Buckingham Medicine Interview (MMI): Format, Dates and UCAT
What to expect at Buckingham's medicine interview, how you get one, and how offers are made.
Buckingham checks your grades first, then interviews you online with an MMI. Its selection policy also describes an online written assessment (the MMA) before the MMI, but the January 2028 course page lists only the grade check and the MMI. Buckingham does not use UCAT and does not publish the number or length of stations.
Key facts (January 2028 entry)
- Format
- A Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) linked to the GMC's Good Medical Practice. The selection policy adds a computer-based Multiple Mini Assessment (MMA) before it, which the January 2028 course page does not mention.
- Online or in person
- Online. The school's selection standards say all MMAs and MMIs are conducted online.
- Stations and timing
- Not published. The school does not state the number of stations or minutes per station.
- Who is interviewed
- Applicants who meet the academic threshold. Judged mainly on grades, which should be comparable to entrants at other UK medical schools.
- How the interview counts
- Station scores are added up and applicants are ranked. The policy says the final offer decision rests entirely on the MMA or MMI outcome.
- Admissions test
- No UCAT. Buckingham is not a UCAT university, and its course and selection pages list no other admissions test.
- How to apply
- Through UCAS (course code 71A8) or directly on the university website. Both routes go through the same process.
- Start
- January only. The MBChB is a 4.5-year course on its own academic calendar.
What happens at the MMA and MMI
Buckingham's pages do not agree on whether there is an MMA step, so check your invitation for which steps apply to you.
Stage two: the MMA
- What it is. The school's selection policy and its applicant site describe a Multiple Mini Assessment: a computer-based set of tasks that test your analysis, interpretation and judgement in relation to the GMC's Good Medical Practice.
- What comes next. If you do well enough you move on to stage three. Exceptionally high performers may get an offer straight after the MMA.
- Is it still used? The applicant site listed MMA days for January 2026 and 2027 entry. The course page and Selection Days page now describe only two stages, academic screening and the MMI.
Stage three: the MMI
The MMI is a circuit of tasks that judges personal qualities for working as a doctor.
- Online, in English. The school's standards say all MMAs and MMIs are conducted online and in English.
- Photo ID. You must show it. Missing documents or arriving late can cost you up to one station's worth of marks.
- Do not miss it. Missing the interview without a very good reason leads to rejection.
- Stations not published. Buckingham does not publish how many stations there are or how long each one lasts. Its course and Selection Days pages describe the MMI only as a series of tasks linked to Good Medical Practice.
No AI. Using AI during the MMI is not allowed. The course page says suspected use will be investigated and can lead to exclusion from this and future selection events.
How you get to the MMA and MMI
Stage one is a check of your written application, mainly your academic record.
The school says your achievement should be at the highest level and comparable to entrants to other UK medical schools. Being able to pay the fees does not make up for lower grades.
The grades you need
- A levels. At least ABB including Chemistry or Biology.
- IB. At least 32, with HL6 in Chemistry or Biology and HL5 in the other.
- GCSEs. English and Maths at grade 4.
- Graduates. A 2:1 (or predicted 2:1) in a subject related to medicine.
- Not accepted. BTECs, and qualifications older than five years.
Other checks
- Still taking exams? The school judges how likely you are to reach the grades, using your GCSE pattern and your predicted A level grades.
- What can stop you. Previous study on a medicine course, dishonesty on the form, and criminal convictions can normally stop an application at this stage.
How offers are decided
Your rank is the main thing that decides whether you get an offer.
- Scoring. Each station is scored against a checklist set in advance. Your scores are added into one total, and applicants are ranked by that total.
- Threshold. Each year the school sets a threshold score. Applicants above it get a firm offer.
- Waiting list. Others may be held on a waiting list until all interviews are finished.
- Ties. If applicants are tied around the threshold, the school uses other information from the application to decide.
Fees
Buckingham is the only independent university in the UK with a Royal Charter.
- Tuition. The course page lists fees from £41,500 a year for UK students and from £47,000 a year for international students.
- Deposit. £10,000, non-refundable, and it counts toward first-year fees. It is returned if you do not meet your offer conditions.
- Loans. UK tuition fee loans for this course are limited to the provider maximum, currently £6,525, whatever the fee.
How to apply and whether you need UCAT
You can apply to the MBChB through UCAS or directly through the university's website.
- Either route works. The school's selection standards say the process works the same way whichever route you choose.
- UCAS codes. The university's institution code is B90 and the MBChB is listed as 71A8.
- No fee, late deadline. The course page says there is no application fee and that you can apply until shortly before the course starts.
- January 2027 deadline. The university's general how-to-apply page lists it as to be confirmed, so check the course page before you plan around a date.
You do not need UCAT. Buckingham is not on the UCAT list of member universities, and its MBChB and selection pages do not ask for any admissions test.
Dates for January 2028 entry
The MBChB starts in January only. The course page currently lists a January 2028 start and says upcoming selection dates will be posted soon.
The school says it holds many selection days in each admissions cycle.
Earlier intakes, as a guide
The medical school's applicant site listed selection days for the previous intakes. Dates for January 2028 entry are not yet published.
- January 2026 entry. MMA and MMI days roughly every one to two weeks from late September to mid-December 2025.
- January 2027 entry. MMA days on 18 November, 4 December and 18 December 2025.
The Pre-Med route
Buckingham also runs a one-year CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies, starting in September.
- Its own MMI. Entry to the Pre-Med year includes a digital MMI selection stage.
- Moving on to Medicine. Pre-Med students must make a separate Medicine application and score at least 70% overall to be eligible for a Medicine offer.
- No second interview. The course page says they do not need to interview again for the medical school.
How to prepare
- Read Good Medical Practice. The school builds its selection tasks around it, so know its main themes and be ready to link your examples to them.
- Practice the MMA side too. The selection policy says it tests analysis, interpretation and judgement. Get used to reading a short scenario or a set of data, spotting what matters and explaining a sensible decision in a few clear steps.
- Know why Buckingham. The school says it trains doctors to be highly ethical, honest and compassionate and to put the patient first. Its Narrative Medicine strand pairs each student with a patient they keep in touch with, so have a real example that shows those values.
Set up for an online interview. Test your camera, microphone and internet the day before, have your photo ID ready, and log in early, since lateness can cost marks.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a MMA + MMI (online) station, written for applicants to University of Buckingham Medical School. They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
What do you understand by probity in the context of the GMC's Good Medical Practice, and why is it important for a medical student to show it?
Define probity plainly as honesty and integrity, then give a concrete student example such as accurate attendance records or honest exam conduct.
You notice a fellow medical student signing the attendance sheet for a mandatory lecture and then leaving straight away. How does this relate to Good Medical Practice, and what would you do?
Talk to the student first and find out why, explain the honesty issue, and say when you would escalate if it kept happening.
Doctors have a professional duty of candor, to be open and honest with patients when something goes wrong in their care. Why do you think doctors sometimes find this difficult in practice?
Name real pressures like fear of blame or upsetting the patient, then explain why openness still protects patients and trust.
You are working as a barista. You accidentally gave a customer regular milk instead of oat milk. The customer, who has a mild dairy intolerance, is now at the counter feeling unwell. Speak to the customer.
Check they are safe first, apologize clearly without excuses, and offer practical next steps.
Tell me about a time you saw a patient struggling with a long-term condition or disagreeing with their care plan. How did the team handle it, and what did you take away?
Show you listened to the patient's view as a person, not just the condition, and name one thing you would copy.
A large study finds that people who regularly use sunscreen have higher rates of skin cancer than people who don't. Does this mean sunscreen causes skin cancer? Explain what might be going on.
Separate correlation from cause and name a likely confounder, such as more sun exposure in people who use sunscreen.
Frequently asked questions
Is the Buckingham medicine interview online?
Yes. The school's selection standards say all its Multiple Mini Assessments and Multiple Mini Interviews are conducted online. You need photo ID, and arriving late can cost marks.
Does Buckingham require UCAT?
No. Buckingham is not a UCAT member university, and its MBChB and selection pages do not ask for any admissions test. You are first judged mainly on your academic record.
How many stations are in the Buckingham MMI?
Buckingham does not publish the number of stations or how long each one lasts. It says the MMI is a circuit of tasks linked to the GMC's Good Medical Practice, with each station scored against a checklist.
Can I apply to Buckingham medicine directly instead of through UCAS?
Yes. You can apply through UCAS (MBChB code 71A8) or directly on the university's website, and both routes go through the same selection process.
When are Buckingham medicine interviews?
Buckingham holds many selection days through each cycle, and the course starts in January. Dates for January 2028 entry are not yet published. For January 2026 entry, selection days ran from late September to mid-December 2025.
Sources
Official pages only, read on the date shown. Schools change their process every year, so check the school's own page before you apply.
- University of Buckingham: MB ChB Medicine (4.5-year degree) · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham: Selection Days · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences: Standards for Admission and Selection (policy approved 2024, Word document) · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham Medical School: Selection procedures · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham Medical School: applicant home page and selection days · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham: How to apply · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham: Term dates · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham: CertHE in Pre-Medical and Health Studies · read October 23, 2026
- University of Buckingham: About Buckingham · read October 23, 2026
- UCAT: Universities · read October 23, 2026