1. The course leading to the degree of Bachelor of Medicine shall be of five years' duration.

2. Candidates for admission to the course must satisfy the regulations for admission to degree courses as specified in Section IV of the General Regulations and must satisfy the following additional requirements:
   • Admission to and continuation on the course is subject to specific health requirements. Students are required to inform the Head of School of health problems relevant to future employment as a health professional.
     
   • A minimum of 4 Advanced Subsidiary levels (normally at grades A and B) and 3 GCE A levels (at grades ABB) are required. Within this framework, applicants will be expected to offer either Chemistry and Biology/Biology (Human) at Advanced Subsidiary level or GCE A level Chemistry and other subjects approved by the Faculty.
     
   • Applicants would normally be expected to offer 7 GCSEs at grades A or B to include Mathematics, English and Double Award Science (or equivalent).
     
   • Candidates whose first language is not English are required to reach a satisfactory standard in an approved test in English or to otherwise demonstrate to the Director of the Language Centre of the University that they have an adequate command of both written and spoken English language to follow the proposed course. Tests currently approved are listed in Section 4 of the General Regulations.

   Notes
   

   1. If Physics, Biology, Mathematics or English Language are not offered at GCE A or Advanced Subsidiary level, then it must be offered at GCSE level.
   2. Candidates with other equivalent qualifications may be considered by the Faculty on their merits.
   3. Concessions to the normal academic entry requirements may be considered by the Faculty on their merits.
   4. Combined/integrated/Double Award Science is acceptable in lieu of Physics and/or Biology at GCSE.

3. The degree of Bachelor of Medicine may be awarded with honours.

4. Except as provided in regulation 5 below in order to qualify for the degree of Bachelor of Medicine candidates must
   1. have followed the five-year medical curriculum and have passed the Primary examination, the Intermediate examination and the Final examination and satisfactorily completed the fourth year study in depth; and
   2. have completed satisfactorily all practical work, clinical work and other coursework as required.

5. A candidate who prior to admission to the course has been awarded an honours degree by an approved university may, if his/her degree is in an appropriate scientific discipline and of a sufficiently high academic standing, be exempted from the period of advanced study prescribed for the fourth year of the medical curriculum (see regulation 19 below). Such a candidate may then be permitted to take his/her final examination in the December of the fifth year of the medical curriculum. A candidate with equivalent entry qualifications and appropriate research experience will be considered on his/her merits. The Faculty Board's decision on each application will take account not only of initial qualifications but also of progress and performance during the course.

6. Progress from one year of the course to the next will depend upon the successful completion of the appropriate examination and coursework requirements, satisfactory completion of clinical and other practical work, and freedom from health, behavioural and conduct problems relevant to future employment as a medical practitioner. Failure to achieve this may lead to a recommendation from the Faculty Board for termination of course, a requirement to pass an examination (year two), or to a requirement to repeat a year of the course.

The first year of the medical curriculum

7. Instruction in the first year of the Medical Curriculum will take place on an integrated basis. There will be a Foundation term, which will introduce the Biological Basis of Medicine and the Psychosocial Sciences. During the rest of the year instruction will be organised according to the systems of the human body, and will cover the biochemical, morphological, pathological, pharmacological and physiological aspects of the following systems:

   Cardio-vascular
   Respiratory
   Locomotor

   There will also be instruction in the relevant aspects of the Psychosocial Sciences.

8. During the year candidates will take part in a scheme for gradual introduction to patients and to patient care in a variety of health care settings, particularly during the Medicine in Practice component.

9. The Primary examination shall take place in June, and shall include essay papers covering subjects studied during the year. A candidate's performance in course work and in the practical part of the examination (including viva voce examinations and `problem-solving') shall be taken into account in deciding the examination result.

10. A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the June examination will be re-examined in September. Failure at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of course.

The second and third years of the medical curriculum

11. Instruction in the second and third years of the medical curriculum shall cover the following:

    Clinical Foundation Course
    Communication
    Central Nervous system*
    Nephrology*
    Endocrinology*
    Human Reproduction*
    Gastro-intestinal and Lymphoid systems*
    Clinical Genetics
    Clinical Pharmacology
    Clinical Biochemistry
    Human Nutrition and Metabolism
    Clinical Pathology
    Occupational Medicine

    *These five will follow the systems-based approach established in the first year. The remaining subjects will be incorporated in a topic-based, integrated course throughout the third year entitled "The Scientific Basis of Medicine" as well as within the clinical attachments. There will also be instruction in the relevant aspects of the Psychosocial Sciences, Research Methods and Critical Appraisal.

12. The third year of the medical curriculum shall extend over forty-two weeks and shall include clinical attachments (mainly undertaken in hospitals in Southampton) in the following:

    Clinical Foundation Course
    Medicine and Medical Specialties
    Surgery and Surgical Specialties
    Geriatric Medicine and Palliative Care
    Medicine
    Child Health
    Obstetrics and Gynaecology
    Psychiatry
    Primary Medical Care

13. The Intermediate examination shall be held in the summer of the third year of the medical curriculum and shall consist of not more than four papers covering all the formal courses of instruction during the first, second and third years of the medical curriculum which have not been previously examined. Candidates may also be expected to display background knowledge of the formal courses of instruction which have been previously examined.

14. A candidate's performance in coursework and in the practical part of the examination (including vivas and `problem-solving') shall be taken into account in deciding the examination result.

15. A candidate failing to satisfy the examiners in the examination in the summer will be re-examined in the following autumn. Failure at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of course.

16. A distinction in Medical Sciences may be awarded to candidates who achieve distinction standard in the Intermediate examination.

17. A candidate who reaches a sufficiently high standard in the Intermediate Examination may be allowed to undertake an additional year's study in the Faculty of Science for the degree of Bachelor of Science with honours. A candidate who reaches a sufficiently high standard in the Intermediate Examination may be allowed to undertake an additional year's study in the Faculty of Social Sciences for the degree of Bachelor of Science in the Social Sciences. These degrees are awarded on the satisfactory completion of that year's courses and examinations, together with a related project to be completed by Easter of the following year. A candidate following this course will undertake the normal clinical elective after the third year and a further period of four weeks' clinical work before beginning the final year clinical attachments.

The fourth year of the medical curriculum

18. The fourth year of the medical curriculum shall extend over forty weeks at the beginning of which candidates shall undertake an elective clinical attachment of 8 weeks' duration in a specialty and hospital of their choice, following approval by the Elective Working Group. Candidates who are retaking the Intermediate examination, however, will be required to undertake this attachment in Southampton.

19. During this year candidates shall undertake advanced study, including project work and submission of a project report at the end of the year in topics selected in consultation with the Head of School. There will also be formal courses of instruction in Law and Ethics in Medicine and Research Methods and Critical Appraisal. A candidate whose performance throughout the year is judged to be unsatisfactory will normally be required to undertake a further six months' study in depth before starting the final year. A candidate whose project report is judged to be unsatisfactory will be required to submit a revised report by November of the fifth year. If a second period of study in depth or a revised report is judged to be unsatisfactory, the Faculty Board may recommend termination of course.

20. In addition to the elective attachment there will be an obligatory minimum amount of clinical work during the year in the following:

    Ear, Nose and Throat
    Ophthalmology
    Neurology
    Dermatology
    Genito-Urinary Medicine
    Orthopaedic Surgery and Rheumatology
    

The fifth year of the medical curriculum

21. The fifth year of the medical curriculum shall extend over forty-eight weeks during which candidates shall undertake clinical attachments in appropriate subjects in hospitals and General Practices in Dorset, Hampshire, Surrey, Sussex and Wiltshire. The attachments shall be in the following:

    Medicine
    Surgery
    Obstetrics and Gynaecology
    Child Health
    Psychiatry
    General Practice
    Clinical Module

    Attachments in hospitals outside Southampton will be residential.

22. The final examination shall be held on two occasions in each calendar year, usually in June and November/December. It shall consist of clinical examinations together with not more than four written papers covering all the clinical subjects studied in the third, fourth and fifth years of the medical curriculum. Candidates may be expected to display background knowledge of other material. Candidates shall normally take the written examination in June of the final year of the course.

23. Partial exemption from the requirements for the clinical examination may be granted to candidates as a result of satisfactory performance in clinical work during the year.

24. Any candidate failing to satisfy the examiners in the final examination at the first attempt may present him/herself for re-examination on one subsequent occasion, i.e. the occasion immediately following failure. Failure at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of course.

25. A pass with distinction in Clinical Medicine may be awarded to a candidate who has shown excellence in clinical studies, including the final examination.

26. A list of successful candidates will be issued with the names arranged alphabetically in honours and pass divisions.