About this course
In 2025, BM6 Year 0 students will study an improved and updated course. This will have more clinical learning time and embedded research experience. The major change, to enable this, is the removal of the research project in Year 3 and the associated integrated BMedSc award.
This course is only open to UK applicants.
You'll study at one of the UK's leading teaching hospitals, Southampton General Hospital, and at our purpose-built life sciences facilities on campus. You'll gain clinical experience from the start of your course, meeting patients in hospital and primary care settings. You'll also benefit from our world-leading medical research groups, carrying out your own in-depth project.
This Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BMBS) Medicine BM6 course is designed to widen participation in medicine. For example, you may be able to apply if you or your parent or guardian receive benefits, or you are the first in your family to apply for a higher education course.
As part of your degree you will:
- attend shifts as a healthcare support worker to experience multi-professional teamworking
- take a student assistantship module in year 5
- benefit from teaching from our world-leading medical research groups, embedding research firmly in the curriculum
You can:
- take your year 5 elective anywhere in the UK, or abroad
- apply for a master's of medical science or a MSc at Southampton - or study for a iBSc or MSc at another university - between year 3 and year 4 (known as intercalation)
- explore topics that interest you through our student selected units
You can get involved in research and entrepreneurship. We work on life-changing treatments and therapies in partnership with industry and with experts in the physical sciences, computing, engineering and mathematics fields.
You'll meet patients in clinical settings and will learn from volunteer patients, simulated environments and prepared patient cases.
In year 3 students may be placed in partner trusts including Portsmouth and Winchester as well as Southampton. In the final 2 years of the programme students are placed across the Wessex region.
We regularly review our courses to ensure and improve quality. This course may be revised as a result of this. Any revision will be balanced against the requirement that the student should receive the educational service expected. Find out why, when, and how we might make changes.
Our courses are regulated in England by the Office for Students (OfS).
Accreditations
Learn more about this subject area
“Southampton’s BM6 programme offered me the independence I wanted alongside the support I needed to take full advantage of the wide range of educational and social opportunities available here.”
Course location
This course is based at Highfield.
Awarding body
This qualification is awarded by the University of Southampton.
Download the Course Description Document
The Course Description Document details your course overview, your course structure and how your course is taught and assessed.
Entry requirements
For Academic year
Scottish Qualification
Offers will be based on exams being taken at the end of S6. Subjects taken and qualifications achieved in S5 will be reviewed. Careful consideration will be given to an individual’s academic achievement, taking in to account the context and circumstances of their pre-university education.
Please see the University of Southampton’s Curriculum for Excellence Scotland Statement (PDF) for further information. Applicants are advised to contact their Faculty Admissions Office for more information.
Other requirements
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Course structure
This course lasts for 6 years. Year 0 is designed to build your skills and confidence and give you basic knowledge in key physiological, anatomical and biochemical concepts and principles that you can apply in clinical scenarios and professional practice. You will also develop your numeracy and statistical skills.
After year 0, you will study alongside students on the A100 BM5 medical degree. You will get clinical experience from the first weeks of your course. Clinical experience may involve weekend and evening working.
You must pass all the course modules to progress to the next stage and graduate.
Year 0 overview
You'll have interactive small group teaching sessions during the four modules of Y0. This will include practical sessions within the Centre for Learning Anatomical Sciences, and visits from a range of guest speakers who will speak about their experiences and expertise. Your modules will include opportunities to receive formative feedback, to support you as you prepare for your summative coursework and examinations.
You'll also take placements where you can observe how things work in healthcare settings, such as hospitals and GP surgeries. You'll meet patients and healthcare staff. This will support you to further develop your professional abilities by learning about ethics, psychology and sociology, including the factors that influence health and illness.
Year 1 overview
Phase 1: The Fundamentals of Medicine
This phase takes place over the first 2 years and is made up of 4 university semesters. During this phase, you will complete a number of systems-based modules integrating anatomy, physiology, pathology and pharmacology with the psychosocial sciences.
You'll also complete a Medicine into Practice module in years 1 and 2. This will give you the opportunity to learn medical history-taking and examination skills in both primary care and hospital settings. In year 1 you will choose 2 Student Selected Units focusing on public health and medical humanities.
Phase 1 modules are:
- Foundations of Medicine
- Cardiopulmonary
- Locomotor
- Renal
- Nervous System
- Gastrointestinal System
- Endocrinology and the Life Cycle
- Research into Medicine and Health
- Medicine in Practice 1 and 2
- Student Selected Unit 1 and 2
Year 2 overview
You'll complete phase 1.
Year 3 overview
Phase 2: Progression into Clinical Practice
Year 3 begins with a 16-week module focusing on your research project.
This is followed by 24 weeks of clinical placement focusing on:
- Primary Care and Long-term Conditions
- Medicine and Elderly Care
- Surgery and Orthopaedics
This course also has the option to take a master's of Medical science between year 3 and year 4 (known as intercalation). You can apply for this in year 3.
Year 4 overview
Phase 3: Developing Clinical Practice
This phase takes place through year 4 over 37 weeks. It continues through the first half of year 5 and ends with the year 5 exams. During this phase your studies and clinical practice will include the following modules:
- Acute Care
- Child Health
- Clinical Ethics and Law
- speciality weeks (neurology, dermatology, head and neck and ophthalmology)
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine
- Psychiatry
In year 5, in the 24-week placement leading up to finals, you will have clinical placements in Medicine, Surgery and Primary Care. You can also choose to complete a fourth student selected unit.
Year 5 overview
You'll continue with Phase 3: Developing Clinical Practice, and move into Phase 4.
Phase 4: Preparing for Independent Practice
After finals you will undertake an elective: an 8-week placement abroad or in the UK. You will also complete an assistantship module where you will shadow a Foundation doctor for 2 weeks each in Medicine and Surgery. This will prepare you for entering the Foundation programme as a newly qualified doctor in August.
Want more detail? See all the modules in the course.
Modules
The modules outlined provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. As a research-led University, we undertake a continuous review of our course to ensure quality enhancement and to manage our resources. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand. Find out why, when and how we might make changes.
For entry in academic year 2025 to 2026
Year 0 modules
You must study the following modules in year 0:
Applied Knowledge A
Applied Knowledge A will enable you to understand key physiological, anatomical & biochemical concepts and principles that you can apply in clinical scenarios. You will study: key features and stages in the human life cycle; the structure and function ...
Applied Knowledge B
Applied Knowledge B will enable you to build on your learning in Applied Knowledge A as it is in a similar format with similar modes of assessment. Again you will be provided with an understanding of essential numerical, anatomical, physiological & bioche...
Clinical Practice and Personal and Professional Development
Clinical Practice and PPD is designed to enable you to understand and experience the practice of medicine through a combination of observational, clinical placements and classroom based sessions. The classroom based sessions will help you evaluate and ...
Health Improvement
This module consists of student selected components in public health. These aim to offer student choice and to develop students' professional knowledge, skills, and values and behaviour through reflective practice. Further details will be provided on Blac...
Research as Applied to Medicine
The Research as Applied to Medicine (RAM) module will enable you to understand the types of research activities involved in Medicine, to access and use resources critically in researching a specific subject and to develop data manipulation and visualisati...
Year 1 modules
You must study the following modules in year 1:
Applied Knowledge 1
The Applied Knowledge 1 (AK1) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks. Thi...
Applied Knowledge 2
The Applied Knowledge 2 (AK2) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks. Thi...
Applied Knowledge 3
The Applied Knowledge 3 (AK3) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks. Thi...
Applied Knowledge 4
The Applied Knowledge 4 (AK4) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice applicable to medicine are learned through clinical topic weeks. Thi...
Clinical Practice 1
The module gives you an opportunity to meet patients and to learn important clinical skills from your first weeks within the Faculty of Medicine. There are three components to this longitudinal module: practice-based experiences, campus-based facilitation...
Personal and Professional Development 1
The Personal and Professional (PPD1) module runs throughout year 1 and is the first of three related modules with PPD 2 and 3 running through year 2 and Final year respectively. The personal and professional development highlighted in these modules is ba...
Research as Applied to Medicine 1
The Research as Applied to Medicine 1 (RAM1) module will introduce the core concept of how research evidence influences clinical practice. You will learn the key skills of critical appraisal and statistical analysis in order to effectively interpret publi...
Year 2 modules
You must study the following modules in year 2:
Applied Knowledge 5
As part of our programme review, we are updating this module. The Applied Knowledge 5 (AK5) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice app...
Applied Knowledge 6
As part of our programme review, we are updating this module. The Applied Knowledge 6 (AK6) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice app...
Applied Knowledge 7
As part of our programme review, we are updating this module. The Applied Knowledge 7 (AK7) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice app...
Applied Knowledge 8
As part of our programme review, we are updating this module. The Applied Knowledge 8 (AK8) module is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical concepts and professional practice app...
Clinical Practice 2
This module gives students the opportunity to meet patients and to learn important clinical skills throughout the year, building on learning from Clinical Practice 1. There are four components to this longitudinal module: practice-based experiences, campu...
Medical Humanities
Medical Humanities is an interdisciplinary field that explores the intersection of medicine, healthcare practices, and the human experience through the lens of the arts, humanities, and social sciences. It promotes a more holistic approach to patient care...
Personal and Professional Development 2
The Personal and professional Development 2 (PPD2) module runs throughout year 2 and is the second of three related modules with PPD1 in year 1 and PPD3 in Final year. The personal and professional development highlighted in these modules is based upon t...
Research as Applied to Medicine 2
The Research as Applied to Medicine 2 (RAM2) module will build on the knowledge and skills acquired in the Research as Applied to Medicine 1 (RAM1) module. You will further develop your critical appraisal skills, learn how to design a relevant research s...
Year 3 modules
You must study the following modules in year 3:
Applied Knowledge Assessment (MCQ) Yr 3
The purpose of this module is to ensure students can apply and integrate knowledge and understanding to common clinical conditions and scenarios and professional practice. The third year of the programme in which this module is embedded is considered to b...
Clinical & Professional Skills Assessment (OSCE) year 3
The purpose of this module is to ensure students can develop and apply clinical and Professional skills (including relevant practical procedural skills) to professional practice, using common clinical conditions and scenarios. It is also preparation for t...
Clinical Teaching Series
Within this module, interactive symposia delivered to the whole cohort will complement teaching and learning obtained in years 1&2 as well as from clinical placement. They will help students consolidate and contextualise their knowledge but also identif...
Medicine and Elderly Care
This module provides the students with the opportunities to gain clinical experience in General internal and Geriatric Medicine within the ward and outpatient clinic environment. This module builds on earlier learning in the programme. This module foc...
Mental Health
This integrated module focuses on the application and practice of the knowledge and skills relevant to mental health in clinical practice. It builds on knowledge and skills from years 1 and 2 and focuses on their application to clinical practice in the co...
Population and Planetary Health
The Population and Planetary Health (PPH) module brings together key concepts within the fields of public health, global health and planetary health, integrating these in a manner that is relevant to future practice as a junior doctor. This knowledge will...
Surgery and Orthopaedics
This module focuses on the general surgical and elective orthopaedic basic knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of a newly qualified doctor and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. This module...
Year 4 modules
You must study the following modules in year 4:
Acute Care Year 4
This module focuses on the Acute Care knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised and ...
Child Health
This module focuses on the Child Health knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised an...
Medical Ethics & Law year 4
This module will run throughout the year with a variety of activities occurring during the placements of other clinical modules in year 4. Teaching will take place within the clinical module placement hours. This module focuses on developing the critical ...
Obstetrics and Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine (O and G and GUM)
This module focuses on the Obstetrics & Gynaecology and Genitourinary Medicine ( for BM(EU) also Urology) knowledge, understanding and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The ...
Psychiatry
This module focuses on the Psychiatry knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are however highly contextualised and...
Specialty Weeks (Dermatology, Head & Neck, Neurosciences & Ophthalmology)
This module focuses on the dermatology, neurosciences, ophthalmology and head & neck knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of an F1 doctor, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM p...
Year 5 modules
You must study the following modules in year 5:
Assistantship FY
The Student Assistantship is a six week clinical placement undertaken in the last six months of Final Year. It is a transitional bridge to prepare students for practicing as competent Foundation Doctors. The module will normally take the format of a 6 ...
Medicine (Final)
This module provides the students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are necessary to practice in Medicine as a newly qualified doctor. This module builds on earlier learning throughout the programme. This module...
Personal and Professional Development FY
The module provides students with the opportunity to translate the GMC’s Good Medical Practice principles into day to day clinical practice in a variety of settings. This module focuses on the practitioner and professional skills, knowledge, understand...
Primary Medical Care (Final)
This module focuses on the knowledge and understanding, practitioner and professional skills required of a newly qualified doctor in Primary Care, and the assessments within this module will focus on these areas. The BM programmes are integrated programme...
Student Selected Unit (Final) (elective, clinical placement, research, education, supplementary)
This module is an opportunity for you to gain experience of your choice outside the core programme. This may be in the UK or overseas, and may include an elective, local clinical placement, or a research or education project. Students can also explore a ...
Surgery (Final)
This module provides the students with the opportunity to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes which are necessary to practice in Surgery as a newly qualified doctor. This module builds on earlier Surgical attachments and the Acute Care and Ethics ...
Learning and assessment
The learning activities for this course include the following:
- lectures
- classes and tutorials
- coursework
- independent learning (studying on your own)
Course time
How you'll spend your course time:
Academic support
You’ll be supported by a personal academic tutor and have access to a senior tutor.
Course leader
Caroline Childs is the course leader.
Careers and employability
The employability and enterprise skills you'll gain from this course are reflected in the Southampton skills model. When you join us you'll be able to use our skills model to track, plan, and benefit your career development and progress.
Download skills overview
Career pathways
Graduates commonly work in a range of organisations or sectors including:
NHS,
Private healthcare establishments,
HE Institutions,
Pharmaceutical companies,
Medical Research Laboratories,
Clinical trial organisations,
Residential nursing homes,
Air ambulance services,
Overseas aid agencies,
The armed Forces,
Prisons.
- General practitioner
- Anaesthetist
- Cardiologist
- Clinical radiologist
- Neurologist
- Ophthalmologist
- Psychiatrist
- Paediatrician
- Oncologist
- Urologist
- Academic researcher
- Clinical scientist
- Epidemiologist
- Pharmacologist
- Medical sales representative
- Medical writer
- Toxicologist
- Lecturer
- Management consultant
- Medicolegal adviser
- Doctor
- Research manager
- Clinical scientist
- Bioinformatics consultant
- Genetics consultant
- Data analyst
- Genetics scientist
- Research fellow
Job prospects for BM6 Medicine graduates
*Example graduate job titles and job prospect statistics taken from The Graduate Outcomes Survey, which gathers information about the activities and perspectives of graduates 15 months after finishing their course.
Work experience opportunities
Choosing to do work experience is a great way to enhance your employability, build valuable networks, and evidence your potential. Learn about the different work and industry experience options at Southampton.
Careers services and support
We are a top 20 UK university for employability (QS Graduate Employability Rankings 2022). Our Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise team will support you. This support includes:
- work experience schemes
- CV and interview skills and workshops
- networking events
- careers fairs attended by top employers
- a wealth of volunteering opportunities
- study abroad and summer school opportunities
We have a vibrant entrepreneurship culture and our dedicated start-up supporter, Futureworlds, is open to every student.
Your career ideas and graduate job opportunities may change while you're at university. So it is important to take time to regularly reflect on your goals, speak to people in industry and seek advice and up-to-date information from Careers, Employability and Student Enterprise professionals at the University.
Fees, costs and funding
Tuition fees
Fees for a year's study:
- UK students pay £9,535.
- This course is not available to EU and international students.
What your fees pay for
Your tuition fees pay for the full cost of tuition and all examinations.
Find out how to:
You will be responsible for paying certain costs not covered by the tuition fee. These include:
- vaccinations and immunisation
- £100 per year towards travel costs associated with clinical placement.
- medical insurance if you choose to do an elective in another country
Accommodation and living costs, such as travel and food, are not included in your tuition fees. There may also be extra costs for retake and professional exams.
Explore:
Bursaries, scholarships and other funding
If you're a UK or EU student and your household income is under £36,200 a year, you may be able to get a University of Southampton bursary to help with your living costs. Find out about bursaries and other funding we offer at Southampton.
If you're a care leaver or estranged from your parents, you may be able to get a specific bursary.
Get in touch for advice about student money matters.
Scholarships and grants
You may be able to get a scholarship or grant to help fund your studies.
We award scholarships and grants for travel, academic excellence, or to students from under-represented backgrounds.
Support during your course
The Student Hub offers support and advice on money to students. You may be able to access our Student Support fund and other sources of financial support during your course.
How to apply
What happens after you apply?
We’ll assess your application on the strength of your:
- predicted or actual grades
- eligibility criteria: you must meet 3 out of 6 criteria. See Section 3.14 of the selection policy below and the entry requirements section of this page
- performance at a selection day
Please note:
- we do not use your reference as part of the selection process, but you must provide it as part of your application
- if selection day scores are tied, we will use your University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) scores to give final offers
Eligibility criteria
We send out eligibility forms in November. You must return the form to us by the deadline listed on the form. We cannot accept any information submitted after this date. In the form, you must provide evidence showing how you meet our criteria.
The form also includes 3 questions:
- why is the BM6 programme at Southampton right for you?
- what motivates you to study medicine?
- reflect on a challenging situation you’ve experienced: how will this help you as a medical student?
Your answers help us assess your suitability for the course. A panel of BM6 staff will review your answers against our criteria and decide who to invite to a selection day.
Selection days
The selection day process includes an interview and a group task. At the interview, we draw on the information you gave us in your application personal statement.
During the selection process, you must show how you meet our non-academic criteria by demonstrating that you:
- are self-motivated and resilient
- have reflected on relevant life experiences
- can communicate effectively
- can interact successfully with others
- understand the values of the NHS constitution
We offer a number of interview places for Local applicants (whose address on their UCAS application is in Dorset, Hampshire or Wiltshire) applying to the BM6 programme.
Selection day invitations
If you’re invited to attend, we’ll email you full event details beforehand.
Applicants will be invited to attend 2 to 3 weeks before the selection day.
We're unable to offer an alternative date to the one on your invitation. However, if another applicant cancels their place, we sometimes send invitations with a shorter notice period.
2025 selection day dates
You must attend your interview in person.
| Date | Day | Course |
| 25 February | Tuesday | BM6 |
| 26 February | Wednesday | BM6 |
| 27 February | Thursday | BM6 |
Application decision
We aim to respond to you by the end of March with a decision about your application.
Offers are made based on Selection day performance. Where selection days scores are tied we may use UCAT as a determining factor between candidates.
Selection Policy
Download our full selection policy for 2025 entry (ODT, 84KB)
Inside Uni Medicine
Inside Uni Medicine is a new free resource. It's supported by the Medical Schools Council and NHS England and delivered in partnership with Inside Uni; a community of students sharing advice on applying to university.
It gives advice from current students sharing their tips for applicants on applying to university including students from underrepresented backgrounds.
Equality and diversity
We treat and select everyone in line with our Equality and Diversity Statement.
Got a question?
Please contact our enquiries team if you're not sure that you have the right experience or qualifications to get onto this course.
Email: enquiries@southampton.ac.uk
Tel: +44(0)23 8059 5000
Related courses
Medicine BM6 Widening Participation (BMBS) is a course in the Medicine subject area. Here are some other courses within this subject area:
