Medicine

Applications must reach UCAS by midnight 15 October 2013. A maximum of four choices on the UCAS form may be made for programmes which lead to a professional qualification in medicine. You may add one of the following alternative non-health programmes to your UCAS application: Biochemistry, Molecular Genetics, Pharmacology, Pharmacology & Molecular Genetics, Physiology, Neuroscience, Human Sciences and Biomedical Science. Please be assured that you will be considered as having a full commitment to medicine whether you include a non-health programme choice or not. If you would like to discuss your options regarding programme choice, including adding a programme which does not appear on this list, please contact the Admissions Office (contact details can be found on the 'Further information' tab).

The UKCAT aptitude test
Please note: all applicants are required to sit the UKCAT aptitude test prior to applying to the MBBS degree. Please refer to the UKCAT website for details on registration at www.ukcat.ac.uk.
 
Selection for interview
The School of Medicine aims to select the most able and appropriate students; not only in terms of academic ability, but also in relation to other interests and talents you may have which will contribute to the vitality of the School and College and with regard to your suitability as a future member of the medical profession. All UCAS applications received by 15 October are given equal consideration and scrutinised very carefully by the selection panels. For A100, approximately 30 per cent of applicants are invited to interview after the initial screening of UCAS applications.

Academic achievement
You should carefully check that you will meet the School of Medicine's minimum academic standards before making an application. Please note that many applicants meet the minimum requirements and so all applications are considered within a competitive environment.

In line with the recommendations of the report 'Fair admissions to higher education: recommendations for good practice' produced by the Admissions to Higher Education Review in 2004, King's will endeavour to consider other factors in addition to examination results, including the educational context of an applicant's formal achievement. As well as achievement at formal examination, King's will look for other indicators of potential and capability.

Personal statement and reference
Your personal statement is one of the many factors in the overall assessment of your application. We are looking particularly for evidence of appropriate commitment to, and realistic appreciation of, the academic, physical and emotional demands of a medicine degree programme and career. We would normally expect that you will have undertaken some work experience in a caring environment and/or observation in a dental clinical setting. If this is not possible, we look for evidence that you have worked in a setting where you can interact with the general public, eg in a pharmacy, check-out or restaurant.

Communication skills and the ability to work successfully in a team are of great importance. We look for applicants who have participated as fully as possible in school or college life, making the most of the opportunities available to them and also demonstrated some experience of society beyond their immediate environment. Your interests, achievements and contribution to your community are taken into account in addition to academic ability. We aim to ensure that all of our students can cope with the heavy academic workload of the programme and display those professional qualities, skills and attitudes that help to make competent and caring medical professional.

We would expect your application to be strongly supported by your referee both in terms of academic achievements/potential and in terms of your character and suitability for medicine.

UKCAT scores
Your UKCAT scores will be considered in our selection for interview. They will not be the sole indicator for selection. They will be balanced against achievement in other areas, in particular your academic performance to date. All indicators will be considered together in deciding who will be selected for interview. It is therefore important to understand that there is no universal 'cut off' score for the UKCAT when applying for 2014 entry. For example, if an applicant has an excellent academic background then the test scores will play a less significant part in selection. For those with weaker academic backgrounds (relative to our overall applicant pool), the scores will become more important. An applicant who may not normally be considered on academic grounds could be invited to interview on the strength of strong UKCAT scores that may indicate potential. Also, if applicants are very similar in all other ways, the score may be the determining factor in selection for interview. As a guide for applicants, for 2012/3 entry, most applicants invited for interview had scored at least 695.

The interview
No offers are made without an interview. Interviews are held between November and April and you must be available for interview in order to be considered for admission. A large number of applications are received for medicine. Although we recognise that this is an anxious time for you, all applications are carefully considered, and therefore you should not expect a response until the cycle has been completed in early May. The interview is conducted by at least two senior members of the clinical and biomedical sciences staff. The aim of the interview is to assess your personal qualities and to find out whether you have the potential to become a successful member of the medical profession. In this context, strong interpersonal and communication skills are most important, particularly when you consider the relationships which medical professionals need to build with their patients.

As we are seeking to identify your suitability for this clinical environment, we expect our interviewees to adopt the dress code required of clinical medical students at King's.

If you are made an offer for medicine you will be invited to attend one of our post-offer open days.

Graduate applicants to Medicine A100
We encourage graduate applicants to apply to study medicine. Suitably qualified graduate applicants to our four-year Graduate/Professional Entry Programme A102 who are invited to interview will also be considered for the five-year programme A100. There is no need to list both choices on your UCAS form if you wish to be considered for two of these programmes. Therefore, we would recommend that all graduate applicants apply to A102 in the first instance. However, graduate applicants who do not wish to be considered for A102 may apply directly to A100 and their application will be considered in the normal way. Of course, graduate applicants can list both A102 and A100 on their UCAS form if they wish to maximise their chances of studying at King's.

Graduate applicants to A100 do not normally have to satisfy the usual A/AS-level or other entry requirements (eg you are not expected to have AAA at A-level at the first attempt). The minimum entry requirement is a pass at A/AS-level Chemistry and Biology plus an upper second class honours degree. Alternatively, a lower second class honours degree is acceptable combined with a masters degree (with at least a merit). Graduates who have only one A/AS-level from Chemistry or Biology will still be considered if they have successfully completed a unit/module in the other subject as part of their degree, eg AS-level Biology plus a unit/module in Chemistry. For 2009 entry, approximately 20 per cent of our A100 medical students were graduates.

EU and international applicants
There is no quota on the number of EU students who may be admitted. EU applicants must satisfy the normal entry requirements and must be available for interview in this country. International applicants must satisfy the entry requirements as described and be available for interview in the UK. Competition for places is high as the UK Government restricts places to approximately 10 per cent.

Oxford and Cambridge (Oxbridge) applicants
If you are a pre-clinical medicine Oxbridge graduate, or if you expect to obtain a relevant degree from Oxbridge, you may apply to join the course. You will join King’s at the beginning of the third year and follow a special preparatory course to cover elements of the course not covered at your previous university. You will not study for the BSc.

Applications should be made through the Common Application Scheme. The closing date will be on 4 January 2014. An open day specifically for Oxbridge students is held in November, to enable applicants to see the facilities and meet students and staff. Successful applicants will also be given the option of attending one of the post offer open days in March and April.

All Oxbridge applicants are interviewed as part of the admissions process.
For additional queries about entry requirements or more information, please email us at: ug-healthadmissions@kcl.ac.uk

Examination 're-mark' policy
Conditional offer holders must supply to the College all complete examination results (including final grades) by 1 September of the year of entry. For example, conditional offers holders who initially do not meet their offer may apply for an A level re-mark. If official notification of any change to the final grade is supplied to the College no later than 1 September and this change meets the initial offer, the offer holder can begin the programme that academic year. Without exception, if the improved re-marked examination result is supplied to the Student Admissions Office after 1 September, a deferred offer of a place will be made.

Criminal conviction disclosure
All offers of a place, and continued enrolment, are made subject to a satisfactory Criminal Records Bureau Disclosure and registration with, and clearance by, the Independent Safeguarding Authority. All applicants are required to declare on their UCAS application if they have any spent or unspent convictions, cautions or reprimands.

Getting a decision
There continues to be considerable pressure on the available places for students to study medicine. Applications to the medical school each year for our undergraduate medical programmes are around 4500 for a total of 410 places. Around 1200 – 1400 applicants are selected for interview.

The School will invite all successful candidates for interview between November and April. Successful international applicants will be offered interviews in either late January or early February. The School aims to notify all applicants of its final decisions by the middle of May each year.

Further information
A PDF of frequently asked questions is available from the 'further information' tab.