Internal transfer to MBChB Medicine

Year of entry – September 2026

The School of Medicine will consider applications to transfer to the first year of our MBChB degree programme from students registered on the first year of our undergraduate programmes.

Students may have the possibility of transferring to Medicine from the following courses:

• BSc (Hons) Medical Science
• BSc (Hons) Biomedical Science
• MOptom (Hons) Optometry

Entry to the MBChB degree programme will be from September 2026 onwards.

This is a highly competitive option and there is limited availability, so applicants must fulfil the same criteria as all other applicants to the course before being made an offer.

If you wish to apply for 2026 entry to Medicine you’ll need to submit your UCAS application by 15 October 2025 and sit the UCAT test in the summer of 2025.

Requirements for applying

Students applying through this route must fulfil the following academic requirements:

• a minimum average mark of 75% across the first year of their degree course with no less than 65% for any one module (achieved by 1 September of the year of entry)
• at the point of application, provide evidence of a current UCAT score
• applicants must also meet the GCSE requirements for the Medicine degree, which are 4 GCSEs at grade 5/B or above including Maths, English Language, and two science subjects.

As part of the admissions process the MBChB selectors cannot consider extenuating circumstances which may have affected performance. Any extenuating circumstances must be raised by students in a timely fashion through the appropriate process in their faculty.

How to apply

Applications must be made on the MBChB application form through UCAS by 15 October 2025.

What happens next?

Shortlisting

• Applicants must meet our GCSE requirements; we do not check A-level grades for internal transfer applicants.
• Your personal statement must include reasons why you are applying for a transfer to the MBChB Medicine degree programme.
• You must have a UCAT score prior to application.

Selection

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs) will be held in January and will consist of scenarios and tasks, typically assessing:

• interpersonal and communication skills (including empathy)
• teamwork and leadership
• preparation and motivation
• critical thinking, problem solving
• ethical/moral reasoning
• 'integrity'.

Following the multiple MMIs applicants will be notified of the outcome. Find out more about MMIs.

Conditional offer

• Offers will be conditional on applicants achieving a minimum average overall first year mark of 75% across all Year 1 modules with no less than 65% for any one module.
• Applicants will be required to obtain satisfactory Occupational Health and Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) checks.
• For applicants who do not have English as a first language, we require evidence of proficiency in English (including writing, speaking, listening and reading). IELTS: 7.5 overall (minimum 7.0 in each component) taken within two academic years prior to the time of application.
• A shortlist of reserve applicants will be drawn up after the interviews and reservists may be offered a place if they become available.
• Feedback on this internal process will not be available.

Timeline of internal transfer application

• You'll start on one of the three degree courses listed above and simultaneously make a UCAS application for Medicine (by deadline of 15 October).
• Admissions will review your application to ensure you meets GCSE requirements (at least 4 GCSEs grade 5/B including Maths, English Language and two science subjects) and have a valid UCAT score from a test taken in summer 2025. If you meet these requirements, you'll be ranked alongside all other applicants that meet the academic entry requirements.
• If you score highly enough in UCAT, you’ll be selected for interview.
• If you score highly enough in the interview, we’ll make you a conditional offer for Medicine. The conditions would be to achieve at least 65% in each of your Year 1 modules and at least 75% overall average grade for Year 1 of the degree course.
• If you meet these conditions, you’ll be allowed to enter Year 1 Medicine instead of entering Year 2 of your degree course.

What if I started my degree in January?

To internally transfer to Medicine, if you began your degree course in January 2025 and want to transfer to Medicine 2026 entry, please note that the MMI interviews will take place December 2025-January 2026 with offers going out to successful candidates by the end of March 2026. This means that you will not know if you have been offered a place until after you have started the second year of your course. Depending on when you receive an offer, it may well be too late to withdraw from your course without still being liable for fees.

We therefore strongly advise any January starters who are interested in an internal transfer to Medicine to speak to the ARU Money Advice Service team to discuss your options ([email protected]).

Please note: You may only be considered for internal transfer to Medicine once via an eligible programme.

Students who enrol on one of the approved feeder courses and apply for internal transfer to Medicine but are unsuccessful will not be permitted to reapply for internal transfer in a subsequent year by transferring to, or enrolling on, another eligible programme.

This includes cases where a student withdraws from their original course after an unsuccessful internal transfer application and then joins a different eligible course with the intention of reapplying. Such applications will not be considered.

We therefore advise you to advised to consider your position carefully before applying for internal transfer, as this opportunity is limited to a single attempt.