Medicine

At Cambridge, we offer two medicine courses – the Standard Course and the Graduate Course. With both, our aim is to educate students to become compassionate, thoughtful, skilled members – and leaders – of the medical profession.

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Overview

Medicine at Cambridge

Success in medicine requires application and hard work, both while studying and when in practice. However, it brings great rewards in terms of job satisfaction, involving as it does a combination of science and human interactions, and numerous career opportunities.

Our medicine courses provide the education and training required to be one of tomorrow’s doctors, reflecting the latest advances in medical sciences and practice.

Graduates are entitled to hold provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) with a licence to practise, subject to demonstrating to the GMC that they are fit to practise. To achieve full registration as a doctor, you must complete a two-year period of satisfactory service in a Foundation Programme post and continue to meet fitness to practise requirements.

NHS Bursaries

NHS Bursaries are available for eligible Medicine students from Year 5 of the Standard Course (A100), or from Year 2 of the Graduate Course (A101). See the NHS Student Bursaries website for further information.

Courses available

If you don’t already have a degree, you can apply for the Standard Course in Medicine (A100).

If you’re a graduate wanting to study Medicine, you have several options:

you can apply as an affiliated student (taking the pre-clinical component of the Standard Course (A100) in two years instead of the usual three) to one of Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund's or Wolfson Colleges
you can apply to the accelerated Graduate Course in Medicine (A101) to Hughes Hall, Lucy Cavendish College or Wolfson College
you can apply for both the Standard Course in Medicine (A100) and the Graduate Course in Medicine (A101). However, if you choose to do so you must apply to the same College for both courses (ie Lucy Cavendish or Wolfson)

The MB/PhD Programme

Designed for Standard Course (A100) medical students who are planning a career in academic medicine, the MB/PhD Programme intercalates three years of research with the three years of clinical studies in Cambridge. See the MB/PhD website for more details.

Postgraduate Foundation Programmes

The Clinical School works closely with Health Education East of England to provide Foundation Programmes as the first part of postgraduate education. During your Foundation Programme, usually at the end of Year 1, you receive full registration with the GMC provided that you can demonstrate that you are fit to practise medicine.

Careers

Most UK graduates go on to work in the NHS, and about half become general practitioners. There is a broad spectrum of hospital-based careers across medical, surgical and other specialisms, but healthcare is moving towards a more community-centred model of delivery, and consequently doctors are increasingly expected to deliver healthcare in a range of settings.

Course Outline

Medicine Course Outline

At Cambridge, you study the medical sciences first, before learning to apply that knowledge to medical practice as a clinical student.

The first three years (pre-clinical studies) are taught through lectures, practical classes (including dissections) and supervisions, with typically 20-25 timetabled teaching hours each week. The emphasis during the clinical studies in Cambridge is on learning in clinical settings: at the bedside, in outpatient clinics and in GP surgeries, which is supported by seminars, tutorials and discussion groups.

The public expect their doctors to be knowledgeable and well informed so assessment plays a significant role throughout. Your ongoing progress is reviewed weekly and termly by your College supervisors. Formal assessment, which determines your ability to proceed with the course, includes written and practical examinations, coursework submission and clinical assessments.

Successful completion of the first three years leads to a BA degree and on successful completion of the clinical studies in Cambridge you are awarded two degrees, the Bachelor of Medicine and the Bachelor of Surgery (MB, BChir).

Years 1, 2 and 3 (pre-clinical studies)

Years 1 and 2

In Years 1 and 2, the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos (MVST), you study the medically-relevant core scientific knowledge and skills needed as a medical professional.

Taught by some of the world’s top academic scientists, we provide you with the scientific basis that will allow you to develop your medical career to the full, whether your aim is to deliver outstanding patient care or whether you wish to contribute to clinical academic medicine, combining research and teaching with clinical duties to push forward the boundaries of health care.

The main areas of learning in the MVST are covered by courses in:

Functional Architecture of the Body – involving examining and dissecting the human body, and includes living anatomy, and the use of modern imaging techniques
Homeostasis – covering the physiological systems which underpin the body's regulation of its internal environment and its responses to external threats. You also have related practical classes in experimental physiology and histology
Molecules in Medical Science – looking at the chemical and molecular basis of how cells and organisms work
Biology of Disease – dealing with the nature and mechanisms of disease processes
Mechanisms of Drug Action – providing an understanding of the basic mechanisms of drug action at the levels of both drug-receptor interactions and the effects on body systems
Neurobiology and Human Behaviour – covering the structure and function of the sense organs and central nervous system, the effects of drugs on brain function, and various psychological aspects
Human Reproduction – looking at the biology of the human reproductive system, its social context, and its influence on demographic trends

The clinical strand of the MVST involves:

Introduction to the Scientific Basis of Medicine – covering epidemiology and how it is applied in medicine
Social Context of Health and Illness – an introduction to the broader cultural aspects of healthcare and the medical profession in Britain, working with patients and colleagues, both in hospital and in the community
Preparing for Patients – which involves meeting patients in general practice (Year 1), in a hospital setting (Year 2), and through visiting community-based health-related agencies (Years 2 and 3)

Read more about the MVST on the Faculty of Biology website.

Year 3

You specialise in one of a wide range of other subjects offered by the University (sometimes known elsewhere as intercalation) to qualify for the BA degree. Options include:

Part II Biological and Biomedical Sciences in Natural Sciences (offering a range of subjects such as Pathology, Physiology, Zoology, History and Ethics of Medicine)
a single Part II Natural Sciences subject
a subject less obviously related to medicine, such as Anthropology, Management Studies or Philosophy

Preparing for Patients continues in your third year, regardless of the subject you choose to study. During this year you follow a woman and her family through her pregnancy.

Years 4, 5 and 6 (clinical studies)

Clinical studies are based at Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust. As well as being a tertiary hospital with an international reputation for medical excellence, Addenbrooke's is the site of several major biomedical research institutions. You also spend time in other regional NHS hospitals throughout East Anglia and in general practices in Cambridge and the surrounding region.

Throughout the clinical studies, you build on your biomedical science education; developing the knowledge, skills and attitudes required to practise clinical medicine. Following an introductory course, each of the three years has its own focus – core clinical practice (Year 4), specialist clinical practice (Year 5) and applied clinical practice (Year 6) – and is built around several major themes, including:

communication skills, patient investigation and practical procedures
therapeutics and patient management
core science, pathology and clinical problems
evaluation and research
professionalism

During the clinical studies, you have weekly small-group ‘clinical supervisions’ with junior doctors to develop and monitor your clinical skills.

Read more about the clinical studies on the course website.

Entry Requirements

Typical offers require

A Level: A*A*A
IB: 40-41 points, with 776 at Higher Level

You may enter up to four medical courses in your UCAS application. Your remaining choice can be used for an alternative course without prejudice to your commitment to medicine.

Course requirements

All undergraduate admissions decisions are the responsibility of the Cambridge Colleges so, in addition to the guidance below, check College websites for College-specific requirements. See also Entrance requirements and our Subject Matters leaflet leaflet for additional advice about general requirements for entry, qualifications and offers.

Please note that in the following ‘science/mathematics subjects’ refers to Biology/Human Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics. It does not include Psychology.

Please also see Key Criteria for Medical Admissions.

GCSEs

Students wanting to study Medicine must have achieved:

grade C or above in GCSE (or equivalent) Double Award Science and Mathematics
two single awards in GCSE Biology and Physics may be substituted for Double Award Science

AS and A Levels

Applicants must have AS or A Level passes in Chemistry and two of Biology/Human Biology, Physics, Mathematics. At least one pass must be at A Level.
Most applicants for Medicine at Cambridge have at least three science/mathematics A Levels and some Colleges require this and/or particular subjects. See individual College websites for details.

Although some Colleges consider applicants offering only two science/mathematics subjects at A Level (or equivalent), please note that the success rate of such applicants is much lower.

In the past three admissions rounds, 98 per cent of applicants for Medicine (A100) offered three or more science/mathematics A Levels and, of these, 24 per cent were successful in obtaining a place. Of the two per cent of applicants who offered only two science/mathematics A Levels, just 10 per cent were successful in gaining a place.

International Baccalaureate

The GCSE and AS/A Level subject requirements also apply to the IB.

Individual Middle Years Programme subject results validated by the IB at grade 4 or above will satisfy the GCSE requirements.
Standard Level subjects will satisfy AS Level subject requirements, and Higher Level subjects will satisfy A Level subject requirements.

Other examination systems

We expect applicants taking other recognised examinations to demonstrate a level of understanding in science and mathematics roughly equivalent to those applying with A Levels. Refer to the Entrance requirements page for details of other qualifications and please consult any College Admissions Tutor for further advice.

Please note that only 22 places are available each year for overseas fee status students.

Graduate entry

Graduates may apply for the Standard Course (A100) as an affiliated student to one of Lucy Cavendish, St Edmund’s or Wolfson Colleges with:

a good Honours degree (II.1 or above, science subjects provide the most useful preparation)
passes at GCSE and AS/A Levels (or equivalent), as above

Alternatively, UK and EU graduates from any discipline (who also satisfy the above, including A Level Chemistry, normally passed within seven years of entry) may apply to the accelerated Graduate Course in Medicine (A101).

Work experience

To develop understanding of what a career in Medicine involves and your suitability for your intended profession, you’re strongly advised (though not required) to undertake some relevant work experience (either paid or voluntary) in a health or related area. We aren’t prescriptive about how this is obtained, recognising the widely differing opportunities available.

Selection requirements

You must be a keen scientist, with a sound scientific understanding. As selection for medical school implies selection for the medical profession, admissions decisions are informed by national guidance on what makes a good doctor, for example, the Medical Schools Council's Consensus Statement on the Role of the Doctor and Guiding Principles for the Admission of Medical Students.

Applications from students who have failed at or been excluded from another medical school will not normally be considered for entry to Medicine at Cambridge.

Professional expectations

The GMC has certain expectations regarding the attitudes, behaviour and performance of medical students. Trainee doctors at Cambridge must satisfy the GMC's fitness to practise requirements, both when applying and throughout the course. These requirements are in place to ensure the safety of patients.

Your age

Students under the age of 18 cannot undertake any clinical elements of the Medicine course, which start in the second term of first year at the latest. Therefore, students must have reached the age of 18 by the start of the second term of Year 1 to be eligible to apply for Medicine.

Disclosure and Barring Service check

All offers of a place on a Medicine course for UK students are subject to a satisfactory enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (previously called an enhanced CRB check). Overseas students are asked to provide similar evidence.

Where courses may involve regular access to children and/or vulnerable adults, students are legally required to undergo an enhanced DBS check. The University will send further instructions on registering with the DBS as part of the admissions process.

Minor misdemeanours will not necessarily prevent you from entering the medical profession but you should declare these in your UCAS application and you will be sent the relevant forms to complete if you are offered a place.

More details can be found on the University's Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) webpage and on the Faculty of Biology website.

Your health

Doctors, even as students and trainees, have a responsibility to be honest and open about their own health and all successful applicants are required to complete a confidential occupational health assessment. A questionnaire will be included with your offer letter and, once completed, should be returned to the University's Occupational Health Service.

Your answers to the health questionnaire help to ensure that your medical training will not place your own or others' health at risk and determine, in terms of fitness to fulfil the requirements of the General Medical Council (GMC), your suitability to work as a doctor. The Undergraduate Standards and Guidance can be found on the GMC website.

The assessment is also to inform the University of any long-term health conditions or disabilities that you have which require specific support, so that this can be in place before you start the course.

Vaccinations for medical school

The University requires all prospective medical students be immunised against certain infectious diseases to meet health and safety standards required to work with patients. You will be sent details of the vaccination programme with your offer.

Blood-borne infections

In accordance with Department of Health guidelines and NHS requirements, you will be offered blood tests to check that you are not infected with Hepatitis B, Hepatitis C and HIV before you can be cleared to participate in certain surgical procedures.

If you are infected, you will be allowed to continue with the course but will not be allowed to partake in surgical practices on patients known as 'exposure prone' procedures. It will not prevent you from qualifying or practising as a doctor, except for a restriction on exposure prone procedures.

Disability, specific learning difficulties (SpLDs) and health conditions

A disability, SpLD or long-term health condition needn't prevent you from becoming a doctor if you can satisfy the professional fitness to practice requirements.

In these circumstances, please contact a College Admissions Tutor as early as possible to discuss your needs and the course requirements. Such disclosures are considered independently of academic qualifications and the interview process.

The University's Disability Resource Centre (DRC) can provide general advice and guidance to prospective and current students with a disability, SpLD or long-term health condition.

Admissions tests and written work

The table below summarises what each College typically requires of applicants for this subject – see individual College websites for further details. For general information about these methods of assessment and why they’re used, see the main Admissions tests and written work page.

All Colleges require Standard Course (A100) applicants to take the Bio-Medical Admissions Test (BMAT).

Applicants are responsible for registering for the BMAT by 1 October 2015, which means you must enter for the BMAT before submitting your UCAS application by 15 October.

The BMAT will be taken on 4 November 2015.

Information about the BMAT and how to register are available from the BMAT website.

College	Assessment of applicant for this subject
Christ's	BMAT
Churchill	BMAT
Clare	BMAT
Corpus Christi	BMAT
Downing	BMAT
Emmanuel	BMAT
Fitzwilliam	BMAT
Girton	BMAT
Gonville & Caius	BMAT
Homerton	BMAT
Hughes Hall	BMAT
Jesus	BMAT
King's	BMAT
Lucy Cavendish	BMAT
Magdalene	BMAT
Murray Edwards	BMAT; School/college essay for overseas applicants
Newnham	BMAT
Pembroke	BMAT
Peterhouse	BMAT
Queens'	BMAT
Robinson	BMAT
St Catharine's	BMAT
St Edmund's	BMAT
St John's	BMAT
Selwyn	BMAT
Sidney Sussex	BMAT
Trinity	BMAT
Trinity Hall	BMAT
Wolfson	BMAT

Resources

Find out more about Medicine at Cambridge

Department of Medicine - Explore Medicine in more detail on the department website.

School of Clinical Medicine - The website for the School of Clinical Medicine.

Faculty of Biology - Explore Biology in more detail on the faculty website.

Preparatory reading and basic science concepts - A run-down of the basic concepts you will be expected to be familiar with during your first year, and guidance on preparatory reading.

Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience - Department of Physiology, Development and Neuroscience website.

Medical Students Handbook - A general introduction to the Cambridge course, aimed at successful applicants who are accepted to study Medicine at the University.

Costs of Studying Medicine or Veterinary Medicine at Cambridge - Information on the additional costs associated with the study of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine.

Preparing for BMAT - BMAT cannot be 'crammed' for; however, basic familiarity with a test's question and answer style will help you prepare.

Rules and legal compliance - All offers to study Medicine or Veterinary Medicine are dependent on an enhanced disclosure from the Disclosure and Barring Service (formerly the Criminal Records Bureau) for UK applicants.

General Medical Council - Information from the General Medical Council.

NHS Student Bursaries - Bursary information from the NHS.

Disclosure and Barring Service check - Information about the Disclosure and Barring Service check.

General Medical Council Undergraduate standards and guidance - Information about Undergraduate standards and guidance from the GCM.

KIS

Unistats Information

Contextual Information

From September 2012, every undergraduate course of more than one year's duration will have a Key Information Set (KIS). The KIS allows you to compare 17 pieces of information about individual courses at different higher education institutions.

However, please note that superficially similar courses often have very different structures and objectives, and that the teaching, support and learning environment that best suits you can only be determined by identifying your own interests, needs, expectations and goals, and comparing them with detailed institution- and course-specific information.

We recommend that you look thoroughly at the course and University information contained on these webpages and consider coming to visit us on an Open Day, rather than relying solely on statistical comparison.

You may find the following notes helpful when considering information presented by the KIS.

The KIS relies on superficially similar courses being coded in the same way. Whilst this works on one level, it leads to some anomalies. For example, Music courses and Music Technology courses can have exactly the same code despite being very different programmes with quite distinct educational and career outcomes.

Any course which combines several disciplines (as many courses at Cambridge do) tends to be compared nationally with courses in just one of those disciplines, and in such cases a KIS comparison may not be an accurate or fair reflection of the reality of either. For example, you may find that when considering a degree which embraces a range of disciplines such as biology, physics, chemistry and geology (for instance, Natural Sciences at Cambridge), the comparison provided is with courses at other institutions that primarily focus on just one (or a smaller combination) of those subjects.

Whilst the KIS makes reference to some broad types of financial support offered by institutions, it cannot compare packages offered by different institutions. Different students have different circumstances and requirements, and you should weigh up what matters to you most: level of fee; fee waivers; means-tested support such as bursaries; non-means-tested support such as academic scholarships and study grants; and living costs such as accommodation, travel.

The KIS provides a typical cost of private (ie non-university) accommodation. This is very difficult to estimate as prices and properties vary. University accommodation can be substantially cheaper, and if you are likely to live in College for much or all of the duration of your course (as is the case at Cambridge), then the cost of private accommodation will be of less or no relevance for you. The KIS also provides the typical annual cost of university accommodation and the number of beds available. Note that since most universities offer a range of residential accommodation, you should check with institutions about the likelihood of securing a room at a price that suits your budget. Knowing the number of beds available is not necessarily useful: it may be much more important to find out if all students are guaranteed accommodation.

Time in lectures, seminars and similar can vary enormously by institution depending on the structure of the course, and the quality of such contact time should be the primary consideration.

Whilst starting salaries can be a useful measure, they do not give any sense of career trajectory or take account of the voluntary/low paid work that many graduates undertake initially in order to gain valuable experience necessary/advantageous for later career progression.

The above list is not exhaustive and there may be other important factors that are relevant to the choices that you are making, but we hope that this will be a useful starting point to help you delve deeper than the face value of the KIS data.

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Undergraduate Study