1. What makes Queen Mary's Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry different from typical "MBBS abroad" options?
+It is a GMC-recognised UK medical degree with roots to 1843, not a lower-cost entry route, priced and structured accordingly.
Queen Mary University of London houses the medical school in Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, one of the longest-standing UK medical schools. The origins of Barts date back to St Bartholomew's Hospital Medical College opened in 1843, while the Royal London Hospital, whose land has been providing healthcare since 1123, is considerably older. The modern medical faculty came into being in 1995 following the merger of the two London medical colleges and subsequent joining Queen Mary University of London.
Nowadays, lectures take place at three main sites: Whitechapel, Charterhouse Square, and Mile End. The Whitechapel site focuses on the Royal London Hospital and Blizard Institute, while the Charterhouse Square site is linked to St Bartholomew's Hospital. Most of the university environment is available at Mile End.
The five-year MBBS program features a spiral curriculum where medical subjects are introduced in progressively more complex iterations. The first two years are devoted to Body in Health and Mechanisms of Disease through a combination of scientific basics and problem-based and team-based learning. Years 3 and 4 have a strong emphasis on clinical practice via hospital-based training, primarily at Royal London and associated East London hospitals. In Year 5, students work on Preparation for Practice and acquire greater responsibility in clinical practice prior to entering the Foundation Programme.
Clinical experience starts relatively early rather than being delayed till the latter stages. Students interact with patients as soon as the first term and complete a great number of Student Selected Components throughout the five-year program to allow exploring individual medical interest alongside the core curriculum.
Admission is certainly the biggest challenge for international applicants. As of the academic year 2026-27, there are approximately 311 Home places and just 24 Overseas places on the five-year MBBS program at Queen Mary University of London.
The standard academic requirement is A*AA at A-level, including Chemistry or Biology, or 37 points in the International Baccalaureate with 6, 6, 6 at Higher Level. Applicants need to pass the UCAT test. According to recent data, international candidates have to have outstanding UCAT results, the scores being around the top end of the scale.
It is important to understand that the NEET exam is not a part of the UK's medical admission process. The admission to Queen Mary University of London is based on the university's admission criteria. However, the NEET qualification and India's National Exit Test become relevant in a separate capacity when it comes to using the obtained medical degree for practicing medicine in India.
The financial expense is huge. The tuition fees of international students were around £48,700 for the intake of 2025-26, while the subsequent published schedules had around £50,000 or even higher depending on the academic year and the study level. Thus, tuition alone over five years is going to exceed £250,000. Moreover, Queen Mary University of London might increase the fees for continuing international students according to its published policies.
Scholarship possibilities are quite limited compared to the overall cost. For instance, the John Abernethy Scholarship grants approximately £5,000 per year but is granted to just a few medical and dental students. Therefore, it can be considered additional financial aid rather than a means of decreasing the cost of the degree significantly.
Living in London is costly as well. Medical students can get accommodation around Whitechapel and Charterhouse Square, the published 2026-27 accommodation prices being around £177 to £329 per week depending on the residence and room type. Additional expenses like food, transportation, insurance, flights, and others should be added on top.
In return, the student gets the GMC-recognized UK medical degree from the Russell Group research university combined with clinical training in major East London hospitals. In particular, the Royal London Hospital provides an opportunity to interact with a diverse patient population, while the whole environment of Queen Mary University of London enables access to biomedical research facilities.
Thus, for an Indian student, the key benefit is not low cost but access to the UK medical system. The graduates will be able to pursue the goal of GMC registration and potentially enter the UK medical training. At the same time, the students planning to return to India have to independently satisfy the NMC requirements including the relevant NEET and National Exit Test.
On balance, Barts and The London School of Medicine can be seen as a premium UK medical education rather than the "MBBS abroad" offer. The strengths include historic clinical institutions, research environment, early patient contact, integrated curriculum, and pathway into the UK medical training. The main weaknesses consist of the extremely small international intake, highly competitive UCAT-based selection, London living costs, and tuition of up to £250,000 over five years. Therefore, Barts and The London cannot be seen as a sensible alternative for families seeking affordable foreign medical education, but it becomes a much more attractive option for students targeting UK medical training.
