Subject overview

Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) accepted its first intake in 2003 and now has over 650 students across five years. BSMS is a partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton and NHS trusts across the Sussex and Surrey region. Our students are full members of both universities and enjoy access to the academic and recreational facilities of each.

Why medicine?

Medicine is a demanding profession, but one that repays the hard work and dedication it involves through the rich variety of career opportunities it offers and the satisfaction of knowing that you are making a positive contribution to society. 

Programme content

How will I learn?

We offer a variety of teaching and learning methods from lectures and small-group work to self-directed problem-based learning. This means that whatever aptitudes you already bring to your studies, you can be sure of developing a range of additional skills throughout the degree. 

In the first two years, academic and clinical studies are based on both Universities’ campuses at Falmer. You will gain clinical experience in both primary care and acute care settings and carry out two individual family studies –in Year 1 with a family looking after a new baby, and in Year 2 with a family including a dependant requiring continuing care.

Academic studies are based on a series of systems modules focused on the normal and abnormal functioning of the human body. These include the core material that every doctor must know, together with student-selected components enabling the exploration of selected topics in depth. 

In Years 3 and 4, your studies will be based at the Education Centre at the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton, and in the teaching hospitals of the Brighton and Sussex University Hospitals NHS Trust.

In Year 3, you undertake four eight-week specified clinical attachments in medicine, surgery, elderly medicine, mental health or women’s and child health, as well as student-selected components and weekly teaching sessions on the scientific basis of medicine.

You also maintain a logbook and personal portfolio, which will be used to assess progress, and help you reflect on how your personal strengths are developing alongside your clinical experience.

Year 4 includes a medical elective, in the UK or abroad, offering the opportunity to experience medical practice in a different cultural and clinical setting. Recent destinations have included India, Cambodia, Peru, Jamaica and the Solomon Islands. You also undertake research projects, go on clinical placements in hospital and community settings, and develop your primary care experience.

Subject to satisfactory academic performance, you have the opportunity to take an intercalated BSc in order to study a subject of your choice in greater depth. This is taken in one year between Years 3 and 4 of your BM BS studies and provides the necessary academic background for those wishing to embark on a career combining medical practice with medical research. You might choose global health, neuroscience, molecular medicine, pharmacological sciences or experimental psychology.

Year 5 prepares you for your first postgraduate year as a Foundation Year (FY) doctor under the Foundation scheme. It is organised in regional attachments comprising clinical placements in district general hospital and community settings in Sussex and its adjoining counties, including periods spent work-shadowing an FY doctor. 

In Years 3, 4 and 5, we have Dr Companion software to put on your smartphone, so you can access relevant information resources at the point of need while working on the wards or in clinics. BSMS is a leading medical school in the UK in the development of technology-based learning support.

What will I achieve?

• The degree develops key personal skills and attitudes including learning how to learn and understanding the need for lifelong learning; reflective practice; communication and IT skills; working effectively in multi-professional teams; the personal and ethical attitudes essential for good professional practice; and an appreciation of doctors’ responsibilities to their patients, to professional colleagues, to society and to themselves.
• You also develop clinical skills in history-taking, physical examination, diagnosis, and effective communication with patients. Experience of medical practice in hospital settings includes visits to a busy accident and emergency unit and other clinical settings.
• In Year 3, you are introduced to research methodology, essential for the practice of evidence-based medicine, and join a BSMS, University of Brighton or University of Sussex research team to carry out an individual research project in Year 4. 
• At the end of the undergraduate course, you receive your BM BS degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). Holding a PMQ entitles you to provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC), which means you can only practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post, you need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate course through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates these posts to graduates on a competitive basis. Successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme is normally achieved within 12 months. You will then be eligible to apply for full registration with the GMC. You need full registration with a licence to practise for unsupervised medical practice in the NHS or private practice in the UK. Visit The Foundation Programme.
  

Entry requirements

Sussex welcomes applications from students of all ages who show evidence of the academic maturity and broad educational background that suggests readiness to study at degree level. For most students, this will mean formal public examinations; details of some of the most common qualifications we accept are shown below. If you are an overseas student, refer to Applicants from outside the UK.

All teaching at Sussex is in the English language. If your first language is not English, you will also need to demonstrate that you meet our English language requirements.

A level

Typical offer: AAA

Specific entry requirements: Most standard offers for entry to BSMS are conditional on gaining A grades at A level in three subjects, following the study of at least four subjects to AS level. The fourth AS level subject should be passed at a minimum of grade B. Both Biology and Chemistry must have been studied to A level. We do not specify the nature of the third A level subject but it should be noted that neither Genereal Studies nor Critical Thinking are acceptable at any level. BSMS reserves the right to make alternative offers where appropriate. BSMS requests that you declare your AS results when applying. BSMS offers are made to interview-selected candidates only. International students may be able to be interviewed via video link at a British Council Office. All applicants must have GCSE grade B (or equivalent) in both Mathematics and English. You will also need to take the UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT) before application. The deadline for taking the test is before the UCAS application date. For more information visit www.ukcat.ac.uk. If you are taking Scottish Highers, the International Baccalaureate or other international qualifications, or are considering a graduate or mature student entry route, visit www.bsms.ac.uk or contact BSMS Admissions at the address shown on the 'Contact our School' tab.

Related subjects

• Biochemistry
• Biomedical sciences
• Chemistry
• Ecology and environment
• Neuroscience
• Psychology

Fees and funding

Fees

Home/EU students: £9,000¹
Channel Island and Isle of Man students: £19,000²
Overseas students: £24,860³

¹ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
² The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.
³ The fee shown is for the academic year 2013.

Funding

A number of bursaries are available. For details, visit Brighton and Sussex Medical School. For details of additional Government funding, visit NHS: Student bursaries.

The funding sources listed below are for the subject area you are viewing and may not apply to all degrees listed within it. Please check the description of the individual funding source to make sure it is relevant to your chosen degree.

Careers and profiles

Our recent graduates have taken up posts across the country, including: Derby Hospital • Dorset County NHS Foundation Trust • Durham & Darlington NHS Trust • East Kent Hospitals University NHS Foundation Trust • East Sussex Hospitals NHS Trust • Gwent Healthcare NHS Trust • Jersey NHS Trust • Kingston Hospital NHS Trust • NHS Lothian • Luton and Dunstable NHS Trust • Royal Cornwall NHS Trust • Salisbury NHS Trust.

Dr Samuel Whitaker – Graduate 2009

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Specific employer destinations listed are taken from recent Destinations of Leavers from Higher Education surveys, which are produced annually by the Higher Education Statistics Agency.

Careers and employability

For employers, it’s not so much what you know, but what you can do with your knowledge that counts. The experience and skills you’ll acquire during and beyond your studies will make you an attractive prospect. Initiatives such as SussexPlus, delivered by the Careers and Employability Centre, help you turn your skills to your career advantage. It’s good to know that 94 per cent of our graduates are in work or further study (Which? University).

Imran's perspective

‘I chose to study medicine at BSMS because of its friendly, close-knit atmosphere. With small-class teaching I’ve been able to build close relationships with my lecturers and professors, as well as getting to know most students in my year – something not possible at bigger medical schools.

‘The degree is built around a systems-based approach but with ample clinical exposure from Year 1. Being taught history-taking, examination skills and the science behind health and disease stands you in great stead for the clinical years, while studying anatomy through full-body dissection prepares you for clinical rotations like surgery.

‘State-of-the-art technology and simulators also allow you to keep up to date with the ever-changing world of medicine. Links with numerous hospitals in our area provide you with a varied and broad clinical experience, and plans to make the Royal Sussex County Hospital in Brighton into a major trauma centre and leader in surgery mean it’s an exciting place to be a student.

‘My own interest lies in surgery and I’ve had every opportunity to get great experience in theatre by being able to scrub in and assist the surgeons, giving me a taste of what a surgical career would involve.’

Imran Mahmood
BM BS Medicine

Lekshmy's student perspective

‘I chose to come to BSMS because the course offers a systems-based integrated approach to learning medicine, with early exposure to patients and clinical practice.

‘From as early as the second week of medical school, I was – in addition to lectures – sitting in with GPs during their consultations and learning essential clinical skills such as history-taking. I think this hands-on experience very early on in my course has really helped me to identify areas of strength and weakness, and provided me with a solid foundation to take with me into the later years of the course.

‘BSMS attracts people from diverse backgrounds and age groups, and I think the mix of school-leavers, graduates and those who are choosing medicine as a second career, helps to create a warm, supportive and nurturing environment, which I feel is crucial to lasting the course.

‘I’m very happy I decided to study at BSMS. I’ve made some wonderful friends, and most importantly, I think graduating from here will give me an excellent start to my medical career.’

Lekshmy Balakrishnan
BM BS in Medicine

Contact our School

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Jonathan's staff perspective

‘Sussex provides world-leading teaching and excellent academic facilities, with a vibrant student life in a fantastic location. All of this meant that I left Sussex with a unique set of experiences and a degree that has prepared me for my future.

‘Joining Student Recruitment Services at the University has enabled me to share my experiences of Sussex with others. Coming to an Open Day gives you the opportunity to meet our research-active academics and our current students, while exploring our beautiful campus. But don’t worry if you can’t make an Open Day, there’s plenty of other opportunities to visit Sussex. Check out our Visit us and Open Days pages or our Facebook page to find out more.

‘I’ve loved every moment of my time at Sussex – these have been the best years of my life.’

Jonathan Bridges
Graduate Intern, Student Recruitment Services