Nb. This is a Student created document in 2014 – 2015 and some things will change slightly each year. It is also supplementary to all the other information and documentation that you will receive. It is simply to help provided you with an overview and more information on what to expect. Enjoy!
Second Year
First Year
Jan: Exams
Modules include: Behavioural Sciences (BHS), Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Haematology (CRH), Early Clinical and Professional Development (PD1), Public Health and Epidemiology (PH1), Structure, function and pharmacology of excitable tissues (EXT) Second Term: Human Development Structure and Function/ Anatomy (SF1), Human Development and Tissue Differentiation (HDT), Molecular Basis of Medicine (MBM), Clinical Laboratory Sciences (CLS), Clinical Communication Skills (I) (CS1)
09 (Sept)
10
11
12
Feb: Results
01
02
June: Results
03
04
05
06
07
First Year Easter hols (4wk)
Christmas holiday (4wk)
08
You still have long Holidays! (July – September)
Nov: You will have talks within your halls from reps about living accommodation in the future.
Fresher’s term: This is a busy term & this is just some of what occurs; Induction week, the year photo, occupational health, start of lectures, meeting your tutor, medic family and your seminar group. Socials: Medics cocktail party, 7 legged, Meet your boss, Halloween social (and more, see Bedpans and dipsticks).
Oct: Nottingham Goose Fair: This is really worth going to, google it and have a look, it’s usually at the start of October. (Geese have nothing to do with it).
Jan: Start weekly dissection
09 (Sept)
June: Moving out date for catered halls
10
11
12
01
02
Christmas holiday (4wk)
st
Dec: Winter Balls - these include balls organised by your halls, the University Karni Snowflake Ball and the Medsoc Medics Winter ball
Nov: First Hospital Visit (There will be more throughout term)
Information and Advice from older students Advice from older years, (more on the website) “Get to know Nottingham, not just the medical school. See the city during the day, you are going to be here for 5 years so get to know the town and try out Annie’s Burger shack, or “The Glee Club” in Nottingham.” “Make time to go home and stay in touch with family. It’ll keep you sane and stable in first year” “Get involved in the SU sports or societies, there are so many, it is cheap and you will meet like-minded, enthusiastic people.” “During first term you will also meet your personal tutor who is an important contact for your time at University. They can help you with a range of things but also will act as one of your references in fifth year, so make the effort with them!” “Do seminar group socials! You will have sessions with this group throughout the first few years and be on hospital visits together so get to know each other.”
05
06
07
Easter hols (4wk)
08
Nov: Start choosing optional modules. You will be given more information at the time. These optional modules range from topics of diagnostic imaging, to anatomy, obstetrics, molecular medicine and psychiatry. You rank the module you want and then it is in part a lottery determining what you will get.
09 10 (Sept)
11
12
Mar/Apr: MedSoc Teaching to help with neuroanatomy etc starts Feb: 1st/2nd year boat party
Mar: Coursework deadlines (ECPD)
Mar: Choose Honours Year Project (Dissertation) Homebases
Dec: Winter Balls - these include balls organised by your halls, the University Karni Snowflake Ball and the Medsoc Medics Winter ball Oct: GP and Hospital visits start
Choosing Homebase: Your Homebase determines the topics of your dissertation and the two taught modules you do in 3rd year. Examples include the Homebases of brains and behaviour, public health etc. Within this are a range of titles from which you will choose your dissertation. The two additional modules will also be determined by this. BMedSci Calculator You may start wondering what contribution years 1, 2 and 3 have towards the overall BMedSci Degree and how much each exam counts. On this website is the “BMedSci Calculator” which allows you to calculate your average, and what marks you need for a particular award class. 2nd Year Summer: “As your last long summer this is a great opportunity to get involved in a charity project or do one of the expeditions abroad. The University Student Union, Karni and MedSoc can all provide a range of information on what is available.”
01
See the Starting CP1 Tab (under Clinical Support) for more information
02
03
04
05
06
Clinical Phase 2 (CP2) – 40 weeks
Christmas holiday (1wk)
See the Starting CP2 Tab (under Clinical Support) for more information
07 08 (July)
09
10
Nov: REM Exam Nov/Dec Homebase Exams: The dates of these depend on your chosen modules. Some are in November and some are in late December.
Dec: CP1 allocations released
11
12
01
02
03
04
05
06
07 08 (July)
09
10
Fourth year Summer Holiday: Generally two weeks, last week of June and first week of July
Easter weekend
Jan: Dissertation deadlines
Sept: Start Dissertation
Clinical Phase 3 (CP3) – 32 weeks In your final year, you undertake the 32week Advanced Clinical Experience (ACE) course comprising the following subjects: Medicine; Surgery; Musculoskeletal Disorders and Disability; Primary Care (General Practice) and Critical Illness. Final exams take place after ACE in February. Following this is the final module – “Transition to Practice”. See the Starting CP3 Tab
This is the year of specialities. In this 40-week period students rotate (at different times) between the following modules: Obstetrics and Gynaecology; Child Health; Healthcare of the Elderly; Psychiatry; Specials (Made up of Ophthalmology, Otorhinolaryngology and Dermatology); Special Study Module.
Third Year
You still have long Holidays! (July – September)
Housing: At the start of 2nd year the majority of students move out of catered halls, although some remain. Students often move into Lenton, Beeston, Dunkirk or elsewhere in Nottingham towards town and the city centre
Feb: 1 /2nd year boat party
Oct: First GP Visit (There will be more throughout term)
04
Second Year
Dec: Finish weekly dissection
March: Coursework Deadlines (as part of your ECPD module you will be expected to write up a number of patient cases you have encountered).
03
During this 17-week course, students from both A100 and A101 (GEM) undertake modules in Clinical Practice (Medicine and Surgery), Community Follow-up, and Therapeutics. This period represents the start of intensive clinical teaching and experience.
Third year is also when you will start on the clinical phases. This can be a big change and for some mean moving out of Nottingham and living at a different site.
June: Results
Feb: Results
Clinical Phase 1 (CP1) – 17 weeks
Honours Project Year Third Year Modules: Modules undertaken are: Research Methods (REM); Honours-Year Project (Dissertation); Infection (AMC); plus two taught modules dependant on your Homebase.
May/Jun: Exams (including OSCE)
Jan: Exams
Modules include: Alimentary System & Nutrition (ASN), Applied Public health (PH2), Clinical Communication Skills (II) (CS2), Clinical Laboratory Sciences (II) (CLS), Early Clinical and Professional Development (II) (PD2), Functional and Behavioural Neuroscience (FBN), General and Biochemical Pharmacology (GBP), Human Development Structure and Function (II) (SF2), Renal and Endocrine systems (REN). As well as these till be two optional modules you select.
May/Jun: Exams, including your first OSCE
Feb:BMedSci Vivas Feb: AMC 2 week course
Jun: Exams (CP1, including OSLER & Thp)
Mar: Honours year project (dissertation) and AMC marks are released at the end of March
May: CP2 Exams
Nov: Elective introductory talk about electives. Generally students start looking into organising their elective a year in advance
Jul: Exam results (Final BMedSci award and CP1 results)
Dec: BMedSci Graduation
Jan: CP3 allocations released
Medics Musical: This runs in the summer following CP2 and is done by fourth year (CP2 students).
“Starting the Clinical phases is like starting a whole new course, it is similar to an apprenticeship in that you will be in a professional environment, learning on the job and doing working hours. Start making the most of your weekends and get organised with your time and work!” Look under the Clinical Support part of the Website for more information on the clinical phases, as well as advice and further resources.
03
04
05
Christmas holiday (10 days/2 wk)
Nov: Electives paperwork deadline Dec: Situational Judgement Test (SJT)
Jun: CP2 exam results (tend to be released during your summer holiday).
Dec: First set of CP2 exam results
“Dissertations can be a bit hit and miss. Some people get a subject they love and can become completely absorbed in and some people have a title they have less interest in and it is a struggle. Either way, get to know your supervisor and be enthusiastic as this will make the whole process a great deal easier”.
02
Sept: Applications for Foundation programme begins (information on this is circulated from Aug/Sep)
Dec: CP2 Exams
Mar: Clinical Phase 1 (CP1) begins in the first week of March. The GEM and Undergraduate courses merge at this stage.
01
Aug: Decile Calculations released for FPAS applications towards the end of August
Mar: Child health OSLER (if on that rotation)
Jul: Start CP2
May: CFU Deadline
12
Fifth Year Summer Holiday: Generally three weeks at the end of May/ beginning of June
Christmas holiday (2wk)
Sept: Child health OSLER (if on that rotation)
11
“CP2 is known for being a hard year just because it is so long. You have a very short break after CP1 and then start straight back and run through to Christmas. It is also demanding because all these specialities are completely new knowledge. But it can also be one of the most enjoyable years as often people find a speciality they really enjoy and you will be being exposed to completely new things. Take it at a steady pace, don’t get bogged down, keep doing things for fun and stay organised with work.” “CP2 is the most varied year! You will go from putting tubes up noses to delivering babies, to visiting psychiatric patients in prison. It is great but fast paced too.” “Start considering money for fifth year early on. Student finance changes and you may not get your full loan, instead there is funding from the NHS bursary.”
Feb: Final Exams Feb/Mar: Careers week Mar: Finals Results
Jul: Start CP3
Mar: F1 Prep Week Mar – Jun: MAST/ ELECTIVE
Apr: Finals Resits
You will be allocated in 5th year either to MAST1 or MAST2. This determines whether you do MAST first and elective second, or the other way round.
Graduation and Grad Ball: Graduation tends to be in the second week of July, followed by Grad ball that weekend. Grad Ball is a 2 – 3 day break at a country house with entertainment, food and drink.
“Finals aren’t actually all that final! You do them in February and then following that will complete the “Transition to practice” Module. This bridges the gap between being a final year medic and becoming an F1 doctor. It includes a careers week that is organised by the medical school, a week of teaching which is your “F1 prep week”, the MAST rotation and your elective.” “Start prepping for finals early, get a group together and on a weekly basis just run through examinations. You want to be as comfortable and slick with them as possible by the time finals come round”. For more information on FPAS, the SJT, and finances in 5th year, electives and more, Visit “Starting CP3” under the “Clinical Support” part of the website.
06