Topic outline
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The aim of selection is to employ fair and transparent procedures to recruit students who have the intellectual capacity and personal attributes to achieve highly during the course, and go on to become competent and caring doctors able to develop and play a full role in whichever health system they work for the remainder of their career.
Our dedicated admissions team are happy to support you through this process and answer any queries you may have. Please contact us if you have any questions on FMHS-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk or telephone +44 (0)1280 820229.
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The selection processes operate in three stages. The first stage is Academic Selection and the second stage is a digital Multiple Mini Assessment and the third is an Objective Structured Selection Examination, the Multiple Mini Interview (MMI) .
Stage One: Academic Selection
This first stage involves judgements on the basis of the written application, primarily related to academic achievement as an indicator of intellectual suitability for a medical course and the practice of medicine. Applicants may offer a variety of qualifications, but the overriding principle is that achievement should be at the highest level, and comparable to entrants to other medical schools in the United Kingdom. It is not intended that ability to pay the fees for the course should compensate for academic achievement that is less than usual for entry to a medical course in the UK.
Stage Two: Multiple Mini Assessment
The second stage of selection applies only to those who meet the academic threshold and is intended to judge personal attributes relating to suitability for practice as a doctor. It is a computer-based test, made up of a series of tasks intended to test applicants’ analysis, interpretation and judgement abilities related to 'Good Medical Practice', published by the UK General Medical Council.
Applicants who are satisfactory at this point will be able to progress to the third and final stage of the MMI application process. Exceptionally high performing applicants may receive an offer at this stage in the process.
Stage Three: Objective Structured Selection Examination
The third stage of selection is intended to judge personal attributes relating to suitability for practice as a doctor. It consists of an Objective, Structured Selection Examination (OSSE), made up of a series of tasks intended to test abilities related to 'Good Medical Practice', published by the UK General Medical Council
Exclusions from Entry
There are additional factors that may prohibit entry onto the MB ChB course:
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Previous enrolment on a medicine course, whether completed or not
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Evidence of dishonesty on the application form
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Previous spent and unspent criminal convictions and bind overs
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Failure to meet entry requirements
Please refer to the standards for Selection for a detailed description of the selection process.
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The key features of the academic threshold for applicants are that they:
- Demonstrate competence in English language, either in the case of a native English speaker by attainment of at least Grade C in English at GCSE (or equivalent), or in the case of non-native English speakers by attainment of at least 7.0 overall and at least 6.5 in each component of IELTS.
- Demonstrate competence in Maths by attainment of at least Grade 4 in Maths GCSE (or equivalent).
- In the case of applicants offering UK A-levels, they should have or be likely to obtain before the medical course begins a minimum of grades ABB in three A-levels to include either Chemistry and/or Biology, General Studies is not accepted. In the case of applicants who do not have Biology or Chemistry at A-Level, they should have studied the subject to GCSE level (or equivalent) and achieved at least a grade B.
- In the case of applicants offering alternative secondary school qualifications, they should have or be expected to achieve qualifications at a level equivalent to A-level, and with a pattern of grades equivalent to ABB, including Chemistry or Biology at the most senior level studied.
- In the specific case of the International Baccalaureate they should be expected to achieve or to have achieved a total score of at least 34 points with Higher level 6 in Chemistry & Biology. Please note that the overall point score does not include your theory of knowledge or extended essay.
- In the case of applicants offering a degree, they should have obtained at least an upper second class degree in a subject cognate to medicine.
- In the case of applicants offering a University of Buckingham - Pre-Med (Cert HE in Medical Science) degree, they should have achieved, or predicted, at least 70%.
- Transfers from other undergraduate science or medicine programmes cannot be accepted.
- Please note that we will not accept students who have previously enrolled in or studied an undergraduate medical programme.
Consult our Entry Requirements for a list of our entry requirements by country. Please email us on FMHS-admissions@buckingham.ac.uk or call us on +44 (0)1280 820229 if your qualifications are not listed in this document or if you have any specific enquiries about entry grades.
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The University of Buckingham is a not-for-profit educational charity that receives no government subsidies. Your tuition fees are invested fully into providing a first class medical education and student experience.
For up to date information on tuition fees, please visit our MB ChB course webpage.
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The University reserves the right to increase course fees annually in line with inflation linked to the Retail Price Index (RPI) to take account of the University’s increased costs of delivering educational services. If the University intends to increase your course fees it will notify you via email of this as soon as reasonably practicable.
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IT Requirements
Students must use their own IT devices for studying and assessments. Please ensure your device meets the following minimum standards to be compatible with Medical School software requirements.
Please see the below link for the minimum system requirements to run the current version of the Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences applications.Stethoscopes
Our students need to purchase a stethoscope as part of their medical training. Students can seek advice from clinical staff.
Costs of stethoscopes typically start at around £90. You should be aiming to have the sort of model/specification similar to that of Littman Classic III. However, please note that you will not be able to use the type with recording facilities/Bluetooth in OSCEs, e.g. the Littman CORE.
Visits to Hospitals and GP Practices
Our students will rotate across our partner hospitals and a number of local GP practices throughout the Clinical Skills Unit in Phase 1 of the course.Travel costs are incurred once a week in Phase 1 and it is around 45p per mile. We reimburse students whose travel is longer than 25 miles where we refund any mileage over 25 in one direction.
Patient Visit
As part of the Narrative Medicine component of the course, each of our students is assigned a patient whom they will visit on a regular basis. The frequency of the visits and the distance they need to travel vary from patient to patient.Travel cost is around 45p per mile. We reimburse students whose travel is longer than 25 miles where we refund any mileage over 25 in one direction.
Workbooks
Printed copies of the digital Workbooks supplied for each unit are available to purchase at an additional cost. These optional workbooks cost upto £25 each. There are 26 Phase I workbooks in total that can be purchased individually as printed copies; however digital online copies are provided free.The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS)
All healthcare professionals have to be DBS cleared under the Vulnerable Groups Act 2006, therefore it is a requirement that you complete an Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check before being permitted to start the programme.
You are required to complete and pay for your own DBS check prior to joining the programme at a cost of £60. These costs associated with your DBS application were correct at time of publishing, but may be subject to small increases.
The Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) Update Service allows:
• applicants to keep their DBS certificates up to date
• employers to check a DBS certificate
The service is for standard and enhanced DBS checks only.
It costs £13 per year and you can pay by debit or credit card. All students must be registered on the update service. Failing to have an active subscription to the update service will require you to complete a new DBS process at a cost of £100 each time.
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If you are considering studying at The University of Buckingham, you should be aware of our two campus locations: Buckingham Campus, Buckinghamshire, and Crewe Campus, Cheshire. Please see the location of our campuses on the dedicated webpage containing a map, along with our hospital placement locations.
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Full disclosure of candidates history in terms of education, health, disability and criminal records is required at application as these details may affect the educational and professional provision by the university and the students progression on the course.
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The GMC is currently considering the introduction of a formal assessment that UK medical graduates would need to pass in order to be granted registration with a licence to practise. Although no final decision has been taken as to whether or when such an exam will be introduced, applicants should be aware that the GMC envisages that future cohorts of medical students may need to pass parts of a medical licensing assessment before the GMC will grant them registration with a licence to practise.