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Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) has announced a new guaranteed interview scheme for students studying at any sixth form or college across Sussex who apply to its undergraduate medicine degree.

Under the scheme, applicants to the BSMS BM BS (Medicine) course who are currently studying at any sixth form or college in Sussex will be guaranteed an interview, provided they meet the required eligibility criteria.

To qualify, students must:

• Meet BSMS's standard GCSE requirements and be on track to achieve either the standard A-level (or equivalent) offer, or a contextualised adjusted offer where applicable.
• Apply to BSMS through UCAS using course code B74 by the relevant deadline.
• Sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in the year of application.
• Achieve a Band 1, 2 or 3 in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) component of the UCAT.

The new scheme has been introduced at a time when many prospective students are facing increasing financial pressures and are weighing the costs associated with moving away from home to attend university.

Darren Beaney, Head of Admissions at BSMS, said: "We know that many aspiring doctors want to study close to the communities where they have grown up and built their support networks. At the same time, the rising cost of living means that affordability is an increasingly important factor when young people are deciding where to study. For many talented students, being able to remain closer to home can make a medical degree a more realistic and accessible option." 

"As the medical school for Sussex, we are committed to supporting local learners and ensuring that talented students are not deterred from pursuing a career in medicine because of financial pressures or perceived barriers. By guaranteeing interviews for eligible applicants studying at Sussex schools and colleges, we hope to encourage more local students to apply, demonstrate their potential and take the next step towards becoming doctors."

Students interested in applying can find full details of the admissions requirements and application process on the undergraduate pages of the BSMS website.