FAQs

Oxford University has no places available through UCAS Extra, UCAS Clearing or UCAS Adjustment for A100 Medicine. We make all our decisions in December, and make slightly more offers than we have available places, in the anticipation that some candidates will not meet the conditions of their offer.

If you were still interested in the standard Medicine course, you would need to apply through UCAS (www.ucas.ac.uk) by 15 October for entry the following October.

The University does not set any age requirements, but applicants for all undergraduate courses will be expected to demonstrate a mature approach to the study of their subject which includes demonstrable skills of critical analysis, wide contextual knowledge and the ability to manage their own time without the external imposition of a full daily timetable.

Different people mature at different rates in their youth, so calendar age does not necessarily define degree of maturity. There are clearly-stated selection criteria for admission to study Medicine at Oxford which you may wish in look at in this respect. Certain of these selection criteria might perhaps be less easily fulfilled by a young applicant than by an older one. A applicant who may be concerned about their capabilities in these respects should seek the advice of their family and school support staff to gauge whether an application at an earlier stage than would be typical is appropriate.

We regret that the University of Oxford cannot accept requests from students wishing to transfer from other universities to Oxford. Also, the University is unable to give academic credit for partially completed degree courses undertaken at other institutions.

Additionally, Oxford does not accept students who wish to spend a year at the University as part of an intercalated course in Medicine.

Applications will also not be considered from people already studying medicine elsewhere who wish to apply to study the course from Year 1.

Oxford does not accept students who wish to spend a year at the University as part of an intercalated course in Medicine.

Yes, you can obtain feedback:

• Feedback on a short-listing decision is available on request from admissions@medschool.ox.ac.uk.
• Feedback on a post-interview decision should be requested from the college of preference or allocation. They will assist in co-ordinating a response for you.

The University has posted a statement on feedback requests to guide applicants for undergraduate study, and who are seeking feedback or wish to lodge a concern or complaint.

If you are unsuccessful, you are welcome to try again. A second attempt will be considered as an entirely separate application.

Every year we hold three open days: two in the summer and one in September. Further information, including the programme for future open days, can be found on the open days page.

The information on this website only relates to the open days for Pre-clinical Medicine, and you might be interested in visiting colleges or other departments. If you are, you will have to contact them individually, as some of them may require you to book to attend their open days. To find our more about open days taking place in other departments and colleges, see:

Department open days website

College open days website

During the third year of the pre-clinical stage of the course students apply for entry to a clinical school at which to complete the clinical stage (years 4 to 6) of their medical training. Entry to the Oxford Clinical School is competitive, however, a joint admissions scheme is in place with the Universities of Cambridge and London to ensure that all suitably qualified Oxford pre-clinical students will be allocated a clinical school place within the scheme (students are asked to rank schools in order of preference). Further information on admission to the Oxford Clinical School can be found at on the clinical school website. Please note that the Oxford Clinical School only accepts applications from Oxford and Cambridge pre-clinical students.

Successful applicants are required to undergo an enhanced criminal records check at the beginning of the course, which will identify spent and unspent convictions, cautions, reprimands and warnings. Not all convictions will result in being barred from the profession. Certain types of offences against children will always disqualify an applicant, and offences against the person and recent/serious dishonesty are likely to disqualify a candidate from entry onto a medical degree.

Applicants and students are asked to make known a positive declaration as early as possible, so that the individual circumstances may be considered in a timely fashion, and so that study is not interrupted or terminated due to the late disclosure of something relevant to an enrolled student’s fitness to practise.

Our standard entrance requirements are:

3 A-levels, including:

• Chemistry (compulsory) AND
• At least one from Biology, Physics and Mathematics

The typical conditional offer is A*AA (taken in one academic year).

Other qualifications

If sitting an alternative qualification such as the IB, European Baccalaureate or Scottish Advanced Highers, please see the academic entry requirements page.

The University provides a listing of international qualifications which potential applicants can use to assess their eligibility. Please note that whatever qualification you hold, we would expect particular excellence in Chemistry (compulsory), plus at least one from Biology, Physics and Mathematics.

If the advice given indicates that your qualifications are not sufficient for entry to Oxford, we would advise you to supplement your qualifications with further study, ensuring that it is equivalent to A-levels. You might consider taking A-levels or, for example, the International Baccalaureate or American pre-college tests (SAT Reasoning Test or ACT, plus SAT Subjects Tests or AP Tests).

For further information about institutions offering A-levels in your country, you may wish to contact your local British Council www.britishcouncil.org.

For further  information  on the International Baccalaureate you may wish to contact the IB Organisation www.ibo.org.

If you are still unsure whether your academic background is suitable for entry, you can email the Pre-clinical Medicine Admissions Office (admissions@medschool.ox.ac.uk).

A-levels and the International Baccalaureate are both eligible qualifications for entry to our undergraduate degrees. We do not weight either of these qualifications as ‘better’ than the other, since both are eligible for entry, and all applications are considered very carefully on their individual merits.

Our entrance requirements are as follows:

• A-levels: A*AA in three A-levels taken in one academic year. Applicants are required to offer Chemistry (compulsory) AND at least one from Biology, Physics and Mathematics.
• International Baccalaureate: Overall score of 39 (including core points), and scores of 7, 6 and 6 in subjects taken at Higher Level. Applicants are required to offer the following subjects at Higher Level Chemistry (compulsory) AND at least one from Biology, Physics and Mathematics.

As long as applicants fulfill these requirements (or equivalent), we do not hold any preference whatsoever for one type of qualification over another, and do not differentiate between applicants who are taking A-levels or the IB (or in fact other eligible qualifications; please see our academic entrance requirements page for further information).

The success rates for students applying with the IB and students applying with A-levels are broadly similar, and that the choice of qualification plays no part in the selection criteria for our courses. We would advise students to select the qualification which they feel best offers the teaching style from which they would most benefit.

As long as you satisfy the profile we give as essential for entry (see our academic entry requirements), any choices above and beyond that are up to you. Some applicants choose to take just science subjects and mathematics, whilst other applicants choose an arts or social science subject. Both types of subject combinations are acceptable, and we do not express any preference for one over another.

Above all, you should choose the subjects that most interest you and in which you expect to do best.

Also see recent admissions statistics.

No distinction is made between Biology and Human Biology.

Our typical offer is A*AA at A-level, achieved in one academic year. Quality rather than quantity is what tutors will be looking for.

Tutors will select applicants of high academic ability and potential, but other factors will come into play during short-lising and selection (see the selection criteria for Medicine).

We also recognise that some students are restricted by school policies to the number of subjects they can follow.

Applicants are of course welcome to study for additional A-levels, if they wish to do so out of personal preference, and if this would not compromise their performance in other key academic areas. However, applicants should be aware that tutors may specify the A-level subjects that are included within the A*AA offer when more than three A-level subjects are being studied, so applicants should always aim for high grades in all of their A-levels.

Despite the fact that many people take Biology at A-level (95% of applicants in 2009), it is NOT required by the Oxford Medical School (at A2 or indeed at AS-level).

However, do be aware that not having A-level Biology is associated with a greater risk of having difficulty at the early stages of the course (and other medical courses), and that it is rare for students without Biology at least at AS-level to gain a place on the course.

Yes, we consider Maths and Further Maths as two separate A-levels.

We require applicants who take the International Baccalaureate to have Chemistry plus at least another out of Biology, Physics or Mathematics at the Higher Level. As long as these criteria are fulfilled, any choices beyond them are entirely up to the applicant, and Mathematical Studies is indeed acceptable.

In order to be able to differentiate between applicants tomake final decisions on places, tutors need to be able to rely on applicants (and schools) providing a full and accurate picture of their educational background. Tutors will take this full picture into account, even though offers may be based on only part of the qualifications applicants are taking in their final school year. We look for honesty and integrity in our students, and any misrepresentation will be taken seriously - lying about past qualifications, for example, could bring into question a medical student's fitness to practise.

If a applicant's educational circumstances do change after submitting an application, or after receiving an offer, we would expect the applicant to contact both the Medical School and the college of application (or the college offering a place) to inform them of the decision taken.

As Extended Projects (EPQs) are not a compulsory element of post-16 study, we will not make them as part of conditions for entry. However, we recognise that the project might provide you with an opportunity to develop research and academic skills relevant for studying Medicine. You are therefore encouraged to draw upon your experience of undertaking the project when writing your personal statement, particularly if the topic is relevant to Medicine.

AS-level grades are not used formally in our ranking process, and our entry requirements and offers will not specify the need for particular AS module grades. AS data is in fact an optional field on the UCAS form, so applicants and schools do have flexibility in the amount of information submitted to us.
 
It would be usual for applicants to have achieved A grades in AS subjects particularly relevant for Medicine, such as Chemistry, but we take great care to assess each applicant as an individual (any personal or school circumstances that may have affected examination performance will be recognised). Where AS-level grades are available, these can instill confidence that an applicant is working well towards their A2 examinations. This information may be used, along with other details on the application (and in an interview) to determine a final short-listing decision.

We are looking for individuals with capability to do well at a course that is demanding both in breadth and depth: an applicant who is struggling to reach the standard of an A grade at AS-level may not be well-suited to it. There may be specific reasons why particular students do not do well in their AS-levels, but they should certainly put any doubt about their potential behind them by the time they start the A2 year if they are to have a realistic prospect of gaining a place.

Your application will be considered, but it is very important that you indicate on your form why your studies may have taken longer than usual; sitting for an unusual combination of subjects or qualification types over three years may be acceptable, but you should always make your situation (and your school’s policy, where applicable) clear at the time of applying.

Our entrance requirements are: three A-levels at A*AA grade or equivalent qualifications, taken in one academic year. The University of Oxford offers courses that are academically very demanding and aims to select those students who would best be able to benefit from the challenges they make; this is why we require students to demonstrate that they can cope with the workload of taking three full A-levels (or equivalent) in one academic year and achieve good grades.

Nevertheless, we recognise that students sometimes fail to achieve their potential on first attempt at school because of extreme circumstances beyond their control. Examples would include disruption caused by change of school or system, severe discontinuity of teachers, bereavement and one-off debilitating illness.  Under these sorts of extenuating circumstances an applicant resitting A levels might be considered.

We take pains to treat each application individually and would always take such mitigating circumstances into account, if they are brought to our attention: a clear note should be made of these circumstances in the school reference.

Module grades are an optional field on the UCAS form, so applicants and schools have flexibility in the amount of information they submit to us. That being the case, we generally do not use module information in a formal way when short-listing, and we do not specify any requirements in terms of either module grades or when modules need to be sat.

It is worth bearing in mind that we are looking for individuals with capability to do well at a course that is demanding both in breadth and depth: an applicant who is struggling to reach the standard of an A grade at in an AS or A2 module is not likely to be well-suited to it, whereas a student performing consistently well across all modules stands a stronger chance of competing successfully for a place on our programme. There may be special reasons why particular students do not do well in particular modules, but they should put any doubt about their academic potential by the A2 year.

Access and Foundation courses can meet the basic requirements for entry to the Oxford pre-clinical course, with certain provisos. They will only be acceptable alternatives to A-level where you can demonstrate that:

• The course covers the same content as the A-levels we ask for in our entry criteria (and to an equal standard), particularly for Chemistry (which is compulsory).
• Entry to the course is competitive in nature.
• The syllabus is assessed by formal written examination.
• The result is classified (a pass at Distinction level will be required).

Realistically, only an applicant who is performing consistently well across all elements of an Access or Foundation course would be capable of competing for a place on an even playing field with other applicants who are taking A-levels or the IB.

Please note that it will be your responsibility to demonstrate to us that your course is a suitable alternative to A-levels. If you would like us to give you some initial advice, please email us at admissions@medschool.ox.ac.uk with full details of the course.

The Oxford Medical School does not recommend any particular Access or Foundation courses.

It is necessary for you to be fluent in English in order to be a doctor in the UK: communication with patients and other staff is vital for the discharge of a doctor’s duties.

Additionally, the University has set certain entry standards concerning proficiency in the English language; see the page on the University of Oxford's English language requirements.

Finally, one section of the BMAT entrance test is a writing task and a good performance in this part of the test will require a good grasp of the English language.

While no age limit applies for admission to the medicine course, older applicants should consider the implications of seeking to enter the profession at a later stage, especially bearing in mind that qualification, probation and subsequent specialist training will take a considerable time to complete. To make a case for admission, you would obviously need to show clear evidence of commitment and motivation in switching vocation at this stage in your career.

Short-listing for interview for the A100 course in Medicine relies heavily on BMAT and GCSE performance. To calculate GCSE performance, we look at the proportion of A* grades across all GCSE subjects taken. Some applicants, though eligible, may find that their grades from school (at GCSE, for example), while meeting the minimum conditions that we specify are still somewhat lower than those achieved by successful applicants.

Oxford offers two courses in medicine, both leading to the same qualification (a Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery or BMBCh) and both open to graduates:

A100 standard course

Honours graduates may complete the usual six-year course in five years. This course is in two stages, a two-year stage studying Pre-clinical Medicine, and a three-year Clinical Medicine stage. Entry to the second stage, the Clinical course, is competitive.

The Medical School will consider applications from graduates for admission to the pre-clinical stage, and in recent years we have admitted a graduate every other year on average. No places are reserved specifically for graduates, and you would be in direct competition with school-leavers. Competition, as you will imagine, is intense, and only the most well qualified applicants would be in the running for a place.

Graduate applicants should note that the award (or prediction) of a first class or high second class degree is likely to be a relevant pre-requisite to a demonstration that they are suitable for the academic demands of the course.

Further information can be found at on our page on graduate entry to the A100 standard medical course.

A101 accelerated course

This course takes four years and is intended for graduates with a degree in applied or experimental science. The first two years focus on the medical sciences but with some integrated clinical training. The final two years of the course are the same as the fifth and sixth years of the six-year course. To assess your eligibility please see the list of  qualifying degrees for the accelerated medical course.

Competition for places on the Medicine course at Oxford University is very strong; also, a government-imposed quota restricts us to a maximum of fourteen Medicine students each year who are classified as international students for fees purpose. Please see the University's information on determining fee status

You can find out more about fees, living costs and funding on the student funding website.

Please note that an overseas student who is granted UK citizenship during years 1-3 can not be re-classified as a home student for years 4-6.

Scholarships are not normally available for Medicine because of the duration of the course and the costs involved.

Our standard entrance requirements are: A*AA grades at A-levels or equivalent qualifications, taken in one academic year. One A-level must be Chemistry, the second should be Biology, Physics or Mathematics and the third can be any other subject.

Applicants taking the International Baccalaureate should take Chemistry and a second science and/or Mathematics at the Higher Level, and will be expected to achieve scores of 7, 6 and 6 in subjects taken at the Higher Level and an overall score of at least 39 points (including core points).

Some other school leaving qualifications may not be sufficient for you to make a competitive application so you may need to supplement existing qualifications with further study, particularly in Chemistry. You can also use the University listing of international qualifications to assess whether your qualifications are enough to apply to the University of Oxford.

Please note that whatever your qualifications we would expect particular excellence in Chemistry (compulsory), plus Biology and/or Physics and/or Mathematics.

Additionally all applicants for Medicine are required to take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in their own school or college, or in a registered test centre, in the year of application. You can find further information at www.atsts.org.uk.

All applications to universities in the UK are made through a central service called UCAS (the University and Colleges Admissions Service) and not directly to individual universities. Applications are entirely online. The website for UCAS is www.ucas.ac.uk. The deadline for applications is 15 October of the year preceding entry.

Additionally all applicants for Medicine are required to take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in their own school or college, or in a registered test centre, in the year of application. You can find further information at www.atsts.org.uk.

We provide a list of introductory reading for Medicine.

Please note this is not an exhaustive list, nor a list of materials you must read. There are countless good general texts, so do explore, and perhaps try a topic that is completely new to you and challenge yourself. As well as books, read the local and national press, and look for relevant podcasts, websites, lectures, events and museums or exhibitions in your local area.

All colleges are academically strong, and your course (timetabled lectures, practicals, seminars, etc.) will be the same regardless of the college you are a member of.

The college to which an applicant applies has no bearing on their chances of gaining a place: the ratio of interviews to places is the same across all the colleges (so colleges with large numbers of places see more applicants at interview).  Every applicant is interviewed at two colleges, helping to ensure that the strength of each college's cohort of applicants is very similar.

In fact, around a third of the successful applicants are placed at a college other than the one they originally selected on their UCAS form.

If an applicant doesn't have a strong view about a particular college, we encourage them to make an 'open' application that allows us to assign them to a college based on the numbers of available places and the number of applications; around 20% of our applicants choose to do this each year. This is designed to ensure that everyone has an equal opportunity to compete for the available places. However, if they have decided that one particular college appeals to them - perhaps because of its location or its facilities - then they should specify that college on application form.

Our tutors select students using the selection criteria. All applicants are free to make reference to skills or experience acquired in any context to date when trying to address our selection criteria: sometimes applicants refer to voluntary work and other extra-curricular activity, but many forms of evidence can help demonstrate to tutors that a applicant has tried to make an informed decision regarding his/her own suitability to study Medicine.

While some work experience in hospitals is theoretically desirable, we do appreciate that it can be very difficult to arrange and we therefore have no requirement for it. Any form of voluntary work would be beneficial in the context of applying for Medicine (such as helping out in a hospital, at an old people's home, St John's Ambulance, or work with a charity or overseas agency).

We provide advice on personal statements on the following pages:

Writing your personal statement

Anatomy of a personal statement

When writing your personal statement you should bear in mind that tutors select students using the selection criteria. All applicants are free to make reference to skills or experience acquired in any context to date when trying to address our selection criteria: sometimes applicants refer to voluntary work and other extra-curricular activity, but many forms of evidence can help demonstrate to tutors that an applicant has tried to make an informed decision regarding his/her own suitability to study Medicine.

All colleges will consider applications for deferred entry for Medicine. Applicants should be aware that successful applications for deferred entry will generally be among the strongest of the cohort for their subject. It is also possible that deferred entry applicants may be offered a non-deferred place instead. Tutors will naturally wish to satisfy themselves that a gap year will be used wisely and constructively before making an offer of a deferred place. You may of course also apply post A-level (during the gap year). This has the advantage that colleges will know that you have already achieved A*AA at A-level.

Around 425 applicants are invited to Oxford for interview each year.

As part of the process to decide which applicants are called to interview, we establish a ranking on the basis of GCSE performance (we look at the proportion of A* grades and number of A* grades across all the GCSE subjects taken) and BMAT results.

For those applicants who haven’t taken GCSE, the ranking is based on BMAT performance.

For those who have taken GCSEs, performance will be looked at within the context of the school that GCSE year.

You should bear in mind that as we short-list the same number of people every year, and we use two variables (GCSEs and BMAT, which carry the same weight), there is no actual cut-off for either variable. A slightly weaker performance at GCSE may be compensated for by a very good BMAT score, and vice-versa.

All applicants who do not make the initial short-list are then reviewed in detail, taking into account any individual circumstances that might indicate that GCSE and BMAT performance is likely to underestimate their potential. If you feel that you underperformed at GCSE because of extreme circumstances beyond your control, it is imperative that these extenuating circumstances are mentioned by your teacher in the academic reference.

If you underperformed during BMAT because of extreme circumstances you should inform the Admissions Testing Service within 7 days of sitting the test. See http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/ for further information. Please note we will not consider any extenuating circumstances not declared to the Admissions Testing Service using the appropriate procedure.

When making final short-listing decisions, tutors will also take into consideration all other information on the UCAS form - including the personal statement and academic reference. Remember tutors will select applicants based on the selection criteria.

The BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) is a subject-specific pre-interview admissions test. All applicants wishing to apply for A100 Pre-Clinical Medicine at Oxford University are required to register for and sit the BMAT in the year of application.

The BMAT is owned and administered by the Admissions Testing Service. You can find further information on the test at http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/.

Please note there are test centres where applicants can take the BMAT everywhere in the world - a list is available on the Admissions Testing Service website. If you cannot locate a test centre close to you, please contact the Admissions Testing Service.

Should you need extra assistance in planning to sit the test, for instance to accommodate a medical condition, please the Admissions Testing Service or your intended test centre as early as possible to discuss your circumstances.

Your chances of being short-listed rest on a number of factors, although we do rely heavily on BMAT scores and GCSE performance (where available) during short-listing.

You should bear in mind that as we short-list the same number of applicants every year, and we use two variables (which carry the same weight), there is no actual cut-off. How well you need to do in BMAT will be entirely dependent on how well every other applicant does, and how well you have done in GCSEs (if you have taken them). A slightly weaker performance at GCSE may be compensated for by a very good BMAT score, and vice-versa.

However, to offer a rough guide, we would suggest that the typical average applicant should be working towards a 6 (a 7 is still fairly rare) in sections 1 or 2; do note that sections 1 and 2 receive greater weighting (40% each) than section 3 (20%).

Applicants should undertake thorough preparation for BMAT - they should practice taking the test to familiarise themselves with the format of it and increase their chances of obtaining a high score. Specimen papers are available from http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/.

See our recent admissions statistics for further information on average BMAT scores.

BMAT cannot be 'crammed' for; however, basic familiarity with the test's question and answer style will help you prepare.  Everything that you need to prepare for the BMAT is on, or mentioned on, the BMAT website (http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/), and you can practise the test with the specimen papers available for download. Additionally because the test specification very strongly relates to level 3 key skills such as 'handling of number' and 'communication', your best preparation is to work hard on developing your key skills during your sixth-form studies.

Section 2 of the test will always be based around the relevant version of the National Curriculum taken by the majority of the cohort. it would therefore be wise for you to revise some GCSE science and maths.

The one text we recommend when preparing for the test is "Preparing for the BMAT: The official guide to the BioMedical Admissions Test", written by the Admissions Testing Service; this official guide has everything needed to prepare and practice in a single book.  It contains plenty of specimen questions and answers, providing confidence and knowledge of what to expect from the BMAT. It is published by Heinemann, and costs £15.99, (ISBN 9780435046873). The book is available for purchase from: Pearson Education website

Companies and individuals offering help with BMAT do not have a special insight into the nature of the test.  While an applicant's performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practice, anyone thinking of paying for such help should consider very carefully whether they would be wasting their money.

Companies and individuals offering help with BMAT do not have a special insight into the nature of the test.  While a candidate's performance at any test will improve with some familiarisation or practice, anyone thinking of paying for such help should consider very carefully whether they would be wasting their money.

BMAT cannot be 'crammed' for; however, basic familiarity with a test's question and answer style will help you prepare.  Everything that you need to prepare for the BMAT is on, or mentioned on, the BMAT website (http://www.admissionstestingservice.org/).

Your chances of being short-listed rest on a number of factors, although we do rely heavily on BMAT scores and GCSE performance (where available) during short-listing.

You should bear in mind that as we short-list the same number of applicants every year, and we use two variables (which carry the same weight), there is no actual cut-off. How well you need to do in BMAT will be entirely dependent on how well every other applicant does, and how well you have done in GCSEs (if you have taken them). A slightly weaker performance at GCSE may be compensated for by a very good BMAT score, and vice-versa.

You would be expected to hold a broad range of GCSEs, in both sciences and arts subjects. You should have top results - that is mostly A*s and As - for your application to be competitive. On average, our applicants hold around 80% of GCSEs grades at A* and have 8.5 A* grades- although successful applicants may have a lower or higher proportion of A* and number of A*s than this.

See our recent admissions statistics for further information on the average GCSE profile.

As you may already be aware, we draw heavily on quantitative and objective measures in order to select applicants for interview, and one of these measures is performance at GCSE. If you have performed badly at GCSE, our website should help you to determine whether you might have a realistic chance of a place. 

Our average applicant has 80% of GCSE grades at A* and 8.5A * grades- although there is no cut-off, and we will look at your performance within the context of your school, this should give you a good idea of what is expected (mostly As and A*s). In general terms, if you have a lower than average set of GCSE grades, you will need a stronger performance in the BMAT in order to be short-listed automatically. You can try some of the specimen tests available on the BMAT website at www.atsts.org.uk to assess your likely performance in the test.

All applicants who do not make the initial short-list are reviewed in detail by our tutors, taking into account any individual circumstances that might indicate that GCSE performance is likely to underestimate their potential. So, if you feel that you underperformed at GCSE because of extreme circumstances beyond your control, it is important that these extenuating circumstances are mentioned by your teacher in the academic reference.

Students invariably have little choice over how schools run their GCSE courses, and we are aware that some schools run their GCSE courses over three years rather than the more usual two. This piece of information alone tells our tutors very little about a student's individual academic potential. Therefore, particular policies of this kind do not play a great role in decision-making throughout our selection processes, and will not (dis)advantage any candidate.

However, we do value schools and colleges detailing on the UCAS form any particular policies they might follow as this helps to place a student's performance further within context.

The Medical School at Oxford no longer teaches anatomy through cadaveric dissection. Instead, the Pre-Clinical course uses a combination of practical classes exploring prosections of human cadaveric material, prepared by teaching staff and surgeons from nearby hospitals, living anatomy classes in which students investigate functional anatomy using themselves as subjects and computer-assisted learning exercises. In prepartion for entry to clinical school, students also take a separate three-week course, entitled Principles of Clinical Anatomy, at the end of their third year.

The University views applications from students with disabilities, or those with special support needs, in exactly the same way as those from other applicants, so you should not be apprehensive about declaring such difficulties.

If you were made an offer, you would then undergo our pre-enrolment procedure that includes a health questionnaire (assessed by the University Occupational Health Service) to establish fitness to practise; see health & fitness to practise.

For some guidance on the required standards for fitness to practise please see the advice given by the Higher Education Occupational Physicians/Practitioners (HEOPS).

If you require additional advice you should contact us at admissions@medschool.ox.ac.uk .

The University is committed to equality of opportunity for all applicants, irrespective of any special support needs needed for academic study, so long as these needs do not preclude a student from completing every aspect of the course, and progressing in the medical profession.

If you have already been granted extra time for written examinations at your school, you may be eligible for a similar time allowance for the BMAT: please approach your test centre.

Although many of the buildings in Oxford are old, many improvements have been made to help disabled people to study effectively, and you may be surprised at the accessibility afforded by teaching facilities and colleges.

In addition, much of our teaching takes place in the modern Medical Sciences Teaching Centre, which is equipped to accommodate visitors with mobility, visual or hearing difficulties.

Whilst you do not have to disclose a disability on your application form, if you tell us about your disability we can discuss appropriate solutions and put them in place – this includes during the admissions process. It might be best to visit Oxford, and explore the facilities during an Open Day.

If you are offered a place at Oxford, the University's Disability Office will arrange a customized study-needs assessment for you, and advise on the sources of financial support that may be available to support you during your time at Oxford.