Brighton & Sussex
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) was formed as a partnership between the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex which began offering medical degrees in 2003.
It is currently ranked 10th in UK medical schools by the Guardian 2024 and 26th by the Complete University Guide 2024.
About The Course
Innovative and distinctive, Brighton & Sussex five-year Medicine course is awarded jointly by the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. The course helps students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to be a successful doctor.
BSMS offer a 5-year long course resulting in a Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (BM BS) degree. You will learn through a mixture of small group teaching, lectures, anatomy workshops and through clinical experience within hospital and community settings from the first year.
Structure Of The Course
Year 1-2
Your first two years at BSMS will be based at the Brighton and Sussex Falmer campuses which include the facilities you will need to learn the scientific basis behind medicine, including anatomy at the modern anatomy laboratory. Although these years are mostly pre-clinical, you will spend about 20% of your time in clinical settings including hospitals and community care.
Year 3
In your third year, you are introduced to clinical medicine and will spend the majority of your time in three ward-based attachments which include surgery, general medicine, elderly medicine & psychiatry.
Year 4
In your fourth year, you will complete a rotation of seven different specialties, for example, paediatrics, Oncology, Obstetrics and Gynaecology. The focus of the fourth year is on integrated care between primary, secondary and community settings.
Year 5
The final year at BSMS is designed to prepare you for your foundation programme. You will do your final hospital placements, undertake an elective period to gain further experience and lastly take your final exams!
Academic Requirements
GCSEs: All applicants require a mathematics and English grade of at least 6/B (contextual requirement grade 5/C)
A-levels: AAA To include Biology and Chemistry but exclude General Studies and Critical Thinking
Scottish Higher: AAA To include Biology and Chemistry at Advanced Higher Level
Scottish Advanced Higher: AAA Chemistry and Biology
International Baccalaureate: 36 Must include Biology and Chemistry at minimum of grade 6 at Higher Level. Note: BSMS makes contextual offers to candidates with certain criteria, for example, school attainment or Index of Multiple Deprivation.
IELTs (International applicants only): If English is not your first language, an IELTS of 7.0, with a minimum of 7.0 in each component.
Bachelor's Degree (Graduates only): You should hold three A-levels or equivalent (at least BBB), to include Biology and Chemistry, and you should hold, or expect to hold, a first or upper second class science degree that demonstrates an adequate knowledge of Biology and Chemistry.
Mitigating Circumstances
Resits policy: BSMS considers resits, however, due to the volume of applications, they generally only consider applicants who have only dropped one grade. All qualifications must have been obtained within 10 years of submitting your UCAS application.
Note: Reapplicants are welcomed at BSMS and are not discriminated against during the application process.
Extenuating circumstances: If you feel that your performance on the day of the test was affected by extenuating circumstances, you must apply for Special Consideration via the UCAT website before the deadline.
Deferred entry: BSMS accepts deferred entry – just make sure you can provide a good explanation for what you will do in your year out in case they ask you in your interview!
Transfers: Regardless of the qualifications you have, entry is only into year 1 at BSMS. They do not accept requests for entry with advanced standing into other years of the course due to the integrated nature of our curriculum. Partly completed degree grades will not normally be accepted as an entry qualification for BSMS.
Further Entry Requirements
Work experience: There are no formal requirements regarding the amount of work experience candidates need, although it is recommended in order to understand what the degree and career entails and it will aid you in other aspects of the application, for example, the interviews.
Note: Successful candidates will be required to complete a health questionnaire before starting medical school. This includes items such as vaccination record and disabilities or health conditions. Please note that BSMS does not discriminate based on age and, you may be as young as 17 when you start the course.
Personal statement: It is useful to note that personal statements are not used in any part of the admissions process.
Admissions Process
Application to Brighton and Sussex Medical School must be done via the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). Deadlines for submission are earlier for medical courses, typically mid-October.
This application will include all of your academic history as well as your personal statement and other qualifications/achievements.
Admissions Tests:
UCAT ✅
Your UCAT scores will be independently sent to your chosen Universities. Following this, you will receive either an invitation to interview or a rejection letter.
Interview Type: MMI
Interview Topics: If you receive an invitation to interview, you can expect them to take place in January or February. Although not confirmed, it is likely that in 2025 these will take place online via Zoom as they have been since 2021.
BSMS interviews are formatted in the Multiple Mini Interview (MMIs) style. There are 5 different interviews, each lasting 10 minutes. It is recommended that you spend some time reflecting on your work experience, skills and values that may be important in your medical career. BSMS provide further information about how they run their MMIs so that you can be well prepared.
If you are successful with your interview, you can expect an offer by April.
Admissions Statistics
| Total number of applicants: | 1717 |
| Total number of places: | 203 |
| Total number of entrants: | 200 |
| Acceptance rate: | 11.65% |
Fees
| Home students: | £9250 pa |
| Rest of UK: | TBC |
| International students: | £42000 pa |
Teaching Methods
Teaching style: BSMS describe their teaching style as blended, meaning you will learn through a variety of mediums, including small group teaching, lectures and practicals. BSMS is also structured around a spiral curriculum which means you build upon your knowledge throughout the years.
Intercalation mode: Intercalation is the option to undertake an additional degree (Bachelors or masters) between your third and fourth years.
Graduate Prospects
Brighton and Sussex Medical School achieved 99% graduate prospects in the Complete University Guide 2024.
According to Discover Uni, 98% of graduates go on to work or study 15 months after the course at Brighton and Sussex Medical School. Average earnings 15 months after the course amount to £33,000, and 94% of graduates believe the course helped them develop the knowledge and skills that will be helpful to them in the future.
Around 98% are using what they learnt during their studies in their current work.
FAQs
Is Brighton a good university for medicine?
Brighton is ranked 10th by the Guardian 2024 and 26th by the Complete University Guide 2024, however, it is more important to look at how each school’s curriculum is structured and which style is best suited to you.
Is it hard to get into Brighton Medical School?
BMSM have an acceptance rate of 15% which is lower than some other medical schools for example, Bristol at 22% or Nottingham at 30%, but is higher than some others for example UCL at 12% or Oxford at 7.6%.
When do BSMS Interviews happen?
BSMS interviews take place in January and February.
How long is Brighton and Sussex’s medicine course?
Five years.
School Details
