Medicine
Join a school of medicine at a university with a track-record of excellence in science and healthcare education spanning almost 100 years. Utilise excellent facilities including state-of-the-art clinical simulation. Take advantage of our strong partnerships with regional health trusts to support your learning and enable placements.
Medicine at Sunderland
The School of Medicine at the University of Sunderland opened in 2018. We have since met all GMC requirements and obtained our Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ) awarding status. Our first cohort of students graduated as Doctors in 2024. Our spiral curriculum will enable you to build on your learning year-on-year, adding increased complexity to clinical problems introduced in year one. Our Medicine course is in the top 20 in the UK (Guardian University Guide 2024) and ranked 5th overall in the UK on the National Student Survey, and ranked 1st in the UK for academic support (NSS, 2024). Find out more about our course below.
Undergraduate courses
MBChB Medicine
The MBChB Medicine honours degree here at Sunderland is designed to ensure you meet the necessary standards in terms of knowledge, skills and professionalism that all new doctors should have as you embark on further training. With outstanding resources and a distinctive curriculum, we deliver educational excellence in an environment renowned for its friendly nature. We also welcome students from non-traditional backgrounds, as we believe in giving more people the opportunity to study medicine.
Find out more about MedicinePostgraduate courses
PgCert in Medical Education
Medical students are now learning clinical sciences alongside disease aetiology, treatment and management. Medical education is also at the forefront of developing robust, reliable and valid student assessments. This Medical Education PgCert is aimed at academic staff looking to develop their career in medical education. On completion of the course, you'll have developed your skills and knowledge as a teaching professional and will be able to offer student-centred teaching and learning experiences.
Find out more about Medical Education
Master of Medical Education
This Master of Medical Education is an internationally recognised higher degree in medical education with a major emphasis on developing you as a contemporary educator in medicine. The course has a strong practical focus both through its taught and research/project components ensuring that you are able to transform your practice in the classroom, clinical setting and in simulated environments.
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Postgraduate Diploma of Medical Education
The Diploma in Medical Education is for those who want to take their knowledge and skills of medical education further than the PgCert. The course is primarily for those who regularly train/supervise medical students or resident doctors. It is also suitable for those in the dental or veterinary professions.
Find out more about Postgraduate Diploma of Medical EducationMedicine MBChB
As an established School of Medicine, our MBChB course has passed the General Medical Council’s (GMC) rigorous quality assurance programme and we have been ratified to award primary medical qualifications. The MBChB honours degree at the University of Sunderland is designed to ensure you meet the necessary standards in terms of knowledge, skills and professionalism that new doctors should have as they embark on further training. The course offers an innovative, highly-integrated medical curriculum, incorporating a mixture of core and student-selected modules. Integration occurs at all levels, and the three vertical themes are included in the core and selected elements in all years.
The Sunderland difference
The University of Sunderland experience is different from most UK medical schools. We have a relatively small student intake, a city-centre campus by the sea and a supportive community with enthusiastic and committed staff. We have an excellent track record of attracting and supporting students from the least advantaged socio-economic groups. The University of Sunderland has been providing higher education since 1901 – including science and areas related to medicine – and we continue to be at the forefront of teaching, learning and research.
Meet our first graduates
Our pioneering cohort graduated in July 2024 and are now working as Foundation Doctors across the country, with 55% having opted to stay in the North East.
Laura Giles was born in Sunderland Royal Hospital, and having graduated in 2024, is now beginning her elective study at the same hospital. Watch our video to find out more about Laura's journey.
You can also watch our videos about our other Medicine graduates Becky Bramley, Tommy Mackie and Surena Sahota on their experiences studying medicine and graduating as a Doctor in 2024.