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We compile these profiles from each university's own published admissions pages and review them monthly. Entry requirements do change mid-cycle, and universities sometimes publish updates without announcing them.
Use this page to get oriented quickly, build your shortlist, and work out which questions to ask — then confirm the specifics that your application depends on (grades, admissions test, fees, eligibility) directly with the university before you apply. If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.
Last reviewed: October 2026 · Entry year covered: 2027
Cambridge Graduate Medicine requires the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). Selection is based on UCAT scores, academic achievement, personal statement, and interview performance.
Cambridge Graduate Medicine is a graduate entry programme with its own set of admissions criteria. This guide covers entry requirements, the application process, and what distinguishes this programme for 2026 entry.
The Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine is one of the most competitive and academically demanding graduate medicine programmes in the UK. With only approximately 28 places available each year, it attracts exceptional graduates from a wide range of disciplines who have demonstrated outstanding academic ability.
What sets the Cambridge Graduate Course apart is that it accepts graduates from any degree subject, not just science degrees. Whether you studied English, History, Engineering, or Biochemistry, you can apply. However, the academic requirements are extremely high, and most successful applicants hold First-class degrees.
The course condenses the preclinical material from the standard 6-year Cambridge course into an intensive first year, followed by three years of clinical training. It's designed for highly motivated graduates who can handle a demanding pace of learning.
Considering Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine (A101)? Future Doc's Predictable Offer Protocol™ coordinates every element of your application as one interconnected system, from UCAT preparation to university selection to interview readiness. 93% of our students receive at least one offer. Find out how it works.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Degree Classification | Minimum 2:1 (First-class degree strongly preferred) |
| Degree Subject | Any discipline accepted |
| Degree Status | Must be completed by course start date; final-year students can apply |
| Overseas Degrees | Accepted if equivalent to UK Honours degree |
Reality check: While the minimum is 2:1, the vast majority of successful applicants have a First-class degree. With only around 28 places available, competition is exceptionally fierce.
| Requirement | Detail |
|---|---|
| Grade Profile | A*A*A (or equivalent) if you graduated with a 2:1 or are yet to complete your degree ABB (or equivalent) if you graduated with a first-class degree |
| Chemistry | A-Level Chemistry required (minimum grade A) |
| Other Subjects | At least one of Biology, Physics, or Mathematics at A level or AS level required |
| Alternative Qualifications | IB Chemistry HL (grade 6+) or equivalent accepted |
The A-Level grade profile Cambridge asks for is tied directly to your degree classification. If you graduated with a 2:1, or have not yet completed your degree, you need A*A*A. A first-class degree lowers the requirement to ABB.
"The Cambridge Graduate Course is arguably the most academically demanding graduate medicine programme in the UK. They're looking for exceptional graduates who can demonstrate they can handle an intensive course load while showing genuine passion for medicine. Your degree subject matters less than your academic performance and intellectual curiosity. If you have a First from a top university and can demonstrate scientific aptitude, you're exactly who Cambridge wants to hear from."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Cambridge Graduate Medicine requires the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). All applicants must sit the UCAT as part of the admissions process.
Situational Judgement Test: Cambridge has confirmed it will not use the UCAT Situational Judgement Test score as part of its assessment for 2027 entry. There is no SJT band that excludes an application.
| Test | Required? |
|---|---|
| UCAT | Yes |
| GAMSAT | No |
| BMAT | No (discontinued) |
Selection is based on:
Strategic note: Prepare thoroughly for the UCAT as it forms a key part of the selection process. Your degree performance alongside a strong UCAT score will strengthen your application significantly.
| Date | Milestone |
|---|---|
| June-September | Prepare personal statement and gather references |
| October 15th | UCAS deadline |
| October | Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) submitted |
| November | Shortlisting for interview |
| Early December | Interviews at Wolfson College, Cambridge |
| January | Decisions released |
Cambridge uses traditional academic interviews rather than MMI. Graduate applicants are interviewed at Wolfson College.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | Traditional academic interviews |
| Number of Interviews | Typically 2-3 |
| Duration | 20-30 minutes each |
| Location | Wolfson College, Cambridge |
| Interview Period | Early December |
"Cambridge interviews for the Graduate Course are academically rigorous. They want to see how you think, not just what you know. Be prepared to discuss scientific concepts, even if your degree wasn't in science. They're testing your ability to reason logically and engage with unfamiliar problems. The best candidates demonstrate genuine intellectual curiosity and aren't afraid to think out loud."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Preparing for your Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine (A101) interview? Future Doc's Think Like a Doctor™ module includes university-specific practice, high-pressure simulations, and an intensive In-Person Interview Day. Our near-100% interview-to-offer conversion rate reflects months of preparation across the full application, not just last-minute coaching. Learn more.
| Metric | Cambridge's published position |
|---|---|
| UCAT cut-off score | Not published — Cambridge uses no UCAT minimum threshold for A100 or A101. Your score is read alongside the rest of the application. |
| Contextual UCAT threshold | Not published — because there is no standard threshold, there is no lower contextual one either. |
| Contextual (reduced) grade offer | Not offered — Cambridge does not make lower conditional offers on the basis of contextual data. |
| Gateway or foundation route into Medicine | None — the Cambridge Foundation Year covers Arts, Humanities and Social Sciences only. |
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Annual Applications | ~170 (approximately 6 per place) |
| Places Available | ~28 |
| Competition Ratio | ~6:1 |
| Interview Invitations | Most academically eligible applicants are interviewed |
| Post-Interview Success Rate | ~30-35% |
These statistics make the Cambridge Graduate Course one of the most competitive graduate medicine programmes in the UK. Only applicants with exceptional academic records and strong interviews are successful.
Cambridge expects graduate applicants to have undertaken relevant healthcare experience, though they take a flexible approach given graduates' diverse backgrounds.
Cambridge recognises that access to clinical experience varies and will consider alternative evidence of commitment to medicine where traditional work experience wasn't possible.
Not Accepted
The Graduate Course in Medicine (A101) is only open to applicants with Home fee status. International students cannot apply to this programme. If you're an international student wishing to study medicine at Cambridge, you should apply to the standard 6-year course (A100).
Welcome
The Graduate Course is specifically designed for career changers. Many successful applicants have worked in other fields before deciding to pursue medicine. Cambridge values the maturity, perspective, and skills that career changers bring.
Accepted
You can apply with a degree in any subject, arts, humanities, social sciences, or sciences. However, you must have A-Level Chemistry (grade A) AND at least one of Biology, Physics, or Mathematics at A level or AS level, and demonstrate recent engagement with science or mathematics.
Considered
Re-applications are accepted. You should demonstrate how your application has strengthened since your previous attempt.
A contextual offer is an adjustment a university makes for applicants whose circumstances have made their education harder than the grades alone suggest. Universities use them because they recognise that two students with the same predicted grades have not always had the same run at them. They are a formal, published part of the admissions process — not a favour, and not something you have to argue for.
What the adjustment actually is varies by school, and it matters more than most applicants realise. Depending on where you apply, qualifying can mean: a lower grade offer; being ranked against other widening participation applicants rather than the whole field; a guaranteed or prioritised interview; a lower admissions test threshold or extra shortlisting points; relaxed GCSE or subject requirements; or access to a separate gateway or foundation year route.
Cambridge is a case where understanding the mechanism matters more than anywhere else, because what Cambridge does with contextual data is not what most applicants assume.
If you meet any of those conditions, Cambridge will attach a flag to your application that assessors can see. That flag informs shortlisting, interview and offer decisions — including for Medicine. What it will not do is lower the grades Cambridge asks of you.
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| Your application is read in context | Care experience, free-school-meal eligibility, deprivation-based postcode measures and low-performing-school measures generate flags that are shown to the people assessing you. Your grades are judged against what your school and circumstances made realistically achievable, rather than against the raw national distribution. |
| The flag follows you through the whole process | Contextual data informs shortlisting, the decision to interview, and the final offer decision. It is not a one-off tick at the application stage. |
| What it is worth in practice | Interpretive weight in an extremely competitive field — not a reduced threshold. A flagged applicant and an unflagged applicant with the same grades are not treated identically, but the flagged applicant still has to clear A*A*A (or A*AA / ABB on the graduate route, depending on degree class). |
One practical caveat: admissions at Cambridge is run college by college, and how an individual college weighs a flag is not centrally published. Two flagged applicants at two colleges may not be treated identically. Everything Cambridge brands as widening participation beyond the flagging system — Insight, HE+, Sutton Trust summer schools, Experience Cambridge — is pre-application outreach with no stated admissions benefit attached.
For a side-by-side view of how every school handles this, see every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|
| Home (UK) | £10,050 |
| International | Not available — the Graduate Course in Medicine is open only to students with Home fee status. International graduates must apply to the standard six-year Medicine course (A100) instead. |
Both figures are taken from the University of Cambridge's own Undergraduate tuition fees 2027–28 schedule (version 2026.1, reviewed September 2026), which lists the "Graduate course in Medicine" at £10,050 for Home students and gives no international rate. Cambridge's policy is to charge the maximum fee permitted by the UK Government and to raise it in later years of your course in line with any government-approved uplift.
Note for comparison: on the standard A100 Medicine course the same schedule lists Home at £10,050 and International at £70,554, plus a separate College fee on top for international students.
Cambridge also publishes course-specific extra costs for Graduate Medicine: roughly £60 for essential equipment, around £10 for theatre clogs and £60–£100 for a stethoscope. The School of Clinical Medicine pays for one return journey per clinical placement and covers accommodation near placement hospitals; you cover basic subsistence. Teaching runs outside term time, so budget for around nine weeks of extra college accommodation in each of the first two years.
The Graduate Course condenses the Cambridge medical curriculum into an intensive 4-year programme:
An accelerated version of the standard preclinical course, covering:
This year is highly intensive, with teaching throughout the vacation periods.
The clinical years follow the same structure as the standard course:
Applying to medical school requires more than meeting the minimum entry requirements. Here are practical steps to strengthen your application:
For an overview of all UK medical schools and how they compare, see the UK Medical Schools hub page.
Cambridge Graduate Medicine (A101) requires the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). GAMSAT is not required. All applicants must sit the UCAT as part of the admissions process.
No. Cambridge has confirmed that the Situational Judgement Test score will not form part of its assessment for 2027 entry, so there is no SJT band that rules an application out.
It depends on your degree classification. Applicants who graduated with a 2:1, or who have not yet completed their degree, need A*A*A or equivalent. Applicants with a first-class degree need ABB or equivalent. A-Level Chemistry at grade A is required either way, plus at least one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics at A level or AS level.
The minimum is a 2:1, but realistically you need a First-class degree to be competitive. With only around 28 places and roughly 6 applicants per place, the vast majority of successful candidates have Firsts.
Yes. Cambridge accepts graduates from any discipline. However, you must have A-Level Chemistry (grade A) AND at least one of Biology, Physics, or Mathematics at A level or AS level, and demonstrate recent engagement with science or mathematics.
No. The Graduate Course (A101) is only open to applicants with Home fee status. International students should apply to the standard 6-year course (A100) instead.
October 15th, the same deadline as all Cambridge courses. This is earlier than most other medical schools. You'll also need to complete a Supplementary Application Questionnaire after your UCAS submission.
Cambridge uses traditional academic interviews, typically 2-3 per applicant. They assess scientific thinking, problem-solving, motivation, and your ability to handle the intensive course. Interviews take place at Wolfson College in early December.
Extremely competitive. With approximately 28 places and around 6 applicants per place, only exceptional candidates with outstanding academic records and strong interview performances are successful.
Focus on achieving the highest possible degree classification, demonstrating scientific aptitude even if your degree isn't in science, and preparing thoroughly for Cambridge's traditional interview format. Most applicants treat these as separate tasks, which is why the national success rate is just 16%. Future Doc's Predictable Offer Protocol coordinates every element as one interconnected system, which is why 93% of their students receive at least one offer.
Get an in-depth look at the graduate entry medicine application process for Cambridge, including what to expect and how to prepare.
Watch on YouTube →Most applicants treat the medical school application as a series of separate hurdles: the UCAT, personal statement, work experience, university selection, and interviews. They try to solve each one independently. This creates a fragmented approach where the pieces never add up.
Future Doc works differently. Through the Predictable Offer Protocol, a dedicated coach who knows your complete profile coordinates every element of your application as one interconnected system. Every decision is made with the full picture in mind.
The result: 93% of our students receive at least one offer. If they don't, they come back next year for free.
Find Out How It Works
Last updated: March 2026. Information verified against University of Cambridge admissions pages and Medical Schools Council guidance.
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