Kent and Medway
Kent and Medway Medical School (KMMS) is a new medical school founded in 2020 as a partnership between the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. As no medical students have yet graduated from KMMS (the first cohort is in their fourth year of medical school), Brighton and Sussex are acting as their contingency school: if anything goes wrong, students will receive a medical degree from Brighton and Sussex.
About The Course
KMMS’s course is based on Brighton and Sussex’s degree, tailored to KMMS’s unique facilities and opportunities. KMMS’ BMBS degree is jointly awarded by the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University. The five-year course takes an integrated systems-based approach that will prepare its students for patient-centred Medicine.
KMMS delivers a curriculum that utilises a range of pedagogies and learning activities.
The first two years focus on systems-based learning, working individually and in groups for both academic and clinical teaching. Students learn the core knowledge and clinical skills of a doctor using lectures, tutorials, clinical seminars, workshops, cadaveric dissection, e-learning and clinical simulation. Students are based primarily at both the University of Kent and Canterbury Christ Church University campuses.
They have access to purpose-built teaching facilities including a modern anatomy laboratory, clinical simulation spaces, and IT resource centres. KMMS offers six one-week clinical placements in Year 1 and six in Year 2.
In Years 3, 4 and 5 students are mainly based in and around an acute care hospital trust in Kent and Medway, learning through clinical placements in a range of medical and surgical specialties, mental health care, primary care and community services.
KMMS’s course follows Brighton and Sussex’s structure.
Structure Of The Course
Year 1-2
Students study the normal and abnormal functioning of the human body using a system-based approach, with integrated modules covering the core biomedical and psychosocial sciences. Student-Selected Components (SSCs) allow them to undertake individual studies and explore selected topics in depth, informed by the latest research.
Weekly clinical symposia, focusing on specific medical problems or diseases, emphasise the importance of problem-solving and the integration of clinical and scientific information from different disciplines. There is an emphasis throughout on small group teaching, in addition to core lectures and symposia, with most Year 1 and 2 classes in small groups.
KMMS also includes 6 weeks of placement throughout year 1 and 6 in year 2.
Year 3-5
Students are based in and around an acute care hospital trust in Kent and Medway, learning on placement. Year 3 follows more general placements in medicine, surgery and A&E; Year 4 focuses on specialties; and Year 5 on preparation for practice.
Academic Requirements
GCSEs: Five subjects at Grade 9-6 (or A*-B under the old grading system). Must include English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or GCSE Double Science and one other subject). If only 2 separate GCSE sciences are offered, an extenuating circumstances application will be required.
A-levels: None if applying as a school leaver, as KMMS do not consider predicted grades. However, offers will be AAB in any order in three A Levels. This must include Chemistry and/or Biology. If only one of Chemistry and Biology are offered, there must be one other subject from Physics, Maths, Psychology or Computer Science. Critical Thinking and/or General Studies are not accepted.
If applying with achieved A levels, the typical offer must be achieved.
Scottish Higher: AAABB minimum Must include Chemistry and/or Biology. If both Chemistry and Biology are not offered there must be one other from Physics, Maths, Psychology or Computing Science. As KMMS does not have data on Scottish schools to contextualise them, Scottish applicants may be asked to complete an additional CASPer test. References and PS will also be taken into account for this group.
Scottish Advanced Higher: AAB Must include Chemistry and/or Biology. If both Chemistry and Biology are not offered there must be one other from Physics, Maths, Psychology or Computing Science.
International Baccalaureate: 34 points Must include Chemistry and/or Biology at Higher Level. If both are not offered at Higher Level, there should be a second science offered which must be one from Physics, Maths, or Psychology. A minimum score of 6 in both Higher level science subjects should be achieved.
If applying with achieved IB, the typical offer must be achieved.
IELTs (International applicants only): Band 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in each section, or other acceptable English tests (Cambridge English, TOEFL or PTE Academic).
Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): None if applying before graduating, as KMMS do not consider predicted grades. Their standard offer is a 2.1.
Mitigating Circumstances
Resits policy: KMMS does not accept A-level resits, with the exception of consideration through the extenuating circumstances process if there were issues affecting the first A-level sitting.
Extenuating circumstances: If an applicant had extenuating circumstances which have affected, currently affect, or potentially will affect (before admission) their studies or application, then it is possible to flag these issues through the Extenuating Circumstances process. It is mandatory to use this process if the application does not meet minimum requirements, otherwise the application will be automatically rejected.
Extenuating Circumstances include:
1. Significant caring responsibilities, or recent bereavement or serious illness within the immediate family
2. Significant estrangement from family or key family members, including family breakdown.
3. Significant health issues that might affect or that have affected academic achievements (past, present, or in the near future)
4. Serious disruption to the provision of education at School or College
5. Other serious disruptions where the school/college/doctor or social worker feels that this information should be considered.
Deferred entry: KMMS does not accept deferred entry applicants.
Transfers: KMMS does not accept transfers from other degrees or medical schools.
Second (repeat) applications are considered. If an applicant is applying for the third time, the application will only be considered if they have not been previously interviewed. Fourth-time (or greater) applications will not be considered.
Further Entry Requirements
Work experience: KMMS does not explicitly score work experience for interview and they have not historically asked about it at interview.
KMMS recognises that not all students will have the same access to work experience and that clinical work experience can be hard to come by. However, they feel applicants should aim to get a variety of experiences in order to demonstrate a commitment to medicine as well as an understanding of what a career in medicine entails. These should also allow students to demonstrate some of the skills and attributes required by doctors.
Personal statement: KMMS does not normally score the personal statement or use it in selection. It may be used if students’ academic achievement cannot be contextualised.
Admissions Process
KMMS first checks that all applicants meet minimum academic requirements, then apply a UCAT cutoff (total UCAT score 2470 or above (corresponding to the 44th centile) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2022-3). They then contextualise GCSEs to the applicants’ school’s historical data and use that to shortlist applicants.
Admissions Tests:
UCAT ✅
The UCAT is used as a cut-off before GCSE contextualisation. The cut-off score was a total UCAT score of 2470 or above (corresponding to the 44th centile) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2022-3.
Interview Type: MMI
Interview Topics: In 2023 KMMS ran the MMIs for home students in person in Canterbury. The interview consisted of six short stations labelled as data handling, problem analysis, situational judgement, roleplay, task, and values-based. The six short stations were 7 minutes each, with 3-minute intervals, followed by a 40-minute group station, in which applicants were individually assessed.
They ran interviews for International students online via Zoom and the format for these were three short stations and a group station.
KMMS states they do not commit to the same number or type of stations for 2024 entry, although they will likely retain the same time formats.
Through the MMI process, they are attempting to identify applicants with some or all of these qualities:
- A resilient all-rounder
- A realistic and committed attitude to medical training
- A commitment to quality of care, compassion and improving lives
- Ability to communicate effectively and to work well in a team for the benefit of others
- Ability to treat others with dignity and respect
- An empathetic ability to appreciate and regard other points of view
- A willingness to accept responsibility
- Academic ability and potential
You can learn more about KMMS interviews in our guide.
Admissions Statistics
| Total number of applicants: | 1714 |
| Total number of places: | 108 |
| Total number of entrants: | 106 |
| Acceptance rate: | 6.18% |
Fees
| Home students: | £9250 pa |
| Rest of UK: | TBC |
| International students: | £46500 pa |
Teaching Methods
Teaching style: KMMS uses individual patient studies to help you underpin the knowledge, skills and professional values of a doctor. Patient educators are involved throughout their programme to give students a critical understanding of the patient’s journey and feedback on their skills.
Students use an ePortfolio as part of continual professional development, which will continue for the rest of their professional medical career. To help develop students’ skills, patient educators are involved throughout the programme to give critical understanding and feedback.
Intercalation mode: KMMS does not offer any intercalated degrees, but students can apply to intercalate at another university to undertake BSc, MSc, or PhD level programmes.
Graduate Prospects
The first cohort of KMMS medical students will graduate in 2025, so no graduate prospect information is yet available. All KMMS graduates will be eligible for the Foundation Year programme and prospects should be similar to all other UK medical degrees.
FAQs
What are the GCSE requirements for KMMS?
Five subjects at Grade 9-6 (or A*-B under the old grading system). Must include English Language, Maths, Biology, Chemistry and Physics (or GCSE Double Science and one other subject). If only 2 separate GCSE sciences are offered, an extenuating circumstances application will be required.
GCSEs are the main criteria for scoring applicants for interview, using a method that contextualises GCSEs to school attainment data. KMMS do not publish how they contextualise and score GCSEs, but one imagines that high GCSE attainment relative to your school is needed.
What is the UCAT cut-off score for KMMS?
KMMS applies a UCAT cutoff (total UCAT score 2470 or above (corresponding to the 44th centile) and UCAT SJT band 3 or above, in 2022-3) before ranking applicants according to contextualised GCSEs. A UCAT score above the cut-off is necessary but not sufficient for interview.
What facilities does KMMS have?
KMMS’s degree is split across the University of Kent and Christ Church Canterbury University, so students can use facilities at both universities. Students have access to cadaveric dissection and purpose-built teaching facilities including a modern anatomy laboratory, clinical simulation spaces, and IT resource centres.
Does KMMS have the lowest requirements for medicine in the UK?
KMMS has one of the lowest typical A level offers of any UK medical school, but that doesn’t mean it’s not selective!
KMMS has an acceptance rate of around 10%, and it is vital to meet their grade and UCAT requirements as well as succeeding at interview to stand a chance of an offer.
School Details
- Website
- https://kmms.ac.uk/
- admissions@kmms.ac.uk
- Phone
- 01227 768896
School Details
- Website
- https://kmms.ac.uk/
- admissions@kmms.ac.uk
- Phone
- 01227 768896
