School of Medicine

Admissions FAQs

How do I contact you?
How do I apply?
What is your admissions policy?
What courses are available?
What are the entry requirements?
Do you have any vacancies in Clearing?
Can I re-apply?
What is the UKCAT Test?
Can I transfer from another Medical school?
Will extenuating circumstances be taken into consideration?
How are applications assessed?
Will I be invited for an interview?
Are late applications considered?
When are the interviews?
What are Visit Days?
Do you have places for international students?
What is your policy on students with disabilities applying for Medicine?
What are your immunisation requirements?
What Criminal Record Checks do you require?
What is your view on gap years?
 Will attending Medical conferences give me an advantage?
Can I ask for feedback?
What are the age restrictions?
How can I find out about scholarships, bursaries and fees?
How can I find out further information?

 

How do I contact you?

Please get in touch with our admissions team
Our address is: Keele University, School of Medicine, Admissions Office, Keele University, Staffordshire, ST5 5BG. Telephone 01782 733632.

 

How do I apply?

Information can be found on our Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

What is your Admissions Policy?

Information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

What courses are available?

5 Year MBChB degree (Course Code A100)
We offer a five year Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery programme (MBChB) which is awarded by Keele University.

Graduate applicants may apply for the A100 programme or for the Health Foundation Year for Medicine (A104) depending upon their qualifications. Applicants with a non-science degree and an acceptable GAMSAT score may also apply for the A100 course, but should note that this route also requires the UKCAT test.

Health Foundation Year for Medicine (6 Year MBChB - Course Code A104)
The Health Foundation Year for Medicine is a transfer course that offers an opportunity for progression to the Medicine principal programme upon successful completion. It is designed for those who have not studied the requisite science subjects to A level. The modules studied include Chemistry, Human Biology, Communication Skills, Mathematics and Information & Communications Technology (ICT).

Applications will not be considered from those who have applied for direct entry into medicine and have been unsuccessful.

For further information, please contact the Foundation Year Office: http://www.keele.ac.uk/foundationyear

 

What are the entry requirements?

Further information can be found on our Entry Routes & How to Apply page.

 

Do you use AS-level grades when assessing applications?

Chemistry AS-level must be passed at a minimum of grade B if not taken at A2. If three A-levels have been achieved, a fourth AS is required at a minimum of grade B. If four A-levels have been achieved at the required grades, no further AS requirements will apply. If it is your school's or college's policy to enter students for the extended project qualification (EPQ) instead of a fourth AS-level, this should be stated in the reference. In this case, the EPQ will be taken into account in place of the AS.

 

Do you consider the new A* at A-level?

We are not yet taking A* grades into account when marking applications.

 

Is it a requirement that I have Chemistry A-level at grade A?

At Advanced Level we require grades AAA/A*AB including biology or chemistry plus another science subject and a third rigorous subject, with no less than a grade B in any subject. A fourth AS Level at grade B or above is also required. Chemistry as a minimum must be offered at As Level grade B.

 

What types of work experience should I be looking for?

The work experience you have need not be in a clinical environment but it does need to be fairly long term and hands on, rather than just observing (although that's useful as additional experience). We're looking for experience that shows you understand what caring for people involves and the challenges that working with people can bring. You should explain your work experience in your personal statement, and at your interview you'll have an opportunity to talk about your experience, your emotional response to it, what it has taught you and what you have gained from it.

A few examples of the types of work experience applicants have had are included below but this is by no means an exhaustive list and it's in no particular order of importance. It's just intended to trigger some ideas for opportunities which you could investigate.  Some applicants have had work experience in their local area, others abroad. You should be aware that we may request confirmation of the work experience detailed in your application.

Volunteering in care or residential homes for the elderly, regularly visiting and helping

Helping with disabled adults or children

Working at a senior citizens' day centre

Volunteering to help children with special learning needs

Volunteering in hospital domestic areas dealing with patients or visitors

Experience in a GP's surgery/in a GP's reception area

Shadowing GPs/hospital doctors/hospital teams in all areas

Work experience with physiotherapists

Work experience in a dental practice

Work experience in a veterinary surgery

Working at a pharmacy

 

If I apply for another type of course as well as medicine on my UCAS form, will this go against my application?

No, our admissions team will not even see any courses that you have applied for at other universities. However, it is difficult to target your personal statement successfully at medicine whilst still making it suitable for another course. You could find that you have diluted your medicine application if you try to make your personal statement fit another course too.

 

I'm a graduate and feel that my employer would be a more appropriate referee than my personal tutor. Can my employer write my UCAS reference?

No. We suggest that you give your employer's contact details to your academic referee. The employer may then be able to contribute to the reference that is submitted by your academic referee.

 

Do you have any vacancies in Clearing?

No, we do not have any places available in Clearing. We would advise you to consider applying the following year after checking that you satisfy our entry criteria.

 

Can I re-apply?

If you were unsuccessful at interview we would not encourage you to re-apply the following year. However, those applicants who did not reach the interview threshold may submit a further application. We would suggest that those re-applying review their personal statement beforehand.

 

Do you accept applications from retake students?

We require a minimum of three A-levels plus a fourth AS to be completed within two years. Applicants who have required more than two years to complete three A-levels must apply after completion of these qualifications. We will not consider applications from students currently in their third year of A-level study unless they have already achieved the required grades and are taking additional subjects. For example, an applicant with achieved grades of AAA but with only one science would be considered if currently taking an additional science A-level. Anyone who has not achieved the required A-levels within three years will not be considered.

It is not our policy to re-interview applicants who have been unsuccessful at interview the previous year. However, students who were offered a place but did not achieve the required grades are welcome to reapply as resit candidates.

Offers made are only valid for the specified year of intake and no preference is given to students who fail to meet the entry criteria and then subsequently reapply.

 

What is the UKCAT test and how do you use the scores?

The UKCAT test is a selection test to help universities make more informed choices from amongst the many highly qualified applicants who apply for medical degrees. All applicants should take this test in the year of application. For further details please see the UKCAT website for frequently asked questions about the test.

At Keele we do not use an absolute UKCAT score cut off point to select candidates for interview. We consider carefully all aspects of each application before deciding on which candidates to invite for interview.  Those invited to interview offer a broad range of UKCAT scores. We may use UKCAT scores to help us decide between borderline applicants who are competing for a limited number of places. See our statement about the use of UKCAT at Keele.

 

Can I transfer from another Medical School?

Transfers from other medical schools are not considered under any circumstances. Students who have failed assessments in medical degree programmes elsewhere or been excluded on fitness to practise grounds will not be considered: no extenuating circumstances will be taken into account and we will not enter into discussion with candidates about the grounds for their exclusion.

We also do not consider applications from students on degree courses in other subjects who wish to transfer before completing their degree.

 

Will extenuating circumstances for lower exam grades/degree classifications be taken into consideration?

We do not make allowances for this as applicants should report all extenuating circumstances to the relevant examination board at the time of the examinations.

 

How are applications assessed?

All applications are screened by the Admissions Office to ensure that they meet the entrance requirements. All those meeting the entrance requirements are then assessed by our Admissions Tutors according to our set scoring system. Applications are then ranked in order for interview.
Further information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page.

 

Will I be invited for an interview?

Once all the UCAS applications have been read and scored, the scores for each applicant are placed in rank order, and approximately the top 450 applicants will be invited for interview. The actual date you are invited for interview is not related to your rank position.
Further information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page.

 

Are late applications considered?

We are unable to consider applications that are submitted after the 15 October deadline.

 

When are the interviews?

Interviews are likely to take place in blocks, during the months of December, February & March.

 

If I'm called for interview early in the interviewing months, am I more likely to be offered a place?

No. Please don't place any significance on your interview date. We are simply working our way through a large number of applications and calling you early or later in the interviewing process does not mean that we are viewing your application more or less favourably than others.

 

What are Visit Days?

Keele University invites all applicants with an offer to attend one of our visit days held in February and March. This is an opportunity for applicants to view facilities such as accommodation and also see our hospital teaching site as well as participating in a PBL session before choosing where they wish to study.
Further information can be found on our visit day pages.

 

Do you have places for international students?

Yes, we have places on the 5-year programme (A100) and the 6-Year Medicine with Health Foundation Year programme (A104).  Information can be found on our International & IMU Students pages.

 

What is your policy on Students with Disabilities applying for Medicine?

Information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

What are your immunisation requirements?

Information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

What Criminal Record Checks do you require?

Information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

What is your view on gap years?

Information can be found on our  Entry Routes & How to Apply page

 

Will attending Medical conferences give me an advantage?

We assess applications on the criteria given on our web pages. Information and advice on medical careers and university applications may be acquired from a number of sources, including books, web sites and medical careers conferences as well as careers advisors and personal contacts. What is important is how you use such information and advice to increase your knowledge and awareness of what a medical career involves. Simply attending a conference without reflecting on its content is unlikely to be helpful. Attending a conference should not be seen in any way as a substitute for obtaining hands-on experience in a caring role. Keele University does not endorse or recommend any particular event: it is up to the applicant to judge whether the time and money spent on attending a conference represent a useful investment.

 

Can I ask for feedback?

Owing to the large volume of applications received, we are unable to provide individual feedback on applications. We do however provide a letter of general feedback about the admissions process if applications do not result in the offer of a place.

 

What are the age restrictions?

Because of the clinical work which students will be involved in from an early stage in the course, applicants need to be at least 18 by the end of October in the year in which they join Year 1 of the MBChB programme. Occasionally a deferred entry place for the following year may be offered to students who will not be old enough at that time. There are no upper age limits. Students at the School of Medicine come from a wide age range and have a variety of previous work and study experiences. We feel that having such a variety of students benefits everyone at the School.

 

How can I find out about scholarships, bursaries and fees?

Follow the link for more information about scholarships and bursaries

Follow the link for more information about university fees

 

How can I find out further information?

- See our Medical School brochure

- Come and visit us one of our Open Days

- Get a feel for the place by viewing our School of Medicine overview