Key facts Medicine Assessment The pattern of assessment is a combination of continuous assessment and regular examinations throughout the programme, with final exams each year. • Continuous assessment provides you with regular opportunities to consolidate your learning. You can monitor your own progress and teaching staff can identify students who may need additional help with their studies. • End-of-year examinations measure progression through the core curriculum and use a range of innovative assessment methods. Written papers test knowledge and its application to problem solving. • Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCEs) are used from the first year of the programme to assess competence in clinical, communication and practical skills. Students move through a series of stations, where they have a specific time to perform a task with a real or simulated patient or a mannequin. • Formative assessment workshops (where scores do not count) and informal feedback in small group teaching sessions help you develop your knowledge, personal and group skills throughout the programme. • Assessment of Student Selected Components (SSCs) are assessed individually on a simple grading system, which build into a portfolio covering many aspects of medicine. They must be successfully completed at the end of each year in order to progress to the next year.
Our teaching With support from tutors, you are encouraged to develop an independent attitude to learning. This approach prepares you well for life as a qualified doctor. The teaching methods ensure that you can understand the principles of medicine and apply your knowledge in the same way when treating a patient. Important features of our teaching include: • Lectures • Problem-Based Learning (PBL) – this is a central element of the medical curriculum. It is an active way of learning that teaches students problemsolving skills and teamwork while at the same time allowing them to acquire basic knowledge. • Practical sessions – these take place in our laboratories, IT labs, clinical skills labs and/or wards. • Communication skills – we provide practical
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training in interviewing techniques with special sessions devoted to communication between doctors or dentists and their patients. • Project work will bring you in to contact with the local community. • E-learning – this allows you to have access to a large amount of teaching material via ‘Blackboard’ – an intranet-based facility. You can revisit lectures and review other teaching materials at your convenience.
Admissions Applicants for Medicine can make up to four choices for medical courses on the UCAS form. Your remaining choices can be used for alternative subjects without prejudice to the commitment to medicine. All applications which include choices for medicine must be submitted to UCAS by 15 October for entry in September the following year. No offers are given without an interview.
Further information Our website is regularly updated throughout the admissions cycle and is the best source of information about our entry requirements and courses. Before applying, please see www.smd.qmul.ac.uk The Admissions Office can be contacted on: Tel: +44 (0)20 7882 8478 email: smdadmissions@qmul.ac.uk