Teaching methods
- Anatomy sessions
- Clinical relevance sessions
- Clinical skills sessions
- eLearning
- Lab sessions
- Lectures
- Placements
- Practical classes
- Problem-based learning
- Prosection
- Self-study
- Seminars
- Small group learning
- Tutorials
- Workshops
Course overview
There is no set pathway to commencing your medical journey. If you’ve always considered becoming a doctor but decided to study a different subject at degree level, this course is ideal for you. Our four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course has been designed specifically for graduates who are ready to embark on a career in medicine.
Indicative modules
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 Tuesday 13 May 2025. Due to timetabling availability, there may be restrictions on some module combinations.
First 18 months
Building on the intellectual skills of your previous degree, your first 18 months will see you work in small groups to examine clinical scenarios using case studies, and study the various different systems of the body.
In the final months of your second year, you'll begin the Clinical Phase which will see you rotate through a series of placements at major teaching hospitals and within primary care across the region.
Final years
Your final two years form the Clinical Phase of the programme. You'll focus on full-time clinical training and rotate through a series of placements at various teaching hospitals, community, and partnership trusts and within primary care settings across the region. These years will provide you with the professional knowledge, skills, values, and behaviours to succeed through direct experience.
The first component is a 47-week Foundations for Practice (FFP) phase, covering specialities such as junior medicine, junior surgery, mental health and primary care. This concludes with two four-week student-selected modules and a four-week junior assistantship (JAST).
The second component is our Advanced Phase (AP), which is broken down into a 26-week Advanced Practice phase 1(AP1), comprising obstetrics and gynaecology, child health, integrated medicine, palliative care and healthcare of later life. This leads into a 24-week Advanced Practice phase 2 (AP2), covering senior medicine, senior surgery, critical illness and senior primary care.
The final component of the course is a Preparation for Practice (PFP) phase, which includes a
- Five-week elective placement of your choice, which can be at home or abroad
- Five week medical assistantship (MAST) to prepare you for the UK Foundation Programme.
The clinical phase is taught using a blended learning approach of clinical placement activities, self-directed learning (supported by extensive learning resources provided on our Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle), clinical tutorials and clinical skills/simulation training.
Teaching and learning
Assessment methods
- Case studies
- Clinical exams
- Coursework
- Examinations
- Formative assessments
- Logbooks
- Objective structured clinical exams
- Portfolio (written/digital)
- Poster presentation
- Practical exams
- Presentation
- Short project
- Workplace-based assessment
During the first 18-months you will have 10 to 15 hours of teaching contact time each week. This is supported with around 8 hours of digital learning resources provided on our Virtual Learning Environment, Moodle. These are designed to support your independent study each week. You will also spend around four hours on placement every five weeks. You should anticipate that you will on average spend between 35 to 40 hours across five days every week studying or in placement.
Teaching follows a longer than normal university academic year, with year 1 starting in early September and finishing mid-late June. Year 2 begins in late August and ends in February as you progress to the clinical phase. Your holidays will differ slightly to the standard student timetable.
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.
Careers
After successfully completing the course, you will graduate with your BMBS degree, which is a primary medical qualification (PMQ). You will then be entitled to a provisional registration with the General Medical Council (GMC).
The GMC have also introduced a Medical Licensing Assessment, which tests the core knowledge, skills and behaviours of doctors who want to practise in the UK. You will need to pass the MLA as part of your degree before you are able to join the medical register. The MLA is embedded into the assessments you will take as part of your medicine degree at the University of Nottingham. This means you won’t need to undertake any additional exams after completing the course.
You’ll then need to apply to complete a two-year foundation programme, during which you will be paid a salary. We will help you through this process and provide support as you transition to the UK Foundation Programme.
More information on your post-graduation training is available on the NHS website.
Average starting salary and career progression
A doctor on the UK Foundation Programme can expect to earn between £36,616 to £42,008 p.a. As you gain experience as a doctor and develop your professional skills, you may progress on to senior clinical posts and earn up to £131,964 p.a. depending on your role and years of service.
100% of undergraduates from the Medicine programme secured highly skilled employment or further HE study within 15 months of graduating and were earning, on average £36,165 p.a. when surveyed 15 months after graduation
(HESA Graduate Outcomes survey, 2021-22 cohort. Graduate Outcomes % is calculated using The Guardian University Guide methodology. The average annual salary is based on graduates working full-time within the UK).
Career options
98.5% of 2021-22 cohort graduates are working as generalist medical practitioners on the UK Foundation Programme, with 1.5% working as specialist medical practitioners on the Specialised Foundation Programme.
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.
We also work with your academic teams, your Educational Supervisors and on a one-to-one basis with you to ensure that you become effective, reflective practitioners with good self-awareness of your professional skills, behaviours OK- attributes. In fact, we realise that as a medical student it is not as straightforward as some people would think. You have a number of key decisions to make along the way and finding the right path requires careful thought and planning, as well as accessing accurate, up-to-date information and advice.
Have a look at our careers page for an overview of all the employability support and opportunities that we provide to current students and in particular our Career Paths in Medicine page for more information.
The University of Nottingham is consistently named as one of the most targeted universities by Britain’s leading graduate employers (Ranked 3rd in the UK in The Graduate Market in 2024, High Fliers Research). We also ranked 1st in the Russell Group for graduate employment or further study (LEO Graduate Outcomes data, UK first degree graduates at 3 and 5 years after graduation).
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