wards, dedicated skills centres, and unique facilities like an immersion room and Surgical Skills Centre.

The modern and supportive learning environment, with around 220 students per year, encourages a sense of community.

The curriculum emphasises early clinical skills, anatomy through Thiel-embalmed cadavers.

The degree starts with an eight-week block that explores the basics of the science that underpins Medicine in order to encourage clinical thinking skills. In the first three years, body systems and understanding normal and abnormal systems are taught before diving into clinical cases.

Anatomy is also taught by dissection – Dundee uses Thiel-embalmed cadavers which mean that life-like tissue is retained. This allows students to get as close to experiencing the anatomy of living tissue as possible.

In Years four and five, students undergo diverse clinical placements, preparing them to become well-rounded junior doctors.

Structure Of The Course

Year 1-3

The program begins with a Foundations of Medicine block covering scientific principles. Systems-based teaching explores organ systems, integrating classroom-based learning with clinical skills practice from Year 1.

Student Selected Components (SSCs): Students will also be required to undertake self-directed SSCs each year, exploring areas of interest and building a broader skillset, such as in-depth studies, creating learning aids, arts-based modules, or quality improvement projects.

Year 4-5

Clinical teaching in Years 4-5 focuses on practical skills preparation for the role of a junior doctor.

Clinical attachments cover various medical, surgical, and integrated specialities, emphasising an all-around patient-centered approach.

Students will also be able to travel abroad for their elective placement in Year 5 to enhance their clinical practice and prepare for clinical practice as a foundation doctor. The apprenticeship model ensures graduates are fully prepared for post-graduation work.

Dundee Medical School also offers students an opportunity to intercalate after Year 3. This is an optional opportunity to undertake a BMSc. Students will be able to choose from various courses across the medical sciences such as Medical Education, Neuropharmacology, International health, Human Reproduction, Cardiovascular Sciences and many more!

Academic Requirements

GCSEs: Minimum of Grade B/6 in English, Maths and Biology at GCSE Level (if these subjects are not taken at A Level).

A-levels: Minimum of AAA in three A levels. Two must include Chemistry and one other science from either Biology, Physics or Mathematics. A-levels must be completed in the same sitting, two years after completion of GCSEs. General Studies will not be accepted.

Scottish Higher: Minimum grades of AAAAB in the one sitting. Chemistry and another science subject (from Biology, Physics or Mathematics)

International Baccalaureate: 37 points To include 6, 6, 6 at HL. Candidates should have completed Chemistry and one additional science (Biology, Physics, or Mathematics) at the Higher Level, along with three subjects at the Standard Level, achieving an average grade of 6. A minimum of Standard Level 6 in Biology is required. Competitive applications should include previously certified grades from nationally recognised exams. Entry at Level 2 is not an option for this degree.

IELTs (International applicants only): An overall score of 7.0 must be achieved with a minimum of 7.0 in writing, listening, reading, and speaking.

Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): Degree: minimum of 2:1 (Hons)

Further Entry Requirements

Work experience: They will be interested in your work experience at interview, but they recognise that your ability to gain this may have been affected by the pandemic.

Personal statement: Although Dundee doesn't specify how it'll use your personal statement, it's expected that it might be referenced during your interview.

Admissions Process

All academic achievements including UCAT will be used to generate a pre-interview score. Successful applicants will receive an interview offer. Dundee Medica School does not use Personal Statement as part of the selection process, but an applicant’s personal statement may be used for further discussion in interview stations.

Admissions Tests:

UCAT ✅
All applicants are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test in the year of application. The UCAT score will be used as part of the decision process for interview offers. UCAT has a weighting of 40% with academic achievements weighing 60%. There is currently no cut-off score for UCAT however, in 2023 the lowest UCAT score that received an interview offer was 1940.

Interview Type: MMI

Interview Topics: Dundee Medical School Interviews will be in the format of Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI) and these will be in person interviews. Each station will have a different interview testing the applicants on different qualities of being a medical student and a future doctor. The duration of each station is approximately 6 minutes with an additional 1 minute of reading and preparation time. Applicants are also given 30 seconds in between each station to rotate to the next.

The stations will present a total of 5 scenarios with briefing material to read before each. No prior medical knowledge is needed however, the scenarios may have clinical or medical basis. Dundee interviews assess the applicant’s ability to critically think ‘out of the box’ as well as testing valuable skills such as communication, teamwork, and other personal attributes. Work experience may be discussed in any of the stations.

For any applicants who are unable to attend in-person interviews, they must notify the University of Dundee and will be sent a remote interview link, should they be successful. This will on a platform called Blackboard Collaborate.

Interviews are usually held from December 2023 for in-person and January 2024 for online portal interviews.

Admissions Statistics

Total number of applicants:	2306
Total number of places:	160
Total number of entrants:	176
Acceptance rate:	7.63%

Fees

Home students:	£1820 pa
Rest of UK:	£9250 pa
International students:	£52104 pa ( (the confirmed rate will include the mandatory national levy (£10,000) to cover the cost of tuition in the NHS) )

Teaching Methods

Teaching style: Dundee uses a spiral curriculum, meaning that they lay the building blocks needed for all aspects of a medical career and keep revisiting and adding to these as you progress through the course. Starting with an introductory block, you'll then move on to systems-based teaching, which looks at the body's organ systems. Classroom-based teaching is complemented by the development of your vocational skills through clinical skills practice and Dundee's spiral curriculum.

Intercalation mode: After the pre-clinical years, students have the opportunity to intercalate and gain a BMSc in various subjects. In years four and five, you transition into clinical training, which involves various placements that provide varied experience in different clinical areas and also allows you to put your training into practice.

Graduate Prospects

All successful graduates of Dundee Medical School will be able to apply for the 2-year foundation training programme. This will allow them to receive their General Medical Council license. Other career opportunities could include medical research or further study.

Average earnings for graduates from Dundee Medical School amount to £35,000 within 15 months after the completion of the course, and 100% go on to work and/or study within the same time frame.

FAQs

Is there a cut-off score for UCAT and what is usually the average score achieved?

There is currently no cut-off score for the UCAT for Dundee Medical School, however, in the 2023 admission cycle, the lowest UCAT score accepted for an interview offer was 1940 and the average of all applicants who received an interview offer was 2691.

How competitive is it to get into Dundee Medical School?

Dundee Medical School has a highly competitive application process in addition to being one of the smallest medical schools with around 160 places. The calibre of applicants increases year by year, so it is important to ensure you have strong academic and non-academic achievements alongside the appropriate work experience and UCAT requirements.

What is Dundee Medical School ranked?

Dundee has received an overall rank of 76.7 according to The Guardian University Guide and 96.6 according to The Complete University Guide.