A level: 3 A Levels grade AAB. Chemistry is required plus at least one of Biology, Maths and Physics and one other subject (General Studies excluded). Aberdeen medical school will only usually accept candidates who have been successful in achieving these grades in their first sitting, although exceptional circumstances may be considered.
Scottish Highers: AAAAB. Chemistry plus 2 from Biology, Maths and Physics.
International Baccalaureate: 36 points overall (excluding TOK and bonus points). Chemistry at high level at grade 6 or higher plus one of Biology, Physics, Maths and one other subject.
Applications are processed in four stages. Marks for all stages are added up with a specific weighting:
Only the top 600 applicants based on the above scoring system are likely to be asked to attend for an interview. The interview panel consists of 2 people; the interview lasts approximately 18 minutes and is designed to test qualities such as understanding of issues, problem-solving and analytical skills, enthusiasm interest and motivation to study Medicine and communication skills, as well as any issues left unresolved by the UCAS form.
Offers are made late March to candidates achieving an overall score greater than the pre-determined threshold.
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The University of Aberdeen is one of the few ancient universities in the UK, in fact, the fifth oldest University, with a total student population of about 11,000 studying a real mix of disciplines. The medical school at Aberdeen is over 500 years of medical tradition and now offers a completely modern medical degree programme, with a revamped and relaunched curriculum in 2009, delivered using a systems and case based approach to learning. The medical school is located in the Forestherhill campus which is one of the largest combined teaching and clinical teaching campuses in Europe with a new state-of-the-art fully equipped teaching and learning centre - The Suttie Centre - which opened in 2009. The campus on Foresterhill incorporates the following teaching hospitals:
The medical school at Aberdeen is relatively small compared with others, with an intake of less than 180 a year, which has the advantage that students will know everyone in their year. Students have patient experience and gain clinical skills from Year 1, with the opportunity to experience attachments in both urban and rural environments as well as across the Scottish Highlands and Islands.
There are 18 places available for students who wish to take a Remote & Rural option in Years 4 and 5. This is of particular interest to those students with a special interest in going on to practise medicine in more remote areas and their attachments will take place at the Inverness campus at Raigmore Hospital. In Year 5, they will undertake all their attachments in hospitals including Inverness, Wick, Stornoway, Elgin or Fort William and GP placements in the Highlands, Western Isles, Argyll, Orkney, Shetland and Skye.
SSCs make up about 20% of the course programme at Aberdeen and allow students to following areas of personal interest. The remaining 80% is made up of core material essential for all doctors. SSCs appear in all 5 years of the MBChB programme and there is a wide range of choices available. In Years 1 to 4 SSCs mainly involve group projects, but in Year 5 students will undertake an inpidual project.
The University of Aberdeen medical school undergraduate course is 5 years duration and consists of the following:
Topics covered in Year 1: Foundations of medical sciences, diseases and diseases processes, respiratory and cardiovascular systems, anatomy, physiology and biochemistry of each of the body systems, communication skills. Clinical cases are used to illustrate investigations and treatments. Students will perform clinical examinations for each of the body systems studied within a clinical setting. Students also undertake a Community Course using a network of local GP practices to introduce disciplines such as general practice, public health, mental health, environmental and occupational medicine, care of the elderly and child health and build on their understanding of socio-economic and environmental factors on humans. The first 4-week Student Selected Component (SCC) will be undertaken towards the end of the 1st Year, which will involve project-based small group work and research.
Topics covered in Year 2: Alimentary, urinary, nervous & musculo-skeletal systems, diabetes/endocrine, ENT/max-fax, dermatology, anatomy and clinical skills. Students will continue with the Community Course in Year 2 and the second 4-week SCC will be undertaken which covers molecular mechanisms in disease. Formal teaching comprises mainly of lectures and small-group tutorials. Students will be pided into smaller groups for their anatomy and clinical skills session as well as case-based tutorials and the Community Course. There are practical demonstrations with real or simulated patients in the pre-clinical years.
Examinations in pre-clinical years: Examinations in the pre-clinical years take place in January and June and comprise of short answer questions and Extended Matching Questions. Anatomy and clinical skills are assessed throughout.
Topics covered in Year 3: O&G, breast, psychiatry, paediatrics, dermatology, haematology, ENT, anaesthetics, forensics, genetics and infection. The 6-week SSC allows for a study period on medical humanities and the Community Course continues with one morning every other week in a GP practice.
Topics covered in Year 4: Further diagnostic and management skills of medical conditions affecting body systems through weekly rotations in a single specialty, split into 9 blocks of 5 weeks. During each block, students attend various clinical settings including wards, out-patient clinics, general practices and operating theatres. Students will be based in Aberdeen with at least one clinical block undertaken in Inverness. Students opting for the Remote & Rural Option will have Inverness as their main base. Year 4 SSC will consist of an epidemiological-based project.
Topics covered in Year 5: Students will cover five courses comprising:
Students on the Remote & Rural Option will continue with attachments based at Inverness.
Examinations in clinical years: Examinations take place at the end of Year 3. Year 4 finals take place in late June which comprise of 2 Modified Essay Question papers (MEQs), 1 Extended Matching Question paper (EMQ) and 1 Multiple Choice Question paper (MCQ) and one day of clinical assessments (OSCE). Examinations in Year 5 comprise two days of clinical exams (OSCEs) at the end of the year.
Anatomy teaching at Aberdeen medical school is based on prosection where anatomy demonstrators have already dissected and prepared cadavers and giving little opportunity for practical experience. There is, however, the opportunity for students keen on dissection, to do this as part of a medical humanities module. Anatomy teaching is enhanced by a 3D anatomy software facility, which is based on CT and MRI scans.
The one-year Honours BSc in Medical Science may be started at the end of Year 3 and also between Years 4 and 5. The degree enables students to learn about critical evaluation and research methodology by the in-depth study of an area of biomedical or clinical science or medical humanities. The programme consists of structured teaching culminating in a 20-week research project. 40 places are available each year.
The information on this page is correct as of August 2010
