Program Overview

Medicine and Surgery (Accelerated Programme) MB BS

Overview

This four-year accelerated medicine programme is designed for graduates of any discipline who wish to train as a doctor, and others whose prior professional experience qualifies them for entry.

Programme Structure

• Year 1: The programme uses a modern and innovative integrated case-led teaching approach, with clinical cases used to ensure a problem-first, task-based focus. Students are allocated to a small study group, led by a clinical lecturer who provides support and guidance throughout the year.
• Years 2 to 4: Students gain clinical experience through placements in clinical base units across the region, undergoing a series of rotations, clerkships, assistantships, and placements that cover all relevant areas of medicine and surgery.

Teaching Methods

• Case-led teaching is used, which means using clinical cases to help students make the links between new knowledge and clinical practice.
• For example, a case of stroke can be used to learn and teach the nervous system, cardiovascular system, clinical skills, pharmacology, Public Health, and communication skills.

Elective Placement

At the end of Year 3, students undertake an eight-week elective placement, giving them the opportunity to study medicine, either at home or abroad, and gain hands-on experience of a different healthcare system.

Skills and Experience

• Research Skills: The programme is research-led, with strong links to research teams, providing opportunities for students to spend time in research labs and facilities as part of short projects or as part of intercalation onto a master's degree.
• Professional Skills: Students develop key skills such as communication, information handling, reasoning, judgment, reflective practice, and decision-making, preparing them for ongoing professional development and adaptation to future developments in medicine.
• Clinical Skills: With the integrated case-led teaching approach, students meet patients and learn relevant clinical skills from the beginning of the programme, gaining a true insight into their future profession.

Facilities and Environment

• The Medical School is part of the Faculty of Medical Sciences, which includes Dentistry, Biomedical Sciences, Psychology, and Pharmacy, encouraging inter-professional collaboration.
• The school has partnerships with the Northern Region NHS, providing access to excellent clinical training opportunities offered by the large patient population (3.5 million) and the region-wide infrastructure of acute hospitals and general practices.

Support

• A peer-mentoring scheme partners new students with a student from Year 2 to support their transition to university life.
• Each student is allocated an academic mentor who provides support throughout the programme.

Your Future

After completing the programme, students are eligible to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC) with a licence to practise, subject to demonstrating that their fitness to practise is not impaired.

Entry Requirements

• Applicants must have achieved, or expect to achieve, at least an upper second-class Honours degree or integrated master's degree.
• Practising healthcare professionals with five years of post-registration experience in a role with significant patient contact are also considered.
• English Language requirements: IELTS 7.0 or equivalent, including 7.0 in each of the four elements of the test.

Tuition Fees and Scholarships

• Tuition Fees (Year 1): Home students - Not Set, International students - £57,300.
• Scholarships are available for EU and international students, including Vice-Chancellor's automatic and merit-based scholarships.

Quality and Ranking

• Ranked 17th in the UK for Medicine (The Complete University Guide 2026).
• Ranked 14th in the UK for Medicine (The Guardian University Guide 2025).
• Global Top 140 University (QS World University Rankings 2026).
• Top 95 for Medicine (QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025).

Professional Accreditation and Recognition

The degree is professionally accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC). All professional accreditations are reviewed regularly by their professional body.

Opportunities

• Intercalated Study: Students have the opportunity to enrich their personal and professional development by taking time out of their medical studies to pursue an intercalated degree.
• Industry Links: The Medical School has partnerships with the Northern Region NHS, providing access to excellent training opportunities in hospitals, general practices, and community-based settings.

Additional Information

• Medical Licensing Agreement: The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced a Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), which will set a common threshold for safe practice. Doctors who wish to work in the UK will need to show that they meet that threshold before the GMC grants a licence to practise.
• NUMed Malaysia: Newcastle University has an overseas campus in Malaysia, offering full UK medical degrees in-country. The NUMed Malaysia MB BS undergraduate programme is equivalent to that delivered in the UK and leads to the award of a Newcastle University MB BS (Bachelor of Medical Sciences) degree.