Seeking Advice on Medicine Courses with Lower UCAT Emphasis

Hi everyone! I'm looking for some advice on choosing a university for Medicine. I have strong academic grades (3 A*s predicted at A-level, six grade 9s, four grade 8s and two grade 7s at GCSE, as well as an EPQ predicted an A*) and a passion for chemistry, but my UCAT score was quite a bit lower than I'd hoped (1860 Band 2). I'm particularly interested in universities that focus more on the scientific side of medicine, including pharmacology and biochemistry, and offer intercalation opportunities. I'm considering Cardiff uni because the course sounds cool, but I'm a bit worried that since I'm not Welsh, I might not be prioritised as a candidate, especially considering my low UCAT and my grade 7 in GCSE maths. As for volunteering and work experience, I volunteer weekly at a disability centre and at a rainbows group, and I shadowed doctors on the stroke and neurology wards for 3 days.

I would prefer to go to a campus uni, but I would be more than willing to go to a city uni if it offers a course that aligns well with my interests. Does anyone have recommendations or experiences with universities that might weigh other aspects of the application more heavily than the UCAT? Any insights would be greatly appreciated!

Reply 1

Servites

Cardiff, Exeter, Liverpool, Kent Medway come to mind.

Reply 2

flickering-mu

Thank you! I would love to be able to apply to Exeter, but I thought that they only invited people with three predicted A*s to interview if they had a score in the top three deciles (because of the Exeter Score system), and I am definitely not in the top three deciles considering my UCAT. I don't really understand how this works though, so I might have misunderstood.