A levels AAAc and no more than one of which may be from Biology, Chemistry or Physics and a grade C in ann AS level subject not offered at A level. General Studies and Critical Thinking are not acceptable at A level. Re-sit candidates will only be considered in exceptional circumstances.
Scottish Highers AAAAB in Scottish Highers including Chemistry, Physics, Biology and English Lanaguage.
International Baccalaureate 36 points (excluding TOK and the extended essay) with not more than one subject from Biology, Chemistry or Physics.
Applications for Cardiff medical school are ranked using only certificated academic qualifications and AS level and predicted results and not used. The UKCAT score is used in conjunction with academic and non-academic assessments and no absolute UKCAT threshold is set. Providing applicants have met the minimum academic requirements, their application will proceed to the ‘non academic’ stage of the selection process and their personal statement and reference will be assessed and scored on the following criteria:
Cardiff is not prescriptive about the way in which non-academic selection criteria (such as work experience) is to be demonstrated in the personal statement.
Interviews are then offered to applicants who achieve the highest position according to their academic and non-academic rankings. UKCAT scores may be taken into account. Interviews will normally start in November and continue for 4 four months.
The interview panel usually consists of 2 or 3 interviewers, of which at least one is medically qualified. Panels may also include a senior medical student. The aim of the interview is for candidates to demonstrate their communication and interpersonal skills and a balanced approach to life.
No offers are made without interview.
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The city of Cardiff is compact and an ideal place for students to live with everything easily accessible and an affordable cost of living.
Cardiff University has an excellent international reputation for its high standards of teaching and renowned for its research.
The medical school offers very high standards of teaching, research and training and the curriculum offers a modern integrated approach with an excellent reputation and outstanding teaching in anatomy.
Entry on to the Foundation Year is designed for students who have demonstrated high academic potential but who do not meet the specific subject requirements for direct entry into the 5-year medical programme, i.e. non-science related subjects.
Students on the Foundation Year study 12 modules alongside students of other Science disciplines, including Biological and Chemical Sciences and Maths. Other modules, such as Psychology and Languages are also available.
The undergraduate entry course at Cardiff is 5 years in duration and consists of the following:
The first phase of the programme introduces all the major systems of the body and cellular and tissue processes in both the normal and diseased states.
Topics covered in Year 1:
The programme aims to address the systems of the body along with aspects of physiology, and includes:
The SSC in Year 1 allows students to research and read into a topic of interest and prepare a presentation and essay.
Students will start to experience patient contact with a day each fortnight studying clinical skills in the latter part of the year in local hospitals and GP practices and will complete a course in Basic Life Support. Working in pairs, students will also be allocated a family to meet regularly and prepare an essay on their experiences.
Topics covered in Year 2:
Students continue with clinical attachments in the Foundation Clinical Skills course, gaining nursing experience to provide them with an appreciation of the organisation and operation of a hospital ward, as well as an understanding of the role of other health professionals in patient care and the opportunity to further develop their clinical and communication skills.
The SSC in Year 2 includes a European language option, clinical experience (medicine, surgery or primary care) or an essay and presentation from a choice of topics.
Topics covered in Year 3:
In the third year, students will spend considerable time on clinical attachments in primary care and in hospitals. They will also undertake a large research project with a case study on a chronic illness, such as cancer and a self-selected extended project of 9-weeks, some of which may be studied in a European medical school.
These clinical years will extend student’s skills in specialty practice and patient management, through periods attached to clinical teams in hospitals and community healthcare settings throughout Wales.
Topics covered in Year 4:
The SSC in Year 4 involves undertaking an audit in a group of 6, which is carried out over the course of the year.
Topics covered in Year 5:
In Year 5, student’s knowledge and skills are honed through attachments covering serious and acute illness, including intensive care and trauma and community medicine.
A final SSC – the Senior Clinical Project - in Year 5 is 8 weeks long and can be taken in an area of medicine of particular interest.
Cardiff is still one of the few medical school where anatomy is taught by dissection and is well known for its excellent anatomy teaching. Students can expect to study anatomy for 2 days a week in Year 1 and one day a week in Year 2. Students will carry out dissection on a full body cadaver in groups of 12, under the supervision of surgeons and demonstrators. In Year 1 all the anatomy is covered from the neck down and in Year 2, it is the turn of the head and neck. There is an opportunity to intercalate to a BSc in Human Anatomy at the end of Year 3.
The Clinical Integrative papers or CLIP in Year 1 involve students being presented with 3 clinical scenarios a few weeks before the exam, one of which will be assessed on the day. Students are encouraged to read up on the patient symptoms and why the diagnosis given is likely. End of year exams have a pass mark of 50% and include EMQs, MCQs and SAQs. There is also a spot test in Anatomy and a radiology test. There are also OSCEs and a long case in Obstetrics.
Teaching at Cardiff is renowned for being of a very high standard and features lectures, tutorials, computer-based learning and interactive sessions.
The elective is taken in the final year and is an opportunity for students to study any subject of interest at medical centres, research units or community practices anywhere in the world. Students must submit a 1,500 word report reflecting on their experiences.
Students at Cardiff may opt to take an intercalated BSc degree after Year 3 and occasionally after Year 4. 65 students are allowed to intercalate each year and selection is made on exam success if oversubscribed. Topics currently offered include:
The information on this page is correct as of August 2010
