Medicine Maxfax Entry Programme

Currently, students study the following programme structure. King's reviews its programmes on a regular basis, in order to continue to offer innovative and exciting learning opportunities and this information is therefore subject to change. Please check here for updates, or contact the School/department for further advice.

Teaching will be delivered through case-based, problem-solving and patient contact learning, in small groups. Clinical demonstrations and laboratory practicals will involve the whole cohort on a particular site. There will be particular emphasis on learning together with students from other health professionals, and thereby to value the contribution made by the range of professionals contributing to the delivery of healthcare.


Maxfax Entry Programme students join, after their introductory first year, the third year of the standard five-year MBBS programme.

Clinical teaching is integrated across the major specialities relating to diseases of the abdomen, chest and head with an introduction to clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

You develop the skills of history-taking first learned in the clinical contact sessions in the introductory year, and begin to learn the basic skills of clinical examination, diagnostic reasoning, interpretation of pathological and radiological data and practical procedures such as venepuncture and basic resuscitation.

The clinical attachments consist of two sections. One is a clinical immersion period when you will be part of a clinical team on a ward. The other is of a similar length and includes two days of Student Selected Components and time to expand on the basic science and dealing with certain topics in therapeutics, imaging, pathology etc.

Students build on the basic knowledge and skills developed in the second year in adult medicine and surgery and psychiatry, and extend these to the special groups of patients. There are three blocks of training:

• Accident and emergency medicine, anaesthetics, orthopaedics, rheumatology, rehabilitation and neurology
• Reproductive and sexual health, including obstetrics and gynaecology, breast medicine and neonatology
• Healthcare of the elderly, child health and paediatrics, palliative care and dermatology.

You will develop the special communication skills required for these groups of patients, and will gain an understanding of ethical issues and their application in the context of the sensitive areas that the management of these patients presents. You will learn about the psychological and socio-economic circumstances of patients, particularly those who are more vulnerable and disadvantaged from age and dependency, and the role of the multi disciplinary team in the care of dependant patients. There will be teaching in public health, epidemiology, pharmacology, therapeutics and the laboratory sciences as applied to the year three specialities.

The objectives of the final year are different from those of the rest of the programme. In the first three years you will acquire knowledge and skills, and develop the appropriate professional attitudes that are essential for starting your career in medicine.

The prime objective of the final year will be to allow you to consolidate and apply this knowledge and to further develop your skills and attitudes so that you are ready for your pre-registration year. Thus, the emphasis in the final year is to develop the vocational qualities that a doctor should exhibit.

You will be required to demonstrate competence in the clinical skills appropriate to commencing work as a doctor.

You will be expected to show professional attitudes in your work based on an informed understanding of ethical and professional issues.

You will complete a series of clinical attachments in medicine, surgery, general practice, reproductive and child health and psychiatry. These attachments will be taken at outside hospitals and you will return to the main campuses for short periods of learning in topics such as informatics, communication skills, presentation and teaching skills, radiation protection and advanced resuscitation.

You will develop the skills you have learned in earlier years, and particular emphasis will be placed on clinical skills, time management, prioritising, problem analysis and solving, summarising and written communication.

You will become a member of the care team, whether in primary care or in hospital, and will play an active role in the care team, linked to the work of other junior medical staff.