Bristol Medical School

Bristol Medical School dates back to 1737, where training was given to those working at Bristol Infirmary. Today, the course combines a traditional setting with the benefits of modern teaching techniques. You’ll experience early clinical exposure with a blended learning style including case-based learning, lectures and the use of cadaveric anatomy prosections. A unique advantage of the Bristol course is that medical students share some teaching with other healthcare students such as student nurses and pharmacists, mimicking the interdisciplinary nature of medicine that occurs on hospital wards.

Bristol uses the UCAT to select which candidates for interview. This makes it a sensible choice for applicants with strong aptitude test scores. As Bristol don’t look at GCSE scores it is also a great option for students with weaker pre-sixth form academics providing the minimum requirements are met.

Key Points

• UCAT
• Optional Intercalation
• Integrated Course

Insider’s Guide to Bristol Medical School from Lucy Y, Bristol Medical Student

What makes Bristol unique to other medical schools?

Bristol takes a focus on art and humanities as a small part of their medical programme. It Is really nice to have the opportunity to explore your creative side, or if you have an interest in law, languages and literature. Bristol take a focus on medicine as a whole from the beginning in the form of helical themes like ethics, law, behavioral and social science, rather than just constant scientific content. It is nice because it is a lot more manageable and enjoyable in the long term. Bristol is also different because it looks at whole person care very early on, which is great because learning about the actions and ideas of people and the public is just as important as their health. Bristol also offer several student choice projects, and there is a possibility of going abroad during the 5^th year elective.

Course Structure at Bristol Medical School

Year 1 at Bristol Medical School

Health and wellbeing from lots of perspectives. Learning about how a healthy human functions. Foundations of medicine in first term, including effective consulting, basic life support training and personal and professional development. Second term, we learn using CBL, focusing on a system every 2 weeks. There is a student choice project and a health care assistantship.

Year 2 at Bristol Medical School

Disease and therapeutics. Learning about disease processes and simpler diagnoses. The year starts with a 3-week placement, then a systems based CBL block. The rest of the year focuses on symptom-based medicine in the form of CBL. There is regular patient contact in 2^nd year, where you will learn how to take a patient history.

Year 3 at Bristol Medical School

Based in clinical academies and primary care. Learn and explore how the NHS functions and how conditions are managed. Deepen your understanding of clinical conditions, investigations and treatments. Most of your learning will take place in hospital and primary care settings, consisting of 2 16-week clinical placements.

Year 4 at Bristol Medical School

Based in clinical academies and primary care. 2 18-week clinical placements. Longitudinal clerkships that provide a feeling of continuity of patient care. Birth to old age. Includes reproductive health, care of a newborn, child health, mental health care, complex medicine in older people, end of life care and life limiting illness.

Year 5 at Bristol Medical School

Working alongside clinical teams, learn to administer life saving care, adopt a decision-making mindset, and be supported to make these decisions. An 8-week elective, 3 9-week student assistantships in acute and critical care, primary and community care and ward based care. Build on the helical themes carried through years 1-4.

Teaching Style at Bristol Medical School

What is the general teaching style at Bristol? E.g. is it PBL/Traditional? etc.

The teaching style is CBL, in the first year after foundations of medicine we focus on a system every fortnight.

Does Bristol offer dissection?

We do prossection every week in the first term. Prossection consists of specimens that are already dissected for you. They are great to learn from because they have been professionally dissected to clearly show the structures. We also have regular spot tests which help develop your ability to recognise and identify structures.

Does Bristol offer a BSc? If so, how is the BSc year?

There is a chance to intercalate in a BSc or an MSc after 3rd. You can choose from a range of degrees. At Bristol some examples include, biochemistry, cancer biology and immunology, health sciences research, medical humanities, childhood studies, epidemiology, global health and social policy. You can also choose to intercalate at other UK universities.

What is the pre-clinical / clinical split like? Do you get early clinical exposure?

The degree is integrated. Very early clinical exposure. We have Gp placement fortnightly in the first term, where we get to meet patients in the practise and on home visits. There are also hospital placements in the second term. We do a healthcare assistantship in first year based in a hospital.

Social Life at Bristol Medical School

What are the clubs and societies like?

The su has great societies ranging from every sport you can think of to different arts, academic subjects and religious and cultural societies.

Bristol is also home to Galenicals which is our medical society, it is the biggest society at Bristol, they have very fun nights out, formals, sports, academic related events and medic families which are great! Galenicals also has sub societies such as scrubs (surgical society), pediatrics, wilderness medicine and cardiothoracic society just to name a few.

What is the social life like?

The social scene in Bristol is pretty great. There is a huge range of pubs and clubs and some lovely cafes spread around the city which are great to work in. Everyone is super friendly and being a medic is very social as you work with lots of different people all the time.

FAQs