Anglia Ruskin University (ARU) School of Medicine in Chelmsford is Essex’s first medical school. It welcomed its first students in 2018 and received full approval from the General Medical Council (GMC) in 2023, when its first cohort of doctors graduated. ARU is ranked 31st out of 40 for Medicine in the Guardian University Guide 2027, scoring 100 for graduate career prospects, and has climbed to 34th in the Complete University Guide 2027 (up from 36th in 2026).
Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine offers an integrated modern curriculum that combines basic science and clinical medicine, with clinical placements in primary and secondary care from the early months of your course. You’ll revisit aspects of your learning throughout the course (known as a spiral curriculum), helping you to link scientific concepts with clinical practice and professionalism and to deepen your understanding.
The course is split into three phases, moving from the basic principles of medicine to in-depth clinical experience:
Running through all five years are Longitudinal Themes, including anatomy and physiology, public health, palliative care, and professionalism, ethics and evidence-based medicine. You’ll be assessed through single best answer (SBA) papers, OSCEs and anatomy spot exams, as well as a portfolio, and you’ll sit the national Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) and Prescribing Safety Assessment before you graduate.
The curriculum outlines the following clinical experience:
Anglia Ruskin offers a “state-of-the-art anatomy laboratory” where you’ll use dissection of Thiel embalmed cadavers to “explore the structure and function of the human body”. The ARU Anatomy Centre also includes embalming facilities, radiology software, a virtual dissector, 3D printed models created from CT scans and ultrasound machines.
During your studies at Anglia Ruskin, all of your placements will be based in Essex, across primary care, mental health, five acute hospitals and specialist tertiary units. These include:
Please note that you may need to cover your own travel costs to some placements.
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There’s an opportunity to choose from a variety of Student Selected Components (SSCs) during all five years of the course. This allows you to explore specific areas of interest throughout your degree, and to build skills in areas such as research, education, innovation and critical thinking.
You’ll also have the opportunity to undertake an elective placement in the UK or overseas, and there are research opportunities with the potential to publish and present your work.
Some students also choose to take time out to undertake further study, such as an intercalated degree. If this interests you, check the latest options with ARU directly.
Anglia Ruskin University boasts “state-of-the-art skills facilities, GP simulation rooms, the ARU Anatomy Centre and a Harvard style lecture theatre” in its £20 million School of Medicine, which opened in 2018. The facilities also include a mock hospital ward and a GP simulation suite with consultation rooms, so you can practise your clinical skills in a realistic setting.
Other selling points you could mention at interview include:
The typical entry requirements for 2027 entry are:
BTEC qualifications aren’t accepted. You can find the full list of accepted qualifications, including T Levels, Scottish Highers and Access to Medicine courses, on the course page.
There are two other important requirements to be aware of:
Widening access: through the Widening Access to Medicine Scheme (WAMS), eligible applicants can receive a reduced offer of ABB at A Level and a 5% UCAT uplift. ARU also offers a six-year Medicine with Gateway Year (A101) for WAMS-eligible students, with a typical offer of BBC. For a comparison with other medical schools, take a look at our guide to medicine entry requirements.
Anglia Ruskin University School of Medicine uses the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) format for its interviews, held in person at the School of Medicine in Chelmsford. It specifies that you will undertake six stations, each lasting seven minutes, with time to read the instructions outside each station before you go in. Some stations may involve actors.
The interviewers, who include members of the course team, healthcare professionals, junior doctors and service users, will be assessing your motivation to study medicine and your personal qualities and values that will make you a suitable candidate. Anglia Ruskin outline the following areas that will be tested during your MMI:
At each station, you’ll be scored out of 5 in three areas: the quality of your answer, your demonstration of skills and qualities, and your communication, giving a maximum of 90 marks overall. Offers are based solely on your MMI ranking, so your performance on the day really counts. Your personal statement isn’t scored, but you may be asked about it during your MMI. More information about the MMI and how it is assessed can be found on Anglia Ruskin’s ‘Our Multiple Mini Interview process’ page.
For September 2026 entry, interviews took place on the Chelmsford campus between 4 and 9 December 2025 and between 7 and 14 January 2026. Dates for 2027 entry haven’t been published yet, but interviews usually run between November and March.
Most medical schools require you to pass an admissions exam before you’ll be invited for interview.
Admissions exam for Anglia Ruskin: University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
The UCAT assesses your characteristics, attitudes and professional behaviours against those required for medical school. The exam is now divided into 4 sections: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement (SJT). Abstract Reasoning has been removed from the test.
For 2027 entry, the UCAT is being held between 13 July and 24 September 2026.
Anglia Ruskin specifies that there’s no standard cut-off score. Instead, applicants who meet the academic entry requirements are ranked based on their UCAT score, and only a certain number will be invited to interview. In addition to this, if you score Band 4 (lowest band) for SJT you will not be invited to interview.
ARU applies a UCAT uplift to your score if you live in Essex (5%) or elsewhere in the East of England (2.5%), or if you’re eligible for WAMS (5%). You’re also guaranteed an interview, provided you meet the academic requirements and score Band 1 to 3 in the SJT, if you’ve received free school meals in the last five years, have spent time in local authority care, or have completed ARU’s Medicine Summer School or the NextMedic programme in the year you apply.
For 2026 entry, the UCAT cut-off scores (before any uplift) were:
| Applicant | Cut-off score |
|---|---|
| School leaver | 2010 |
| School leaver from Essex | 1920 |
| School leaver from the East of England | 1960 |
| Graduate | 1830 |
Source: Anglia Ruskin University Medicine course page. Cut-off scores change every year depending on the number and performance of applicants.
To help you to successfully prepare for all sections, the free Medibuddy AI-powered question bank carefully selects questions based on your strengths and weaknesses within the syllabus, to ensure that you’re focusing on areas which will have the biggest impact on your UCAT score.
You can also clearly see in the question bank dashboard (below) the areas you have “mastered” and those which you need to focus more time on.
It’s crucial that you prepare well for all areas to ensure that you get the best UCAT score possible and secure your interview place!
For more information and guidance, see our complete guide to the UCAT and our UCAT preparation tips.
You can also see how other medical schools use the test in our guide to UCAT universities.
Tuition fees for UK students starting in 2026/27 are £9,790 per year. If you receive Student Finance England funding, your fifth year is currently covered by an NHS bursary. Fees for 2027/28 haven’t been confirmed yet, so check the course page for the latest information.
You should also budget for additional costs, such as travel to placements, a stethoscope and course books.
Good luck with your application to Anglia Ruskin! For more help, take a look at our guides to applying to medical school and the best medical schools in the UK.
