We expect our students to become compassionate practitioners who are really in touch with their patients and committed to the core values of the NHS. You must possess the abilities, the commitment and the personal qualities necessary to become an excellent doctor.
In assessing your application, we will look for evidence of:
- academic achievement and potential
- BMAT score
- a realistic attitude to medical training and clinical practice
- a commitment to quality of care, compassion and improving lives
- the ability to communicate and work effectively in a team for the benefit of patients
- the ability to appreciate other people’s point of view
- an appreciation of the need to treat people with respect and dignity
- a willingness to accept responsibility.
Widening participation and Contextual Data
Greater diversity within the medical profession is a goal that benefits us all. BSMS is committed to seeking out talented people who have the potential to become tomorrow’s doctors but who may not have considered it as a possibility, thus enabling medicine to better reflect the patient population.
As well as assessing your academic profile, we will also be looking to see whether you meet two or more of our contextual data criteria. If you are identified as meeting any two elements of the criteria below, you will be eligible for our contextual data admissions offer and will be considered separately from the wider applicant pool.
Contextual data criteria
- You live in a neighbourhood that has low participation into higher education (POLAR 4 quintile 1 or 2) or live in an area that falls within the lowest 20% of the Index of Multiple Deprivation 2019.*
Check your POLAR4 quintile here >
Check your Index of Multiple Deprivation Decile here >
- You attended an 11–16 state school that performed below the national average according to Attainment 8.*
Check your school Attainment 8 score here >
You (or a parent or guardian) are in receipt of, or have been eligible for a means-tested benefit.**
See the document link below for examples of means-tested benefits that we would accept.
View our means-tested benefits here >
- You are (or have been) in receipt of a 16 to 19 bursary. Read more here > **
- You are (or have been) eligible for free school meals at any point between Year 9 and Year 13.**
- You are (or have been) eligible for Education, Health and Care Plan (EHCP)**
- You are (or have been) eligible for a Personal Independence Payment (PIP)**
If you are (or have been) looked after in local authority care for more than three months, you will automatically be invited for interview, subject to satisfying academic criteria.
We welcome applications from students with disabilities. For information about available support please visit our student support pages here. If you would like to speak to a member of our student support team, please email outreach@bsms.ac.uk.
* This will be determined from the information you provide on your UCAS form.
** All applicants will be invited (via email) to upload any evidence of the above criteria after we receive your UCAS application.
If you have any queries as to whether or not you meet our contextual data criteria, you can email medadmissions@bsms.ac.uk.
Admissions offer for applicants with contextual data (School leavers)
A-levels
For applicants taking, or who have already obtained three A-levels, we require predicted, or achieved grades of at least AAB. This must include Biology and Chemistry. Please be reassured that while many students are advised to study Maths or Physics by their schools or colleges, we do not specify the nature of the third A-level subject*. We actively welcome applicants who study subjects outside of the Mathematical and Physical Sciences, as we recognise their value in broadening academic horizons.
*Please note that we do not except A-levels in General Studies, Critical Thinking or, if you are a non-speaker of English, an A-level in your original language of instruction.
A-levels and a Level 3 Extended BTEC Certificate
For applicants taking, or who have already obtained two A-levels in Biology and Chemistry, as well as a Level 3 Extended BTEC Certificate, we require predicted, or obtained grades of at least AA in your A-levels and a Merit in your BTEC qualification.
International Baccalaureate
For applicants taking, or who have already obtained the International Baccalaureate (IB) we require a predicted, or obtained score of 35. This must include Higher Level Biology and Chemistry, both at a grade 6.
GCSEs
For all applicants meeting our two or more of the contextual data criteria, we require English (Language or Literature) and Maths GCSEs at grade 5/C or above. These are the only two GCSEs we look at.
Admissions offer for applicants with contextual data (Graduates)
Applicants currently studying for, or who already have a degree may also be eligible for a contextual data offer. Applicants will be eligible if they met two or more of the contextual criteria whilst they were studying GCSEs or A-levels, or who currently meet two of the criteria. For eligible applicants, we require English (Language or Literature) and Maths GCSE at grade 5/C or above. Please note we do not alter our grade requirements for degree qualifications.
Admissions offer for applicants with contextual data (Access students)
Applicants currently studying for, or who already have an BSMS recognised access qualification (see here for list of recognised access courses) may also be eligible for a contextual data offer. Applicants will be eligible if they met two or more of the contextual criteria whilst they were studying GCSEs or A-Levels, or who currently meet two of the criteria. For eligible applicants, we require English (Language or Literature) and Maths GCSE at grade 5/C or above. Please note we do not alter our grade requirements for access course qualifications.
Applicants scoring above our minimum requirements, will not have any advantage in our admissions process. Once we see that applicants have been predicted, or have achieved the minimum academic requirements, they move on to the next stage of our admissions process.
Selection for Interview
As part of our agenda to widen participation to medicine, we aim to reserve 30% of interviews for applicants with contextual data. To select for interview, we rank applicants based on their BMAT score, with top ranking candidates invited to interview. Applicants with contextual data are ranked separately from the wider applicant pool.