King's College London: UCAT and Medical Course Entry Information (2021 Update)

Are you thinking about doing a Medicine or Dental degree at King's College London? Are you still confused about your entry requirements? Well, this article explains everything you need to know about King's College London's UCAT and course requirements!

This article explains the requirements, clinical placement opportunities and rankings of King’s College London’s Medicine and Dentistry degrees — find out what they have to offer and what you need in terms of academic achievements, UCAT results and work experience!

 

In this article on King’s College London,

Overview of King’s College London

King’s College London was established in 1829 and is the fourth oldest university in England. Currently, there are over 31,000 students enrolled.

There are 5 London campuses: Strand, Waterloo, St Thomas’, Guy’s, and Denmark Hill. The University is noted for its extensive development into the field of Medicine and is home to 12 Nobel Prize Winners.

The Faculty of Life Sciences and Medicine is located across four campuses and initially established its Medical School in 1948. The Faculty of Dentistry, Oral and Craniofacial Sciences is the largest dental faculty in Europe and was established in 1998.

King’s offers a range of accommodation options for students. These include:

  • Angel Lane: Angel Lane is located in Stratford and is around a 35-minute bike ride to each campus. It offers three different types of rooms with prices ranging from 169-319 Euros.
  • Vauxhall: Vauxhall is situated near central London and is on average a 17-minute bike ride to each of the different campuses. The accommodation offers a range of facilities (including free to use bicycles, Roof Garden, and Cinema room) and the price ranges from 259-359 Euros per week.
  • Tower Bridge: Tower Bridge is close to the Tower of London and an average of 20 minutes to campus on a bike. It is one of the more pricier options with rooms ranging from 279-399 Euros per week.
  • Julian Markham
  • Orchard Isle and Iris Brook
  • Champion Hill
  • Moonraker Point
  • Atlas
  • Great Dover Street
  • Wolfson House
  • Stamford Street

The University offers over 100 societies (including politics, comedy, and music) and has regular events such as the Diwali Show. King’s sport has a large range of options to help suit the differing needs of students, engaging over 15,000 students. The University has 3 bars, and a range of food options to cater for different dietary requirements.

 

Rankings

Times Higher Ed RankQS rankingsAcademic Ranking of World Universities
353147

 

Need a UCAT Cheatsheet?

Before you get into uni, you need to crush the UCAT. Downloading our FREE UCAT Cheatsheet is your first step to campus.

 

King’s College London Medical Courses offered that require UCAT

King’s College London offers two Medical degrees requiring UCAT:

 

Bachelor of Medicine

Course CodeLengthCampus
A1006 Years Full TimeSeveral campuses

Academic Requirements:

ATAR:

  • Achieve a minimum ATAR of 97.

IB (International Baccalaureate for International students):

  • A minimum of 35 points with 7,6,6 at HL.

A-Levels:

  • Students must achieve A*AA grades.

Scottish Qualifications:

  • Advanced Highers: AA at Advanced Higher; and
  • Highers: AAA at Higher in one sitting

 

Prerequisites:

For ATAR:

  • Band 6 in
    • Chemistry; and
    • Biology

For IB:

  • Three Higher Level subjects including:
    • Chemistry;
    • Biology; and
    • Another of your own choice

For A-Levels:

  • Chemistry; and
  • Biology
  • NOTE: A-Level General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, and Global Perspectives are not accepted.

Scottish Qualifications:

  • Grade A in Advanced Higher Chemistry and Biology
  • English and Mathematics required at N5/Standard Credit grade 1 or 2/ Intermediate 2, with grade B if not offered at Higher.

 

Selection Criteria:

Students will be shortlisted for an interview based on academic scores, the personal statement, the reference, and the UCAT score.

UCAT:

  • There is no minimum score required for the UCAT.
  • The Situational Judgement test component will also be taken into account.

Personal Statement:

The personal statement will be assessed based on:

    • Evidence of commitment to a career in medicine through work experience/ volunteering in a caring environment
    • A realistic understanding of the academic, physical, and emotional demands of a medical program
    • Communications skills and teamwork
    • Participation in school and society
    • Interests, achievements, and contribution to the community

GCSE:

You also need a GCSE Grade 6/B or equivalent in:

  • English; and
  • Mathematics

Work experience: 

Any volunteer work or work experience is highly desirable. You need to show your ability to communicate and work with the general public.

 

Application Process:

  • Around 4500 students apply for the medical programs for a total of 410 places.
  • If selected, students will need to attend an interview usually between November- May.

 

Interview Criteria and structure:

Approximately 1200-1400 applicants are selected for an interview.

Note: Due to COVID-19, interviews will be held online with a panel of 2 interviewers.

So, the interview will examine your:

  • Values and personality
  • Attributes
  • Knowledge on topical medical issues
  • Ethical reasoning
  • Communication skills

Previously, the interviews were structured and marked this way:

The interview assesses:

    • One station will assess values and personality traits such as kindness, compassion, empathy, respect for the individual, privacy, dignity, and advocacy.
    • Some stations will assess information handling and evaluation skills.
    • Some stations will assess knowledge of topical medical issues.
    • Communication skills will be assessed at Each Station.

Structure:

    • The structure of the interview is Multiple Mini Interviews.
    • During the interview, applicants will be required to respond to questions relating to scenarios at different stations.

 

Alternate Entry Pathway:

Students who are studying A-Levels/ Access to medicine at non-selective state schools or who are participants of Realistic Opportunities can apply for the Extended Medical Degree Program. It is 7 years in length and the course code is A206.

 

Bachelor of Dental Surgery

Course CodeLengthCampus
A2005 Years Full TimeDenmark Hill and Guy’s campus

 

Academic Requirements:

ATAR:

  • A minimum ATAR of 97 is required.

IB (International Baccalaureate for International students):

  • A minimum of 35 points overall

A-Levels:

  • A*AA level grades.

Scottish Qualifications:

  • AAA at Highers and AA at Advanced Highers

 

Prerequisites:

For ATAR:

  • Biology or Chemistry; and
  • Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology

For IB:

  • Three Higher Level subjects at 766 including:
    • HL Chemistry or HL Biology; and
    • Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Psychology or Maths (either Analysis & Approaches, or Applications & Interpretation)
  • If English and Mathematics is not offered at GCSE, then students must achieve a grade 5 at Standard Level

For A-Levels:

  • Biology or Chemistry is required; and
  • Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology is required
    • Note: Pass practical endorsement for all science subjects
  • Grade 6/B in both English Language and Mathematics at GCSE if not offered at A-Level
  • NOTE: General Studies, Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills, and Global Perspectives are not accepted as A-Level subjects
  • Note: If Maths is being studied, then Further Maths cannot be the third A-Level

 

Scottish Qualifications:

  • Grade A in Advanced Higher:
    • Chemistry or Biology; and
    • Additional one subject of Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths or Psychology at Advanced Highers
  • Maths and English also required at Intermediate 2/Standard Credit Grade1 or 2/National 5 with B

 

Entry Requirements: 

Students will be shortlisted for an interview based on academic scores, the personal statement, the reference, and the UCAT score.

UCAT:

  • There is no minimum threshold score applicants must achieve in the UCAT.
  • The Situational Judgement Test score will be taken into account when shortlisting applicants.

Personal Statement:

The personal statement should illustrate your non-academic achievements such as:

    • Scholastic activities: reading, debating, theological interests, etc
    • Community activities: interests and achievements into the community
    • General: music, sport, first aid, etc
    • Work shadowing
    • Paid or voluntary work

GCSE:

Students must achieve the following GCSE or equivalent:

  • English Language (Grade 6/B); and
  • Mathematics (Grade 6/B)

 

Application Process:

The application process and interview structure are the same as the Medicine program.

 

Alternate Entry Pathway:

Students from non-selective state schools can apply for the Enhanced Support Dentistry program (A206) which is 5 years in length.

 

Clinical placement information

Bachelor of Medicine

 

Year 1

In Year 1, there is no clinical placement as students will first need to establish an integrated understanding of clinical skills, biomedical sciences and population sciences. Students will, however, have the opportunity to observe and dissect cadavers in anatomy lectures and seminars.

 

Years 2 to 3

More than 40% of the course will be spent in a clinical setting on placement. Students will learn how to deliver whole-person can and develop their clinical skills in light of their knowledge of the human life-cycle and common conditions.

 

Years 4 to 5

This final stage of the medicine degree is almost entirely taught through clinical placement at a variety of hospital and community care settings. There will be some small group and case-based teaching through the final two years in clinical blocks.

 

NHS Trust Partners

 

Associate teaching hospitals

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