Medical Foundation Programme

The international medical foundation programme helps students to acquire the knowledge base, academic and practical skills necessary for study at degree level. It provides an understanding of how the human body works through a study of anatomy, physiology and biochemistry. It also introduces the study of some elements of pathology, microbiology, virology and parasitology, genetics and public health.

The medical foundation programme has been developed with an appreciation of the specific requirements of medical and dental schools. One example of this is using problem based learning in some parts of the syllabus where students learn from the study of specific cases – a method of teaching used increasingly in UK medical schools.

There is a strong emphasis on developing learning skills and approaches in preparation for higher education study. The final module, Investigations in Life Sciences, offers students the opportunity to carry out their own research project, introducing the research skills required at undergraduate level.  Students graduating from the course are well equipped with the skills and attributes required for degree level study.

The medical foundation course offers progression routes to the international students to a number of universities:

1. 1. The one-year Pre-Med programme at the University of Buckingham which, in turn, offers a direct progression into Buckingham’s four and a half year medical degree programme: https://www.buckingham.ac.uk/pg-medicine-allied-health/certhe/pre-med/
   2. The five-year medical degree programme at the Royal College of Surgeons in Ireland (RCSI)
   3. The five-year medical degree programme at the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan) Medical School
   4.  The five-year medical degree programme at St. George’s University in Grenada. This course has the option of completing the first two years in the UK at Northumbria University and the final two clinical years either in the UK or the USA
   5. The six-year medical degree course at the University of Nicosia
   6. The six-year medical degree and the five year dental degree at the European University of Cyprus
   7. The six-year medical degree course at the Sarajevo School of Science & Technology
   8. The course also offers direct progression routes into other life science-related degree courses including the University of Birmingham, Aston University, Brunel University and the University of Swansea.

Genes, Cells & Development

This module provides a solid foundation for the study of biomedical phenomena and the conditions for cellular life and health. Beginning with the constituents of living things, the module explores the way that molecules and energy interact to produce compartmentalised structures that regulate and reproduce themselves.

Atoms, Molecules & Reactions

This module teaches the fundamentals of physical chemistry, so that students learn to account for and predict changes of chemical or biochemical state in terms of the constituents of matter and the energy changes they undergo. The module emphasises problem solving skills, and fundamental laws. Chemical principles will be illustrated with examples from life and health sciences, and students will be encouraged to find and discuss further applications.

Measurements in Life Sciences

Students will learn how biology and health are described and investigated by physical approaches, since living systems have no special laws of their own. They will approach physical concepts through examples drawn from biological scenarios. These studies in physics will be underpinned by workshops where students will become proficient in mathematical operations and thinking that will be required throughout their academic and professional lives. Finally, students will learn the basics of computing, and apply them to a simple biological problem or scenario.

Medicine, Disease & Society

This module introduces students to the social and historical context of health and healthcare, including contemporary problems and dilemmas, and possible future developments. Students will consider their own reasons for aspiring to work in healthcare, and will acquire tools for discussing and evaluating claims about health, disease and treatment. In the course of this, they will develop their communicative competence and confidence, and become familiar with norms of academic work. In the course of activities and formal assessments, students will develop their own insights into learning style and revision, planning assignments, finding selecting and using sources, reading and note-taking strategies, class participation and teamwork, and most importantly, communicating and showing their learning.

Tissues, Systems & Regulation

This module builds on the work of Genes, Cells & Development to explain system-level phenomena in the life sciences. Students will study the principal physiological systems in mammals. Students are expected to apply physiological principles and mechanistic insights to explain the response of living systems to perturbations, including disease states.

Periodic & Organic Chemistry

This surveys periodic table and organic chemistry, with an emphasis on principles (of atomic structure, of electron movements) that develop students’ skills in chemical problem solving. Functional groups will be studied in the context of reaction mechanisms (free radicals, eliminations, additions, substitutions) and function. Students are encouraged to explore biomedical applications of group chemistry, organic structure and mechanism.

Investigations in Biomedicine

This module prepares students to pursue and present their own work at a level appropriate to higher education. They will select a topic of interest, in negotiation with a supervisor, generate their own findings, and present the results in formats adapted to different audiences.

Academic English

International students whose first language is not English also receive 6 hours of Academic English tuition, preparing them for IELTS tests

Minimum age: 17 at the start of the course. Other entry requirements vary from one country to another but applicants must have completed Year 12 at High School with good grades particularly in Biology and Chemistry.
English language level equivalent to 6.0 in IELTS. For students who do not have this level of English, Pre-Sessional courses are available. Click here to find out more.

Also, we offer One to One Tutoring, please click here to find out more.

One academic year

Start dates:
8th January 2024

£18,000.00*

* These fees are for UK based centres and may vary for other centres, please see individual teaching centre pages for more details.