Medicine (MD)

Success in medicine requires application and hard work, both while studying and when in practice. However, Medicine brings great personal rewards, offering a breadth and variety of career opportunities and excellent job satisfaction. No day in the life of a doctor is the same! The application of knowledge and research evidence to patient care provides a unique opportunity to combine scientific expertise with the human interactions that lie at the heart of the profession.

Our medicine courses are intellectually stimulating and professionally challenging. As a medical student, you'll experience a rigorous, evidence-based medical education within the research-rich environment of the University. Students have opportunities to pursue research and project work throughout the course.

Courses available

If you don’t already have a degree, you can apply for the Standard Course in Medicine (A100). The first three years involve lectures, practical classes and supervisions. You can find details on the Faculty of Biology website. The emphasis during clinical studies (Years 4, 5 and 6) in Cambridge is on learning in clinical settings. Read more about the clinical course on the School of Clinical Medicine website.

The School of the Biological Sciences encompasses the Faculty Board of Biology and the Faculty Board of Veterinary Medicine and is represented on the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine. It has responsibilities across four Triposes (the Natural Sciences Tripos, Medical and Veterinary Sciences Triposes and Psychological and Behavioural Sciences Tripos).

It shares the Graduate School of Life Sciences, Graduate Committee and Medical Education Committee with the Clinical School. It has its own Degree Committee. It includes nine Departments and the Centre for Family Research, plus five major research Institutes and an animal hospital. The School is a key player in the Cambridge Conservation Initiative as well as the majority of Cambridge Strategic Initiatives. The School is associated with the Museum of Zoology and the Botanic Garden. Key officers of the School plus details of relevant Research Ethics Committees (Human Biology, Psychology) can be found on the School's website. Various subcommittees report to the Council, as required.

Formal representation on the Council of the School (its most senior decision-making body) is outlined in Chapter 8 of the University's Statutes and Ordinances. Heads of School Institutes, as well as Heads of Departments, are currently co-opted on to the Council, together with representatives of the three Faculty Boards. In addition, the Head of the Botanic Garden and a representative from the School of Technology attend as observers.