International Graduate Applicants

**ristretto** · 08-08-2010, 09:51 AM

I've been searching the forums but didn't seem to find much information for people like me - an international, non-EU graduate applicant. Since all medical schools have only a very small number of places for international students, and some also have a fixed number of places for graduate applicants, it seems to me that an applicant who's both from overseas AND a graduate has the least chances of getting a place. I'm not sure about the policies of individual medical schools about this so I emailed a few of them.

I emailed Newcastle, Sheffield, Oxford, KCL, Southampton, Warwick, Dundee, Glasgow and Manchester.

King's flatly rejected me and said that they consider my BSc (Hons) as only equivalent to a British ordinary degree, not honours. I find this unbelievable and have contacted my school's dean and the Ministry of Education in Singapore to look into it. After deeming me ineligible to apply, the admissions also didn't give me any further information on the selection process.

I emailed Oxford specifically about the GEP. The reply was warm and friendly and they encouraged me to apply, saying that although there's in theory a fixed quota for overseas students, it has never been a limiting factor when it comes to admissions. But they did not disclose an exact figure as to how many overseas students applied per year, and how many get accepted.

Newcastle, Southampton and Dundee all replied with equally friendly messages. All considered me eligible to apply. They have 19, 20 and 12 places for overseas students respectively. In 2010, Dundee had 123 overseas students vying for those 12 places, and all of them do not consider graduates any differently as they would consider school leavers.

Manchester replied with a very short email, saying that they give priority to graduates from the EU. So I'd say international graduates should avoid Manchester.

I am still waiting for replies from Glasgow and Warwick. I know that Warwick's course is a GEP and it will not be a problem when it comes to competing with school leavers, but I just wanted to check my eligibility especially after receiving that shocking email from KCL. I still can't believe it. Singapore's education system was adapted from the UK and many sources tell me that a Singapore Honours degree is equivalent to a UK Hons. Furthermore, mine's a legitimate, public university sponsored by the country's Ministry of Education. So needless to say, I'm very shocked at KCL's response.

Hope these information will be helpful to fellow international graduate applicants wanting a place in a UK med school!

**ristretto** · 09-08-2010, 03:22 PM

I got some more replies today.

Newcastle mentioned that they consider graduates and A-Level holders as equals and there is no fixed quota for graduates within the international students quota.

Glasgow also replied the same. Graduates and A-Level holders are considered equal. There are 18 places at Glasgow and both international graduates and A-Level holders compete on equal terms for these places.

**aiwan** · 07-10-2010, 07:29 PM

Hi, I'm from China. I've also been contacting KCL. The first email is very quickly replied, but not the second. Do you know how many 5-year places in KCL is open to international students who initially applied for 4-years?

**zhangyuzhi** · 19-10-2010, 04:27 AM

hi ristretto! it is indeed very difficult for international graduates to apply for med sch here. KCL and Oxford do not take a lot of internationals (I think they offer 2 places for their graduate programme out of 20ish, for KCL; they also give out another 40ish offers on 5-year programme but then we can easily work out the %...). For Oxford they tend to stick with their 8% quota (I applied to Oxford last year and to be honest, they are not very international applicant- friendly..

Did you apply for KCL 5-year programme? I know it might be a bit too late to ask, just want to say it could be a slightly easier route.

aiwan: Are you now at Cambridge? maybe you can just call them up. emailing is not always the quickest way to get a response from them.

good luck with your applications!!

**ristretto** · 19-10-2010, 04:49 AM

Originally Posted by zhangyuzhi

hi ristretto! it is indeed very difficult for international graduates to apply for med sch here. KCL and Oxford do not take a lot of internationals (I think they offer 2 places for their graduate programme out of 20ish, for KCL; they also give out another 40ish offers on 5-year programme but then we can easily work out the %...). For Oxford they tend to stick with their 8% quota (I applied to Oxford last year and to be honest, they are not very international applicant- friendly..

Did you apply for KCL 5-year programme? I know it might be a bit too late to ask, just want to say it could be a slightly easier route.

aiwan: Are you now at Cambridge? maybe you can just call them up. emailing is not always the quickest way to get a response from them.

good luck with your applications!!

Hi zhangyuzhi,

Thanks for your reply! After much thought, I've decided to apply elsewhere. I'm applying to Barts, Newcastle, Dundee and Sheffield now. In my opinion they're all good schools, just that they're not be as "branded" as KCL and Oxford... I think I'll get better chances this way.

**aiwan** · 19-10-2010, 05:59 PM

hi, zhangyuzhi,

Thanks for your reply. I'm in China at this moment - for a month, hospital shadowing.

Also say hello to ristreto.

king's didn't reply my second email. And it is very expensive, so I didn't reply. I applied two 4-year (which only offers 4 places in total) and two 5-year (offers 32 places in total). I hope I can eventually succeed. I'll be very glad to go anyone of these, but the choices are really very risky.

**ristretto** · 19-10-2010, 08:35 PM

Originally Posted by aiwan

hi, zhangyuzhi,

Thanks for your reply. I'm in China at this moment - for a month, hospital shadowing.

Also say hello to ristreto.

king's didn't reply my second email. And it is very expensive, so I didn't reply. I applied two 4-year (which only offers 4 places in total) and two 5-year (offers 32 places in total). I hope I can eventually succeed. I'll be very glad to go anyone of these, but the choices are really very risky.

Hi aiwan! Where in China are you now? I'm now doing a 1-year internship in a hospital in Beijing.

**zhangyuzhi** · 19-10-2010, 11:53 PM

Originally Posted by ristretto

Hi zhangyuzhi,

Thanks for your reply! After much thought, I've decided to apply elsewhere. I'm applying to Barts, Newcastle, Dundee and Sheffield now. In my opinion they're all good schools, just that they're not be as "branded" as KCL and Oxford... I think I'll get better chances this way.

Barts is very good. Applied there as well. Apparently they are receiving more application everyyear (well..), but I think your score is fine.

**zhangyuzhi** · 20-10-2010, 12:04 AM

Originally Posted by aiwan

hi, zhangyuzhi,

Thanks for your reply. I'm in China at this moment - for a month, hospital shadowing.

Also say hello to ristreto.

king's didn't reply my second email. And it is very expensive, so I didn't reply. I applied two 4-year (which only offers 4 places in total) and two 5-year (offers 32 places in total). I hope I can eventually succeed. I'll be very glad to go anyone of these, but the choices are really very risky.

are you a graduate? actually the graduate programmes are getting even more competitive than the undergraduate-entry ones. For my uni (Imperial), they receive abt 2000 and 900 applications, and make abt 450 and 70 offers, for 286 and 50 places, respectively for undergraduate- and graduate-entry programmes.

Just make sure you have a decent UKCAT score (or other tests), and make the most out of the clinical attachments (they are very valuable these days). Once you get to the interviews everyone is level, and I would say as long as you secure an interview, chances of being offered a place are pretty high.

good luck with applications!

**aiwan** · 20-10-2010, 05:54 PM

Hi, guys,

Restretto: I'm in Shanghai at this moment. will go back to Cam next month.

Zhangyuzhi: thanks for your swift reply!! you mentioned to "make the most out of the clinical attachments", would you tell me something in detail, what exactly I should learn from it, e.g. hospital shadowing? I'm shadowing a friend here, so she can try her best to provide me opportunity to go anywhere I like to shadow. What should I know from it, or at what level? In the interview, they tend to ask your medical knowledge (shadowing related) or something like teamwork and communication? thanks in advance!