How hard is it for a non-EU student to study medicine in the UK?

I recently spoke to a person representing King's College and they said that they have a limited number of places for international students studying medicine. From what they said, it seems like getting into a good/competitive university studying medicine for a non-EU student is almost impossible. How true is this?

Reply 1

MagneticNorth

12

Original post by Glazmann

I recently spoke to a person representing King's College and they said that they have a limited number of places for international students studying medicine. From what they said, it seems like getting into a good/competitive university studying medicine for a non-EU student is almost impossible. How true is this?

I don't know about admissions but I know that tuition fees are much higher for medicine (for non-EU internationals) than any other course.
In my uni (Southampton), tuition fees are £19725/year and £40,230/year for clinical years!!! That would make the total cost of the course nearly £200K! So leaving admissions aside, you might want to also think if this is something you and your family can afford.

Reply 2

Plagioclase

21

It definitely is substantially more difficult for non-EU applicants to get in for Medicine. Oxford has a lot of stats on their site so I'll use them as an example, the success rate for non-EU applicants last year was 2% (compared to about 10% for EU applicants).

Reply 3

Glazmann

OP

12

Original post by candyaljamila

I don't know about admissions but I know that tuition fees are much higher for medicine (for non-EU internationals) than any other course.
In my uni (Southampton), tuition fees are £19725/year and £40,230/year for clinical years!!! That would make the total cost of the course nearly £200K! So leaving admissions aside, you might want to also think if this is something you and your family can afford.

Yes, I have noticed this trend for extremely expensive medicine courses for international students. This does not concern me a right now as I am more worried about whether I would be able to get in or not, so I can decide the financial situation.

Reply 4

returnmigrant

21

Each Uni is restricted by how many students it trains by the GMC (General Medical Council) and this includes International students.

It isn't 'impossible' for an International applicant - actually its no more difficult than for Home applicants. If you have the right qualifications/grades, have relevant work-experience, and can write a strong Personal Statement then you are in with a chance of an interview. Here is the advice from Uni of Sussex/Brighton (BSMS) : https://www.bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-students/index.aspx

What holds most International applicants back from even applying is the £££ amount of money needed to fund a UK Medicine degree, not the number of places available.

Reply 5

MagneticNorth

12

Original post by Glazmann

Yes, I have noticed this trend for extremely expensive medicine courses for international students. This does not concern me a right now as I am more worried about whether I would be able to get in or not, so I can decide the financial situation.

Oh I see, well I didn't do medicine myself but I've heard that they were quiet competitive.
You could always go through a foundation year for medicine or science - which accepts foreign qualifications and UK applicants who didn't quiet make the grades to undergrad medicine - that would mean an extra year of study, but guarantees entry into the medicine course if you meet the grades for every module in the FY.

Reply 6

Glazmann

OP

12

Original post by returnmigrant

Each Uni is restricted by how many students it trains by the GMC (General Medical Council) and this includes International students.

It isn't 'impossible' for an International applicant - actually its no more difficult than for Home applicants. If you have the right qualifications/grades, have relevant work-experience, and can write a strong Personal Statement then you are in with a chance of an interview. Here is the advice from Uni of Sussex/Brighton (BSMS) : https://www.bsms.ac.uk/undergraduate/international-students/index.aspx

What holds most International applicants back from even applying is the £££ amount of money needed to fund a UK Medicine degree, not the number of places available.

Thank you! This is very helpful

Reply 7

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Glazmann

I recently spoke to a person representing King's College and they said that they have a limited number of places for international students studying medicine. From what they said, it seems like getting into a good/competitive university studying medicine for a non-EU student is almost impossible. How true is this?

It's probably worth pointing out that every med school in the uk is good/competitive.

International applicants tend to favour London, Oxbridge and Edinburgh. Just because those universities/cities have a strong international reputation for things other than their medical education.

You'll have less competition for international places at other med schools.

There's some stats on the UCAS website on applications/place by university that might be useful. Also doing some thorough research into the differences between medicine courses and tailoring your application and choices to suit your strengths.

Reply 8

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by Glazmann

Thank you! This is very helpful

So from the above from https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resource-1

On average in 2015 there were 19.3 overseas applications for each medicine/dentistry place.

That varied from 4.3 app/place at Hull/York Medical schools, 5.7 at St Andrews and 8.6 at St Georges UL to 83 apps/place at Leeds, 69 apps/place at Liverpool, 51 apps/place at Edinburgh, 42 at Bristol, 39 at Oxford, 38 Birmingham.

Manchester, Queens Belfast, Exeter and Newcastle were all less overwhelmed with international applicants.

Reply 9

nexttime

22

Original post by PQ

So from the above from https://www.ucas.com/corporate/data-and-analysis/ucas-undergraduate-releases/ucas-undergraduate-end-cycle-data-resource-1

On average in 2015 there were 19.3 overseas applications for each medicine/dentistry place.

That varied from 4.3 app/place at Hull/York Medical schools, 5.7 at St Andrews and 8.6 at St Georges UL to 83 apps/place at Leeds, 69 apps/place at Liverpool, 51 apps/place at Edinburgh, 42 at Bristol, 39 at Oxford, 38 Birmingham.

Manchester, Queens Belfast, Exeter and Newcastle were all less overwhelmed with international applicants.

Where are those numbers within that link? All i can see are large data tables...

Reply 10

nexttime

22

Original post by Glazmann

Yes, I have noticed this trend for extremely expensive medicine courses for international students. This does not concern me a right now as I am more worried about whether I would be able to get in or not, so I can decide the financial situation.

How can that not worry you? You know scholarships from the UK are basically non-existent for non-EU students right? If you have no hope of ever affording the course, then by applying all you'd be doing is wasting the UCAS fee, wasting your time preparing, wasting money getting travel to the UK for interviews, etc.

Reply 11

PQ

Clearing and Applications Advisor

21

Original post by nexttime

Where are those numbers within that link? All i can see are large data tables...

You have to combine the data from UDR4_017_02 (main scheme acceptances - places) and UDR4_017_03 (main scheme applications) and filter down to look at Medicine and Dentistry and Non-EU applicants.

Reply 12

nexttime

22

Original post by PQ

You have to combine the data from UDR4_017_02 (main scheme acceptances - places) and UDR4_017_03 (main scheme applications) and filter down to look at Medicine and Dentistry and Non-EU applicants.

Yeah I thought that's what you did :p:

Their insistence on rounding to the nearest 5 is going to play havoc with the accuracy of those numbers, but I guess a reasonable approximation.

How hard is it for a non-EU student to study medicine in the UK?

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