Why Aberdeen?
The University of Aberdeen has a long and distinguished history of producing excellent medical graduates, many of whom have subsequently travelled the world practising medicine or undertaking highly acclaimed research.
The Medical School is relatively small, enabling us to offer superb care and support for our “medical apprentices’, whilst remaining at the forefront in areas of medical research. The clinical facilities, both locally and across the Highlands and Islands are outstanding and available to all students.
The Aberdeen medical programme leads to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB). Our aim is 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. We encourage a critical approach to the study of underlying principles and the development of independent thought. This is linked to practical training in the Clinical Skills Centre and in hospitals and the community. Our students develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that ensure they are well prepared for life as a junior doctor and that provide a firm basis for postgraduate training and lifelong education.
Find out more about:
- Our curriculum, special features and assessment can be found here
- University of Aberdeen support for all International Students
Joining the Aberdeen MBChB
Your First Year– MBChB Year 3
IMU students join existing Aberdeen students at the beginning of the third year of study.
The Bridging Course
Your curriculum at the IMU does mirror in general the one delivered in Aberdeen, but we recognise the issues involved in moving to a new country and medical school. Accordingly, we run a 1-week bridging course to help you settle in to our city and medical school. You will be given an outline of the MBChB programme in general and in Year 3 in particular, including our assessment methods (exam structure).
You will be initially welcomed to the Medical School and complete the necessary documentation within the MBChB Office. You will need to be issued with University and Hospital ID badges and attend Occupational Health to ensure your health and immunisation details are known and registered.
You will be given an initial tour of the Foresterhill site and the Library where you will be logged on to the university network and shown how to set up your individual e-mail accounts.
Thereafter, the Bridging Course includes the following activities:
- Update in communication and clinical skills and in CPR.
- Introduction to the Foundations of Primary Care.
- An orientation to Hospital ward teaching.
You will also have the opportunity to attend the Welcome to International students.
As we are keen to help our IMU students integrate into the Aberdeen curriculum as easily as possible, we will happily consider other topics for inclusion in the bridging course, should students feel their need.
MBChB Year 3
In Year 3, you will learn about the reproductive system, psychiatry, haematology and immunology and begin to learn more about the application of Foundations of Clinical Method (FoCM) to specialty systems including paediatrics and care of the elderly. Year 3 FoCM teaching will cover a number of important areas. You will be expected to consolidate and integrate your existing skills on your clinical attachments. You will also learn safe and effective methods for a new number of new procedural skills throughout the year required for investigation and management of patients.
An exciting feature of Year 3 is the 6 week Medical Humanities SSC, 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:
- Global health and Humanities
- History of Medicine
- Modern Languages for Medical Students.
Your Clinical Years – MBChB Years 4 and 5
In year 4, 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 and Student Assistantships in each block.
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.
Selection Process
IMU students are matched to a partner medical school overseas by a computer-based process. Both students and the partner schools contribute to the information used in the process. The precise criteria this University uses to select IMU students are available to all IMU students locally at IMU (contact Student Affairs office).
Briefly, we take particular account of the students' academic record and progress at the IMU, but also the comments that the students themselves make in their personal statements and the comments we receive in a pro forma letter from the IMU Dean.
We are unable to consider IMU students who prefer to apply directly to Aberdeen in preference to accepting the clinical place allocated elsewhere by the above method of selection.
Entrance Requirements
As communication with patients such that BOTH parties understand one another is a vital skill in Medicine, our normal IELTS requirements for overseas applicants are to achieve a minimum of 7.0 Overall, with 7.0 in the Speaking section, prior to commencement of the course. These requirements must be achieved within two years of the commencement of studies.
IMU transfer students are required to have achieved a minimum of IELTS 7.0 overall and 7.0 in Speaking and may even need to retake the test to ensure their results are still valid for the curriculum start date.
Tuition Fees and Visa Information
- For information on International fees please see the tuition fees website.
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All International students should be aware of important changes that have been made to visa applications. Any international students planning to study full-time in the UK need to apply for their visa under Tier 4.
For further information, please visit the main SRAS University website, plus United Kingdom Visa and Immigration (UKVI) website.