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Cardiff University

UCAS Code: A101 | Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery - MB BCh

Entry requirements

2:1 in first degree and BBB/ABC at A-level including Biology and Chemistry. You will need to pass the science practical element of the A-level if this is part of your programme of study. Applications are only accepted from Dentistry graduates or from one of the following feeder courses: 1. The BMedSci (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree from the University of Bangor (B100) 2. The BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree, from the University of South Wales (B901) 3. The BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology degree, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (B210) 4. The BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences degree, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University (BC97)

GCSE/National 4/National 5

You must have English language or Welsh language at GCSE grade B/6 or an equivalent (if you require a Tier 4 visa, you must ensure your language qualification complies with UKVI requirements) and eight GCSEs at grade B/6 including Biology, Chemistry, and Maths, or equivalent qualifications (level, subjects and grade).

International Baccalaureate Diploma Programme

32

2:1 in first degree and IB with a score of 32 overall (excluding Theory of Knowledge and Extended Essay). Must include grade 6 in HL Biology or Chemistry and grade 6 in HL Biology, Chemistry, Physics and either Maths or Statistics (but not Mathematical Studies). Grade 7 in SL Biology or Chemistry can be taken in place of HL Biology or Chemistry if you also have grade 6 in HL Physics. Applications are only accepted from Dentistry graduates or from one of the following feeder courses: 1. The BMedSci (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree from the University of Bangor (B100) 2. The BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree, from the University of South Wales (B901) 3. The BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology degree, School of Medicine, Cardiff University (B210) 4. The BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences degree, School of Biosciences, Cardiff University (BC97)

The Welsh Baccalaureate Skills Challenge Certificate will be accepted in place of one A-level at the A-level grades specified, excluding any subject specific requirements.

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About this course

Course option

4years

Full-time | 2025

Subject

Medicine

This degree accepts high performing students from recognised feeder streams aiming to offer comprehensive preparation for a rewarding working life as a foundation doctor in the NHS and your career beyond. Our course is structured over five years to allow you to acquire knowledge, clinical skills and professional attitudes within an integrated spiral curriculum. Our aim is to produce great clinicians who understand people and the environment in which we live.

This degree is open to those on our recognised feeder streams within one of the following degrees:
1.BMedSci (Hons) Degree from the University of Bangor (B100)
2.BSc (Hons) Medical Sciences Degree from the University of South Wales (B901)
3.BSc (Hons) Medical Pharmacology Degree School of Medicine Cardiff University (B210)
4.BSc (Hons) Biomedical Sciences Degree School of Biosciences Cardiff University (BC97)

All applicants to the A101 course need to sit the UCAT admissions exam prior to applying via UCAS. The results for a part of the application assessment.

This accelerated entry course has been developed as part of Cardiff University’s commitment to widen access to Medicine. Small numbers of selected students from the feeder streams take additional modules during their first degree which make them eligible to apply to be accepted onto the 4 year course. Selected students must graduate with a first or upper second class degree.

Having demonstrated appropriate knowledge and skills to enter the healthcare profession, you will pursue a course identical to years 2 to 5 of the five year MBBCh course.

The programme initially focuses on building a platform for integrated clinical sciences. This is delivered in the classroom, practical classes, lectures and the virtual learning environment. You learn to apply your knowledge in the clinical environment, both in hospital and community settings.

The programme emphasises the importance of learning science in the clinical context, and the central place of the patient in a doctor’s work. We firmly believe that patients are at the heart of medical education and as such you will be introduced to patients from the first year. You will learn about common medical conditions from real patients, as well as their doctors, in authentic and impressively equipped facilities.

Patient safety, science knowledge, scholarship, and the service role of doctors are unifying themes throughout.

As you progress through the programme you will find there is increasing emphasis on the acquisition of clinical skills, initially in a simulated environment progressing to extended clinical placements with increasing responsibility in hospital and community settings throughout Wales. Throughout the course, you are expected to display the professional attributes of a doctor in training.

By the time you graduate, you will have demonstrated that care of patients is your first concern. With full engagement in the course, you will be able to apply knowledge and skills in a competent and ethical manner, and use your ability to provide leadership and to analyse complex and uncertain situations. You will have achieved all the outcomes and clinical competencies required by the General Medical Council set out in ‘Tomorrow’s Doctors 2009’.

The Medicine programme is recognised as a Primary Medical Qualification under the Medical Act, and graduates of the programme may apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council.

**Distinctive features**

You will benefit from:
- a cutting-edge spiral curriculum based on evidence gathered from across the world;

- teaching from internationally-renowned researchers and clinicians;

- excellent teaching facilities;

- having the whole of Wales as your classroom, meaning you get a breadth of clinical experience from small, rural GP practices and small cottage hospitals to fast-paced city A&E departments and complex surgical specialties;

- a smooth transfer into the first year of your career as a doctor.

Tuition fees

Select where you currently live to see what you'll pay:

Channel Islands
£9,000
per year
England
£9,000
per year
EU
£43,700
per year
International
£43,700
per year
Northern Ireland
£9,000
per year
Republic of Ireland
£9,000
per year
Scotland
£9,000
per year
Wales
£9,000
per year

Extra funding

Cardiff University has many scholarships on offer to our prospective students. Please see our website at http://www.cardiff.ac.uk/study/undergraduate/funding/scholarships for further information.

The Uni

Course location:

Main Site - Cardiff

Department:

School of Medicine

Read full university profile

What students say

We've crunched the numbers to see if overall student satisfaction here is high, medium or low compared to students studying this subject(s) at other universities.

84%
Medicine

How do students rate their degree experience?

The stats below relate to the general subject area/s at this university, not this specific course. We show this where there isn’t enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Medicine (non-specific)

Teaching and learning

87%
Staff make the subject interesting
86%
Staff are good at explaining things
81%
Ideas and concepts are explored in-depth
97%
Opportunities to apply what I've learned

Assessment and feedback

Feedback on work has been timely
Feedback on work has been helpful
Staff are contactable when needed
Good advice available when making study choices

Resources and organisation

86%
Library resources
92%
IT resources
94%
Course specific equipment and facilities
55%
Course is well organised and has run smoothly

Student voice

Staff value students' opinions
Feel part of a community on my course

Who studies this subject and how do they get on?

92%
UK students
8%
International students
33%
Male students
67%
Female students

Most popular A-Levels studied (and grade achieved)

A
A
A

After graduation

The stats in this section relate to the general subject area/s at this university – not this specific course. We show this where there isn't enough data about the course, or where this is the most detailed info available to us.

Medicine (non-specific)

What are graduates doing after six months?

This is what graduates told us they were doing (and earning), shortly after completing their course. We've crunched the numbers to show you if these immediate prospects are high, medium or low, compared to those studying this subject/s at other universities.

£30,000
med
Average annual salary
100%
med
Employed or in further education
99%
med
Employed in a role where degree was essential or beneficial

Top job areas of graduates

100%
Health professionals
0%
Teaching and educational professionals

What about your long term prospects?

Looking further ahead, below is a rough guide for what graduates went on to earn.

Medicine (non-specific)

The graph shows median earnings of graduates who achieved a degree in this subject area one, three and five years after graduating from here.

£41k

£41k

£49k

£49k

£53k

£53k

Note: this data only looks at employees (and not those who are self-employed or also studying) and covers a broad sample of graduates and the various paths they've taken, which might not always be a direct result of their degree.

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Lower entry requirements
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Same University
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Cardiff University | Cardiff
Medicine
MB BCh 5 Years Full-time 2025
UCAS Points: 144

This is what the university has told Ucas about the criteria they expect applicants to satisfy; some may be compulsory, others may be preferable.

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This is the percentage of applicants to this course who received an offer last year, through Ucas.

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This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Course location and department:

This is what the university has told Ucas about the course. Use it to get a quick idea about what makes it unique compared to similar courses, elsewhere.

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Teaching Excellence Framework (TEF):

We've received this information from the Department for Education, via Ucas. This is how the university as a whole has been rated for its quality of teaching: gold silver or bronze. Note, not all universities have taken part in the TEF.

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This information comes from the National Student Survey, an annual student survey of final-year students. You can use this to see how satisfied students studying this subject area at this university, are (not the individual course).

This is the percentage of final-year students at this university who were "definitely" or "mostly" satisfied with their course. We've analysed this figure against other universities so you can see whether this is high, medium or low.

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This information is from the Higher Education Statistics Agency (HESA), for undergraduate students only.

You can use this to get an idea of who you might share a lecture with and how they progressed in this subject, here. It's also worth comparing typical A-level subjects and grades students achieved with the current course entry requirements; similarities or differences here could indicate how flexible (or not) a university might be.

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Post-six month graduation stats:

This is from the Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education Survey, based on responses from graduates who studied the same subject area here.

It offers a snapshot of what grads went on to do six months later, what they were earning on average, and whether they felt their degree helped them obtain a 'graduate role'. We calculate a mean rating to indicate if this is high, medium or low compared to other universities.

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Graduate field commentary:

The Higher Education Careers Services Unit have provided some further context for all graduates in this subject area, including details that numbers alone might not show

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The Longitudinal Educational Outcomes dataset combines HRMC earnings data with student records from the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

While there are lots of factors at play when it comes to your future earnings, use this as a rough timeline of what graduates in this subject area were earning on average one, three and five years later. Can you see a steady increase in salary, or did grads need some experience under their belt before seeing a nice bump up in their pay packet?

Have a question about this info? Learn more here