Medicine · Medical School Profile

Medicine (Graduate Entry) at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

MMI interviewUCAT requiredUpdated 16 September 2026

Reviewed by Dr Akash Gandhi, MBBS MA (Cantab) DGM DRCOG MBA MRCGP

Trusted UK medicine admissions specialists since 2012 · 2,700+ students taught

Carlisle Cathedral by David Iliff (Diliff) · CC BY-SA 3.0 · via Wikimedia Commons, cropped

At a glance

Location: Carlisle, England
Founded: 2023
Degree awarded: MBBS (UCAS code A102)
Course length: 4 years
Home fee: £10,050 per year (2027/28, to be confirmed)
Annual intake: ~58 places per year
Interview format: MMI
UCAT required: Yes (UCAT or GAMSAT)
Foundation year: No

Pears Cumbria medicine interview at a glance

Pears Cumbria has not published medicine interview dates for 2027 entry yet. Most UK interviews run December to March. The interview format is MMI.

Interview format: MMI
Interview dates: Not publishedNot published yetMost UK interviews run December to March.
Invitations and logistics: The 2027 entry course page, hosted by Imperial, publishes no dates. Note the two official pages disagree on mode: Imperial says MMIs may be blended with in person interviews, the school's own page says in person in Carlisle.

Source: Pears Cumbria School of Medicine official page, checked 16 September 2026. Universities can change interview dates, so confirm before you book travel.

Overview of the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine is a new graduate entry medical school in Carlisle, delivered as a partnership between Imperial College London and the University of Cumbria (supported by the Pears Foundation). It is a four year programme (UCAS code A102), and graduates receive an MBBS awarded by Imperial College London. The programme is subject to ongoing General Medical Council quality assurance.

Eligibility note: this course accepts home (UK) students only; international applicants are not eligible. Always confirm the latest entry information on the official school and Imperial College London websites before applying.

Pears Cumbria Medicine admissions statistics

~20% of applicants receive an offer

2025 entry data

For 2025 entry, Pears Cumbria received 321 home applications for Medicine. It made 63 offers, so 20% of home applicants received an offer.

All applicants (home and international)

Pears Cumbria Medicine admissions statistics
Entry year	Applications	Interviewed% of applicants	Offers	Post-interview success% of interviewed	Offer rate% of applicants
2025	329	—	63	—	19%

Home applicants

Pears Cumbria Medicine admissions statistics for home applicants
Entry year	Applications	Interviewed% of applicants	Offers	Post-interview success% of interviewed	Offer rate% of applicants
2025	321	—	63	—	20%

International applicants

Pears Cumbria Medicine admissions statistics for international applicants
Entry year	Applications	Interviewed% of applicants	Offers	Post-interview success% of interviewed	Offer rate% of applicants
2025	6	—	—	—	—

% invited to interview:: applicants interviewed divided by applications.
Post-interview success rate:: offers divided by applicants interviewed.
Offer rate:: offers divided by applications. An offer is not a confirmed place.

Last checked September 2026.

What makes the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine unique?

The course blends Imperial's MBBS curriculum with the University of Cumbria's allied-health training, with early clinical exposure, multi-professional collaborative learning and a community-based project on prevention and healthcare delivery. Placements run across community, primary, secondary and mental health settings in North and South Cumbria, with a distinctive mission to train doctors for under-served rural areas.

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Pears Cumbria entry requirements

Universities revise entry requirements between cycles, usually in August and September. Always confirm with the university before you apply.

A-Levels

Pears Cumbria School of Medicine offers graduate-entry medicine only (4-year MBBS, UCAS code A102, awarded by Imperial College London). There are no A-level requirements; entry is based on a prior degree.

Compare this with the A-level requirements for every UK medical school.

GCSEs

No GCSE requirements — this is a graduate-entry programme. Applicants must hold a minimum 2:1 in a Biosciences or Allied Healthcare degree and meet a minimum UCAT or GAMSAT threshold. Home (UK) fee-status applicants only.

Still sitting your GCSEs? Protect the grades this course screens for with 1-1 GCSE Maths, Biology and Chemistry tutoring from medics.

Graduates (degree requirements)

A 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied-healthcare degree, for example anatomy, biochemistry, biomedical science, biology, nursing, midwifery, physiotherapy, paramedic science, pharmacy, dentistry or veterinary science (this list is not exhaustive). There are no GCSE or A-Level requirements; school qualifications are not scored.

Resits

Not applicable. Pears Cumbria School of Medicine (University of Cumbria, delivered with Imperial College London) offers only a four-year A102 graduate-entry MBBS. It has no A-level or GCSE requirements and runs no undergraduate A100 route; entry is based on a 2:1 degree in a biosciences or allied healthcare subject plus the UCAT or GAMSAT, so A-level resit rules do not apply.

Minimum grade at first sitting: N/A (graduate entry).

See A-Level & GCSE resit policies for every UK medical school →

Minimum age requirements

Pears Cumbria is a 4-year graduate-entry programme requiring a completed degree, so applicants are adults; no explicit minimum age is published.

Compare minimum age requirements at every UK medical school →

Does Pears Cumbria make contextual offers for medicine?

Yes. Pears Cumbria publishes a contextual adjustment for medicine applicants.

Who it applies to, in the university's own words:

The school defers to Imperial College London's contextual admissions criteria
A care leaver or have spent time in care under a local authority
A home postcode in England's index of multiple deprivation quintile one
Currently receive UK government funded free school meals, or received them during the last six years
POLAR4 quintile 1 or 2 combined with first in family, school Key Stage 5 performance below Imperial's percentile threshold, or a school free school meals percentile above the threshold

A lower admissions test threshold, published as numbers for 2026 entry: a UCAT threshold of 1910 for contextual applicants against 1960 for home applicants, and a GAMSAT threshold of 53 against 59. The Imperial scheme also offers a guaranteed interview and a guaranteed minimum offer.

The four-year graduate programme has no GCSE or A level requirements at all, stated as a widening access measure, and takes home fee status applicants only. The criteria themselves live on Imperial's site, which Pears Cumbria links to.

Source: Pears Cumbria study page. Last checked 16 September 2026.

Compare contextual offers at every UK medical school, with each university's criteria in its own words.

Most useful

Admission tests at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

UCAT or GAMSAT at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

Applicants take either the UCAT or the GAMSAT and are ranked and considered for interview based on their score. The UCAT must be taken in the same year as the UCAS submission, while the GAMSAT must be taken within the two years before submission. Cut-off scores differ between the MSC listing and the school's own page across cycles, so confirm the current threshold directly with the school.

GAMSAT

The GAMSAT is accepted as an alternative to the UCAT (see above).

Work out your UCAT score

Work experience for the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine

Clinical experience is not required, but work experience with service users is strongly recommended and is assessed at interview alongside the personal statement.

Personal statement at Pears Cumbria

The personal statement is not scored or used to rank applicants for interview selection (which is based on degree class plus a GAMSAT/UCAT threshold). It is referred to at interview, where work experience with service users is assessed alongside information from the personal statement.

Note: from 2026 entry, UCAS replaced the single free-text personal statement with three structured questions — why you want to study the course, how your studies have prepared you, and what else you have done to prepare. Any guidance above still applies; it is simply spread across those questions. For worked examples and a review of your own statement, see our medicine personal statement examples and review service.

See our medicine personal statement examples: model statements in the new UCAS format, each with commentary on what works and why.

Graduate entry at Pears Cumbria

Pears Cumbria runs a four-year graduate entry course. The full requirements, interview format and dates are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine page.

Does Pears Cumbria have a gateway or foundation year?

Pears Cumbria interview

Selection is by Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs), conducted in person at the school's campus in Carlisle. Stations assess commitment to medicine, potential contribution to the region, teamwork, ethics, empathy and resilience.

Interview dates

The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine has not published interview dates for 2027 entry. Imperial College London hosts the course page for the MBBS Medicine (Graduate Entry) programme delivered at Pears Cumbria, and for 2027 entry it gives a UCAS deadline of Thursday 15 October 2026 at 18.00, with candidates ranked and shortlisted for interview on their GAMSAT or UCAT score. That page says multiple mini interviews may be conducted in a blended format with in person interviews. Stations assess commitment to medicine, contribution to the school and the region, teamwork and leadership, ethics, empathy and resilience.

Comparing this against your other choices? Every UK medical school's interview window is in one table, checked against each university's own website, in our UK medical school interview dates guide.

Prepare with 1-1 medicine interview coaching and practise with our medicine interview questions guide.

Pears Cumbria Interview Practice Questions

Practise under timed conditions with our free generator. It builds a randomised circuit from real Pears Cumbria interview themes, with follow-up questions and a notes summary you can keep. It opens preset to Pears Cumbria's own interview format, and you can record your answers to watch them back.

Contact details for Pears Cumbria

For full details and to apply, see the official Pears Cumbria School of Medicine website and the Imperial College London graduate entry medicine course page.

Official website →

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FAQs

Pears Cumbria medicine FAQs

What are the A-Level requirements for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

What are the GCSE requirements for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

Does Pears Cumbria accept A-Level resits for Medicine?

Minimum grade at first sitting: N/A (graduate entry).

What is the UCAS course code for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

The UCAS course code for the standard Medicine course at Pears Cumbria is A102, and the degree awarded is the MBBS.

The course is based in Carlisle, Cumbria, England and lasts 4 years.

The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine is a graduate entry programme; the MBBS is awarded by Imperial College London.

Does Pears Cumbria require the UCAT for Medicine?

Yes, Pears Cumbria requires the UCAT for entry to Medicine (UCAT or GAMSAT).

What UCAT score do you need for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

What is the acceptance rate for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

For 2025 entry, 20% of home applicants to Medicine at Pears Cumbria received an offer (63 offers from 321 applications). An offer is not a confirmed place.

Does Pears Cumbria interview for Medicine?

Yes, Pears Cumbria interviews applicants for Medicine, using a multiple mini interview (MMI) format.

What type of interview does Pears Cumbria use for Medicine?

Pears Cumbria uses a multiple mini interview (MMI) format for Medicine interviews.

Do you offer medicine interview tutoring for Pears Cumbria?

Yes. Our 1-1 medicine interview tutoring is online and your tutor is matched to Pears Cumbria, so every mock runs in the multiple mini interview (MMI) format Pears Cumbria uses, with written feedback after each one.

We cover every UK medical school and last year our students were offered places at every one, including Pears Cumbria.

Ten hours is £749 (£75 an hour) and includes the £349 Ultimate Q&A Guide free (500+ questions with model answers written by doctors), plus WhatsApp support between sessions.

Book on the medical school interview coaching page at www.theukcatpeople.co.uk/medicine-interview-tutor-coaching, or start with a single £125 mock: upgrade within 7 days of your feedback and the full £125 comes off any package.

What questions are asked in the Medicine interview at Pears Cumbria?

The Medicine interview at Pears Cumbria covers motivation and understanding of medicine, commitment to cumbria and the region, work experience and reflection, ethics and professionalism, teamwork, leadership and resilience and empathy and communication.

When are the Medicine interviews at Pears Cumbria?

Does Pears Cumbria offer a foundation or gateway year for Medicine?

No, Pears Cumbria does not offer a foundation or gateway year for Medicine.

Does Pears Cumbria accept graduate entry for Medicine?

Yes. Imperial graduate entry medicine is the four-year MBBS Medicine (Graduate Entry), UCAS code A102, taught at the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine in Carlisle, and you need home fee status, a 2:1 or above in a biosciences or allied healthcare degree, and a GAMSAT or UCAT score that meets Imperial's minimum threshold.

The full requirements, interview format and 2027 entry dates are on our Pears Cumbria graduate entry medicine page.

Is the personal statement assessed for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

No, Pears Cumbria does not formally score the personal statement for Medicine applicants.

Can international students apply to the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine?

No. The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine accepts home (UK) students only; international applicants are not eligible.

Where is Pears Cumbria based?

The school is based in Carlisle (University of Cumbria, Fusehill Street), with clinical placements across community, primary, secondary and mental health settings in North and South Cumbria.

Is Pears Cumbria a new medical school?

Yes. The Pears Cumbria School of Medicine is a brand new graduate entry medical school in Carlisle, delivered as a partnership between Imperial College London and the University of Cumbria, and subject to ongoing General Medical Council quality assurance.

Which admissions test does the Pears Cumbria School of Medicine use?

You can take either the UCAT or the GAMSAT, and applicants are ranked and considered for interview based on their score. The UCAT must be sat in the same year as your UCAS application, while the GAMSAT must be sat within the two years before you apply.

What degree do you get from Pears Cumbria?

Graduates receive an MBBS awarded by Imperial College London. The graduate entry course, UCAS code A102, lasts four years.

Do you need work experience for Medicine at Pears Cumbria?

Clinical experience is not required, but work experience with service users is strongly recommended and is assessed at interview alongside your personal statement.

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