Medicine at University of Oxford

Oxford Medicine is listed as Medicine on the official course page and uses UCAS code A100.

Oxford is ranked #1 in the Guardian Medicine table used in the peer comparison, but the ranking caveat is important: UK subject tables use different methodologies and should be read as comparison signals, not official admissions measures.

The peer table places Oxford at #1 in the Guardian Medicine table and #2 in the Complete University Guide table; Cambridge is #5 and #1 respectively, while Imperial College London is #2 and #3.

In reality, the course’s more useful distinction is structural. Oxford’s A100 route has a three-year pre-clinical phase, a research-led BA year, and then a three-year clinical phase, which is not the same applicant experience as a course built around earlier continuous clinical placement.

Oxford is the better fit if you want to be tested on scientific reasoning and evidence as much as early professional identity.

Oxford Medicine requires the University Clinical Aptitude Test, usually shortened to UCAT.

For 2027 entry, UCAT registration opens on 20 May 2026 at 14:00 UK time, booking runs from 23 June 2026 at 14:00 UK time to 16 September 2026 at 15:00 UK time, and the testing window runs from 13 July to 24 September 2026.

The standard 2026 UCAT has four timed subtests: Verbal Reasoning, Decision Making, Quantitative Reasoning and Situational Judgement.

Oxford uses UCAT as part of shortlisting alongside GCSE performance where available and contextual review.

Based on published statistics for the 2025 admissions round for 2026 entry, Oxford reported a mean overall UCAT score of 2377.5 for shortlisted applicants and 2407.1 for offer-holders, out of 2700.

In reality, you should treat UCAT as a major comparison tool across schools, countries and qualification systems, not as a box to tick.

For international applicants, UCAT matters because it gives Oxford a common score when grades come from different systems.

China needs special planning because UCAT OnVUE is not available to candidates with a registered address in China, including Macau.

Start with the official UCAT practice materials first, then add timed review only after the format is familiar.

[UCAT preparation guide](/admissions-tests/ucat/)

Oxford lists the UCAS personal statement and academic reference among the evidence considered, but Medicine selection is not won by a polished story alone.

Use the statement to show three things: scientific curiosity, realistic understanding of healthcare, and reflection on patients or teams.

Avoid long claims about wanting to help people unless you can attach them to a specific moment, question or change in your thinking.

It helps to connect reading and experience. For example, a paragraph on antibiotic resistance is stronger if it links mechanism, clinical decision-making, public health and uncertainty.

[Medicine personal statement guide](/personal-statements/medicine/)

Start with clinical observation and evidence. Bad Science is useful for bias, statistics and medical claims, while The Emperor of All Maladies connects cancer biology, clinical trials, public health and patient care.

For patient-centred curiosity, The Man Who Mistook His Wife for a Hat builds observation and neurological thinking, and The Gene: An Intimate History is useful for genetics, inheritance and biomedical ethics.

For videos, Oxford Medical Education gives concise clinical teaching, Ninja Nerd develops physiology and pathology depth, Armando Hasudungan uses visual biomedical explanations, and Osmosis from Elsevier gives animated summaries of physiology and clinical concepts.

For audio, Medicine and Science from The BMJ and The Lancet Voice are useful for research, policy and global-health awareness.

NEJM This Week helps you follow major research summaries, while Bedside Rounds links clinical medicine, history, uncertainty and patient-centred care.

For structured study, Vital Signs: Understanding What the Body Is Telling Us introduces physiology and clinical observation, and Understanding Clinical Research: Behind the Statistics helps with study design and medical evidence.

Keep a short reading log with one clinical question, one science question and one ethical question per resource.

28 colleges offer this subject. 15.9% of applicants submit an open application. 44.8% of places come through the pool.

In the 2025 admissions round, 15.9% of eligible Medicine applicants made an open application.

In the same round, 44.8% of Medicine offers were made by colleges other than the applicant’s preference or open-application allocation.

Oxford uses reallocation to balance competition between colleges, and Medicine college preference is considered only after applicants have been shortlisted.

We recommend choosing a college you would be happy to live and study in, or making an open application if you have no preference. College choice should not be treated as a reliable admissions tactic.

[Oxford admissions overview](/admissions/oxford/)

Oxford considers academic achievement in context, including school and individual circumstances where information is available.

Medicine selection uses GCSE performance where available in combination with UCAT for initial shortlisting, while applicants without GCSEs are assessed using the qualifications available to Oxford.

Oxford states there are no formal GCSE requirements for Medicine, but applicants should have basic education in Biology, Physics and Mathematics; GCSE grade C/4 or equivalent is given as an example of basic preparation.

Evidence of commitment to Medicine may come from volunteering, caring responsibilities, work experience, reading, research, communication activities or other forms of engagement.

For contextual review, the important point is not to repeat the personal-statement argument but to help tutors interpret opportunity, preparation and evidence fairly. Explain the setting of your commitments or constraints clearly, then let the academic and reflective evidence do the work.