Manchester Medical School

Study Medicine at Manchester Medical School

Being the largest medical school in the UK, Manchester’s five-year programme aims to educate, train and prepare their students to be part of a healthcare system of both today and the future. This course integrates science and clinical learning so studentsare able to gain knowledge they can apply to clinical practice.

The course begins with an introduction to the teaching style, learning processes and consultation skills that students need to know. Years 1 and 2 are based mostly on campus at teaching hospitals and in community settings across the north. These year sare split into four modules, incorporated with themes of doctors as scientists, scholars, professionals and practitioners. The modules are taught as cases, containing relevant topics, to allow students to prepare for howpatient problems are dealt with by doctors, and develop both their independent and team working skills.

The programme encourages practical work through anatomy dissection, clinical experience, physiology and pharmacology practical classes and personal development activities.

Year 1 sees the exploration of the Life Cycle module through cases that look at the cellular and molecular processes that cause development, growth and reproduction, as well as immune response and the pathophysiology of various genetic diseases and cancer.The second module of the year is Cardio respiratory Fitness, looking at the chest, heart, lung and blood function.

The second year includes the Mind and Movement module looking at neuroscience, the nervous system, and the brain, and the Nutrition, Metabolism and Excretion module, which introduces students to the kidneys, hormonal mechanisms of the body and the gastrointestinal system.

From Year 3 to the end of your course, learning will be done predominantly through clinical placements done at the four base hospitals and their accompanying teaching hospitals and community placements.

In Year 3, students spend the week observing real patients and applying knowledge and clinical skills obtained from learning done in previous years. The first semester allows students to gain an insight into common conditions through placements, whereas the second semester has two six-week blocks, followed by three four-week blocks that take place in more complex environments like surgical speciality placements and acute medical settings.

Year 4 aims to expand the student’s clinical knowledge across medical specialities with supervised placements in women’s health, child health, oncology and breast health, and dermatology, taught by speciality experts. The year ends with student electiveplacements, usually overseas.

In the final year, students are prepared for their role as a foundation year doctor with additional clinical placements in general medical and surgical placements. Students will also do a community placement, such as community paediatrics, to gain an understanding of how medical services are delivered outside hospitals. As students are integrated into clinical settings and tackle the duties of a newly qualified doctor, they are supervised.

Advice for applicants to Manchester Medical School

(i.e.: 'how I did it')

• Before applying to Manchester Medical School, I researched the medical school’s entry requirements for GCSE, which are a minimum of 5 GCSEs at grade A/A*/7/8/9, and A-Level, which are AAA including Chemistry or Biologyplus a second subject from either: Chemistry, Biology, Physics, Maths/Further Maths. As a widening participation student, I was part of the Manchester Access Programme, which upon completion, reduced my A-Level graderequirements to ABB.
• Having a high UCAT is a very important part of the application process, especially at Manchester University. The university offers an interview to students that score in the upper third of the national results, whilst those with scores too low have their entire application evaluated from work experience to academic achievements.
• Manchester is unique as they no longer use personal statements in the application process, opting instead to ask applicants to complete a non-academic form. This form discusses topics such as motivation for medicine, hobbies and interest, team working, and experience in a role of care. It is crucial to have some form of volunteering experience or work experience completed as the university places lots of emphasis on this aspect of the application.It is also important to not just copy and paste your personal statement into this form and create structured and insightful answers that show what you have learned from your experiences.
• The medical school uses the MMI format for interviews in which they have around 7 different stations ranging from stations with stimulated patients to ones with expected questions about relevant topics. It is essentialto know how to structure your answers effectively and read up on popular topics and medical ethics that are significant in the medical and scientific field, prior to your interview. It is most vital that your answersare insightful, genuine and the interviewers are able to recognise that you are fit to be a medical student at the University of Manchester.

My experience as a 1st year medical student so far

• My first year studying medicine at Manchester began with a two-week induction period in which we were given an overview of key learning processes and clinical skills. After this period, the first semester started with PBL sessions. Each week we have 2 PBL sessions in groups of 10-12, overseen by a member of staff. The opening session is at the start of the week, where we go through a clinical case, analysing and formulating a “learning agenda” of questions to go away and research. Throughout the week we have multiple lectures to aid us with the necessary information we need to know for that week’s case. The closing session occurs at the end of theweek where we feedback and share information we gathered.
• One of the major benefits of studying medicine at the University of Manchester is the exceptional anatomy tutorials given once a week in the dissection room (DR). These sessions allow students to consolidate their knowledge,hands on, through full body dissections and pro-sections. The communication skills teaching once a week at Manchester is also amazing and is guided by extremely helpful stimulated patients and teachers who provide areally safe space and great feedback to allow you to learn and develop your skills.
• Manchester is a large, multicultural city and offers a whole host of social opportunities, with the famous Rusholme or “curry mile” just down Oxford Road where most of the main campus is. The sports and society opportunities are limitless, with plenty of medical societies available, Medsoc being one of the largest on campus. On the whole, Manchester Medical School offers endless opportunities and experiences that allow you to grow not onlyas an outstanding medical professional but also as an individual.

-by Meena, studying medicine in the UK, at the University of Manchester