Outcome of the course

At the end of the undergraduate course you will receive your MB ChB degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to provisional registration with the General Medical Council, subject only to its acceptance that there are no Fitness to Practise concerns that need consideration. 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 selection scheme, which allocates these posts to graduates on a competitive basis. So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed, for instance if there were to be an increased number of competitive 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, students need to be aware that regulations in this area may change from time to time.

First year - Phase 1 Clinical Orientation 

This phase begins with a programme covering biological sciences, anatomy and medicine in society, since you will have covered little of these in comparison with your knowledge of other life science subjects. You’ll work on problem-based case studies as part of a tutor-supervised group of about eight students, with each of you covering all aspects of the case studies. The problems are grouped into four six-week themed blocks covering basic science, anatomy (including prosection), ethics, medicine in society and behavioural science, with all these aspects integrated into each of the case studies.

Second year - Phase 2 Clinical Experience

Your will be based in the same Teaching Hospital Trusts that currently teach the third-year course for students on the five-year MBChB, spending the first semester in one teaching Trust and rotating to another in the second. You’ll also join our five-year MBChB students in their clinical science lectures, pharmacology teaching and special study modules in public health and epidemiology. In addition, as a GEC student you’ll continue with a small component of case-based learning to further your basic and behavioural science training.

Third and fourth years

You will now move onto clinical attachments with attachments in medical, surgical and other speciality subjects, such as Cardiology, Neurology, Psychiatry, Bone and Joint Disease, Oncology, Ear, Nose and Throat and Peri-Operative Care. You will also do attachments in Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Paediatrics and General Practice. During the final year, you will be able to bring all of your learning and skills together through the Acutely Ill Patient attachment, as you prepare to become a medical practitioner. 

Admissions Process

Each year we receive many applications for every place available and it takes a long time to study these applications carefully. You should not be concerned if you do not hear anything from us until some months after you have submitted your UCAS form.

In deciding who to interview, academic excellence is not the only criterion. It is equally important to be able to demonstrate that you are well-motivated  towards a career in medicine especially through volunteering and/or work experience. In addition, we want to ensure that you possess other qualities required of a potential doctor. Therefore, extracurricular involvement is important in addition to the work experience. Evidence of on-going activities involving significant interactions with a broad range of people in a responsible capacity is a relevant aspect.

The Interview

From those who apply, approximately 100 candidates are invited to come for interview. This selection is based on the information provided on the UCAS application. Interviews take place during the 2nd semester.

Interviews are organised in a multiple mini-interview format. You will participate in four separate, short interviews, lasting 6mins each. This will allow you to start afresh at each mini-interview. A range of your personal attributes relevant to studying medicine will be assessed by means of different tasks. Interview stations are designed to assess aspects such as: motivation for medicine; communication; self-insight; ethical reasoning; scientific understanding and interpretation.

The four stations will be:

Data Interpretation: You will be presented with the findings of a study and asked to interpret and discuss these.

Motivation and Insight into Medicine: You will be asked to discuss specific aspects of your work experience.

Dealing with personal and ethical challenges: Through thinking about your own experiences and an ethical problem, you have the opportunity to demonstrate personal qualities important for coping in a demanding career.

Interactive Task: This is a role-play station. You will be expected to achieve a task through negotiation with the role-player (who will be a medicine student).

Preparation for interview and indeed for study on a medicine programme is aided by engaging in frequent discussions with friends and family about medical issues appearing in the news and media. You should also use your time on work experience effectively by gaining insight into the demands placed on staff, the problems they encounter and the strategies that they employ to handle difficult situations as well as the benefits they obtain from caring for people and working in teams. Again, opportunities to engage in discussion of these issues must be taken.

Review of Admissions Decisions

If you wish to question the decision that has been made, please refer to Section 6 of the Code of Practice for Admission of Students to the University of Birmingham.

 As a Birmingham student you are part of an academic elite and will learn from world-leading experts. From the outset we expect you to be an independent and self-motivated learner. We want you to be challenged and will encourage you to think for yourself.

This programme uses problem based learning (PBL), a form of active, student led, learning which asks students to find answers to problems through their own research rather than simply being given information and memorising facts. This style of learning is appropriate for mature learners who already have a first degree and are therefore experienced at working in a higher education environment. This learning style is beneficial because it develops team work and also provides vital skills required to practise as a doctor in a lifelong learning environment.

Throughout your four years, your learning opportunities will take a variety of forms, but we always take care to adapt our methods to the subject matter to ensure you receive the maximum benefit from your degree course.

Your learning will take place in a range of different settings, from group learning and self-study to bedside demonstrations and clinical experience as well as scheduled teaching in lectures and small group tutorials. We always take care to adapt our methods to the subject matter, offering, for example, role-play and video feedback on patient–doctor communication.

A significant part of your learning experience will take place during clinical placements; these are structured to allow you the maximum number of contact hours with patients as this experience is vital to your learning. You will also have regular time with your clinical tutors as part of your placement experience where feedback on the development of your clinical skills and knowledge base is given in small groups. This form of learning is in addition to your formal structured teaching sessions (i.e. lectures, bed-side teaching etc).

You will have access to a comprehensive support system that will assist and encourage you, including personal tutors and welfare tutors who can help with both academic and welfare issues, and a formal transition review during your first year to check on your progress and offer you help for any particular areas where you need support.

Year 1

A typical week might involve:

• A period of self-directed learning
• Presentations to the group of the results from the previous week’s problem and discussing the problem for the next week
• Group work in anatomy, clinical skills and basic science
• Time for meeting experts and meeting your group tutor
• Lectures covering the context and concepts that underpin the themes of the blocks
• Time in primary care with direct patient contact to obtain the necessary communication and clinical skills  

Year 2

A typical week might involve:

• Lectures
• Small-group clinical teaching sessions
• Clinic sessions
• One day in primary care
• Attendance with the on-call medical or surgical team
• A period of self-directed learning  

After your first clinical year, you have the same knowledge and skills – having achieved the same learning objectives – as students who have completed the third year of the five-year MBChB programme. From this stage both routes share an identical programme.  

Meet our lecturers

Meet our lecturer - Dr Jamie Coleman, Senior Lecturer on the MBChB programme

Learning settings

Problem-based learning sessions encourage you to discuss and analyse clinical scenarios and learn to define and understand the physical, psychological and social components of medical problems.

Self study is an essential part of the programme and demonstrates your commitment to, and enthusiasm for, your subject and for the learning that will continue throughout your professional career.

Lectures take place in our theatres which, as well as the traditional whiteboard and pen, are equipped with the latest technology, including facilities to show movies, animations and graphics, to record lectures and to interact with ‘ask the audience’ style electronic voting systems.

E-learning mechanisms include WebCT, Wiki podcasts and our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE); an excellent tool for supporting our academic courses, allowing you to share thoughts on assignments with other students via the discussion group facilities, giving access to learning materials 24 hours a day and allowing you to submit your work electronically.

Enquiry Based Learning (EBL) is a group activity which requires you to work in a team, with a variety of assessment methods; in either a group or individually, by written reports and sometimes as a presentation. Based on techniques used in research-led organisations like the University of Birmingham, EBL gives you a research-orientated approach to a problem and helps you to gain essential skills that are highly valued by employers.  

Preparation for your career should be one of the first things you think about as you start university. Whether you have a clear idea of where your future aspirations lie or want to consider the broad range of opportunities available once you have a Birmingham degree, our Careers Network can help you achieve your goal.

When you have graduated with your MBChB and completed your two foundation years, you’ll be in a position to apply for posts in your own chosen specialisation. For most of our graduates, these are hospital and primary care posts in the NHS, but there are also opportunities in laboratory-based disciplines such as pathology, or in research. Some doctors move into more commercial fields such as the pharmaceutical industry, politics, or medical journalism and the media. Whichever direction you choose to go in, your training here gives you a first-class springboard.

View a video of Helen Parry, MBChB Graduate and Core Medical Trainee Level 2, talking about her time studying at the University of Birmingham and how the skills she gained helped her build a career in medicine.

Your Birmingham degree is evidence of your ability to succeed in a demanding academic environment. Employers target Birmingham students for their drive, diversity, communication and problem-solving skills, their team-working abilities and cultural awareness, and our graduate employment statistics have continued to climb at a rate well above national trends.

Another advantage you will have as a Birmingham student is access to our unique careers guidance service where, if you make the most of the wide range of services, we will be able to help you develop your career from the moment you arrive.

Our careers guidance service is unique in that it’s tailored to your academic subject area, allowing us to give you specialist advice on all your options. Our team source exclusive work experience opportunities to help you stand out amongst the competition, and can help you with mentoring, global internships and placements. Once you have a career in your sights, one-to-one support with CVs and job applications will help give you the edge. In addition, our employer-endorsed, award-winning Personal Skills Award (PSA) recognises your extra-curricular activities and provides an accredited employability programme designed to improve your career prospects.

Find out more about Careers Network.