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Medical School choices 2026 entry

Hi, I need to submit my UCAS form shortly and am struggling to decide which medical schools to apply to
I have:
10 9s at GCSE
2140 band 1 UCAT
predicted 3A* at A-levels
lots of relevant work experience etc

I am thinking of applying to
Leeds
Southampton
Lincoln
Nottingham

I am also considering BSMS, UEA and Exeter , however i am not sure about PBL teaching

Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Reply 1

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

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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GANFYD's "Which medical schools accept retake A-Levels" list

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Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2026 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2026 Entry
Medicine 2026 entry for resit/retake/gap year applicants
International Students for Medicine 2026 Entry (overseas students applying to the UK)
UCAT 2026 Entry Discussions Megathread
GAMSAT Megathread 2026/2027 entry
GAMSAT Megathread 2025/2026 entry
2026 entry A100/ A101 Medicine fastest and slowest offer senders
Medical Schools Index 2026 entry
Medical Schools Index 2025 entry

UCAS Extra and Clearing:
Medicine UCAS Extra for 2025
Medicine UCAS Clearing for 2025

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Official Thread: (Undergraduate) Medicine 2027 entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2027 Entry
Official Thread: Graduate Entry Medicine 2028 Entry

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Guidance on posting in this subforum
So, you're going to medical school.... MKII
OSCE Tips and Advice
Increase in the NHS Bursary and expenses for placement
The postgraduate exams thread

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Work Experience as a Graduate or Mature student
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Reply 2

Original post
by freya0207
Hi, I need to submit my UCAS form shortly and am struggling to decide which medical schools to apply to
I have:
10 9s at GCSE
2140 band 1 UCAT
predicted 3A* at A-levels
lots of relevant work experience etc
I am thinking of applying to
Leeds
Southampton
Lincoln
Nottingham
I am also considering BSMS, UEA and Exeter , however i am not sure about PBL teaching
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Hi there,

Given your profile, UEA is a strong match. Your 3A* predictions and 10 grade 9s put you well above the academic bar, and SJT Band 1 is valued at UEA. Your UCAT (2140) is on the lower side, but UEA doesn’t rely on UCAT alone to shortlist; they look holistically and your academics plus work experience strengthen your case.

On teaching style, UEA is case-based rather than pure PBL. You’ll have structured lectures, anatomy and clinical skills alongside small-group cases, plus early patient contact from Year 1. That mix suits applicants who want clear teaching with regular clinical exposure, not just self-directed learning.

Norwich is also a supportive, affordable place to live over a 5-year course, and the campus medical school setup makes everything (skills labs, anatomy, placements) feel joined-up.

Best,
Daniel
PhD Biology
Original post
by freya0207
Hi, I need to submit my UCAS form shortly and am struggling to decide which medical schools to apply to
I have:
10 9s at GCSE
2140 band 1 UCAT
predicted 3A* at A-levels
lots of relevant work experience etc
I am thinking of applying to
Leeds
Southampton
Lincoln
Nottingham
I am also considering BSMS, UEA and Exeter , however i am not sure about PBL teaching
Any help would be greatly appreciated!!!!

Hi @freya0207,

Hope you're doing well. Amazing to see Southampton down there. Your results are awesome, and I think you should be really proud.

I just thought I'd share that there was a mini student tour of some of Southampton's facilities for medics, if you'd like to have a see a snapshot of where you could be studying next year!

Good luck with your application, and hopefully see you on campus soon! 🙌

Bea 😊
University of Southampton

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