Sheffield

Medicine at Sheffield University can be traced back to 1828, and it now takes around 300 students annually into its five-year programme.

Sheffield Medical School is currently ranked 15th in the UK for medicine by the Complete University Guide 2024 and 25th in the UK by the Guardian.

About The Course

Sheffield’s MBChB medical programme is designed to develop excellent doctors with a strong focus on patient-centred care.

Students are taught through a variety of means to provide a rich learning experience and content is constantly reviewed to ensure students leave with the most up to date research and knowledge.

Sheffield’s five-year Medicine programme takes a patient-centred approach, with focus on common and crucial clinical conditions. The integrated structure of this course ties clinical Medicine to medical sciences and allows students to develop clinical competencies from the beginning of the programme.

Structure Of The Course

Year 1

The first year is structured in a largely ‘systems-based’ way, for example, Cardiovascular, Gastrointestinal, Musculoskeletal etc. Integrated into these modules, students are taught about population health, medical ethics and clinical skills. Although the majority of phase I is based at the medical school, students still spend a significant amount of time in clinical environments including learning clinical skills in the Northern General Hospital and experience within general practice.

Year 2-3

Phase two starts with a six-week research project in which students develop their research skills. Following this, students continue their learning in medical science, building upon phase one content. Phase two gradually increases students’ clinical contact in which more time is spent on wards, theatres and general practice. Students also develop their clinical skills in this phase, learning how to take histories and perform examinations. Phase two finishes with a twelve-week clinical placement in which these clinical skills can be put into practice.

Year 3-4

Phase three is entirely clinically based, where students engage in sub-specialty placements in, for example, Paediatrics, Psychiatry and Obstetrics & Gynaecology. However, students still participate in university teaching with lectures, group work and tutorials. Finally, students have the opportunity to study an area of interest in a Student Selected Component.

Year 5

The final year at Sheffield aims to prepare their students for the start of their foundation jobs as doctors. This includes two more placements and a student assistantship in addition to their final examinations.

Academic Requirements

GCSEs: 5 GCSEs at grade 7/A, with at least grade 6/B in Maths, English Language and the science subjects (Dual Award Science also acceptable)

A-levels: AAA To include Chemistry or Biology and a second science. OR AAB in addition to an A in a relevant EPQ.

Scottish Higher: AAAAB

Scottish Advanced Higher: AA Chemistry or Biology and another science subject

International Baccalaureate: 36 points 6s in Higher Level subjects (to include Chemistry or Biology and another science subject) and no less than 4 in each of the Standard level subjects.

IELTs (International applicants only): 7.5 with a minimum of 7.0 in each component

Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): Minimum of 2:1 in a Bachelor's degree and BBB at A-level.

Further Entry Requirements

Work experience: There is no specified number of hours in work experience required for admission, however, as experience is explored in the interview stage it is highly recommended.

Personal statement: Personal statements are not read or assessed during the application process.

Admissions Process

Application to Sheffield Medical School must be done via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Deadlines for submission are earlier for medical courses, typically mid-October. This application will include all of your academic history as well as your personal statement and other qualifications/achievements.

Admissions Tests:

UCAT ✅
All candidates are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in order to apply for Medicine at Sheffield. Candidates will be ranked according to their UCAT score to determine who is invited to interview. The Situational Judgement Test (SJT) component is only considered for applicants invited to the interview stage. Applicants who score below the 40th centile will not be considered. In terms of UCAT scores required to be invited for an interview, in 2023, the minimum score needed was 2850.

Interview Type: MMI

Interview Topics: If you receive an offer to interview at Sheffield, these will take place usually between December and January. Sheffield uses Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) for the interview stage of admissions.

These consist of eight stations which aim to assess candidates’ knowledge of Sheffield, communication skills, ethics and information processing amongst other qualities. Additionally, applicants’ SJT scores from the UCAT are considered in a ninth virtual station.

You can learn more about interviews for Sheffield Medical School in our school-by-school guide.

Candidates are given a score from one to five for each of the nine stations with the maximum score being 45 overall. Based on interview scores, decisions about offers are made and typically sent out from March.

Admissions Statistics

Total number of applicants:	2200
Total number of places:	306
Total number of entrants:	306
Acceptance rate:	13.91%

Fees

Home students:	£9250 pa
Rest of UK:	TBC
International students:	£43150 pa

Teaching Methods

Teaching style: Sheffield Medical School delivers an integrated teaching style in which students learn through lectures, seminars, group work and practical work. Additionally, students gain clinical experience and teaching from the onset where they learn from both clinicians and patients themselves.

Intercalation mode: Intercalation is also possible at Sheffield from the end of Year 3, through which students can study a variety of Master’s degrees in an extra year.

Graduate Prospects

In 2021, 100% of graduates from Sheffield Medical School were in full-time employment or further study 15 months after the completion of their course.

FAQs

What is the UCAT score needed for Sheffield Medicine?

Applicants are only considered if they score above the 40th decile in the UCAT. After this, applicants are ranked according to their UCAT score and the top ~1000 receive an interview. In 2023, the minimum score required for an interview was 2850.

What A-levels are needed for Sheffield Medicine?

Sheffield applicants require AAA in their A-levels including Chemistry or Biology and a second science. Alternative entry requirements and contextual offers are outlined above in ‘Entry Requirements’.

Can you intercalate at Sheffield?

Students have the option to intercalate with a range of Master’s level degrees from the end of year three of their medical course.

Is Sheffield a Russell Group University?

Yes, Sheffield University is one of the 24 Russell Group Universities in the UK and world leading in research, including cancer treatments and heart failure.