Course overview
Grounded in a strong understanding of health, illness and the wider social factors that influence wellbeing, this course prepares you for the realities of modern healthcare.
Using an integrated case-based learning approach, the MBBS course is delivered within a dynamic and supportive learning environment that encourages critical thinking, collaboration and clinical excellence.
You graduate well prepared for a medical career in the UK or internationally, with the confidence and expertise to pursue opportunities in both clinical practice and academic medicine.
* Subject to University approval
Course details
Course structure
Year 1 & 2 core modules
Foundations of Medical Practice
You build a strong foundation in the scientific, professional and clinical aspects of medicine. Learning focuses on areas such as biomedical sciences, clinical skills, ethics, and professional practice, providing the knowledge and understanding for safe and effective patient care.
Teaching is mostly campus-based, with regular visits to hospitals, community settings and general practices across the region. Through a series of integrated clinical cases, you apply theoretical concepts to real-world healthcare scenarios, developing an early understanding of how medicine is practised and preparing you for future clinical training.
Year 3 - 5 core modules
Clinical Learning and Professional Development
You have a focus on clinical experience and workplace learning. You complete a range of placements, assistantships, clerkships and specialty rotations in healthcare settings across the region, gaining exposure to the full breadth of medical and surgical practice.
Alongside developing advanced clinical knowledge and skills, you further strengthen your professional identity, leadership capabilities and decision-making abilities. Opportunities for personalised learning are embedded throughout the course, such as student-selected components, allowing you to explore areas of particular interest and tailor aspects of your educational experience.
Modules offered may vary.
How you learn
You learn through a case-based approach to learning, helping you connect scientific principles with patient care. Clinical scenarios provide the framework for exploring different aspects of medicine, integrating knowledge from a range of disciplines and exploring how they interact in practice. This approach encourages active learning, critical thinking and clinical reasoning, ensuring that your studies remain relevant to the realities of modern healthcare.
Research is an integral part of the programme and reflects our commitment to advancing healthcare through innovation and discovery. You learn within a research-informed environment where emerging evidence and clinical developments help shape teaching and learning. Strong links with active research groups provide opportunities to engage with research projects, lab facilities and academic initiatives.
Throughout the course, you develop the professional attributes to excel as a future medical practitioner. Emphasis is on communication, teamwork, ethical practice, clinical judgement, information management, reflective learning and effective decision-making. These transferable skills support your development as a medical practitioner, and your ability to adapt to future advances in healthcare and engage in lifelong professional learning.
You develop practical clinical skills through direct engagement with patients and healthcare professionals. Early and sustained clinical exposure allows you to apply classroom learning in authentic settings while building confidence in patient assessment, communication and clinical practice. Supported by modern teaching facilities and diverse clinical placement environments, you graduate with the knowledge, experience and professionalism to thrive in contemporary healthcare settings.
How you are assessed
Throughout the course you are assessed by a variety of methods to demonstrate your development of the knowledge, skills and professional behaviours required to be a medical practitioner.
Assessment methods include:
- written exams
- oral presentations
- observed structured clinical exams (OSCE)
- multiple observed structured long exam records (MOSLER)
- workplace-based assessment of clinical encounters
- monitoring of professional attitudes and behaviours
- clinical logbooks
- E-portfolio.
The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced the MLA to establish a consistent national standard for safe medical practice. All doctors seeking registration with a licence to practice in the UK must demonstrate that they’ve achieved this standard before being granted GMC registration.
For students graduating from a UK medical school from the 2024-25 academic year onwards, successful completion of a medical degree that incorporates the MLA is a requirement for registration with the GMC.
The MLA includes two components:
- applied knowledge test (AKT) – a nationally set assessment that evaluates the knowledge required for safe and effective medical practice. The exam and pass standard is determined by a GMC-appointed assessment board. UK medical schools are responsible for scheduling and delivering the assessment to their students, while international medical graduates sit the same assessment through GMC-approved testing arrangements. The AKT is intended to be delivered in a computer-based format.
- clinical and professional skills assessment (CPSA) – an evaluation of clinical and professional competencies. Medical schools continue to deliver their own clinical skills assessments, provided these meet the standards and requirements established by the GMC. Students who successfully complete an approved assessment satisfy the CPSA element of the MLA.
Our Disability Services team provide an inclusive and empowering learning environment and have specialist staff to support disabled students access any additional tailored resources needed. If you have a specific learning difficulty, mental health condition, autism, sensory impairment, chronic health condition or any other disability please contact a Disability Services as early as possible.
Find out more about our disability services
Find out more about financial support
Find out more about our course related costs
Entry requirements
Entry requirements
A Levels
Typically, AAA in any subject is accepted excluding General Studies, Use of Mathematics, Word Development, Communication, Culture and Critical Thinking. The Extended Project is also not accepted.
Access Qualifications
Access to HE Diploma meeting the QAA subject descriptor for Medicine, including distance learning courses is accepted. Applicants must evidence that the course they wish to complete meets the QAA subject descriptor.
International Baccalaureate
A maximum of 36 points is required with a grade 5 minimum in all subjects taken.
Scottish Highers
AAAAA at Higher Grade and AA at Advanced Higher Grade are required.
Irish Leaving Certificate
H1H1H1H2H2H2 at Higher Level.
Graduate Entrants
Graduate applicants must have achieved, or be expected to achieve an honours degree in any discipline to at least an upper second class or first-class Honours or integrated masters degree.
Cambridge Pre-U, T-Levels and BTEC qualifications are not accepted
For general information please see our overview of entry requirements.
International applicants can find out what qualifications they need by visiting our international country pages.
Employability
Career opportunities
On successful completion, graduates are currently eligible to apply for provisional registration with a licence to practice from the GMC, provided they meet the GMC's fitness to practice requirements. Please note that GMC regulations and registration arrangements are subject to change as legislation and professional requirements evolve.
Following graduation, UK medical graduates complete the two-year UK Foundation Programme, which provides structured clinical training across a range of healthcare settings. Many of our graduates choose to apply for Foundation Programme posts within the Northern region, where a substantial number of training placements are available.
International graduates are currently able to complete both years of the Foundation Programme in the UK. However, opportunities for further specialist training may be subject to immigration requirements and workforce regulations in place at the time.
After successfully completing Foundation Year 1 (FY1) and obtaining a Certificate of Experience, doctors are normally eligible for full GMC registration. They then progress to Foundation Year 2 (FY2), developing broader clinical competencies before moving into specialist or general practice training pathways.
The MBBS course is designed to support your development beyond graduation. As medicine is a profession founded on continuous learning and professional growth, this course equips you with the knowledge, skills and attributes required for lifelong learning, ongoing professional development and adaptation to future advances in healthcare.
To explore potential career pathways, visit the Prospects Medicine Careers Guide. You can also find information about medical careers and training opportunities in the North East through NHS Find Your Place.
Work placement
You complete a range of placements, assistantships, clerkships and specialty rotations in healthcare settings across the region, gaining exposure to the full breadth of medical and surgical practice.
Information for international applicants
Qualifications
International applicants - find out what qualifications you need by selecting your country below.
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Useful information
Visit our international pages for useful information for non-UK students and applicants.