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Learn About Our Programme See How We Can Support Your Application →6-year widening participation programme | UCAS Code: A101
Important: This programme is exclusively for students from widening participation backgrounds who meet specific eligibility criteria. You must meet ALL the mandatory criteria plus at least ONE additional criterion.
HOW WE BUILT THIS
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 If you spot something that looks out of date, tell us and we will check it.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
Interested in KCL EMDP Medicine? This programme provides an alternative pathway with an additional preparatory year. Here you'll find the entry requirements, eligibility criteria, and application process for 2027 entry.
The Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP) at King's College London is a 6-year route into medicine specifically designed for students from underrepresented backgrounds. The programme recognises that talented students from certain backgrounds may not have had the same opportunities to achieve the grades required for the standard 5-year programme.
The first year provides additional foundational preparation, covering key scientific concepts and study skills before you join the main medical curriculum. By the end of the programme, you receive the same MBBS qualification and are fully prepared for a career in medicine.
"The Extended Medical Degree Programme exists because King's recognises that potential isn't always reflected in grades. If you've faced barriers that affected your education, whether that's attending an underperforming school, growing up in a deprived area, or being in care, this programme offers a genuinely life-changing opportunity. The reduced grade requirements don't mean lower standards; they mean King's is looking at your potential, not just your circumstances."
— Dr. Ash, Future Doc
Considering King's College London Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP)? 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.
To be eligible for the EMDP, you must meet ALL of the mandatory criteria AND at least ONE of the additional criteria.
King's adds: "Priority will also be given to applicants from schools with low attainment as defined by Progress 8 score."
| Qualification | Requirement |
|---|---|
| A-Level Grades | ABB |
| Required Subjects | Grade A in either Biology or Chemistry, Grade B in the other |
| Science Practicals | Practical endorsement required |
Compare: The standard 5-year programme requires A*AA, including A in both Chemistry and Biology.
King's also accepts:
All applicants must sit the UCAT in the same year they apply.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cut-off score | None. King's states that for the most recent admissions cycle "No minimum UCAT threshold score was applied", and that the level of UCAT performance needed for interview varies year to year with the strength of the cohort. |
| How it is used | Applications are ranked on UCAT performance, GCSE grades and widening participation indicators. The overall UCAT score is used — individual subtest scores are not considered separately. |
| SJT | Not used — the Situational Judgement Test is not taken into account. |
| EPQ | Not considered at any point in the assessment process. |
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Required Test | UCAT |
| Cut-off Score | No fixed cut-off |
| How It's Used | Overall score averaged across subtests; considered alongside grades and personal statement |
| SJT Consideration | Not used — the Situational Judgement Test is not taken into account when shortlisting |
Preparing for your King's College London Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP) 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.
Note: The UCAT format changed in July 2025 with the removal of Abstract Reasoning, reducing the maximum score from 3,600 to 2,700. Cut-off scores and statistics from previous years may not directly apply to the current format.
Interviews are mandatory, no offers are made without one. King's uses the same panel interview format for the EMDP as for other programmes.
| Aspect | Detail |
|---|---|
| Format | During the current Admissions cycle, interviews will be conducted remotely |
| Duration | Approximately 20-30 minutes |
| Interview Period | November to May |
Considered with caution
King's can consider applicants who have retaken qualifications for the EMDP, though strong first-time achievers may be viewed more favourably. Second resits are only considered with significant mitigating circumstances.
Yes
Re-applicants are welcome, provided they still meet the eligibility criteria.
Not accepted
The EMDP is only open to Home fee status applicants. This is a fundamental eligibility requirement.
Not eligible
If you have previously started a degree at any institution, you are not eligible for the EMDP. Consider the 5-year programme (A100) or Graduate Entry (A102) instead.
You must turn 18 before commencing the second year of the medicine degree.
All successful applicants must obtain satisfactory occupational health clearance before enrolment.
An Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check is required.
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.
King's is structurally different from most medical schools, and it matters enormously that you understand how. King's does not make contextual offers on its mainstream medicine or dentistry courses at all. Instead it routes widening participation applicants to separate programmes — and this page is about one of them. The EMDP is King's widening participation offer for medicine.
To apply to the EMDP you must meet all of these:
…and at least one of these:
King's adds that priority is also given to applicants from schools with low attainment as defined by Progress 8 score.
If you meet those conditions, King's does not lower the offer it would otherwise make you — it puts you on a different degree, with a lower entry requirement and an extra year of support built into the structure.
| How it helps | What that means for you |
|---|---|
| Three grades lower, effectively | The EMDP requires ABB with grade A in either Biology or Chemistry and grade B in the other. The standard five-year MBBS (A100) requires A*AA with grade A in both. IB: 33 points, or 16 from three Higher Levels, against the standard programme's requirement. |
| An extra year to find your feet | Stage 1 of the curriculum is taught over two years instead of one, with additional academic tuition and pastoral support. From Stage 3 you sit exactly the same exams as every other King's medical student and must hit the same pass marks. |
| The same degree at the end | You graduate with an identical MBBS. Nothing on the certificate says EMDP. |
| Widening participation indicators count in shortlisting | King's states that applications are ranked using UCAT performance, GCSE grades and widening participation indicators. It does not publish how much weight the indicators carry. |
| No UCAT threshold to clear | "No minimum UCAT threshold score was applied" in the most recent cycle. The SJT is not used at all. |
| If you want dentistry instead | King's runs an equivalent for dentistry — the Enhanced Support Dentistry Programme (ESDP) BDS, requiring AAB rather than A*AA. Note it carries a geographic restriction the EMDP does not: ESDP applicants must have attended a non-selective state school within a London borough (K+ students excepted). |
For a side-by-side comparison, see every UK medical and dental school's widening participation scheme.
| Fee Status | Annual Tuition |
|---|---|
| UK (Home) | £10,050 — the England-wide fee cap for 2027/28. King's has not yet published a 2027/28 figure; the most recent figure on its tuition fees page is £9,790 for students starting in September 2026, and it notes the fee "may be subject to increases depending on government policy". Confirm the exact 2027/28 figure with King's before you rely on it. |
| International | Not applicable. King's own EMDP fees page records the international fee as "not applicable" and states "This is not offered to International Students". Applicants with Overseas fee status are ineligible for the programme. |
The EMDP runs for six years, so you will pay six years of tuition rather than five — a real cost difference worth planning for. UK students on the EMDP can access the standard Tuition Fee Loan, and NHS bursary funding applies in the later clinical years on the same basis as the five-year MBBS.
| Route | UCAS Code | Length |
|---|---|---|
| MBBS Medicine (standard entry) | A100 | 5 years |
| MBBS Extended Medical Degree Programme (EMDP) | A101 | 6 years (7 with an optional intercalated BSc) |
Note the code carefully. At most UK medical schools A101 means graduate entry; at King's, A101 is the EMDP. King's also states that it will only consider your application for the EMDP if you apply under that code — applying to A100 will not get you considered for the EMDP.
| Metric | Figure |
|---|---|
| Applications per place | Not published — King's does not publish EMDP applicant or offer numbers |
| Places available | Not published |
| UCAT cut-off score | Not published — King's states no minimum UCAT threshold score was applied in the most recent cycle |
| Interview stations | Not applicable — King's uses a panel interview for the EMDP, not an MMI |
The extended first year provides additional preparation in:
After the foundation year, you join the standard medical curriculum alongside students from the 5-year programme. The clinical training, placements, and final qualification are identical.
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.
No. Grammar schools are academically selective, so attending one disqualifies you from the EMDP. The programme specifically requires attendance at only non-selective state schools since age 11.
You can check your ACORN category and IMD decile using online postcode lookup tools. King's may verify this information during the application process. If unsure, contact King's admissions directly.
Unfortunately, no. If you have previously started a degree at any institution (even if you didn't complete it), you are not eligible for the EMDP. You would need to apply to the 5-year programme (A100) or, if you complete a bioscience degree, the Graduate Entry programme (A102).
The EMDP is one year longer (6 years vs 5 years), has lower grade requirements (ABB vs A*AA), and has specific eligibility criteria. The foundation year provides additional preparation. By graduation, you receive the same MBBS qualification and are equally prepared for medical practice.
This is not typically permitted. The programmes have different structures and the EMDP is specifically designed to provide extended preparation.
Get an in-depth look at what it's really like to study medicine at KCL, from campus life to clinical placements across Guy's, King's, and St Thomas' Hospitals.
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.
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Last updated: March 2026. Information verified against King's College London admissions pages and Medical Schools Council guidance.
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