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Studying medicine in oxford?

Hey guys, I am new here and not quite sure if I am doing everything right, but we'll see.
I am a german exchange student and currently studying in the UK, until June. Because the education system in the UK is definitely different to the education system in Germany, I learnt and thought about many new things. Such as studying here. For the next two years I will go back to Germany to finish my A level. But, if I want to study here, where should I apply? Do I need to apply at the uni itself or at UCAS. Actually I can just think of uni that I am really interested in, which is Oxford. But what is the procedure that I would have to go through? I apply at the uni for medicine and then? What are the next steps? I'd be happy if you could help me, just tell me everything you can think of could be relevant for me as an international student. Thanks already!
Hi there.

International applicants apply through the same basic process as national applicants - UCAS. They have a summary here.

You say you'd like to apply to Oxford for medicine. That's going to be extremely competitive and difficult to get in to! I'm not saying it to put you off, but it may be wise to talk to your teachers about it and see what your options are. What kind of grades are you currently achieving?

That said, you can't just apply to Oxford either; it would be wise to apply for 4 universities (UCAS lets you apply to 4 medical courses/universities, and 1 non-medical course).

Another thing to note is that (most) UK medical schools require an entry exam: this is the UKCAT for most, but for UCL, Imperial, Leeds, Brighton & Sussex, Lancaster, Cambridge and Oxford, you'll need to also take the BMAT exam. It is quite important to do well in these, especially for international students where many universities only have a certain number of international students they can actually take on.

I've missed a lot of info, so hopefully others can fill that in, but these are the basics to get you started :smile: Feel free to quote me with any other questions!
Original post by Leopoldinchen
Hey guys, I am new here and not quite sure if I am doing everything right, but we'll see.
I am a german exchange student and currently studying in the UK, until June. Because the education system in the UK is definitely different to the education system in Germany, I learnt and thought about many new things. Such as studying here. For the next two years I will go back to Germany to finish my A level. But, if I want to study here, where should I apply? Do I need to apply at the uni itself or at UCAS. Actually I can just think of uni that I am really interested in, which is Oxford. But what is the procedure that I would have to go through? I apply at the uni for medicine and then? What are the next steps? I'd be happy if you could help me, just tell me everything you can think of could be relevant for me as an international student. Thanks already!


Hello,

Above is a really useful reply - definitely have a good read of that link for international UCAS applicants.

For an international applicant applying to any medical school in the UK, you should do some research about the following:

- Funding: EU students are eligible for tuition fee loans but not maintenance loans or grants. As an international student, the tuition fees can be higher than for UK students, and these fees vary from university to university. For Oxford, you can see the international fees here. Currently at Oxford, EU students have to pay £9,000 a year if it's your first undergrad degree.

- Minimum entry requirements: Make sure you meet these! You mentioned that you're doing A Levels, have you also done GCSEs? For A levels you need A*AA, and many applicants have 10A*s or more at GCSE!

- Number of places available: There are fewer places available for international applicants to study at Medical Schools in the UK, which means that competition is high. Oxford in particular has only 14 places available for international students.

To find out more about UCAS, which you need submit your applications to, and what you have to do in order to study Medicine in the UK, have a browse of our free Application Guide.

You can also find out more information about the entrance tests BMAT, and UKCAT by clicking on those links respectively. These are highly competitive tests, and require lots of preparation beforehand!

We hope the above helps,
The Medic Portal
Original post by Leopoldinchen
Hey guys, I am new here and not quite sure if I am doing everything right, but we'll see.
I am a german exchange student and currently studying in the UK, until June. Because the education system in the UK is definitely different to the education system in Germany, I learnt and thought about many new things. Such as studying here. For the next two years I will go back to Germany to finish my A level. But, if I want to study here, where should I apply? Do I need to apply at the uni itself or at UCAS. Actually I can just think of uni that I am really interested in, which is Oxford. But what is the procedure that I would have to go through? I apply at the uni for medicine and then? What are the next steps? I'd be happy if you could help me, just tell me everything you can think of could be relevant for me as an international student. Thanks already!


If you google UCAS you will find multiple guides spelling out how to apply, the various deadlines etc. Here is UCAS's own guide.

The main points to note that are special for medicine are: Deadline is October not January, you have 4 choices not 5, interviews held in the UK are compulsory (maybe one or two exceptions but I doubt it), and of course the competition!

Its also worth noting that aside from having great grades, having healthcare work experience/voluntary work is essentially compulsory as well. Universities have absolutely no problem rejecting someone with perfect grades if they are not considered 'dedicated' enough or feel they won't have good communication/interpersonal skills.

You can only apply to one university if you want, but bear in mind the competition. Only 1 in 10 Oxford applicants get an offer, and as an EU candidate you are already at a disadvantage (less knowledge of the system/cultural differences in what's expected for university etc).

EU 'normal residents' (which generally means you've lived in the EU for the previous 3 years but it can get complicated) qualify for UK tuition fees and the government-owned loans that can cover them. If you're unsure of your status you need to check ASAP.

Universities require either the UKCAT or BMAT in the UK, not both. Oxford require the BMAT. Research which ones you'd need.

There are lots of websites out there to help you get started. I'd start soon - in particular work experience takes a while to organise if you haven't done that already. If you've any questions ask again.
I hate to have to say it, but if the UK votes to leave the EU in June when this could get even more difficult for you.

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