Too early for a Medicine 2027 thread?

[SuperSue77]

Just wondered if there was any interest in a medicine 2027 thread for those of us with YP going into year 12 who plan to apply for medicine? I've seen one or two lurking previously and will try to tag if I can find their user names. Just conscious that I am always posting on the 2026 thread, yet DD is a year behind them and so my comments aren't so relevant.

Please come and join me here if you are interested.

Hi @mumsneedwine, hope the school year has started well.
For Sheffield, did you say that as time went on they offered some interviews to students with a UCAT below the 2120 that is stated on their website? Hope this makes sense, this process has got me in a spin!

@SevilleOranges it seems Sheffield did have some very late offers. It's so hard to know where cut offs will be this year I'm afraid.

@medmum26

Hi, not sure if I can help but we just dropped DD at Newcastle yesterday so know a bit about the application process. Last year the cut off to interview was 50/100. DD (non contextual, home) scored 78/100, her ucat was 8th decile (2180 b2) and full marks for GCSEs. She was interviewed in Dec so one of the earlier ones and had a great interview (so she said!). She got her offer after waiting 3 months in March this year. She did have a friend who had a lower score (I'm thinking in the high 60s but not sure) who was interviewed and heard nothing until I think May then got an offer.

It is hard because it is unknown and even when you think you won't get an offer, sometimes it just takes longer whilst they filter through higher scores. Newcastle was always DD's favourite so she was delighted to get in. It is only 2 hours from us though so feels comfortingly close and safe. It also helps that I work with a few NCL trained consultants and they are all lovely.

Good luck and if you want to know anything else please ask.

@bluefineliner
This is really helpful info - thanks for posting! My DD will be flying up to Newcastle for the next open day to have a look round. Bit different to getting the train!
Congrats to your daughter and best of luck on her medicine journey

We’re going up to see Sunderland next weekend, going up on the train and staying over night in Newcastle, then Metro over to Sunderland on Saturday morning. We are flying back as it was cheaper than the train!

Hi, is there UCAT 2265 existing?

I don’t believe so - I think all scores end in 0.

when converting score from the old system when it was out of 3600 you might end up with 2265 which would equate to 3020 in the old system, as 3020/3600 x 2700 = 2265.

Does that make sense?

But in today’s test a student could score 2260 or 2270 but not 2265.

@bluefineliner Newcastle is the most brilliant city to live in. Compact, safe, diverse and so friendly! We live in the North East and a good few of my friends came up here for uni and never left. It really is the most lovely area. I’m sure your DD will be really happy here! And you will have a great time visiting. If DS gets into Newcastle this application cycle, I will be over the moon.

Hello, we went to a Leicester open day a few weeks ago and liked the course, the staff we spoke with and the med school building but my DD is not so keen on the city centre. To be honest we didn't see that much of the city centre as we had to get the train. DD said there didn't seem to be any independent coffee shops, restaurants or nice looking bars and was left wondering if students go out in the city centre at night and if it feels safe. DD was happy that there is an Urban Outfitters. We live in a busy vibrant city with lots to do but DD is keen for a move. Does anyone have any experience of medicine at Leicester and what the city centre is like?
Thanks

Huge apologies for not replying to you before @Backtoschooloncemore and @PestoPastaMum and others on the thread for your generous, kind and supportive replies to my message about the lack of support at my son’s sixth form. I really appreciated them. (Had to divert my focus to unwell parent emergency).

We’re going to Liverpool’s open day this weekend. Anyone else have any knowledge/experience of the medical school?

also very interested to hear your experience of Leicester @SevilleOranges my DS also not keen to live there. But hasn’t even visited!

Hi, @ZanyUser sorry to hear of your family emergency, hope all is well now.
The area around the uni seemed ok, and the campus was small and welcoming. We met a local lady on the bus and she lives in the Clarendon Park area and said that for the past 5 years she has had student medics in the house next to hers. She said it is a nice area with independent cafes, restaurants and some nice shops. The halls of residence on the city campus were modern and there is also the student village a 10-15 min bus ride away, where the accommodation varies from very old fashioned to more modern blocks.
@GracieZ do you have any advice/info on Leicester please, if I have remembered correctly your DD is a Leicester student. Wondering what the city centre is like, do students go into the city centre at night, what is the student union like, is there enough to do, does it feel safe, do many students live at home, sorry if this seems like an interrogation!
Thanks

Hi @SevilleOranges yes, I do and she’s been really happy there. Based in Clarendon since 2nd year, which has a lovely vibe. In first and second year, they went out in town, around the university area and also at the O2, which was in the uni itself but I think is currently closed for renovations. Lots of house parties and pubs in second year onwards. Never had any safety issues but DD grew up in the middle of a big city, so it seems smaller in comparison! It’s a reasonably big cohort - some are older, some live at home, but most are “typical” school leavers, so lots going on socially. There’s an amazing food scene there, and the outlying (very pretty) villages are perfect for Sunday walks and pub lunches.
Once they hit third year and onwards, they start placements so get to explore even more towns/cities in the surrounding areas (accommodation and petrol money is included when they are further afield).
Leicester is also a very affordable city for a student to live in - this has made a huge difference as we’ve been able to help her financially more than I thought we would and has been so much less stressful all round.
Actual medical school is excellent- it was DD’s top choice after interview day and she got 4 offers in all.

@GracieZ thank you so much for the detailed and helpful reply. Will share with DD as she really liked the med school.

Hi @mumsneedwine please could we also have a copy of the spreadsheet.

DM me if want spreadsheet. Sorry, up to eyeballs at moment with our year 13s and getting PS and references done.

Im from Liverpool but live in Surrey and kids brought up here but have visited Liverpool many times over their lives. For the open day I booked a town centre hotel for 2 nights and showed my daughter all the places medical students hang out etc. I based the weekend around the eyes for her as a prospective student over mums life and family visits.She absolutely loved everything.

The medical school is highly regarded and the open day showed us why.
The day ran very smoothly with current medical students from first to last & in-between years around to chat to, they were all very friendly and extremely knowledgable, answering all questions on my daughters long list, adding other relevant information for her too. The Royal Liverpool hospital is right next to the medical school then you have Alderhey children's hospital about a 25 minute bus ride away and other specialists hospitals all a bus ride away. The accommodation we saw was nice as student rooms go too.

My daughter didn't want to be that far from home, it's joint number 1 with Sheffield for her now.
Make sure to see the City and take a visit to Crosby Beach and Sefton Park...enjoy your time in my wonderful home town city.

@mumsneedwineWhat is your experience with Leeds? They are very opaque with their selection process and GCSE heavy. We are thinking of selecting Leeds as an inspirational one. GCSEs 9999997 (if English lang counts) if not then 99999999, UCAT 2050 B2. Any suggestion is welcome. DD's internal school deadline to submit her application is next Thursday.

I meant to write aspirational not inspirational

Hopefully they all are inspirational! 😉

Hard to call Leeds but they are good stats so def worth a go

Thanks.

I went to Leeds open day last year. They said they added up the numerical grades and then ranked them. Then a secondary ranking on ucat if I recall correctly

Have a look at reddit. Lots of upset students with cracking ucats which would have opened doors elsewhere being rejected on basis of gcses.

Personally with the ucat score you have, it might be safer elsewhere

Hi everyone.

I'm looking for advice for another friend's DS, who is reapplying for 2027 entry after receiving no offers in the 2026 cycle (due to UCAT score, interview performance, and applying too aspirationally). Their stats:

UCAT: 2230 Band 1
A-levels already achieved: AAAA in Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths
GCSEs: 9988888776 (9s Maths, Biology; 8s Chemistry, Physics, French, History; 7s in English Language, Geography; 6 English Literature)

Choices so far are Newcastle, Sheffield, and Manchester. All these seem safe for interview selection and have good post-interview offer rates.

They are stuck on their fourth choice between Liverpool, Southampton, Leeds, and Bristol. Bristol seems risky since its 2026 UCAT cut-off was 2240.

Which 4th option provides the most balanced set of applications?

Thanks.

From the Leeds open day earlier this year. Assuming the pie chart is representative it looks like they are weighting GCSEs and UCAT roughly equally.