Dundee

Dundee Medical School is currently ranked 10th in the UK for medicine by the Guardian 2026 and 7th by the Complete University Guide 2026.

The integrated nature of Dundee’s Medical course allows for students to experience patient contact early on in their degree and to apply the foundations of scientific and clinical knowledge in clinical settings.

Dundee’s Centre for Anatomy and Human Identification is also amongst one of the best anatomy centres in the UK!

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 grade 6 in English and Mathematics (unless studied at A-level) and a minimum of grade 7 in Biology and Chemistry at GCSE level.

A-levels: Minimum of AAA in three A levels. Including Biology or Chemistry plus another science (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics).

Scottish Higher: Minimum grades of AAAAB in the one sitting. Minimum grades of AAAAB in the one sitting including Chemistry or Biology and another science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics). If Chemistry or Biology is not studied at Higher, a grade A in the subject is required at National 5.

International Baccalaureate: 37 points 6, 6, 6 at HL including Chemistry or Biology plus another science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics or Mathematics).

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): Minimum of 2:1 Honours degree in a relevant life science subject. This must be in their first degree obtained, regardless of subsequent or higher degrees. Academic study of some kind must be undertaken within the three years before applying for medicine at Dundee.

Mitigating Circumstances

Resits policy: Resits may only be accepted in extenuating circumstances.

Extenuating circumstances: Should an applicant feel that their academic performance or achievements have been significantly affected, they may submit a mitigating circumstances form to the University of Dundee alongside supporting evidence.

Deferred entry: When an applicant defers entry, Dundee may re-assess qualifications to ensure they have been taken within the allowed timeframe. All qualifications must remain valid at point of entry and not at point of application. For applicants who defer their entry for medical or personal reasons, the University may offer flexibility with deferrals.

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 Medical 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 ✅
Dundee does not disclose how they use the UCAT in the 2026 selection process, however it is likely considered alongside academic achievement and the highest scoring applicants will receive an invitation for interview. In 2024, the minimum UCAT score needed to receive an interview was

The SJT component is not considered at this stage. In 2024, the average UCAT score required to be invited to interview was 2675 while the lowest was 1900. As the 2026 cohort is the first year to sit the UCAT without the Abstract Reasoning component, likely comparable scores would be 2022 and 1247 respectively.

Interview Type: Traditional

Interview Topics: Interview type: Group discussion

Interview topics: Interviews at Dundee are quite unique as they do not use the MMI style that most UK medical schools use. Instead, applicants participate in a two stage group discussion in which their communication skills and teamwork will be observed. In the first stage, candidates will be in a group with five other applicants and will be given a specific scenario to discuss, lasting around 30 minutes. They will be observed by an assessor who will evaluate candidates without interacting with the group.

Next, the group will move to a different room where they will meet a new assessor who will direct the conversation and grade each candidate. Topics for this discussion will focus on the following points;

Ability to communicate effectively
Ability to work within a group setting
Personal values
Professionalism

For 2026 entry, interviews will take place in January and will be in person for home students, while international students will have the option to sit it online.

Admissions Statistics

Total number of applicants:	1951
Total number of places:	218
Total number of entrants:	218
Acceptance rate:	11.17%

Fees

Home students:	£1820 pa
Rest of UK:	£9790 pa
International students:	£55900 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

Average earnings for graduates from Dundee Medical School amount to £40,000 within 15 months after the completion of the course, and 99% 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 2024 admission cycle, the average UCAT score accepted for an interview offer was 2675, which is around 2022 for 2026 applicants (without the AR component).

How competitive is it to get into Dundee Medical School?

All medical schools are competitive and in 2024, Dundee received 1951 applications for 218 places, giving an acceptance rate of 11.2%.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 Medical School is currently ranked 10th in the UK for medicine by the Guardian 2026 and 7th by the Complete University Guide 2026.