Medicine at University of Chester Medical School (GEM) & Interview Questions 2026

Graduate Entry Only

Chester Medical School, a part of the University of Chester, offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in biomedical and life sciences, as well as medical practice. The school is set to launch its four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course from September 2024, providing a unique opportunity for students with a previous degree in any discipline to pursue a medical degree.

The GEM program at Chester Medical School is designed to accommodate students from diverse backgrounds, not just those with a scientific or healthcare-related degree. Currently open only to international students, the school plans to extend this opportunity to home students soon. The first cohort will commence in 2024, and the program is undergoing the General Medical Council's (GMC) quality assurance process to ensure high educational standards.

The GEM course will be delivered mainly at the Chester campus with facilities at Exton Park, Wheeler Building, and Bache Hall. Students will be partnered with several NHS sites for practical exposure. The course comprises 160 teaching weeks, with approximately 100 weeks dedicated to clinical placements across Cheshire, Shropshire, and North Wales.

Year One focuses on university-based teaching, with learning organized into five blocks of five weeks each. The curriculum utilizes Case-Based Learning (CBL) as the central teaching method, supplemented by lectures, seminars, and clinical skills sessions. Students will have early patient contact and will be exposed to various clinical settings, including state-of-the-art simulation suites, hospitals, general practices, and community placements.

Assessment includes formative assessments at the end of each teaching block and summative assessments at the end of years 1, 2, and 4. Upon successful completion, students will be awarded a Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Chester, enabling them to work as Foundation Year 1 doctors in the UK or equivalent posts overseas.

Chester Medical School is committed to delivering a high-quality medical education, with Warwick Medical School as its contingency school to ensure students' progression and completion.

The Chester Medical School's Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course is a four-year program with a focus on Case-Based Learning (CBL). The course structure is as follows:

Year 1:

• University-based teaching on Chester campus
• Organized into five blocks of five weeks each, covering various medical topics
• Patient contact and clinical skills training from the first term

Year 2:

• Divided into three main blocks: Advanced Cases 1, Core Clinical Education, and Student Selected Component (SSC)
• Transition to a greater amount of teaching in the clinical environment
• Core Clinical Education includes time spent in various medical specialties
• SSC allows students to explore a particular topic in greater depth

Year 3:

• Majority of teaching based in the community, general practice, and NHS hospitals
• Divided into three main blocks: Student Selected Component, Advanced Cases 2, and Specialist Clinical Placements
• Specialist Clinical Placements cover eight specialties, with six placements in Year 3 and the remaining two in Year 4

Year 4:

• Divided into four blocks: Specialist Clinical Placements, Elective, Advanced Clinical Cases, and Assistantship
• Elective allows students to undertake a medical project in a setting of their choice, often outside the UK
• Advanced Clinical Cases helps consolidate knowledge and practice skills in a practical clinical context
• Assistantship prepares students for work as a Foundation Year 1 doctor, integrating them within a clinical team

Teaching methods include small group seminars, clinical skills and simulation sessions, and larger lecture theaters. There are 160 teaching weeks over the four years, with around 100 weeks in clinical placements across Cheshire, Shropshire, and North Wales. Students are assessed through formative assessments at the end of each teaching block and summative assessments at the end of years 1, 2, and 4.

A-Level Requirements at University of Chester Medical School →

Chester's graduate-entry MBChB requires a minimum of 70 hours of work experience relevant to medicine — roles giving insight into the NHS or another healthcare system, the role of a doctor, and the patient/carer perspective. At least two relevant experiences are needed, one involving direct hands-on care; shadowing and online courses each count for only a limited number of hours toward the 70. Experience must be from the three years before the application deadline.

Chester does not score or assess the UCAS personal statement. Shortlisting for interview is based on the UCAT/GAMSAT/MCAT threshold score (alongside the 2:1 academic and 70-hour work-experience requirements), and offers are decided on the Multiple Mini Interview.

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.

Yes - exclusively for graduate entrants only

- Chester Medical School's interview is the MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) format

• 6 stations
• lasts approximately 1.5hrs
• The detail of the stations will change each year, but all are designed to assess against GMC guidance on ‘Good Medical Practice’. You will be observed and scored at each station by two trained assessors. Assessors come from a range of backgrounds and include medical professionals, academics, current students and lay people with an interest in medical education. On completion of the MMI process, each candidate's score profile is carefully reviewed to determine which candidates will be made an offer.

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For further information please call 01244 513860 or email medicine@chester.ac.uk.

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