As a graduate there are two entry routes in the UK to train as a future Doctor; 4 Year Graduate Entry Medical Programmes and 5 Year Medical Programmes.
Each year Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise run a number of presentations aimed at those considering a career in medicine. Look out for the presentations via the MyCareer Events Calendar.
The application process for Medicine is highly competitive and all potential applicants must demonstrate a high level of organisation to ensure all stages of the process are completed on time. Applications for all UK programmes of study are managed by UCAS and require a candidate to write a personal statement, submit their academic transcript and provide a reference. In addition, candidates must ensure they have taken the correct entrance exam(s) for the courses of study they are applying to.
For a summary of the application process for individual institutions, entrance requirements and assessment scores, please look at the Entry requirements for UK Medical Schools from the Medical Schools Council.
Medic Portal also offers advice on the application process in the UK and abroad.
Your personal statement should clearly identify and provide evidence of:
The statement should be well written, concise, original and truthful. It can be a maximum of 4,000 characters including spaces. See the UCAS website for more information in their comprehensive Medicine 2026 Personal Statement Guide.
Any work experience is valuable for a career in medicine as you will be working with people from all cultural and socio-economic backgrounds. Retail, restaurant and bar work can provide fantastic opportunities to talk about customer service, handling problems in fast paced environments and demonstrating initiative. If you can secure work experience in a care setting then this could be even more beneficial for understanding the medical sector, for example, hospital setting, a care home, working with children, youth work or a hospice.
There are many opportunities available within local hospitals; check out the University Hospital Southampton Volunteering webpage for ways to engage. You can also find vacancies away from Southampton through sites such as the Royal Voluntary Service - Volunteering in Hospitals. It's also worth exploring opportunities within organisations such as the St John Ambulance, local care homes, hospices and overseas projects too.
If your application is successful then you will be invited for interview. The Careers team will be happy to work with you as you prepare for interview. We recommend you book an Ask the Adviser appointment for an initial discussion with our advisers who can then refer you to further resources and support. Additionally our Medical School Interviews document helps applicants gain an understanding of the formats, styles and types of questions you may be faced with.
A variety of e-books and resources are available to assist students applying to Medical School. To access the e-books when not using a University of Southampton workstation, please either click on the links and log in whilst connected to globalprotect.soton.ac.uk or go to the Library Search website and search the e-book title.
How to Master the UKCAT : 700+ Practice Questions Although the name of the UKCAT has changed to UCAT, the content of the test remains the same.