Medicine at University of Aston Medical School: Entry Requirements & UCAT 2026

The unique, patient-focused MBChB programme at Aston University’s Medical School will prepare you for a successful career in the medical profession and make a lasting impact on people’s lives. Aston Medical School will develop your core competencies in medicine, hone your team-working skills and give you an understanding of the internationally admired NHS (National Health Service).

Our MBChB Medicine programme is designed to prepare you for the demands of a medical career, with a strong emphasis on working compassionately with patients as partners within a multi-disciplinary team. You’ll gain exposure to real clinical settings through a series of clinical placements each year, and develop a wide range of skills and a broad knowledge base. Our patient-centred curriculum is taught across five years in two phases. It starts by expanding and deepening your existing science education, covering topics such as the fundamentals of body structure, infection and pathological processes. As you move into the second phase, a large proportion of your learning will take place in clinical environments, working with practising doctors and healthcare professionals in placements ranging from cancer care to integrated medicine. Throughout your time with us, you will be encouraged to develop into an independent life-long learner, with critical thinking skills and the caring and empathetic attitude needed to embark on your first post after graduation as a Foundation Doctor.

Phase 1: Throughout phase 1, you will develop your clinical skills and knowledge in blocks, covering topics such as physiology, pharmacology, public and global health and the musculoskeletal system. You’ll be introduced to clinical practice, learning how to interact effectively with patients, carers, colleagues and other healthcare professionals, develop consultation skills as well as an introduction to diagnostic reasoning.

Phase 2: Much of your learning in phase two will take place in clinical environments, working with practising doctors and healthcare professionals. Your progress will be supplemented and supported with lectures, group work, workshops, independent study and other learning opportunities. The timetabling for these clinical years has to fit in with the availability of teaching staff at the hospitals and general practices and for this reason, we utilise a number of Wednesday afternoons for teaching.

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

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

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A-Level Requirements at University of Aston Medical School →

Work experience is recommended but not mandatory. Aston describes it as an important part of the application while recognising that not everyone can secure clinical placements: relevant experience in a non-medical or caring setting (including informal caring for a family member) is equally valued. No minimum duration is specified; the emphasis is on insight into medicine and qualities such as care, compassion and teamwork.

Read in conjunction with reference, but not scored.

Used to differentiate borderline candidates.

Personal statements are a mandatory component of the application form. During the first stage, they are not scored but read to ensure they have a suitable accompanying academic reference/s and that there are no ‘fitness to practice’ issues raised by either the statement or references.

Advice given by Aston Medical School re: personal statement

Below is a rough outline of what we would expect to find in your statement. This is not set in stone and should be used more as a guide.

• Paragraph one: should be about you, why you want to study the course and perhaps what has inspired you.
• Paragraphs two and three: should expand on your academic achievements and how they relate back to the course. If appropriate, you could also mention any work experience or something that you have read that has inspired you to want to progress your studies in this area.
• Paragraph four: should relate to your extra-curricular activities.
• Paragraph five: is your closing paragraph.

Paragraphs do not need to be of equal length, however, we do feel that paragraphs two and three should be the largest.

You may wish to think about looking for examples of the skills that doctors are expected to have (and what you will be tested upon during the application process and at medical school). This will include things like:

• Teamwork (who are the doctors working with?)
• Compassion (how are the doctors dealing with patients?)
• Knowing limitations (what happens when a doctor realises that a problem is outside their expertise and they need to refer the patient to someone who specialises in that area?)
• Dealing with a wide range of patients and illnesses (how does a doctor respond differently to someone cancer, compared to someone with a baby or someone who has come in to discuss a relative who has dementia?).

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.

Aston has no four-year graduate entry course. Five-year A100 with a 2:1 in any discipline plus ABB at A-level in Chemistry and Biology. Compare every UK graduate entry course

Aston Medical School does not currently offer an in-house foundation course which leads to an application for the Medicine degree.

However, they do accept applications from a number of UK based international foundation courses fr students living in Solihull & Black Country - they can apply for the pathway to healthcare programme.

If your high school qualification alone is not sufficient to gain entry, you will be required to complete a UK foundation programme. They accept:

• Abbey College Manchester Medicine Foundation Programme: You must achieve a score of 75% overall with 75% or above in Chemistry and Biology
• CATS Canterbury, Cambridge and London Medics Programme: You must achieve grades of AAA which must include Chemistry and Biology
• Kings Advanced Level Foundation Course: You must achieve a score of 75% overall with at least 75% in Chemistry and Biology.

Address: Aston University, Birmingham, B4 7ET

Telephone:+44 (0)121 204 3000

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