Advice needed on a difficult decision

Hello, I'm a new member here and I have created this thread as I need some advice. I'm currently in the process of finishing my A Levels and have applied to medicine. I managed to get two interviews, one for Aberdeen and the other for East Anglia. My first interview was for Aberdeen, and after staying in the city, meeting students and teachers, and seeing the facilities available, I couldn't have imagined studying anywhere else. I was therefore very pleased that the interview seemed to go very well. When I travelled to East Anglia however, I didn't get the same feeling as the one I had when I had been in Aberdeen. I didn't like the location, the facilities, the atmosphere or, after talking to some students there, how the course is delivered and how little science content it has, focusing more on patient contact. I therefore wasn't too dismayed then when I thought I had totalled the interview.
However, it turns out that I have been given an offer from East Anglia and a rejection from Aberdeen. Now I have the dilemma, do I go for the university I really didn't like, or do the unthinkable, turn down the offer from east anglia in the hope that I will be given an offer in August from Aberdeen, and reapply next year if that is unsuccessful?
I have also applied to the Republic of Ireland, and sat the HPAT in February. So there is also a small chance that something could turn up there, however I won't know my HPAT result until June, past the deadline for responding to East Anglia.
If it came to it, I really wouldn't mind taking a gap year, as long as I knew I had a decent chance of getting an offer next year. I was also wondering, can universities see that you declined an medicine offer the previous year?
Here are some of my stats
A Level: Maths, Further Maths, 3 Sciences
Predicted: 5A*
GCSE: 2A* 6As B (I know, not great)
UKCAT: 660
I don't want to be seen to be picking and choosing, and for this to be a reflection on how much I wish to become a doctor, and I know how lucky I am to get an offer, but I really don't think East Anglia is right for me, and I really believe Aberdeen is. I will have to wait until next week to see what position I am on their waiting list.
I would really appreciate any insight you could give, especially if your studying at either university or have been faced with a similar problem. Thanks in advance!

Congrats (and commiserations ) on the offer from UEA.

You didn't give any reason for expecting an offer from Aberdeen in August - are you on their reserve list? Regarding next year, my understanding is that you'll be rejected outright if you reapply to a university that has previously rejected you after interview. If I'm right, you may not be able to reapply to Aberdeen next year. If you are a reserve, you may be able to reapply next year, but your application could be coloured by the fact that you were on the borderline this year - what would you do to strengthen it?

Regarding UEA, I'm sure you know the stats... 60% of applicants do not get a place, and this number includes people with excellent A2 predictions. If you turn it down and take a gap year, you may be unsuccessful next year - are you willing to risk that? I'm assuming that you have at least one other rejection this year (does Ireland count as one of your 4 UCAS choices?), so you know how hard it is.

UEA would know you turned down their offer - obviously don't reapply to them. But I don't think others will hear of it.

Personally, I liked UEA, but it came 5th on my shortlist, so got cut when I filled in the UCAS form. I can understand you may prefer a different style of teaching (but then why did you apply there?) but in the long-term it's just another way into the medical profession, just like Aberdeen could have offered.

Btw, you may get more and/or better replies if you ask a moderator to move your thread to a Medicine forum. If you want that, use 'Report a Post'.