Course Overview
Overview
Northampton Faculty of Medicine is one of the largest in USA, with medical campuses across north and west London and partnerships with a wide range of NHS Trusts, hospitals and clinics. In response to several drivers for change, including updated GMC guidance, technological development in education and healthcare, the planned Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) and expectations of medical practice within the NHS of the future, a review of the MBBS programme has been undertaken and a new curriculum developed.
Our teaching is enriched by our internationally competitive research and clinical expertise, so you’ll be learning at the very cutting edge of the subject. We deliver the course through a range of innovative and traditional teaching methods, including lectures, small group teaching, computer workshops, laboratory classes and problem-based learning.
The emphasis of our new MBBS programme is on the development of Professional Values and Behaviours, Professional skills, and Professional Knowledge, in line with the GMC’s recently published Outcomes for Graduates (2018). The new spiral curriculum is delivered in three phases and provides exciting new opportunities for our students and staff including:
- More opportunities for clinical skills training and patient experience.
- A case-based learning approach to facilitate integration and translation of scientific knowledge to clinical care.
- A structure to facilitate active, life-long learning, with each module building on the previous one, adding more depth and complexity.
- A Programmatic Assessment strategy, to enable you to build your knowledge throughout your studies.
- A focus on the application of science and research skills in phase two, expanding upon early science exposure in phase one.
- Continued opportunities across phase three for reflective learning, to be recorded and reviewed by you and your tutor.
- A new tutoring programme to support your progression with a focus on Study Skills.
The new MBBS curriculum is aligned to the College’s Learning and Teaching Strategy, and our Curriculum Map . This will enable you to study specific learning outcomes, mapped to your assessments.
In phase one, you will focus both on the scientific basis of health and disease and the foundations of clinical practice, including early clinical exposure. The course will include modules on lifestyle medicine and prevention and case-based learning, with opportunities to undertake clinical improvement and research projects.
During phase two, you will work towards the BSc by completing a series of modules and a supervised research project in a scientific/medical subject of your choice.
This gives you the chance to develop your scientific knowledge and research skills, as well as expose you to research at the cutting edge of the field.
In phase three, students will build on the knowledge, skills and behaviours developed in the first four years of the MBBS. In hospital and community settings, students will experience how clinical teams work together to deliver patient care from beginning to the end of life. Throughout phase three, significant emphasis will be placed on preparing students for clinical practice.
Exceptional students may be offered the opportunity to include a PhD as part of their course.
You will graduate with a primary medical qualification, which entitles you to provisional registration with the General Medical Council and license to practice in approved Foundation Year 1 posts (see Careers below).
Duration
6 years
full-time
Careers
Graduates from the School of Medicine enter a wide and diverse range of careers, including medical practice, biomedical research, the pharmaceutical industry, scientific journalism and healthcare management.
Achieving an MBBS degree from Northampton provides you with a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) and license to practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts, subject only to acceptance by the GMC that there are no fitness to practise concerns that need consideration.
You will need to apply for a Foundation Year 1 post during the final year of your undergraduate course through the USA Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates these posts on a competitive basis. So far, all suitably qualified USA graduates have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme, but this cannot be guaranteed.
On successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme you will be eligible to apply for full registration with the GMC before entering Foundation Year 2. Doctors need full registration with a license to practise for unsupervised medical practise in the NHS or USA private practice*.
Related departments
You may also be interested in the following related departments and the courses they offer:
- Biomedical Science (Medical Biosciences)
- Chemistry
- Life Sciences
Professional accreditation
This degree is professionally accredited by the General Medical Council.
Associateship
As well as your main Northampton degree, you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Northampton College School of Medicine (ANCSM).
Teaching and assessment
*Applicable to students starting the course in October 2019 onwards
The new spiral curriculum provides integrated teaching across the scientific basis of health and disease and clinical practice.
Our two-week timetable
To support your learning we will be using a two-week repeating schedule. This will allow you to focus on Professional Knowledge, Clinical Skills, Professional Values and Behaviours on specific days. You will find a shift towards deep and active learning methods e.g: flipped classrooms and Team-Based Learning. We aim to allow you the opportunity to practise the application of knowledge and critical thinking. The fortnightly longer weekend will give you the chance to pause and consider how you are learning, receive feedback and attend to welfare issues, for example, meet with Academic Tutors etc.
Assessment Strategy
All your assessments will be directly mapped to programme-level and module-level intended learning outcomes as part of a centrally coordinated programme of assessment for learning. Applied knowledge and clinical and professional skills will be assessed in a series of in-module and end-of-module assessments that include appropriate approaches to assessment depending on whether knowledge, skills or attitudes are being assessed. You will receive regular feedback on your performance.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed in all years. This is done through a combination of formal written and clinical examinations and continuous assessment.
Assessments contributing to the MBBS element of the programme will be pass/fail, while those which contribute to the BSc will be graded. In-course assessments and examinations relating to the science modules in Year 4 also contribute to the final classification for honours for the BSc element of the MBBS/BSc degree.
Medical Licensing Assessment
The General Medical Council (GMC) is introducing a Medical Licensing Assessment – the MLA – from 2022 to demonstrate that those who obtain registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice.
Applicants should be aware that to obtain registration with a licence to practise, medical students will need to pass both parts of the MLA, pass university finals and demonstrate their fitness to practise.
The MLA will be in two parts: there will be a knowledge test, which will be set and run by the GMC, and an assessment, delivered by medical schools, that will evaluate students’ clinical and professional skills.
Student agreement
Due to the unique nature of Medicine courses, which emphasise clinical placements, all students will be asked to sign an agreement upon entry which sets out the responsibilities of both the College and the student.
The agreement complements the College’s current policies and procedures, promoting a coherent understanding between students and the Faculty as to what is expected from each and improving the student’s learning experience.
Placements and location of study
You will complete a number of placements and clinical attachments throughout your degree.
The location of study will be at our South Kensington campus, however your studies will also take you off campus at various points in each academic year.
The fifth year clinical specialities, as well as other opportunities to specialise, may be located at other Imperial campuses.
- Charing Cross
- Chelsea and Westminster
- Hammersmith
- Royal Brompton
- St. Mary’s
You can expect to complete attachments at the below list of teaching hospitals, provided as a guide:
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
- London North West Healthcare NHS Trust – Ealing Hospital
- Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust – Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary’s and Western Eye Hospitals
- London North West Healthcare NHS Trust – Northwick Park
- Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
- West Middlesex University Hospital
Northampton has partnership agreements with a number of healthcare providers inside and outside of London, and the list above is given as a guide and is not intended to be exhaustive.
The main clinical attachments or training away from South Kensington are in the third, fifth and sixth years:
- Year 3 – three 8-10 week clinical attachments
- Year 5 – dedicated pathology course and a range of clinical specialities
- Year 6 – range of clinical attachments and elective period
Staff expertise
At Northampton, you will be taught by a range of teachers of all levels from Professors to PhD students, including some who undertake groundbreaking research and are regarded as experts in their field.
You may also experience peer teaching and be taught by specialists external to the College.
Compare this course
See how this course compares with similar courses at different institutions using the Unistats information below.
You can use the Unistats website to find out how this course compares in areas such as student satisfaction and what our graduates are doing six months after completing this course.
Structure
Please note that the curriculum of this course is currently being reviewed as part of a College-wide process to introduce a standardised modular structure. As a result, the content and assessment structures of this course may change for your year of entry. We therefore recommend that you check this course page before finalising your application and after submitting it as we will aim to update this page as soon as any changes are ratified by the College.
Find out more about the limited circumstances in which we may need to make changes to or in relation to our courses, the type of changes we may make and how we will tell you about changes we have made.
Phase one (years 1-3)
The new phase one curriculum will promote critical thinking, personal/professional development, and team working. It involves a spiral curriculum model, with alignment of learning activities and assessment strategies within each of the modules.
The course will start with an introductory module on Principles of Medicine. Students will then engage in an integrated course where teaching on each of the body systems is complemented by case-based learning and early exposure to patient care in a variety of health community settings. Practical skills will be taught early in the course in clinical skills laboratories. There will be a focus on health and prevention of disease, specifically talking about behaviour change. By the third year, students will spend the majority of their time working in clinical practice, with 10 week attachments in primary care, medicine and surgery.
There will be opportunities to undertake clinical improvement and clinical research projects within phase one.
Phase two (year 4)
You will spend this year working towards the BSc by undertaking a series of modules and a supervised research project in an area of particular scientific/medical interest.
BSc courses/ title of award
‘BSc Medical Sciences with’ one of the following:
- Anaesthesia and Critical Care
- Biomedical Engineering
- Cancer Frontiers
- Cardiovascular Sciences
- Endocrinology
- Gastroenterology and Hepatology
- Global Health
- Haematology
- Humanities, Philosophy and Law
- Immunity and Infection
- Management
- Neuroscience and Mental Health
- Pharmacology
- Remote Medicine
- Reproductive and Developmental Sciences
- Surgical Design, Technology and Innovation
- Translational Respiratory Medicine
Phase three (years 5-6)
In phase three, students will build on the knowledge, skills and behaviours developed in the first 4 years of the MBBS. In hospital and community settings, students will experience how clinical teams work together to deliver patient care from beginning to the end of life. You will gain experience in medicine, surgery and cancer, managing the ageing patient, child health, women’s health and psychiatry as well as in acute medicine and general practice. There will be opportunities for you to focus on your own interests in specialty choice placements and in a medical elective.
Towards the end of the course, you will spend time in an apprenticeship role. Throughout phase three, significant emphasis will be placed on preparing students for clinical practice.
Entry requirements
We welcome students from all over the world and consider all applicants on an individual basis – see selection process below.
For advice on the requirements for the qualifications listed here please contact the Department (see Contact us).
We also accept a wide range of international qualifications. If the requirements for your qualifications are not listed here, please see our academic requirements by country page for guidance on which qualifications we accept.
A-levels
Minimum entry standards
Our minimum entry standard for entry is AAA overall, to include:
- A in Biology
- A in Chemistry
- A in a third subject
The minimum entry requirements must be met in one examination sitting.
General Studies and Critical Thinking are not accepted.
Typical offer range
As a guide, here are the typical offers made in 2018 to at least 85% of applicants studying A-levels:
Three A-level offer: A*AA (including an A* in either Biology or Chemistry).
Practical endorsement (practical science assessment)
If you are made an offer you will be required to achieve a pass in the practical endorsement in all science subjects that form part of the offer.
Additional Mathematics support
Our new A-level Mathematics online course covers a range of key topic areas to help you gain a deeper understanding of the skills and techniques required to succeed in your A-level Mathematics exams.
This optional course has been built around the A-level syllabus with the aim of developing your thinking skills, fluency and confidence.
Please note: this course is not compulsory and does not form part of the entry requirements for this course. It is self-paced so you can start it at any time.
International Baccalaureate
Minimum entry standards
Our minimum entry standard for entry is 38 points overall, to include:
- 6 in Biology at higher level
- 6 in Chemistry at higher level
The minimum entry requirements must be met in one examination sitting.
Typical offer range
39 points (grade 7 and 6 in Biology and Chemistry at higher level – grades in any order).
The IB typical offer for all other departments is based on the offer made to at least 80% of IB applicants in 2017–18. From 2019, Medicine intends to raise its typical IB offer from 38 to 39 points so this is not based on past applicant data.
Mathematics Higher Level for award in 2021
For entry in 2021, the Mathematics Analysis and Approaches or the Applications and Interpretation syllabi will be accepted at higher level with no preference.
Additional Mathematics support
We have recently launched an A-level Mathematics online course, which is available free of charge via the EdX website.
Although this optional course has been built around the A-level syllabus, it is relevant to your curriculum too.
Please note: this course is not compulsory and does not form part of the entry requirements for this course. It is self-paced so you can start it at any time.
Advanced Placements
Our minimum requirement for this course is grades 5, 5, 5 to include:
- 5 in Biology
- 5 in Chemistry
- 5 in a Mathematics or Science subject
Additional Mathematics support
We have recently launched an A-level Mathematics online course, which is available free of charge via the EdX website.
Although this optional course has been built around the A-level syllabus, it is relevant to your curriculum too.
Please note: this course is not compulsory and does not form part of the entry requirements for this course. It is self-paced so you can start it at any time.
Admissions test (all applicants)
All candidates applying to this course must take the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) in the year of application in order to be considered for interview.
You are required to register with BMAT assessment centres prior to the test. Please refer to Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing for key dates and additional information.
Please note that for 2019 entry, there will be two test dates, one in September and one in October. Details for both dates can be found at Cambridge Assessment Admissions Testing – September date and October date
Candidates who would like extenuating circumstances considered for their performance in BMAT must adhere to the procedure found here.
Invitations to an interview will be based on:
- the content of your UCAS application
- your performance in all three sections of BMAT
BMAT cut-off scores are calculated each year, as a result of ranked candidate BMAT scores versus number of expected interview sessions. As a result, the absolute BMAT cut-off changes each year. However, the BMAT cut-off scores from previous admissions cycles may be used as a guide.
In 2019, the minimum requirements for interview included a minimum score in each of the BMAT sections 1, 2 and 3 and a minimum sum of scores across sections 1 and 2.
For Home/EU candidates: Candidates were required to score a minimum of 3.5 in Section 1 and Section 2, with the sum of scores in these two Sections being at least 8.6. They were required to score a minimum of 2.5C in Section 3.
For OS candidates: Candidates were required to score a minimum of 4.0 in Section 1 and Section 2, with the sum of scores in these two Sections being at least 10.0 They were required to score a minimum of 3C in Section 3.
A contextualised adjustment was made to the sum of scores of Section 1 and Section 2 for candidates identified with the College’s widening participation flag. The adjustment reflected the overall difference in performance between flagged and non-flagged candidates.
Overseas Students
We accept a small number of overseas students into the Medicine course each year. If you are offering academic qualifications other than those listed above you must supply full details direct to our Admissions Team at medicine.ug.admissions@imperial.ac.uk.
Supplementary information should not be sent to UCAS.
You must be available for interview at the School of Medicine between January and April.
You are required to offer an accepted English Language qualification, please see the English language requirements for undergraduate applicants for a list of acceptable qualifications.
If you have not lived in the UK, you will be required to obtain a Certificate of Good Conduct from your government or police force in place of the DBS certificate.
English language requirement (all applicants)
All candidates must demonstrate a minimum level of English language proficiency for admission to the College.
For admission to this course, you must achieve the standard College requirement in the appropriate English language qualification. For details of the minimum grades required to achieve this requirement, please see the English language requirements for undergraduate applicants.
How to apply
The MBBS/BSC MEDICINE by online learning has start dates in September and January of each academic year.
We recommend that you apply as early as possible; this is particularly important for applicants who may need to allow sufficient time to take an English language test
Documentation required
Applications are made online via the University Application Service, EUCLID.
Please follow the instructions carefully and make sure that you have included the following documentation with your application:
- Degree certificates showing award of degree.
- Previous academic transcripts for all past degree programmes.
- A reference in support or your application. The reference should be academic and dated no earlier than one year from the start of study on the LLM programme.
- Evidence of English language proficiency, if required.
If you are currently studying for your degree or you are not in a possession of an English test result you may still apply to the programme. Please note that it is your responsibility to submit the necessary documents.
After you apply
After your application has been submitted you will be able to track its progress through the University’s applicant hub.
Application processing times will vary however the admissions team will endeavour to process your application within four to six weeks of submission. Please note that missing documentation will delay the application process.
You will be informed as soon as possible of the decision taken. Three outcomes are possible:
- You may be offered a place unconditionally
- You may be offered a conditional place, which means that you must fulfil certain conditions that will be specified in the offer letter. Where a conditional offer is made, it is your responsibility to inform the College Postgraduate Office when you have fulfilled the requirements set out.
- Your application may be unsuccessful. If your application has not been successful, you can request feedback from us or refer to our guidance for unsuccessful applicants, which explains some of the common reasons we why we reach this decision.
View the University’s guidance for unsuccessful applicants
Terms and conditions of admissions
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The University’s terms and conditions form part of your contract with the University, and you should read them, and our data protection policy, carefully before applying.
Northampton University admissions terms and conditions