Medicine (Graduate Entry), MBBCH

The Programme consists of Phase I (Years 1 + 2) and Phase II (Years 3 + 4).  Each year is mapped onto the GMC’s Outcomes for Graduates (2018) where 3 Modules reflect the outcome areas:

• Scholar and Scientist
• Practitioner
• Professional

Phase I

Learning Weeks (Case based, includes Integrated Clinical Method)

Community-Based Learning (CBL) in General Practice for one day every fourth or fifth week

LOCS - Learning Opportunities in the Clinical Setting

LORS – Learning Opportunities in a Research Setting

Early Apprenticeships (1-3)

Phase II

Case of the Week (Case Based Learning Weeks)

Clinical Apprenticeships and Assistantships(Medicine, Surgery and Primary Care) (4-8) including 8 weeks in CBL

Specialty Attachments– Eight 5 Week placements in Medicine (at Singleton, Morriston and Prince Phillip Hospitals), Acute Surgery,  Women’s Health, Child Health, Mental Health, Sub-Specialities of Medicine and Surgery, and Frailty.  These include Integrated Clinical Method and simulation.

Elective in Year 4 (5 Week Clinical Placement mostly taken overseas)

Senior Assistantship / Shadowing period at end of Year 4 prior to F1 (5 Week Clinical Placement where students “shadow” F1 doctors in their allocated post in Wales or join the all-Wales ‘shadow’ programme)

To apply for Graduate Entry Medicine, you must have achieved the following by the time of application:

• Minimum grade C at GCSE in Mathematics
• Minimum grade C at GCSE in English/Welsh

AND achieved or predicted* to achieve a minimum of one of the following:

• 2:1 undergraduate degree in any subject, or
• Merit in an integrated master’s degree in any subject, or
• 2:2 undergraduate degree AND a Pass in a postgraduate higher degree (Masters or PhD) in any subject

*Pending results of degrees used in support of applications must be confirmed no later than 31 July in the year of intended enrolment. Offers which are conditional on degree results will be withdrawn if results are outstanding after this date.

Concurrent enrolment

University regulations do not permit concurrent enrolment in Graduate Entry Medicine and any other award-bearing programme at this or any other university. All other degree programmes must be completed before enrolment on the Graduate Entry Medicine programme.

Equivalent qualifications

We accept equivalent secondary school and degree qualifications which are approved by Swansea University. For applicants from majority non-English speaking countries, IELTS 7.0 with no less than 7.0 in speaking and 6.5 in listening, reading and writing is accepted as equivalent. Details of approved tests of English proficiency can be found here.

Admissions tests

For Home applications, we accept GAMSAT test results, and for International applications, we accept either GAMSAT or MCAT results. Results must be from a sitting within two years of application. The list of valid GAMSAT sittings can be found here. Test scores are used to rank applications. Candidates with the highest scores will be invited to interview. The minimum scores required are determined annually once all scores have been received.

The minimum acceptable GAMSAT score is 50, including a minimum of 50 in Paper 3 (Reasoning in Biological and Physical Sciences). GAMSAT requirements for students following the Pathways to Medicine track can be found on the Pathways to Medicine page. 

The minimum acceptable MCAT score is 500. Information for International Applicants can be found on our International Applicants Page.

Our core modules are guided by the standards set out by the General Medical Council (GMC) for Medical Education. Modules build the foundation of scientific knowledge and clinical skills required for the practice of medicine. 

We are proud to provide an outstanding educational experience, using the most effective learning and teaching approaches, carefully tailored to suit the specific needs of your course. Apart from a small number of online-only courses, most of our courses consist of in-person, on-campus teaching, enabling full engagement with your lecturers and fellow students.

Practical skills sessions, lab work seminars, and workshops predominantly take place in person, allowing for group working and demonstrations. We also operate virtual labs and Simulated Learning Environments which will facilitate greater access to training opportunities in the future. However, our approach also includes the use of some online learning to support and enhance traditional face-to-face teaching. 

Online learning may take place ‘live’ using software such as Zoom, allowing you to interact with the lecturer and other students and to ask questions. Lecture recordings also allow for more flexibility to revisit material, to revise for assessments and to enhance learning outside of the classroom. Some modules have extra resources in Canvas, such as videos, slides and quizzes enabling further flexible study.  

This course offers some modules taught through the medium of Welsh or bilingually for students who consider themselves to be fluent Welsh speakers. For more details on the provision available see the Welsh Provision expander below.

At least 40 credits

There are opportunities for Welsh speakers to study at least 40 credits of this course through the medium of Welsh. Academi Hywel Teifi is here to support you throughout your time at Swansea University. We can offer you:

• Access to generous Welsh-language study scholarships or bursaries.
• Access to modules taught wholly or partly in Welsh.
• Access to the Arwain mobile app for the latest information about Welsh-medium courses and modules available to download free on the App Store and Google Play.
• A Welsh-speaking Academic Mentor.
• An opportunity to gain an additional free qualification that serves as evidence of your Welsh language ability for future employers.
• Opportunity to be a member of the Swansea University Branch of the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol.

To learn more about the above and all the opportunities available to you through the medium of Welsh, visit Academi Hywel Teifi's undergraduate pages.

Accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC)

Graduate Entry Medicine students will be taught by a range of clinicians, world-leading researchers and academic staff based at the Medical School.

Principle teaching staff for the Graduate Entry Medicine programme are:

Head of Graduate Entry Medicine: Professor Kamila Hawthorne

Academic Deputy Head: Dr Suzanne Edwards

Clinical Deputy Head: Dr Marguerite Hill

Programme Director: Mr Paul Jones

Admissions Leads

Admissions Lead: Dr Arun Ramachandran

Admissions Lead: Dr Mike Gilbert

Curriculum Lead: Dr Sarah Rees

Cohort Support Tutors

Year 1 Cohort Support Tutor: Dr Gill Salmon

Year 2 Cohort Support Tutor: Miss Marianne Dillon

Year 3 Cohort Support Tutor: Dr Umakant Dave

Year 4 Cohort Support Tutor: Dr Ann Benton

Year Leads

Year 1 Lead: Mr Carl Rowe

Year 2 Lead: Mr Tim Brown

Year 3 Lead: Miss Rhiannon Harries

Year 4 Lead: Dr Lisa Williams

Theme Leads

Nutrition: Dr Jonathan Mullins

Behaviour: Professor Phil Newton

Movement: Dr Sarah Rees

Transport: Dr Malcolm Turner

Defence: Dr Angharad Davies and Dr Jenna Bulger

Development: Dr Sam Webster

Strand Leads

Anatomy/Structure: Dr Sam Webster and Dr Marcela Bezdickova

Medicine, Health and Society Leads: Dr Suzanne Edwards and Dr Brendan Mason

Therapeutics Lead: Mrs Helen Day

Other Leads

Student Support and Guidance Lead: Dr Claire Vogan

Deputy Student Support and Guidance Lead

Community Based Learning Lead: Dr Llinos Roberts

Deputy Community Based Learning Lead: Dr James Kerrigan

Deputy Clinical Placements Lead: Dr Sujoy Banerjee

Assessment Lead: Dr Steve Capey

Clinical Assessment Lead: Dr Jayne Dawkins

Deputy Clinical Assessment Lead: Dr Andy Haden

Health and Conduct Lead: Mr Neil Price

Foundation Transitions Lead: Dr Lisa Williams

Electives Lead: Dr Balwinder Bajaj

Faculty Development Lead: Dr Ana Sergio Da Silva

Clinical Faculty Development Lead: Dr Manju Nair

Junior Faculty Development Lead: Dr Sounder Perlman

Quality Leads: Dr Aidan Byrne and Dr Ujjal Choudhuri

Equality and Diversity and Careers Lead: Miss Farah Bhatti

Professionalism and Reflective Learning Leads: Dr Umakant Dave

Clinical Skills and ICM

Year 1 ICM Lead: Mrs Sue Pugh

Year 2 ICM Lead: Dr Margaret Byrne

Year 3 ICM Lead: Dr Sue West-Jones

Year 4 ICM Lead: Dr Andy Haden

Senior Academic Mentor: Mrs Collette Hill

Fees for full time Undergraduate UK students may be increased in subsequent years of study by an inflationary amount determined by Welsh Government.

Fees for full time Undergraduate EU/International students will increase by 3% for each subsequent year of study.

You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study. To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Current students: You can find further information of your fee costs on our tuition fees page.

You may be eligible for funding to help support your study.

To find out about scholarships, bursaries and other funding opportunities that are available please visit the University's scholarships and bursaries page.

Academi Hywel Teifi at Swansea University and the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol offer a number of generous scholarships and bursaries for students who wish to study through the medium of Welsh or bilingually. For further information about the opportunities available to you, visit the Academi Hywel Teifi Scholarships and Bursaries page.

Foulkes Foundation Fellowships

If you are an applicant with a PhD you may wish to also apply for a Foulkes Foundation Fellowship. The Foulkes Foundation is a registered charity established to further medical research and bring together science and medicine for the benefit of mankind. Visit the Foulkes Foundation Website for more information on eligibility and how to apply. 

Access to your own digital device/the appropriate IT kit will be essential during your time studying at Swansea University. Access to wifi in your accommodation will also be essential to allow you to fully engage with your programme. See our dedicated webpages for further guidance on suitable devices to purchase, and for a full guide on getting your device set up.

You may face additional costs while at university, including (but not limited to):

• Travel to and from campus
• Printing, photocopying, binding, stationery and equipment costs (e.g. USB sticks)
• Purchase of books or texts
• Gowns for graduation ceremonies

You will be expected to purchase tunics to wear in the clinical workplace - further details will be given to you when you start the programme.

Swansea Employability Academy (SEA) will support you at each stage of your career journey helping you build a bright future.

Our career support services include:

• Employability workshops, employers’ talks, bespoke events and careers fairs
• Individual advice and guidance from professionally qualified Careers Advisers
• Help with finding jobs, internships, work placements and volunteering opportunities
• Access to information resources on a wide range of career management topics
• Advice and guidance on postgraduate study and funding
• Funding to support student internship opportunities and Student Society/Club events.

We also provide help and advice for Swansea University Alumni up to two years after you graduate.

As well as subject specific support by college teaching staff and your personal academic mentor, the Centre for Academic Success provides courses, workshops and one-to-one support in areas such as:

• Academic writing
• Maths and statistics
• Critical thinking
• Time management
• Digital skills
• Presentation skills
• Note taking
• Revision, memory and exam techniques
• English language skills (if English is not your first language).

In addition, if you have a Specific Learning Difficulty (SpLD), disability, mental health or medical condition, the Centre for Academic Success have Specialist Tutors to support your learning, working alongside the Disability Office and Wellbeing Service to support all your needs and requirements whilst studying at Swansea University.

Personal Academic Mentor:

You will be assigned an Academic Mentor from a pool of trained personnel drawn from academic staff in the Medical School, or possibly clinical staff from Health Boards for GEM and PA. 

Personal Academic Mentors are your first point of contact while studying at the Medical School and can provide assistance and guidance on a range of issues that may affect your wellbeing, attendance and educational progress. Personal Academic Mentors may also help with your personal development planning and careers advice. Your mentor may also direct you to Welfare and other support services as appropriate.

Student Life Officer:

Our Student Life Officer focuses on student support and identifying students who may need to be referred to the services both within and outside of the University, and working with these students to put a plan in place to manage their welfare.  This officer is trained to recognise signs of domestic abuse, hate crimes through to dealing with homesickness and any other pastoral issues.

Medical School Student Information and Education Office:

Our team of administrators and student information co-ordinators are on hand to support you with your academic queries and signpost you to additional services where required. 

To learn more about study abroad, visit our Go Global webpages. Enrolment on a programme with a semester/year abroad does not guarantee you a semester/year abroad placement. Spaces are limited and subject to a competitive selection process. In the event you do not secure a semester/year abroad placement, you will be transferred to the standard variant of your degree scheme without a semester or year abroad.

International summer programmes are open to students from all colleges. Programmes typically range from 2 to 6 weeks, across destinations such as China, Zambia, South Korea, Japan, Canada and across Europe. For more information about programmes and eligibility visit our Summer Abroad webpages.

All applications for entry in September 2023 must be submitted via UCAS before 5pm (British Summer Time) on 15 October 2022. This deadline applies to UK, EU and International applicants. There is no facility to accept late or direct applications.

Information about previous qualifications, including GCSE, A-level and degree results (or international equivalents) must be provided at the time of application. GAMSAT and MCAT scores are normally received directly from test providers, but in some cases, these may be sought from applicants after applications have been processed.

EU students - visa and immigration information is available and will be regularly updated on our information for EU students page.

We recommend that you submit your application to our courses as early as you can in advance of our application deadlines. Courses will close earlier than the application deadlines listed if all available places are filled. You can find further information on our Application Deadlines webpage.

As entry to the Medicine (Graduate Entry) programme is highly competitive, Swansea University does not accept applications for deferred entry for this course. 

Deferral requests from offer holders will only be considered on a case-by-case basis under exceptional circumstances, such as:

1. Bereavement of an immediate family member or close friend
2. Ill-health of an immediate family member requiring the offer-holder to become the sole carer for more than 3 months after start of the course
3. Personal ill-health of the offer-holder that is unlikely to be recovered from within 3 months of the start of the course*
4. Other exceptional circumstances deemed suitable by the admission leads

To apply for deferred entry, you should apply in writing with proof of the exceptional circumstance, which will be considered by the course Admissions Leads. Any deferral request may only apply to the following academic year and subsequent requests are not permitted.  For more information, please contact the Admissions Team. 

If your deferral is authorised, you must confirm your place 3 months prior to the start of the course in the deferred year (typically 1^st June for a 1^st September start date) otherwise your offer will be withdrawn.  You would be required to submit a new UCAS application to be considered for the following year.  Please note that this may also entail a new GAMSAT result if the previous result has expired. 

*Any personal ill-health will be automatically referred to the fitness to practise panel (FTP) prior to joining the course and your deferred offer will be subject to clearance by the FTP panel.

*PLEASE NOTE - All applicants MUST have sat the GAMSAT test prior to submitting an application - we are unable to consider any application that does not have either a valid GAMSAT score or proof that an applicant has test the test and is waiting for their results

Applicants, who meet the minimum entry requirements are ranked based upon their GAMSAT scores. The applicants who have scored most highly are then invited to attend our Assessment Centre in the Spring.

GAMSAT is a professionally designed and marked selection test for medical schools offering graduate-entry programmes open to graduates of any discipline. You will need to sit GAMSAT if you intend to apply for entry to the GEM Programme here in Swansea.  There are no exemptions from the GAMSAT test. 

GAMSAT evaluates the nature and extent of abilities and skills gained through prior experience and learning, including the mastery and use of concepts in basic science, as well as the acquisition of more general skills in problem solving, critical thinking and writing.

We accept results from GAMSAT UK, Ireland and Australia dated within the two years prior to your application. 

For more information, or to apply for the GAMSAT examination, please contact GAMSAT UK directly.

You will first sit a 30-minute written situational judgement assessment. This will not assess your academic ability, but try and identify those applicants who have decision making skills suitable to a career in medicine.

You will then attend two separate 20-minute interviews, where your personal statement will be considered and discussed.  These are conducted by pairs of interviewers taken from our highly trained panel of clinicians, academics, medical students and members of the public.

The interview process is designed to take account of the personal and academic qualities needed as a doctor, as set out in ‘Good Medical Practice’, and the capacity to meet the outcomes of ‘Outcomes for Graduates’. In summary these are:

• Communication Skills
• Problem solving skills
• Coping with pressure
• Insight and Integrity
• Passion for medicine/resilience to succeed

For more information on what we are looking for at interview please see our interview tips page: 

Medicine Interview Tips

Once the interviews are completed, we will assess the overall performance of each candidate. Due to the very competitive nature of the selection process, only candidates who scored highest will be offered a place at Swansea.

The General Medical Council (GMC) has introduced a Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA) to demonstrate those who obtain registration with a licence to practice medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice. Applicants should be aware that to obtain registration with a licence to practice, all medical students will need to pass both parts of the MLA, pass university finals and demonstrate their fitness to practice. This will apply to all UK medical students graduating in and after the 2024-25 academic year.

www.gmc-uk.org/education/medical-licensing-assessment

Candidates with Disabilities

Medical schools have to consider the impact of health conditions and disabilities on students’ fitness to practise as a doctor. This is because they have a responsibility to ensure that students are eligible to be registered by the General Medical Council.   All offers are subject to occupational health and fitness to practise clearance. The details you provide will also help us consider what reasonable adjustments are possible in order to assist with specific health challenges and disabilities.

If you have a disability, ensure you declare it on the UCAS form by ticking the relevant box.  Disclosure will not affect screening of your application. If an offer is made you will be contacted by the Occupational Health Department to discuss your situation.

If you are unsure of how a disability will fit in to the application process or you need more information, contact occupational health team. You should also inform the admissions team if you are eligible for any special considerations during the written tests or interviews on the basis of your disability.

Health Screening and DBS Checks

All successful applicants accepting a place will be required to complete health declaration and immunisation forms. Your General Practitioner will have access to details of your immunisation history and should be able to share with you on request. These will be screened by our Occupational Health Department. Some students will be contacted by an Occupational Health Physician for further information where appropriate. Occupational health review could involve blood tests and immunisations to ensure your safety as well as safety of patients.

Students will be required to complete a successful Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before admission to the course.  The offer of a place is dependent on successful check of the Medical Schools’ Council Excluded Students Database.

In the interests of patient and public safety, and to prevent fraudulent applications to courses which lead to entry to a registered profession in the UK, Swansea University Medical School will share some of the information provided in your application form with the Medical Schools Council in order to verify your fitness to practise. If a fitness to practise outcome is made against you in the future, your information and a copy of the decision against you will also be stored on a central database which is accessible only to other schools with courses leading to entry to a registered profession in the UK. It is used only for proper fitness to practise purposes to protect patients and the public, and to prevent fraudulent applications. Any offer of a place on the programme is conditional on you having disclosed any previous fitness to practise outcomes against you, and your consent being given to this use of information. You have a right of access to any information held about you on the database and to correct any errors.’

Swansea University is an equal opportunities institution and actively encourages applications from persons of all ability. For Medicine, each application is assessed on an individual basis, on the candidate’s ability to fulfil the learning outcomes and skills and competencies required to complete the MB programme and as required by the GMCs Outcomes for Graduates. The GMC requires all medical schools to ensure that the applicant is able to complete in full the medical curriculum, and when considering applicants with disabilities, the School follows the advisory guidelines set out by the GMC in their document ‘Gateways to the Professions’ (this can be accessed on the GMC website). The University monitors carefully the selection process, in order to ensure that no applicants are disadvantaged.

There is no fixed upper age limit for entry onto the Graduate Entry Medicine Programme.  However, we do advise that all applicants carefully consider not only the length of the programme, but the subsequent demanding nature and intensity of a career in medicine, and the long term commitment that is required after successfully completing the course.