Medicine is not just a subject you decide to study and then work in, but a lifelong choice that easily turns into a lifestyle. Doctors have a particular image of being the ones who help patients overcome physical and mental problems and are there to support and inform both patients and relatives during difficult times.
It is tempting to study Medicine, especially if you’re looking for an experience abroad. Once you’ve made your decision, you might take a closer look at medical schools in the UK, where many international students pursue their studies.
The United Kingdom’s medical schools provide quality research, internationally recognised programmes and a pleasant and multicultural study environment. There are medical schools in England, as well as institutions for students who want to study in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. You will find universities offering both pre-clinical and medical studies.
View Masters in Medicine in the UK
Discover Medicine in the UK
You have the option to study different types of Medical degrees in the UK:
- Two-year degrees in pre-clinical training
- Three-year degrees at a specialised school or teaching hospital
- Six-year degrees if you choose another study discipline in between the two
Admission to medical schools in the UK is competitive. You'll need to meet the entry requirements, go through an interview, and take additional tests, such as:
- The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
- The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
According to GetMeIntoMedicalSchool, there are usually around 21,000 applicants who compete for 8,000 places in medical schools throughout the UK, and their success rate is around 40%. The same statistics show that it takes around ten years for a graduate to become a consultant in a hospital speciality.
Obviously, becoming a doctor is not easy, especially in the UK. That’s why studying at one of the best medical schools is a great place to start. Below, we’ve listed the top universities offering Medicine degrees in Britain according to rankings from Times Higher Education, TopUniversities, and The Telegraph.
The best medical schools in the UK, according to Times Higher Education Subject Ranking 2020
According to THE, these are the best universities where you can study Medicine in the UK:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- Imperial College London
- University College London (UCL)
- King’s College London
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Glasgow
- University of Liverpool
- University of Manchester
- Queen Mary University of London
Top medical schools in the UK, according to the QS Subject Ranking 2019
Based on data from this ranking created by TopUniversities, these are the best universities where you can study Medicine in Britain:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- University College London (UCL)
- Imperial College London
- King’s College London
- University of Edinburgh
- London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine
- University of Manchester
- University of Glasgow
- Newcastle University
The best Medical schools in the UK, according to The Telegraph
The British newspaper, the Telegraph, has developed a ranking with the top universities that offer programmes in Medicine:
- University of Oxford
- University of Cambridge
- University of Glasgow
- Swansea University
- University of Edinburgh
- University of Dundee
- Imperial College London
- Queen Mary University of London
- Keele University
- University of Exeter
Ready to start your Medical studies in the UK?
In Britain, you can choose from over 60 Medicine specialisations. Some of the most popular are:
- Anaesthetics
- General Practice
- Pathology
- Psychiatry
- Radiology
- Surgery
Once you’ve chosen your specialisation, the best way you can develop is to expand your knowledge constantly and stay up to date with the latest discoveries in the healthcare field.
This is why work experience is also important and you can achieve it through the training that follows your studies and even from the hours of practice that you take at the medical school.
Find Medical studies in the UK
If you like the challenges and rewards that life as a medical practitioner involves, then you can apply to one of the top schools in the UK. Or you can follow your dream and find a medical school in another country, as long as it suits your needs. Whatever you choose, we wish you best of luck and hope you have a great study experience!
