University of Oxford

Overview

The University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Notable alumni include two British Kings and 17 winners of the Nobel Prize for Medicine – maybe you could be next! The course offered at Oxford takes a traditional approach with distinct pre-clinical and clinical phases, allowing students to fully understand and explore the scientific theory underlying clinical practice before they stepping foot onto hospital wards. Oxford, like Cambridge, is a collegiate university so students will additionally benefit to membership to one of the 39 colleges. Your college will provide accommodation and other facilities including dining halls, study rooms and libraries. Studying at Oxford is a unique experience based on tradition and the traditional experiences.

Oxford attracts the strongest applicants from across the globe. With a strong emphasis on academics and BMAT score, Oxford is an ideal choice for very strong all-round applicants keen to experience a traditional Oxbridge education.

Key Points

• BMAT
• Traditional Course
• Compulsory Intercalation
• Oxbridge

Insider’s Guide to Oxford Medical School from Antoni, Oxford Medical Student

What makes Oxford unique to other medical schools?

Oxford is unique in its very particular style of teaching, most notably the tutorial system. Tutorials are small group teaching sessions (usually no more than 2-5 people with a tutor), which are a chance to solidify your understanding of the lectures and also explore beyond them. Tutorials can be incredible because you might even find yourself one on one with a world expert in a topic, and there have been several times where I’ve had my mind blow. But they are also a lot of work, especially when you have a lot of essays set for these tutorials. The essays can form the majority of your weekly workload, so this really is a big difference from other medical schools that only set very occasional essays. While these essays are rarely fun, they do teach you how to search literature, improve your prose, and ultimately they force you to revise content.

Course Structure at Oxford Medical School

Year 1 at Oxford Medical School

Biochemistry, anatomy, physiology & pharmacology, and medical sociology. There is almost no clinical exposure, except a few GP sessions.

Year 2 at Oxford Medical School

Pathology, neuroscience, applied physiology & pharmacology, and psychology. Again, there is almost no clinical exposure, except a few GP sessions.

Year 3 at Oxford Medical School

Final honour schools year: 8 week lab project, 3000 word extended essay and option choices (e.g. cellular neuro). Also learn about statistics and critical reading of papers.

Year 4 at Oxford Medical School

The first clinical year including a mix of clinical placements and experiences: Basics of clinical medicine and interaction with patients, short GP attachment, lab medicine, surgery, special study modules (wide variety of options to choose from).

Year 5 at Oxford Medical School

Specialist rotations, including: neuroscience & related specialties, community medicine, orthopaedics, rheumatology, emergency medicine, paediatrics and women’s health.

Year 6 at Oxford Medical School

Final year includes both general clinical studies (medicine, surgery and clinical options) and vocational skills preparing you for becoming a doctor (including 10 week elective).

Teaching Style at Oxford Medical School

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

Traditional in the sense that it is very lecture-based with little PBL or CBL. However, tutorials often offer an experience similar to PBL alongside your main studies, so you are exposed to a mix of teaching. There are also small-group seminars.

Does Oxford offer dissection?

No, it is predominantly prosection. In my experience, this has made teaching much more efficient and the prosections tend to be more expertly cut than any dissection I reckon I could manage.

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

After the three pre-clinical years at Oxford, you receive a BA in medical sciences. Third year is a fantastic chance to get a taste of research in a lab and really feel part of the team. Some students decide that they would like to pursue a PhD following their third year, which is useful if you decide on a career in research. The year also teaches you to look at papers more critically, and occasionally you may even get your name on a paper too!

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

The pre-clinical / clinical split is very marked at Oxford. The first two years are pre-clinical with only a few GP sessions, while the last three years are largely clinical. You are unlikely to step into a hospital until fourth year.

Social Life at Oxford Medical School

What are the clubs and societies like?

The university has a fantastic range of clubs and societies, with many sports and activities pitched at both pros and beginners. However, what makes Oxford unique is the existence of college teams, which allow you to represent your college in various sporting and non-sporting activities on a casual basis with less commitment, which can be great fun. The MedSoc also has teams, but these are not as popular.

What is the social life like?

Oxford can cater to a range of social lives. There are clubs and plenty of pubs, but the colleges also offer a quieter place to hang out and you have the chance to meet people from lots of different subjects within your college.

FAQs