Keele University's Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) is a five-year program designed to develop competent and compassionate medical professionals.
Program Structure:
Years 1–2: Focus on foundational medical sciences, integrating early clinical exposure to build essential skills.
Years 3–5: Emphasize extensive clinical placements across various healthcare settings, including hospitals and community practices, allowing students to apply knowledge in real-world scenarios.
Teaching Methods:
The curriculum employs a blend of problem-based learning, lectures, seminars, and practical sessions, including anatomy dissection. This integrated approach ensures a comprehensive understanding of medical sciences and their clinical applications.
Clinical Placements:
Students gain experience in diverse healthcare environments within several hospital trusts, such as the University Hospitals of North Midlands NHS Trust and Shrewsbury and Telford Hospital NHS Trust. These placements offer exposure to a wide range of medical specialties and patient demographics.
Keele University School of Medicine offers a five-year MBChB program structured around a spiral, integrated curriculum. This approach allows students to revisit key themes throughout the course while combining early patient contact with rigorous scientific education.
Clinical Placement Hospitals
Keele medical students gain clinical experience through placements across a variety of hospitals in Staffordshire and Shropshire, including:
Royal Stoke University Hospital (Stoke-on-Trent)
The main teaching hospital for Keele, offering a full range of specialties. It also houses the Clinical Education Centre used for teaching and simulation training.
County Hospital (Stafford)
A district general hospital that provides training in general medicine, surgery, and outpatient services.
Royal Shrewsbury Hospital (Shrewsbury)
Offers placements in emergency medicine, surgery, general medicine, and various specialty departments.
Princess Royal Hospital (Telford)
Provides additional experience across acute and elective care services.
Intercalated Degrees
Students can opt for a one-year intercalated degree between Years 3 and 4, allowing focused study and research in areas such as Medical Humanities, Neuroscience, or Biochemistry. This opportunity also allows students to gain an additional academic qualification.
Research Training and Medical Research Pathway
Keele encourages early involvement in research through structured pathways, such as the Medical Research Pathway, and ASPIRE placements. These initiatives help students build a foundation in research methodology and contribute to ongoing scientific studies.
Internships and Industry Placements
Internship programs are available to provide practical experience in clinical, research, or healthcare settings. These placements help students develop essential workplace skills and improve employability.
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.
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