University of Nottingham Medical School – graduate entry

5 Year Undergraduate Entry

4 Year Graduate Entry

Factfile at a glance

How to apply:	Applications for admission to Nottingham medical school for the 4-year graduate entry course should be submitted through UCAS (code A101)
Duration:	4 years
Entry requirements:	2.2 Honours degree
Entrance exam:	GAMSAT
Places available for 2011:	91
Male/female ratio:	41:59
Interview period:	March. The panel consists of two interviewers and the interview will last approximately 15 minutes
Offers:	end of March/early April
Degree awarded:	MBBS
Contact:	For full details go to our Medical School Contact Details page
Open days:	26 & 27 June 2010 and 11 & 12 September 2010

Entry requirements

Graduate applicants should have a minimum 2.2 Honours degree in any discipline (not necessarily science-based). Nottingham does not take into account A level results.

Applicants are also required to have passed the GAMSAT with a minimum score of:

55 in Section II
55 in either Section I or III
at least 50 in the remaining section

The GAMSAT cut-off for applicants who applied for 2009 entry was 58. The cut off for 2010 entry was set at 60.

Application process

UCAS applications including the reference and personal statement are screened rigorously using a set of criteria to determine candidates’ suitability:

Academic ability
Intellectual ability and style
Basic numeracy
Literacy and knowledge of the English language
Communication skills
Personal attitudes and attributes
Personality

Applicants with the best overall profile of attributes from a combination of their academic performance, reference and personal statement who achieve the cut off score in the GAMSAT set each year, will be called for interview.

Interview dates for 2011 entry are: Monday 7 March - Friday 18 March 2011

The interview panel comprises of clinicians, academics and lay persons drawn from a range of professional allied to medicine, education and human resources. Candidates are scored on answers to questions based on the following areas:

A realistic understanding and insight into what it means to be a doctor
Interest in the field of medicine
Personal attributes necessary for the study and practice of medicine

Graduate applicants are required to bring their original degree certificate with them for the interview.

The interview is carried out on an MMI basis, meaning that you will have different stations addressing different types of issues. However you should note that the stations are all traditional interview stations i.e. there is no role play or other non-question based activities. Everyone attending an interview will received a guided tour of the medical school and its facilities.

No offers are made without an interview. Candidates can expect to receive an offer from Nottingham by the end of March/early April.

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Why Nottingham?

The campus at Nottingham is said to be one of the most picturesque in the country and situated only about 3 miles from Nottingham city centre. The medical school itself is integrated in the Queen’s Medical Centre Hospital which is just across the road from the main campus.

Students studying at Nottingham medical school will have access to 5 teaching hospitals in the area, totally 4,000 beds and a catchment population of around 2 million accessing primary care and community health services.

Students at Nottingham medical school benefit from arguably some of the best anatomy teaching using whole body dissection.

Course overview

The Nottingham medical school graduate entry course is 4 years duration and consists of the following:

The first 18 months (pre-clinical)

During the first 18 months, graduate students undertake a PBL course, working in small groups to explore clinical scenarios using case studies. Students will be based on the Derby City Hospital campus which is a modern, purpose-built, state of the art facility.

Students will have clinical experience from a very early stage in the programme.

Topics covered

Structure, function and pharmacology of excitable tissues, molecular basis of medicine, public health and evidence based medicine, behavioural sciences, human development and tissue differentiation, early clinical and professional development, communication skills, human development structure and function , clinical laboratory sciences, cardiovascular and respiratory systems, haematology, renal and endocrine systems, human development structure and function, alimentary system and nutrition, general and biochemical pharmacology, functional and behavioural neuroscience, community follow-up project (following and recording the progress of a patient in the community for 18 months)

Years 2-4 (clinical)

This is the clinical phase of the course and students will rotate through a series of placements in the hospital environment.

Clinical phase 1

Students spend 17 weeks in medical and surgical attachments, infection and therapeutics, and completion of the community follow-up project started during the first 18 months.

Clinical phase 2

This is a complete year (40 weeks) of clinical placements where students rotate around the following modules: O&G, child health, health care of the elderly, psychiatry, ophthalmology, ENT and dermatology.

Students spend 4 weeks doing a Special Study Module (SSM) in any area of medicine which they find particularly interesting.

Clinical phase 3

Students will undertake 36 week Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE) comprising: medicine, surgery, musculoskeletal disorders & disability and general practice. There is also a further 4 week SSM.

Final exams take place in March and are followed by a 3 month Elective.

Examinations

Progress through the course is assessed by formal exams and on students’ performance whilst on clinical placements. Exam formats used include OSCEs, OSLERs and MCQs, some of which are negatively marked. Mandatory Assessments of Clinical Skills (MACCS) are examined during clinical attachments. Students must pass clinical modules with 40-50% or more to progress to the next year. One opportunity to re-sit Finals is permitted without having to retake the whole year.

Anatomy

Anatomy teaching at Nottingham is amongst the best of all medical schools in the country and is one of only a small handful which still allows students to perform full body dissection. Typically students will work in small groups of 6, with one cadaver between them. Each week the group undertakes a session which begins with a briefing, followed by supervised dissection and then an assessment. Prosections are also used to further learning. Students also attend anatomy lectures.

Teaching

Teaching at Nottingham medical school is based on traditional lecture, seminars, practicals and small group teaching. Graduate students will also spend the first 18 months studying through PBL exploring clinical scenarios using case histories. The last three-years are mainly spent on clinical attachment in a hospital or GP setting.

Electives

Students have a 9 week elective period following their finals in March. There is no limitation on location and students may take the opportunity to go abroad if they wish. When they return, students must prepare a 3,000-word report on their experience.

The pros & cons of studying medicine at Nottingham

Good points	Not so good points
One of the most beautiful University campuses in the country	Some placements may involve a fair amount of travel
Excellent anatomy teaching with full body dissection	Fairly large year groups so difficult to get to know everyone

The information on this page is correct as of August 2010