Ulster Medicine Interview (MMI): GAMSAT, Format and Dates
Ulster's 4-year graduate entry MBBS shortlists on GAMSAT (50+ per section, invitees averaged 59), then runs an MMI. You get two MMI attempts at most.
Ulster's 4-year graduate entry MBBS (UCAS code A101) picks applicants for interview on GAMSAT. You need at least 50 in each section plus an overall score above a threshold set each year, and invitees from 2020 to 2025 averaged 59 overall. Shortlisted applicants then sit a Multiple Mini Interview (MMI), and you can only sit the Ulster MMI twice in total.
Key facts (2027 entry)
- Course
- Medicine MBBS (A101), a 4-year graduate entry course at the Derry~Londonderry (Magee) campus. It starts on 16 August 2027.
- Who can apply
- Graduates with at least a 2:1 honours degree in any subject, or a Master's with at least 60% overall. School leavers cannot apply.
- Admissions test
- GAMSAT, not UCAT. At least 50 in each section plus an overall threshold set each year. Sittings from March 2023 to September 2026 count for 2027 entry.
- Format
- Multiple Mini Interview (MMI). Ulster does not publish the number of stations, their length or whether the 2027 MMI is online or in person. For 2026 entry, Ulster said the interviews would be virtual.
- When
- The UCAS equal consideration deadline was 15 October 2026. Ulster does not publish MMI dates for 2027 entry. For 2026 entry, it said interviews would be in January 2026, with offers in February 2026.
- Who gets priority
- Applicants ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. There are fewer places for applicants from Great Britain, and international applicants are welcome.
- Attempts
- No limit on applications, but a maximum of two attempts at the Ulster MMI.
What the MMI is like
Shortlisted applicants must pass a Multiple Mini Interview. Ulster says the MMI is how you show the personal qualities a doctor needs.
What Ulster has said about the format
- Not on the 2027 page. Ulster's 2027 course page does not give the number of stations, how long each lasts, the dates or whether the interview is online or in person.
- 2026 entry. Ulster's Salam Scholarships page said MBBS interviews would be virtual and take place in January 2026, with offers sent in February 2026.
What the 2021 interview covered
The best official guide to the content is Ulster's feedback on the 2021 cycle, which may have changed since. That year the MMI ran online, with a test session on the morning before to sort out IT problems.
Each MMI followed a blueprint of 8 questions, one for each of these areas:
- Communication skills
- Initiative and resilience
- Insight and integrity
- Empathy
- Teamwork
- Organization and problem solving
- Preparation and motivation for a medical career
- Ethical and moral reasoning
What assessors noticed in 2021
- Communication decided most. Communication stations were the most discriminating and tracked most closely with who got an offer.
- Empathy. Assessors said many applicants did not understand what empathy is.
- Course knowledge. A high proportion did not know the key features of Ulster's MBBS course.
- Non-disclosure. Applicants who interviewed signed a non-disclosure agreement.
How you get an interview
Ulster shortlists for interview on GAMSAT, the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test.
The GAMSAT bar
- Each section. You need a score of at least 50 in each section.
- Overall threshold. You also need to beat an overall GAMSAT threshold, which is set each year based on who applies.
- What it took. The average overall GAMSAT score of applicants invited to interview between 2020 and 2025 was 59.
- Sittings accepted. For August 2027 entry: March 2023, September 2023, March 2024, September 2024, March 2025, September 2025, March 2026 and September 2026.
Where you live
- Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland. Priority goes to applicants who are ordinarily resident there.
- Great Britain. There is a smaller number of places, and that number changes each year depending on the applicant field.
- International. Ulster encourages international applicants who want to work as doctors in Northern Ireland.
Not shortlisted before? If you have applied more than once and were not shortlisted, Ulster suggests resitting GAMSAT, because your score may not be competitive enough.
Offers, attempts and fees
- Weighting. Ulster does not publish how GAMSAT and the MMI are weighed when offers are made.
- Conditions. Offers depend on a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure from AccessNI (or another relevant authority) and occupational health clearance.
- Two MMI attempts. You can apply as many times as you like, but you can only sit the Ulster MMI twice. If you have done it twice without an offer, a further UCAS application is unlikely to be considered.
- No feedback. In 2021 the school said it does not give individual feedback to unsuccessful applicants.
- Fees. Fees for 2027/28 have not been announced yet. Tuition fee loans are available to eligible students from Northern Ireland and the Republic of Ireland.
- Placement levy. International students also pay a clinical placement levy each year, which was £12,133 in 2026/27.
Who can apply
Ulster's MBBS is a graduate entry course, open to science and non-science graduates. School leavers cannot apply.
- Degree. At least a 2:1 honours degree in any subject, or a Master's degree with at least 60% overall.
- Timing. Your degree must be finished by the end of June in the year you start, with results confirmed by mid July.
- GCSEs. English Language and Maths at grade C or 4 or above, or the equivalent.
- Non-science graduates welcome. Ulster says applicants from non-science backgrounds bring useful skills and experience.
- Past medical study. As a general rule, Ulster will not consider you if you have studied, or are studying, at another medical school. There is an exception for applicants who withdrew because of extenuating circumstances, such as a health or caring problem, if they explain this in their UCAS personal statement.
Why Northern Ireland matters here
Ulster's medical school is funded by the Northern Ireland Executive to help with a shortage of doctors in Northern Ireland.
- Placements. They happen in GP surgeries and hospital trusts across Northern Ireland, and GP placements start from week 4.
- Partner school. Ulster set up the course with City St George's, University of London as its partner medical school.
- A full medical degree. The MBBS is a primary medical qualification, so graduates can apply for provisional GMC registration and UK Foundation Programme posts.
You do not need to know the NI health system. Like other UK medical schools, Ulster expects you to show insight into the work of a doctor and a commitment to working as a doctor after you graduate.
Dates for 2027 entry
- UCAS deadline. The equal consideration deadline for Ulster's MBBS was 15 October 2026.
- Late applications. Ulster may also accept UCAS applications after that date from applicants registered for the March 2027 GAMSAT who want the August 2027 intake. It says details will follow after 15 October 2026.
- March 2027 GAMSAT. Registration opens in November 2026.
- MMI dates. Ulster does not publish them for 2027 entry.
- Start date. The course starts on 16 August 2027, and late arrival is only allowed in exceptional circumstances.
How to prepare
- Practice out loud. Do not just plan answers in your head. Rehearse explaining things clearly, listening and responding to how the other person feels.
- Know Ulster's course. Graduate entry, 4 years, problem-based learning in small groups, patient contact from week 4 and placements across Northern Ireland.
- Know why you want this. Be ready to explain why you want to work as a doctor after you graduate, and what your first degree and life experience bring.
- Show what empathy looks like. Use real examples from your work, caring or volunteering where you noticed how someone felt and changed what you did because of it.
Rehearse communication most. Communication was the station that separated applicants most in 2021.
Practice questions
Questions in the style of a MMI station, written for applicants to Ulster University (School of Medicine). They are practice questions, not the school's own. Open one for what a strong answer does.
You coordinated the volunteers at a charity event. You put two volunteers in charge of the cash box but forgot to give them the keys, and the stall lost an hour of donations. Explain this to the charity's director.
Own the mistake straight away, explain what happened without excuses, and suggest how you will make up for it and stop it happening again.
Tell me about a time you had a challenging interaction with someone living with dementia, and how you adapted the way you communicated with them.
Show what you noticed about how the person felt, the specific changes you made, and what you learned about patience and empathy.
Many applicants talk about exciting procedures they saw. Instead, tell us about a routine or mundane part of a doctor's day that you observed, and why it matters.
Pick something ordinary like notes, handover or phone calls and link it to patient safety and teamwork, which shows real insight into the job.
Tell us about a time you saw different professionals, such as nurses, doctors and allied health staff, working well together. What made the team work?
Name the roles involved, say what each person did, and draw out one lesson you would bring to a team as a doctor.
An elderly woman with moderate dementia has a gangrenous toe and the team recommends amputation. She cheerfully refuses, saying it will heal with herbal tea. How should the team decide whether she can refuse?
Explain how capacity is assessed for this one decision, respect her views, and say what happens in her best interests if she lacks capacity.
Burnout and retention are major challenges for the NHS workforce. Apart from pay, what could hospitals do to keep newly qualified doctors and support their wellbeing?
Give specific, realistic ideas and show you understand why keeping doctors in a region matters to the patients who live there.
Frequently asked questions
Does Ulster medicine use UCAT or GAMSAT?
GAMSAT. Ulster's MBBS is graduate entry, and you need at least 50 in each GAMSAT section plus an overall score above a threshold set each year. Invitees from 2020 to 2025 averaged 59 overall.
How many stations are in the Ulster MMI?
Ulster does not publish a station count for 2027 entry. In the 2021 cycle, each MMI followed a blueprint of 8 questions, one each on areas like communication, empathy, teamwork and ethics.
Is the Ulster medicine interview online?
Ulster's course page does not say whether the 2027 MMI is online or in person. For 2026 entry, Ulster said the MBBS interviews would be virtual, in January 2026. The 2021 MMI also ran online, with an IT test session the morning before.
Can I apply to Ulster medicine from England, Scotland or Wales?
Yes, but priority goes to applicants ordinarily resident in Northern Ireland or the Republic of Ireland. There is a smaller number of places for Great Britain applicants, and it changes each year.
How many times can I sit the Ulster MMI?
Twice at most. You can apply as many times as you like, but after two MMIs without an offer, a further UCAS application is unlikely to be considered.
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.
- Ulster University: Medicine MBBS, 2027/28 entry · read October 23, 2026
- Ulster University: The MBBS Graduate Entry Medicine programme · read October 23, 2026
- Ulster University School of Medicine: 2021 Entry Admissions Feedback · read October 23, 2026
- ACER: GAMSAT test dates and registration · read October 23, 2026
- Ulster University: The Salam Scholarships (MBBS 2026/27 interviews and offers) · read October 23, 2026