A levels AAA including Chemistry , plus Biology and/or Physics and/or Maths to A level. General Studies and Critical Thinking are excluded.
Scottish Advanced Highers A in Chemistry. AAAAA in Highers.
International Baccalaureate Total point score of 39 which must include Chemistry and a second science (Biology or Physics) and/or Maths to Higher Level. Score of 7, 6 and 6 for subjects taken at Higher Level.
Applications for Oxford medical school are screened to ensure they meet the minimum entry requirements. All applicants are required to sit the BMAT exam on 3 November 2010.
Applicants are shortlisted for interview on the basis of their BMAT test score, academic record and information provided in their application.
Overseas applicants are expected to attend an interview at Oxford in December.
All colleges use a common set of selection criteria which relate to academic potential and suitability to study and work in medicine. The personal characteristics which assessors will specifically be looking for in applicants’ personal statements include:
In addition, evidence of the following characteristics will be required to demonstrate academic potential:
All candidates are interviewed by two colleges – their first choice college and another one which is randomly assigned.
No offers are made without interview.
A world-renowned University and widely recognised as one of the top teaching and research institutions in the world. Oxford is the oldest University in the English-speaking world and a beautiful and very inspiring environment so provides outstanding facilities in which to live and learn.
The medical programme at Oxford is heavily science-based in the early years and students will be reassured to know that they will be learning in a research-focused environment and taught by world leaders in their field.
The Collegiate system means that although students are still part of Oxford University as a whole, they will live, study and socialise with other students from the full range of subjects rather than just medics.
The undergraduate entry course at Oxford is 6 years duration and consists of the following:
The first two years address much of the science that underpins medicine and the clinical problems that arise when systems fail. Students are introduced to major systems of the body and study their normal structure and function. There are clinical demonstrations in the hospitals and students make regular visits to GP tutors.
Topics covered in Year 1:
Topics covered in Year 2:
This is a 4-term BA Honours course in Medical Sciences where students specialise in an area of biomedical science selected from one of the following five options and undertake an extensive research project:
They will also study the Principles of Clinical Anatomy at the end of Year 3 which is designed to teach them clinically relevant aspects of anatomy which will help them in the following clinical years.
This is the first clinical year where students will undertake GP attachments and medical & surgical attachments in Oxford and local district general hospitals (DGH), learning the skills needed to communicate with patients, obtain a medical history, perform a medical examination and simple procedures. They will also take an 8-week laboratory medicine course which teaches them to relate the patho-physiology of disease to clinical practice.
In the last 2 years, students will build of the clinical skills learnt in Year 4, studying the major clinical specialties and potentially studying abroad. In the final year, students will concentrate of acquiring the core skills and knowledge required for their role as a Foundation Year doctor, shadowing the doctor whose job they will be taking over.
Topics covered in Year 5:
Topics covered in Year 6:
There is a 4-week SSC in Year 4 which gives students the opportunity to pursue a subject of interest. There is also a 12-week modular programme in Year 6 which allows students to select up to 6 modules from a broad range of clinical and scientific options and produce a 3,000 word essay.
Anatomy is taught from Year 1 with the general concepts of anatomy being taught in the Organisation of the Body module with a focus on embryological origins and patterning of the body. At the end of Year 3, students must take an intensive 3-week ‘Principles of Clinical Anatomy’ course which prepares students for what they will encounter in the following clinical years. Anatomy is taught by lectures, seminars and through prosection rather than dissection. Laboratory facilities at Oxford are state of the art.
The ‘First BM’ is examined in two parts:
For some subjects there are two parts. Part A is 20 multiple choice questions on a computer where the pass mark is about 75%. Part B is a 2 hour essay paper where students must complete 3 essays from a choice of 10. There are also 2 hours essay papers in medical sociology and psychology. Students must pass both parts and also submit notebooks and other evidence of satisfactory practical work. The first exam must be passed in order for students to proceed to the BA (Hons).
In the 3rd Year, students will sit exams for the BA (Hons). They will sit 3 written exams in detailed thematic questions, broader synoptic overview questions and critical appraisal of the primary literature. In addition, they must submit an extended essay and undertake a laboratory-based research project or a library-based dissertation.
In order to proceed to the clinical element of the programme, students must pass the exam in the Principles of Clinical Anatomy which consists of 3 one-hour online exams, one at the end of each week of study. All three must be passed.
The assessment in Years 4 – 6 is modular and students must pass each part of the course in order to proceed to the next. Written exams will take the form of short notes and MCQs.
During the pre-clinical years teaching consists predominantly of lectures (about 8 a week), practical classes, seminars and tutorials. Oxford also has a unique tutorial system where students are set an essay or questions on a topic by a PhD student or leading researcher in the field. The tutorial lasts about an hour and students are normally in pairs and this involves going through the main points of the topic. Typically there will be between 2 and 4 tutorials a weeks and each requires significant preparation time.
Students at Oxford take a 10 week elective in Year 6, which is a much longer period than most other medical school. There are very few limitations on where students can go and many choose split their time between 2 destinations. Upon their return, students must submit a written report and a short oral or poster presentation on their experiences.
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The information on this page is correct as of August 2010
