Program Overview

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Medicine BM5 (BMBS)

Award

Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery

Typical Offer

AAA

Duration

5 years

Course Type

Full-time

Campus

Highfield and University Hospital Southampton

UCAS Course code

A100

About this course

On this Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) Medicine BM5 degree, you'll study medicine at one of the UK's leading teaching hospitals – Southampton General Hospital – and at our purpose-built Life Sciences facilities on campus. You'll get clinical experience from the first weeks of your course, meeting patients in hospital and primary care settings. You'll also benefit from our world-leading medical research groups, carrying out your own in-depth project.

Key Features

• Attend shifts as a healthcare support worker to experience multi-professional teamwork
• Benefit from teaching from our world-leading medical research groups, embedding research firmly in the curriculum
• Take a student assistantship module in year 5
• Meet patients in clinical settings and learn from volunteer patients, simulated environments, and prepared patient cases
• Take your year 5 elective anywhere in the UK, or abroad
• Apply for a master's of medical science or a MSc at Southampton - or study for a iBSc or MSc at another university - between year 3 and year 4 (known as intercalation)
• Explore topics that interest you through our student selected units

Entry Requirements

Eligibility Criteria

• Applicants must be 18 or over at the start of the course. Any applicant under 18, if given an offer post interview, will potentially be offered a deferred place.
• BM5 is open to Home and International students. International applicants must meet the entry requirements for either a School Leaver, Graduate or Mature Non-Graduate through the listed or equivalent qualifications. International applicants will also have to meet the IELTS or equivalent requirement listed below.
• All applicants must sit the UCAT test before the 15th October UCAS deadline. Applicants must take UCAT in the year they are applying.
• All applicants must meet one of the below entry requirement combinations.

A-levels

• AAA to include A level Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed). Please note applicants must offer AAA or above, we do not accept grade or tariff equivalents to AAA. BM5 graduate applicants please see our BM4 entry requirements for additional graduate entry requirement information.

International Baccalaureate Diploma

• Overall score of 36 points with 18 at Higher Level, with 6 in Biology and one additional Science

BTEC

• AA from two A levels in Biology and one additional science and Pearson BTEC Level 3 National Extended Certificate (360 GLH) at Distinction. Applied Science is not accepted. Subject provided reviewed on a case by case basis. Subjects where there may be considerable overlap of material will not be accepted in combination (examples of combinations include, but are not exclusive to, Zoology/Biology; Biology/Sports Studies/Physical Education). If you believe there is a potential overlap, please contact us before applying.

Access to HE Diploma

• Access to Medicine - May be accepted from approved institutions or with suitable scientific content. 60 credits with a minimum of 45 credits at Level 3 all of which must at Distinction.

Irish Leaving Certificate

• H1 H1 H2 H2 H2 H2, with H2 in Biology and one additional science

Scottish Qualification

• Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.

Cambridge Pre-U

• D3 D3 D3, including Biology and one additional science

Welsh Baccalaureate

• AAA to include A level Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed) or AA from two A levels in including Biology and one additional science (with a pass in the practical element where it is separately endorsed) and grade A from the Advanced Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate

T-Level

• T Level qualifications are not accepted for this course.

GCSE requirements

• All applicants (Home and International) must meet the minimum GCSE requirement. If an International applicant has not taken GCSEs they must offer an equivalent qualification with comparable subjects and grades to those listed below.
• BM5 (standard and contextual applicants) - applicants must hold 7 GSCEs at grade B/6 or above, including English language, mathematics and either biology and chemistry, combined science, or science and additional science.
• BM5 Graduate applicants – Applicants must hold 4 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including English language, mathematics and either biology and chemistry, combined science, or science and additional science.
• BM5 Mature Non-Graduate applicants- applicants must hold 4 GCSEs at grade C/4 or above, including English language, mathematics and either biology and chemistry, combined science, or science and additional science.

English language requirements

• If English is not your first language, you must show that you can use English to the level we require. Visit our English language pages to find out which qualifications we accept and how you can meet our requirements.
• If you are taking the International English Language Testing System (IELTS), you must get at least the following scores:
  • overall score: 7.0
  • reading: 7.0
  • writing: 7.0
  • speaking: 7.0
  • listening: 7.0

Non-academic entry requirements

• UCAT: All applicants must take the University clinical aptitude test (UCAT) prior to the 15th October medicine application deadline. Please visit ucat.ac.uk for further details about the test.
• Selection to Interview: All applicants who meet the entry requirements through either achieved or predicted grades at the point of application are ranked by UCAT score and the top number of applicants invited to interview. Please see the ''How to apply'' tab for further interview details.
• Non-academic Entry requirements: In addition to academic entry requirements, the selectors will look for evidence of non-academic criteria during the selection process.
• At interview applicants must be able to show they:
  • Are self-motivated and resilient
  • Have reflected on and learnt from life experiences (this may include work experience, paid employment and personal experiences both in and outside health and social care settings)
  • Can communicate effectively
  • Are able to interact successfully with others
  • Can demonstrate an understanding of the values of the NHS Constitution

Course Structure

This 5-year course is split into 4 phases, with clinical practice throughout.

Year 1 Overview

Phase 1, 'the fundamentals of medicine', takes place over the first 2 years and is made up of 4 university semesters. During this phase, you'll complete a number of systems-based modules integrating anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology with the psychosocial sciences.

Year 2 Overview

You'll complete phase 1.

Year 3 Overview

This year, you'll undertake phase 2, 'progression into clinical practice'. Year 3 begins with a 16-week module focusing on your research project.

Year 4 Overview

Phase 3, 'developing clinical practice', takes place through year 4 over 37 weeks. It continues through the first half of year 5 and ends with the year 5 exams. During this phase, your studies and clinical practice will include the following modules:

• Acute Care
• Child Health
• Clinical Ethics and Law
• Speciality weeks (neurology, dermatology, head and neck and ophthalmology)
• Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine
• Psychiatry

Year 5 Overview

You'll continue with phase 3 and move into phase 4, 'preparing for independent practice'.

Learning and Assessment

The learning activities for this course include the following:

• lectures
• classes and tutorials
• coursework
• independent learning (studying on your own)

Course Time

How you'll spend your course time:

• Year 1: 32% scheduled learning & teaching, 67% independent learning, 1% placement
• Year 2: 32% scheduled learning & teaching, 62% independent learning, 6% placement
• Year 3: 34% scheduled learning & teaching, 47% independent learning, 18% placement
• Year 4: 5% scheduled learning & teaching, 43% independent learning, 52% placement
• Year 5: 10% scheduled learning & teaching, 40% independent learning, 50% placement

Assessment Breakdown

• Year 1: 48% written exam, 33% coursework, 19% practical exam
• Year 2: 63% written exam, 5% coursework, 32% practical exam
• Year 3: 8% written exam, 17% coursework, 75% practical exam
• Year 4: 25% written exam, 41% coursework, 34% practical exam
• Year 5: 1% written exam, 19% coursework, 80% practical exam

Careers and Employability

The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.

Career Pathways

Graduates commonly work in a range of organisations or sectors including:

• NHS
• Private healthcare establishments
• HE Institutions
• Pharmaceutical companies
• Medical Research Laboratories
• Clinical trial organisations
• Residential nursing homes
• Air ambulance services
• Overseas aid agencies
• The armed Forces
• Prisons

Wider Career Opportunities

• Academic researcher
• Clinical scientist
• Epidemiologist
• Pharmacologist
• Medical sales representative
• Medical writer
• Toxicologist
• Lecturer
• Management consultant
• Medicolegal adviser

Job Prospects

• £37k average professional salary
• 99% in a skilled profession or further study
• 99% graduate employment rate

Fees, Costs, and Funding

Tuition Fees

• UK students pay £9,535.
• EU and international students pay £30,300.

What Your Fees Pay For

Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.

Additional Costs

• Vaccinations and immunisation
• Medical insurance if you choose to do an elective in another country

Bursaries, Scholarships, and Other Funding

If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £36,200 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.

How to Apply

When you apply use:

• UCAS course code: A100
• UCAS institution code: S27

What Happens After You Apply?

We’ll assess your application on the strength of your:

• predicted or actual grades
• University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) scores
• performance at a selection day

Please note: your reference is not used as part of the selection process, but you must provide it as part of your application.

Selection Days

We rank applicants by UCAT score and invite the top candidates to one of our selection days.

Selection Day Invitations

If you’re invited to attend, we’ll email you full event details beforehand.

2025 Selection Day Dates

• 22 January: Wednesday, BM5, school leavers
• 23 January: Thursday, BM5, school leavers
• 5 February: Wednesday, BM5, graduates
• 6 February: Thursday, BM5, school leavers
• 12 February: Wednesday, BM5, school leavers
• 13 February: Thursday, BM5, school leavers
• 19 February: Wednesday, BM5, school leavers
• 20 February: Thursday, BM5, school leavers and overseas applicants
• 25 February: Tuesday, BM5, school leavers, overseas and mature non graduates
• 4 March: Tuesday, BM5, school leavers
• 5 March: Wednesday, BM5, school leavers

Application Decision

We aim to respond to you by the end of March with a decision about your application.

Selection Policy

Download our full selection policy for 2025 entry (ODT, 84KB)

Inside Uni Medicine

Inside Uni Medicine is a new free resource. It's supported by the Medical Schools Council and NHS England and delivered in partnership with Inside Uni; a community of students sharing advice on applying to university.
It gives advice from current students sharing their tips for applicants on applying to university including students from underrepresented backgrounds.