Medicine, MB and BChir course information

Studying medicine at Cambridge means you will get the opportunity to combine practical skills and science.

The first 3 years of the course will focus on core pre-clinical sciences and be mostly delivered by the School of Biological Sciences.

Based in Cambridge, you will also spend a lot of time in Addenbrooke’s Hospital, which is an outstanding centre for:

clinical practice
medical education
biomedical research

You will also learn in regional hospitals or GP practices around the Eastern region. You will do your medical and surgical specialties in one of seven partner NHS trusts::

The Lister Hospital (Stevenage)
Bedford Hospital
Peterborough City Hospital - (North West Anglia NHS Trust)
Hinchingbrooke Hospital (Huntingdon) - (North West Anglia NHS Trust)
Queen Elizabeth Hospital
Kings Lynn
Ipswich Hospital
West Suffolk Hospital (Bury St Edmunds)

You will also get experience at a range of community and mental health trusts in the region.

Your clinical experiences on placements (with associated local teaching) will help you to gain the competencies and outcomes in general medical and surgical practice, across primary and secondary healthcare.

You’ll meet patients from different socio-economic and ethnic backgrounds and experience close supervision in small groups.

Course structure

In the first 3 years, you will study the pre-clinical course where you will focus on the scientific principles that are fundamental to medicine. You will also get some clinical experience, and the scientific principles will be given some clinical context.

The last 3 years is where you spend most of your time learning in hospitals and GP surgeries.

Year 4: Core Clinical Practice

By the end of Year 4, you will be able to:

communicate effectively in a range of clinical settings
take a clinical history
perform a physical examination
document their findings appropriately
show competence in basic practical skills
prepare and discuss a differential diagnosis
suggest appropriate investigations
interpret the results of simple clinical investigations.

Introductory course

There is a two-week introductory course where you will take part in group lectures and smaller group rotational experiences.

You’ll learn core skills like:

clinical communication
clinical examination
practical procedures
resuscitation
professional skills
palliative care
experiential learning
basic history taking clinical examination (through peer-peer teaching)
basic concepts of patient investigation and clinical reasoning.

You will also meet your undergraduate clinical supervisor and have some peer-peer teaching sessions with a more senior student (your Associate Clinical Supervisor) during this time.

Year 5: Specialist Clinical Practice

By the end of  Year 5, you will:

be competent in clinical, communication and practical skills
have had an introduction to the specialist medical practice in the Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Trust
understand the translational and clinical research underpinning major healthcare challenges
be able to recognise different patterns of health and disease throughout life and in different communities
have produced portfolio cases that reflect the presentation of disease throughout life
be familiar with issues relating to physical and mental disability in patients of all ages
have studied the diagnosis and management of a range of health problems by means of linked placements in primary and secondary care
know about the public health aspects of medicine relating to screening, prevention and population health at different stages of life
have had experience with clinical or translational research

Year 6: Applied Clinical Practice

By the end of  Year 6, you will:

have developed consultation, clinical management, diagnostic judgement and professional skills
be able to recognise the severity of illness and give continuing care to patients
be able to demonstrate their understanding of General Practice as a speciality
have the appropriate knowledge, skills and attitudes required by the Clinical School and by the General Medical Council to practise as a doctor in the postgraduate Foundation programme

Teaching

You will learn in a clinical setting that is supported by:

small group seminars
tutorials
discussion groups
large group activities (including clinic-pathological demonstrations and lectures)
work with simulated patients and actors

You’ll play an active role in your clinical team and:

follow-up a group of patients
watch special investigations
treat and present patients on ward rounds and in clinical and multi-disciplinary team meetings

Undergraduate Clinical Supervisions

Undergraduate Clinical Supervisions focus on improving your clinical examination skills, your clinical reasoning and your communication skills. They are delivered by trained junior doctors as near-peer teaching sessions. There may also be topic-based tutorials and discussions of ethical problems. These occur every week during Years 4 and 6 of the clinical course. These are either in Cambridge or in your regional placement hospitals, and whenever you are in Cambridge during Year 5.

Clinical placements

When you are on a clinical placement, there are generally no lectures. You’ll be given guidance on learning methods and are encouraged to learn on your own.

You’ll learn practical clinical skills when you are on a placement. You will be supported by an Undergraduate Clinical Supervisor and the teaching staff in regional hospitals and in Cambridge.

Review and integration weeks

You’ll come together with other students for a series of ‘Review and Integration’ weeks spread throughout your clinical course. These lectures:

cover subjects that are best delivered in large groups
allow you to interact with other students

Student Selected Components (SSC)

Student Selected Components give you an opportunity to study areas that complement the core curriculum. They aim to help you to develop: 

control over your learning
self-directed learning skills, including critical thinking and reasoning to help create an approach to medicine that is questioning and self-critical
confidence in your skills and abilities
research skills, including creation of an abstract, presentation of work to a group, literature searching, and medical writing
transferable skills
your potential career path

Each of your SSCs will be assessed by a supervisor. Your SSC portfolio needs to be finished before you can complete your Final MB Part III examinations.

Library and IT Facilities

You will have access to:

the Medical Library
NHS OpenAthens
resources for learning and practicing evidence-based medicine
self-service networked printing, scanning and photocopying
a 60 PC study room on the upper floor of the library

Assessment methods

We use formative and summative assessment methods. Your assessments will be marked using standard-setting and marking techniques.

Formative assessments

Formative assessments are designed to give you:

feedback that helps you identify gaps in your knowledge
the opportunity to check that you are meeting targets

These assessments usually happen at the end of your placements.

Summative assessments

Summative assessments help you to understand your overall learning. They can include:

class tests
assignments
exams

You need to achieve a minimum level to continue the course.

These assessments usually happen at the end of each academic year.

Types of assessment

You will be assessed at the end of each clinical placement. Your assessments might include:

being observed by the multidisciplinary clinical team
written tests
objective structured clinical examinations
Mini-Clinical Evaluation Exercises

Placement Records and evaluation

At the end of your placements, a record is completed by the Specialty Director, regional hospital Undergraduate Specialty Tutor or responsible consultant.

You will be assessed on your:

attendance
overall Performance

Your overall performance will be given one of the following results:

Outstanding 
Pass 
Borderline
Fail

Year 4 assessments

In year 4, at the end of your Core Clinical Method module, you will have a Single Best Answer written examination and a formative Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE). These will assess your developing competence, to guide your learning as you move into the rest of the course. It helps you to identify any problems where you might need additional teaching support.

You will complete your Final MB Part I summative assessments at the end of all your Year 4 attachments. This assessment consists of:

a written test which covers all the major clinical specialties from Year 4, including how you use your applied biomedical sciences knowledge from the first three years, as part of your clinical reasoning process.
successful completion of a case portfolio of three clinical writing and presentation tasks, assessed by your Undergraduate Clinical Supervisor, is a requirement for you to enter Final MB Part I
the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) which is designed to assess your practical skills, clinical examination skills, and your communication skills

Year 5 assessments

By the end of year 5 you will be expected to be able to match the 32 GMC Outcomes for Doctors Practical Procedures. Your competence will be assessed using repeated observation and feedback.

You will complete your Final MB Part II. This consists of:

two written examinations t that focuses on (but not limited to) the clinical specialties from Year 5, including your use of applied biomedical sciences in the context of clinical reasoning.
the Objective Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) which is designed to in the clinical subjects studied in Year 5, with a focus on Paediatrics and Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Year 6 Assessments

You’ll submit a report on your elective. This will:

give a detailed record of the elective period
show experience in presentation of considered written work
contribute to a data bank of elective opportunities for new students
be assessed for ‘best elective report’ award

You will also:

have the opportunity for a mid-year review to identify any support you might need
sit the national Prescribing Safety Assessment
complete a portfolio and experience log