Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry

Part of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL), Barts and the London School of Medicine and Dentistry is located in Whitechapel (central London) and is one of the multiple prestigious London medical schools.

Ranked 5th by the Complete University Guide, Barts offers a five-year Medicine programme that is driven by a problem-based learning teaching style.

About The Course

Barts undergraduate medicine course is five years long and is split up into three phases, each focusing on different learning outcomes. You begin by learning biological sciences through PBL sessions and lectures, then progress to develop your learning through a series of clinical placements in a variety of hospitals in London and Essex.

The Medicine course at Barts is split into three phases.

Structure Of The Course

Year 1-2

Phase 1

Phase 1 focuses on learning clinical sciences, particularly physiology, pharmacology, public and global health, and the musculoskeletal system. You will also begin to learn patient-doctor communication skills and history-taking. You will also have early clinical experience in a GP surgery.

Year 3-4

Phase 2

This phase focuses on building the knowledge gained in Phase 1 through a series of clinical placements. Hospitals included in the catchment area for Barts are based either in London or Essex. This phase, like Phase 1, also includes three SSCs per year, however, these will be more patient-focused in Phase 2.

Year 5

Phase 3

Students will shadow foundation doctors on placement during this phase to prepare them for life after graduation. This is also the phase in which students can arrange a four-week elective placement in a speciality of their choosing. Students will sit their final exams and complete their Intermediate Life Support qualification in this phase.

Academic Requirements

GCSEs: Minimum of 6 GCSEs at grades 777666/AAABBB including Biology and Chemistry (or double award science), English Language (or English Literature) and Maths. GCSEs are not required for graduates.

A-levels: A*AA To include Chemistry or Biology, another science subject (including maths) plus any third A level excluding Critical Thinking, General Studies and Further Maths.

Scottish Higher: Minimum of three Scottish Highers at grades AAA To include Biology and Chemistry plus grades AA in Advanced Highers including Chemistry and/or Biology.

Scottish Advanced Higher: AA Chemistry and/or Biology

International Baccalaureate: 37 points Three Higher Level subjects at 666 including Chemistry or Biology plus one further science subject from (Chemistry, Biology, Physics or Maths). Three further subjects at Standard Level including Chemistry or Biology if not both offered at Higher Level.

IELTs (International applicants only): Score of 7.0 overall with 6.5 in writing and 5.5 in other components.

Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): Minimum of a 2:1 in any subject. Degree subjects are split into categories and some categories require additional A level requirements.

Mitigating Circumstances

Resits policy: Only considered in conjunction with serious extenuating circumstances- see below.

Extenuating circumstances: Resits will only be considered if the student has had serious extenuating circumstances of disability, gender reassignment or pregnancy/ maternity (as these circumstances are protected until the Equality Act 2010). If these circumstances apply to you, you must apply for ECs by the 1st of October to have a guaranteed decision made by the 15th of October (Medicine application deadline). Extenuating circumstances will not be applied to UCAT scores.

Deferred entry: Available, but only guaranteed to be approved if deferred entry is requested via UCAS before the application deadline. Deferred entry that is requested after the UCAS deadline will be considered on a case by case basis.

Transfers: Barts do not accept transfers from any other medical schools.

Further Entry Requirements

Work experience: Barts values students who understand the reality of a career in medicine, and so it is likely you will need to draw from your work experience during the interview. There is no preference for whether this is a voluntary experience in a care role or shadowing.

Personal statement: The personal statement will not be scored as part of the selection process but may be used by your interviewers. You should be comfortable talking about anything you have discussed in your personal statement with your interviewer.

Admissions Process

The admissions process for Barts is as follows:

1. Applications to UCAS must be made by 16th of October.
2. Applicants who are predicated/ have achieved the minimum entry requirements and achieve an overall UCAT score within the fourth decile and an SJT band 1-3 will pass the first shortlisting at this stage.
3. Applicants who have passed the first shortlisting will then be given a weighted score based on UCAT score and academics. Any applicants who don’t meet the minimum weighted score will be rejected at this point, and all who do meet the threshold will pass the second shortlisting and be invited to interview.
4. Selection after interview is based on all assessment factors plus performance at interview. This third shortlisting is when offers will be given out.

Admissions Tests:

UCAT ✅
UCAT scores will be considered both before and after selection for interview. To be considered for an interview you must have a UCAT score above or equal to the fourth decile, this is a minimum cut off and applicants scoring above the fourth decile will not be guaranteed an interview. For the 2025 application cycle, the minimum UCAT score required to receive an interview was 2670 for UK students and 2810 for international students. Remember, interview invitations are made on a combination of UCAT scores and academics, so lower scores will have very strong academic grades in combination. SJT Band 4 will not be considered. As the 2026 cycle is the first year to sit the UCAT without the Abstract Reasoning component, likely comparable minimum scores would be around 2018 for home students and 2158 for international students.

Interview Type: Traditional

Interview Topics:

Motivation to study medicine
Teamwork and communication
Initiative, resilience, and maturity
Organisation
Problem solving
Contribution to university life

Barts has a waiting list for candidates who did not receive an offer after interview but may be considered after summer examination results. In 2026, interviews will take place online between January and February.

Admissions Statistics

Total number of applicants:	1950
Total number of places:	1453335
Total number of entrants:	335
Acceptance rate:	17.18%

Fees

Home students:	£9535 pa
Rest of UK:	TBC
International students:	£48700 pa

Teaching Methods

Teaching style: The teaching methods at Barts focus on a problem-based learning style of teaching. These methods include:
– Lectures
– PBL sessions
– Clinical skills sessions/ labs
– Communication skills
= Lectures
– Formative assessments
– Student Selected Components (SSC)
– OSCEs

There is a high level of support for students, both pastoral and academic, whenever required.

Graduate Prospects

Average earnings for a Barts medical graduate 15 months after completing the course are £36,000 annually, with 98% in employment. Barts provides interview coaching, feedback on job applications, and support in finding internships for their medical students to help with the transition from medical school to working life.

FAQs

Is Barts the same as Queen Mary’s?

Barts is currently ranked 5th in the UK for medicine by the Guardian 2026.

What is Barts Medical School ranked?

The Barts Medicine course is ranked 55th in the world, 16th in the UK, and 3rd in London.

What is the lowest UCAT score needed for Barts?

Barts put a lot of emphasis on UCAT scores. For 2025 entry, the lowest UCAT score of a home applicant invited to interview was 2670. Adjusted for 2026, without the AR component, this is around 2018. Candidates with a UCAT score below the fourth decile and/or with a band 4 in the SJT will be automatically rejected.

Is Queen Mary a Russell Group University?

Yes, Queen Mary is a Russell Group University.

Is Queen Mary hard to get into for Medicine?

In 2025, 1453 candidates were invited to interview from 1950 applicants. Of the 1207 candidates interviewed, 335 enrolled in the course. This means the success rate of applicants is approximately 5.8%. More details are available on our Barts Medicine Interview page.