Medical & Dental School Admissions: Parents' Guide

Is your child’s dream to become a doctor?

Gaining a place at medical or dental school is becoming increasingly competitive, and it can be hard to know who to turn to for advice when it comes to university admissions.

However, by learning about the admissions process at the same time, you can offer your child the support they need throughout their journey.

In this parents’ guide, we provide a detailed overview of the medical/dental school admissions process, so you know exactly how to help your child achieve their dream.

Table of contents

What does the admissions journey look like?

How can I help my child with:

• Learning about the application process
• Sitting the UCAT exam (a must for all standard entry medical school applicants!)
• Meeting the grade requirements
• Gaining work experience
• Writing a personal statement
• Submitting an application
• Attending an interview
• Receiving and accepting an offer

How can I support my child throughout their admissions journey?

Frequently asked questions

What does the admissions journey look like?

The dental/medical school admissions journey consists of the following steps:

While parts of the admissions process may be challenging for some students, there are also many opportunities for applicants to stand out from others.

We explore each of the key steps in more detail below, including how you can help your child to reach their full potential.

1. Learning about the application process

Before progressing to any of the later steps, it’s crucial that students understand what’s expected of them. This can help them become better equipped at dealing with any challenges that lie ahead.

How can I help my child learn about the application process?

Encourage your child to do the following:

• Explore our Admissions Guide to gain a deeper insight into the admissions process.
• Read UCAS’ guidance on submitting an undergraduate application (applications are submitted via the UCAS platform).
• Note down any important key dates, such as when UCAS registration opens, and the UCAS deadline for applications.

Once they’ve established a good understanding of the admissions process, they can then research medical/dental programmes to understand the prerequisites and entry requirements. They can also gather information from university websites, attend open days, and chat with current students or alumni. 

2. Sitting the UCAT exam

After learning about the admissions process, your child should start thinking about how to prepare for their admissions test. The admissions test for standard entry medicine and dentistry is the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test).

Why is the UCAT important?

• The UCAT is a computer-based test designed to assess important skills and qualities which are essential for a medical or dental professional.
• Gaining a place at medical or dental school is highly competitive, so the UCAT is used to differentiate students. It plays a part in determining who’s invited to an interview and sometimes who receives an offer.
• All students should strive to achieve a high UCAT score to boost their chances of getting into medical or dental school. While the UCAT may initially sound a bit daunting, efficient preparation can make all the difference.

How can I help my child prepare for the UCAT?

• Advise them to book the UCAT exam early. The sooner the test is booked, the sooner preparation can start. Booking the test early also means a greater choice of dates and exam centres. 
• Before your child starts preparing for the UCAT, encourage them to read about the exam to help them increase their understanding and decrease any anxiety. You can share articles such as our UCAT FAQ and UCAT revision roadmap.
• Once your child has a better understanding of the test, they can explore more in-depth guidance such as UCAT tips and tricks. They can also explore some free UCAT practice questions to get an idea of what they’ll face in the real exam.
• Finally, practice makes perfect. Ideally, your child should spend 2–3+ months preparing to allow them to spread revision out at a manageable pace. Note this is only a rough guide, and the most important factor is how they prepare. 

Keep in mind that a common challenge for students is going through enough practice questions to actually increase their score. Practising questions is essential for improving timing, trying different techniques, and targeting weaknesses.

We recommend that every student goes through the official UCAT practice tests and question banks. However, as this is a limited resource, students should strongly consider using a trusted UCAT preparation course too.

3. Meeting the grade requirements

Academic requirements are one of the major hurdles that students need to overcome to get into medical or dental school.

Most universities require high A-level grades (e.g. AAA–A*AA) in relevant subjects (usually science based subjects such as Biology and Chemistry) to demonstrate strong academic potential which is needed to thrive in medical/dental school.

How can I help my child achieve top grades?

In most cases, students’ predicted grades are used to determine eligibility for a course. To help your child, you could put a plan of action together to limit any barriers to achieving these grades. For example, if they easily become overwhelmed, you could come up with a schedule for managing their workload appropriately.

Keep in mind that some universities will offer contextual offers or widening access pathways which can lower the grade requirements. It’s worth exploring these options to see whether your child is eligible.

4. Gaining work experience

Most universities value work experience as it provides an insight into the profession and demonstrates that students are committed.

Your child should reflect on their work experience within their personal statement and provide examples which demonstrate relevant skills (e.g. building empathy). There may also be an opportunity to talk about this within their medical or dental school interview.

Voluntary work and extracurricular activities which aren’t related to healthcare are also valuable, provided students are able to reflect on them deeply during the personal statement and interview stages.

How can I help my child secure work experience?

Securing work experience can be challenging. To help combat this, you can encourage your child to do the following:

• Use our handy free work experience map to locate nearby work experience opportunities. 
• Tap into their network e.g. ask friends and family, check with their school, reach out to GP/dental practices.
• Consider other opportunities such as volunteering abroad or virtual (online) work experience.

We offer more guidance in our article on work experience for medical and dental schools.

5. Writing a personal statement

The personal statement is an opportunity for students to show admissions tutors who they are, and why they deserve to study medicine or dentistry.

How can I help my child write an effective personal statement?

Encourage your child to start early, ideally in the summer after year 12. This gives them enough time to write their statement and have it reviewed multiple times. 

When they’ve written the first draft, advise them to share it with their teachers so they can receive feedback. You could also read the personal statement yourself and see if you have any suggestions for improvement. 

When reading, use the list below as a checklist to see if everything is covered:

• Does it explain why they want to study medicine or dentistry?
• Is work experience mentioned? Do they say what they learned from it?
• Have they expanded on the skills which make them suitable for the course, with examples?
• Do they clearly explain why the skills and qualities they evidence prove they can make a good doctor or dentist?

Note that the personal statement is changing to a series of free text questions for 2026 entry onwards.

6. Submitting an application

Students can apply to up to five courses, but only four can be medicine or dentistry. Your child’s fifth choice of university can be for anything except medicine or dentistry. 

Once the UCAS application has been received, admissions tutors use specific selection criteria to decide who to invite to an interview. This is why applying tactically is important.

For instance, students who don’t have a high UCAT score should look for universities that don't use the UCAT as the sole criterion for interview selection. On the other hand, students with a very competitive score should maximise their chances of success by applying to universities that value it highly.

Find out which medical schools require the UCAT and how they make their decisions.

How can I help my child with submitting their application?

The school/college will provide a large amount of support with the application, such as filling in relevant aspects of the form and helping to secure references. 

You may want to remind your child to double-check that everything has been filled in correctly before submitting their application. You could also offer to read through their application to ensure it is error-free.

7. Attending an interview

The medical/dental school interview is the final stage before offers are released. It can be a stressful and challenging experience for a lot of students, so it’s important that your child feels supported throughout their journey. 

How can I help my child prepare for their interview?

Here are some ways you can offer support:

• Identify what they need to learn – in the early stages of interview preparation, students should be expanding their knowledge. You can help them to come up with a checklist of topics that they’ll need to research before their interview.
• Stay up to date on current affairs – current affairs form an important part of interview preparation. Watching or reading the news together can make this part fun.
• Be an interviewer – try simulating an interview to help them get comfortable with topics and interview technique. You can also help them with other aspects of their performance such as being aware of their body language. Explore common medical school and dental school interview questions that you can ask during practice.

8. Receiving and accepting an offer 

If your child secures an offer, you should be extremely proud! 

When they receive decisions from all their universities, they can choose a firm choice and an insurance choice. After this, it’s about focusing on their A-levels to get the grades required. If all goes to plan, they’ll accept an offer via UCAS.

How can I help my child prepare for medical or dental school?

The transition to medical or dental school, while hugely exciting, can also be a bit nerve-wracking. It’s important to provide practical support (e.g. helping them to find accommodation, providing guidance on managing their finances etc), as well as emotional support (e.g. reassuring them if they’re feeling anxious).

What if my child doesn’t get accepted into medical or dental school?

It can be extremely disheartening if your child doesn’t secure an offer. 

Remind them that there are many routes into medicine/dentistry, and encourage them not to give up on their dream if they’re feeling particularly deflated.

There are a number of Plan B options available, such as:

• Taking a gap year and reapplying
• Doing another degree and then applying for graduate entry
• Applying abroad, such as studying medicine in Eastern Europe

How can I support my child throughout their admissions journey?

Be supportive

The admissions process is intentionally challenging to differentiate students and ensure successful applicants can handle the pressure of medical/dental school (and beyond). As a result, your child may feel burnt out, overly stressed, or disheartened at certain points throughout their journey. 

Fluctuations in mood are perfectly normal and are to be expected, but you should be aware of sustained periods of low mood or lack of motivation. Be willing to listen to your child's concerns, motivate them to keep going even when they feel like they’re not improving, and encourage them to take breaks to prioritise self-care when needed. 

You can also signpost them to useful resources to help them optimise their mindset and increase motivation and aspiration. 

Discuss their progress

Check in with them every so often to see how they’re progressing. For example, if your child is revising for the UCAT, have conversations about how their exam preparation is going to help them reflect on how to improve. Learning a little about the exam sections yourself can help with this.

To ensure they stay on track, and are well organised, you can even create revision plans together. Having a second opinion means that they’ll be able to see what’s realistically possible in the time available. 

Try not to add too much pressure

It’s likely that your child will not only be managing their own expectations, but your expectations too. While your desire for them to do well stems from a good place, this could intensify the pressure they’re already experiencing. 

Try to be as encouraging as possible, such as motivating them when self-doubt creeps in, but avoid overstepping any boundaries that they’ve put in place (e.g. they may not wish to open up about how they’re feeling right away).

Create an environment for them to flourish

Be mindful of your home environment as this could affect their progress. 

For instance, when sitting UCAT mocks, your child will need to replicate the exam conditions as closely as possible. This means there should be minimal noise and distractions to allow them to focus fully. You should speak to your child about their study schedule to limit any disturbances.

Go through stress management techniques

It’s normal for your child to feel stressed during certain parts of the admissions process. For example, on their interview day, it’s likely that they’ll feel nervous or panicked. 

Take time to prepare ways to manage your child’s anxiety leading up to this, such as breathing exercises (breathe in through the nose for 5 seconds and out through the mouth for 7 seconds) or engaging in physical activity.

FAQ

What are the important deadlines for medicine and dentistry?

The UCAS application needs to be submitted by 15 October in year 13. This deadline is earlier than for most other courses because of the number of applications. 

The school or college will write a reference, and for this reason there may be an earlier internal deadline. If your child fails to meet this internal deadline, then the school or college may not be able to send the application in time.

Interviews tend to take place between November and March, and most universities will send out their decision by the end of March. ‍

Are overseas work placements necessary?

Work experience is important when applying to medicine and dentistry. It shows admissions tutors that applicants have a realistic understanding of the career. It's also a chance to develop and observe some of the skills required to be a good doctor or dentist. 

There is no requirement to undertake overseas work placements, and not doing them won’t be a disadvantage. Medical and dental schools want to see solid reflection on previous experiences as well as what was learned. The local GP can teach students as much as a hospital in Tanzania. 

How expensive are medical and dental degrees?

• To sit the UCAT: £70
• To submit a UCAS application: £28.50 

To complete a five-year degree:

• Tuition fees: £9,250 a year (£46,250 over five years) 
• Accommodation: average £166 a week outside of London (£43,160 over five years) 
• Utilities: around £50 a month (£3000 over five years)
• Living costs: around £582 a month (£34,920 over five years)

Textbooks: This can vary based on university. Some universities have online copies of textbooks and your child can choose what textbooks they want to buy. They can cost anywhere from £20 to £200.

Overall cost of studying medicine or dentistry: Over £100,000. However, there is funding support available from the government and you can also search for scholarships on each university's website.

What financial support is available and how can the loans be paid back?

Student finance is available. 

If you’re in need of a grant, the system can be complex. Many universities provide scholarships or bursaries for those with lower household incomes.

1. Tuition fees loan

Tuition fees are covered by a loan from the government, which must be paid back once your child starts earning over a certain amount. This covers £9,250 of any tuition per year and is paid directly to the university.

2. Maintenance loan

A maintenance loan for basic living expenses is also available. The amount is variable based upon your household income and other factors. For example, the maximum for students living away from home and studying in London is £13,348 (in 2024-2025).

The lower your household income, the more maintenance loan your child receives. You can calculate roughly how much you would get using this calculator on the government website.

3. Is it realistically possible to pay back the maintenance loan?

Repayment is required upon earning over £2,083 a month (£25,000 a year). 

Newly qualified dentists earn around £33,000 a year. Repayments are calculated as 9% of what is earned over the threshold. For a second-year doctor, the figure is £28,000.

If we take £33,000 a year, for example, it equates to around £2,750 gross per month. This is £476 over the threshold. 9% of £476 is £43 to repay per month.

4. Admissions test bursaries

Your child could also be eligible for a UCAT bursary to pay for the admissions test.

Each centre has its own criteria for eligibility, so be sure to check them out.‍

How do I know if a university is good?

Medicine and dentistry are professionally regulated courses, so all courses have the same core curriculum. Universities will vary in the way they deliver this teaching and in the extracurricular support they offer. 

Note that getting into any medical or dental school is a massive achievement due to the level of competition, however, it still makes sense to choose a school which suits your child’s learning style and preferences. 

Learn how to choose a medical school.

I’ve never been to university – will this have a negative impact? 

No. In fact, this could act as an advantage.

A lot of universities have widening participation programmes. If neither of the applicant’s parents have been to university, or if the applicant is the first person in the family to go to university, they may be eligible for one of these programmes. Other criteria include further socioeconomic or educational barriers.

Eligibility criteria vary from university to university, but across the board, successful completion of these programmes generally means students are eligible for a lower offer threshold or a fast track to interview. 

How can Medify help your child become a doctor?

Here’s how we can support your child throughout their admissions journey:

UCAT Online Course – 2 in 3 UCAT test takers in the UK use Medify to prepare for their exams. We provide 20,000+ questions, 24 full mocks, 40+ mini-mocks, and 50+ hours of video tutorials with subscriptions starting from just £15.

‍Interviews Online Course – 300+ authentic answers from real medical students, extensive video guides, and a Knowledge Bank written by a team of experts helps applicants to thrive in their interview for just £25.

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