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This subject is essentially the study of diseases and how they affect human beings. It is a vast field that encompasses the causes, nature and treatment of disease, a degree course will instil in you the life skills essential to being a good doctor. It is also a suitable qualification for a wide range of more general careers. Students are typically drawn equally from graduates (any subject), school-leavers and mature students. On many degree programmes the only minimum requirement for entry is an A level in Biology or an equivalent qualification.
|Courses allow students the flexibility to combine specialism and their own special areas of interest to meet their professional development needs. The subject is taught through a structured learning programme that encourages students to become more responsible for their own study, thereby helping them to develop their own self-directed learning skills.
The curriculum educates students in what they need to know and understand so that they will be able to respond to and deal with problems presented by patients in a range of health care settings. Individual university medical schools have their own standards and requirements, it is therefore advisable to consult with the medical schools directly to seek clarification on what you will be taught. You will explore all aspects of medicine, from diagnosis to ethics to management, this is done through lectures, GP placements. Front-line clinical and teaching experience is a major component of undergraduate programmes, with medical schools working hard to encourage and assist undergraduates at this vital stage of the course. Medical students in the UK, who take this course and successfully pass it will obtain the following qualifications; MBBS; MBBS/BSc; MBChB; MBBCh; BMBS, collectively these are usually referred to as a "first MB".
Medicine degree course overview
This course is designed to educate and train students to become doctors and senior healthcare professionals. With many modules designed in consultation and partnership with major employers like the NHS and other professional bodies.
Teaching is done through a combination of approaches, including lectures, seminars and tutorials, as well as clinical teaching on the wards in hospitals, clinics and general practices. A considerable part of your study will be through scenarios and real clinical problems with live patients, from an early stage of the course, much of this patient contact is provided through hospital placements.
Typical course modules and areas of study on a medicine degree
- Health Sciences
- Child Health
- Foundations of Biomedical Sciences
- Basic Laboratory and Scientific Skills
- Biology of the Mind
- Introduction to Pharmacology
- Human Endocrinology
- Introduction to Microbiology
- Advanced Scientific Skills
- Advanced topics in Medical Sciences
- Biomedical Nanotechnology
- Physiology of Absorption and Excretion
- Topics in Medical Science
- Cancer biology
- Cellular Cardiology
- Drug discovery preclinical to practice
- History of the body
- Inherited Disorders
- Retinal Screening – Diabetes
- Health Services Management
- Medical Education
- Public Health
- Musculoskeletal Care
- Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery
- Cardiovascular research
- NeuroscienceBSc Medical Sciences
Students will learn about
- The history and philosophy of medicine.
- Clinical abilities.
- Bedside manners.
- Handling and retrieval of information
- Health promotion and disease prevention
- Patient management
- Practical procedures
- Legal responsibilities
- Clinical reasoning and judgement.
- Clinical sciences and underlying principles.
- A doctor's role in the health service.
Students will learn how to
- Apply acquired medical knowledge to practical situations.
- Talk to patients in a professional, compassionate and understanding manner.
- Identify if a illness is part of a pattern.
- Work within multi disciplinary teams.
- Solve these problems through group and individual work.
- Understanding a disease or problem from the patient’s perspective.
Medicine personal statement
Below is a medicine personal statement written by one of our writers. You can use this example to gain an idea of how to structure and put together your own one. You are strongly advised not to copy or plagiarise it, instead use it as a resource to inspire your own creative writing.
Medicine personal statement example 1
"I have a thirst for medical knowledge, a burning passion to succeed and a strong desire to become a knowledgeable, trusted and approachable doctor. I want to bring huge change in to my life and also into the lives of many other people.
To me being a doctor is a privileged position, and I have always had a long-held ambition to become one. It is this strong desire that I feel will motivate and sustain me through the coming years of academic and clinical study. I fully understand that although it is a demanding and challenging role, is also a very rewarding one, and I am eager to take my place as a competent physician. I have always envisaged a career related to healthcare, medical research, hospital laboratories, hospital administration, or management in world or national health organisations. My experiences to date have proved to me that I am cut out for this type of work, with the patient always being at the core of what I do.
I consider my strongest points to be my enthusiasm, stamina, tenacity, initiative and resilience. I am mature enough to be able to deal with the stresses, frustrations and disappointments that studying this subject will undoubtedly bring. By nature I am a very curious person who has a strong desire for intellectual exploration, and who possess the mind-set to continue to learn throughout my career.
At college I studied Biology at A level, and found the content really interesting due to the theoretical and practical nature of the subject. I have attained the required grades from my time at college, and learnt a host of other transferable skills. For instance I learnt how to properly evaluate the quality of medical evidence used in arguments and how to use it to get a point of view across. On a more personal level I also discovered that I studied better when given deadlines for coursework, I found they can help me to keep on top of work, by forcing me to improve time management and efficiency. It was at college that I realised that medicine was for me, and my time there has fully prepared me for university life.
During my summer break I worked as a volunteer at a community health care centre. I helped to support the full time staff by visiting patients at their homes, where I had friendly conversations with them, read to them and generally provided companionship. In the office I performed administrative duties, updated medical records, greeted and directed visitors and patients. I was also involved in launching public health campaigns, vaccinations projects, and at breast examination clinics. It was through all of this experience that I came to realise just how important medical research is to the field of medicine.
My ambition is to become a competent doctor in the modern health service. I am to do this by enrolling at an exciting medical school that is steeped in the latest research and which will inspire me with its teaching. I want tutors to be with me every step of the way, through the course to qualification and throughout my career.
For me one of the best things about studying medicine is the fact that everyone who will be on a course wants to be there. It’s not an easy subject that people drift into, and what this means is that you will always be with like minded people who will be there to support and motivate you.
After spending a considerable amount of time researching, visiting and reading up on all of my options, I feel that your university is the ideal place for me to study medicine. Your institution has a reputation for superb medical facilities and for providing support to students at every stage of their studies. It is a leader in preparing students to become highly competent and confident doctors. On a visit to your medical school, a team spirit was very much in evidence, and I firmly believe yours is one of the most forward thinking medical schools in the UK."
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