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.
     
     
   • AAB at A level. 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*, A or B to include Mathematics, English and Double Award Science (or equivalent).
     
     
   • Candidates with other equivalent qualifications may be considered by the School on their merits.
     
     
   • Concessions to the normal academic entry requirements may be considered by the School on their merits.
     
     
   • 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.
     
     
   • Applicants must demonstrate that they:
     
     
     • are self-motivated and have initiative;
     • are literate and articulate;
     • are able to interact successfully with others;
     • have learnt from their experiences of interacting with people in health or social care settings. This may draw on what they have learnt from their own life experience (eg: friends or family) or some more formalised activity (paid or voluntary work or work shadowing).
       
       
   • Applicants are required to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test prior to submitting their application. All UKCAT results will be considered alongside the other academic and non-academic criteria which the School of Medicine currently asks applicants to demonstrate evidence of on their UCAS application.
     
     
3. The degree of Bachelor of Medicine may be awarded with honours
   
   
4. 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 Years 1 and 2 assessments, 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. Progress from one year of the programme 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 School Board for termination of programme 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.
   
   
6. 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:

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.

7. In the first year, the curriculum has been designed on an integrated, patient-focused basis. Students will cover the following:
   
   
   • Foundations of Medicine (this will include an introduction to the biological basis of medicine and to sociology, psychology and public health as well as to the themes of: Diversity, Communication, Ethics and Law, Teamworking and Leadership.
     
     
   • Nervous and Locomotor Systems
     
     
   • Cardiovascular, Renal and Respiratory Systems
     
     
   • Student Selected Units
     
     
   • Medicine in Practice Course
     
     
   • Teamworking and Leadership Unit - Interprofessional Learning Unit 1
     
     
8. Learning will be structured in blocks and will cover the biochemical, morphological, pathological and physiological aspects of the different body systems alongside the disciplines and themes. Students will also continue to develop their skills of critical thinking, time management and working in teams.
   
   
9. During the year students will be introduced to patient care in a variety of healthcare settings particularly during the Medicine in Practice component as well as through the use of patient cases as a context for learning.
   
   
10. Students will also study with a range of health and social care professionals in the first Teamworking and Leadership Unit - Interprofessional Learning Unit 1.
    
    
11. Throughout the year students will undertake two Student Selected Units when they will study a topic of their choice within an approved framework.
    
    
12. In-course assignments will be assessed and assessment will take place at the end of each semester which will include written papers, practicals, presentations and coursework covering the subjects studied during the semester.
    
    
13. In order to progress to Year 2, students must pass each semester as well as the Medicine in Practice course, Interprofessional Learning Unit 1 and both Student Selected Units.
    
    
14. Students who fail to satisfy the examiners in any of the components will be required to be re-assessed in the component(s) they have failed during the supplementary period. A deferred assessment would normally be applicable for a student who fails to pass an assessment because of validated special considerations. A student undertaking a deferred examination will take the assessment as if for the first time and the actual mark achieved will be recorded. A student undertaking a referred examination will take the assessment as their second attempt and their mark will be capped at the assessment pass mark. Failure at the second (referral) attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of the programme or a requirement to repeat the year. Students who fail either the Medicine in Practice course, Interprofessional Learning Unit 1 or the Student Selected Units, or some or all of these, will be required to satisfactorily complete a remedial period of study in that course/unit(s) before September in order to progress.
    

15. In the second year, the curriculum has been designed on an integrated, patient-focused basis in which clinical cases are used to direct learning. Students will cover the following for the first time:
    
    
    • Gastrointestinal System
    • Endocrine and Reproductive Systems
      
      
    And will build on and develop their experience in the following:
    
    
    • Nervous and Locomotor Systems
    • Cardiovascular, Renal and Respiratory Systems
    • Medicine in Practice Course
    • Teamworkin and Leadership Unit - Interprofessional Learning Unit 2
    • Student Selected Units
    
    
16. In addition to the biological and behavioural sciences, students will continue to develop the themes of Diversity, Communication, Ethics and Law, and Teamworking and Leadership.
    
    
17. Students will build on and develop their experience in a clinical setting in the Medicine in Practice course, and undertake the first of the practice-based Teamworking and Leadership Units - Interprofessional Learning Unit 2. They will also undertake two further Student Selected Units.
    
    
18. In-course assignments will be assessed and assessment will take place at the end of each semester which will include written papers, practicals, presentations adn coursework covering the subjects studied during the semester and if appropriate, where systems have been revisited, may include material from Year 1.
    
    
19. In order to progress to Year 3, students must pass each semester as well as the Medicine in Practice course, Interprofessional Learning Unit 2 and the Student Selected Units.
    
    
20. A Distinction will be awarded at the end of Year 2 to those candidates who demonstrate excellent performance in the Year 1 and Year 2 assessments at their first attempt.
    
    
21. Students who fail to satisfy the examiners in any of the components will be required to be re-assessed in the component(s) they have failed during the supplementary period. A deferred assessment would normally be applicable for a student who fails to pass an assessment because of validated special considerations. A student undertaking a deferred examination will take the assessment as if for the first time and the actual mark achieved will be recorded. A student undertaking a referred examination will take the assessment as their second attempt and their mark will be capped at the assessment pass mark. Failure at the second (referral) attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of the programme or a requirement to repeat the year. Students who fail either the Medicine in Practice course, Interprofessional Learning Unit 2 or the Student Selected Units, or some or all of these, will be required to satisfactorily complete a remedial period of study in that course/unit(s) before September in order to progress.
    

22. 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, Portsmouth and Winchester areas) 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 Unit
    Research Methods and Preparation for the Study in Depth week
    
    
23. The BM 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 (problem-solving) covering all the formal courses of instruction during the first, second and third years of the medical curriculum.
    
    
24. Students are required to pass each of the three components of the BM Intermediate examination (in course assignments, Objective Structured Clinical Examination, written papers).
    
    
25. A candidate who fails to satisfactorily pass their in-course assignment(s) will be permitted to submit one further in-course assignment before the start of the supplementary assessments in September. A deferred assessment would normally be applicable for a student who fails to pass an assessment because of validated special considerations. A student undertaking a deferred assessment will take the assessment as if for the first time and the actual mark achieved will be recorded. A student undertaking a referred assessment will take the assessment as their second attempt and their mark will be capped at the assessment pass mark.
    
    
26. A candidate who fails to satisfy the examiners in the examination in the summer will be required to be re-assessed in the component(s) they have failed during the following September. A deferred assessment would normally be applicable for a student who fails to pass an assessment because of validated special considerations. A student undertaking a deferred examination will take the assessment as if for the first time and the actual mark achieved will be recorded. A student undertaking a referred examination will take the assessment as their second attempt and their mark will be capped at the assessment pass mark. Failure at the second (referral) attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of the programme or a requirement to repeat the year.
    
    
27. A distinction in the BM Intermediate examination may be awarded to candidates whose overall performance was of Distinction standard in this examination at the first attempt.
    
    
28. A candidate who reaches a sufficiently high standard in the BM 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 March/April of the following year. A candidate following this course will undertake the normal clinical elective after the third year before beginning the final year clinical attachments.
    

29. 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.
    
    
30. Candidates will undertake advanced study including project work and submission of a project report at the end of the year in topics selected in consultation with Divisional Coordinators and approved by the Head of School. There will also be instruction in Ethics and Law in Medicine and Research Methods. A candidate whose project report is judged to be unsatisfactory will be required to submit a revised report by November of the Final 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 the programme.
    
    
31. 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
    Orthopaedics and Rheumatology
    Primary Medical Care
    
    Students who do not satisfactorily complete their clinical work or their clinical elective attachment 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.
    

32. The final 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 the South of England. The attachments shall be in the following:
    
    Medicine
    Surgery
    Obstetrics and Gynaecology
    Child Health
    Mental Health
    Medicine in Practice
    Primary Medical Care
    Student Selected Unit
    Interprofessional Learning Unit 3: Interprofessional Development in Practice
    
    Normally, attachments in hospitals outside Southampton will be residential.
    
    
33. 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 final years of the BM5 medical curriculum. Candidates may be expected to display background knowledge of other material.
    
    
34. 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. Students who do not pass the stipulated clinical competencies will not meet the requirements to sit the BM Final examination.
    
    
35. Partial exemption from the requirements for the clinical component of the BM Final examination may be granted to candidates as a result of satisfactory performance in clinical assessments undertaken during the year.
    
    
36. Any candidate failing to satisfy the examiners in the BM 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 (referral) attempt will normally result in a recommendation for termination of the programme. Students who fail the Interprofessional Learning Unit will normally be required to re-submit their assessment in the July immediately following the Finals examination. Failure at the second (referral) attempt will normally result in a requirement by the Postgraduate Dean to undertake remedial study during their time as an F1 doctor (first year of Foundation Programme). A pass with Distinction in the BM Final Examination may be awarded to a candidate who has shown excellence in clinical studies, including the BM Final examination.
    
    

Submitted by the Secretariat
Last reviewed: 26-Aug-2008
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