University of Aberdeen Medical School
Introduction
The University of Aberdeen offers students the opportunity to study medicine in a thriving medical school that is co-located on one of the largest clinical sites in Europe with superb teaching and extensive research facilities.
Our Medical Programme aims to produce excellent doctors who will be able to assimilate and apply new knowledge throughout their careers and who will themselves contribute to the advancement of medicine.
The course you will undertake will form part of a new revised curriculum that will utilise the resources available in a new state-of-the-art Teaching and Learning Centre - the Matthew Hay project, close to the Medical School on the Foresterhill site. In addition to hosting timetabled teaching, this superb development allows for students to access anatomy and clinical skills facilities throughout their undergraduate curriculum for their own revision.
The curriculum is supported by an e-learning platform - My MBChB. This is a web-based intranet resource for students to support their learning throughout their undergraduate years and can be accessed by students from all clinical and university campuses as well as from outside these areas. Material available includes administrative information such as timetables, educational resources such as teaching videos and podcasts, and bulletin boards for students to exchange information and post notices.
Joining the Aberdeen MB ChB Course - Year 3
You will join existing Aberdeen students at the beginning of the third year of study
The St Andrews curriculum is very similar to that delivered during the early years at Aberdeen, except that you will have the added experience of your Honours' project. Extra teaching will be given in certain clinical areas as part of a Bridging Course tailored to the needs of St Andrews students, to ensure that your clinical skills will match those of your new Aberdeen colleagues.
A novel feature of Year 3 will be a 6 week Medical Humanities module, a unique opportunity for full time study in an area that will help give students a different perspective on medicine. Students can chose from a variety of subjects which currently include Spirituality, History of Art, Literature and Medicine and Modern Languages for Medical Students.
The Aberdeen MB ChB Curriculum - Years 4 & 5
In Year 4 (one third of 3rd year and all of 4th yr), your diagnostic and management skills are developed through clinical practice and contact with patients. You undertake nine five-week clinical blocks that will ultimately cover all the body systems and give you experience of all major medical specialties. These clinical opportunities are based in hospitals and the community, in and around Aberdeen and Inverness. Students undertake up to two clinical blocks in Inverness.
Year 5 (final year) is very much an apprentice year that prepares you for the competent, safe, effective and professional practice of medicine as a pre-registration foundation doctor. You will gain extensive clinical experience during three attachments in medicine, surgery and GP/psychiatry over the widest of locations. Worldwide locations are commonly sought during the project-based elective. Prior to qualification, professional skills will be enhanced by undertaking two Professional Practice blocks.
Clinical Placements
Clinical experience is central to teaching and you will be able to undertake arguably, the most widespread and diverse clinical placements in the UK. There are clinical campuses at Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin and Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, and all students undertake hospital-based clinical placements outside Aberdeen. Exciting new placements are now on offer across the Highlands and Islands in locations such as Fort William, Stornoway, Wick, Orkney and Shetland. This variety of placements allows our students to experience not only inner-city medicine, but also gives a unique opportunity to see how health care is delivered in areas far removed from large teaching centres.
Our new Remote and Rural Option has been developed to be undertaken in Years 4 and 5 for students with a special interest in careers in a Remote and Rural setting. These students undertake their clinical attachments within more distant locations. The R&R option is based at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness where a new clinical skills centre and library have been built.
Our extensive network of teaching general practices around Scotland also gives students opportunities to experience patient care in a community setting.
Further Information
Student Electives
In your final year, you may choose to travel virtually anywhere in the world to undertake an 8-week project-based Elective. The organisation & planning of the Elective commences in Phase III, when much advice is available for its development.
Student Support
The course with its 'Culture of Care' has been highly rated by outside bodies including the GMC, who were impressed by the "enthusiasm & commitment of the staff", "enthusiasm & loyalty to the school of the students" and by the excellent student support offered.
Every medical student is assigned to a senior member of staff, their Regent, who meets with his or her students regularly. The Regent is available to provide support and guidance on any personal or academic problem that a student may have throughout the course. In addition, the Regent acts as a mentor to help with the student's professional development e.g. identifying strengths and weaknesses, career advice, preparing a Curriculum Vitae, and in the transition from junior to senior student to junior doctor.
The Great Outdoors
There is a wealth of world class facilities available that cater for most possible sporting & social activities around Aberdeen. Please see here.
There is also a very active Medical Student Wilderness Society which has in recent years organised summer trips to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Inca Trail in Peru, incorporating studies of altitude sickness.
Accommodation
From Year 3, many students elect to share one of the many houses or self-catering flats available for rent near to the Foresterhill site. When students undertake clinical attachments out-with Aberdeen, they usually maintain a home-base locally, but whenever possible, accommodation and travel is paid for during distant placements by University or NHS sources. For information about private rented accommodation see: http://www.ausa.org.uk/
For information about university accommodation see:
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation.php
See also:
University of Dundee Medical School
Introduction
The University of Dundee Medical School and Ninewells Teaching Hospital are fully integrated, offering an up-to-date and well-equipped clinical training facility on your doorstep. Other valuable experience is provided by attachments to hospitals and general practices in the region as well as some others around Scotland and the rest of the UK.Â
Joining the Dundee MB ChB Course - Year 3
In 2010 and 2011, due to similarities in the two curricula, we were able to offer a 'transfer' course which enabled St Andrews students to progress directly into 4th year. However, this proved challenging, both for students who needed to focus on their St Andrews course and administratively for the medical schools. Thus, from 2012 entry St Andrews transfer students will join the Dundee 3rd year cohort and graduate after a further 3 years training as they do in other centers. There will no longer be an option to complete in two years.
The Dundee MB ChB Curriculum
The undergraduate curriculum in Dundee has a great reputation and for good reason. Please check out the following websites to learn more about what Dundee offers.
For further information please see Dundee Medical School's website
University of Edinburgh College of Medicine & Vetinary Medicine
Introduction
The Medical School was established in 1726 and over the centuries has expanded to meet the needs of the profession. It has a history of being at the forefront of research, for example in 1847 James Young introduced chloroform anaesthesia which revolutionised obstetric and surgical practices, and continues to this day to be internationally renowned for its research. The curriculum aims to equip graduates with the knowledge, understanding, skills and competences required for medical practice as a Foundation Year 1 doctor and a subsequent career of life-long learning.
The College is based in the Chancellors' Building at Little France and is linked to the new Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. The lecture theatres, seminar rooms and clinical skills laboratory are all state of the art. There is a library and computer facilities in the Chancellor's Building. Whilst further library facilities are available at the University's Main Library and the medical libraries based at the Royal Hospital for Sick Children, the Royal Infirmary Library and the Western General Hospital Library. The Medical Education Centre and other new developments at the Western General Hospital also provide a clinical skills training area and computer laboratories.
There is a dedicated virtual learning environment, the Edinburgh Electronic Curriculum (EEMeC). This contains all programme information and computer assisted learning and self-assessment packages, and provides discussion pages for students.
The Edinburgh MB ChB Curriculum - Year 3
Students graduating from St Andrews will join the Edinburgh MB ChB course in Year 3. Year 3 comprises a carousel of four modules (Cardiovascular, Locomotor, Respiratory and Student Selected Component) which address clinical medicine and the process of health care delivery. Teaching is based within hospital departments. The modules are integrated in a system-based framework incorporating biomedical and clinical science. In each module there will be an emphasis on team-work and learning together. Clinical skills acquired during the first two years will be further developed.
The first week of the year will comprise introductions and the basic principles of the vertical themes in clinical context, in particular Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics and Public Health. The second week of the vertical theme programme will comprise teaching and learning in clinical context reflecting on your own clinical experience to date. The vertical themes of Communication Skills, Medical Ethics, Personal Professional Development and Psychological Aspects of Clinical Practice will feature strongly. It is hoped these weeks will provide a platform from which you will gain confidence in applying the principles of these 'Vertical Themes' to your experiences in the system-based modules and your portfolio case reports.
Each of the modules lasts 7 weeks and is taught in rotation. During the first 20 weeks of the academic year students will have clinical skills sessions on Communication Skills and Practical Clinical Skills & Procedures. During the latter 10 weeks of Year 3, there will be an introduction to clinical skills in a psychiatric context.
Year 3 also has a Student Selected Component known as SSC 3. This part of the course will help you to value the roles and expertise of other health and social professionals. Each module will include a formal assessment of core medical knowledge.
The Edinburgh MB ChB Curriculum - Year 4
In this year you will encounter a wide variety of medical specialities and learn a large number of new skills. There are two large 'stand alone' blocks and two groups of shorter attachments which jointly contribute to 'Assessment 4'. Teaching takes place in Edinburgh and in a number of hospitals in other parts of Scotland.
Because of the varied nature of the subjects being taught there are significant differences in the style of assessment used by the different modules. In addition students will undertake an SSC4 project (this should already have been arranged with a supervisor) and be asked to write case reports. This allows us to assess other aspects of your performance which are relevant to the practice of medicine. While much of the assessment is knowledge based, there will also be elements which test core competencies. Those who fail will have to resit their exams at the end of the year and are at risk of missing their elective periods.
At the end of the year, in week 43, we will provide teaching on subjects which are not covered elsewhere. In addition you will pre-register with the GMC during this week, something which is essential for you to progress to a career in Medicine.
The Edinburgh MB ChB Curriculum - Year 5
In year 5, students will apply and develop the knowledge and competencies which they have gained in the previous four years. There will be a strong emphasis on the preparation for the Foundation Year 1 Doctors (FY1) and this will be fostered by periods of house officer shadowing. Year 5 students should be capable of assisting a doctor in a clinic, ward, surgery or operating theatre and should become valued members of the healthcare team. Students will experience the challenges of primary, secondary and tertiary care and will be helped to develop the expertise to manage patients in their preparation for practice.
Specialist rotations in year 5 will include attachments that will provide students with the experience of management of clinical problems from the neonate to the elderly individual. Placements will be undertaken with the emphasis on integrating the student into the healthcare team in the community, the district general hospital and the teaching hospital.
Further information
Student Electives
The Elective may be undertaken in either Great Britain or abroad. Electives may be research or clinically orientated and generally take the form of an attachment to a hospital or to a medical school department, enabling a student to pursue an individual interest in a specialty or other area of clinical study in greater depth.
Student Support
Students will be allocated a Director of Studies. The principal function of the DoS is to help you derive maximum benefit from your University Studies. In addition the DoS play an important role in following your progress through your medical degree programme and can give you guidance in some aspects of your personal development.
Year Directors and Co-ordinators
Year Director - each year of the MBChB programme is under the charge of a Year Director, who is responsible for all academic matters. This includes implementing relevant University or College policy decisions and convening the Year teaching group, which makes decisions affecting academic content and structure.
Year Co-ordinator is responsible for providing administrative support and works closely with the Year Director and College Office. The Year Co-ordinators have daily contact with students and staff who deliver teaching.
Accommodation
For more information on Accommodation Services please go to
http://www.accom.ed.ac.uk/
See also
http://www.mvm.ed.ac.uk
University of Glasgow Medical School
Introduction
The Faculty of Medicine in the University of Glasgow offers a modern undergraduate curriculum based on student-centred learning, and Case-based learning techniques, within a state of the art Medical School building. Medical students at the University of Glasgow also experience placements in a number of hospitals throughout the Glasgow area and beyond. The University is a centre for research excellence in many areas, both laboratory and clinical, and there are ample opportunities for medical students to benefit from these highly regarded fields within Student Selected Components and electives.
The aim of the course is to equip you with the personal attitudes, theoretical knowledge and practical skills for a career in clinical practice. You will develop the ability and desire to undertake a lifelong process of self-evaluation, education and training.
The Glasgow MB ChB Curriculum - Year 3
Year 3 consists of:
- Introductory Week
Case-based Learning Sessions
- Clinical Practice
- Clinical Skills
- Clinical Rotations
- 5 weeks medicine
- 5 weeks surgery
- Student Selected Component
- Communication and Clinical Skills
- Longitudinal Care Project (LCP)
The Glasgow MB ChB Curriculum - Years 4 and 5
The programme in Years 4 and 5 is designed to reinforce and develop further the knowledge, attitudes and skills you have acquired in Years 1-3. The principal core component will be a series of clinical attachments, based in a number of hospitals and the community.
Clinical Placements
You will undertake a rotation of attachments:
- Special Study Modules
- Medicine
- Surgery
- Surgical Specialities
- General Practice
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Paediatrics
- Psychiatry
The clinical rotations are designed to cover the core components that are required after graduation during the Foundation Programme. However, for those interested in a particular area, additional opportunities exist to develop skills further by studying the topic as part of an SSM or elective. You will be assigned to an educational supervisor for the duration of the attachment, who will be responsible for taking an overview of your requirements and advising on how these could be realised.
Further Information
Student Selected Component (Year 4)
Senior Elective (End of Year 4)
Preparation for Practice (Year 5)
Towards the end of Year 5 there will be a 9 week Preparation for Practice block which involves 3 weeks on campus, followed by 6 weeks, usually in the hospital where you will have your first FY1 post.
Further Information
Electives
You will undertake two four-week periods of elective study in the summer after Years 3 and 4. These will be in subjects and locations of your choice, but are designed to enable you to develop your own interests and experience medical environments other than those provided on the course.
Student Support
Students are allocated to an Adviser of Studies and will normally remain with the same Adviser for the duration of their undergraduate career. Advisers can provide pastoral support to MBChB students requiring assistance, advice or information. Prospective students wishing to discuss any issues relating to support should contact Mrs Gillian Laird, Medical School Administrator, in confidence (g.laird@clinmed.gla.ac.uk).
Accommodation
Prospective students wishing to enquire about University accommodation should contact Residential Services directly on 0141 330 4743 or visit here.
See also
http://www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/medicine
University of Manchester Medical School
Introduction
The medical undergraduate programme at Manchester produces excellent well rounded scholars, scientists, professionals and practitioners. Graduates of Manchester Medical School meet the core requirements as junior doctors and also, through personalised themes, create a bespoke education suited to their areas of interest.
The MBChB programme is divided into 3 Phases. A wide variety of teaching and learning methods are used but the key approach is the study of clinical cases or problems in small groups. This activity is supported throughout the three Phases by lectures, practical classes (including anatomy dissection) and clinical experience. Throughout all Phases science and clinical learning is integrated, so that graduates are able to apply scientific knowledge and concepts to clinical practice.
Joining the Manchester MB ChB Course
St Andrews' graduates and third year students from the University of Manchester combine to begin their clinical training together in Year 3 of the Manchester MB ChB course.
The Partnership between St Andrews and the Manchester Medical School has existed for over 30 years. Students from St Andrews find that the Medicine course integrates very successfully with the excellent clinical training they receive at Manchester Medical School.
You can be confident therefore, that your transfer to the University of Manchester will be smooth, exciting and eagerly anticipated!
The Manchester MB ChB Curriculum - Years 3-5
Year 3 consists of a major clinical skills review and modules on 'heart, lungs and blood' and 'nutrition, metabolism and excretion' and also special study modules.
Year 4 builds on and extends the skills learned in the previous year, and the major themes of 'mind and movement' and 'family and children'. There is also the opportunity to pursue a research option, where you work one-to-one usually with clinical staff.
Year 5 supports your progression from medical student to house officer and aims to help you apply your knowledge and sharpen your skills. It involves a series of placements to district general hospitals where you will shadow the house officers.
One of the eight-week modules is an elective that allows you to follow any approved subject with a medical content that captures your imagination. There are opportunities for electives within the North West, but most students choose to study elsewhere - many overseas, where they can broaden their experience, investigate different forms of health service delivery or see a different spectrum of illness.
Clinical Placements - base hospitals
Students progressing to the University of Manchester for the second phase of their training (after completion of three years at St Andrews) will undertake their clinical training in one of four Teaching Hospital Sectors based in Manchester, Salford or Preston:
Each Teaching Hospital Sector (or Health Education Zones) comprises a major teaching hospital, associated District General Hospital and Primary Care placements.
Students will be allocated to one of the four Teaching Hospital Sectors during the St Andrews programme, prior to entry to Manchester.
The Manchester MB ChB Curriculum - European Studies
In addition to studying on the MB ChB, St Andrews' students can apply to enroll on the European Studies option whereby students undertake a substantial placement at a university in Europe. Students may enter this programme with the appropriate qualifications.
For further details, please see 'European Option Handbook'.
Further Information
Student Electives
The elective period in Year 5 gives students the opportunity to explore a field of medical practice of particular interest to them in an unfamiliar setting where the scientific, social, economic or cultural standards are different, often abroad or outside the North West.
Student Support
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentlife/studentsupport/
Accommodation
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/accommodation/
University of Manchester Fee information:
http://www.manchester.ac.uk/undergraduate/studentfinance/
See also
http://www.medicine.manchester.ac.uk/
University of Alberta, Faculty of Medicine and Dentistry (FoMD)
Introduction
The Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta in Edmonton has a history of success in world-class research, education and patient care. Established in 1913, it is now home to 20 departments, seven divisions, and many research groups, centres and institutes.
Today, the faculty is one of Canada's premier health sciences institutes and known internationally for its innovative medical education programs and for advancing medical knowledge through scientific research. With more than 50 residency programs, students are offered an abundant diversity of choices.
Attachment to the FoMD, University of Alberta
As part of the A990 programme (St Andrews/Edinburgh/Alberta programme) students will spend 16 weeks attached to the FoMD at the University of Alberta, Edmonton during the later stages of their MB ChB training. It is anticipated that the attachment will include:
- An extended period of clinical training in disciplines expected to enhance the students' learning
- An enhanced orientation to the Canadian healthcare system
- An opportunity to train for the MCCEE / MCCQE
- Further guidance on the process of application for a residency place enhancing the learning previously delivered in Scotland
Further details
leaflet and regulations