Medical reapplicants, is it possible to get into Russell Group Unis for Medicine?

Hello there,

I am reapplicant applying this year for Medicine and I am worried, whether is it possible to get into the Top unis for medicine like Cambridge, Imperial, if you reapply? This being said, I have predicted grades of A*A*A and now that BMAT is gone, I can apply to Cambridge. Right?

I didn't apply to any of the Top unis last year due to poor UCAT score, but if I apply this year, let's say Imperial (I didn't apply last year), for example, am I considered as a new applicant for the Uni or reapplicant as I am retaking the UCAT this year?

Any past medical reapplicants, please do share your experience on how was it for you to take a year or more out and join into your dream medical school, if u don't mind...

Thanks in advance

Reply 1

TSR Hippocrates

Hey there, thanks for posting a question in the Medicine forum. :biggrin:

The Medicine forum gets a high volume of questions being posted, and some of these are already answered by the resources and Megathreads that members of the community and volunteers have created. This is an automatic post which is designed to highlight these resources. Below is a list of threads and articles that could answer your question (you should be looking in the original post of the megathreads). If one of the below threads is a more relevant place to ask your question, please post a reply in that thread to ask your question. If your query is answered by one of the Megathreads or articles linked below, and you would like us to close this thread for you, please reply to this thread with just the words "thank you". A member of our team will then get it locked.

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The "Which Medical School Should I Apply To?" Uberthread
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Work Experience and Voluntary Work

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Official Undergraduate Medicine 2023 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2023 Entry
Medicine 2023 entry for resit / retake / gap year applicants
A100 Medicine for International Students 2023 Entry
Medicine Interview discussion 2023 Entry
2023 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Index of Individual Medical School Applicants' threads 2023 Entry

2024 Applicants :
Official Undergraduate Medicine 2024 Entry
Graduate Entry Medicine 2024 Entry
GAMSAT 2024 / 2025 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2024 Entry Discussions Megathread
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A100 Medicine for International Students 2024 Entry
Medicine Interview Discussion 2024 Entry
2024 entry A100 / A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Medical Schools Index 2024 Entry

2025 Applicants :
Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2025 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2025 Entry
GAMSAT 2025 / 2026 entry discussions megathread
UCAT 2025 Entry Discussions Megathread

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Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2026 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2026 Entry

Useful Articles:
GCSE Requirements for Medicine
Everything you need to know about the BMAT
Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
Medicine Personal Statement Advice
Medicine Personal Statement Advice (Graduate Entry)
Interview Frequently Asked Questions
MMI Medicine Interview Tips
What to do after an unsuccessful first application
Funding medicine as a second degree

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Reply 2

reubenn05

Universities Forum Helper

Original post by srmaster

Hello there,
I am reapplicant applying this year for Medicine and I am worried, whether is it possible to get into the Top unis for medicine like Cambridge, Imperial, if you reapply? This being said, I have predicted grades of A*A*A and now that BMAT is gone, I can apply to Cambridge. Right?
I didn't apply to any of the Top unis last year due to poor UCAT score, but if I apply this year, let's say Imperial (I didn't apply last year), for example, am I considered as a new applicant for the Uni or reapplicant as I am retaking the UCAT this year?
Any past medical reapplicants, please do share your experience on how was it for you to take a year or more out and join into your dream medical school, if u don't mind...
Thanks in advance

the only restrictions on reapplicants is if you are reapplying for like 2/3 or more times, for the same uni. otherwise, you will be treated the same as other applicants. also, russell group doesn't really mean anything, especially for medicine, likewise for university rankings - med is med.

Reply 3

McGinger

It doesnt matter where you study Medicine.
All degrees are accredited by the GMC and are therefore none are 'better' - the NHS will not care about 'which Uni' and neither will your future patients. And if going to a 'better' Uni matters more than 'Medicine' to you, you might need to rethink applying for Medicine.

Reply 4

George&Mary

Original post by srmaster

Hello there,
I am reapplicant applying this year for Medicine and I am worried, whether is it possible to get into the Top unis for medicine like Cambridge, Imperial, if you reapply? This being said, I have predicted grades of A*A*A and now that BMAT is gone, I can apply to Cambridge. Right?
I didn't apply to any of the Top unis last year due to poor UCAT score, but if I apply this year, let's say Imperial (I didn't apply last year), for example, am I considered as a new applicant for the Uni or reapplicant as I am retaking the UCAT this year?
Any past medical reapplicants, please do share your experience on how was it for you to take a year or more out and join into your dream medical school, if u don't mind...
Thanks in advance

Applying to medicine is tough. Every year, so many excellent candidates are sadly unsuccessful, sometimes it’s because of the UCAT scores, limiting options, or just not being strategic in choices, or just being blown away by the sheer scale of numbers applying and not making it to interview, or it can be not being successful at interview. These all have the same result, but are different factors to work on next time around.

Do you know which ones of these you came up against with each of your med schools last year. A bit of self reflection is helpful.

There is a really interesting thread about peoples gap year and reapplication cycles which I will get the link for if you need inspiration.

https://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/showthread.php?t=7209108

This shows that you are not alone, but it also shows how many succeed second or even third time around. You can do this !

Because so people take more than one cycle for whatever reason, the vast majority of med schools are perfectly happy for people to apply in their second cycle. (I say maj, because QUB needs you to have applied there in your first cycle, but I am not aware of others like that at the moment).

The fact that something was BMAT last year and is UCAT now will not change the fact that this will be your second application cycle.

Whether or not you are a re applicant or not depends on whether you have applied to that Med school before. If you have, read their application policies very carefully as some will have slightly different rules depending on the point at which you were deemed unsuccessful last time.

Get that UCAT up as it will give you the widest choice. And be very strategic in making that choice, don’t have any pre-existing set restrictions, like Oxbridge, or RG or red brick etc as this will limit you further. Be open to all options and come back to the “which medical school thread” with your UCAT to sense check them.

As Reuben and McGinger have said, if a home student then which med school you go to won’t matter they are all GMC accredited, and applications for foundation etc don’t consider med school origins at all. If international and looking to practice at home once qualified, that might be different and you should check there.

Cambridge has a very particular style of learning which is very different from most, with very distinct clinical and preclinical. Be very sure it is what you want before you push for it and potentially waste a choice that might have a higher chance of success.

Lastly, although it’s not common, it is possible to get in via clearing esp if you are a home student. Keep an eye on the clearing thread and free your diary for they and have your facts ready. If you are thinking of going for it, do the UCAT anyway just in case ready for next year, but it is last years that will count.

If there are clearing places available you will still have to do an interview, so be prepared as it will likely be short notice. but don’t pin your hopes on clearing.

Good luck

(edited 11 months ago)

Reply 5

McGinger

I really would advise you to look at the 'unfashionable' Med Schools and not to over focus on those in London or RG only.
Sunderland, Plymouth, Belfast, UCLAN, Keele etc will all train you as a doctor and are statistically far easier to get into than the likes of Imperial etc. You really do need to think about why you want to be a doctor - and is 'which Uni' more important to you than this, and why?

Reply 6

GANFYD

Original post by McGinger

This is really not the case. Sunderland and Keele are almost impossible to get into without a lot of volunteering. UCLan needs you to be resident in the North West. QUB needs pretty much perfect GCSEs. Plymouth has a poor interview to offer ratio.
People need to apply to their strengths - good GCSEs and a poor UCAT is a totally different application to poor GCSEs and a good UCAT. 5 x 6s at GCSE and a high UCAT makes London unis a good choice and the ones you have listed very poor choices (unless in the Northwest).
Strategic application is key and there is no "easier" or harder uni to get into, it all depends on your stats. If you have many options then looking at interview to offer ratios can maybe help narrow things down, but you have to be sure to get to an interview first

Reply 7

srmaster

Thanks a lot for giving me such detailed information. I do realise that Uni doesn't matter, as medicine is pretty competitive across the UK, but just wanted if there is a chance to get into the Top universities. Thanks to others as well, for reassuring me that Uni rankings do not matter when it comes to Medicine.

Once again, thanks everyone...

Reply 8

GANFYD

Original post by srmaster

How are you measuring "top"?
Aberdeen seems to lead, as both geographically and alphabetically top, but after that, you will have to specify what you are measuring here. Aberdeen would be fine with A*A*A achieved and a reasonable UCAT

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