Course Highlights:
Established Reputation: Leicester Medical School, founded in 1975, is known for excellence in medical education and research.
Integrated Curriculum: Patient-focused learning that blends lectures, small group work, cadaveric dissection, and clinical teaching.
Early Clinical Exposure: Students interact with real patients from the start, applying theoretical knowledge in practical settings.
Course Structure:
Phase 1 (Years 1–2): Core medical sciences and early development of clinical skills.
Phase 2 (Years 3–5): Extensive clinical placements across specialities like hospital medicine, surgery, and general practice.
Facilities & Learning Environment:
Clinical Skills Unit: Equipped with modern tools for hands-on clinical training.
Anatomical Dissection: Full-body cadaveric dissection for in-depth anatomy education.
Research Strengths:
Leicester is highly regarded for clinical research, particularly in heart disease, cancer, and genetics.
Ranked 2nd in the UK for world-leading research in Clinical Medicine in the 2021 Research Excellence Framework (REF).
The University of Leicester Medical School offers a five-year MBChB program that integrates early clinical exposure with strong scientific foundations. The curriculum is designed to be patient-centered and skill-focused, preparing students for a wide range of medical careers.
Core Teaching Hospitals
Leicester medical students undertake clinical placements across several hospitals in the East Midlands, including:
Leicester Royal Infirmary
A large teaching hospital offering a full range of acute medical services including emergency care, surgery, and specialist treatments.
Leicester General Hospital
Provides services in renal care, diabetes, urology, rehabilitation, maternity care, and orthopaedics.
Glenfield Hospital
An internationally recognized center for cardiac, respiratory, and ECMO services, and a major hub for medical research and education in cardiopulmonary care.
These hospitals form part of the University Hospitals of Leicester NHS Trust and give students broad exposure to both specialist and generalist clinical practice.
The University offers summer research internships, such as the Summer Undergraduate Research Experience (SURE2025) scheme. These internships are available to second, third, and fourth-year undergraduates, providing hands-on research experience over a period of up to six weeks.
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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