Medicine at Aberdeen
Dr Alison Jack
Year 1 Lead MB ChB
Why Aberdeen University?
• Founded in 1495, it is one of the UK's most internationally
distinguished universities.
• Excellent reputation for teaching quality and research - five
Nobel Prizes have been awarded for work carried out or begun
at Aberdeen.
• In 1497 Aberdeen was first in the English-speaking world to
create a chair of medicine.
• A thriving medical school that is co-located on one of the
largest clinical sites in Europe with superb teaching and
extensive research facilities.
Aberdeen MB ChB
Degree:
MB ChB
Course length:
5 years
Intercalated degree: for 1 year
UCAS Code:
A100
School size
860 Home
95 Overseas
Intake: 152 home and 16 overseas
Applicants for 2015:
2501: 2085 Home & 416 Overseas
Aberdeen MB ChB: since 2009
Year 1 Term 1
Foundations of Medical Sciences and Disease
Introduction to Clinical Practice
Years 1 – 3
7 terms
Rotation through major systems including clinical
teaching/anatomy using case-based learning within each system
Foundations of Primary Care Course links to systems
Three SSCs including Medical Humanities module
Year 4
4 terms
Population-based SSC. Rotation through nine 5-week clinical
blocks, with at least 1 block in Inverness.
Opportunity for Remote & Rural Year 4
Year 5
3 terms
8 weeks each in Medicine, Surgery, GP/Psychiatry and Elective
Advanced Professional Practice
MB ChB Curriculum
Year 1
Respiratory
Cardiovascular
SSC 1
Year 2
Alimentary
Head, Neck,
Dermatology
Nervous
SSC 2
Diabetes
Urinary
Infection/
MSK
Medical
Ethics & Law
Year 3
Reproductive
Haematology /
Immunology
Medical
Humanities
Psychiatry
Paediatrics
Specialities
SSC 3
Year 4
GP
Ortho/ A&E /
ITU/Rheum
Haematology /
Oncology …
Care of Elderly/
Psychiatry
Child Health/
Infection
CNS/Stroke/Derm/
Ophth/ENT
GI/Renal/
Nutrition
Reproductive/
GUM/Breast
Cardio/Resp/
Pharm/ Vascular
Year 5
Medicine
Surgery
GP/Psychiatry
Project-Based Elective
PPB Block
Clinical Teaching / Anatomy and
Foundations of Primary Care
all linking with each system
Foundations of Medical
Science & Disease
Special features of the Aberdeen course
• Early patient contact – Term 2 in Year 1
• Clinical Skills Centre – latest technology and simulation
modalities
• Patient Partner programme
• State of the art anatomy facility: teaching by prosection.
• IT facilities: award winning VLE - myMBChB
Clinical Skills teaching
Special features of the Aberdeen course
• Student selected components (SSCs): 20% curriculum
• 4 weeks Year 1 and Year 2
• 6 weeks in Year 3: Medical Humanities
• 4 weeks in Year 4
• 8 week Elective project in Year 5
• Intercalated degree: BSc Medical Sciences (Hons) or
Honours Bachelor of Science degree in Medical
Humanities. Last for one year usually between Yrs3/4.
Special features of the Aberdeen course
• Remote and rural: Years 4 and 5; experience healthcare in
a wide variety of settings
• Highland and Argyll; Dumfries & Galloway: Fife; Orkney;
Shetland; Western Isles
• Project-based Elective in Year 5
• 2013/14: Africa, Australia, Canada, Hong Kong, India,
Japan, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore, UK, USA.
• Research opportunities: Summer Research Studentships;
HOTSTART and Medical Education summer projects
Old Aberdeen Campus
Aberdeen Sports Village
All images © Reiach & Hall Architects
Student societies
• Aberdeen University Students’ Association (AUSA)
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/infohub/life/ausa.php
• Medical Societies
http://www.abdn.ac.uk/suttie-centre/studentsocieties/
Sports, specialties, charity work, music, socialising
Aberdeen MB ChB performance
• Guardian University League table (2015)
• 7th Medical school in the UK (out of 32)
• 2nd in Scotland
• http://www.theguardian.com/education/nginteractive/2015/may/25/university-league-tables2016#S010
Come Here.
Go Anywhere.
That’s the difference