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Study an innovative, highly-integrated medical curriculum in state-of-the-art facilities. Gain the knowledge, skills and professionalism that you will require as a new doctor embarking on further training. Graduate ready to maximise your career progression and improve lives.
The MBChB honours degree is designed to ensure you meet the necessary standards in terms of knowledge, skills and professionalism that all new doctors should have as they embark on further training. You'll study alongside pharmacists, nurses, paramedics, biomedical, sport and physiological scientists offering opportunities for inter-disciplinary working.
You'll be taught mainly in small class sizes and learning groups but will also experience a range of other learning methods including lectures, seminars and self-directed learning. You’ll develop your intellectual, personal and professional skills through independent thinking, creative problem solving, and constructive communication. You’ll also gain a deep understanding of the social, environmental and global implications of your studies as well as how to make a positive contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world.
Our programme is modern and forward thinking, using Problem Based Learning in a spiral curriculum that builds complexity year-on-year. Our culture is supportive and inclusive with a large network of academic and clinical tutors and mentors. If you have the skills, passion and ambition and want to be part of a welcoming community, Sunderland is the place to be.
As an established School of Medicine, our MBChB course has successfully progressed through the General Medical Council’s (GMC) rigorous quality assurance programme and is now fully ratified.
Studying medicine relies on methods that are clinically realistic. You will be taught via scheduled learning and teaching activities, anatomy teaching based in the Anatomy Lab, problem-based/case-based learning, extensive clinical placements in hospital and community settings and guided independent study.
Our course is designed to help you maximise your career progression and leadership potential through opportunities to study a range of complementary subjects drawn from the University, including the humanities. We make learning enjoyable through small class sizes, small group learning, early clinical experience and helping you to develop into a highly competent and self-aware professional.
You will be assessed by in-year written work, written information management skills assessments, written knowledge examinations, reflective assignments and practical examinations.
You’ll have regular feedback and one-on-one tutor sessions, which will help you improve your performance and address any difficulties you might be having.
The curriculum has three phases delivered at the University and in primary and secondary care settings. Years 1 and 2 are based predominantly at City Campus. Clinical placements in Years 3 - 5 are based in well-established local teaching hospitals and GP practices.
Intercalation is available as an option after Year 2 as a BSc degree or Year 4 as an MSc degree. You will have the opportunity to undertake a course at the University of Sunderland, or at another University, subject to approval by the School of Medicine.
Overview with early clinical exposure. You will learn the fundamentals of biomedical, behavioural and social science with a focus on sciences, research, study and communication skills, basic clinical skills and professionalism.
You get a second run through of many aspects of biomedical, behavioural and social science with an increased emphasis on complexity and pathology, combined with learning fundamental clinical skills and knowledge. Immersion in clinical placements building on the foundations of clinical knowledge and skills developed in the preceding years.
Very extensive student assistantships to prepare you for practice as a Foundation Year 1 doctor.
We don’t currently display entry requirements for United States. Please contact the Student Admin team on studentadmin@sunderland.ac.uk or 0191 515 3154.
For a full list of the subjects we accept, please see our entry requirements. Please note, we are unable to accept international applicants. We are also unable to accept applicants who do not hold the A Levels and GCSEs required below. Equivalent qualifications will not be accepted.
A Levels in three subjects at grades AAA are required, including Biology or Chemistry plus another designated science subject (Biology, Chemistry, Physics, Maths/Further Maths/Statistics) and a third academic subject. Any science A Level (Biology, Chemistry, Physics) completed in England from 2017 must include a pass in the practical endorsement; without this, the qualification will be judged to have been failed, regardless of the headline grade. Please note, some subjects are not accepted. Only one subject from a combination of Maths or Further Maths or Statistics will be considered within the three A Levels. A Level grades must be achieved in one sitting.
The primary admissions criteria which is being considered (eg A Levels) must have been completed within the past five years.
If you already hold a degree, please see our standard entry graduate route.
Please note, we do not accept Access to Higher Education/Access to Medicine courses.
All applicants must take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) during the year in which they apply. Scores must be within top 8 deciles of the cohort and situational judgement test (SJT) must be within bands 1-3. Our minimum UCAT cut-off scores are displayed below:
| Year | 2023 | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 | 2019 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Minimum score | 2270 | 2250 | 2270 | 2290 | 2280 |
For more information, see our Help and Advice articles on the UCAT.
The numeracy test is now part of the interview selection process and consists of a 40-minute online test that contains 25 multiple choice questions. See our Help and Advice article for further information about the numeracy test and an example questions.
Please be advised that the numeracy test for September 2025 entry will take place on Wednesday 30th October, 4-7PM (GMT). Please do not contact us. All successful applicants will receive the necessary information in advance of the test.
The interview selection tool is a survey used as part of the shortlisting process for selection for interview. Applicants meeting the minimum academic requirements (including appropriate aptitude tests and numeracy test) will be issued this online form.
Applicants are encouraged to write about and reflect on work experiences they have had which they believe allowed them to develop the skills and attributes they may need for a future career in medicine. Please see our Help and Advice articles on the interview selection tool.
Shortlisting for interview is based on academic requirements, our interview selection tool, a numeracy test and UCAT score. Our interviews take the form of multiple mini-interviews (MMIs). Please see our Help and Advice articles on the interview process.
This course is a registered professional programme and the ability to practise safely and effectively is essential. All students will be subjected to Fitness to Practise procedures which include DBS clearance checks, Health Declaration, and Declaration of Good Conduct.
We require all applicants to be 18 years old by 31 December in the year they intend to start the course due to our early clinical placements.
We have a contextual offer for applicants that fulfil both our local (North East and Cumbria) and Widening Participation POLAR 4 quintiles 1 and 2 (home address) criteria. You can check your postcode on the Office for Students website. Applicants must still meet the normal entry requirements, including the required UCAT score.
If you are unsure about your local status please email medicineapplications@sunderland.ac.uk.
We expect applicants to have work experience. This is in-line with the Medical Schools’ Council Work Experience Guidelines. Please see our Help and Advice article for information on work experience.
Fees for September 2024 are £9,250.
Please note, this course is only open to UK/Home applicants. We are unable to accept international applicants.
If you are not sure whether you qualify as a UK or international student, find out more in our Help and Advice article.
Take a look at the scholarships and bursaries that may be available to you.
This information was correct at the time of publication.
As our School of Medicine welcomes its first intake of medical students, the opportunities after their graduation are enormous. Achieving MBChB is the key to many doors.
Learn more about where our new Medicine cohort might end up in the future
Explore our Living Lab and Helen McArdle House, home to state of the art facilities and equipment for our Nursing, Midwifery, and Paramedic Science students.
Read more about our fantastic facilities
Studying medicine at university is extremely competitive. If you haven’t managed to secure a place then don’t panic, at the University of Sunderland there are a number of options to choose from.
Find out more about the options available to you
This course will enable you to develop your intellectual, personal and professional capabilities. These attributes include independent thinking, synthesizing information, creative problem solving, communicating clearly, and appreciating the social, environmental and global implications of your studies and activities. Our course and clinical learning environment are designed to help you to become a well-rounded graduate who aspires to make a positive and valued contribution in a complex and rapidly changing world, whichever spheres of life you engage in after your studies are completed.
Medicine is a very diverse profession with an expanding range of career options. You will be taught in some of the best performing hospital Trusts in England. We will ensure that you graduate with a strong grounding in the general and social sciences alongside a high level of patient contact in both hospital and general practice settings. You will gain insight into the health needs of our population, the needs of our patients and their experiences of the NHS. We train excellent and innovative clinicians, well prepared for future practice and the globalisation of health care.
At the end of the undergraduate programme you’ll receive your degree. The General Medical Council (GMC) approves your university’s degree as a primary medical qualification (PMQ). This is important because, provided there are no concerns about your fitness to practise, a PMQ entitles you to provisional registration with the GMC for a licence to practise medicine in the UK.
The GMC is introducing a Medical Licensing Assessment – the MLA. The MLA will create a demonstration that anyone obtaining registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK has met a common threshold for safe practice.
UK medical students graduating in the academic year 2024-25 will need to pass the MLA which will test the core knowledge, skills and behaviours needed to practise safely in the UK. This will be part of your medical school degree and you must pass that before you can join the medical register. The MLA will give patients and employers greater confidence in doctors new to working in the UK, wherever they were educated or trained. Read more about the MLA.
The community feel and positive atmosphere makes studying here an enjoyable experience
My experience of studying medicine at the University of Sunderland has been amazing
I believe that Sunderland has a warm and friendly community
Interprofessional learning has prepared me for patient interactions in an MDT setting
