If you have not received any offers for medicine, you may have a further chance at securing a medical school place through UCAS clearing. The number of medical school places (UCAS code Medicine A100) through UCAS clearing has been low over the years, but we know students who have succeeded. Here is our guide for getting into medicine through UCAS clearing.

What is UCAS medicine clearing, and how do I use this?

• UCAS clearing allows students to apply for university places that need to be filled. You can apply through clearing whether you have no offers, have applied late, or want to change your mind about the course you want to do or the university.

• UCAS clearing for medicine usually starts on A-level results day, and UCAS historically has stated it will begin updating records from around 08:15

• If medical schools have places, these will show up in UCAS clearing. Unfortunately, some students will not achieve the required grades, which may result in places becoming available.

What do I do on A-level results day for applying to medicine?

• Get up early. Use your alarm clock ⏱

• If you have not already done so, you need to log into UCAS track so that you will be able to see the exact result of your applications 💾

• If you have been successful, your status will change to “Congratulations! Your place at [uni name] for [course title] has been confirmed”. Make sure you carefully check the details in Track. You should then receive further information from the university on what to do next 🏆

• If you have just missed out on your grades, the medical school may still have accepted you, so it is vitally important that you check UCAS Track. In our experience, this has been possible if you miss your offer by one grade (for example offer was A*AA and you got AAA) and also possibly if you did well in your medical school interview 🔎

• If you have missed your offer by one grade and have been rejected or have extenuating circumstances that may have affected your grades, contact the medical schools that you have offers from. However, if you feel there are extenuating circumstances that affected your performance during A-level exams, you will likely be told to appeal to the exam boards, which will have to be done through school ⚖️

• If you rejected any medical schools that gave you offers, then you could try them and see if they have any places 👁

• If your firm choice is confirmed, you will not be able to accept the insurance choice ⚠️

• Medical schools have been known to offer students that still need to secure places alternative courses, such as biomedical science. However, please keep in mind that you aim to study medicine. You must ask if any alternate course allows transfer to medicine and what conditions are attached. Do not waste several years and money doing a course that you do not want or like 🔎

What should I do to prepare for medicine through UCAS clearing on A-level results day?

• Start preparing for UCAS clearing the day before A-level results day 🗓

• UCAS will not tell you your actual A-level grades – you must get these through school. Hopefully, schools will email these to students before UCAS clearing opens on the day 📜

• Ensure you have your mobile phone fully charged and in good reception or have access to your home landline. Expect long hold times and waiting lists 📶

• Have a notepad and pen ready to take notes whilst you are on the phone 📝

• Have your UCAS statement, predicted (or actual) grades and GCSE results before you. You might want to print these out ⚠️

• Make sure you know your UCAS ID and clearing number – write it down separately in case something goes wrong with the UCAS website 📝

• Make sure you are in a quiet, productive environment 🤫

• Get help from your parents and friends. They can make calls for you on the day so that you can ring more than one university at once, but remember the university will usually only speak to you as the applicant direct 😎

• Research the medical school you want to apply through clearing. Be prepared for a mini-interview asking the reason why you have picked them 🔎

• If the medical school offers you a place, you must go back to UCAS Track and select the ‘Add a Clearing Choice’ option. You can only add one UCAS clearing choice at a time, so make sure you add the university you want to go to ⚠️

• If universities don’t make you an offer after calling them, don’t feel disheartened or offended and move on to the following medical school 😔

Which medical schools are available through UCAS clearing?

• You will not know for sure until places are shown in UCAS clearing ⏱ In addition, some universities have a ‘subject search’ on their website.

• You need to search for UCAS code A100 medicine ⚠️ If you search for medicine, other medical-related searches will come up, which will slow you down.

• You must still meet entry requirements, including A-level and GCSE grades and the UCAT or BMAT scores. You might be invited to an MMI interview, so polish up your interview skills if this is the case 📚 The medical school can call you for an interview the following day.

What if I don’t get a place in medical school through UCAS clearing?

It can be highly disheartening not to secure a medical school place. The critical thing to remember is that students start studying medicine not just after sixth form but sometimes many years into their adult life.

• If you have the required A-level grades, you must reflect on why you did not get a place. Look at your UCAS personal statement and feedback, and reflect on your medical school interview performance 🤔

• Make sure you meet other entry requirements, such as work experience 🏃

• If you wish to apply the following year, you must sit the UCAT and BMAT exams again. If you did not score highly on this exam, reflect on your preparation and strategy 📚

• You can resit exams should the grades not be satisfactory first-time round. However, you must check with each medical school on the resit policy. Some medical schools may only allow resit candidates with extenuating circumstances the first time around, and others increase the offer grades they will accept. They may also allow a resit of only one subject. The COVID-19 pandemic may mean medical schools relax some of their resit policies, so it is well worth trying ⚠️

• You could look at studying medicine abroad. We have personally known students to go to Bulgaria and Georgia.

• Choose an alternative course allied to medicine that can be used to apply for graduate entry medicine. Make sure this course has an entry path to graduate entry medicine as early as possible. Also, please remember medical schools have different graduate entry requirements, and some may still insist on specific A-level grades 🔎

Blue Peanut is here to help you get into medicine, so please feel free to send us an email at support@bluepeanut.co.uk 🏆

We can help students with our UCAT, Medicine Work Experience Placements and Medical School Interview Courses. Please call or email us if you'd like guidance with reapplication. We wish you all the best in your medical school career 💎