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| Program start date | Application deadline |
| 2023-09-17 | 2023-06-30 |
| 2024-01-22 | 2024-11-30 |
Program Overview
The course is an intense full-time, four year programme leading to an MBBS degree, recognised by the General Medical Council as a Primary Medical Qualification in the UK. The award of the final degree by Ulster University will be subject to satisfying the GMC’s rigorous quality assurance programme.
We are delighted to be working with St George’s University of London as our partner medical school. St George’s has a long established reputation for delivering world-class medical education and has run a highly acclaimed Graduate Entry medical programme for many years.
Throughout the journey of the first cohort of students, we will be working closely with the GMC and St Georges to provide our students with the very best medical education; ensuring that they emerge as competent, caring, capable doctors.
Our 4-year MBBS programme can give you the opportunity to train as a doctor, even if this seemed like such a remote dream for you when you were at school that you did not even consider it. Perhaps you did not achieve the GCSE grades you had hoped for; or perhaps you were not sure whether to study arts or sciences at A level and opted for arts-based subjects. Maybe you just did not think you would ever be good enough to consider that you could be a doctor: but all along, you could not deny that this was really what you wanted to do.
In our School of Medicine, you now have a chance to fulfil your ambition to become a doctor. If you have a minimum of a 2.1 honours degree in any subject, are willing to work hard and want to know more about what it means to study medicine and become a doctor; then come along to our open days. There, you will have an opportunity to speak to us to find out more about being a doctor, what Graduate Entry medicine entails, and how you can prepare for our admissions process. You will need to sit the GAMSAT test and undertake a Multiple-Mini Interview process to demonstrate that you have the personal qualities required of a doctor. Once a student with us, working in mixed groups means that, whatever your background, you will have an unique perspective and bring all your prior learning and life experience to your studies.
Being a doctor is endlessly rewarding, hard work and at times challenging. We are pleased to welcome applications from a wide range of students. A long term health condition of your own is not in itself a reason not to apply to study medicine, although we will take an individual approach to applicants with health problems and/ or disabilities, using Occupational Health professionals, in order to make sure that you have all the support you require to maximise your success as an undergraduate and then moving into the workplace. There is strong ongoing support for you whilst a student through the University’s support services, and there is further support available through the Ulster University Students Union.
Studying medicine with us will provide you with an intensely practical medical education. Ulster’s MBBS programme will have a problem-based and interdisciplinary learning focus. This will enable you to graduate, not only demonstrating that you meet all the GMC ‘Outcomes for Graduates’, but that you are fully prepared to work as a member of an integrated health and social care team with a strong community focus, even for patients cared for by hospital specialists.
You will benefit from access to practice learning placements across the full range of medical specialist subjects, significant opportunities for primary care-based experience, and knowledge and appreciation of the interconnectivity between primary, secondary, social and community-based healthcare.
Northern Ireland is facing an unprecedented medical workforce shortage that will continue to impact negatively on the care of patients, their families and communities. Our medical school will help to ease the workforce challenges and future-proof our health service.
The MBBS programme is funded through the Northern Ireland executive as one element of an approach to addressing this shortage of doctors in Northern Ireland. In addition, the University’s Civic commitment is to enhance the wellbeing and economic prosperity of our society. We therefore encourage applications from individuals who are keen to join the medical workforce in Ireland. Applicants will not have to demonstrate knowledge of the Northern Ireland health system during the selection process but, in common with other medical schools in the UK, applicants will be expected to demonstrate their insight into the work of a doctor, and their commitment to work as a doctor following graduation.
Graduate entry medicine is an intense course of study and this course is therefore not available for part time study.
Ulster University has a global reputation for biomedical sciences research across the breadth of the medical sphere. Our School of Nursing, based at the Magee campus in Derry~Londonderry, is ranked fifth in the UK and 37th in the world. Our unparalleled stratified medicine research, which primarily takes place in the C-TRIC facility at Altnagelvin Hospital, is globally renowned for pioneering personalised treatments for chronic health conditions.
Highlights
Attendance
Full-time: 4 years; at least 45 months from initial enrolment; and not less than 5500 hours of theoretical and practical instruction. Maximum 6 years.
The course follows an attendance policy that mirrors that of the workplace. The expectation is for 100% attendance at timetabled events and any absences should be reported in a timely, professional manner. Campus teaching is generally scheduled 09:15 to 17:00, Monday to Friday, and placements shifts will include some out of hours working, particularly later in the programme.
Start dates
Teaching, Learning and Assessment
This course follows a Problem Based Learning model and is underpinned by three main themes:
In years one and two, the emphasis is on small group learning using clinical cases, independent study, clinical and communication skills tutorials and lectures. There are also clinical and community based placements in general practice and hospital trusts throughout Northern Ireland.
In year three (penultimate year) and year four (final year) clinical attachments take precedence, with complementary lectures running in parallel. Your exposure to clinical environments is maximised within general practice and hospital trusts throughout Northern Ireland.
In the final year all students undertake an elective. This is an opportunity to explore an aspect of medicine of particular interest to you, anywhere in the world. Elective plans are reviewed and approved by an academic member of staff, and a report is written upon completion.
The content for each year is outlined on the relevant module summary.
Assessment in the programme follows the three GMC Outcomes for Graduates domains: Professional Values and Behaviours, Professional Skills and Professional Knowledge. A range of assessment types are utilised to allow students to demonstrate competency across these domains, including Single Based Answer and Short Answer Question exams, Objective Structured Clinical Examinations, Workplace Based Assessments and Professional Development Portfolio.
Academic profile
The University employs over 1,000 suitably qualified and experienced academic staff - 59% have PhDs in their subject field and many have professional body recognition.
Courses are taught by staff who are Professors (25%), Readers, Senior Lecturers (20%) or Lecturers (55%).
We require most academic staff to be qualified to teach in higher education: 82% hold either Postgraduate Certificates in Higher Education Practice or higher. Most academic staff (81%) are accredited fellows of the Higher Education Academy (HEA) by Advanced HE - the university sector professional body for teaching and learning. Many academic and technical staff hold other professional body designations related to their subject or scholarly practice.
The profiles of many academic staff can be found on the University’s departmental websites and give a detailed insight into the range of staffing and expertise. The precise staffing for a course will depend on the department(s) involved and the availability and management of staff. This is subject to change annually and is confirmed in the timetable issued at the start of the course.
Occasionally, teaching may be supplemented by suitably qualified part-time staff (usually qualified researchers) and specialist guest lecturers. In these cases, all staff are inducted, mostly through our staff development programme ‘First Steps to Teaching’. In some cases, usually for provision in one of our out-centres, Recognised University Teachers are involved, supported by the University in suitable professional development for teaching.
Figures correct for academic year 2021-2022.
