The percentage of applicants who received an offer is known as the acceptance rate, or offer rate. Note that we do not differentiate between the offer rate and acceptance rate, in contrast to some other sources. The number of offer holders who accepted the offer and complied with its terms is generally shown by the acceptances. However, it indicates the number of applicants who accepted the offer for some universities, regardless of whether they later fulfilled its requirements.
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| UCAS code | A100 | Duration |
|---|---|---|
| Entrance requirements | A*AA (excluding Critical Thinking, Thinking Skills and General Studies) | Subject requirements |
| Admissions test(s) | ox.ac.uk/bmat | Written work |
| Admissions statistics* | Interviewed: 25% Successful: 9% Intake: 159 *3–year average 2019–21 | Contact |
Who can apply?
The Harvard Medical School, which boasts a diverse learning environment, encourages applications from international students, DACA recipients, mature students, and students with disabilities.
Students must have a bachelor’s degree, be proficient in English, and have spent at least one year studying at an institution of higher learning in the United States or Canada. Each applicant must pass the MCAT, or Medical College Admission Test, with a minimum score.
Without exception, applicants to the Harvard Medical School are not permitted to apply if they have ever been enrolled in another medical school.
Oxford University’s School of Medical and Biomedical Sciences limits the number of international students to a predetermined government quota of 14 students per year, in contrast to Harvard.
You should be aware that the Oxford University Medical School offers two distinct medical programs: standard entry, which is open to applicants with a secondary education, and graduate entry, which is open to applicants with a baccalaureate degree who want to advance their education.
Candidates must successfully complete their A-levels (or an international equivalent) and obtain the required BMAT scores.
Chart showing the rise in A-level exam scores in the UK from 2000 to 2021
Candidates for admission to both medical schools must succeed in an interview.
How much will it cost?
The cost of the program at Harvard Medical School is about $100,000 per year.
In addition to applying for work-study opportunities or external scholarship funds, students can also apply for federal, institutional, or private loans. The university also offers financial literacy courses. Harvard has a Medical Student Emergency Aid Fund that helps cover living expenses for students who encounter unforeseen financial hardship.
Before the application deadline, domestic students complete a financial profile and any additional paperwork. While federal loans are not available to international students, some types of private loans may be.
Unfortunately, Oxford University Medical School provides very few opportunities for financial aid.
For domestic students, the fifth and sixth years of tuition are free; for international students, the first three years of tuition are pre-clinical, and the next three years are (more expensive) clinical.
Students must fill out a questionnaire, which determines their fee status, and in turn, their tuition rate. International students are welcome to apply for government financial aid (more information available here).
What is the education like?
Harvard University’s medical school offers a 4-year program with the choice of a regular stream or a health sciences track.
Pre-clinical case-based learning, core clinical education, and a post-clinical phase, one of which will contain the student’s required research project, are the three sections that make up each of the aforementioned streams. Some students might decide to postpone graduation in order to take advantage of additional academic opportunities offered by the institution, like joint degrees or research projects.
Oxford University’s medical school offers a 6-year program for students who have just graduated from high school or a 4-year program for those who have already earned a post-secondary degree.
The typical program includes a pre-clinical stage, a period of specialized research, and then clinical learning.
The accelerated program begins with instruction in fundamental clinical skills, laboratory medicine, and science. After that, students rotate through different clinical medicine specialties, and then there is a practical studies and elective period.
Life in the US versus the UK
When they have registered for the program, medical students at Harvard can choose to live in Vanderbilt Hall, for which they must apply. The structure, which dates back to 1927, has about 320 private rooms, shared kitchens and athletic facilities, a library, and more.
First-year students are guaranteed housing at Oxford, which provides a 24-hour library, music rooms, tutoring rooms, and other common areas for students.
Both institutions have a ton to offer, from research opportunities to accelerated curricula, as you can see. Start working on those applications, and then let us know which one you would pick!
Sources:
Written by Veronica Aharon, 2nd year BSc Student at York University.
Send your suggestions to Veronica if there are any particular subjects, characters, or locations you would like to learn more about for our blog. aharon@projectaccess. org ✉️.
HOW I GOT INTO OXFORD MEDICAL SCHOOL! Grades, interviews, offers, advice, etc.
FAQ
What GPA is required for Oxford medical?
Cambridge interviews around 75% of its applicants and are very selective post-interview to give their final offers Around 16% of students are successful in receiving an offer. At Oxford, only about a third of applicants receive interview invitations. 26%) and 9% receive an offer.
Is it easier to get into Oxford or Cambridge for Medicine?
The 2019 Times Higher Education rankings of Universities for Pre-Clinical, Clinical, and Health Studies placed the Medical School at the top of the list, where it has remained for nine years.