Studying medicine at university

Unlike most undergraduate degrees, medicine takes longer to complete, so it is important to consider what studying this subject is like before making the commitment.

There are lots of different elements that make up teaching and learning on a medical degree, and every medical school has a style unique to itself. This article offers an example of how medicine is taught at Queen Mary University of London.

In your first year, you will expand on the basic biology you learned in school to look more deeply into the normal physiological processes of the human body. As the year progresses, you will traverse through the different systems that align to ensure the functioning of our bodies.

To facilitate this, there will be around 10 lectures each week, accompanied by problem-based learning sessions, anatomy and physiology practicals, and clinical skills teaching. You will attend a whole day of GP placement every fortnight, giving you the amazing opportunity to have patient contact from the very beginning of your medical school journey.

In your second year, you will move on to looking at what the body looks like when it is malfunctioning. The teaching methods are much the same as in the first year, and the same roadmap of systems is followed.

From your third year onwards, you will spend most of the academic year on hospital placements. On placements, there is a list of tasks to complete that ensures you develop the skills a doctor requires. Each placement lasts 5 to 8 weeks and focuses on a different specialty.

In your fourth year, you will have contact with more vulnerable patients. In your final year, you will undertake Assistantships, designed to familiarise you with tasks that Foundation Doctors are expected to complete. At every placement, there’s a list of tasks to complete that ensures you develop the skills a doctor requires.

Every student finds medicine difficult to adjust to at first. It’s important to realise you aren’t the only person in this situation. Understanding this, and turning to your peers for support, will allow you to progress much faster. The journey of medicine is long and hard, but there is no better way to make lifelong friends than on an extended road trip.

Furthermore, those who teach on your course will be happy to provide support. They teach because they are passionate about fostering the next generation of doctors. There is also a range of other academic, welfare, and financial support on offer at medical schools.

Medicine isn't all hard work. It’s important to destress. There are lots of ways you can do this with sports, cultural societies, volunteering opportunities, and clinical specialties. Lots of students also work part-time, either at the university or outside. This helps with living costs, whilst giving you new opportunities and experiences.

Finally, it is incredibly rewarding to know that the skills and knowledge you gain as a medical student will enable you to make a difference in the future.