Regulations for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine 5-year Programme
  1. The programme leading to the degree of Bachelor of Medicine shall be of five years' duration.

  2. Candidates for admission to the programme must satisfy the regulations for admission to degree programmes as specified in the General Regulations, and must also satisfy the following additional requirements:

    • Admission to, and continuation on, the programme is subject to satisfactory health and Criminal Records Bureau screening. Students are required to inform the Head of School of health problems relevant to future employment as a health professional.

    • Normally, 360 UCAS tariff points from 21 units including tariff points from A levels - 340 from 3 subjects with no less than 100 points in any A level subject - and 20 points in AS level subject. Within this framework, applicants will be expected to offer either Chemistry and Biology/Biology (Human) at Advanced Subsidiary level minimum grade B, or GCE A level Chemistry at minimum grade B.

    • 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 the General Regulations.

      Notes
      1. If Physics, Biology, Mathematics or English Language are not offered at GCE A or Advanced Subsidiary level, then they must be offered at GCSE level.

      2. Candidates with other equivalent qualifications may be considered by the School on their merits.

      3. Concessions to the normal academic entry requirements may be considered by the School on their merits.

      4. Combined/integrated/Double Award Science is acceptable in lieu of Physics and/or Biology at GCSE.

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

  2. Except as provided in the regulations for the Bachelor of Medicine four year graduate entry programme and the BM six year programme, 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.
  1. Progress from one year of the programme to the next will depend upon the successful completion of the appropriate examination and course work 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 School Board for termination of programme, a requirement to pass an examination (year 2), or to a requirement to repeat a year of the programme. Those students who are permitted to repeat the year as a result of previous poor academic performance will be required to demonstrate satisfactory attendance and will be expected to pass each assessment at the first attempt in order to progress. Failure to meet these requirements will normally result in termination of the programme. Students who fail the BM Final examination at the first attempt will normally be required to repeat the final year before retaking the examination. Failure to pass the BM Final examination at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of the programme.

  2. Students may apply for the award of the following exit qualifications if they successfully complete a proportion of the Bachelor of Medicine programme but leave the programme, for whatever reason, before successfully completing 5 years. Credit Accumulation and Transfer (CATS) points will be awarded for completion of every component of a whole year only and will not be awarded for separate components or a partially completed year:

Award Exit point
Certificate in Biomedical Sciences Successful completion of Year 1
Diploma in Biomedical Sciences Successful completion of Year 2
Bachelor of Medical Sciences Successful completion of Year 3
including the Intermediate exam
Bachelor of Medical Sciences (Honours) Successful completion of Year 4

    Should the student be permitted to rejoin the BM programme within two years of the award of the certificate, diploma or degree, the exit qualification would be converted to a BM degree following successful completion of the BM programme.


The First Year of the Medical Curriculum
  1. Instruction in the first year of the Medical Curriculum will take place on an integrated basis. There will be a Foundation Course, which will introduce the Biological Basis of Medicine and Psychology and Sociology. Candidates will also undertake the Interprofessional Learning Unit 1: Collaborative Learning.

  2. 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 Psychology and Sociology.

  3. 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.

  4. The Primary examination will take place in June, and will include papers covering subjects studied during the year. A candidate's performance in course work and in the practical part of the examination (including `problem-solving') shall be taken into account in deciding the examination result. Candidates will also be required to pass the Medicine in Practice course and Interprofessional Learning Unit 1 in order to progress.

  5. A Distinction in the BM Primary Examination may be awarded to candidates who achieve a grade A standard in this examination at the first attempt.

  6. 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 programme. Students who fail the Medicine in Practice course and/or the Interprofessional Learning Unit 1 will be required to satisfactorily complete a repeat period of study before September in order to progress.

The Second and Third Years of the Medical Curriculum
  1. Instruction in the second year of the medical curriculum shall cover the following:

    Nervous Systems Course
    Endocrine Systems Course
    Renal Systems Course
    Reproductive Systems Course
    Gastrointestinal Systems Course
    Student Selected Unit
    Medicine in Practice course
    Interprofessional Learning Unit 2: Team Working

  2. In addition, students will cover subjects such as biochemistry, human genetics, oncology, infection, immunology, sociology and psychology, many of which will have begun in Year 1 and will continue to Year 3.

    Some of the 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 Public Health, Sociology, Psychology, Research Methods and Critical Appraisal.

    In order to progress to Year 3, students must achieve an overall average mark for the two semesters of at least 50% and should not have scored less then 40% for either semester. If these conditions are not satisfied, students will be required to successfully complete the Progression to Year 3 examination in September. Students who fail the Medicine in Practice course and/or the Interprofessional Learning Unit 2 will be required to satisfactorily complete a repeat period of study before September in order to progress.

  3. The third year of the medical curriculum shall extend over forty-two weeks and shall include clinical attachments (mainly undertaken in health care settings in the Southampton area) in the following:

    Introduction to Year 3
    Medicine and Elderly Care
    Palliative Care
    Surgery and Surgical Specialties
    Child Health
    Obstetrics and Gynaecology
    Mental Health
    Primary Medical Care
    Student Selected Units

  4. The Intermediate examination shall be held in the summer of the third year of the medical curriculum and shall consist of three components: two in-course assignments (submitted during the year), written examination and Objective Structured Clinical Examination. The written examination will consist of not more than two papers (essay and 'problem-solving') covering all the formal courses of instruction during the first, second and third years of the medical curriculum.

  5. Students are required to pass each of the three components of the BM Intermediate examination (in course assignments, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, written papers).

  6. Candidates failing to satisfactorily pass their in-course assignment(s) will be permitted to submit a further in-course assignment, once, before the start of the supplementary examinations.

  7. A candidate failing to satisfy the examiners in the examination in the summer will be required to undertake a Supplementary examination in the component(s) they have failed in the following autumn. Failure at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of programme.

  8. A distinction in the BM Intermediate examination may be awarded to candidates who achieve a Grade A standard in this examination at the first attempt.

  9. A candidate who reaches a sufficiently high standard in the Intermediate Examination may be allowed to undertake an additional year's study in the School of Biological Sciences for the degree of Bachelor of Science with honours. 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
  1. 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.

  2. 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 instruction in Law and Ethics in Medicine and Research Methods and Critical Appraisal. A candidate whose project report is judged to be unsatisfactory will be required to submit a revised report by November of the fifth year. A candidate whose performance throughout the year is judged to be unsatisfactory will normally be required to repeat the year before progressing to the final year. If a repeat year or a revised report is judged to be unsatisfactory, the School Board may recommend termination of programme.

  3. In addition to the elective attachment there will be an obligatory minimum number of clinical courses during the year in the following:

    Cardio-pulmonary resuscitation
    Dermatology
    Genito-Urinary Medicine
    Head and Neck
    Neurology
    Ophthalmology
    Orthopaedic Surgery and Rheumatology
    Interprofessional Learning Unit 3: Enabling change in practice

    Students who do not satisfactorily complete their clinical work, their clinical elective attachment or their Interprofessional Learning Unit, may be required to undertake a directed elective during their final year or repeat study. In some cases, this may lead to a recommendation from the School Board for termination of programme or a requirement to repeat a year of the programme.


The Fifth Year of the Medical Curriculum
  1. 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
    Mental Health
    Primary Medical Care
    Specialty Unit
    Interprofessional Learning Unit 4: Problem Solving

    Attachments in hospitals outside Southampton will be residential.

  2. The final examination will be held in June. It will consist of clinical examinations together with written papers covering all the clinical subjects studied in the third, fourth and fifth years of the BM5 medical curriculum. Candidates may be expected to display background knowledge of other material.

  3. An additional progression requirement will be that students are expected to satistactorily attend all compulsory parts of the year and satisfactorily complete all clinical attachments.

  4. 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.

  5. 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 a repeat of the final year. Failure at the second attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of programme. Students who fail the Interprofessional Learning Unit will normally be required by the Postgraduate Dean to undertake repeat study during their time as a Pre-registration House Officer. Students who do not pass the stipulated clinical competencies will not meet the requirements to sit the BM Final examination.

  6. A pass with Distinction in the BM Final Examination may be awarded to a candidate who has shown excellence in clinical studies, including the final examination.

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