MBChB Medicine (6 years including foundation year)

Year of entry: 2024

Overview

Degree awarded
MBChB
Duration
6 years
Typical A-level offer

AAA (including specific subjects)

Typical contextual A-level offer
AAB (including specific subjects)
Find out more about contextual admissions.
Refugee/care-experienced offer
Applicants who have been in local authority care for more than three months or have refugee status may be eligible for an offer two grades below the standard requirements.
Find out more about contextual admissions.
Typical International Baccalaureate offer

36 points are required overall to include core points with at least 666 at higher level.

If Maths and English Language are not offered as part of the Diploma, they should be offered at GCSE or IGCSE at grade B (6) or above. We accept both Mathematics options as part of the Diploma.

Higher level subjects should include subject combinations that would be unsuitable for admission to the 5 year MBChB.

Full entry requirements

Number of places/applicants
20/240
How to apply
Apply through UCAS .

Course overview

  • Spend a year preparing for the five-year Medicine MBChB course if you do not have the appropriate science qualifications for direct entry.
  • Gain the knowledge and clinical skills required to train as a doctor and become eligible to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council.
  • Study at a university ranked 8th in the UK for Medicine, according to the QS World University Rankings 2022.
  • Have the opportunity to intercalate during your degree to complete a master's degree or MB-PhD in a subject of interest.
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A Week on the Medicine MBChB at The University of Manchester

Open days

Attending an open day is a great way to find out what studying at Manchester is like. Find out about our upcoming open days .

Fees

Tuition fees for home students commencing their studies in September 2024 will be £9,250. Tuition fees for international students, including EU, will be £38,000 for years 0, 1 and 2 of study. Clinical tuition fees (years 3-5) are charged at the future rate which is applicable when you enter Year 3. Clinical fees for students entering Year 3 in 2024 will be £58,000. These fees are subject to change with inflation each year.

Further finance information can be found on our student finance page .

Policy on additional costs

All students should normally be able to complete their programme of study without incurring additional study costs over and above the tuition fee for that programme. Any unavoidable additional compulsory costs totalling more than 1% of the annual home undergraduate fee per annum, regardless of whether the programme in question is undergraduate or postgraduate taught, will be made clear to you at the point of application. Further information can be found in the University's Policy on additional costs incurred by students on undergraduate and postgraduate taught programmes (PDF document, 91KB).

Scholarships/sponsorships

No specific academic scholarships are available for this course.

Contact details

School/Faculty
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health
Telephone
0161 529 4577
Email
Website
https://www.bmh.manchester.ac.uk/study/medicine/
School/Faculty overview
Faculty of Biology, Medicine and Health

Courses in related subject areas

Use the links below to view lists of courses in related subject areas.

Compare this course

Entry requirements

A-level

Our standard A-level offer is AAA including subjects that would be unsuitable for the 5 year MBChB.

Combinations of very similar subjects, for example, Biology and Human Biology or Maths and Further Maths together, are not acceptable. Two AS-levels in place of one A2-level will not be accepted.

This course is not designed for applicants who have studied two science subjects, 1 of which is Biology or Chemistry. However you would be eligible to apply for the 5-year MBChB course.

Duration of A-level study

If you have studied an advanced curriculum, where the examinations are spread over three years, please contact the School's admissions office prior to submitting an application.

AS-level

We have no specific requirements at AS-level. However, we would normally expect students to demonstrate a commitment towards achieving a broad and balanced education. Most applicants will therefore be studying beyond the 'bare minimum' in order to make the most competitive application possible.

You may wish to evidence this on your application in a number of ways, for example:

  • studying four A-level subjects;
  • studying for an additional AS level or BTEC qualification in addition to your three main subjects;
  • taking General Studies, Key Skills or the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) in addition to your three main subjects.

We are aware that you may not be able to take the above qualifications at school or college and therefore we allow applicants to provide evidence of participating in other activities aimed at increasing social responsibility, for example, National Citizen Service (NCS) or the Duke of Edinburgh award in lieu of a formal qualification. A list of other suggested activities is provided on our FAQ page. If in doubt, please contact us.

Please note that if your school is unable to offer any of the above, they should state this in the UCAS reference and you will not be disadvantaged as a result.

Applicants with a WP/WP Plus flag are exempt.

Subjects welcomed but not normally included as part of the standard offer

Although we warmly welcome applicants with Critical Thinking, Citizenship, EPQ, Key Skills or General Studies qualifications, these will not usually form part of the formal AAA offer.

Unit grade information

The University of Manchester welcomes the provision of unit information where available.  Like all other information provided by applicants this may be taken into consideration when assessing your application.  Unit grades will not normally form part of an offer conditions.

GCSE

We require at least seven GCSEs at grade A (7) or A* (8+).

English Language and Mathematics are required at GCSE minimum grade B (6). At least two science subjects are required at GCSE minimum grade B (6) if not taken to AS/A2-level. If Dual Award Science or Core and Additional Science are offered, the minimum required is BB (66).

For applicants whose status has been confirmed as WP+ or WP++ using the University's Contextual Data Eligibility tool, we will accept 6 GCSEs at grade 7 (A) or above. 

We permit GCSE resits. If you are resitting any GCSEs at the point of application, we require you to list it as a pending qualification on your UCAS form.

We do not currently accept short courses; however, Level 2 BTEC qualifications are acceptable (at distinction grade or above) in lieu of one GCSE.

If you are offering an international equivalent to GCSEs and this is not listed on our international entry requirements page, please contact the School of Medical Sciences Admissions Office to check suitability of the qualification.

Due to the phased introduction of GCSE reform in England, we will accept a mixture of GCSE grading scales. We can confirm our position in terms of equivalencies:

  • A* = 8
  • A = 7
  • B = 6
  • C = 4

International Baccalaureate

36 points are required overall to include core points with at least 666 at higher level.

If Maths and English Language are not offered as part of the Diploma, they should be offered at GCSE or IGCSE at grade B (6) or above. We accept both Mathematics options as part of the Diploma.

Higher level subjects should include subject combinations that would be unsuitable for admission to the 5 year MBChB.

Other international entry requirements

We welcome applications from overseas students. Country-specific information can be found on the University website. However, this is for general information only, as specific entry requirements may be different for the Medicine course.

Please contact us at ug.medicine@manchester.ac.uk to check specific requirements for your country before you apply for the Medicine course.

Scottish requirements

Scottish Highers

We require 4 Highers at grades AAAA by the end of Secondary 5. Grades should be achieved in the same sitting at first attempt. English language and any science subject (Maths, Chemistry or Biology) not taken at Higher/Advanced Higher must have been achieved at SCQF level 5 (National 5, Intermediate II or Standard Grade Credit level grade 2 or above). Applicants also need Scottish Advanced Highers in addition to Scottish Highers.

Scottish Advanced Highers

We require at least two Advanced Highers at grades AA by the end of Secondary 6. Any of the following combinations are acceptable:

  • three Advanced Highers at AAA;
  • two Advanced Highers at grades AA, plus one A2-level subject at grade A;
  • two Advanced Highers at grades AA, plus one new Higher at grade A.

We do not accept Chemistry or Biology alongside another science in the Advanced Highers. You will also need Scottish Highers in addition to Scottish Advanced Highers.

Welsh Baccalaureate

The University welcomes and recognises the value of the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate and usually requires two A Levels or equivalent to be included within this.

The minimum grade required will normally be the same as the lowest grade listed in the A-Level entry requirements.

European Baccalaureate

We require an overall final result of 83% with only one science subject. We also require a minimum of grade 5 in Mathematics and English Language.

AQA Baccalaureate

The University recognises the benefits of the AQA Baccalaureate and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills.

In making offers, the University will focus on the three A Levels taken within the AQA Baccalaureate. Students need to check the standard A Level requirements for their chosen course.

The units of broader study, enrichment activities and the Extended Project are considered to be valuable elements of the AQA Baccalaureate and we would therefore strongly encourage students to draw upon these experiences within their personal statement.

Pearson BTEC qualifications

We will only consider the new BTEC qualifications which were first available for teaching from September 2016. If you are unsure whether your qualification meets our entry requirements please contact the admissions team.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Foundation Diploma

At least a D* grade in combination with two A levels at grades AA.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Diploma

At least grades D*D in combination with one A Level at grade A.

Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Diploma

At least grades DDD in combination with one A Level at grade A.

OCR Cambridge Technical qualifications

We will only consider the new CTEC qualifications which were first available for teaching from September 2016. If you are unsure whether your qualification meets our entry requirements please contact the admissions team.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Foundation Diploma

At least grades DD in combination with two A levels at grades AA.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Diploma

At least grades D*D in combination with one A Level at grade A.

Cambridge Level 3 Technical Extended Diploma

At least grades DDD in combination with one A Level at grade A.

Access to HE Diploma

We do not accept Access courses for application to A104. Please see the details for A106 MBChB 5-year programme.

Cambridge Pre-U

We consider applicants offering Pre-U Principal Subjects, or a mix of Pre-U and A Level subjects, provided a minimum of three distinct subjects overall is taken.

The same subject specifications as A-level apply.

If you require further clarification about the acceptability of this qualification please contact the Academic School(s) you plan to apply to.

T Level

We will consider Science, Healthcare Science or Health T Level pathway for the foundation year. We would require Distinction overall.

Extended Project Qualification (EPQ)

The University recognises the benefits of the Extended Project Qualification (EPQ) and the opportunities it provides for applicants to develop independent study and research skills. However, the Extended Project will not usually be included in the conditions of your offer.

Core Maths

The University welcomes and recognises the value of Level 3 core mathematics qualifications (e.g. AQA Certificate in Mathematical Studies). 

Core Mathematics is not a compulsory element of post-16 study and as a result we will not normally include it in the conditions of any offer made to the student. However, if a student chooses to undertake a core mathematics qualification this may be taken into account when we consider their application, particularly for certain non-science courses with a distinct mathematical or statistical element.

We advise students to contact the academic School, who will clarify whether their specific portfolio of qualifications is acceptable for entry on to their chosen course.

Home-schooled applicants

If you are a student who has followed a non-standard educational route, e.g. you have been educated at home; your application will be considered against the standard entry criteria of the course for which you are applying. You will be required to demonstrate that you meet the specified academic entry requirements of the course. We will also require a reference from somebody who knows you well enough, in an official capacity, to write about you and your suitability for higher education. If you are a home schooled student and would like further information or advice please contact the academic School for your chosen course who will be able to help you. 

Non-standard educational routes

We welcome applications from graduates or those in their final year of study towards an undergraduate degree. You should have achieved or be predicted a minimum of an upper second (2:1) honours degree and should have achieved a minimum of BBB at A-level (32 in IB) in your first sitting.

The Foundation Year is not appropriate for graduates with a science degree. Please see our FAQ page. Graduate applicants with two sciences at A-level are also not considered for the Foundation Year course. Applicants who fulfil either of those criteria should apply to the 5-year course instead. Please note that we do not accept ordinary or ungraded degrees.

We do not accept A-level re-sits for the purpose of improving grades from graduates. UCAT, Maths at minimum Grade B (6) in GCSE and English Language requirements also apply.

Graduates and final year undergraduates must offer an academic reference on their UCAS form.

English language

In most cases, we expect applicants to satisfy our English Language requirement by offering English language at GCSE grade B (6) or above (or a score of 5 in the International Baccalaureate diploma).

Applicants from outside the UK (including non-native speakers) need to meet specific English language requirements to study at Manchester. We accept:

  • IGCSE English first language at grade B or second language at Grade A;
  • International English Language Testing Service (IELTS): A minimum average score of 6.5 and with not less than 6.5 in any one component taken at the same sitting;
  • Pearson Test of English (PTE) Academic: An overall score of 65 with no less than 65 in each of the communicative skills domains taken at the same sitting;
  • Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE), or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE): An overall score of 185 with no less than 185 in each of the scoring domains taken at the same sitting;
  • a score of 5 at Standard or Higher level as part of the International Baccalaureate diploma.

You must declare your English qualification (including those which are pending) on the UCAS form.

Please contact us prior to application if you are unsure how to satisfy these language requirements.

Graduates: Graduates who have completed a degree conducted entirely in English at a UK institution may be exempt from the English language requirements. Please contact us if you are unsure.

At interview, if we have any concerns about your English language capability regardless of your origin, country of upbringing or existing qualifications, we may require you to take an additional English language test as a condition of any offer we make to you.

English language test validity

Some English Language test results are only valid for two years. Your English Language test report must be valid on the start date of the course.

Relevant work experience

We require applicants to undertake some relevant work experience prior to application in order that they can gain some insight into what the role of a doctor involves.

We are not looking for a particular number of hours doing a specific type of work experience. We are trying to ascertain that you have a clear idea of what it is like to study medicine and what the role entails.

Shadowing doctors in a hospital/GP setting is not essential or considered to be a substitute for hands-on caring work experience.

Applicants should be aware that we may request confirmation of their work experience.

Please see our FAQs and Non-Academic Information Form pages for more information on work experience.

Application and selection

How to apply

Apply through UCAS .

Advice to applicants

Please ensure that you refer to the application process guide before making your application through UCAS for this course.

Vaccinations

Previous guidance regarding mandatory vaccination for Covid for courses with a clinical or healthcare placement has been paused, in line with government advice. However both NHS England and NHS Improvement view getting vaccinated for healthcare staff and students as a professional duty. We therefore continue to highly recommend all students on this course to take up their COVID-19 vaccinations as soon as they are eligible.

How your application is considered

Applications are first screened according to whether or not they meet our standard academic threshold as given on this page.

Those applications that do not meet the appropriate academic criteria will not progress to the next phase of the screening process, and will receive notification that their application has been unsuccessful through UCAS in due course.

See more information about the application process and how we consider your application .

Please note:

If you have been awarded centre assessed grades that you are not happy with and have the option of sitting in the autumn exam series (students in England only) at a UK centre but choose to take the summer 2021 exam series instead, we'll then apply our standard re-sit criteria. The offer would be conditional on achieving our A-level re-sit grade requirement (A*AA). This is because you had an opportunity to sit the autumn exams but chose not to and you wouldn't have fulfilled our requirement to complete A-level study over two years. If you take the autumn exam series, the standard requirements will apply.

Skills, knowledge, abilities, interests

Each applicant to medicine at The University of Manchester must complete an online information form with respect to non-academic activities. This form will be sent to all applicants after 16th October UCAS deadline by the School of Medical Sciences Admissions Office.

Interview requirements

We do not make any offers without interview. Please see our Interviews page for more information.

Returning to education

We are pleased to consider applications from non-traditional applicants but would ask that you contact the Admissions Office for advice on suitability for a potential application.

Aptitude test requirement

Applicants are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in the year they wish to make their application. Please note that the result is valid for one application cycle only. If applicants are reapplying, they must re-sit the UCAT.

Further information specific to The University of Manchester is detailed on our UCAT page.

Please note that we do not consider applicants who achieve Band 3 or 4 in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) element of the UCAT.

Fitness to practise / health requirements

All offers of a place are subject to satisfactory health screening. The health screening is based upon the Higher Education Occupational Physicians/Practitioners (HEOPS) standards of medical fitness to train for medical students.

A potential student may be concerned that their health or disability may affect their ability to fulfil the competency standards of the course. Any such applicants are encouraged to contact the Occupational Health Service and/or The Disability Advisory and Support Service at an early stage in order to explore the situation in depth and consider the feasibility of making reasonable adjustments. Hopefully the process will prove helpful to the student in deciding whether to pursue an application.

The health screening requires the completion of a detailed health questionnaire by the applicant and also a possible appointment with the University's Occupational Health Department. In order to be admitted and continue on the programme, students must be deemed as medically fit for both practice and theory by the Occupational Health Department. You will be required to comply with any viral screening as requested by the Department of Health.

General enquiries about health screening should be addressed to Student Occupational Health, Tel +44 (0)161 275 2858, Fax +44 (0)161 275 3137

Please see also the Procedure for Admission to Courses Requiring Medical Fitness Assessment [Word, 59KB].

Disclosure and Barring Service check

You will be required, as part of the non-academic conditions of your offer, to provide a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check. In the UK, this takes the form of an Enhanced Level search by the Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) and will reveal any criminal convictions, spent or unspent, as well as any police cautions, warnings or reprimands.

Regulations and record systems in other countries vary. Overseas applicants are encouraged to contact our Admissions Team.

Anyone who considers it possible that a criminal record or other disclosure may reveal any offence must contact the Admissions Team before applying.

Deferrals

We welcome applications from students who wish to defer their entry to the following year, but we prefer this to be indicated at the point of application.

It may not be possible to defer entry once an offer has been made and we are unlikely to be able to consider any requests after the release of A-level results.

We do not have any specific requirements for how you use your gap year, but we would expect it to have been used constructively.

Policy for applicants who resit their qualifications

We welcome applications from those re-sitting their A-levels, though applicants may only re-sit one of either Year 12 or Year 13.

Where A-levels have been attempted in Year 13, applicants are expected to have obtained a minimum of grade ABB at the first sitting for the re-sit grades to be considered.

All re-sitting applicants are required to achieve grades A*A*A in the A-level subjects specified above, and the A*A*A is expected to be achieved in the final examinations in one of the dropped subjects at the discretion of the School.

Re-applications

If you have applied in previous years and your application has been unsuccessful on two consecutive occasions, future applications will not be considered.

We would require re-applicants to continue with their work experience in their year out and would also expect to see a material difference in their application from the previous year. We may draw upon all information from your previous applications or any previous registrations at the University as a student when assessing your suitability for your chosen course.

All re-applicants must retake the UCAT and provide updated information that refers to the initial application and chronicles subsequent events.

Applicants applying with achieved qualifications must explain in their personal statement what they are doing during the gap year.

Transfers

Due to the highly integrated structure of the degree course, we do not grant exemptions from subjects. Transfers from other institutions are not considered. If you feel that you have embarked on the wrong course elsewhere, and who wish to be considered for entry to study medicine and The University of Manchester, you should first complete your current programme of study, or be in the final year before you apply to us.

We do not consider applications from students who have started a clinical programme elsewhere.

Course details

Course description

Our Medicine MBChB with Foundation Year course enables students without the appropriate science qualifications to prepare for their medical degree.

You will spend your foundation year at the University and Xaverian College , and will start the five-year MBChB course upon successful completion of the foundation course.

The five-year MBChB course educates, trains and prepares students for practice in the healthcare systems of today and the future. We are the largest medical school in the UK, with over 2,200 undergraduate medical students.

We use a wide variety of teaching and learning methods to ensure you benefit from the best attributes of traditional and novel teaching methods.

The key Manchester approach is active learning through the study of Themed Case Discussions combined with learning in clinical plractice. This is supported throughout the course by lectures, practical classes (including anatomy dissection) and clinical experience.

Our course integrates science and clinical learning so you are able to apply scientific knowledge, decision-making and critical thinking concepts to your clinical practice.

Upon graduation, you will be able to apply knowledge, intellectual and practical skills to understand and manage the complex healthcare needs of individuals and society. You will also develop the resilience to meet the demands of changing healthcare environments.

Successful completion of the course will enable you to meet the core requirements for junior doctors and entitles you to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council and apply for Foundation Year 1 posts. See the Careers tab for more details.

Possible changes to course content

Although the information on this course page is currently correct, the MBChB is under review. This means that there may be changes to the structure of the course across any or all years, and/or to the relevant assessments and regulations. Offer holders will be notified of any changes before the course begins, but as medicine is an evolving subject area, the course may also change after you begin your studies. Because of this, we update the programme handbooks for each year of study annually, and we notify students of the following year's content in advance.  

Special features

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Team-Based Learning at Manchester

Extensive clinical experience

You will gain clinical experience in hospital and community settings throughout the course. These unique opportunities will expose you to the breadth of healthcare settings from patients at home, in general practices, community services to acute hospitals and leading specialist centres of care.

Your learning in these environments is underpinned by cutting edge education in clinical decision-making to help you navigate the NHS and prepare you for practice.

Read a blog post by one of our students.

Excellent reputation

We have an international reputation for excellence in teaching and research, including close links with the Manchester Academic Health Science Centre - the only academic health science centre outside of the south-east.

Anatomy

You will learn about the intricacies of the human body through dissection activities in our anatomy facilities.

Personalised learning

Our course offers the flexibility to create a bespoke education through the Personal Excellence Path and Student Selected Career Placements.

Intercalated degrees

Intercalate to complete a BSc, master's or MB-PhD degree in a subject of interest.

Teaching and learning

The course uses mixed learning methods, but the key Manchester approach is the study of themed case discussions through facilitated group activities to emphasise enquiry, collaboration and application to clinical practice.

Find out more on our teaching and learning page.

Coursework and assessment

Foundation year

The foundation year is assessed by short answer and multiple choice questions, written reports on laboratory-based skills, and a student selected component.

You will be given feedback on your performance in assessments, as well as general feedback on your overall performance on the course.

Five-year MBChB Medicine

Methods of assessment include both summative exams (which demonstrate you have reached the required standards to progress to the next phase of the course) and formative tests (which tell you how you are performing on the course and how you can improve).

Your assessments will include:

  • written examinations;
  • Clinical Competency Assessments (CCAs), formerly known as OSCEs;
  • workplace-based assessments;
  • reflective portfolio work;
  • written reports to assess personalised modules;
  • assessment of professional behaviour.

Summative assessment will normally happen at the end of each year, with formative assessments occurring at regular intervals throughout the course.

Assessments closely reflect the course content, with assessment of knowledge and skills in the initial phase, moving on to clinical assessments and application of knowledge including in complex situations by the end of the final phase.

You will receive feedback on your performance in assessments from your academic and clinical advisors in addition to generalised feedback about your cohort's performance. Feedback on performance is integral to all learning activities.

Course content for year 1

Your curriculum comprises a number of different elements carefully integrated to promote your ability to learn effectively and succeed in your medical degree.

During Years 1 and 2, you will be mostly based on The University of Manchester's Oxford Road campus, with visits to centres of excellence for clinical medicine, community settings and teaching hospitals across the North West of England.

At the start of the course, you are introduced to the learning processes necessary for successful study at university level. You will Years 1 and 2 are divided into four modules, the content of which relate to the overall curriculum themes of doctor as scientist and scholar, doctor as practitioner and doctor as professional, as stipulated by the General Medical Council.

Each unit is divided into a series of topics that take the form of themed cases. The cases contextualise learning to prepare you for the way in which doctors’ understand and address patients’ problems. At the end of each week you will come together in Themed Case Discussion (TCD) sessions to develop your skills in collaborative group working and independent learning.

There is a significant emphasis on practical work, including anatomy dissection, physiology and pharmacology practical classes, clinical learning, and personal development activities that are designed to introduce you to the knowledge, skills and attitudes necessary to become a successful junior doctor.

You will learn about the body through detailed studies of molecules, cells, tissues and organs and the systems that control their activities. The modules are partially system-based. In the Year 1 Life Cycle module, you will study the cellular and molecular processes that underlie reproduction, development and growth. In addition, you will explore the immune system and the pathophysiology of genetic disease and cancer. The second module of Year 1, Cardiorespiratory Fitness, focuses on the heart, lungs and blood systems.

Course content for year 2

Year 2 continues with two more units. The first is Mind and Movement, where you will explore the brain and the nervous system connections to the muscles that move the skeleton. The focus is on neuroscience, but the concepts in this unit prepare you for concepts applied to clinical medicine, including mental health.

The final unit, Nutrition, Metabolism and Excretion, introduces you to the gastrointestinal system, the kidneys and the key hormonal mechanisms involved in regulating these systems.

You will also have opportunities to begin developing your Personal Excellence Path for your special interests in medicine. The activities in Years 1 and 2 support literature appraisal, academic writing, team-working and presentation skills.

Course content for year 3

From the beginning of Year 3 until the end of your final year, you will learn through immersion in clinical placements organised around our four Clinical Education Campuses in our University and their Associated Teaching Hospitals, in General Practices in Greater Manchester, the community and beyond. Limited time is spent on the University campus.

Your clinical practice will be supported by online cases and face-to-face themed cased discussions to develop your clinical knowledge, communication and decision-making skills. You will spend the majority of your week learning from real patients, applying basic scientific knowledge and clinical skills you acquired in the earlier years and demonstrating your growing professional acumen as a student doctor.

In Year 3 you will rotate through 5 clinical placements starting with a 4-week Introduction to Clinical Learning followed by experience in medical and surgical settings. Your clinical placements will afford the opportunity to not only learn to assess patients but understand how a health service works and practice clinical procedures necessary as a junior doctor.

Towards the end of the year, you will undertake the Applied Personal Excellence Pathway (APEP). This will give you the opportunity to carry out an original project involving, for example, basic or applied research, service evaluation, or educational development, supervised by a subject expert from the University or the NHS.

The final activity of the year will enable you to select a 4-week student selected career placement in an area of your clinical interest from within our Clinical Education Campuses. The placement will give you the time and opportunity to reflect on your future career choices within medicine.

Course content for year 4

Year 4 is structured to broaden your clinical learning and practice across 14 specialties, offering immersion in new clinical placements with supervision and teaching by expert clinicians.

There will be clinical placements in:

  • general practice and clinical public health;
  • mental health, neurology and special senses;
  • musculoskeletal health;
  • ageing and complex health;
  • women's health;
  • child health;
  • oncology and breast health;
  • dermatology and infectious diseases.

Medical Elective

The year will end with a student elective placement, commonly an overseas experience of medical practice in different healthcare system.

Course content for year 5

The final year of the course is focussed on preparing you for your final university exams, national assessments such as the Prescribing Safety Assessment, Medical Licencing Assessment and, for your role as a foundation year doctor in the NHS; this year is your preparation for practice.

Clinical placements will include further general medical and surgical placements, general practice and acute medicine. As a final year medical student, you will be appropriately supervised and integrated into a clinical department while you undertake most of the duties of a newly qualified doctor, including shift-working and being on-call.

You will also undertake a Quality and Evidence PEP to understand clinical audit and governance in healthcare and another opportunity to explore career choices through a second Student-Selected Clinical Placement.

Scholarships and bursaries

Year 5 onwards

Currently, the NHS Business Services Authority pays the cost of undergraduate medicine tuition fees, and a means-tested amount of funding to help with day to day living expenses, to eligible students who are in their fifth year of study onwards and who are ordinarily resident in England.

If you move to England from Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland primarily for the purpose of undertaking a full-time course of education, you will not normally be classed as being ordinarily resident in England for NHS Bursary purposes.

If you reside in Wales , Scotland or Northern Ireland , broadly comparable arrangements will apply, but you will need to consult the relevant national authority for details as NHS Student Bursaries will not be able to administer your funding.

Visit our Student Finance pages to find out about the financial support that may be available to you.

What our students say

Find out more about what it's like to study at Manchester on the  Biology, Medicine and Health Student Blog .

Facilities

During the Foundation Year, you will work in small groups for enquiry-based learning, have weekly skills sessions in well-equipped laboratories and attend lectures on specialist subjects.

You will also attend lectures on Chemistry and Biology at Xaverian College, given by highly qualified and experienced lecturers.

Five-year Medicine MBChB

During Years 1 and 2, you will be based mostly in the Stopford Building on the University of Manchester's Oxford Road campus. The Stopford Building contains facilities such as the anatomy dissection room , the Consultation Skills Learning Centre , and IT clusters and a dedicated library for Year 1 and 2 medical students.

Clinical Education Campuses

During Years 3 to 5, you will spend your time learning in clinical placements in the geographical areas of our four campuses:

See the facilities page for more information.

Disability support

Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Support Office

Careers

Career opportunities

When you successfully complete the undergraduate course, you will receive your MBChB (or equivalent) degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ).

Holding a PMQ entitles you to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council UK (GMC), subject to its acceptance that there are no Fitness to Practise concerns that need consideration.

Provisional registration is time limited to a maximum of three years and 30 days (1,125 days in total). After this time period, your provisional registration will normally expire.

Provisionally registered doctors can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts; the law does not allow provisionally registered doctors to undertake any other type of work.

To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post, you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office (UKFPO) scheme, which allocates these posts.

So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed if, for instance, there were to be an increased number of applications from non-UK graduates.

Successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme is normally achieved within 12 months and is marked by the award of a Certificate of Experience. You will then be eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK.

Although this information is currently correct, candidates and students need to be aware that regulations in this area may change and requirements for registration are determined through the GMC and applications to Foundation Training through UKFPO.

There is some discussion about whether to remove provisional registration for newly qualified doctors. If this happens, UK graduates will receive full registration as soon as they have successfully completed an MBChB (or equivalent) degree.

It should be noted that it is very likely that UK graduates will still need to apply for a training programme similar to the current Foundation Programme and that places on this programme may not be guaranteed for every UK graduate.

From academic year 2024-2025 onwards all final year medical students in the UK will be required to complete the GMC's Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA). In the Manchester MB ChB course, the MLA will replace existing Year 5 assessments, with the MLA-provided AKT (knowledge papers) replacing our internal Y5 Applied Knowledge Test (AKT), and with continued running of our own clinical skills assessments (Clinical Competency Assessments (CCAs), in accordance with GMC’s MLA requirements. Therefore, students will not be required to undertake any additional examinations in order to complete the MLA. As the MLA examinations will be fully integrated within our course, both the AKT and CCA components must be passed to be awarded the MB ChB degree and graduate. Further details of how the MLA will be integrated into Y5 will be provided in the programme handbook for all our students.

Accrediting organisations

Our MBChB course is accredited with the General Medical Council .