Which medicine foundation years can I apply to?
Medicine foundation and gateway years
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Questions people ask
What is medicine with a foundation year?
A six-year route: a foundation or gateway year, then the five-year medical degree. Most are for students from under-represented backgrounds and ask BBB or BBC instead of AAA.
Do I need the UCAT for a medicine foundation year?
For most English and Welsh routes, yes, in the year you apply. Dundee's and Glasgow's gateways need no UCAT. Aberdeen and St Andrews ask for it later, before you move on to medicine.
Is a medicine place guaranteed after the foundation year?
On most gateway years, passing the year and its set marks moves you on to year 1. Bradford's and Sheffield Hallam's foundations lead to a competitive application to Sheffield, not a guaranteed place.
Can international students do medicine with a foundation year?
Yes, through international foundation programmes at Bristol, Cardiff, King's, St Andrews, Brunel, Lancashire and Brighton and Sussex. The widening-participation gateway years are for UK students.
What if my grades are too high?
Some gateways are only for applicants below the standard offer. Bristol excludes AAB or an A in Chemistry, Hull York takes BBC to ABB, and Nottingham and Leeds send stronger applicants to their five-year course.
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How we work this out
What it does
Tick what applies to you and add your A-levels. We check every UK foundation and gateway year into medicine for 2027 entry.
23 routes into a UK medical degree for UK applicants (gateway and foundation years, King's Extended Medical Degree, a mature route and two open foundations with a competitive move to Sheffield), plus 14 international foundation routes, for 2027 entry. Closed routes are left out.
Method
- We read each university's own 2027 course and eligibility pages (2026 where 2027 is not yet out), the Medical Schools Council profiles and UCAS, on 4 October 2026, and had the key rules re-checked independently.
- Each route's eligibility is written as its published rule: one of a list, two of a list, one from each of two lists, or points (Plymouth needs five).
- Where you live and your school type come first: Scottish gateways are for Scottish residents, Bangor for Welsh residents, Edge Hill for the North West, and several exclude fee-paying schools.
- Your A-levels are checked against the offer, the subjects and any ceiling (Bristol's gateway is closed to AAB or an A in Chemistry).
- A rule your answers cannot settle, such as a postcode checker or a criterion we do not ask about, is a check, never a pass.