Teaching & Modules
Teaching methods - what to expect
We will provide you with high level teaching from experts, which you will put into practice on your placements.
Stage and year Advanced Medical | Lectures, seminars and similar | Placement | Self-study time |
GEM 1 | 60% | 25% | 15% |
GEM 2 | 45% | 40% | 15% |
GEM 3 and 4 | 15% including small group and case-based teaching in clinical blocks | 75% | 10% |
Assessment
Assessment is split between that which is formative (where the primary role is to give feedback to student, this does not contribute towards the overall module/degree score) and summative (where the primary role is to demonstrate competence against course standards and learning outcomes). Formative assessment occurs through the years.
Summative assessment includes:
- portfolio-based summative assessment continues throughout the course in preparation for professional life
- progress (written) tests
- OSCEs (formative in GEM 1 & 3 summative In GEM 2 & 4
- project assessment.
There is also one external assessment in GEM 4 that is necessary to support your Foundation Year 1 training. It is not currently essential to pass this in order to graduate from the MBBS course.
All students must pass the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) as part of their degree before they can join the medical register. The MLA will test the core knowledge, skills and behaviour of doctors who want to practise in the UK. Applicants should be aware that to obtain registration with a licence to practise, medical students will need to pass both parts of the MLA, and all their modules and be able to demonstrate their fitness to practise.
Course Structure
GEM students have a three-week mandatory introductory module ‘Introduction to Graduate Entry Medicine' which starts in August.
Location
We will use a delivery method that will ensure students have a rich, exciting experience from the start.
Face to face teaching will be complemented and supported with innovative technology so that students also experience elements of digital learning and assessment.
You will learn in a wide variety of hospital and community care settings. Students undertake placements at general practices and district general hospitals located in south London and southern England, currently they are mostly in Kent and Sussex. Placements outside of London offer a different and rich perspective on clinical learning, complementing the experiences gained in central London hospitals.
Unless there are exceptional circumstances, all students will experience placements at London and peripheral sites during their programme.
Outcome of course
If considering applying to study medicine, we advise you check details in this website - GMC Outcomes for Graduates – that sets out the skills, procedures and levels of competence newly qualified doctors must have, so they can practise safely when they start work.
On successful completion of the course, you will receive your MBBS degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC), subject only to its acceptance that there are no Fitness to Practise concerns. Provisional registration is time limited to a maximum of three years and 30 days (1125 days in total). After this time period your provisional registration will normally expire.
Provisionally registered doctors can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates posts to graduates on a competitive basis. Generally, all suitably qualified UK graduates are allocated a place on Foundation Year 1.
On successful completion of Foundation Year 1, you will be eligible to apply for full registration with the GMC. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK.
Although this information is currently correct, you should be aware that regulations in this area may change from time to time.
Modules
Year
Stage 2 (GEM 1 and 2) - Required Modules
You are required to take:
- From Science to Clinical Practice 1 (105 credits)
- From Science to Clinical Practice 2 (120 credits)
- Project (Doctor as Teacher) (15 credits)
- Project (Introduction to Clinical Research) (15 credits)
- Introduction to Clinical Skills (15 credits)
Please note, the Introduction to Clinical Skills module runs in August of the first year of the programme and is three weeks of on-campus training.
The following required GEM 1 and 2 modules involve the opportunity to choose which area is studied in further detail:
- The Project (Student Selected Component) (SSC) is a required project module within which you undertake projects or short courses in medical, scientific and non- medical subjects that you choose according to personal interest. (15 credits)
- Project (Scholarly Project): You will undertake a scholarly project in an area of interest selected from across the multi-faculty university. (30 credits)
GEM 1 and 2 - Optional Modules
There are no optional modules.
Key Information
Course type:
Single honours
Delivery mode:
In person
Study mode:
Full time
Duration:
Four years
Application status:
Open
Start date:
August 2026
Application deadline:
15 October 2025