Intercalated Degrees
Completing an intercalated degree is an
opportunity to obtain a further qualification whilst studying your
MBBS. The qualification is usually a year in length and the
qualification you will obtain will be a BSc, BMedSci, BA or MMedSec
in a medical related subject. You would take a break from your MBBS
and the extra year will usually be between year 2 and 3, year 3 and
4, or year 4 and 5, depending on your medical school.
Some medical schools expect all medical
students to complete an intercalated degree. For other medical
schools you will need to apply. You need to bear in mind that entry
is very competitive, especially for the more popular degree
courses.
Click on the image to the left to
listen to a podcast about intercalated degrees.
From a careers’ point of view completing an
intercalated degree can give you some valuable experience in
research and can help bolster your application to the foundation
programme and future applications to specialty. Intercalated
degrees are of particular interest to those who are thinking of
completing an academic career in medicine, or those interested in
medical education. The intercalated degree will give students a
chance to study topics in a greater depth and to become familiar
with scientific techniques and methods of research. You will learn
some important transferable skills on how to critically evaluate
evidence. It is important to choose a degree that is in a subject
area that particularly interests you. You can also take the
opportunity to use this time to explore more about a specialty that
you might be considering for the future.
In addition, you will also have the
possibility of obtaining prizes for your research work and also you
may have the opportunity to present your work at national or
international meetings, or to publish the work in an appropriate
medical journal.
Your medical school website is the best source
of information on the intercalated degrees available to you. You
may also have the option of going to another university, however
often there are strict criteria on whether you can do so or
not.