The University of Buckingham Medical School is the UK's first independent not-for-profit Medical School. The guiding philosophy is to produce highly ethical, honest and compassionate doctors who will put the patient first.
The benefits for the NHS and Trust are clear and real;
- A stepped increase in the number and availability of senior medical staff, both trainees and consultants on site;
- Significant additional new financial revenues;
- State-of-the-art teaching facilities built by the University and available for all NHS professionals;
- An improvements to the number of high quality applicants for both senior medical Consultant posts and senior nursing posts;
- A cheaper, competitive way of training NHS doctors of tomorrow
The Medical School embraces the University of Buckingham ethos of focusing on student experience. This has allowed the University to lead the National Student Survey for Student Satisfaction for the past eight years.
Like all medical schools the entry requirements require students to have both 8 GCSEs A-C (or equivalent) including Biology, Maths, Chemistry and English as well as 3 A-Levels at AAA (or equivalent) including Chemistry and at least one more Science or Maths subject.
The MB ChB programme has been condensed into 4.5 rather than the traditional 5 years and is designed to develop students into competent, safe and caring doctors. The first two years (Phase 1) are a combination of work at the University and clinical work in General Practice and Hospital, so that by the time the student enters Phase 2 (the remaining two and a half years) they are ready to learn through full time clinical work.
Phase 1Phase 1 consists of a series of integrated and interdisciplinary units mostly based around the systems of the body and all presented in a clinical context. Teaching is through coordinated sequences of lectures, work in small groups, self-study and clinical work. By the end of Phase 1 the students will be able to communicate effectively with patients, examine them clinically, and have a sufficient understanding of how the body works in health and disease to embark on full time clinical work. The quality of the teaching is not in doubt as the University has received the ultimate accolade – The Times and The Sunday Times University of the Year for Teaching Quality 2015 – 16. This is the culmination of a decade in which the University has consistently led the way with the most satisfied students, according to the National Student Survey (NSS).
Phase 2
Phase 2 is about building on the foundations of Phase 1 through intensive work with patients and doctors in the clinical environment. Over a series of themed blocks students will be given a structured exposure to all aspects of medicine in both the hospital and the community. The first six blocks are organised around the systems of the body. The second six are organised around systems of care. Students will develop the practical skills they need as doctors through structured training, first in simulated environments and then with real patients. Finally students will work alongside junior doctors in placements will take place predominantly at Milton Keynes Hospital and general practices near Buckingham, the ratio of students to clinical teachers and patients will be kept low, so students will have the best chance to interact with a wide variety of patients and the doctors will have time to ensure the quality of the tuition.
The success of this approach is assured with 66 students starting the first year and 85 students having been confirmed for the second intake.
Milton Keynes Hospital is currently gearing up for the first students to start Phase two with the building of a state of the art education centre costing £8.5m. The ground is currently being cleared and the new building will be complete in early 2017.
The success of the undergraduate medical school is such that post graduate schools for both medicine and surgery are in the advanced planning stages.