St Andrews Students: Partner Medical School

The University of Aberdeen offers students the opportunity to study medicine in a thriving medical school that is co-located on one of the largest clinical sites in Europe with superb teaching and extensive research facilities.

Our Medical Programme aims to produce excellent doctors who will be able to assimilate and apply new knowledge throughout their careers and who will themselves contribute to the advancement of medicine.

Clinical experience is central to teaching and you will be able to undertake arguably the most widespread and diverse clinical placements in the UK. There are clinical campuses at Dr Gray's Hospital, Elgin and Raigmore Hospital, Inverness, and all students undertake hospital-based clinical placements outside Aberdeen. Exciting new placements are now on offer across the Highlands and Islands in locations such as Fort William, Stornoway, Wick, Orkney and Shetland.  This variety of placements allows our students to experience not only inner-city medicine, but also gives a unique opportunity to see how health care is delivered in areas far removed from large teaching centres.

Our new Remote and Rural Option has been developed to be undertaken in Years 4 and 5 for students with a special interest in careers in a Remote and Rural setting. These students undertake their clinical attachments within more distant locations. The Remote and Rural option is based at Raigmore Hospital, Inverness where a new clinical skills centre and library have been built.

Our extensive network of teaching general practices around Scotland also gives students opportunities to experience patient care in a community setting.

The course you will undertake will form part of a new revised curriculum that will utilise the resources available in the Suttie Centre, a new state-of-the-art Centre for Teaching and Learning, which is close to the Medical School on the Foresterhill site.  In addition to hosting timetabled teaching, this superb development allows students to access anatomy and clinical skills facilities throughout their undergraduate curriculum for their own revision.

Joining the Aberdeen MBChB

Your first year– MBChB Year 3

St Andrews stsudents join existing Aberdeen students at the beginning of the third year of study. 

The St Andrews curriculum is very similar to that delivered during the early years at Aberdeen, except that you will have the added experience of your Honours project.

St Andrews Bridging Activities

Extra teaching will be given in certain areas that will be tailored to the needs of St Andrews students. This teaching will be integrated with Year 3 teaching to ensure that you will have:

  • Clinical and communication skills that will match those of your new Aberdeen colleagues.
  • Comparable knowledge and understanding of the course material.
  • Sufficient knowledge and experience of written examinations and clinical assessments (OSCEs) in preparation for the Year 3 examinations held the following March.

A novel feature of 3rd year is a 6 week Medical Humanities Module, a unique opportunity for full time study in an area that will help give students a different perspective on medicine. Students can chose from a variety of subjects which currently include: Communicating in British Sign Language; History of Medicine; Modern Languages for Medical Students and Philosophy for Medical Students.  You will be contacted in good time so you can make your choices for this Module.

Your Clinical Years – MBChB Years 4 & 5

In Year 4 (one third of 3rd year and all of 4th year), your diagnostic and management skills are developed through clinical practice and contact with patients. You undertake nine five-week clinical blocks that will ultimately cover all the body systems and give you experience of all major medical specialties. These clinical opportunities are based in hospitals and the community, in and around Aberdeen and Inverness.  Students undertake at least one clinical block in Inverness.

Year 5 (final year) is very much an apprentice year that prepares you for the competent, safe, effective and professional practice of medicine as a pre-registration foundation doctor. You will gain extensive clinical experience during three attachments in medicine, surgery and GP/psychiatry over the widest of locations.  Worldwide locations are commonly sought during the project-based elective.  Prior to qualification, professional skills will be enhanced by undertaking two Professional Practice blocks.

Preparing to Start

You will have already received much information from us about joining the university and registration, accommodation, making choices for the Y3 Humanities Module and some clinical 
course booklets.

You will already have been required to:

  • Complete a new advanced criminal records check through Disclosure Scotland.
  • Complete a confidential Occupation Health questionnaire.
  • Supply information and a photograph that will be used for a  university ID card for use throughout your remaining degree programme.
  • Undertake University e-Registration.

You may also have organised your future accommodation:

  • For university accommodation, you will need to be sent accommodation forms.
  • Private accommodation can be organised on-line (see Accommodation and Where will I live?).

When you Arrive

Arrival in Aberdeen well before the start of term will allow for accommodation and banking arrangements to be organised.  You can also orientate yourself in Aberdeen and get to know the various clinical sites including Foresterhill  (see General Information and Campus Maps).

Welcome, Introduction and Joining the MBChB Programme

You will be required to attend a week before the start of the Y3 term to allow for all the necessary registration checks to be made.  A timetable of activities will be undertaken including:

  • A welcome to Aberdeen.
  • Information about the curriculum you will be joining.
  • Introduction to the members of staff with whom you will have close contact, including the St Andrews Students Clinical Tutor.
  • Information about learning in a clinical environment.
  • Details of the Bridging teaching.
  • Other activities will include:
    • Issue of both university ID and hospital ID cards.
    • Information on the use of My MBChB (a web-based intranet resource)
      including access to the Year 3 Learning guides. These are on-line comprehensive course booklets that support each individual System or block of teaching and also direct students towards the further researching of topics.
    • Attendance at Occupational Health for blood tests (helpful to bring previous immunisation certificates).
    • Registration with a GP.
    • Clinical orientation at Foresterhill.

At the Beginning of Term

Registration for Year 3:  You will already have registered during the previous week's joining activities.

University ID cards:  Your university ID card also serves as a library card and security swipe card for access to the Medical School Buildings outwith the times of 8am to 6pm.

Hospital ID cards:  Your Hospital ID card should be worn at all times within the confines of all the hospitals and clinical areas you attend, when you should also ensure that staff and patients are aware that you are a medical student. 

Dress Code:  The wearing of white coats is no longer a requirement when you visit the hospital wards, however students are expected to appear clean, tidy and wearing reasonably smart clothes.  Jeans and trainers are not permitted.  In addition, male students should not wear a tie and shirt sleeves should be short or rolled up.

Regent:  You will be assigned a Regent and invited to come and meet him/her at an informal Regents' Event during Freshers Week.

See Help and Advice

Once you have your University accounts, you can retrieve useful information from the My MBChB, including hospital maps, personal timetables and course materials. You should check your email accounts daily and keep them trimmed.  Electronic contact is the means by which the MBChB office will make contact with you.

Support from the Medical School

The following members of staff coordinate and manage Year 3 of the MBChB. 

Dr John Scott: Tel: 01224 437729  / Email: john.scott@abdn.ac.uk

Dr Scott is the St Andrews Students Clinical Tutor whose role is to ensure, via regular meetings with students, that St Andrews entrants receive appropriate additional teaching, based on their individual needs.  

Dr Sarah Ross : Tel: 01224 553026  / Email: s.ross@abdn.ac.uk

Dr Ross is the Year 3 Co-ordinator and as such has overall responsibility for the teaching in this year.  She also personally delivers clinical teaching.  Should there be any ongoing issues relating to satisfactory completion of the curriculum, Dr Ross can be approached for advice.

Ms Morag Simpson: Tel: 01224 437775 / Email: morag.simpson@abdn.ac.uk

Ms Simpson is based in the MBChB Office on the 3rd Floor of the Suttie Centre and will help you with problems to do with timetables, absences, and general good advice.

Penny Linemann : Tel: 01224 437787 / Email: p.linemann@abdn.ac.uk

Penny Linemann, is Assistant College Registrar / Student Welfare Officer in Medicine and is also based in the Suutie Centre MBChB Office.  She is probably the most useful person you can go to if you have any worries at all about your life in Aberdeen.  Penny has a wealth of experience in dealing with students' problems, ranging from worries about leaving home; family difficulties; problems with finance (not enough of it …or change in circumstances); to problems with health and poor performance at University.  If Penny cannot solve the problem, she will source the appropriate help and if necessary, initiate the first contact for you.

Your Regent 

Your Regent acts as a mentor to help you with professional development and in the transition from junior to senior student to junior doctor.

For additional information about Regents, Support from the University and Support from Student Organisations, see Help and Advice and What about Support for Students?

Support from Academic or Clinical Members of Staff

Course Lecturers and Tutors

If you experience difficulties with the content of the material, you should approach members of staff, especially those who teach that particular component of the curriculum. You can also discuss the matter with your tutors or any other staff member you feel appropriate.

Clinical Members of Staff

The following tutors have responsibility for ensuring that students receive and understand specific areas of clinical teaching and may be approached for help and advice.

 

Head of Division of Medical & Dental Education

Dr Rona Patey: Tel: 01224 437732 / Email: r.patey@nhs.net

Medical Interviewing and Communication Skills Co-ordinator

Dr Rebecca Riddell: Tel: 01224 437242 / Email: r.riddell@abdn.ac.uk

Community Course Co-ordinator

Dr Hazel Sinclair: Tel: 01224 437246 / Email: h.sinclair@abdn.ac.uk

Should you have any difficulties relating to clinical aspects of learning, the consultants and junior members of staff on the wards will be happy to help you…but it is up to you to ASK!

Further Information

Accommodation

From 3rd year, many students elect to share one of the many houses or self-catering flats available for rent near to the Foresterhill site.  When students undertake clinical attachments outwith Aberdeen, they usually maintain a homebase locally, but whenever possible, accommodation and travel is paid for during distant placements by University or NHS sources.

Although university accommodation would be available, it is some distance from our clinical sites.  We therefore recommend that you move to shared accommodation with medical friends and colleagues.
For information about private accommodation, see AUSA. Alternative web searches for private accommodation in Aberdeen could include the following property list of letting agencies at: http://www.citylets.co.uk/letting-agents/aberdeen/ .  
For information about University accommodation (see Accommodation and Where will I live?).   

Student Electives  

In your final year, you may choose to travel virtually anywhere in the world to undertake an 8-week project-based Elective.  The organisation and planning of the Elective commences in Year 4, when much advice is available for its development. (see Studying Abroad).  

The Great Outdoors  

There is a wealth of world class facilities available that cater for most possible sporting and social activities around Aberdeen. There is also a very active Medical Student Wilderness Society which has in recent years organised summer trips to Mount Kilimanjaro in Tanzania and the Inca Trail in Peru, incorporating studies of altitude sickness.