Medicine MBBS BSc

London, Bloomsbury, London, Hampstead (Royal Free Hospital) and London, Archway (Whittington Hospital)

Study the Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) with us to become a highly capable, patient-centred clinician, grounded in science and best practice. You will be joining a prestigious medical school in the heart of London and be taught by internationally renowned educators and researchers. This integrated course takes five years (if you already have a BSc) or six (if you don't).

UK students International students
Study mode
Full-time
Duration
6 academic years
UK tuition fees (2024/25)
£9,250
Overseas tuition fees (2024/25)
£50,300
Programme starts
September 2024
Application deadline
16 Oct 2023
UCAS course code
A100

Entry requirements

Grades
A*AA
Subjects
Biology and Chemistry required with either at grade A*.
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.

Contextual offer information

Grades
AAB more about contextual offers
Subjects
Biology and Chemistry required at grade AA
GCSEs
English Language and Mathematics at grade B or 6.
Points
39
Subjects
A total of 19 points in three higher level subjects including 6 and 7 in Biology and Chemistry, in either order. No higher level score below 5.

Contextual offer

Points
36 more about contextual offers
Subjects
A total of 17 points in three higher level subjects, including Biology and Chemistry at minimum score 6. No score higher level below 5.

UK applicants qualifications

For entry requirements with other UK qualifications accepted by UCL, choose your qualification from the list below:

Equivalent qualification

Pass in Access to HE Diploma (Medicine) from the College of West Anglia, with a minimum of 36 credits at Distinction and 9 credits at Merit, all from Level 3 units. We are aware there are other courses which are now part of the QAA Subject Descriptor pilot. We may be able to accept applications from candidates studying on these approved courses and ask that you contact us directly before applying.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

D2,D3,D3 in three Cambridge Pre-U Principal Subjects. Chemistry and Biology required with either at D2.

A1,A,A at Advanced Highers (or A1,A at Advanced Higher and A,A,A at Higher), to include Chemistry and Biology at Advanced Higher with either at A1.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Not acceptable for entrance to this programme.

Successful completion of the WBQ Advanced Skills Challenge Certificate plus plus 2 GCE A levels at grades A*AA. To include Chemistry and Biology with either at A*.

International applications

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

Resits

This programme does not accept resits. A resit is a second or subsequent attempt to improve a qualification outcome, for which you already hold an award. For further information on what UCL considers a resit, please see UCAS explained.

 

Additional tests

BMAT

Student applying for Medicine must take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT).


Access and widening participation

UCL is committed to widening access to higher education. If you are eligible for Access UCL you do not need to do anything in addition to the standard UCAS application. Your application will be automatically flagged when we receive it.

English language requirements

The English language level for this programme is: Level 4

Information about the evidence required, acceptable qualifications and test providers can be found on our English language requirements page.

A variety of English language programmes are offered at the UCL Centre for Languages & International Education.

Course overview



Our goal is to educate 'The UCL Doctor'. A highly capable, and patient-centred clinician, equipped to practise medicine in a professional, inclusive, and sustainable way grounded in science and best practice.

The six-year integrated programme comprises a series of compulsory modules, designed to fulfil the General Medical Council's 'Outcomes for Graduates'.

You will have extensive clinical contact throughout, with patients and doctors, and other healthcare professionals, learning all about key health problems, clinical presentations and patient pathways.

Each year of study is themed to prepare you for clinical practice:

  • Year one: Fundamentals of Clinical Science 1
  • Year two: Fundamentals of Clinical Science 2
  • Year three: Integrated BSc
  • Year four: Integrated Clinical Care
  • Year five: The Life Cycle and Specialist Practice
  • Year six: Preparation for Practice.

UK graduates are exempt from the integrated BSc and will complete the programme in five years. Other students will study the course over six years, leading to the awards of Bachelor of Science (BSc) and Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS).

In addition to the horizontal themes in each year, Clinical and Professional Practice (CPP) modules run throughout the MBBS programme. Students also can choose from a variety of options during the course, as well as take part in a medical elective in year six.

What this course will give you

  • As a student of medicine at UCL, you are joining a prestigious medical school which has educated doctors since 1834 and now produces 350 distinctive 'UCL Doctors' each year.
  • Located in the heart of London and working closely with several major teaching hospitals, it provides a world class undergraduate medical education.
  • Six former students and staff have been awarded Nobel Prizes. Medical advances have included the discovery of adrenaline, the immune system, the hormone aldosterone, and auto-immune disease.
  • Students can expect high quality teaching by internationally renowned educators, research leaders and an extensive team of NHS teachers, whose aim is to provide the best possible student experience.
  • UCL has one of the widest ranges of integrated BSc opportunities in the UK.

Teaching and learning

In each year of your degree you will take a number of core modules: Year 1 and 2 each carry 120 credits and Year 4-6 each carry 180 credits, awarded on the basis of the end of year assessments. Year 3 (IBSc) carries 120 credits awarded on the basis of module assessments. Although a 30-credit module is considered equivalent to 15 credits in the European Credit Transfer System (ECTS), MBBS modules are not currently transferrable.

Upon successful completion of the 780 MBBS credits, you will be awarded a MBBS degree. Upon successful completion of the 120 iBSc credits, you will be awarded a BSc (Hons) in the programme undertaken (except graduate entrants with UK degrees).

Modules

Please note that the list of modules given here is indicative. This information is published a long time in advance of enrolment and module content and availability is subject to change. Modules that are in use for the current academic year are linked for further information. Where no link is present, further information is not yet available.

The MBBS is a six-year integrated programme comprising five years of undergraduate medicine and one year of BSc study for non-UK-graduate entrants. Each of the MBBS years comprises a series of core modules and placements relating to the themes listed below. The integrated BSc year comprises core and optional modules relating to the individual BSc undertaken. Sample programmes and modules are shown below.

If you already have a UK Bachelor’s degree, you move directly from year two to year four.

Year one: Fundamentals of Clinical Science 1

  • Foundations of health and medical practice
  • Infection and defence
  • Circulation and breathing
  • Fluids, nutrition, and metabolism.

Year two: Fundamentals of Clinical Science 2

  • Movement and musculoskeletal biology
  • Neuroscience and behaviour
  • Endocrine systems and reproduction
  • Genetics development and cancer.

Year three: Integrated BSc

Year four: Integrated Clinical Care

  • General medicine and general surgical placements in hospital and in the community.

Year five: The Life Cycle and Specialist Practice

  • Specialist practice including women's and men's health, paediatrics, psychiatry, and General Practice.

Year six: Preparation for Practice

  • Emergency medicine, general medicine, general surgery, long term conditions and General Practice
  • Preparation for practice module
  • Medical elective.

Clinical and Professional Practice (CPP) modules run through the entire MBBS programme and include core learning in Anatomy and Imaging, Clinical Skills and Practical Procedures, Doctor as Data Scientist, Pathological Sciences, Use of Medicines, Mental Health, Social Determinants of Health, Ethics and Law, Clinical Communication Professionalism, Patient Safety and Patient Experience.

In years one and two, you can pursue your interests and develop a range of generic skills in areas such as science, research, humanities and arts through Student Selected Components. In year six, you can take the elective overseas and experience medicine in other healthcare environments.

A small number of highly motivated and able students also have the opportunity to obtain a PhD on our MB PhD programme, in addition to the integrated BSc and MBBS degrees.

Integrated BSc

The integrated BSc (IBSc) year allows you to study an individual subject of your choice in depth and develop your research skills through an extended research project. IBScs are reviewed annually and currently include the following programmes:

  • Medical Sciences with Anatomy and Cell and Developmental Biology
  • Medical Sciences with Cardiovascular Sciences
  • Medical Sciences with Clinical Sciences
  • Medical Sciences with Global Health
  • Medical Sciences with History & Philosophy of Science & Medicine
  • Medical Sciences with Human Genetics & Genomics
  • Medical Sciences with Immunology, Infection and Cell Pathology
  • Medical Sciences with Mathematics, Computers and Medicine
  • Medical Sciences with Medical Anthropology
  • Medical Sciences with Medical Physics & Biomedical Engineering
  • Medical Sciences with Neuroscience
  • Medical Sciences with Oncology
  • Medical Sciences with Orthopaedic Science
  • Medical Sciences with Paediatrics & Child Health
  • Medical Sciences with Pharmacology
  • Medical Sciences with Physiology
  • Medical Sciences with Physiology & Pharmacology
  • Medical Sciences with Policy, Communication & Ethics
  • Medical Sciences with Primary Health Care
  • Medical Sciences with Psychology
  • Medical Sciences with Sports & Exercise Medical Science
  • Medical Sciences with Surgical Sciences
  • Medical Sciences with Women's Health.

Your learning

A large proportion of your degree is spent learning with, and from, a wide range of healthcare professionals and patients during placements, both centrally at UCL, and at our many placement provider sites in and around London.

A variety of teaching and learning methods are used throughout the programme, including small group activities, lectures, self-paced and computer-assisted learning, practical work, patient and community-based learning, and private study.

Anatomy and Imaging form a significant part of early years teaching, and are taught through a combination of dissection, prosection and computer simulation.

Early patient contact is provided in years one and two. Years 4-6 are taught mostly in the clinical workplace.

The UCL MBBS programme complies with the requirement for medical students to complete 5,500 practical and theoretical hours during the course.

Excluding the compulsory iBSc in year three, the MBBS has a total of 191 weeks including exam weeks and 4,688 hours of taught or placement time.

The breakdown of taught / placement hours in each year of study is:

  • Year one: 28.5 weeks of 32 hours (912)
  • Year two: 28.5 weeks of 32 hours (912)
  • Year four: 41 weeks of 32 hours (1,312)
  • Year five: 41 weeks of 32 hours (1,312)
  • Year six: 36 weeks of 32 hours (1,152)
  • Placement time = 106.5 weeks.

We recommend that medical students spend a minimum of 10 hours a week in additional study outside the prescribed course.

Assessment

During the academic year, you will have a variety of assessments including:

  • Formative (mock) assessments, to help inform your learning and to familiarise yourself with the assessment procedures.
  • Summative exams at the end of each academic year, for progression to the next year of the course. These include an Applied Knowledge Test (AKT) and Clinical and Professional Skills Assessment (CPSA).

You will be assessed using a wide range of methods, including:

  • Single-best-answer questions
  • Online cases
  • Practical examinations
  • Clinical examinations
  • Workplace-based assessment, and 
  • A portfolio.

In your final year, you will sit the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) in order to qualify.

Accessibility

Details of the accessibility of UCL buildings can be obtained from AccessAble. Further information can also be obtained from the UCL Student Support and Wellbeing Services team.

Online - Open day

Discover our Medicine MBBS BSc programme at UCL

Find out more about the 6-year MBBS Medicine Degree Programme at UCL, the entry requirements and the selection procedure. This session also has several staff members and students on hand to answer all the queries that you have in relation to medical admissions. There will be a presentation about the programme at UCLMS and entry requirements followed by a Q&A.

The foundation of your career

Your medical degree opens a structured career framework and a wealth of opportunities. You will have access to the UCL Careers Service, and to specialist help and advice through activities provided by the Medical School in each year of the programme.

Employability

The MBBS programme integrates basic medical sciences and clinical sciences with professional skills and competencies throughout, to be able to award a Primary Medical Qualification.

This is your gateway to a multitude of rewarding careers in different medical and surgical specialities and encourages the development of future leaders in healthcare.

The integrated BSc enhances key generic skills including independent learning, critical thinking, scholarly writing, and scientific method, which all contribute to your future career as a clinician scientist.

After graduation, the two-year UK Foundation Programme offers opportunities to gain insight into possible career options or build a wider appreciation of medical practice before embarking on specialist training.

Accreditation

The MBBS is accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC) as a Primary Medical Qualification.

Fees and funding

Fees for this course

UK students International students
Fee description Full-time
Tuition fees (2024/25) £9,250
Tuition fees (2024/25) £50,300

The fees indicated are for undergraduate entry in the 2024/25 academic year. The UK fees shown are for the first year of the programme at UCL only. Fees for future years may be subject to an inflationary increase. The Overseas fees shown are the fees that will be charged to 2024/25 entrants for each year of study on the programme, unless otherwise indicated below.

Fixed fees for Overseas students don't apply. Overseas students pay the fees in 5 annual instalments of £50,300 (2x £34,400 plus 3x £60,900), subject to annual increases of up to 5%.

Full details of UCL's tuition fees, tuition fee policy and potential increases to fees can be found on the UCL Students website.

Additional costs

The nature and length of the MBBS with long clinical placements away from UCL means that you will face some additional costs. These include:

  • Post Office checks (£15.00) when you apply for a Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check (but not the cost of the check itself, which is paid by the Medical School).
  • Some basic personal medical equipment, such as a stethoscope.
  • Travel costs between our three main campuses (UCLH, Royal Free and Whittington Hospitals), to General Practice and Community-based placements in London, and to hospital-based placements in and around London, such as Barnet, Basildon, Luton, North Middlesex and Stevenage.
  • If you choose to take your year six elective overseas, you will need professional negligence insurance, immunisations, personal protection equipment, post exposure prophylaxis and possibly other costs based on your destination.

A guide including rough estimates for these and other living expenses is included on the UCL Fees and funding pages. If you are concerned by potential additional costs for books, equipment, etc., please get in touch with the relevant departmental contact (details given on this page).

Funding your studies

There are many bursaries and scholarships available to MBBS students, mostly based on financial need. Find out more on the Medical School website.

Various funding options are available, including student loans, scholarships and bursaries. UK students whose household income falls below a certain level may also be eligible for a non-repayable bursary or for certain scholarships. Please see the Fees and funding pages for more details.

Scholarships

The Scholarships and Funding website lists scholarships and funding schemes available to UCL students. These may be open to all students, or restricted to specific nationalities, regions or academic department.

Next steps

Your application

Working in a healthcare career can be rewarding and fulfilling, and we encourage candidates from a wide variety of backgrounds to apply to medical school. We seek to select candidates who have the motivation and passion for caring for others, who have an understanding of the rewards and challenges, and who align with the values of the NHS constitution. In addition to your academic achievements, medical schools look for a range of skills and attributes that we believe will make you a well-rounded candidate to study medicine. These include compassion, empathy, personal organisation, honesty, team working, leadership and resilience.

At UCL Medical School, we are looking to train a UCL Doctor: a highly competent and patient-centred clinician, equipped to practise medicine in a professional, inclusive and sustainable way grounded in science and best practice. This vision is underpinned by the values of scholarship, rigour and professionalism. The focus is on the development of the student as a scientifically informed, socially responsible professional who can serve the health needs of individuals and communities.

How to apply

Application for admission should be made through UCAS (the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service). Applicants currently at school or college will be provided with advice on the process; however, applicants who have left school or who are based outside the United Kingdom may obtain information directly from UCAS.

Selection

For further information on UCL's selection process see: How we assess your application.

This programme does not consider applicants who are resitting qualifications.

We recommend that applicants have an understanding of what a career in medicine involves. We advise students to gain any experience that involves working with other people, building relevant skills, and reflecting on the attributes needed and if possible, gaining insight into healthcare professions, to help with their application. Your reflections on what you learnt from your work experience may be assessed at interview and we may request that a small selection of candidates provide evidence of the work experience that they have done. Please also refer to the work experience guidance provided by Medical Schools Council.

We currently use multiple mini interviews (MMIs) as part of our selection procedure. These take place between December and March. On application in October, we will write to all applicants explaining more about our interview procedure and providing guidance for preparation. We recommend that applicants review the interview preparation resources provided by Medical Schools Council.

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