Medicine and Surgery Lancaster University

At Lancaster University, studying Medicine and Surgery is about more than learning to diagnose and treat disease. It is about becoming a compassionate, thoughtful doctor who can thrive in the rapidly evolving world of healthcare.

Our MBChB programme is designed with the future of medicine in mind. Through modern teaching methods, early clinical experience, and strong partnerships with healthcare providers, you will build the knowledge, confidence, and practical skills needed to succeed as an empathetic and patient-centred doctor.

What makes Lancaster distinctive is our values-led approach. We believe in social justice, inclusion, and sustainability and so these sit at the heart of our programme, encouraging you to understand patients as whole people shaped by their lives, communities, and environments.

Our curriculum also reflects the realities of modern healthcare. You will explore how many people now live with multiple long-term conditions and about the body’s systems in an integrated way, helping you understand how conditions interact and preparing you to care for real patients with complex needs.

A fresh look at teaching medicine

The world of medicine is constantly evolving. To reflect that, we are refreshing the way we teach medicine and surgery at Lancaster, so that we can prepare our students to excel as medics in the healthcare environment of the future. You will learn about the latest developments in clinical medicine and technology through modern and engaging ways of learning.

One of the things that makes Lancaster different is our focus on multimorbidity. Instead of learning about illnesses one-by-one in isolation, you’ll explore how people often live with several long-term conditions at the same time. This reflects what doctors see in real life and helps prepare you to care for real patients from the very start of your training.

To reflect this, you will learn about the body’s systems, such as the cardiovascular, musculo-skeletal or renal systems before seeing how dysfunction leads to ill health, causing problems for patients with movement or homeostasis, for example. You will also learn how social, psychological and ethics impact on perception and delivery of healthcare so you can treat the whole person rather than addressing isolated ailments.

Our curriculum themes

We are passionate about our research, which focuses on understanding the health needs of local, national and global populations and we use this to inspire the doctors we train to have a positive impact on people’s lives.

Our curriculum is built around core themes that will enable you to develop the knowledge and skills required for modern clinical practice including:

• medical sciences

• the psychology and sociology of health and illness

• population health

• professional practice and values

• medical ethics and law

A balanced mix of teaching methods

Your learning will include a mix of methods and formats, each of which is carefully chosen to fit what you are learning

• Case-Based Learning (CBL) that helps you think like a doctor and work through real clinical problems

• Clinical skills teaching to build practical, hands-on abilities

• Simulation-based learning so you can practise safely and grow in confidence

• Anatomy teaching, including using modern tools like Anatomage tables

• Early and ongoing patient contact, in both community and hospital settings

All of these approaches are chosen because they match what you’re learning at each stage, whether that’s understanding how the body works, learning how to communicate with patients, or making complex clinical decisions. The aim is to help you feel prepared, supported, and ready for real medical practice.

Entry requirements

These are the typical grades that you will need to study this course. This section will tell you whether you need qualifications in specific subjects, what our English language requirements are, and if there are any extra requirements such as attending an interview or submitting a portfolio.

A levels

AAA. This should include three subjects taken at one sitting, after two years of study, including any two of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology.

Access to HE Diploma

Please refer to the Lancaster Medical School web pages.

Advanced Skills Baccalaureate Wales

Please refer to the Lancaster Medical School web pages.

BTEC Extended Diploma

Not accepted on its own

BTEC in combination with A levels

Please refer to the Lancaster Medical School web pages.

International Baccalaureate

36 points overall with at least 6 in 3 HL subjects including any 2 of Biology, Chemistry and Psychology

Scottish Highers and Advanced Highers

Please refer to the Lancaster Medical School web pages.

T levels

Not accepted

GCSE requirements

Minimum score of 13 points from 8 subjects (A or A* or 7-9 = 2 points; B or 6 = 1 point). The 8 subjects must include double award Combined Science (trilogy) or Biology, Chemistry and Physics, Maths and English Language (grade B/6 or above). If Biology or Chemistry is not studied at A level, then GCSE must be at least grade 7/A.

Additional requirements

All applicants must take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) to be eligible for consideration at Lancaster Medical School. No applicant will be offered a place without being interviewed in person. Lancaster Medical School uses the multiple mini interview format for their admissions interviews. More information can be found on the Lancaster Medical School web pages.

English language requirements

If English is not your first language, we require an IELTS score of 7.0 overall with at least 7.0 in each component for this programme. English language qualifications for undergraduate study.