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This profile of Leeds highlights this medical school's entry requirements, typical offers, student numbers, competition ratios, teaching and learning methods, course structure, demographics and history. Is Leeds one of your target medical schools? This medical school can be added to or removed from your personal shortlist |
Leeds' five-year, integrated curriculum is known for its emphasis on clinical and communication skills. The medical school is a leader in patient and carer involvement, giving students an important insight into the experience of those with disabilities and those who care for them. Leeds is also a leader in educational technology, having developed a handful of award-winning apps. Anatomy is taught predominantly through prosection, with some opportunity for dissection in the later stages of the course. Intercalated degrees are available after the second, third, or fourth year at Leeds.
Key information dashboard
For convenience, here is an at-a-glance summary of key information related to Leeds medical school.
Links in this dashboard can help you check which other UK medical schools are similar to Leeds with regard to points listed here.
Be sure to check our notes in sections below for more details about each of these points.
Leeds medical school establishment date: 1831
Years of course: 5
Total medical students: 1340
Average year cohort: 268.0
Region: Yorkshire and the Humber
Subject prerequisites:
Biology (acceptable option)Chemistry (acceptable option)Maths (acceptable option)Physics (acceptable option)
Interview format:MMI
Admissions test:BMAT
A Level typical offer:AAA
Advanced Higher typical offer:AB
IB typical offer:35 points
General teaching method:
Integrated, PBL
Anatomy teaching:
Dissection, Prosection
Intercalation mode:Optional intercalation
Typical offers
A Levels must include Chemistry or Biology.
Physics or Maths must also be offered if Chemistry is not taken.
GCSE results must include 6 subjects at minimum grade 5 (B) including English Language, Maths, Double / Additional Science or Chemistry and Biology.
This is a minimum entrance requirement and the majority of applicants will have qualifications well above this standard.
Advanced Highers must include an A in Chemistry or Biology.
Scottish Highers must include Biology and Chemistry.
IB applicants must achieve 6,6,6 at Higher level, including Chemistry or Biology.
Two subjects from Chemistry, Biology, Maths and Physics must also be offered at either Higher or Standard level if not offered at GCSE.
If English not offered at GCSE, this must be offered with a mark of at least 5 at Standard level.
As explained on the website, Access to Leeds applicants receive special consideration & those who receive an offer are given an ABB offer alongside their standard offer.
The Interdisciplinary Science with Foundation Year BSc allows internal transfer.
Total students and cohort sizes at UK medical schools
For uniform comparison of medical student admissions each year across all UK medical schools, we rely on annual reports from the Office for Students (OfS) entitled 'Medical and dental intakes'.
| Admission year | Total students admitted this year | Home places | International places |
|---|---|---|---|
2020-21 |
285 students in this cohort | 270 Home students | 15 International students |
2019-20 |
275 students in this cohort | 255 Home students | 20 International students |
2018-19 |
275 students in this cohort | 260 Home students | 15 International students |
2017-18 |
255 students in this cohort | 235 Home students | 20 International students |
2016-17 |
250 students in this cohort | 235 Home students | 15 International students |
2015-16 |
245 students in this cohort | 230 Home students | 15 International students |
Competition data
Competition ratio data reported here is from the 2019-20 admissions cycle, as confirmed by MedSchoolGenie Freedom of Information (FOI) requests from this period.
Please note: Due to ongoing impact of Covid-19 since March 2020, UK medical schools have not yet released competition ratio data for the 2020-21 admissions cycle. Applicants should keep in mind that coronavirus-related lockdowns and other restrictions affected the entire UK education sector, so competition ratios were most likely distorted during 2020-21. MedSchoolGenie will update here when further competition data becomes available.
Applicant percentages of success
From reported competition ratios, it's possible to calculate percentages of success at various stages of the application process.
Numbers of applicants competing in latest admissions cycle
Based on reported numbers of applicants securing places, we can use competition ratios to estimate how many applicants have been competing at each stage of the most recent admissions cycle.
Please note: Estimates of competition factors from 2020 onwards may be less reliable than in previous years because UK medical schools have not yet reported competition ratios for the 2020-21 admissions cycle. MedSchoolGenie will update here when more recent data on competition ratios becomes available.
Teaching and learning
Years 1 & 2 taught through lectures, dissection classes and tutorials, with self-directed learning increasing with the amount of time spent on placement.
Placement near full time for years 3-5.
As explained in its overview of teaching, Leeds medical school "combines thorough training in the medical sciences with a strong emphasis on communication and practical skills. .... You’ll have early patient contact and ... our Patient Carer Community contributes to teaching, learning and assessment, giving our students invaluable insight into the experience of people with a medical condition or disability, and their carers. We are also top 10 in the UK for our research power. We use technology to support learning anywhere. We’re national leaders in mobile learning and staff and students have created several successful apps."
Intercalated degrees are available after the second, third, or fourth year at Leeds. As explained in discussion of intercalation on this medical school's website, "As a medical ... student, you'll find that intercalation offers you a significant opportunity for self-development and investment in your future career. Intercalated degrees give you the chance to study a subject in depth and gain an additional degree in a single year."
Years one and two:
Years one and two at Leeds introduce students to the fundamentals of clinical practice, grounded in principles of biomedical science. Anatomy is learned through cadaveric dissection, integrated with radiology, physiology, and clinical assessment. Clinical skills training runs throughout years one and two. Clinical placements allow students to develop communications skills, while providing an introduction to multidisciplinary teamwork. Students participate in a two week project at the end of year two, providing an opportunity to develop skills outside of mainstream Medicine, such as entrepreneurialism.
Year three:
Year three at Leeds sees students undertake five-week clinical placements, consolidating learning from the first two years. Learning outcomes are mapped to the GMC's standards for medical education. The importance of evidence based Medicine in patient care is emphasised.
Year four:
Clinical placements continue into year four at Leeds, teaching students about social, genetic, and environmental determinants of disease. Students learn more about specialties such as: anaesthetics, acute and critical care, women and children's health, recurrent and chronic illnesses, mental and physical disabilities, and rehabilitation.
Year five:
Year five aims to prepare students for clinical practice as an F1 doctor via three eight week placements. One module teaches students about the integration of care between community and hospital Medicine.
Reported demographics
This chart highlights gender and disability data reported by Leeds to the General Medical Council (GMC), which has compiled this information into spreadsheets as part of its medical school annual return (MSAR) data sets.
Please note this data is retrospective, and that future numbers can vary from preceding years.
For comparison, we also include below all demographic data reported by this medical school to General Medical Council.
| Reporting year | Female students | Male students | Students with declared disability | Students without declared disability |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2017-18 | 63.5% female students | 36.5% male students | 10.7% students with disability | 89.3% students without disability |
| 2016-17 | 62.4% female students | 37.6% male students | 9.4% students with disability | 90.6% students without disability |
Medical school history
In 1831 six physicians and surgeons set up the Leeds Medical School, which admitted its first students in October of that year.