Medicine

Apply yourself in a wide range of clinical settings, learn from patients and discover how you can provide the best possible care. You can develop the skills, knowledge, attitudes and behaviours to make a real difference in healthcare.

Our MBChB Medicine course is designed to give you the clinical skills, knowledge, professional behaviours and attitudes to become an excellent doctor. It is taught over five years and divided into four phases.

In phase one, you will develop a detailed understanding of the systems of the human body – cardiovascular, musculoskeletal, nervous, reproductive, etc. You will study the normal structure and function of these systems, as well as covering topics such as medical ethics and public health. In practical sessions, you will start to develop key clinical skills and learn how to work with doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals. Placements begin with a series of ten half-days you will spend in general practice throughout your first year, starting in week two.

Phase two begins with a six-week research project, where you will work with a professional researcher to solve a medical problem. You will then start to build up your medical science knowledge by learning about disease symptoms, diagnosis and treatment, covering topics such as pathology, microbiology, immunology and pharmacology. You will continue to gain clinical skills (for example, taking blood from a patient), develop your understanding of medical law and ethics, and complete another set of ten placements in general practice.

Later in phase two, you will learn how to take patients’ histories and conduct physical examinations, as you begin to spend most of your time in hospital wards, operating theatres and outpatient clinics. You will spend 12 weeks on a longitudinal hospital placement and become part of a clinical team, attending ward rounds, surgical operations, pathology meetings and outpatient clinics. After this, you will have the opportunity to do voluntary work with patient or community groups, to develop your understanding of healthcare issues in wider society.

During phase three, you will continue to work in general practice during community placements, and complete hospital placements based on sub-specialities including children’s health (paediatrics), women’s health (obstetrics and gynaecology), mental health (psychiatry), critical and emergency care, and multiple other specialist areas. We also offer intercalation options that allow you to build up your research skills, develop your knowledge of surgical practice or complete a masters degree in a specialist topic.

Phase four begins with a programme of lectures to consolidate your clinical knowledge, and includes two more longitudinal placements to fully prepare you for a final clinical examination and life as a junior doctor.

Why study this course?

• Learn in real clinical settings: Clinical teaching takes place in a wide variety of hospital wards, GP surgeries and clinics, and you’ll complete placements throughout the degree.

• State-of-the-art training facilities: You will build up your practical knowledge at our dedicated Clinical Skills Centre, which includes simulated wards, resuscitation suites and theatres.

• Practice with patients: On our Patients as Educators programme, students spend time with patients to practice taking histories and conducting examinations, while gaining a deeper understanding of different conditions.

• Informed by the latest research: As well as clinicians and teachers, our medical school is home to scientists working on treatments for heart disease, neurodegenerative illnesses and cancer, as well as experts in epidemiology, public health and health economics.