Medicine 2026 entry - part 1

[rockstuckhardplace]

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

Hi I am no expert, as you can tell from my previous threads, but I have looked closely at Newcastle and Leeds as my DD is applying there too.

As far as I can tell Newcastle's cut off last year was 76/100 for interview. Their partners scheme is very good but DD doesn't qualify for it or anything contextual anywhere. It will be a guessing game what this year's cut off will be but I am hoping the final deciles will indicate how the whole UCAT cohort have done this year to indicate if it will go up or down (or stay the same!). DD is just over last year's cut off so will apply anyway and take it as her risky one.

Leeds is more difficult to find out about but all I know is they like GCSEs so ideally they need to be 8/9s. One of DDs peers is starting there now and got these GCSEs and a UCAT of around 2900. I did read somewhere they score GCSEs out of 24 and look at 8 but that is just internet discussion so could be completely wrong.

@RM26 nice to get the final 4 decided upon! Fingers crossed for interviews now.

@MyGreyBiscuit it is difficult as I too have heard comments about TSR from uni open day talks. The thing is though, people will take advice from there, or anywhere when medicine is so competitive and all you every seem to hear is how difficult it is to get in, even with the most outstanding applications.

I have looked at TSR and although I can spot odd posters giving questionable advice about chances of interviews etc the majority of posters (admin usually) give sound advice most of which I would expect them to say. I guess it is us to our YP to do the research to fact check what they are told.

Some of the YP my DD has come across on social media (tik tok etc) can be very judgmental about med schools. DD is applying to northern schools and has some less popular choices on her list and the rude comments she has had is interesting. 'Why aren't you applying for any aspirational unis?' Newcastle is her aspirational. 'Why aren't you applying for London unis?'. Luckily DD now knows enough about the process to stand her ground and knows she is taking the most sensible options for her.

The one bit that doesn't sit right with me about med applications is the snobbery surrounding it. I work with Doctors every day and there is no link between which uni they went to and how good a Dr they are in my limited experience.

There seems to be quite a bit on TSR of encouraging people with very low grades to continue to persue medicine rather than consider alternative careers. Four GCSEs at 6655 and CCD at A level? No problem! I know 12 people who got in with those grades! Go the GEM route! Have you considered studying abroad? Six gap years? Just try again!

I also wonder about some of the overseas medical schools which TSR seem to suggest take very low grades and where many students will never be able to converse with patients during their course.

Thanks @bluefineliner. I need ammunition to convince her that Newcastle is a completely unnecessary risk, on top of the UCL one. Last year's cut-offs will help. She has enough course options where her UCAT will help secure an interview. Regarding Leeds, it's so hard to find anything.

I agree @bluefineliner ... I think non-medic applicants (and their well-meaning parents) asking why X and not Oxbridge/Imperial and then suggesting that a 'grade 8 piano' will get me x number of points for UCAS really drive me nuts.

I'm quite thankful that DS is not that easily influenced (or at least I don't think so), and has been like that since young. He'd be the one playing with trains and the others with cars at the nursery, and he'd be ok with that. The others will then come round and play trains with him, so he's not had to go join them, or make them join him.

I think another point to note, if I may... about snobbery of universities. I have a PhD from a Russell Group (I didn't realise at that time, what RG meant). I've received prestigious postdoc scholarships. I've also worked in non-RG places. I currently work in one. My colleagues come from all over. My previous colleagues were the same. That professor who is now an Oxbridge prof has also worked elsewhere. The prof who's now the dean at a post-92 has come from Warwick. It's just rather strange that people base things on what they see at one moment of time, and then that's it.

In the open day circuit the last year or so, I've met med school deans who were heads of research groups at Oxbridge (that's the BSMS dean btw). I've also met other consultants who openly say they only studied medicine at university x because they got rejected elsewhere (these are people in their 40s/50s/60s) - got through clearing even! These are people who both work as consultants and also teach our DCs in med schools.

Ok - rant over. Back to the email pile that's come in over the weekend! 😅

Van Tam got BBC. Things were different then.

So much snobbery and misinformation about medicine it drives me mad. Who asks their doctor where they went to Uni ? Who cares ? Never comes into the recruitment process for jobs in the UK either.

Newcastle has relied very heavily clearing the last two years. If I were them I would be looking very carefully at my selection process. If they do then that could change things a bit this year.

I always think snobbery must be driving choice when I see St Andrews listed alongside Oxford and Imperial.

and here...to prove/disprove these views... here's the Guardian rankings... The Guardian University Guide 2026 – the rankings | University guide | The Guardian

University rankings can be really weird though. They often put a lot of weight on things like nightlife.

They are just odd. Based on the comfort of chairs, how often the bar was open and other 'helpful' things. Student satisfaction is a bit of a strange thing to rank on as most students will never reply.

Apparently deciles due out tomorrow

According to a post on the ucat IG page.

Interim deciles. Final ones won't be out until early Oct. Usually deciles go down between 40-60 points when get final ones. But will give us an idea where they might settle.

hi @mumsneedwine so just to confirm what you are saying... that the interim deciles will be slightly higher than the final ones usually. Ie, if we're at the top decile, the interim could be 2200, but the final could be 2150 (for example)?

The interim results are generally slightly higher - those who take UCAT later tend to have lower scores due to self selection of candidates (not the test changing). Candidates who are less organised, made a last minute decision, or who have struggled to revise and rebooked repeatedly, take UCAT later. Plus there may be a few who are not feeling great on the day but are beyond the rebook date.

Thanks @mumsneedwine. Do you know when they usually publish the final deciles? We are doing open days at Exeter and Southampton on the 4th and 5th of October. Will they be out before then?

The school is pushing us to submit the UCAS application earlier, but DD told them that she can complete everything, including PS, before then. However, she won't be adding the final selection of the four courses until the week commencing October 6th.

same. DS' school is wanting everything in next friday...! Although we know we can change the order or even the universities we put down through the ucas website till 15th Oct.

Thanks @MyGreyBiscuit. Which order? I thought there was no ranking order for UCAS choices until you get offers and need to choose the firm and insurance options.

Sorry yes there’s no order. I was thinking more like you can swap in and out for example university x for y if you change minds or check out deciles etc.

DD's UCAT was this morning. She got 1740. That, along with her GCSE results and a lack of chemistry A Level narrows her options, to say the least!

She is taking a gap year so might retake next year. Or go through a graduate entry. We'll see.

Thanks @MyGreyBiscuit

I just checked the UCAT test statistics page, and it's down—it has been removed from the website. I'm guessing they're updating the website now.

@AlphaApple Sorry to hear that! I hope your DD makes the best decision for her going forward! They are so young, there is plenty of time for them to get into med school! Wish you all the best.

2270 interim 9th decile for 2025—ouch! (I know it's usually higher than the final ones, but still.) Based on this, I think DD will be in the 8th decile when the final results come out.

Thanks @inae. She is fine, we are all fine. I know the point of this thread is mainly about getting 18 year olds into medical school but in reality many, many doctors take different routes and are just as good at their jobs. DD is likely to be one of them. I thought I would post as a counterbalance to all those amazing young people with perfect GCSE results, stellar UCATs and top predicted grades.

Interim deciles are out.

Deciles normally drop another 30-40 ish points once the final results are out after testing ends