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Medicine MBPhD

London, Bloomsbury

The MBPhD programme combines clinical training in medicine and research training in biomedicine, and produces clinically qualified academics for the future. It usually lasts nine years (adding three years to the six year MBBS) and students graduate with an MBBS which includes an integrated PhD. Clinical tuition is combined during the PhD.

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
UK tuition fees (2022/23)
Fees to be confirmed
Overseas tuition fees (2022/23)
Fees to be confirmed
Duration
3 calendar years
Programme starts
September 2022
Applications accepted
All applicants: 01 Nov 2021 – 16 Feb 2022

Applications closed

Notification

Application closes at 17:00 GMT.

The research element of the programme starts in September, following successful completion of MBBS Year 4.

Entry requirements

The programme is only available to students who are currently undertaking a primary medical qualification (MBBS, MBChB or equivalent) at a UK medical school.

At the point of entry, successful applicants will have:

  • completed at least the first two years of a full five years' primary medical qualification
  • achieved an upper-second or first-class honours degree (or iBSc)
The candidate must satisfy the UCL MBBS academic and non-academic entry requirements.

If your education has not been conducted in the English language, you will be expected to demonstrate evidence of an adequate level of English proficiency.

The English language level for this programme is: Advanced

UCL Pre-Master's and Pre-sessional English courses are for international students who are aiming to study for a postgraduate degree at UCL. The courses will develop your academic English and academic skills required to succeed at postgraduate level. International Preparation Courses

Further information can be found on our English language requirements page.

Equivalent qualifications

Country-specific information, including details of when UCL representatives are visiting your part of the world, can be obtained from the International Students website.

For this programme, please contact our UCL Graduate Admissions team.

About this degree

The Division of Medicine is multidisciplinary and combines excellent facilities with world-leading scientific and clinical expertise. A fundamental aim of the Division of Medicine is to train and inspire the next generation of leading scientists and clinicians. Students benefit from a training environment that fosters collaboration across the interface of basic science with clinical medicine and its practice within our associated hospitals, as well as the pharmaceutical and healthcare industries. Together these provide an excellent educational experience and unrivalled opportunities for networking, career development and eventual employment across the biomedical and healthcare sectors.

Who this course is for

Read about what it takes to become a UCL graduate research student

What this course will give you

Students reading Medicine in the UK who want to get research training as early in their career as possible should consider this programme. The principal advantage of UCL is that we are associated with world-renowned hospitals where much of our translational and clinical research is carried out.

Find out how your research could have an impact

The foundation of your career

MBPhD graduates are typically slightly more mature than regular MBBS graduates, and they will have a strong background in basic human biology with excellent and highly honed presentation and problem-solving skills, making them excellent junior doctors who are welcomed throughout the UK. In later years they are particularly well qualified for clinical research fellow posts where their scientific background gives them a head start over most medical graduates who have had very little or no research training. Graduates can expect to find employment in the NHS, universities, research institutes, the pharmaceutical industry and with private sector employers.

Employability

It is expected that the MBPhD graduate will follow a career that involves research. Some alumni have become full-time researchers with no clinical role, but this is unusual: the majority enjoy clinical work as well. The intense research background makes MBPhD graduates highly eligible for careers in academic medicine, but also in industry, in health policy, and in the financial services industry. After graduating from Medical School, graduates almost always go into junior doctor training posts, often in the 'Academic Foundation' higher stream, later branching out into different medical specialties with varying involvement in research.

Networking

Studying clinical medicine at UCL introduces the student to many first-rate consultants and junior doctors. The research element may place the student in a laboratory with access to scientists working on cutting-edge research. Very commonly there are opportunities for scientific collaboration across London and in other parts of the UK and Europe. Students are encouraged to attend conferences at which further links can be established.

Teaching and learning

Students are initially registered for an MPhil degree. Upgrade to PhD registration is typically assessed via a written report and oral exam.

Research areas and structure

Research environment

The UCL Division of Medicine offers a broad range of basic and translational research training opportunities under the supervision of academics who are world experts in their fields. Collaborative interactions between scientists, clinicians and healthcare industries at national and international levels provide our students with excellent networking and potential future career opportunities.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble accessable.co.uk. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support & Wellbeing team.


Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2022/23) Fees to be confirmed
Tuition fees (2022/23) Fees to be confirmed

Additional costs

There are no additional costs associated with this programme.

For more information on additional costs for prospective students please go to our estimated cost of essential expenditure at Accommodation and living costs.

Funding your studies

For students who are offered a place on the MBPhD programme, the PhD stage is funded by a series of studentships from various sources, many of which are charitable and may specify an area of interest for a research project. Typically, studentships include an annual stipend of approximately £17,500 and UCL home-level fees. A contribution to laboratory costs may also form part of the studentship. Students do not need to have funding in place prior to applying for the MBPhD programme. Please see the funding-bodies page on the MBPhD programme website.

For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.

See all the ways you can fund your studies

Next steps

Students should normally apply to the MBPhD programme in the year prior to starting their clinical training (MBBS Year 4): for UCL students and most external students this will be during their intercalated/ integrated BSc year (MBBS Year 3). Current UCL students may also apply during Year 4. All external applicants are required to undertake MBBS Year 4 at UCL Medical School prior to starting the programme, and must therefore apply to transfer to UCL the year before. External students will also remain at UCL for MBBS Years 5 and 6 upon completion of the PhD. The research degree component of the PhD commences in the September after MBBS Year 4. Our website provides instructions on how to apply. External students should also read the information on transferring to UCL.

Please note that you may submit applications for a maximum of two graduate programmes in any application cycle.

Got questions? Get in touch

Division of Medicine
Division of Medicine

carolyn.cohen@ucl.ac.uk

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