Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery

Intercalated Year at Cambridge – Year 3 (Mandatory)

At Cambridge, all medical students are required to take an intercalated year after the first two pre-clinical years. This takes place in Year 3, and students graduate with a Bachelor of Arts (BA) degree in a medically related subject before continuing to clinical training.

What Happens in the Intercalated Year:

• Students choose a specialist subject from a wide range of options, such as:

  • Physiology

  • Pathology

  • Pharmacology

  • Neuroscience

  • Psychology

  • History and Philosophy of Science

  • or even a more research-focused project

• The year typically includes:

  • In-depth coursework

  • A research project or dissertation

  • Opportunities for lab or library-based research

This year allows students to:

• Explore areas of personal academic interest

• Develop research and analytical skills

• Strengthen their scientific grounding before entering clinical training

In summary, Cambridge includes an intercalated year as a compulsory part of its six-year Medicine programme.

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.