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Cardiff offers an accelerated four-year Graduate Entry Medicine course for students who have completed specific feeder stream degree programs. The course equips graduates with the essential clinical knowledge, practical skills, and professional behaviours required for a successful career in medicine.
Year 1:
Focuses on integrated clinical and biomedical sciences. Delivered through lectures, group work, practical labs, and virtual platforms, with early patient contact embedded throughout.
Years 2–4:
Students transition into the same structure as the final three years of the standard five-year MBBCh course. Training occurs across hospital and community settings throughout Wales, with progressive clinical responsibility and skill development.
Cardiff University, through its School of Medicine, has partnerships with several hospitals and healthcare providers for clinical placements. The primary hospitals associated with Cardiff University include:
Cardiff and Vale University Health Board:
Aneurin Bevan University Health Board:
Cwm Taf Morgannwg University Health Board:
Other Local Health Services: Students may have placements in various community health settings and smaller hospitals in the region.
Experiential Learning
Student Selected Components (SSCs):
Available throughout the course, allowing students to pursue academic or clinical interests in greater depth.
Elective Module:
In the final year, students undertake an elective placement, either in the UK or abroad, to explore an area of personal or professional interest.
Medical graduates in the UK follow a structured career progression pathway after completing their MBBS or equivalent degree. Upon graduation, they enter the Foundation Programme, a two-year paid training period (FY1 and FY2) where they rotate through various specialties to gain broad clinical experience. Successful completion of this leads to full registration with the General Medical Council (GMC).
After Foundation Training, doctors choose a specialty and apply for Core or Specialty Training. Core Training typically lasts 2–3 years and is followed by higher Specialty Training, while some fields (like General Practice or Surgery) offer run-through training from the start. Specialty training durations vary—General Practice takes around 3 years, while hospital specialties can take 5–8+ years, depending on the discipline. After completing training, doctors become Consultants in hospital specialties or General Practitioners (GPs).
In terms of further study, many graduates pursue postgraduate qualifications to enhance their expertise or academic profile. Options include:
Master’s degrees (e.g., MSc in Public Health, Medical Education, Clinical Research, or Global Health)
PhDs or MD(Res) for careers in academia or research
Diplomas and Certificates in fields like Tropical Medicine, Radiology, or Dermatology
Intercalated BSc or MBPhD programmes (during or after undergraduate studies for research-focused pathways)
This combination of structured clinical training and academic opportunities allows UK-trained doctors to build flexible, rewarding careers in medicine, academia, global health, and beyond.
GCSE requirement: Minimum grade C (or 4) in both Mathematics and English.UCAT is the standardised test required. Must have achieved BBB/ABC at A-level or equivalent including Biology and ChemistryA Level - AAA. Must include Biology and Chemistry. You will need to pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of your programme of study.IB - 36 overall (excluding Theory of Knowledge and the Extended Essay) including 19 at HL. GCSE - English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade B/6 or an equivalent (if you require a Student visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements), andIELTS - At least 7.0 overall with a minimum of 7.0 in speaking and a minimum of 6.5 in all other subskills.TOEFL - At least 100 with a minimum of 24 in speaking and 22 in all other subskills.You will be required to complete a DBS (Disclosure Barring Service) check if your application is successful. If you are applying from certain countries overseas, a Certificate of Good Conduct may be required.Personal Statement Must demonstrate Insight into medicine as a career, reflection on caring experiences, personal responsibility and self‑directed learning and a balanced lifestyle.A strong reference from your school or university is essential. The maximum points you can achieve are 27. GCSE 9, 8, A* = 3 points 7, A = 2 points 6, B = 1 point A-level A* = 3 points A = 2 points Degree (minimum GCSE & A-level grades required) 27 points in totalPhysicianSurgeonFamily Medicine DoctorEmergency Medicine PhysicianMedical ResearcherClinical Trials CoordinatorEpidemiologistPublic Health AdministratorMedical EducatorHospital AdministratorMedical Science LiaisonHealthcare ConsultantTelehealth PhysicianHealth AdvocateForensic PathologistOccupational Health PhysicianSports PhysicianMedical WriterHealth Informatics Specialist
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Cardiff University
