Medicine 2026 entry - part 1

[rockstuckhardplace]

Starting a new thread for parents of prospective medical students looking to start in 2026.

Surely if that happens it’ll have to work for all years right? I mean if our kids go in 2026, we pay, but if this actually comes to fruition, then in 2027 they won’t pay. Otherwise… the whole system will crash!

If you read my post you will see everyone still pays. This is about the value of loans you can receive alongside the NHS bursary. Currently the loan is reduced in the last couple of years to reflect the bursary apparently meaning they can get less upfront funding. The ‘win’ is that students can still get the full student loan in the bursery supported years.

Thanks! Yes i should really read all threads before replying! Super misleading then. Grr

Definitely!

Any increased funding (and I see that this isn’t that) would come with so many strings in the guise of having to work for the NHS for X number of years, that it would end up resembling indentured servitude anyway. Probably better off under the current system if that becomes the case

Hello

I wonder if anyone can offer insight into which colleges to apply to at Cambridge? My DD hasn't wanted to look at universities at all until she'd sat the UCAT. Having now done that and got a good result (2450), school has suggested she apply for Cambridge. Apparently she needs to let school know by this coming Monday which 2 colleges she likes.

Any thoughts about Cambridge colleges would be appreciated. I'm assuming, like everything with medicine applications, there may be some strategic considerations in choosing colleges.

Thank you

Hi, would you be happy to share with me please? My son has just completed UCAT and now trying to narrow down uni choices!

Went to look at HYMS yesterday. York Campus was beautiful.

Rough calculation of 72 points on their scoring system.

Do you think this would be enough for the A108 program please @mumsneedwine?

Thank you

@HereWeComeAtLast if you send me a DM either an email I'll send it over.

I haven't looked into Cambridge at all so can't advise. It might be worth asking on the most recent Oxbridge thread here:

https://www.mumsnet.com/talk/higher_education/5219144-continuation-of-oxbridge-2025

There's a 'College finder' quiz here which might give you some ideas otherwise, but it might be a bit out of date as some of the links seem to be broken. It could be a good starting point though, then you can read more about individual colleges on the Cambridge website.

https://www.cambridgesu.co.uk/access/alternative-prospectus/colleges/

Will you be going to the Cambridge open day? Good luck 🙂

@Thefatbutteredpig always hard with HYMS as there contextual but is not easy to score. But it's a good number of points ! Be aware you don't get to choose which campus so need to be equally as happy with Hull.

@RedGingham you can do an open application and college would be chosen for you. Check the A level requirements if keen on any specific ones as some need maths. Otherwise it doesn't really matter.

Did she go to the open days at Cambridge? What are her preferences on college size and location ?

She might want to be nearer lectures and the hospital. Or in a college with an active medical society, like Christ’s College.

If she didn’t go to the open days or consider it before, then she should think hard about why she’s changed her mind now. It shouldn’t be about applying for the most prestigious university she ( of the school ) can think of just because she has a good UCAT score.

She will be there for 5 or 6 years and should choose a location and course that she thinks are the best match for her. There are many “ top medical schools “ in the UK, not one or two. She won’t gain any great advantage in her career compared to studying at say Imperial , Bristol or Edinburgh.

re Cambridge - not everyone enjoys the longer course, the divide between Clinical and preclinical years , the heavy academic workload with a focus on research and the independent learning style in the clinical years .

Students who have only done science and maths A levels often find it hard that assessment is based so heavily on essays. You have to hit the ground running as your marks in first and second year count towards your final degree, so there’s a lot of pressure.

I think she needs to be sure that the structure of the course and the environment and teaching/ learning style are right for her. That’s more important than choosing a college in 48 hours!

Remember that some schools push applicants into applying for Oxbridge even when that’s not the best choice for them, as it pushes them up some league tables.

My DC applied last year to Cambridge and is due to go in October for medicine.

This is what we gleaned but other may have different views. At the end of the day it doesn’t really matter.

In don’t think that you can “game” the system as they have a “pool” to ensure fairness of applications. This is to make sure they are spread out.

The course is all Cambridge so ultimately your college is only about where you will live. That’s why ideally you will shortlist and then look at a few.

I would say relevant factors are (in no particular order):

1. location;
2. size of college (do you want big/ small/ medium);
3. food arrangements including kitchen availability and cost of dining;
4. accommodation - costs and what it’s like and what you want I.e. some don’t have proper kitchens;
5. where accommodation is not close to college and if you are eating in college that might be a consideration;
6. the general vibe;
7. how long you can live in college.

You can make an open application but I would say better to choose and risk being pooled. Ultimately, you may not have control but make a choice but don’t set your heart on one. At the end of the day it doesn’t matter.

Hope this helps.

Sorry meant to add as someone else said you need to check A level requirements which are on the Cambs medicine page. Some colleges want all STEM, I think but check the page as it lists the colleges and requirements.

How do they allocate location - is it 50/50 possibility?
I do wonder if the contextual points - 15 possible - will just mean you need a high UCAT score (plus the GCSEs) if you don’t qualify.

@PurryGrowls location is random. Pretty much 50/50. Most love Hull - great opportunities in the hospitals. Just not as pretty.

Thank you for all your helpful thoughts and suggestions.

@RM26 I hadn't thought to look at the Oxbridge thread, will do that now. And thank you for the link to the college finder quiz, DD checking it out!

@mumsneedwine useful to know about an open application. DD is doing Maths with Chemistry and Biology so hopefully in a good position on that score.

@1VY she hasn't been to open days at any universities so far, we are very behind the curve due to various difficulties in the past 18 months. Cambridge has been on the cards as a possibility for quite while, sorry I didn't express that well in my message. Fortunately she loves writing essays. She's ultimately thinking of a career combining clinical work with research which Cambridge would probably be a good platform for. You make a good point about schools pushing children into Oxbridge applications and we are wary of that.

@OnePinkCat thank you, your list of things to consider is great and very grounding. She has taken a copy and is now cross checking against colleges she's shortlisted. You've highlighted things we hadn't thought to take into account. Wishing your DC all the very best for October.

Very much appreciate all your help and this thread in general, such a useful resource in trying to understand the complex world that is medical school applications.

According to the presentation yesterday, allocation is random.

I asked if grade 8 and 9 are considered the same. Answer was no for scoring purposes.

DN qualifies for full 15 contextual points

Ucat wasnt great but gcses are great and the A108 scores the top 5 which are 99888.

I’m hopeful a score of 72 is good for A108 as Tsr advising it was 77 for A100

A108 is allocated to Hull for first year. Quite happy with that

His did you score the UCAT?

Yes

they said its out of 100

35 points for gcse

35 points for ucat

15 contextual

15 for sjt

taking his ucat, plus 5 gcses plus 15 contextual plus sjt comes to 72

Sorry, I meant how do you convert the UCAT score to points out of 35.

Ten deciles.

3.5 points per decile

Ucat score is around start of 5th decile. Obs subject to change once all scores are in and deciles firmed up

Thank you. Fingers crossed for when the deciles come out!

@Thefatbutteredpig thanks for that info on HYMS decile scoring I was wondering too.

It is interesting as originally DD was considering HYMS (I loved it, maybe more than her!) and she would score (I think) 35 for GCSEs and if she scrapes in the 9th decile sounds like 31.5 for UCAT (her score was 2180 B2) and 10 for SJT giving a full score of 76.5. According the @mumsneedwine spreadsheet the last couple of years cut off was 71ish, but if it is 77 now, it rules out of a lot of applicants like DD.

I also had a relook at Nottingham and DD scores 65/82, any ideas on what this years cut off might be for Notts as their scoring has changed this year.

Also would appreciate anyone's thoughts on a comment on TSR I saw about Lancaster uni. It is known for lower UCAT/GCSEs so the discussion was that a lot will apply and may be interviewed so the the interview to offer rate will be lower. DD is keen on Lancaster as a 'safe' choice but it is making me wonder if it will be, as she was also thinking about Liverpool, which is similar in the interview to offer rate.

I feel like we are going around in circles, not knowing what risks to take for DD.