Medical Schools
The entry criteria, structure, teaching methodology and nature of medical programs offered at medical schools vary considerably around the world.
Australia
Various models of medical education exist in Australia. Undergraduate-entry program typically last 5-6 years, and permit entry from secondary school matriculation. Graduate medical programs typically last 4-4.5 years, and require the entrant to have attained a previous bachelor degree qualification at a certain level of achievement, in addition to aptitude tests and interviews.
In early years, theoretical domains of study predominate, with increasing clinical focus during the program. However, early clinical exposure—in which students commence clinical skills from very early in the course, concurrently with theoretical study—is a component of many degrees, most notably the graduate medical programs.
Depending on the program undertaken, students graduate as Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery (MB BS), or simply a Bachelor of Medicine (BMed), in addition to other degrees attained during study.
United Kingdom
In the United Kingdom, medical school generally refers to a department within a university (or in some cases, such as SGHMS/SGUL, an entire educational establishment) which is involved in the education of future medical practitioners.Admissions
In the United Kingdom students generally commence their medical studies without any preliminary higher education, typically at the age of eighteen or nineteen. This contrasts with the U.S. system, where a preliminary bachelor's degree is required for entry to medical school. Entry to British medical schools is very competitive. Courses last five or six years (depending on whether or not one intercalates a BSc (Hons) which takes another year in addition to the five years of medical education (2 years preclin, 3 years clinical)) including 2 years of preclinical training, followed by clinical experience at a teaching hospital for an additional 3 years. After successful completion of clinical training they graduate as Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery, usually abbreviated as 'MBBS' for all London medical schools and Newcastle, 'MBBCh' for Cardiff, 'MBChB' for all Scotland medical schools plus Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Bristol, Sheffield, Birmingham, 'BMBCh' for Oxford or 'MBBChir' for Cambridge.
Applications for entry into medical school (in common with other university courses) are made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service. UCAS generally allows students to apply for up to six places at different universities, however applicants for medical school may use only four of these places for medical courses, the remaining two must be left blank or be used to apply for non-medical courses, with many students applying for courses in biomedical science, medical genetics etc. as insurance options.
Course structure
Traditionally the delivery of medical education has been divided into two distinct styles. Problem Based Learning (PBL) aims to develop a mature and self-sufficient style of learning by encouraging students to work on solving clinical scenarios with little input from tutors in the form of lectures. PBL courses have been criticised (whether rightly or wrongly) for providing too little support for students, the lack of interaction between teacher and student meaning problems (academic or pastoral) can go unnoticed for a long time. Traditional Courses are classically lecture-intensive with a much more time devoted to didactic teaching. These courses have been criticised for "spoon-feeding" students and failing to develop in their graduates the ability to cope in the real world.
Another division of medical curricula is on the basis of whether they belong to the traditional pre-clinical/clinical type, where theoretical teaching (pre-clinical, i.e. microbiology, physiology etc.) is delivered completely separately from the clinical teaching (i.e. communication, diagnosis), or whether they conform to an integrated model, where patient interaction begins much earlier and emphasis is placed on relating the learned physiology to clinical scenarios from the very beginning.
(The following is not yet standardised across the UK and may be subject to change) Students in their final year will begin the process of applying for jobs. The new system (implemented by the NHS Modernising Medical Careers) involves a simplified application process without interviews based on a matching scheme - students rank their favourite placements (usually within their local deanery which often comprises a catchment area of two or three cities), and are ranked by the placements they apply to, the resulting correlation of scores determines which job the student will get when they graduate. The graduates will embark on a new-style foundation programme consisting of two years (much like the previous PRHO (pre-registration house officer) and SHO (senior house officer) years) which focus on the seven principles of the MMC training ethos: trainee centred, competency assessed, service based, quality assured, flexible, coached, and structured & streamlined.
Graduate entry programmes
Recently several four year graduate entry schemes have been introduced which cover a similar range and depth of knowledge to the undergraduate scheme but at a more intensive pace. These courses have a limited number of spaces and include some funding after the first year, so competition is very high. Some sources report in the region of 60 applicants for each place as these courses have become more widely known. Until relatively recently, people over thirty were strongly discouraged from applying.
For more information about getting into a UK medical school as a mature applicant, see the good 'Mature FAQ' on graduate programmes or, for a specific example, Leicester/Warwick's programme.
Intercalated degrees
It is increasingly common for medical students to spend an additional year at medical school (lengthening a five year course to six years) studying for an intercalated Bachelor of Science (BSc). This gives the student the opportunity to gain an extra qualification in only a third of the time it would usually take.
Medical schools vary in their implementation of the extra year. At Leicester the year is optional, and around 10% of students elect to study for the extra degree. In contrast to this at UCL the Intercalated BSc is compulsory for all students. Typically the Intercalated BSc can be undertaken in a wide range of different subjects (e.g. Immunology, Forensic Pathology, Cardiology, Public Health Medicine etc.).
List of UK medical schools
Aberdeen Medical School - http://www.abdn.ac.uk/medicine/
Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry - http://www.mds.qmw.ac.uk/
Queens University Belfast Medical School - http://www.qub.ac.uk/cm/
Birmingham Medical School - http://medweb.bham.ac.uk/
Bristol Medical School - http://www.medici.bris.ac.uk/
Brighton and Sussex Medical School - http://www.bsms.ac.uk/
Cambridge Medical School - http://www.med.cam.ac.uk/
Cardiff University School of Medicine - http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/medicine/
Dundee Medical School - http://www.dundee.ac.uk/medden/index.html?org_id=2
Durham Medical School - http://www.dur.ac.uk/phase1.medicine/welcome.htm
University of East Anglia Medical School - http://www.med.uea.ac.uk/
Edinburgh Medical School - http://www.mvm.ed.ac.uk/
Glasgow Medical School - http://www.gla.ac.uk/faculties/medicine/
Guy's King's and St Thomas' School of Medicine - http://www.kcl.ac.uk/depsta/medicine/index.html
Hull York Medical School - http://www.hull.ac.uk/05/departments/hyms/index.html
Imperial College School of Medicine - http://www.ic.ac.uk
Keele University Medical School - http://www.keele.ac.uk/depts/ms/
Leeds Medical School - http://www.leeds.ac.uk/medicine/
Leicester Medical School - http://www.le.ac.uk/medicine/
Liverpool Medical School - http://www.liv.ac.uk/FacultyMedicine/root/faculty%20of%20medicine/index.htm
Manchester Medical School - http://www.mhs.manchester.ac.uk/
Newcastle Medical School - http://medical.faculty.ncl.ac.uk/
Nottingham and Derby Medical School - http://www.nottingham.ac.uk/mhs/index.htm
Oxford Medical School - http://www.medsci.ox.ac.uk/
Peninsula Medical School - http://www.peninsula.med.ac.uk
Royal Free and University College Medical School - http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/
Sheffield Medical School - http://www.shef.ac.uk/medicine/
Southampton Medical School - http://www.som.soton.ac.uk/
Bute Medical School St Andrews - http://medicine.st-andrews.ac.uk/
St George's Hospital Medical School - http://www.sghms.ac.uk
Swansea Medical School - http://www.medicine.swan.ac.uk/index.html
Warwick Medical School - http://www2.warwick.ac.uk/fac/med/
United States & Canada
In the United States and Canada, a medical school is most often a four year institution with the purpose of educating doctors in the fields of allopathic (U.S./Canada) or osteopathic medicine (U.S.).
Medical students begin study after receiving a bachelor's degree in another field of study. Most commonly, the bachelor's degree is in one of the biological sciences, but not always; in 2003, nearly 40% of medical school matriculants had received bachelor's degrees in fields other than biology or specialized health sciences [1]. All medical school applicants must, however, complete undergraduate courses in biology, chemistry and physics; some medical schools have additional requirements. Not all medical schools in Canada necessarily require a bachelor's degree for entry. For example, McGill University's medical school accepts applicants after a two-year CEGEP diploma, which is the equivalent of other provinces' 12th grade plus one year of university studies after 12th grade.
Admission offers are made by individual medical schools, generally on the basis of a personal statement, undergraduate record, scores on the Medical College Admission Test (MCAT), and interviews. Francophone medical schools in Quebec do not usually require the MCAT.
Medical students are referred to as MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4, according to their year of study in a standard four-year curriculum. These years are divided generally into preclinical study in the MS1 and MS2 years and clinical study in the MS3 and MS4 years. Following satisfactory completion of medical school, most graduates are awarded either a Doctor of Medicine (M.D.) or a Doctor of Osteopathy (D.O.). Many medical schools also offer joint degree programs in which some medical students may simultaneously enroll in master's or doctoral-level programs in related fields.
In Canada, medical schools that educate in the field of allopathic medicine are faculties or schools within universities. Like their U.S. counterparts, these medical schools offer a four year full-time program of study leading to the M.D. degree. However, in terms of program length, the medical school at McMaster University in Canada is distinct; its program runs for three consecutive years: "The program is operated on an eleven months-a-year basis and students qualify for the degree Doctor of Medicine at the end of the third academic year."
For training in osteopathic medicine in Canada, there is the Canadian College of Osteopathy [3], not affiliated with any university. The D.O. degree program offered by the College is a five year program of part-time study and generally requires a bachelor's degree for entry. The College has campuses in Montreal (as Le Collège d'Études Ostéopathiques), Toronto, Vancouver and Halifax. At the College's website at [4], it is mentioned that the College's program is in Traditional Osteopathy and the following explanation is given: "In contrast to the current American model of Osteopathy, which has a strong medical component, Traditional Osteopathy is essentially European in origin and primarily has a manual basis."
The Netherlands & Belgium
In the Netherlands and Belgium, medical students receive respectively 6 and 7 years of university education prior to their graduation.
In the Netherlands students receive four years of the preclinical training, followed by two years of clinical training in hospitals of their own choice. After 6 years students graduate as basisarts (comparable with Doctor of Medicine), which in accordance with the Bologna process is comparable with a master's degree qualification. All medical students are permit entry from the highest level of secondary school: VWO, the entrant is not required to have a previous bachelor's degrees qualification.
The Belgian medical education is much more based on theoretical knowledge, whereas in the Netherlands medical education is focused more on skill than theoretical knowledge. In Belgium the first three years of education lead up to a bachelor's degree, followed by a four-year master's program.
New Zealand
New Zealand medical programs are typically undergraduate-entry programs of six years duration.
The final year (Year 6) of medical school is known as the "Trainee Intern" year where a student is known as a "Trainee Intern" (commonly, "TI"). Trainee interns receive a stipend grant from the New Zealand government. Trainee interns have responsibility under supervision for the care of about one third the patient workload of a junior doctor, however, all prescriptions and most other orders (e.g. radiology requests and charting of IV fluids) made by trainee interns must be countersigned by a registered doctor.
New Zealand medical schools currently award the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB).
People's Republic of China
Medical education is normally a five-year Bachelor degree, plus one year internship, and work experience before the final degree is awarded. Clinical specialization usually involves a two or three-year Master degree. Acceptance is based on the national entrance examination used for all universities.
Sweden
The medical eduation in Sweden is a five and half year course after which one must practice for 18 months before a license can be granted. University starts straight after Gymnasium and one needs 100% in GPA to get in.
Hong Kong
The medical education in Hong Kong follows that of the British system. There are currently two Faculties of Medicine in Hong Kong, namely, the Chinese University of Hong Kong and the University of Hong Kong. Together, these 2 universities produce 250 medical graduates a year (after a recent cut down). Medical education takes five years with an additional internship year. At the end of five years, the dual degree Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (abbreviated as MBBS at HKU and MBChB at CUHK) will be awarded. Graduates are then required to fulfill a year of internship training before registrating with the Medical Council of Hong Kong.
The University of Hong Kong has adopted the new "Problem Based Learning" (PBL) curriculum in 1997. The Chinese University has started a radical reform of its curriculum in 2000 and the transition has been completed in 2005 when the last cohort of students in the old curriculum has graduated. Both Universities' curriculum emphasise early clinical contact, evidence based medicine and life-long learning ability. Students in the Chinese University of Hong Kong can embark on an optional intercalated degree in Medical Science - after two years of study. While those in the University of Hong Kong can undertake a Intercalated Master of Research degree, which also takes an additional year of study.
Germany
In Germany, admission to medical schools is organized by a central organization. The most important criterion for admission is a person's final grade on the Abitur (secondary school diploma). After 2 years of preclinical studies and 4 years of clinical studies, the students graduate as general practitioners. Writing a thesis to obtain a MD degree is optional.
India
In India, admission to medical colleges is organized both by the central government CBSE as well as the state governments, after the students complete their 10+2 education. The undergraduate program consists of 5 semesters (previously it was 6), followed by one-year internship. The degree granted is Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (M.B.B.S.). Further postgraduate qualifications may be obtained as Diploma or Degree (MD/MS) under the aegis of the Medical Council of India [5]. PG diploma may also be obtained through the National Board of Examinations [6]. See Medical College (India) for more details
Ireland
There are five medical schools in the Republic of Ireland. They are at University College Dublin, Trinity College Dublin, the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (also situated in Dublin), University College Cork and National University of Ireland, Galway. Training lasts five or six years, with the last two years in the teaching hospitals. Medical education is regulated by the Irish Medical Council, the statutory body which is also responsible for maintaining a register of medical practitioners. After graduation with the degrees of MB BCh BAO (Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery, Bachelor of the Arts of Obstetrics), a doctor is required to spend one year as an intern under supervision before full registration is permitted.
Iceland
In Iceland, admission to medical school is awarded by passing a pre-organized test, controlled by the University of Iceland, which anyone who has a gymnasium degree can part take in. Only 48 people are granted entry each year and is the order of the people determined by who got the 48 highest scores on the test. Medical school in Iceland takes 6 years to complete and they must also complete 1 year of residency. Students are granted with an MD degree at graduation.
Medical students
A person accepted into a medical school and undertaking an educational program in medicine towards becoming a medical doctor is referred to as a medical student. Medical students are generally considered to be at the earliest stage of the medical career pathway.
Medical students typically undertake both theoretical studies and practical experience during their course, with the earlier years devoted more to the former, and the later years more focused on the latter.
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