UCL

About The Course

UCL medical school runs a six-year integrated programme, where students are taught to become the ‘UCL Doctor’, a capable, professional, inclusive and patient-centred clinician. Undergraduates are required to undertake the integrated BSc in year 3, with a wide range of courses to decide between. 

Although there is extensive clinical contact with patients and doctors throughout the course, the first two years are largely pre-clinical based, with opportunities to integrate this learning into clinical practice. Subsequently, following the integrated BSc in year 3, the course becomes much more clinically based, where students have the opportunity to learn about clinical presentation and patient pathways through hospital placements. 

Additionally, there are many elements of choice within the course, where students can choose their 3rd-year integration and accompanying modules, as well as a medical elective worldwide in year six.

UCL prides itself on working closely with several major teaching hospitals where students will undertake their placements, including University College Hospital London, providing a world-class medical education. 

Structure Of The Course

Year 1

In year 1, the focus is on the medical sciences underlying the field itself. The teaching is systems-based, with each module being based around a physiological system, as well as being sequential and integrated with previous modules. 

In your first year, there will be opportunities for clinical contact, through meeting both doctors and patients, in order to help students begin to develop the skills needed to be a doctor. 

In addition to the distinct modules in each year, you will also begin horizontal modules, such as Clinical and Professional Practice, that continue throughout all six years of the programme. In this horizontal module, students learn patient-facing skills that are essential for being a doctor.  

Year 2

Teaching in year 2 follows on from what was taught in year 1. As in year 1, learning is presented as a series of integrated, systems-based modules. Teaching is also integrated with the Clinical and Professional Practice module and is sequential, therefore designed to build on previous skills and learning.

Year 3

The 1 year integrated BSc programme is compulsory for all undergraduates in the medical school. Due to the multi-faculty nature of UCL, the medical school is able to offer a wide range of integrated BSc programmes to choose from. The integrated BSc allows students to develop their scientific research ability or lab techniques, both valuable skills in the field. The extended research study requirement also allows students to delve further into a certain topic and gauge their enthusiasm for future research.

Year 4

The theme of year 4 is ‘integrated clinical care’, where students are given the opportunity to integrate their learning from the first 3 years into clinical practice. 

Year 4 is divided into four parts including a ‘foundation of workplace-based and patient centred learning’ course as well as three long attachments based in one of the four UCL teaching hospitals.

Year 5

Year 5 is based largely around the life cycle where students will meet patients with medical conditions across all ages. Three modules are taught in this year, covering child health, male and female health, and health of the elderly. In addition to these three modules, students will undertake 12 weeks of clinical placement.

Year 6

Patient-based student-led learning is at the centre of the final year of the medical course, where students are encouraged to integrate their learning into clinical practice, with many opportunities to think and act like a doctor. 

Students graduating from the 6-year medical course will be knowledgeable, capable and decisive doctors. Importantly, there is an emphasis on team work, communication and the knowledge of one’s own limitations in clinical practice. 

Click here to discover more about the distinct focus’ of each year in the medical course at University College London.