The Course

Students spend three years at Oxford in preclinical study. They then move to one of three national clinical schools for a further three years of training. About 50% of Oxford preclinical students enter the Oxford clinical school, which is based at the John Radcliffe Hospital, while the others enter clinical school in Cambridge or London. Students studying pre-clinically at Oxford and Cambridge compete for entry into their chosen clinical school, although there are sufficient clinical places to accommodate all students. The pre-clinical course at Oxford requires that students study not only for their pre-clinical qualification (1st BM), but also read for an Honours Degree in Medicine. The first five terms of pre-clinical study lead to the 1st BM which is the national qualification required for entry into clinical school. The remaining four terms are spent studying for the Medicine (BA) degree.

The Honours course in Medicine enables a the student to choose various aspects of medical science for study in greater depth. Options are offered in a wide range of research areas, including cardiovascular & respiratory science, neuroscience, infection & immunity, molecular medicine, and signalling in health & disease. A student chooses one of these options for study. In addition, a student undertakes either a laboratory-based or a library-based research project supervised by one of the senior research staff in the medical sciences division of the University. The aim of the Honours course is to provide a student with a more complete background to the science of medicine than can be achieved during the 1st BM course.

Professor Vaughan-Jones oversees the preclinical course at Exeter College. His research interests include intracellular pH and Ca2+ signalling and their effects on cardiac function in health and disease, and their role in the development of cancer. Professor Vaughan- Jones is Joint Director of the Burdon Sanderson Cardiac Science Centre in Oxford. Professor Hugh Watkins is the British Heart Foundation Field Alexander Professor. He is head of the Department of Cardiovascular Medicine. His research interests include the molecular genetics and molecular biology of heart muscle disease. Dr James Kennedy is a University Lecturer in Geratology and Stroke Medicine and Honorary Consultant Physician with research interests in imaging and clinical trials in stroke. Dr Farmer is a University Lecturer in General Practice with research interests in the clinical management of diabetes and vascular diseases.

Careers

The combination of the 1st BM and the Honours Degree course means that medical students are able to pursue a wide variety of careers in the medical field. The Final Honours course provides an excellent training ground for those students who may wish, at some stage, to undertake medical research and/or read for a further research degree.

Admission

The College admits six students each year to read Medicine. Applicants for Medicine at Oxford are required to achieve 3 A grades at A-level (excepting General Studies). One of the grades must be in Chemistry, and at least one other from among Biology, Mathematics and Physics. Candidates not offering Physics or Biology at A- or AS-level must either have that subject or dual-award science at GCSE. Candidates not offering Mathematics at A- or AS-level must have Mathematics at GCSE.