Studying at Leicester Medical School
Overview
The University of Leicester has been training medical professionals for the past 40 years. The curriculum takes patient-centered approach with the integration of clinical attachments very early, from year 1. Leicester Medical School are keen to incorporate the latests and most modern technology into teaching, and generously provide all students with iPads to facilitate this. The facilities are modern, with a recent £42 million investment to create the most up-to-date learning environment. Leicester are one of the only medical schools to still provide the opportunity to perform full-body dissections, with fully-equipped and recently renovated dissecting rooms.
Table of Contents
ToggleLeicester place equal emphasis on UCAT score and previous academic experience (such as GCSE performance or degree classification when selecting applicants to interview. Therefore it makes an ideal choice for candidates with a strong academic background as well as good UCAT performance. It’s also possible for an exceptional UCAT score to compensate for lower academic history, and vice versa, so it could also be a good choice for candidates who are extremely strong in either of these aspects.
Read our UCAT guide for more information on What is UCAT.
Key Points
- UCAT
- Integrated Course
- Optional Intercalation
Insider’s Guide to Leicester Medical School from Zarva, Leicester Medical Student
What makes Leicester unique to other medical schools?
Leicester has a dissection room which is used the most in first year. Prior to the dissection day students are provided with some pre-reading on the topic being taught. They get provided with a workbook which has all the notes. Then they go through the information through lectures, apply that knowledge in group work and proceed to dissect that part of the body on cadavers. By the end of the day students have consolidated the same information in 4 different ways which really strengthens their understanding of anatomy.
Additionally, Leicester really recognizes the emotional challenges that come with being a medical student. They have included ‘Health Enhancement Programme’ in their course that teaches students research supported ways to manage your mental health and encourages practice of healthy habits like meditation. Equally, they allow students to choose your clinical partners in clinical years which makes outblock placements really fun and less stressful since they have their support system there in times of difficulties.
Course Structure at Leicester Medical School
Year 1 at Leicester Medical School
The first year focus on strengthening your microbiology, genetics, pharmacological and general human body knowledge. There will also be some system specific modules such as cardiovascular system, musculoskeletal system and endocrinology which really form the basis of student’s knowledge when moving into second year. Additionally, as the student progresses through the year, they are taught key history taking and clinical skills through fortnightly sessions. Importance of maintaining a healthy body and mind is emphasized through practical teaching on meditation and by engaging in activities for stress management.
Year 2 at Leicester Medical School
The second year focuses on key systems of the body such as:
Head and Neck, Respiratory System, Gastrointestinal system, Reproductive System and the Urinary System.
The next semester focuses on Pharmacology, Neurology and Immunology. These semesters are taught extremely well, the professors keep the content interesting, allowing students to really consolidate and apply their knowledge through group work cases. Semester three is expected to be the most content heavy semester but the support provided by the medical school in terms of resources and good quality teaching really makes it manageable. For first and second year, after each semester there are summative exams which allow your knowledge to be tested. The exams are cumulative so the content being tested increases overtime allowing the students to really consolidate knowledge as they progress.
Year 3 at Leicester Medical School
The first clinical year focuses on Medicine, Surgery and GP block of 12 weeks each. And there is student selected component (SSC) at the end of the year which allows students to choose which specialty and location they would like to spend their 3 week placement at. Some of the outblock locations students can be sent to include: Kettering, Northampton, Burton and Peterborough. For the GP block these locations can expand out to Corby and Loughborough. All accommodation is provided for free on outblock. The accommodations are usually hospital accommodations, thus are quite well kept and comfortable for living.
Year 4 at Leicester Medical School
For the second clinical year, clinical placements occur in specialist areas of healthcare such as paediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, older person’s health care, cancer care, special senses (neurology, dermatology, ophthalmology, ENT) and psychiatry. The length of these blocks is seven weeks and the locations are similar to third year with the addition of Bedford, Lincoln and Grantham.
Year 5 at Leicester Medical School
There is a foundation doctor assistantship organized that helps to prepare the student for being a good foundation doctor. The placements are expected to be in areas of medicine, A&E, surgery and general practice. The year ends with finals and elective.
Teaching Style at Leicester Medical School
What is the general teaching style at Leicester? E.g. is it PBL/Traditional? etc.
Leicester is known for integration of both traditional and some PBL styled teaching. The lectures in first year are delivered between 9am to 1pm. These lectures are delivered by professors, clinicians and clinical teaching fellows. Following the lectures, there are group work sessions which are tailored to answer many questions testing students’ understanding of the content of the lecture. Although, answers to the questions are not specifically provided, the clinical teaching fellows (CTFs) are allocated to each group room of 4 groups. These CTFs guide the students through the cases and answer any questions the students may have.
Does Leicester offer dissection?
Yes, as mentioned above Leicester openly integrates dissection into their curriculum. This begins from the first semester and gets incorporated more frequently in the second semester. Additionally, Leicester tests students on this anatomy knowledge through dissection exams such as Integrated Understanding Assessment (IUA) and Integrated Understanding Practical Assessment (IUPA). IUA is a formative dissection exam which involves identify key structures on prosections and writing your answers on the answer sheet under exam conditions. IUPA is a summative exam at the end of second year which is similar to IUA but requires answering those questions verbally to the examiner assigned to the specific station.
Does Leicester offer a BSc? If so, how is the BSc year?
Leicester does offer a BSc, there are many different courses such as Psychology and biomedical science. There are also opportunities to do a MSc in clinical education, healthcare and management and quality and safety in healthcare.
What is the pre-clinical / clinical split like? Do you get early clinical exposure?
In first year, there will be a 2-week clinical experience at the end of the year to help students consolidate some of their learning. Additionally, there is a compassionate caring holistic diagnostic detective (CHDD) module which allows students to engage in online patients’ knows best service where you get to practice history taking and social prescribing on a real patient through an online GP service. In the second year there are about 3 bedside clinical teaching on your examinations per semester. As part of the CHDD programme you have fortnightly sessions led by a GP where you practice your history taking and examination skills.
Social Life at Leicester Medical School
What are the clubs and societies like?
Leicester medical school have their own main society called LUSUMA which includes a massive variety of different societies. These include sports societies, personal interest societies such as (SpaceMed) and specific specialty societies which aid you further through peer mentoring revision schemes and revision lectures.
What is the social life like?
The city center of Leicester is filled with exciting activities such as places for bowling, arcade games, mini golf, table tennis and ninja warriors. The city is filled with diverse food places that are at a reasonable price for students. The night life is always great as it is always organized by LUSUMA in consideration of exams.
FAQs
Leicester Medical School requires a minimum of AAA at A-level or equivalent qualifications. In addition, candidates must have a good understanding of science and healthcare, as well as relevant work experience and a strong personal statement.
Leicester Medical School is a highly competitive institution, and admission is based on a range of factors, including academic achievements, work experience, and personal qualities. While there is no set number of applicants accepted each year, the school receives a large number of high-quality applications from students with excellent academic records and a passion for healthcare. As such, getting into Leicester Medical School can be very challenging, and candidates will need to work hard to meet the admission requirements and stand out from other applicants. However, with dedication, hard work, and a strong application, it is possible to gain admission to this prestigious institution.
Leicester Medical School is highly regarded for its teaching and research excellence, and is consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the UK. It has a strong focus on student-centered learning and provides students with excellent opportunities for hands-on clinical experience.
The curriculum at Leicester Medical School is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in basic and clinical sciences. Students will learn about a range of topics, including anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology. They will also have opportunities to gain hands-on clinical experience through placements in hospitals and community settings.
Yes, Leicester Medical School has a strong research culture and provides opportunities for students to get involved in research projects throughout their program. There are also opportunities for students to undertake intercalated research degrees between years 3 and 4 of their program.
Frequently Asked Question
→What are the admission requirements for Leicester Medical School?
Leicester Medical School requires a minimum of AAA at A-level or equivalent qualifications. In addition, candidates must have a good understanding of science and healthcare, as well as relevant work experience and a strong personal statement.
→How does Leicester Medical School compare to other medical schools in the UK?
Leicester Medical School is highly regarded for its teaching and research excellence, and is consistently ranked among the top medical schools in the UK. It has a strong focus on student-centered learning and provides students with excellent opportunities for hands-on clinical experience.
→What is the curriculum like at Leicester Medical School?
The curriculum at Leicester Medical School is designed to provide students with a strong foundation in basic and clinical sciences. Students will learn about a range of topics, including anatomy, pharmacology, and pathology. They will also have opportunities to gain hands-on clinical experience through placements in hospitals and community settings.
→Are there opportunities for research at Leicester Medical School?
Yes, Leicester Medical School has a strong research culture and provides opportunities for students to get involved in research projects throughout their program. There are also opportunities for students to undertake intercalated research degrees between years 3 and 4 of their program.
→How hard is it to get into Leicester Medical School?
Leicester Medical School is a highly competitive institution, and admission is based on a range of factors, including academic achievements, work experience, and personal qualities. While there is no set number of applicants accepted each year, the school receives a large number of high-quality applications from students with excellent academic records and a passion for healthcare. As such, getting into Leicester Medical School can be very challenging, and candidates will need to work hard to meet the admission requirements and stand out from other applicants. However, with dedication, hard work, and a strong application, it is possible to gain admission to this prestigious institution.
About the university
Key Information | |
Website | Website |
[email protected] | |
Phone number | 0116 252 2969 |
Course Information | |
Teaching style | Integrated Patient-focused from the very beginning, with clinical attachments in each year of studies, starting with Year 1. All students are provided with iPads to help annotate lecture notes and group work. |
Course length | 5 years |
Courses offered | 2 courses offered: A100 Standard-Entry Medicine - 5 years A199 Medicine with Foundation Year - 6 years |
Graduate entry | No |
Foundation or access | Yes |
University Life | |
Local area | Leicester The city of Leicester is a lively, culturally diverse student city with a huge variety of bars and clubs offering student nights and discounts. The campus is located close to the city centre. The campus is relatively compact, but still close enough to the city centre that everything you need is in easy walking distance. |
Social life | The Student's Union is at the centre of the campus, acting as the social hub of the university, providing space to meet, eat and relax, and hosting the UK's only on-campus O2 Academy for great nights out. The 'SU' is also home to over 200 students clubs and societies covering sports, performance, media, cultures and faiths, politics and campaigning - plus societies for every academic subject. |
Interview | |
Interview style | MMI 8 stations |
Interview dates | Dec-Feb |
Admissions Tests | |
UCAT | UCAT Required You academic score (out of 32) will be combined with your UCAT score (also converted to a score out of 32) to make a total application score of 64. This total score will be used to decide which candidates to invite to interview. Applicants who have scored a band 4 in SJT will not be invited to interview. |
GAMSAT | N/A |
Academic Requirements | |
GCSE | GCSEs are scored for interview shortlisting We do not specify a minimum number of A* or 8/9 grades at GCSE. However, we do take GCSE performance into consideration when selecting applicants for interview, as competition for our places is so intense. |
A-level | AAA We require school leavers to have predicted or obtained grades of A*AA at A-level, in three subjects including Chemistry or Biology and one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology, but excluding General Studies, Citizenship Studies, Critical Thinking or Global Perspectives. We will also consider AAA (as per subjects above) plus EPQ at grade B. |
Scottish Advanced/Highers | AAB Applicants must have achieved at least a grade B or 6 in English Language (as a first language), Maths, and two sciences (including Chemistry and Biology or Double Science). For students taking Methods and Applications in Maths our minimum requirement is a Grade B or 6 in both, but we will only score the Methods in Maths. |
IB | 34 points We also accept the International Baccalaureate (IB) with a minimum score of 34 points overall, and a minimum score of 7,6,6 in three Higher Level subjects including Chemistry or Biology, and one of Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths or Psychology. The 7 would need to be in one of the sciences as mentioned above. We will also consider candidates with an overall score of 36 and 6,6,6 in their three Higher Level subjects including two sciences as mentioned above. |
Bachelor's Degree (Gradutes Only) | 2:1 Honours degree Applicants must have achieved or be predicted a minimum of an upper second-class honours (or equivalent) in their Bachelor's or integrated Master's degree in order to be considered. We will consider graduate applicants from any discipline, provided the applicant meets our minimum GCSE requirements and has BBB or ABC at A-level including a B grade in either Chemistry or Biology. Applicants must have completed, or be in the final year of their degree when they apply. We will not consider a second undergraduate degree, Masters or PhD in lieu of obtaining 2:1 or 1st class honours in your first degree. Graduates in their final year who do not provide a suitable academic reference from their current institution will not be considered. |
Statistics | |
Number of applicants per interview | Home: 1.3, International: 3.3 |
Number of applicants per place | Home: 6.8, International: 29.8 |
AnonymousMedic Mind Tutor
16 January 2024
What if you pass all the above criteria except you get a grade 5 in chemistry in gcse (I got grade 6 for physics and biology) but A* in chemistry for A- Level. Would that be an issue?