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You Can Be A Doctor:
Application Guide
What is UCAS?
UCAS, or the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service, is the organisation responsible for managing applications to universities in the UK. It provides an online platform where applicants can submit their applications, including personal details, academic qualifications, and a personal statement.
You'll be using UCAS for:
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Course Search: UCAS has a comprehensive search tool for prospective students to explore various courses and institutions - here you can find out more about the structure of the medical courses run by different universities. See our next page for summaries of the different medical schools in Scotland.
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Applying: You'll submit your application via UCAS. This will involve uploading your personal statement, ensuring you have details of your referee (usually your guidance teacher). Your exam results (including your UCAT scores) are usually automatically sent to UCAS so you don't normally need to upload these.
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Admissions Information: UCAS provides information about entry requirements, deadlines, and other essential details for each course and institution.
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Communication Hub: UCAS serves as a communication hub between applicants and the universities or colleges, providing updates and facilitating the exchange of information.
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Track System: Applicants can use the UCAS Track system to monitor the progress of their applications, receive offers, and make decisions regarding their choices.
Top Tips: Using UCAS / Applying to Medicine
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The deadline for medicine applications is 15th of October - so make sure you have everything you need ready by this date. This includes:
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Minimum grades required for the course (see our ‘subjects and grades’ section)
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To have completed the UCAT test prior to application
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Your personal statement
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A teacher reference (submitted by your teacher)
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Ensure you know who your guidance teacher is and that they are aware of your application. They will need to provide a teacher reference which is similar to a personal statement, but written from your teacher’s point of view. You should inform your teacher that you are applying for medicine well before the 15th October deadline, to ensure they can complete this in time. You should work closely with your teacher and ask to see your reference if possible – it may help give you confidence, but you can also ensure that it mentions the key things you would like the university to know about you.
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You can apply for FOUR medicine courses at the universities of your choice. Your 5th choice can be another degree you are interested in, or you can leave this blank if you plan to re-apply next year if you do not receive an offer for medicine. ​