The University of Glasgow School of Medicine is one of the largest medical schools in the UK, and has been teaching medicine since 1751. Glasgow is ranked 5th in the UK for Medicine in the Complete University Guide 2027 (up from 6th in 2026), and 7th out of 40 in the Guardian University Guide 2027, where it scores a perfect 100 for career prospects and has around 89% of students satisfied with their teaching.
The University of Glasgow School of Medicine adopts a spiral curriculum and incorporates a range of teaching methods to support learning, including:
You will gain some clinical experience in the early part of the programme, with a clinical visit to an A&E ward or General Practice in the first half of Year 1, and a clinical placement for one day per week in a hospital or General Practice setting in the first half of Year 3. However, the majority of your clinical placements will take place during the ‘clinical years’, from the second half of Year 3 onwards.
These clinical years are based in hospitals and general practice, with dedicated academic days: four five-week blocks in the second half of Year 3 (junior medicine, junior surgery, an SSC and systems in medicine), four-week attachments through Year 4 in specialties such as obstetrics and gynaecology, child health, general practice, psychiatry, musculoskeletal and frailty and oncology, then two ten-week Senior Medicine and Senior Surgery blocks in Year 5.
Anatomy is taught from the start of the course, with dissection sessions held in the Laboratory of Human Anatomy, and Anatomy and Imaging runs as one of the “vertical themes” that continue through all five years.
You will also undertake a ‘Preparation for Practice (PFP)’ placement, following your final exams, to prepare you for the first year of the Foundation Programme. It involves a lecture programme and a period shadowing foundation-year doctors, and you must complete it to graduate. The full phase-by-phase breakdown is on the course page.
During your studies at Glasgow medical school, you’ll gain experience in clinical environments throughout Glasgow and the west of Scotland, including within the “medical teaching centre at the Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, which boasts a purpose-built learning and teaching facility, teaching laboratories and a state-of-the-art clinical skills suite”.
Your first two years are based largely in the Wolfson Medical School Building on the Gilmorehill campus. Clinical teaching then moves to the New Lister Building at Glasgow Royal Infirmary and the Teaching & Learning Centre at the Queen Elizabeth University Hospital, one of Europe’s largest acute hospitals, before you head out on attachment, with teaching in facilities attached to NHS hospitals and dedicated teaching centres in district general hospitals – everything from national tertiary referral services to single-handed rural general practice.
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Glasgow School of Medicine offers two four-week electives, allowing you to explore an area of medicine of interest to you: a junior elective in the summer following Year 4, and a senior elective in Year 5. Around half of the class take an elective abroad.
Within year 2, 3 and 4, you'll have the opportunity to personalise your learning experience through the choice of student selected components (SSCs). These are four or five-week blocks, and from Year 3 you’re encouraged to propose your own – many students use an SSC or elective to carry out a research project.
There is also an optional intercalated degree, which allows you to take a break from your MBChB, to study for a one-year BSc or two-year BSc (Hons) degree, in a discipline of your choice from over twenty options. It’s taken between Years 3 and 4, entry is competitive, and options span clinical specialties, biomedical sciences and medical humanities – find out more here.
Once you’re on the course you can also apply for the Community Orientated Medical Experience Track (COMET), a Scottish Government-funded scheme with 30 places a year offering an immersive experience of general practice from Year 2 to Year 5.
Away from the curriculum, there’s a long list of student-led societies, from the historic Medico-Chirurgical Society (MedChir) to specialty groups covering surgery, emergency medicine and paediatrics – see the student societies page.
Glasgow School of Medicine offers clinical placements within twenty-five hospitals and one hundred and fifty GP practices, giving you diverse opportunities throughout Glasgow and the west of Scotland.
Other selling points you could mention at interview include:
The typical entry requirements for 2027 entry are:
Glasgow doesn’t permit re-sits or a mix of qualifications at the same level, and your grades must be achieved at the first attempt in one sitting. There’s no minimum age, although international applicants under 18 need parental consent before starting, and work experience isn’t essential. SWAP applicants on the Access to Medical Sciences programme need an overall Distinction and AAA in their graded units, and there are usually 20–25 places a year for non-UK applicants. Check the course page for full details, and compare schools in our guide to medicine entry requirements.
Widening access: Glasgow operates contextual admissions for applicants living in Scotland only, with an adjusted offer of AAABB or AAAAC at Higher in S5 (the C can’t be in Chemistry) plus BC at Advanced Higher, and successful completion of Reach. You’ll need to meet the widening participation criteria – an SIMD 1–20 postcode, care experience, estrangement, caring responsibilities or refugee/asylum seeker status – and anything other than postcode must be verified by the Widening Participation team before you apply. There’s also the one-year Gateway to Medical Studies programme (A900), with around 40 places for students resident in Scotland; it doesn’t require the UCAT, and unsuccessful A100 applicants may be offered a change of course to it.
Glasgow School of Medicine uses a panel-style approach for its interview format. For 2027 entry, interviews are being conducted online, and will take place between late November 2026 and March 2027.
The interview session lasts approximately 30 minutes in total and is divided into two sections – panel A and panel B. Panel A explores your motivation to become a doctor, teamwork and related topics, while panel B focuses on communication and includes discussion of an ethical scenario (you’ll choose one from two). Two interviewers cover both panels, and the interviews are conversational, with no writing required. You can find more information about the interview format here.
Their website also provides tips on preparing, which give an insight into what they’ll be assessing – for example your personal characteristics, previous experience and skills, and your awareness of current issues within the NHS. The final decision on your application is made solely on interview performance, with offers usually processed by 31 March.
As part of the entry criteria for medical school, most universities require you to pass an admissions exam before you’ll be invited for interview.
Admissions exam for Glasgow: University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)
The UCAT assesses the characteristics, attitudes and professional behaviours required for medical school. The exam is made up of 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. If you meet all entry requirements in relation to your academic qualifications, personal statement and reference, your UCAT score will then be used to determine if you’re invited to interview for Glasgow medical school. Glasgow does not consider the SJT – only your total cognitive score – and applicants are ranked against separate thresholds depending on whether they’re domiciled in Scotland, the rest of the UK or overseas.
Thresholds change every year with the performance of the cohort, and Glasgow won’t know its 2027 thresholds until November 2026. The lowest scores considered for interview in recent cycles were:
| Entry year | Scotland/Home | Rest of UK | International & EU |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 entry (out of 2700) | 1870 | 1990 | 2150 |
| 2025 entry (out of 3600) | 2520 | 2610 | 2950 |
| 2024 entry (out of 3600) | 2450 | 2500 | 2800 |
Source: University of Glasgow UCAT page and MBChB Admissions Data 2022-2025.
The 2024 and 2025 entry figures are from cycles scored out of 3600, when the test still included Abstract Reasoning, so they aren’t directly comparable with the current format. For context, Glasgow receives around 1,700–2,100 applications a year, interviews 800–1,100 applicants and has 300–350 places.
The free Medibuddy UCAT question bank uses artificial intelligence to carefully select questions based on your individual strengths and weaknesses within the syllabus. This ensures that you’re focusing on the areas which will have the biggest impact on your UCAT score.
You can also clearly see how you’re performing in each subtest using the question bank dashboard (below). Your calculated skill level, response time, total number of questions answered, and correctly, is given for each section so you can easily identify which areas you’ve “mastered” and which you need to spend more time on.
To find out more about the UCAT check out our Complete Guide and preparation tips.
You can also see how other medical schools use the test in our guide to UCAT universities.
Tuition fees for students starting in 2027/28 are:
Rest of UK and international fees for 2027/28 haven’t been confirmed yet, so check the tuition fees and funding page for the latest information.
Good luck with your application to Glasgow! For more help, take a look at our guides to applying to medical school and the best medical schools in the UK.
