Clinical MD in General Internal Medicine

Qualification Start dates Entry requirements Full- or Part-time
Doctor of Medicine (MD) January June August
  • An MBBS or equivalent degree
  • Successfully completed one year of internship at a hospital and must supply their Certificate of Completion.
  • An IELTS score of 7.0 or equivalent unless all previous training in medicine has been in English. This must be confirmed in one of the academic references.
  • Graduated from an internationally recognised medical school.
  • Completed their undergraduate training and be fully registered with the Medical Council in their respective countries.
 Full-time

Course outline

Detailed theory teaching and clinical training is given in all sub-specialities of General Internal Medicine with emphasis on clinically relevant, state-of-the-art and topical issues. The following medical sub-specialities will be comprehensively covered in a structured way over 2 or 3 years for the University of Buckingham Clinical MD programmes:

  • Cardiology
  • Respiratory Medicine
  • Gastroenterology
  • Infectious Diseases
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Critical Care including ITU
  • Nephrology
  • Radiology
  • Neurology
  • Dermatology
  • Haematology & Oncology
  • Medical Opthalmology
  • Rheumatology
  • Medical Statistics
  • Ethics and Law in Medicine
  • Audit and Dissertation (module taught at Buckingham)

The entire curriculum will be taught over 8 terms (for the 2-year MD) or 12 terms (for the 3-year MD) of 10 weeks duration each, with one module per term and 4 terms each year. Students taking the combined Research cum Clinical MD programme will take the MSc in Medical Research in the Clore Laboratory in their first year and then follow the 2-year MD programme.

Programme structure

The total unit value of the Clinical MD curriculum is 360 units. Teaching is delivered over eight courses, each of 45 units:

  • Gastroenterology and Nephrology
  • Respiratory Medicine and Radiology
  • Cardiology and Neurology
  • Infectious Diseases, Rheumatology and Dermatology
  • Emergency Medicine
  • Diabetes and Endocrinology
  • Critical Care, Haematology and Oncology
  • Innovation in Clinical Medicine and Basic Sciences

One unit is equivalent to 10 hours of study, and a typical course may be broken down as follows:

Total contact hours: 450
Theory lectures: 65 hours
Tutorials: 200 hours
Problem based learning: 135 hours
Private study: 50 hours

For the Innovation in Clinical Medicine course, the breakdown is as follows:

Total contact hours: 450
Theory lectures and tutorials: 100 hours
Short research project: 50 hours
Clinical audit: 50 hours
Dissertation: 200 hours
Private study: 50 hours

Advanced Life Support (ALS)

Included in the MD courses, as an integral part of the Emergency Medicine module, is a comprehensive programme of training in theoretical and practical aspects of cardio-pulmonary resuscitation. All MD fellows are enrolled on a Resuscitation Council approved, 2-day, Advanced Life Support course. This internal course takes place at Ealing Hospital and when successfully completed leads to the award of an internationally recognised ALS provider certificate for all MD fellows. The costs of this course are included in the overall tuition fees for the MD programme.

Clinical placement

Students will be expected to spend one 10-week placement at another UK NHS Trust, including, but not limited to:

This will provide exposure to a broader clinical experience.

Speciality conferences

During the course of all MD programmes, the teaching plans of individual specialities include attendance at a number of internationally recognised speciality medical conferences within the UK. This affords the MD fellows the opportunity to hear lectures and debates and attend workshops involving internationally renowned speakers on matters of contemporary interest, and to experience the controversies of cutting-edge research in the medical specialities concerned. The registration costs of the conferences are included in the overall tuition fees for all programmes.

Grand Rounds (Ealing Hospital)

At lunch-time each Thursday a Grand Round presentation takes place at Ealing Hospital Postgraduate Centre, in the tradition of all prestigious British postgraduate medical teaching establishments. Consultant staff from medical specialities lead presentations of interesting and unusual clinical cases, followed by a lively session of questions and debate on medical issues raised. Some of the sessions are provided by invited medical speakers of international reputation. Recent advances in medical practice and a wide range of controversial and topical medical issues are discussed with the benefit of authoritative input from senior medical colleagues. This extremely valuable educational resource is part of the routine weekly schedule for all MD fellows.

Teaching and assessment methods

Dedicated teaching fellows and specialist registrars assist module directors and external consultants, many of national and international eminence. The teaching is clinically-oriented and delivered on the medical wards, out-patients, Accident & Emergency department and in the ITU. Read more >

Accommodation

Various types of accommodation are provided by Ealing Hospital. Read more >

Careers and working in the UK after completing your studies

It is anticipated that following successful completion of the programme students will return to their home countries. Alternatively, the post-study workers scheme replaces the previous International Graduates Scheme (IGS) and allows international students to work in the UK following the completion of their studies. Read more >

Accreditation

The Quality Assurance Agency, QAA, is an independent body which checks the quality of UK higher education through an institutional audit.The University of Buckingham voluntarily takes part in this audit process. Read more >