Peninsula Medical School

BMBS Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

Do you want to make a difference? With patient experience and student satisfaction at its heart, this hands-on, forward-thinking degree from one of England’s top four medical schools will give you the knowledge, skills and confidence to become an outstanding doctor primed for tomorrow’s healthcare needs. Nurturing critical thinking and a caring approach to your medical practice, we’ll help you develop the clinical and communication, teamwork and leadership skills for a top career in medicine.

You will benefit from close relationships with our principal NHS hospital partners. You will practise your clinical and communication skills in the safe setting of our Clinical Skills Resource Centre (CSRC), which features specially designed replicas of hospital wards and emergency rooms, with high-specification patient-simulators. You will also learn from real patients from the outset, with clinical placements starting in the first two weeks of year one.

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First choice for health

Delivered by professional experts, our programmes are tailored to you and your career. Together, we address today's most challenging healthcare issues, through research-informed teaching and active, real-world learning.

#firstchoiceforhealth

Key features

  • Benefit from close relationships with our principal NHS partners – Plymouth Hospitals NHS Trust, South Devon Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and local general practices – who have helped develop the course and provide wide-ranging placement opportunities.
  • Learn from real patients from the outset, with clinical placements starting in the first two weeks of Year 1. 
  • Ensure your learning is always current and follows best practice, through the internationally renowned research that constantly feeds into our teaching, to reflect today’s dynamic healthcare delivery environment.
  • Take part in expert-led discussions around clinical case studies and the latest medical science breakthroughs, through our Structured Small Groups teaching approach, including Problem Based Learning. These are also a great opportunity to learn from other students’ knowledge and experience.
  • Practise your clinical and communication skills in the safe setting of our Clinical Skills Resource Centre (CSRC), which features specially designed replicas of hospital wards and emergency rooms, with high-specification patient-simulators.
  • Utilise online systems to support your learning including the student logbook, custom-made for our students to access lecture notes, online assessment systems and lecture sessions. 
  • Deepen your understanding of the structure and functionality of the human body with our Life Sciences Resource Centre (LSRC), which includes radiographic imaging and expert-led life science sessions.
  • Choose the subjects that most interest you to study in-depth and build your own interests, specialisms, and research, scientific and analytical skills over the five years of your degree with our Special Study Units (SSUs). There are over 200 to choose from – see a sample list of current SSU titles.
  • See how clinical medicine or research is practised in different social and cultural contexts in other parts of the South West, UK or the world, and further your experience through our elective opportunities.
  • Explore another discipline at degree level – from history of medicine to music, psychology to statistics – through our Intercalated degrees programme. Our BSc (Hons) Urgent and Emergency Care – developed with local emergency department/consultants, is a unique opportunity in the UK to work in and learn about the area of emergency care alongside your medical degree. External intercalation opportunities are also available.
  • All students will spend Years 1 and 2 in Plymouth. In Years 3-5, students will spend at least one year either in Torbay, Taunton or Plymouth, and rotate around these sites. Travel to GP practices from these main hospital sites will also be required.

We’re very proud of our National Student Survey (NSS) 2019 return showing an overall course satisfaction of 93 per cent and 98 per cent of students agreed that staff were good at explaining things*. 

Course details

  • Year 1
  • In the first two years, you’ll learn the core scientific foundations of medicine within a clinical context. We’ve structured our curriculum around the human life cycle, so in the first year you’ll study human physical and psychological development from conception to old age. You’ll learn from real-life clinical case studies and experience healthcare in a range of community settings, meeting patients and service users, and learning from health and social care professionals.
    Core modules

    • MED410 Medical Knowledge 1

      This module enables students to demonstrate the integrated application of basic human and biomedical sciences at the level appropriate for a first year student

    • MED411 Clinical and Communication Skills 1

      This module deals with the acquisition of the basic core clinical and communication skills underpinning modern clinical practice.

    • MED412 Personal Development and Professionalism 1

      This module deals with personal & professional development including team working, reflection, time management, ethical practice, feedback and professional skills.

    • MED414 Student-Selected Component 1 (SSC1)

      This module focusses on research skills. The module aims to emphasise the development and achievement of skills in: searching sources, critical evaluation, synthesis, presenting evidence, effective planning, developing research questions and problem solving.

  • Year 2
  • In the second year, you’ll revisit the human life cycle, this time with an emphasis on disease, pathological processes, and the human and social impact of illness and disease. You’ll do a series of placements in a single general practice, enabling you to learn about long-term health issues and see teamwork in action.
    Core modules

    • MED520 Medical Knowledge 2

      This module enables students to demonstrate the integrated application of basic human and biomedical sciences at the level appropriate for a second year medical student.

    • MED521 Clinical and Communication Skills 2

      This module deals with the further acquisition of the core clinical and communication skills underpinning modern clinical practice.

    • MED522 Personal Development and Professionalism 2

      This module deals with the continuing further personal and professional development including team working, reflection, time management, ethical practice, feedback and professional skills.

    • MED524 Student-Selected Component 2 (SSC2)

      This module focusses on research skills in addition it evaluates the role of doctors as educators. The module aims to emphasise the development and achievement of skills in: searching sources, critical evaluation, synthesis, presenting evidence, effective planning, developing research questions, problem solving and project management.

  • Year 3
  • In your third and fourth years, you’ll learn more about clinical practice and spend more time in a patient-centred learning environment. Completing a series of hospital and general practice-based community placements, you’ll gain valuable experience in a wide range of clinical settings and see first hand how the NHS works as a team to deliver patient care. Year three focuses on three ‘Pathways of Care’: Acute Care, Ward Care and Integrated Ambulatory Care.
    Core modules

    • MED630 Medical Knowledge 3

      This module deals with the further acquisition of the core knowledge of the sciences underpinning clinical practice.

    • MED631 Clinical and Professional Development 1

      This module deals with the further acquisition of the core clinical skills and professional behaviours underpinning modern patient centred clinical practice and their application within a real clinical setting.

    • MED634 Student Selected Component 3

      This module further develops the students' written and verbal communication as well as research and critical thinking skills. In addition, it evaluates the role of doctors in quality improvement and health promotion. The module aims to emphasise the development and achievement of skills in: communication, project management, technological application, patient and public engagement and peer assessment.

  • Year 4
  • You’ll continue working and learning in hospital and general practice settings, further developing your communication, clinical, problem-solving and analytical skills. The three ‘Pathways of Care’ continue in year four with a focus on: Acute Care, Palliative Care/ Oncology and Continuing Care.
    Core modules

    • MED640 Medical Knowledge 4

      This module deals with the further acquisition of the core knowledge of the sciences underpinning clinical practice.

    • MED641 Clinical and Professional Development 2

      This module deals with the further acquisition and refinement of the core clinical skills and professional behaviours underpinning modern patient centred clinical practice and their application within a real clinical setting.

    • MED644 Student Selected Component 4

      This module focusses on team skills and self-evaluation. There are two equally weighted and equivalent coursework summative assessments, encompassing both the study and practice of teamwork.

  • Final year
  • You’ll now be all set to apply the knowledge, skills and confidence you’ve acquired over the first four years by working ‘on the job’, as part of a healthcare team in action, based in either Derriford or Torbay hospital. You’ll become more assured when dealing with clinical situations, and develop an in-depth understanding of the principles of practice in the NHS. Supplementing your independent learning with a portfolio of indicative presentations, you’ll also have the opportunity to do an elective in a different social or cultural context.
    Core modules

    • MED650 Medical Knowledge 5

      This module deals with the further acquisition of the core knowledge of the sciences underpinning clinical practice.

    • MED651 Clinical and Professional Practice

      This module enables students to demonstrate their clinical and professional ability to carry out clinical procedures, investigations , analysis and interpretation of evidence and production of a clinical management plan for a range of core acute and chronic conditions. It will include demonstration of a professional and ethical approach to clinical practice, working in a patient centred manner and as part of a multi disciplinary team in the delivery of health care within the NHS.

    • MED654 Student Selected Component 5

      This module builds on and refines skills in independent learning, team working and critical thinking through the planning and execution of an elective period of study of the student's own design.

Every undergraduate taught course has a detailed programme specification document describing the course aims, the course structure, the teaching and learning methods, the learning outcomes and the rules of assessment.

The following programme specification represents the latest course structure and may be subject to change:

BMBS Programme Specification 2019 20 4601

The modules shown for this course are those currently being studied by our students, or are proposed new modules. Please note that programme structures and individual modules are subject to amendment from time to time as part of the University’s curriculum enrichment programme and in line with changes in the University’s policies and requirements.

Entry requirements

UCAS tariff

A*AA - AAB

Interviews for the 2019 application cycle are expected to take place in the weeks commencing the 25th November 2019, the 16th December 2019 and the 13th January 2020. Equal consideration will be given to all applicants invited for interview.

Direct school leavers

The entry requirements below apply to you if you completed your GCE A levels, or equivalent qualifications, within five years of the start of the application cycle, e.g. qualifications completed since 2014 would still be valid when applying in 2019. If your qualifications fall outside these criteria please refer to the 'Non-Direct School Leaver' section below.

All of the typical offers listed below are not necessarily the threshold for interview selection. Other factors including the number of applications received and performance in the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) influence the threshold for interview selection.

The school reserves the right to use all information on the UCAS form including evidence of social engagement and insight into medicine in the selection process for interview.

GCSEs

Applicants need to achieve 7 GCSE passes at grades A-C/9-4 which must include English Language, Mathematics and either GCSE Double Award Science or two from single award Chemistry, Biology, or Physics.

Plus suitable level 3 qualifications as outlined below.

GCE A level

The typical offer is A*AA – AAB at GCE A level which must include an A grade in biology and A in one further science from chemistry, physics, maths, and psychology. Your third GCE A level can be from any subject area including the humanities, languages, music, sport, science and the social sciences. 

If you are looking to apply with AAB

The University of Plymouth are committed to Widening Access (WA) and ensuring that all students with the potential to succeed, regardless of their background, are encouraged to apply with us. The additional information gained through contextual data enables our Admissions Advisory Panel to recognise a student’s achievements and identify their potential to succeed in the context of their background and experience. The contextual data we will consult when determining to issue an AAB offer are listed below. Applicants will need to meet a minimum of three from the following WA indicators to be considered:

  • Living in a low participation neighbourhood as determined by your postcode (POLAR4 quintiles 1 & 2).
  • Living in an area categorised as being in Indices of Mass Deprivation (IMD) 1 – 4 or 20% most deprived, as determined by your English postcode. Northern Ireland postcode, Scottish postcode, and Welsh postcode.
  • Attending or attended a low performing school/college whilst completing your level 3 qualifications in England e.g. 16-18 performance in the ‘below’ or ‘well below average’ classifications. If you attend a secondary school or college in Northern Ireland, Scotland, or Wales, please contact meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.       
  • In receipt of a UCAT bursary – the admissions team will receive this data directly from UCAT.
  • Being in receipt of free school meals - evidenced by a letter from your school or college submitted at the point of application to meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.
  • Significant engagement in either our Peninsula Pathways programme or another widening access intervention.
International Baccalaureate

The typical offer is 36-38 points overall including Higher Level 6 in Biology and Higher Level 6 in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and Psychology.

Scottish Advanced Highers

AAA-AAB including a grade A in biology and one further science from chemistry, physics, maths, and psychology.

We are unable to consider Scottish Highers for entry onto this course.

Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Diploma

The Welsh Baccalaureate Advanced Skills Challenge can be considered at grade A or B alongside A Level grade A in Biology and grade A in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths and Psychology.

Cambridge Pre-U Diploma

D3, D3, D3 – D3, D3, M2 including D3 in Biology and D3 in one further science from Chemistry, Physics, Maths, and Psychology.

Other UK qualifications

Applicants offering the following qualifications will need to take the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT). Please see entry requirements for Non-Direct School Leavers:

  • BTEC National Diploma
  • Advanced Diploma
  • Access to HE Diploma
Other UK qualifications will be considered on an individual basis. If your qualification is not listed please contact the Admissions Team at meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.


Extended entry requirements


Re-sit Applicants

Re-sit applicants are considered for this course. Please note that, in order to be considered with predicted grades, a minimum of ABB must be achieved on first sitting. Where ABB is not achieved on first sitting, applicants must re-sit the required qualifications and apply once suitable grades have been achieved. Applicants with re-sits must achieve a suitable qualification profile on first re-sit attempt. For other qualification re-sit criteria please contact the Admissions Team at meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk.

Qualifications completed outside of the UK

Please contact the Admissions Team if you have studied outside of the UK so we can advise on the suitability of your qualifications.

University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT)

As part of our commitment to a fair and transparent admissions process, Peninsula Medical School uses the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) in order to make more informed choices from amongst the many highly qualified applicants who apply for a place on the BMBS programme. UCAT test results will be used alongside the above listed qualifications to select Direct School Leavers for interview. You will be required to meet a minimum overall target score which is set and reviewed annually by the Admissions Advisory Panel.

Please note that the UCAT is valid for 12 months and must be sat in the year of application.

The University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) threshold score applied to determine candidate selection for interview can alter each year and is influenced by overall candidate performance in the UCAT and the number and quality of applications received. Below are examples of the score thresholds applied during the 2016-2019 admissions cycles and the requirement for 2020 entry. 

Year of entry Verbal reasoning Quantitive analysis Abstract reasoning Decision analysis Overall
2017 entry - - - - 1870
2018 entry - - - - 2400
2019 entry - - - - 2330
2020 entry - - - - 2390
 

If you have sat the UCATSEN please be aware that you will need to provide standard evidence of your entitlement to this additional time by submitting the following:

  • If you are still in education, an official letter from your school, college, University that states that on the basis of a diagnosis from a qualified medical practitioner, educational psychologist or specialist teacher the candidate is currently entitled to additional time in public examinations (or have had additional time in public examinations within the last 2 years);

Or

  • If you are no longer in education, a post-16 year’s diagnosis or report from a qualified medical practitioner or educational psychologist that explicitly recommends additional time in public examinations.

UCAT Website

Official UCAT candidate preparation toolkit

Official UCAT advice and information videos on YouTube

Widening access to Medicine

As part of our commitment to widening access to medicine, Faculty of Health undertakes a programme of outreach activities with local schools in Cornwall, Devon and Somerset. For further information please visit our outreach pages.

The School is also represented at the UCAS Higher Education Conventions in the UK.

Non-Direct School Leavers

The entry requirements set out in this section apply to you if your current suite of qualifications do not meet those published above in the Direct School Leavers section or more than five years has lapsed since achieving them.

Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)

Peninsula Medical School uses the Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT) as the entrance requirement for non-direct school leavers. GAMSAT assesses your academic aptitude for the study of medicine. Results from the test are the only academic qualification that will affect the shortlisting process and previous qualifications will not be considered. The results are valid for 2 years.

GAMSAT is a 5 ½ hour written test that assesses your reasoning in Humanities, Social Science, Biological Science, Physical Science and Written Communication. As this test only assesses academic aptitude, if you're successful you'll still need to show us at interview that you have the appropriate personal qualities to train and practise as a doctor.

If you'd like to know more or to register for the test, please visit the GAMSAT website. If you'd like to know more or to register for the test, please visit the GAMSAT website.

Below are examples of the score thresholds applied in previous admissions cycles.

  2016 entry 2017 entry 2018 entry 2019 entry 2020 entry
Section 1 55 55 55 52 55
Section 2 62 62 62 56 55
Section 3 61 61 61 51 58
Overall 65 63 63 63 63

International student admissions

Peninsula Medial School welcomes and encourages applications from suitably qualified international students who are either self-funded, supported by scholarships from their respective governments, or sponsored by scholarship programmes operated by the British Council and similar funding bodies.

If you're an international applicant you need to meet the equivalent admissions criteria described for home students, including the UCAT. Applicants applying with overseas qualifications should contact the Admissions Team at meddent-admissions@plymouth.ac.uk prior to submitting an application through UCAS.

In addition international applicants need to be fully proficient in English Language. If English is your first language we will accept your home country’s equivalent of a GCSE grade A/8 in English Language providing it is at Level C1 or above according to the Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR). Students whose first language is not English must demonstrate proficiency in the English language by achieving one of the following qualifications:

  •  IELTS band 7.5 or above with at least 7.0 in each of the Speaking and Listening sections (taken within 12 months of entry).
  •  lGCSE or GCSE English Language (as a first language) grade A. A supplementary statement confirming inclusion of the Speaking and Listening components will be required for IGCSE 0500.
  •  IB score of 6 at the ordinary level in English Language (as a first language).

We know that university life is a challenge for any student but especially when you're a long way from home. You'll find us friendly and supportive. We have a nominated academic tutor to coordinate the induction and academic support provided to international students. International Student Advice (ISA) also provide support and can assist you with any non-academic issues affecting international students. There are also student welfare support and counselling services, wardens and student health centres on hand if you need them.

Student visas

If you have an offer of a place at the Faculty of Health you will need to apply under the Tier 4 (General Student) category unless you have an alternate visa which allows study or a suitable UK or EU passport. Further information is available on the UK Border Agency's website.

Selection and admissions process

We have outlined our selection and admissions process, providing information from interviews to deferred entry.

For detailed selection and admissions process guidance please review our technical manual for the current application cycle.

Student Conduct and Fitness to Practise

Please view our Student Conduct and Fitness to Practise page.

Fees, costs and funding

EU applicants should refer to our dedicated Brexit webpage for details of the implications of the UK’s plans to leave the European Union.

New students 2020-21 

Please note the fees listed are per annum.

Faculty of Health - Undergraduate Medicine (BMBS) and Undergraduate Dentistry (BDS) ONLY.

Full-time pre-clinical (year 1 & 2)

Home/EU International Islands***
£9,250 £21,500 £9,250

Full-time clinical (years 3 - 5) 

Home/EU International Islands***
£9,250 £39,900 £20,200

BMBS, BDS and BSc Dental Therapy and Hygiene international fees are not fixed at the point of entry, annual inflationary rises will apply. All other UG courses under the Faculty of Health are subject to the standard International fee and fee capping policy. 

Continuing students

Please note some fees for continuing students may differ slightly.

Fees payable by continuing students can be found under ‘student support’ within your course Digital Learning Environment (DLE).

How to apply

All applications must be made through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). All applications for the BMBS and BDS courses must reach UCAS between 01 September and 18.00 on 15 October annually. Applicants should apply to no more than four of the same clinical degree courses but may wish to consider BSc (Hons) Dental Therapy and Hygiene, BSc (Hons) Diagnostic Radiography, or one of our School of Biomedical Sciences courses as their fifth choice.

The UCAS code for the Faculty of Health is P60 PLYM.

For more information contact the Admissions Team:

Admissions Team
Faculty of Health
The John Bull Building
Plymouth Science Park
Plymouth
PL6 8BU

General Medical Council 

Information for applicants

At the end of the undergraduate course you will receive your BMBS 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. Provisional registration is time limited to a maximum of three years and 30 days (1125 days in total). After this time period your provisional registration will normally expire.

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.

Medical Licensing Assessment

The GMC has decided to introduce a Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) to demonstrate that those who obtain registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice. The requirement to have passed the MLA will apply to UK students entering their final year in autumn 2023 for graduation in 2024 and after. 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.

Find out more about the MLA

A distinguishing feature of this course is early clinical contact and the wide variety of high quality supervised clinical placements in multiple settings including:

Facilities

From the very latest electronic patient simulators and 3D human anatomy models to our web-based Managed Learning Environment and extensive library and learning facilities, you'll benefit from exceptional facilities throughout your degree.

Find out more about our facilities

Virtual 360 Tour


Thanks to our Technology Enhanced Learning for Medicine and Dentistry (TELMeD) team there is now the opportunity to explore our fantastic medicine facilities, including our lecture theatres, cafe, learning resource centres and much more.


Explore our virtual tour now

Teaching and learning

Our teaching approach balances the core knowledge and skills you need to practise as a doctor with the flexibility to focus on the specialist themes and topics that interest you the most.

Find out more about teaching and learning

Dr Sabeel Saleem – alumni profile

Our medical school was unique, the training is very focused, therefore I was well prepared to move on after my training.

Find out more about Dr Sabeel Saleem

Timothy Poulton - student profile

Whether it’s working through a realistic case scenario in a problem-based learning (PBL) session, or learning from a doctor first hand at a GP placement, the course keeps my sight firmly set on the job I’ll be doing after graduating.

Find out more about Timothy Poulton

The interview

Before receiving an offer to study on one of our programmes you will be invited to attend an interview.

This attempts to find out whether you have the personal attributes required to become a doctor or dentist of tomorrow.

Find out more about the interview process

Partners

We have close partnerships with the region’s leading NHS Trusts and independent healthcare providers

You'll have unrivalled access to a wide range of patients, clinical settings and specialist knowledge.

Find out more about our partners

Careers

Whether it’s working as a doctor in the NHS or taking your skills to developing countries, we’ll work closely with you throughout your degree to give you all the advice you need to take your career in the direction you’d like.

Find out more about your career opportunities

Sporting Excellence Scholar - Laura Donaghy

Learn how the University of Plymouth is inspiring and enabling Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery student and National Irish fencer, Laura Donaghy to achieve her sporting and academic goals.

People

* These are the latest results from the National Student Survey. Please note that the data published on Discover Uni (Unistats) is updated annually in September.

The results of the National Student Survey (NSS) and the Destination of Leavers from Higher Education survey (DLHE) are made available to prospective students and their advisors through the Discover Uni (Unistats) website.