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Attendance

Campus

Start

Book an autumn Open Day

Duration

5 years

Start

September 2025

UCAS Code

A100

Delivery

In-person

Foundation year available

Our degree in medicine (MBBS) will train you to become a professional, compassionate doctor. Offering an innovative approach to medical education, we focus on early patient contact. You'll see patients in clinical settings from the very first year.

Start your journey to becoming a doctor in the UK with our outstanding teaching in state-of-the-art facilities. We have created a welcoming, multicultural environment. Our MBBS programme places considerable emphasis on developing your expertise in a whole range of practical areas, including clinical, communication, observation, teamwork and leadership skills.

You’ll spend Years 1 and 2 largely on campus in Preston. In Years 3, 4 and 5 you will study at either the Burnley or Westlakes campus. You'll also undertake clinical placements in a wide variety of locations preparing you for a career as a qualified doctor. As part of the course assessments you will undertake both components of the Medical Licensing Assessment, so will graduate with this completed.

This course is open to international (non-UK) students and UK students. In line with our aim to create a representative workforce, we will apply a weighting to applicants who meet our widening participation criteria.

To help you with your medicine application we have created an applicant guide. If you don't meet the entry requirements for the MBBS, you may wish to consider a foundation year:

Why study with us

8th
in the UK for academic support
National Student Survey (Medicine (non-specific) (compared with unis in the Guardian University Guide)
2023

The programme is recognised by the General Medical Council (GMC) on its list of bodies able to award UK primary medical qualifications.
Patient interaction from Year 1 in diverse urban and rural clinical placements.
You will study a spiral curriculum which enables you to deepen your knowledge and understanding throughout the course.

Important information

Applications for September 2025 are now closed for UK students.

Interested?

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What you’ll experience

Our on-campus clinical skills laboratories have a vast range of equipment to help develop clinical skills in realistic hospital, home and GP surgery environments.
You’ll benefit from a mixture of work-based learning and clinical placements throughout your five years.
Enjoy multi-professional learning and train alongside students on other health courses, developing the key skills required to work in a healthcare team.

Slide 1 of 8

MBBS student, Saba Tasleem tells us why she moved from Canada to study Medicine in the UK

Slide 1 of 8

MBBS students working in our clinical skills suite

Modules

The aim of this module is to build the attributes and behaviours which are expected of a safe and effective clinician and demonstrate the concept of professional practice within the healthcare team. It will develop your initial skills to communicate effectively with patients, carers and healthcare professionals and guide you to demonstrate initial competence in the practical procedures and clinical skills required of trainees.

Module code: UM1030

This module builds on previous learning to further develop your knowledge of social science, statistics, and humanities-based approaches to health, illness and medicine. It enhances your biomedical and clinical training, focusing on professional knowledge and key skills in application and analysis. The module also looks at evidence-based healthcare and research to inform treatment and promote health.

Module code: UM2021

The third year of the EIPOM will continue to reinforce concepts of evidence-based healthcare and the use of research to inform the treatment of illness and promote health within society. This will occur in the context of work-based placements in a range of settings. This allows you to refine your evidence-based medicine skills within a clinical setting and apply your knowledge of social science to inform your practice of medicine.

Module code: UM3020

This module will enable you to develop the attributes and behaviours expected of a safe and effective doctor. You'll explore the concept of professional practice within the healthcare team and learn how to communicate effectively with patients, carers and healthcare professionals. You'll also demonstrate competence in the practical procedures and clinical skills required of a doctor in training.

Module code: UM3030

The fourth year of the EIPOM theme will continue to reinforce concepts of evidence based healthcare. Here you'll use research to inform the treatment of illness and to promote health within society. This will occur within the context of work-based placements in a range of settings. This will allow you to refine your evidence based medicine skills within a clinical setting. Apply your knowledge of the social science disciplines to inform your practice of medicine.

Module code: UM4020

Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of our published course information. However, our programmes are subject to ongoing review and development. Changing circumstances may cause alteration to, or the cancellation of, courses. Changes may be necessary to comply with the requirements of accrediting bodies or revisions to subject benchmarks statements. As well as to keep courses updated and contemporary, or as a result of student feedback. We reserve the right to make variations if we consider such action to be necessary or in the best interests of students.

Slide 1 of 1

What I like the most about studying medicine at UCLan is that, unlike many medical schools, we have patient contact early to practise our clinical and communication skills.

Hasaan Aziz

Medicine (MBBS Bachelor of Medicine & Bachelor of Surgery)
Canada

Slides 1 to 2 of 6

image overlay — Simulated Hospital Environment

simulation-suite — Simulated Hospital Environment

23828-medical-ultrasound — Clinical Skills Suite (Harrington Building)

Academic expertise

Dr Robert Sims

Senior Lecturer

Dr Jenny MacDowall

Director of Clinical Studies for the MBBS Programme

Dr Geraldine O'Connor

Principal Lecturer

Dr Alison Overend

Phase 2 Tutor

Clinical placements and opportunities

Work-based learning is incorporated in the programme from Year 1 and will be in a variety of settings.

You’ll undertake one placement in a GP practice and one in community clinics in Year 1. There are a further 12 days of clinical placements in Year 2 to prepare you for Year 3.

The majority of learning in Years 3, 4 and 5 will be work-based learning undertaking supervised clinical placements at our partner clinical providers in both primary and secondary care. Examples include East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, GP practices in the North West, Blackpool Teaching Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, University Hospitals of Morecambe Bay NHS Foundation Trust and others. At the end of Year 5 you will have the opportunity to develop your research skills throughout the programme by undertaking student selected components in each year.

Careers in medicine and surgery

Successful completion of the course will enable you to meet core requirements as a junior doctor and allow you to apply for provisional registration with the General Medical Council. Find out more about how to become a doctor.

There are multiple options available upon graduation from the MBBS programme. All graduates are eligible to apply to the UK Foundation Programme. Entry onto this programme requires an applicant to have the right to work in the UK and involves a competitive process with other UK and EU graduates. Places on this programme are not guaranteed for every UK graduate.

There are also a number of postgraduate training routes available to our MBBS graduates and our Transitions Lead will work with you on a prospective and proactive basis, from early in training, to facilitate onward working across the globe. If you have a country-specific enquiry regarding postgraduate training and working after the MBBS programme please contact us.

There may be some issues if you wish to work in Singapore or Malaysia after graduation. Please contact us prior to application for further information.

MBBS entry requirements

Our degree in medicine (MBBS) will train you to become a professional, compassionate doctor. Offering an innovative approach to medical education, we focus on early patient contact - you’ll see patients from the very first year in both community and hospital settings.

UK entry requirements

Please note we only have a very limited number of places available for UK students.

This course will be open nationally for 2025 entry.
UCAS 2025 entry: AAA at A2 with at least two science subjects including Chemistry. All A-Levels must be taken in one sitting
GCSE Maths and English at Grade B/5
Honours degree in Science or Health Degree at Grade 2:1
All UK applicants are required to sit the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT). Your UCAT score will be used as part of the selection process prior for interview.
A satisfactory Criminal records declaration (DBS/Disclosure Scotland) Occupational Health clearance are required for this course

Eligible applicants will be asked to attend an interview. Interviews will be held on weekdays from 2 December 2024 to 13 December 2024. There will be a short window between interview bookings being open and the dates when the interviews are being held. No other interview dates will be offered.

We welcome applications from applicants that meet our widening participation criteria. Contextual admissions takes account of additional information about an applicant’s background that might have impacted their education.

Upon receipt of your application, some applicants will be asked to complete a transferable skills statement. Guidance on how to complete the form is available.

International entry requirements

This course requires 144 UCAS Tariff points unless stated, these points are calculated from your qualification grades.
International Baccalaureate: Diploma 36 points overall and 144 UCAS tariff points achieved from Chemistry and another science subject at Higher Level H6, plus one other at H6.
Plus, evidence of sustained academic achievement with a broad study of Science, English and Maths up to 16.
IELTS 7.0 in all components (or equivalent). View our English language entry requirements page for more information.

To view more specific entry requirements for your country, please see the international entry requirements webpage.

DBS check

This course will involve you working with vulnerable groups of individuals, including children. In order to ensure that the University offers places on their programmes to suitable candidates you will all be required to obtain a satisfactory Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service clearance (formerly termed CRB). This will be arranged by us. For international students, an in-country police check is also required.

We will be able to guide you through this process once you have been offered a conditional place of study at the University of Central Lancashire.

It is important to note that should your Enhanced Disclosure and Barring Service (DBS) check prove to be unsatisfactory for the purpose of the course you have applied to, your offer of a place for that course may be withdrawn. If you have already enrolled on a course and your DBS check subsequently discloses a criminal conviction, you may be required to withdraw from the course even if you have already started. If you are aware that your DBS check will disclose a previous conviction, please contact the course leader for advice as not all convictions may preclude you from continuing with the course.

Need help with your application?

Visit our helpful applicant guide

Fees and funding

2025/26

Full-time£9,250 per year

International

Full-time£49,000 per year

Scholarships and bursaries

We have a wide range of bursaries, scholarships and funds available to help support you whilst studying with us.

Select your country to see eligibility information and how to apply by selecting more info on the cards below.

Select your country/region

MBBS scholarships
The University of Central Lancashire, East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust are offering MBBS scholarships for UK students from the North West of England, particularly from backgrounds that are under-represented at university.
Find out more about MBBS scholarships
Care Leaver Bursary
Our Care Leaver Bursary is for students who need extra support because they have been in care or are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Care Leaver Bursary
Estranged student support
Estranged Student Support Bursary is for students who need extra support because they are estranged from their parents.
Find out more about Estranged student support
Dependants Bursary
Students with financially dependent children may be eligible for our Dependants Bursary as part of our financial support package. 
Find out more about Dependants Bursary

Deposit payment

If you're an international student and you're successful in receiving an offer (conditional or unconditional) to study the MBBS programme at UCLan, a deposit of £15,000 will be required.

The interview stage will take place between January and June. This usually consists of a multi-station mini interviews (Multiple Mini Interviews or MMIs). For interviews taking place at our Preston Campus, you will also have the opportunity to take a guided tour of the School facilities.

We will also have interview dates available in Dubai in December, with additional dates to be confirmed to take place in Botswana, Delhi, Kuala Lumpur, and Toronto. Dates for each location are yet to be confirmed. Please check back here for updates.

There is an emphasis on basic medical sciences, communication and clinical skills to help you develop skills in evaluating clinical and scientific evidence. Throughout the programme, you will benefit from a range of learning strategies, such as small group tutorials, seminars, laboratory-based teaching sessions, workshops and clinical placements in primary and secondary care.

During Years 1 and 2, you will be taught by expert practitioners in our state-of-the-art clinical skills laboratories based at the Preston Campus. In both years you will have community and General Practice placements and you will also have a secondary care placement during Year 2.

The multi-professional environment provides shared learning opportunities as professionals in training learn together. An example of this is seen in Years 1 and 2 of the MBBS and MPAS courses where students will share many classes that are important to healthcare professionals in training.

Relocating to our other campuses from Year 3 onwards

For Years 3, 4 and 5 you will need to relocate from our Preston Campus. Instead you will be based close to one of our other UK-based campuses in Burnley (East Lancashire) or Westlakes (Cumbria) and attend placements in the surrounding area. Whilst we try to take your preference into consideration, your destination may be allocated by the School.

In Years 3 and 4, you will complete supervised clinical placements in one of our clinical education partners including; East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and GP practices across Lancashire and Cumbria, North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust, North West Boroughs Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust and others. You will also spend one day per week either at the University’s Burnley or Westlakes Campus for additional teaching.

After Year 4, high performing students may be offered the opportunity to take an additional year and gain a master’s degree. Additionally, many students will also produce publications and have the opportunity to present their research work at national or international conferences.

Year 5 is dedicated to providing you with the opportunity to develop your early professional practice, through a rotation of three six week apprenticeships and a Student Assistantship. These are designed to encourage independent working with close supervision from departmental mentors and an assigned clinical supervisor.

The pattern of assessment is a combination of continuous formative assessment and regular examinations throughout the programme. Continuous assessment provides you with regular opportunities to consolidate your learning. You can monitor your progress with your tutor and identify, at an early stage, where there may be a need for additional help with your studies.

Continuous assessment will include:

ePortfolio: an electronic reflective tool
Formative assessment: at the end of the first semester and informally throughout the year
End-of-year examinations: including computer based knowledge exams and objective structured clinical exams (OSCEs) and oral and poster presentations
Professionalism: assessed throughout the course in a variety of formative and summative way.

There are three themes which run throughout the five-year MBBS programme:

Integrated Science and Clinical Medicine (ISCM) – the scientific concepts that underpin biology, health and disease in relation to the practice of medicine. In Years 3 and 4, ISCM becomes Medicine in Clinical Practice (MICP) which integrates patient care and science through study in the clinical setting.
Evidence Informed Practice of Medicine (EIPOM) – factors of health and wellbeing at community and population levels. You will learn about key concepts from epidemiology, public health, the sociology and psychology of health and illness and evidence-based practice.
Medical Skills and Quality Care (MSQC) – develop the clinical and communication skills needed by a medical doctor, practising skills in a laboratory setting and with patients.

The University has a long history of encouraging participation in higher education by recognising those who are academically capable, but whose participation in HE has been disadvantaged or have not been encouraged to consider this option. This is reflected in our Access Agreement.

It is also our strategy to support regional medical workforce recruitment and sustainability by training local students who are committed to studying and working in the region. The School also aims to widen the demographic profile of the medical student body, encouraging those traditionally less likely to enter into medicine and help develop a workforce which better reflects the local population which it serves.

This degree will deliver graduates with a UK primary medical qualification who are to take on the roles and responsibilities of a medical doctor entering into foundation postgraduate training or international equivalent, as required by the GMC.

Dress code

The undertaking of clinical placements is mandatory on this MBBS programme. For the purposes of both student and patient safety the School operates a dress code policy which is in line with the NHS dress code policy and also allows for specific hazards such as laboratory settings.

Application guide

To help you with your medicine application queries we have created an applicant guide for MBBS.

Frequently asked questions

For international students, there are 10 Excellence Scholarships available to provide a reduction in international fees per year. These are awarded to the based on MMI (Multiple Mini Interviews) scores.

For UK students we offer a number of MBBS scholarships. This includes two Livesey Scholarships, covering all tuition for the duration of the programme. This is open to students who have successfully completed our Scholars programme. In addition, the Dr Kate Granger and MacKenzie Scholarships also cover all tuition fees for the duration of the programme. These are open to successful applicants from West Cumbria and East Lancashire respectively.

Medicine is a varied course and there is no ‘typical’ week. In the early years, you will have a busy on-campus schedule with large group lecturers, tutorials, clinical skills and anatomy workshops and small group communication skills sessions. You will also spend some time in clinical placements across a broad range of settings including primary care, secondary care, and community placements. In the later years, you will spend increasing amounts of time in the clinical environment, rotating through a range of specialities, with time allocated to campus teaching and self-directed learning.

In addition to this, within the School and University there are a wide range of extracurricular activities. There is a robust and varied offering of medical societies in addition to the wider university societies. These offer opportunities to attend talks from medical specialists, participate in workshops (for example, medial research, suturing workshops), organise and host social events, and provide peer mentoring and teaching. It’s a fantastic way to develop personally and professionally and to build your contacts and portfolio.

There are a range of teaching styles across the different areas of the programme. Throughout all five years there will be work-based learning on placement across a variety of clinical settings, increasing as the course progresses. On campus you will learn in traditional lectures, workshops, tutorials, case-based learning, and simulation activities, in addition to self-directed learning. These activities are all enhanced by the excellent modern facilities on offer at all campus sites including our Clinical Skills Suites, simulated hospital environment, and our Anatomage Suites.

Interested?

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This course is delivered by the School of Medicine and Dentistry

For information on possible changes to course information, see our essential and important course information

You can find regulations and policies relating to student life at the University of Central Lancashire on our student contract page

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