Frequently asked questions
Medicine is an incredibly
competitive course. What are my chances of being offered a place?
It
is difficult for us to confirm what percentage of applicants will be accepted
as the number of applications we receive changes year to year.
We
have 40 places on BMBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery with
Foundation Year.
Application
statistics for previous years can be found below:
2021 Entry:
A Level (Home): 548 applications, 125 interviews, 85 offers
International: 40 applications, 5 interviews, 4 offers
Total: 588 applications, 130 interviews, 89 offers
2020 Entry:
Please note that we had 32 places rather than 40 for 2020 entry
A Level (Home): 438 applications, 150 interviews, 65 offers
International: 41 applications, 3 interviews, 0 offers
Total: 479 applications, 153 interviews, 65 offers
I don’t meet four of the
contextual requirements. Will my application be considered?
If
you meet only two or three of the contextual requirements you are welcome to
apply, however, when shortlisting for interview we give preference to
candidates who meet four of the contextual requirements.
If
you do not meet any of the contextual markers we will be unable to consider
your application.
I am unable to obtain
predicted grades for my qualifications. Will my application still be
considered?
We
are unable to consider any applicant who cannot provide predicted grades for
pending qualifications.
Do you consider late
applications?
We
are unable to consider any applications that are received by UCAS after the
deadline, which is typically 18:00 (GMT) on the 15th October
annually. To ensure your application is considered, please do not leave it
until the last minute to apply, as you will need to allow time for your school
or college to add your reference and officially submit your application.
If
you applied on time but changed your mind about your university choices, we
will consider your application assuming you are within the 14 day cooling off
period set by UCAS and your application was submitted prior to the deadline.
When will interviews take
place?
Interviews
typically take place between December and February. You will be given the
opportunity to choose your preferred interview date through our online booking
system, and we endeavour to provide as much notice of interview dates as
possible.
Where will interviews take
place?
While
we typically require all applicants to attend an interview in Plymouth, in
response to the coronavirus pandemic and in the interest of keeping our
applicants and staff safe, interviews took place online for 2021 entry. We
expect interviews to remain online for 2022 entry but will keep our applicants
updated if this changes.
I have personal issues
that I am worried could have affected my interview/exam performance. Do you
consider extenuating circumstances?
Whilst
we sympathise with the unfortunate situation you have experienced, in the
interest of fairness to all our applicants we are unable to consider any
extenuating circumstances at any stage of the admissions process.
Will you have places
available through Clearing?
We
very rarely have places available through Clearing. You are more than welcome
to call us from early August to check if there are places available, however.
I have been given an offer
but I am worried that I will not meet the academic criteria. What will happen
if I don’t achieve the required grades?
We
understand that applying for university and sitting exams is an incredibly
stressful time. We will be unable to confirm whether we can accept your
application if you do not meet the required grades until A Level results day.
At this point, we will know how all of our applicants have performed and the
Admissions Advisory Panel will advise whether reduced grades will be
considered.
While
we have softened on entry requirements in the past, there is no guarantee that
this will be the case.