University of Nottingham School of Medicine Undergraduate Courses. Photography by Alex Wilkinson Media

Medicine BMedSci and BMBS

Medical School, Nottingham, UK

We are planning significant changes to our BMBS Medical degree programme from 2026 onwards, it’s important you understand these changes before applying to this course.  Find out more

Course overview

Doctors play a vital role in the lives of so many, from the most joyful, to the toughest moments. At Nottingham, we'll help you gain the clinical skills, knowledge and confidence to lead people through some of life’s most significant times.

Indicative modules

Mandatory

Year 1

Biomedical Skills 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Integrated Medicine 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Medicine 1

Mandatory

Year 1

Medicine 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Biomedical Skills 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Clinical Medicine

Mandatory

Year 2

Integrated Medicine 2

Mandatory

Year 2

Medicine 3

Mandatory

Year 2

Medicine 4

Optional

Year 2

Complementary and Alternative Medicines

Optional

Year 2

Hearing Healthcare: From bench to bedside and back again

Optional

Year 2

History of Anatomy and Medicine

Optional

Year 2

Neuron Connectivity and Brain Function: From Development to Degeneration

Optional

Year 2

Risky Business: Understanding & Preventing Medical Error

Optional

Year 2

Laboratory Testing in Infection

Optional

Year 2

Translational Neuro-Oncology

Optional

Year 2

Physics of the Body

Optional

Year 2

Patient and Public Involvement in Research: "No research about me, without me"

Optional

Year 2

Pain: Aetiology, Consequences and Treatment

Optional

Year 2

Introduction to Sensory Neuroscience: Hearing Vision, Touch

Optional

Year 2

Drug Safety

Mandatory

Year 3

Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics

Mandatory

Year 3

Early Primary Care

Mandatory

Year 3

Evidence Based Medicine

Mandatory

Year 3

Honours Year Project

Optional

Year 3

Anti-Cancer Therapies and Cardiovascular Disease

Optional

Year 3

Cancer

Optional

Year 3

GPCR polymorphisms, disease and personalised medicine

Optional

Year 3

Improving your Chances of Publication

Optional

Year 3

Innate Immunity and the Immunopathology of Inflammation

Optional

Year 3

The Molecular Pathology of Cancer

Optional

Year 3

Patient safety, human error and avoiding harm in healthcare

Optional

Year 3

Respiratory Medicine

Optional

Year 3

Models and Approaches in Mental Illness

Optional

Year 3

Quantitative and Qualitative Methods for Mental Health Research

Optional

Year 3

Critical Thinking Skills in Epidemiology and Public Health

Optional

Year 3

Principles of Surgical Infection

Optional

Year 3

Developmental Neuroscience

Optional

Year 3

Clinical Applications of Current Neuroglia Research

Optional

Year 3

Malignant Haematology

Optional

Year 3

Clinical Renal Physiology and Therapeutics

Optional

Year 3

Introduction to Functional Medical Disorders

Mandatory

Year 4

Preparation for Practice

Mandatory

Year 4

Foundations for Practice

Mandatory

Year 4

Advanced Practice

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About modules

The above is a sample of the typical modules we offer, but is not intended to be construed or relied on as a definitive list of what might be available in any given year. This content was last updated on Monday 15 April 2024. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.

Teaching methods

  • Anatomy sessions
  • Clinical skills sessions
  • Case-based learning
  • eLearning
  • Full-body dissection
  • Lab sessions
  • Lectures
  • Placements
  • Practical classes
  • Self-study
  • Seminars
  • Small group learning
  • Tutorials

Assessment methods

  • Case studies
  • Clinical exams
  • Coursework
  • Dissertation
  • Examinations
  • Formative assessments
  • Logbooks
  • Objective structured clinical exams
  • Poster presentation
  • Practical exams
  • Presentation
  • Short project
  • Workplace-based assessment

During your first three years, you'll have approximately 16 to 18 hours of teaching contact time with around 20 hours of independent study per week. You'll spend around five days on placement each semester.

During your time in the Clinical Phase, you'll spend between 35 to 40 hours across five days every week studying and on placements. You'll spend around three to four days on ward, clinic or GP placement visits per week plus 8 hours of independent study time. This will include some out of hours work.

Your holidays will also differ during the Clinical Phase from the standard student timetable. You'll have about six weeks' holiday in each of the clinical phases. This is usually taken as two weeks at Christmas, two weeks at Easter, and two weeks during the summer.

When you graduate with your BMBS degree,  you should  usually be able to provisionally register with the General Medical Council (GMC) for a license to practice medicine in the UK. We'll help you through this process and provide support as you transition to the UK Foundation Programme.     

To fully register with the GMC and be able to practice medicine unsupervised in the NHS or as part of a private practice, you will need to complete a Medical Licensing Assessment and complete the UK Foundation Programme.  

You can find out more on the UK Foundation Programme and the GMC to their  websites. 

Average starting salary and career progression

A doctor on the UK Foundation Programme can expect to start at £27,689 to £32,050.

As you gain experience as a doctor and develop your professional skills, you may progress on to senior clinical posts and earn up to £107,688 depending on your role and years of service.

96.50% of undergraduates from the school of Medicine secured graduate level employment or further study within 15 months of graduation. The average annual starting salary for these graduates was £35,089.

HESA Graduate Outcomes (2017- 2021 cohorts). The Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK.

Studying for a degree at the University of Nottingham will provide you with the type of skills and experiences that will prove invaluable in any career, whichever direction you decide to take.

Throughout your time with us, our Careers and Employability Service can work with you to improve your employability skills even further; assisting with job or course applications, searching for appropriate work experience placements and hosting events to bring you closer to a wide range of prospective employers.

Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students.

The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked in the top ten in The Graduate Market in 2013-2020, High Fliers Research).

Books in the George Green library, University Park. November 5th 2021.

I love studying medicine at Nottingham because of the overwhelmingly friendly atmosphere. Everyone is so keen to support you on your journey to become a doctor. Outside of the fantastic academic course, there are so many extra-curricular opportunities to get involved in, a lot of which are co-ordinated by MedSoc. This is a student-run society that manages over 60 clubs and societies, organises a whole host of events and focuses heavily on welfare. I can’t recommend Nottingham Medical School enough.

Pascal Vogiaridis

current student, former MedSoc President (2020-2021)

Course data

Open Day June 2022