MBChB Medicine (6-year programme)

Year 1

You will look at biomedicine and sociology from a patient’s perspective.

Years 1 and 2 have five main components:

Biomedicine, which includes:

• anatomy
• pharmacology
• prescribing

Social and Ethical Aspects of Medicine (SEAM), which covers:

• social determinants of illness
• meaning of illness
• experience of illness
• medical ethics
• public health
• health improvement

Research and Evidence-Based Medicine (REBM), which covers:

• understanding information
• the role of evidence-based medicine
• hypothesis-driven and hypothesis-free research
• types of data
• evaluating interventions
• critical appraisal
• communication of research

Knowledge to Clinical Practice (KCP)

From Semester 1, you will have patient contact. You will focus on patients’ experience of illness and the influence of social factors, including:

• income
• family
• ethnicity
• identity

Clinical and professional skills

You will gain an understanding of the importance of:

• communication
• empathy
• compassion
• well-being

Year 2

You will develop your practical, research and clinical skills, including history-taking and examination.

You will also develop your skills in:

• homeostasis in the body
• health promotion
• global health and nutrition
• statistical reasoning
• medical informatics

You will work in small groups, taking part in clinical projects and spending time in general practice.

You will also continue your learning of the body functions in:

• Health and Disease
• Sustaining Life
• Integrity
• Principals of Pharmacology

In Professional Skills, you will cover the importance of:

• communication
• empathy
• compassion
• wellbeing

This will be evidenced in your online Clinical Portfolio.

Year 3

You will enter an honours programme to obtain a Bachelor of Medical Sciences honours degree.

Many students study a scientific discipline in-depth, gaining research experience and submitting a dissertation.

Recently established disciplines include health sciences and programmes in the medical humanities.

Year 4

You will study all aspects of clinical medicine and healthcare delivery as part of a team. Your courses will continue to cover biological and clinical sciences.

You will develop your practical experience through placements in hospitals and general practice. Here, you will be embedded in the ward or GP team, as well as working with all members of the multidisciplinary team.

This is complemented by your Clinical Portfolio where you will provide evidence of your attendance, engagement and practice of clinical skills and procedures.

Year 5

You will move around a number of specialities, working on hospital wards as part of a team.

In addition to further clinical placements in a range of disciplines, you will complete a group teaching project in partnership with a clinical tutor.

Year 6

You will consolidate your learning from previous years and work on an apprenticeship model to prepare for employment in the postgraduate Foundation Programme.

Your focus will be on developing practical skills and knowledge of:

• general and acute medicine
• general practice
• emergency medicine
• surgery
• anaesthetics
• intensive care

You will have the opportunity to assist a trainee doctor and, under supervision, carry out some of the duties of a Foundation Year 1 doctor.

You will also arrange and complete an elective, either in the UK or abroad, from the end of February until May.

This is a period of study at another medical school or clinical placement provider in an area aligned to your interests and aspirations. Many students choose to go abroad, but this is not essential.

For more information on travelling abroad for the elective, see the study abroad section.

(Revised 12 July 2024 to update Year 6 elective information)

Programme structure

Find out more about the compulsory and optional courses in this degree programme.

To give you an idea of what you will study on this programme, we publish the latest available information. However, please note this may not be for your year of entry, but for a different academic year.

Programme structure (2024/25)

Our facilities

Most teaching in Years 1, 2 and 3 takes place in the University's Central Area.

In your clinical years, your teaching will take place:

• in hospitals across Scotland
• in general practices across Scotland
• further away (for example, we have a limited number of placements available in the Highlands and Islands)

Study abroad

If you would prefer to study abroad for your elective experience, you can apply for an elective at the following partner schools:

• The University of Sydney
• Kyoto Prefectural University of Medicine
• Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine
• Vagelos College of Physicians and Surgeons, Columbia University Irving Medical Center
• Weill Cornell Medicine, Cornell University

You can also arrange your own elective at another institution abroad.

Any decision to study abroad is subject to approval from the Elective Director, and will be informed by guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

(Revised 12 July 2024 to update study abroad process and partner schools)

How will I learn?

You will be taught through a combination of:

• lectures
• tutorials
• laboratory and project work
• clinical placements
• computer-assisted learning

The research components of this programme offer flexibility and choice throughout the curriculum.

In Years 4 to 6 of the MBChB you will:

• have a group of dedicated Clinical Tutor Associates (current doctors in training) to support your learning
• be able to sign up to a range of workshops delivered by Clinical Tutor Associates with experience and knowledge in their areas

In addition to the University libraries, you will be able to use hospital libraries on most sites.

You will also be able to access our virtual learning environment, which offers a wide range of online course resources.

How will I be assessed?

Assessment methods include:

• online applied knowledge tests
• clinical examinations (OSCE)
• written assessments
• research projects
• in-course assessment of professionalism and engagement on the programme

Medical Licensing Assessment

The General Medical Council (GMC) is planning the introduction of a Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), which all UK medical graduates would need to pass in order to be granted registration with a licence to practise.

The expectation is that this assessment, which is being designed at present, will apply to all UK medical students entering their final year in Autumn 2024 for graduation in summer 2025 and thereafter.

The MLA is intended to demonstrate that everyone who obtains registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK has met a common threshold for safe practice.

To obtain registration with a licence to practise, you will need to pass both parts of the MLA:

• a knowledge test, set by the GMC
• an assessment, delivered by the Medical School

This will evaluate your clinical and professional skills. You must also demonstrate your fitness to practise.

We take part in the UK Foundation Programme Scheme. This places graduates in Foundation Doctor posts across the UK.

Many graduates also go on to work with distinguished national and international research groups.

What happens when you complete your MBChB?

At the end of your programme, you will receive your Bachelor of Medical Sciences Honours degree and MBChB degree, which is a Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ).

Once you hold a Primary Medical Qualification and have passed the Medical Licensing Assessment, you qualify for provisional registration with the General Medical Council (as long as there are no Fitness to Practise concerns).

International students who graduate from UK medical schools are entitled to provisionally register and work in the UK as Foundation doctors, but must check their own country's regulations if they wish to return home to work immediately after graduation.

(Revised 1 October 2024 to add information for international students wishing to return home straight after graduation)

Foundation Year 1 posts

Once you are a provisionally registered doctor, you can practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. You cannot 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 programme. You should do this through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates posts to graduates on a competitive basis.

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

The Foundation Year 1 programme usually takes 12 months to complete. On completion, you will be awarded a Certificate of Experience.

Full registration

Before you can begin unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or in private practice in the UK, you must have full registration with a licence to practise.

Once you have your Certificate of Experience, you are eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council.

Please be aware that these regulations may be subject to change.

Outcome: what happens when you complete your MBChB

Standard entry requirement

The standard entry requirement is:

• SQA Highers: AAAAA by end of S5 and BB at Advanced Higher in S6.
• A Levels: A*AA.
• IB: 40 points with 766 at HL (7 in Chemistry).

Minimum entry requirement

The minimum entry requirement for widening access applicants is:

• SQA Highers: AAABB by end of S5 and BC at Advanced Higher in S6.
• A Levels: AAA.
• IB: 37 overall with 666 at HL.

More information for widening access applicants

Required subjects

The grades used to meet our entry requirements must include:

• SQA: Highers: Chemistry and two from Biology, Mathematics/Applications of Mathematics or Physics. For some applicants this subject combination is not possible at S5. Students who meet the grade requirements in S5 but are missing one or more sciences may take the missing subject(s) in S6. Human Biology may replace Biology. National 5s: Biology, Chemistry, English and Mathematics at B. We accept Higher Applications of Mathematics at C in place of National 5 Mathematics at B. Offers are conditional on S6 performance.
• A Levels: Chemistry at A* (A if eligible for minimum entry requirements) and one from Biology/Human Biology, Mathematics, or Physics at A. Only one of Mathematics or Further Mathematics will be considered. GCSEs: Biology, Chemistry, English and Mathematics at A or 7 (B or 6 if eligible for minimum entry requirements). Double Award combined sciences, or equivalent, at AA/77 (BB/66 if eligible for minimum entry requirements) may replace GCSE grades in sciences. Additional Applied Science and Applied Science are not accepted.
• IB: HL: Chemistry at 7 (6 if eligible for minimum entry requirements) and one other science subject. SL: 666 (555 if eligible for mnimum entry requirements) to include Mathematics: Analysis and approaches or Mathematics: Applications and interpretation, English and Biology (if not at HL). If Mathematics and English Language do not form part of your IB diploma we will also accept GCSE, or equivalent, at A or 7 (B or 6 if eligible for minimum entry requirements).

Additional requirements

Enrolled on another degree programme

You will not be eligible if you have just started or are midway through a degree in the academic year in which you apply.

Deferred Entry

Applications for deferred entry are not accepted for medicine unless the applicant is undertaking National Service in their home country. In those cases a deferral for one year is considered.

Resits

All examination grades must be obtained at the first attempt of each subject. Those applying with resit qualifications will not be entered into the selection system unless under very exceptional circumstances (for which verified evidence has been provided prior to UCAS application).

Graduate applicants

We welcome applications for graduate entry to first year. We require a UK 2:1 honours degree, or its international equivalent, with a preference for a medical related subject for example: Biomedical Sciences/Medical Sciences/Nursing/Paramedic Science. However we will also consider applicants with a UK 2:1 honours degree in other science subjects (Biology; Chemistry; Mathematics or Physics) and those with non-science subjects who also have an SQA Higher, A Level, or equivalent, in Chemistry at B.

Graduates applying for our undergraduate medicine degree do not qualify for any additional consideration under our widening access offer policy unless they are care experienced or are an asylum seeker/refugee.

Mature applicants

No special concessions are made for mature, non-graduate applicants. In view of the competition for places, all applications must have achieved the same academic requirements as school-leaving applicants within the three-year period prior to the programme start date.

English Language Tests

We require all applicants to demonstrate the level of English language competency required to succeed in their studies. If you are using an English language test that is not part of your school studies to meet our English language requirements, you must provide these results by 30 June 2025.

University Clinical Aptitude Test

You must sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) within the same year of submitting a UCAS application. We require that you meet a minimum UCAT score as part of our entry requirements unless you are a PLUS FLAG applicant.

For UCAT deadlines and testing dates, please see the Edinburgh Medical School UCAT page.

University Clinical Aptitude Test Requirements

We also consider the Situational Judgement section of the UCAT test separately. Any applicants who score a Band 4 in the Situational Judgement section of the UCAT test will not be considered for entry.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

Fitness to practise

If invited for assessment day (interview) you will be required to make a written declaration of any matter that might reasonably be considered to have implications for your fitness to practise. This might include (but is not restricted to) previous or current civil or criminal legal proceedings; if you are or have been subject to disciplinary procedures connected to prior academic studies or employment; if you have previously been the subject of Fitness to Practise procedures in any context and any such disclosure may lead to appropriate investigation processes. If you are unsure about whether or not you should make a declaration then you should contact the medical admissions team. If you do not disclose a matter that could reasonably be considered to be of relevance to your future fitness to practise at the time of admission, this may be detrimental and in itself impact on your Fitness to Practise.

The University has a responsibility to ensure that students enrolled on a degree that involves practical training in a clinical environment, and that leads to a professional registerable qualification, are fit to practise. This is assessed according to the requirements and standards of the profession the student wishes to enter.

Health clearance checks

In accordance with Department of Health guidelines, students being admitted to the MBChB need to undergo viral screening for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and be immunised against hepatitis B. This is part of the induction process for the MBChB.

Applicants holding places in these degrees will receive further information. A positive result in any test will not necessarily preclude entry to the MBChB.
It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure they familiarise themselves with the most recent vaccination requirements.

Please read the General Medical Council's guidance on Good Medical Practice, particularly section 29:

Good Medical Practice

Disability

All medical graduates must complete a period of further training, normally in a hospital environment. The Admissions Committee is required to ensure all applicants have the physical capability to fulfil the responsibilities of such posts effectively and safely. Applicants with disabilities or other health problems are encouraged to seek advice from the Undergraduate Admissions Office prior to application.

Further information about fitness to train is available on the Higher Education Occupational Physicians/Practitioners website.

Higher Education Occupational Physicians / Practitioners

Find out more about entry requirements

International applicants

We welcome applications from students studying a wide range of international qualifications.

Entry requirements by country

Mature applicants

We welcome applications from mature students and accept a range of qualifications.

Mature applicant qualifications

Regardless of your nationality or country of residence, you must demonstrate a level of English language competency which will enable you to succeed in your studies.

SQA, GCSE and IB

For SQA, GCSE and IB students, unless a higher level is specified in the stated entry requirements, a pass is required in English at the following grades or higher:

• SQA National 5 at B
• GCSE at B or 6
• Level 2 Certificate at B
• IB Standard Level at 5 (English ab initio is not accepted for entry)

English language tests

We accept the following English language qualifications at the grades specified:

• IELTS Academic: total 7.5 with at least 7.5 in each component. We do not accept IELTS One Skill Retake to meet our English language requirements.
• TOEFL-iBT (including Home Edition): total 110 with at least 25 in each component. We do not accept TOEFL MyBest Score to meet our English language requirements.
• C1 Advanced (CAE) / C2 Proficiency (CPE): total 191 with at least 191 in each component.
• PTE Academic: total 80 with at least 80 in each component. We do not accept PTE Academic Online.
• Oxford ELLT: 9 overall with at least 9 in each component.*

We also accept a wider range of international qualifications and tests.

Unless you are a national of a majority English speaking country, your English language qualification must be no more than three and a half years old from the start of the month in which the degree you are applying to study begins. If you are using an IELTS, PTE Academic, TOEFL, Oxford ELLT, or Trinity ISE test, it must be no more than two years old on the first of the month in which the degree begins, regardless of your nationality.

English language requirements

(*Revised 24 May 2024 to change PTE Academic requirement from total 76 with at least 76 in each component, and to clarify that we do not accept PTE Academic online. Revised 29 August 2024 to add Oxford ELLT requirements.)

Selection

Meeting the entry requirements does not guarantee the offer of a place. Entrance to the Medical School is extremely competitive and each application is assessed independently by two members of admissions staff against the academic criteria, which is then added to the weightings applied to an applicant's Situational Judgement Test and total UCAT score. Thereafter applications are placed in rank order. The top scoring 700 applicants (approximately) will be invited to attend a half day assessment day/interview either virtually or at Edinburgh Medical School.

Offers will be made soon after the final assessment day. As a result of the level of competition for places, many high-quality applicants are unsuccessful. Some unsuccessful applicants, those with low selection scores, will be informed on an ongoing basis throughout the selection process of their status.

As we review the selection process regularly, please check online before you apply to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

Protecting Vulnerable Groups

All successful applicants will be required to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) Scheme before starting the programme. In addition, all applicants who don't live in the UK, or who have spent more than a year abroad, will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.

Fee deposits

As there are limited places for international students on our MBChB programme, these students are required to pay a fee deposit equal to one-third of the first year's fees (currently £12,500).

Medicine fees for 2024/25

The deposit is required to ensure all applicants are serious about studying on the course, and also helps to cover costs and losses should a firm offer holder withdraw their application before commencing study, or leave their studies during the first year.

A deposit is not required for sponsored applicants, however, the University will need to see evidence of sponsorship to waive the requirement to pay the deposit.

Deposits are only refundable in the following circumstances:

• An applicant fails to meet the academic conditions of their offer (automatically refunded).
• An applicant changes their mind about studying on the course within 14 days of payment.

Should an applicant wish to cancel their application more than 14 days after payment, or leave study within their first year, they will not be able to reclaim their deposit. Any partial or full refund for reasons of challenging personal circumstances is at the discretion of the College.

Interviews

The top scoring applicants will be invited to attend a half-day assessment day/interview. The structure of the day is based on a consultation of clinicians and teachers in the medical school about the most important attributes we seek in our medical students. You will be provided with more information about the Assessment Day if you are invited to attend.

Application guide

You can find out more about the application process and other requirements on the degree website.

Medicine (6-year programme)

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Please note that some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

Tuition Fees

Tuition fees for MBChB Medicine (6-year programme)

Additional costs

You will need access to a smart device or laptop to submit coursework. You also need to have your own stethoscope.

Travel

Our main teaching location is at the Edinburgh BioQuarter, linked to the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. However, you will attend regional placements across Scotland which will incur travel costs.

Local travel

An annual student Ridacard from Lothian Buses costs £510. We provide a travel subsidy of more than £1000 per student over the duration of the programme to help towards travel costs.

Financial support

Support is available via an Additional Cost of Teaching reimbursement. You may also be able to access support from student funding bodies.

Some students may be eligible for additional hardship funding from the University.

Funding

For more information on how much it will cost to study with us and the financial support available see our fees and funding information.

Fees and funding

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