Medical degree courses
There are 31 medical schools in the UK. Two are in Wales, five are in Scotland, one is in Northern Ireland and 23 are in England. With a few exceptions, most medical schools are located in big cities and London has five different medical schools.
All degrees in medicine provide the same qualification, although some degree titles have different names (e.g. BM, MBBS, MBChB). The different names can be confusing but all UK medical degrees are equivalent, regardless of the degree title.
Some people ask which are the best medical schools in the UK. The answer is simply that there isn’t one. All UK medical schools are good for different reasons and there are no medicals school in the UK with a bad reputation. Therefore, you should choose your medical school based on where you would like to live while you are studying, the type of course you would like to do and which universities accept your qualifications.
Although all medical degrees are equivalent, medical schools in the UK have different teaching styles. It can be difficult to understand the differences between courses when you are applying so read the prospectuses carefully and go to open days if you can. You can order prospectuses (course brochures) from the university websites.
For more information about the medical degree courses in the UK, visit our course guide.
Working in the UK – regulations affecting doctors from overseas
In 2006 the UK Government introduced new laws requiring doctors from overseas to apply for a work permit to complete their postgraduate training in this country, even if they had trained at a British University. This was strongly opposed by many doctors and medical students and the rules have now been changed as a result.
Please note, the rules regarding immigration, work permits and doctors training may have changed since this page was last updated. We advise that all students considering studying in the UK investigate the current regulations before applying to university.
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