MBChB Medicine (6-year programme) MBChB

Level: Undergraduate

Subject: Medicine

Year of entry: 2026

Key facts

UCAS Code

A100

Award

MBChB

Duration of study

6 years

Delivery

Full-time

Study location

Multiple campuses

Start date

September 2026

School

Edinburgh Medical School

College

College of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine

Accreditation

Available

Placement

Mandatory

Open days and events

About the degree programme

Our six-year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree equips you with the knowledge, understanding and skills you need to become a Foundation Year 1 doctor.

Medicine at Edinburgh offers a modern, innovative curriculum designed to prepare you for contemporary medical practice. Our aim is for you to graduate as a competent, ethical and reflective doctor, with the care of patients as your first concern. 

As a graduate from Edinburgh Medical School, you will:

  • Be an excellent communicator and team player.
  • Be prepared for complex and uncertain situations.
  • Have the care of patients as your first concern.
  • Be equipped for ongoing personal development.
  • Be trained for high personal achievement and leadership.

You will also have a deep understanding of medical research and evidence-based medicine. This will be useful whatever career path you follow. You will be especially well-equipped to pursue an academic career in medicine, where ongoing practical involvement in research as a physician-scientist is paramount.

How long it takes to complete this degree programme

This programme is studied over six years.

Programme rankings

  • 5th for medicine in the UK in the Complete University Guide Subject League Table 2025.
  • 6th for medicine in the UK in the Guardian University Guide 2025 subject rankings.
  • 20th for medicine in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2025.

Programme benefits

  • We are the only Scottish institution to offer a six-year MBChB programme, which includes a full year of research-based study in Year 3.
  • You will receive clinical training throughout your studies, preparing you to become a competent, ethical and reflective doctor. Training comprises of clinical placements in the city’s teaching hospitals and other regional sites mainly across the south of Scotland, in general practices in south-east Scotland, and in our state-of-the-art clinical skills and simulation suites.
  • Our programme includes an academic year of research-based study in a biomedical or related subject of your choosing. This means you will graduate with two qualifications, a BMedSci (Hons) and an MBChB. In addition to your clinical studies, you will have the opportunity to gain hands-on experience of laboratory-based scientific research.
  • Edinburgh Medical School has been leading medical education, training and research for more than 300 years. Pioneers including the creator of anaesthesia, James Young Simpson, and Joseph Lister, discoverer of antiseptic, studied here.
  • In recent years, we have led major medical innovations in:
    • stem cell research
    • cancer
    • immunity
    • and many other fields

The hospitals and clinicians here are world-class and the opportunities for clinical exposure in both urban and rural areas are amazing. Having the chance to experience placements at hospitals of different sizes across Scotland gives you experience of diverse clinical environments, preparing you well for life as a junior doctor in the modern NHS.

Why choose Edinburgh?

Hector Crosbie 5th Year MBChB student

Find your entry requirements

Use the dropdowns to find out your entry requirements.

  1. Select the country where you are studying or where you studied your qualification.
  2. Select the qualification you are studying or studied.
United Kingdom,

Tuition fees for MBChB Medicine - Pre-Clinical Years

View the tuition fees for one academic year of MBChB Medicine - Pre-Clinical Years.

Tuition fees for this programme

Additional costs

You will need access to a smart device or laptop to submit coursework. You also need to have your own stethoscope.

Travel

Teaching takes place at multiple campuses including Edinburgh Bioquarter, Kings Buildings and Central Campus. You will also attend regional placements across Scotland which will incur travel costs.

Local travel

9-month and 12-month student Ridacards are available from Lothian Buses. Lothian Bus Website: https://www.lothianbuses.com/students/

Accommodation and living costs

You need to cover your accommodation and living costs for the duration of your programme.

We estimate that a single student can potentially spend a maximum of £920 to £2,257 on living costs each month, depending on your accommodation.

This estimate covers the costs of:

  • accommodation
  • food
  • utility bills
  • travel within Edinburgh
  • health and wellbeing costs

See a breakdown of living costs

Scholarships and funding

Funding information

You can find detailed information on financial support available, based on where you are living, in our funding section.

Funding

Featured funding

Additional Cost of Teaching reimbursement

Support is available via an Additional Cost of Teaching reimbursement. You may also be able to access support from student funding bodies.

Some students may be eligible for additional hardship funding from the University.

What you will study

Edinburgh's future doctors will be equipped with:

  • an understanding of the latest in medical science
  • the clinical skills to treat patients effectively
  • the personal attributes and attitudes required to meet the standards of good medical practice as laid out by the General Medical Council (GMC)

You will choose from a range of more than 20 honours programmes, covering topics in biomedical and clinical science as well as the medical humanities. Examples include:

  • anaesthesia, critical care and pain medicine
  • neuroscience
  • immunology
  • global health policy
  • sports science medicine
  • anthropology and sociology of medicine
  • health sciences, which has surgical, medical and primary care streams

At the end of the programme, you will graduate with both a research-based Bachelor of Medical Sciences honours degree and an MBChB primary medical qualification.

You will have a deep understanding of medical research and evidence-based medicine, and will have developed your analytical skills. All of these will be useful in your chosen career. You will be able to understand and lead innovation in all fields of medicine, from general practice to hospital-based specialities or public health.

Progression directly from Years 2 to 4 is possible for graduate entrants to the programme.

The MBChB curriculum content is designed to meet the GMC's outcomes for graduates. These will be achieved as you progress through your courses and attachments based on the human experience, activity and behaviour, from biomedical sciences to clinical practice within GP practices and hospital attachments in Edinburgh and across Scotland.

By the end of the programme, you will be well-equipped for a career in academic medicine, general practice or hospital medicine.

You will look at biomedicine and sociology from a patient’s perspective. 

Years 1 and 2 have five main components:

  • Biomedicine, which includes:
    • anatomy
    • pharmacology
    • prescribing
  • Social and Ethical Aspects of Medicine (SEAM), which covers:
    • social determinants of illness
    • meaning of illness
    • experience of illness
    • medical ethics
    • public health
    • health improvement
  • Research and Evidence-Based Medicine (REBM), which covers:
    • understanding information
    • the role of evidence-based medicine
    • hypothesis-driven and hypothesis-free research
    • types of data
    • evaluating interventions
    • critical appraisal
    • communication of research
  • Knowledge to Clinical Practice (KCP), which focuses on patients’ experience of illness and the influence of social factors, including: 
    • income
    • family
    • ethnicity
    • identity
  • Clinical and professional skills, which involves understanding of the importance of: 
    • communication
    • empathy
    • compassion
    • well-being
Find Year 1 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will develop your practical, research and clinical skills, including history-taking and examination.

You will also develop your skills in: 

  • homeostasis in the body
  • health promotion
  • global health and nutrition
  • statistical reasoning
  • medical informatics

You will work in small groups, taking part in clinical projects and spending time in general practice.

You will also continue your learning of the body functions in:

  • Health and Disease
  • Sustaining Life
  • Integrity
  • Principals of Pharmacology

In Professional Skills, you will cover the importance of:

  • communication
  • empathy
  • compassion
  • wellbeing

This will be evidenced in your online Clinical Portfolio.

Find Year 2 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will enter an honours programme to obtain a Bachelor of Medical Sciences Honours degree.

Many students study a scientific discipline in-depth, gaining research experience and submitting a dissertation.

Recently established disciplines include health sciences and programmes in the medical humanities.

Find Year 3 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will study all aspects of clinical medicine and healthcare delivery as part of a team. Your courses will continue to cover biological and clinical sciences.

You will develop your practical experience through placements in hospitals and general practice. Here, you will be embedded in the ward or GP team, as well as working with all members of the multidisciplinary team.

This is complemented by your Clinical Portfolio where you will provide evidence of your attendance, engagement and practice of clinical skills and procedures.

Find Year 4 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will move around a number of specialities, working on hospital wards as part of a team.

In addition to further clinical placements in a range of disciplines, you will complete a group teaching project in partnership with a clinical tutor.

Find Year 5 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

You will consolidate your learning from previous years and work on an apprenticeship model to prepare for employment in the postgraduate Foundation Programme.

Your focus will be on developing practical skills and knowledge of:

  • general and acute medicine
  • general practice
  • emergency medicine
  • surgery
  • anaesthetics
  • intensive care

You will have the opportunity to assist a trainee doctor and, under supervision, carry out some of the duties of a Foundation Year 1 doctor.

You will also arrange and complete an elective, either in the UK or abroad, from the end of February until May.

This is a period of study at another medical school or clinical placement provider in an area aligned to your interests and aspirations. Many students choose to go abroad, but this is not essential.

For more information on travelling abroad for the elective, see the Study Abroad section.

Find Year 6 courses (2024-2025 academic year)

Study abroad

If you would prefer to study abroad for your elective experience, you can apply for an elective at the following partner schools:

You can also arrange your own elective at another institution abroad.

Any decision to study abroad is subject to approval from the Elective Director, and will be informed by guidance from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office.

Placements

Clinical training comprises of hospital placements in the city’s teaching hospitals (and other regional sites mainly across the south of Scotland) and in general practices.

Teaching and assessment

Teaching

You will be taught through a combination of:

  • lectures
  • tutorials
  • laboratory and project work
  • clinical placements
  • computer-assisted learning

The research components of this programme offer flexibility and choice throughout the curriculum.

In Years 4 to 6 of the MBChB, you will:

  • have a group of dedicated Clinical Tutor Associates (current doctors in training) to support your learning
  • be able to sign up to a range of workshops delivered by Clinical Tutor Associates with experience and knowledge in their areas

Assessment

Assessment methods include: 

  • online applied knowledge tests
  • clinical examinations (OSCE)
  • written assessments
  • research projects
  • in-course assessment of professionalism and engagement on the programme

Medical Licensing Assessment

The General Medical Council (GMC) is planning the introduction of a Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), which all UK medical graduates would need to pass in order to be granted registration with a licence to practise.

The expectation is that this assessment, which is being designed at present, will apply to all UK medical students entering their final year in Autumn 2024 for graduation in summer 2025 and thereafter.

The MLA is intended to demonstrate that everyone who obtains registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK has met a common threshold for safe practice.

To obtain registration with a licence to practise, you will need to pass both parts of the MLA:

  • a knowledge test, set by the GMC
  • an assessment, delivered by the Medical School

This will evaluate your clinical and professional skills. You must also demonstrate your fitness to practise.

Support for your studies

You will have access to a range of support services if you need them throughout your degree.

We will assign you to a student adviser, and this should be the first person to contact if you need help. They can guide you to other University service teams depending on what support you need.

Support for your studies

Where you will study

Study location

Most teaching in Years 1 to 3 takes place in the University's Central Area.

In your clinical years, your teaching will take place:

  • in hospitals across Scotland
  • in general practices across Scotland
  • further away (for example, we have a limited number of placements available in the Highlands and Islands)

Academic facilities

In addition to the University libraries, you will be able to use hospital libraries on most sites.

You will also be able to access our virtual learning environment, which offers a wide range of online course resources.

Accreditation

This programme is accredited by the UK General Medical Council and recognised by overseas accrediting bodies in: 

  • the US
  • Canada
  • Australia
  • many other countries

Career paths

We take part in the UK Foundation Programme Scheme. This places graduates in Foundation Doctor posts across the UK.

Many graduates also go on to work with distinguished national and international research groups. 

Many students will either present or publish their research findings, which is beneficial to their future career. Our graduates typically perform well in entrance exams for the Royal Colleges of Physicians and Surgeons.

What happens when you complete your MBChB?

At the end of your programme, you will receive your Bachelor of Medical Sciences Honours degree and MBChB degree, which is a Primary Medical Qualification (PMQ).

Once you hold a Primary Medical Qualification and have passed the Medical Licensing Assessment (MLA), you qualify for provisional registration with the General Medical Council (as long as there are no Fitness to Practise concerns).

International students who graduate from UK medicals school are entitled to provisionally register and work in the UK as Foundation doctors but must check their own country's regulations if they wish to return home to work immediately after graduation.

Foundation Year 1 posts

Once you are a provisionally registered doctor, you can practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. You cannot undertake any other type of work.

To obtain a Foundation Year 1 post, you will need to apply during the final year of your undergraduate programme. You should do this through the UK Foundation Programme Office selection scheme, which allocates posts to graduates on a competitive basis.

So far, all suitably qualified UK graduates from Edinburgh have found a place on the Foundation Year 1 programme but this cannot be guaranteed in all instances, such as if there were to be an increased number of competitive applications from non-UK graduates.

The Foundation Year 1 programme usually takes 12 months to complete. On completion, you will be awarded a Certificate of Experience. 

Full registration

Before you can begin unsupervised medical practice in the National Health Service (NHS) or in private practice in the UK, you must have full registration with a licence to practise.

Once you have your Certificate of Experience, you are eligible to apply for full registration with the General Medical Council.

Please be aware that these regulations may be subject to change.

Outcome: what happens when you complete your MBChB

Careers Service

Our Careers Service can help you to fully develop your potential and achieve your future goals.

The Careers Service supports you not only while you are studying at the University, but also for up to two years after you finish your studies.

With the Careers Service, you can:

  • access digital resources to help you understand your skills and strengths
  • try different types of experiences and reflect on how and what you develop
  • get help finding work, including part-time jobs, vacation work, internships and graduate jobs
  • attend careers events and practice interviews
  • get information and advice to help you make informed decisions

Visit the Careers Service website

Further study

After you complete your programme, you may want to go onto further study at Edinburgh or a different university. You could progress to:

  • a masters degree
  • a postgraduate diploma or certificate
  • a PhD
  • a second undergraduate degree

Find out about options for further study

Graduate profiles

Shona Main: Emergency Medicine Registrar and Expedition Doctor

Discover Shona Main's inspiring journey to becoming an expedition doctor and an emergency medicine registrar. From the highs of remote expeditions to the demanding realities of emergency care, she shares her path to success, the challenges faced, and the rewards of a fulfilling and adventurous career.

Marianne Watters: Wellbeing of Women Clinical Research Fellow and Speciality Trainee in Obstetrics and Gynaecology

Marianne Watters graduated from her MBChB in 2017. Currently, she is a Wellbeing of Women Clinical Research Fellow and specialty trainee in Obstetrics and Gynaecology.

How to apply

You must submit a full application through UCAS (Universities and Colleges Admissions Service) before the relevant deadline.

Guidance on applying through UCAS

Deferred entry

You cannot apply for deferred entry for this programme, unless you are doing National Service in your home country. In this case, we can consider a deferral of one year only. 

If you are already enrolled on a programme

You will not be eligible if you have just started or are midway through a degree in the academic year in which you apply.

Application guide

You can find out more about the application process and other requirements on the degree website.

Medicine (6-year programme) application guide

What you need to apply

As part of your application, you will need:

  • your academic qualifications
  • a personal statement
  • evidence of your English language skills (with relevant qualifications)
  • a reference

How we select

Meeting the entry requirements does not guarantee the offer of a place. Entrance to the Medical School is extremely competitive, and each application is assessed independently by two members of admissions staff against the academic criteria. This assessment is then added to the weightings applied to your Situational Judgement Test and total UCAT score. We then rank applications in order. 

We invite the top scoring 750 applicants (approximately) to attend a half-day assessment day (interview) either virtually or at Edinburgh Medical School.

We make offers soon after the final assessment day. As a result of the level of competition for places, many high-quality applicants are unsuccessful. We inform some unsuccessful applicants (those with low selection scores) on an ongoing basis throughout the selection process of their status. 

As we review the selection process regularly, check the Edinburgh Medical School website before you apply to ensure you have the most up-to-date information.

Selection process for Medicine

Interviews

We invite top scoring applicants to attend a half-day assessment day (interview). 

The structure of the day is based on a consultation of clinicians and teachers in the medical school about the most important attributes we seek in our medical students. We will provide you with more information about the assessment day if you are invited to attend.

Medical Schools Council: score values and attributes

When to apply

  •  2026 entry UCAS deadline: 15 October 2025 (6:00pm GMT) 

This is the deadline for all UK, EU and international applicants. 

You must sit the UCAT (University Clinical Aptitude Test) in 2025 before you submit your UCAS application. For UCAT deadlines and testing dates, refer to the UCAT website.

We will only consider an exemption from sitting the UCAT in very exceptional circumstances, and where you have agreed this with the Admissions Office before you apply. We will not consider applications without UCAT if we have not already agreed to the exemption.

UCAT website

After you apply

After you have applied for your degree programme, we suggest you have a look at the following information to help you prepare for university:

Learn about fitness to practise 

You need to show evidence that you are fit enough to participate in the practical applications and physical activities of this programme. 

If you are invited for an interview, you are required to declare in writing to the Admissions Team anything that might affect your fitness to practise ability.   

This might include (but is not restricted to) if you:

  • have previous or current civil or criminal legal proceedings
  • are or have been subject to disciplinary procedures connected to prior academic studies or employment
  • have previously been the subject of Fitness to Practise procedures in any context and any such disclosure may lead to appropriate investigation processes

If you are unsure about whether you should make a declaration, contact the medical admissions team. 

Contact us

If you do not disclose a matter that could reasonably be considered to be of relevance to your future fitness to practise at the time of admission, this may be detrimental and impact your fitness to practise.

Complete health clearance checks 

In accordance with Department of Health guidelines, students being admitted to the MBChB need to undergo viral screening for HIV, hepatitis B and hepatitis C and be immunised against hepatitis B. This is part of the induction process for the MBChB.

Applicants holding places in these degrees will receive further information. A positive result in any test will not necessarily preclude entry to the MBChB.

It is the responsibility of each individual to ensure they familiarise themselves with the most recent vaccination requirements.

Read the General Medical Council's guidance on Good Medical Practice, particularly section 29:

Good medical practice

Pay a deposit if you are an international student

As there are limited places for international students on our MBChB programme, you are required to pay a fee deposit equal to one-third of the first year's fees if:

  • you are an international student who receives an offer
  • you make us your Firm choice

Medicine fees for 2025-2026

The deposit is required to ensure all applicants are serious about studying on the course, and also helps to cover costs and losses should a firm offer holder withdraw their application before commencing study, or leave their studies during the first year.

A deposit is not required if you are a sponsored applicant. However, we will need to see evidence of sponsorship to waive the requirement to pay the deposit.

Deposits are only refundable in the following circumstances:

  • You fail to meet the academic conditions of your offer (automatically refunded).
  • You change your mind about studying on the course within 14 days of payment.

Should you wish to cancel your application more than 14 days after payment, or leave study within your first year, you will not be able to reclaim your deposit. Any partial or full refund for reasons of challenging personal circumstances is at the discretion of the College.

Join the PVG (Protecting Vulnerable Groups) scheme for a background check

If we give you an offer, you will need to join Disclosure Scotland's Protecting Vulnerable Groups (PVG) scheme before you start this degree programme.

We will send you information on how to join the PVG scheme.

PVG scheme information on the Scottish Government website

If you live outside the UK

If you live outside the UK, or have spent more than one year living outside the UK, then you will need to provide equivalent verification from the relevant national authority.

If you have a criminal conviction

If you state you have a criminal conviction, we will not ask for any more details until we consider your application and decide you are eligible for an offer.

Applying as an international student

As an international student, you apply for this degree programme through UCAS.  

Find out more about applying through UCAS  

Visas and immigration 

If you do not have the right to live in the UK, you will need to apply for and secure a Student visa before the start date of your degree programme.  

Our Student Immigration Service can help you with the Student visa application process. 

Applying for a visa  

Agents  

An education agent is someone who can help you with the application process as an international student. 

We work with education agents around the world and have a list of local offices you can contact.  

Find contact details for an education agent

What our students say

A photograph of Phei, a Year 4 Medical student, smiling in a field of yellow flowers.

 

Why Choose Edinburgh Medical School?

Discover why Edinburgh was the right choice for current Year 4 student, Phei.

Day in the life of an Edinburgh Medical Student

Discover what a day in the life on placement is like, from theatre to shadowing and self-directed study.

Ask me anything!

Not sure what PBL is? Want to know what happens in your intercalated year or what the workload is like at medical school? Take a look at our Ask Me Anything series, where our current students provide their answers to common questions.

Accommodation

We guarantee an offer of University accommodation for all new, single undergraduate students from outside Edinburgh. To be eligible, you need to meet all criteria and apply for accommodation by 16 August in the year of your entry to the University.

University accommodation website

Accommodation guarantee criteria

If you prefer to live elsewhere, we can offer you advice on finding accommodation in Edinburgh.

Accommodation information from the Edinburgh University Students' Association Advice Place

Societies and clubs

Societies and sport clubs are a big part of student life and can be a great way to enhance your social and academic life.

In addition to the wider university societies and clubs at Edinburgh, you will also find societies and sport clubs with a specific focus on the medical profession. These can be a great way to develop your understanding of a specialist area and to meet students from different year groups who often share new perspectives and insights into a topic or study technique.

Societies include:

  • Student Anatomy Society
  • Student Surgical Society
  • GP Society
  • Global Health Society
  • Obstetrics and Gynaecology Society
  • Psychiatry Society
  • Paediatrics Society and more

There are also societies and groups that provide a safe place and representation for self-identifying students of different communities:

  • BAME Medics Edinburgh. Society and open platform addressing BAME medical students’ experiences in Edinburgh Medical School.
  • Edinburgh University LGBT+ Medics. A social and safe community for LGBT+ medical students and allies at the University of Edinburgh.
  • Wellmed. A place for medical students to talk about their worries, share their stories and be part of a welcoming community.

The city of Edinburgh

Scotland's inspiring capital will form the background to your studies — a city with an irresistible blend of history, natural beauty and modern city life.

Find out more about living in Edinburgh

Explore Edinburgh: a med student's guide to the city

Discover what makes Edinburgh the perfect student city for Year 4 student, Jemima.

Health and wellbeing support

You will have access to free health and wellbeing services throughout your time at university if you need them.

The support services we offer include:

  • a student counselling service
  • a health centre (doctor's surgery)
  • support if you're living in University accommodation
  • dedicated help and support if you have a disability or need adjustment

Health and wellbeing support services

Contact us

Contact us through our enquiry team if you have any questions about this programme.

Open days, events and visits

Find out when our next open days will be taking place

Open days, events and visits

Chat to our students on Unibuddy

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Discover Uni data

This information is part of a government initiative to enhance the material that higher education institutions provide about their degree programmes.

It is one of many sources of information which will enable you to make an informed decision on what and where to study.

Some programmes do not have Discover Uni data available.

  • Revised When to Apply section 5 March 2025 to clarify UCAT exemption processes