This page provides a comprehensive overview of the free resources the Medical Schools Council has created for applicants, school staff and parents. For more resources, please see the Studying Healthcare website.
MSC also supports InsideUni Medicine - a website that shares free reliable, student-written advice and insight into the medical school application process.
Infosheets for applicants to medicine
These Infosheets each focus on a different part of the applications process and beyond. They include key facts, dates, common pitfalls, and ways of testing what you have learned.
You can download the full collection of infosheets or see them individually below.
These are topics are also the focus of a series of videos called Infoshorts. They will be available here as they are released, and are also linked below to their relevant Infosheets.
- Understanding medicine - Infosheet | Video
- What makes a good doctor? - Infosheet | Video
- Work experience - Infosheet | Video | Covid-19 guidance
- Entry routes - Infosheet | Video coming soon
- Differences between medical schools - Infosheet | Video
- Entry requirements - Infosheet | Comparison tool
- Contextual information - Infosheet | Video
- Access courses - Infosheet
- Your fifth-choice subject - Infosheet | Video
- UCAT - Infosheet | Video coming soon
- BMAT - Infosheet | Video coming soon
- Personal statement - Infosheet | Video
- Interviews - Infosheet | Video coming soon
- What to do if you receive an offer - Infosheet | Video coming soon
- What to do if you do not receive any offers – Infosheet | Video
- Preparing for medical school – Infosheet | Video
- Student finance - Infosheet
- Reserve lists, Clearing and reapplication to medicine - Infosheet
A journey to medicine: A guide for teachers and careers advisers
The Medical Schools Council has produced a series of booklets to help teachers and careers advisers in supporting their students through an application to medicine.
The series addresses different aspects of the process, from early preparations through to the UCAS application and what to do on results day. It provides a comprehensive source of accurate information, endorsed by all Medical Schools Council members, to help students in their journey to medicine.
The series is particularly aimed at those schools and colleges which have limited experience of supporting students in their application to medicine.
The documents can be accessed here:
- Preparing your students
- Routes into medicine
- The UCAS application
- The admissions process
- Results day and beyond
Entry requirements
See our entry requirements tool or use the downloadable pdf. Entry requirements are collected directly from UK medical schools annually.
Work experience
- Guidance on relevant experience for applying to medical school
- Guidance on gaining relevant experience to study medicine in the time of Covid-19
These virtual courses have been recognised by medical schools as a suitable element of relevant experience to help prepare an application to medicine.
- BSMS Virtual Work Experience
- Observe GP Virtual Work Experience
- Patient journey into GP practice - virtual reality app
Guidance for applicants and medical school staff on interviews
For students
The Interview Prep website takes candidates step-by-step through the medical school interview. The website takes 30 minutes to work through and includes videos and activities, covering:
- What medical schools are looking for in candidates
- What candidates can do if they don’t have access to practice sessions
- Dealing with nerves and anxiety
- The different types of interview, including the “structured interview” and “multiple-mini interview”
The website is free and requires only a quick registration. It is made to complement the many resources on applications to medicine that can be found here on the Medical Schools Council website. We hope it will be useful for both candidates and for medical school staff and students in their outreach work.
Visit www.mscinterviewprep.co.uk to sign up.
For students and staff
The interview is one of the final stages in the medical school application process and the most common interview method used by medical schools is the multiple-mini interview (MMI). "How to run a mock MMI", created by University of Exeter medical student Olivia Eguiguren Wray and published by the Medical Schools Council, is intended to be a complete guide to running a mock MMI session. It includes tips for students and interviewers, a step-by-step guide to running a mock MMI and debrief session, practice stations and mark schemes.
See How to run a mock MMI here.
Online interviews
Candidates should read our guidance for candidates taking online interviews in advance of their interview.
Other useful resources
- Statement on the core values and attributes needed to study medicine
- Consensus statement on the role of the doctor
- British Medical Association – How to become a doctor
- Guidance on Access to Medicine courses
- Free course - Studying medicine: applying for medical school and becoming a medical student
- BMA - specialty guides