The University of Oxford is one of the oldest and most prestigious universities in the world. Notable alumni include two British Kings and 17 winners of the Nobel Prize for Medicine – maybe you could be next! The course offered at Oxford takes a traditional approach with distinct pre-clinical and clinical phases, allowing students to fully understand and explore the scientific theory underlying clinical practice before they stepping foot onto hospital wards. Oxford, like Cambridge, is a collegiate university so students will additionally benefit to membership to one of the 39 colleges. Your college will provide accommodation and other facilities including dining halls, study rooms and libraries. Studying at Oxford is a unique experience based on tradition and the traditional experiences.

Oxford attracts the strongest applicants from across the globe. With a strong emphasis on academics and BMAT score, Oxford is an ideal choice for very strong all-round applicants keen to experience a traditional Oxbridge education.

Course Structure at Oxford Medical School

Year 1 at Oxford Medical School

Biochemistry, anatomy, physiology & pharmacology, and medical sociology. There is almost no clinical exposure, except a few GP sessions.

Year 2 at Oxford Medical School

Pathology, neuroscience, applied physiology & pharmacology, and psychology. Again, there is almost no clinical exposure, except a few GP sessions.

Year 3 at Oxford Medical School

Final honour schools year: 8 week lab project, 3000 word extended essay and option choices (e.g. cellular neuro). Also learn about statistics and critical reading of papers.

Year 4 at Oxford Medical School

The first clinical year including a mix of clinical placements and experiences: Basics of clinical medicine and interaction with patients, short GP attachment, lab medicine, surgery, special study modules (wide variety of options to choose from).

Year 5 at Oxford Medical School

Specialist rotations, including: neuroscience & related specialties, community medicine, orthopaedics, rheumatology, emergency medicine, paediatrics and women’s health.

Year 6 at Oxford Medical School

Final year includes both general clinical studies (medicine, surgery and clinical options) and vocational skills preparing you for becoming a doctor (including 10 week elective).

Teaching Style at Oxford Medical School

What is the general teaching style at Oxford? E.g. is it PBL/Traditional? etc.

Traditional in the sense that it is very lecture-based with little PBL or CBL. However, tutorials often offer an experience similar to PBL alongside your main studies, so you are exposed to a mix of teaching. There are also small-group seminars.

Does Oxford offer dissection?

No, it is predominantly prosection. In my experience, this has made teaching much more efficient and the prosections tend to be more expertly cut than any dissection I reckon I could manage.

Does Oxford offer a BSc? If so, how is the BSc year?

After the three pre-clinical years at Oxford, you receive a BA in medical sciences. Third year is a fantastic chance to get a taste of research in a lab and really feel part of the team. Some students decide that they would like to pursue a PhD following their third year, which is useful if you decide on a career in research. The year also teaches you to look at papers more critically, and occasionally you may even get your name on a paper too!

What is the pre-clinical / clinical split like? Do you get early clinical exposure?

The pre-clinical / clinical split is very marked at Oxford. The first two years are pre-clinical with only a few GP sessions, while the last three years are largely clinical. You are unlikely to step into a hospital until fourth year.

Local area :

Oxford

Oxford is a historic student-centered city. The University has no central campus but is made up of over 30 colleges and halls spread across the city centre and beyond. These colleges are at the heart of Oxford's reputation as one of the best universities in the world and make it a very special place to study and live. Every student belongs to a college as well as being a member of their course department and the University. This means all Oxford students have the benefits of belonging to both a large, world-class university and to a small and friendly academic community.

Social life :

One of the many myths about Oxford is that there is no time to have fun. Alongside your college community you will be able to develop your interests, old or new, through over 400 clubs and societies, many of them University-wide.

Interview style：

Panel

Applicants will be interviewed at two colleges, taking place over a period of two days. Accomodation will be provided. The number and format of the interview will vary between colleges, however in general you will be interviewed by at least two academics at each college and by at least one practising clinician.

Interview dates:December

Interview topics：

Empathy

Motivation for medicine

Communication skills

Honesty and integrity

Ethical awareness

Capacity for sustained and intense work

Intellectual curiosity

Academic ability

UCAT ：N/A

BMAT：

BMAT Required

Weighting of the BMAT is follows:

Section 1 = 40%

Section 2 = 40%

Section 3 = 20%

To calculate the section 3 score double weighting is used for the quality of content score and single weight given to the quality of english score with scores awarded as follows:

A=5, B=4, C=3, D=2, E=1, X=0

The BMAT is considered alongside GCSE score to decide which candidates to invite to interview. The average BMAT score for shortlisted candidates for 2022-entry was 65.8%

GAMSAT：N/A

GSCE ：

GCSEs scored for interview shortlisting

No minimum requirements.

Please note that while there are no requirements GCSEs are used in the selection process and the vast majority of applicants will score very highly.Typical Oxford applicants have 8-9 GCSEs at A*/8/9

Scoring system: based on number and proportion of A* grades in the wider context of your schools overall performance. Grade 8 and 9 are considered equivalent to one another for scoring purposes.

A-level :

A*AA

Subjects requirements: Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics, Mathematics or Further Mathematics.

Retake policy

A-Level resits are not usually accepted

IB：

39 points

Subjects required: 3 Higher Level subjects at grades 7,6,6, including Chemistry and at least one of Biology, Physics or Mathematics

Bachelor's Degree (Gradutes Only):

2:1 Honours degree

Any discipline accepted

Additional requirements: must also meet the same entry requirements as standard school-leavers