Lancaster Medical School is a modern, forward-looking school that prizes students who think about the future of healthcare the way we do. We offer a nurturing, academic, diverse community. We want you to thrive as a medical student, and we will support you every step of the way.
We want future healthcare to be aligned with the backgrounds and needs of the communities it serves. This means not only striving for excellence in research and academic standards, but also examining the factors that contribute to positive health for everyone.
We are one of the UK's smaller medical schools. Being small means that we can really support you every step of the way.
Our community of academics, clinicians, and students is incredibly friendly and supportive. From medic ‘parents’ who help you navigate the programme, to dedicated student support from Lancaster Medical School and the wider University.
When you arrive at Lancaster Medical School you immediately become part of a diverse, dynamic, friendly community. As a small medical school, Lancaster really enables you to connect not just with your year, but across the years, learning and contributing along the way.
We spoke to three of our current students who, very recently, were just where you are now.
Myles came to Lancaster Medical School through our Gateway to Medicine programme. We asked him about why he wanted to become a doctor.
"I have a little brother who was born with a medical condition and seeing the process and understanding how a doctor can affect someone's life in a really positive way helped me see the value of doing the course. I want to be that doctor who really helps people."
We asked second year student, Lily, about her experience:
"The thing that surprised me most was the level of support that we get. The way the course is structured from day one; the way everyone here helps you make that transition from high school to university. They understand that it's a big undertaking, studying Medicine, and they just want us to do well - to really succeed - and so they just support us in everything, all the time."
We asked second year, Unna, why she applied to Lancaster Medical School.
"One of the reasons was because it was a new school and seemed to be really focussed on modern technology compared to other courses. Medical technology is moving so fast (I saw a Da Vinci machine on work experience) and Lancaster has these Anatomage tables, and just a general focus on modern techniques ... It made me want to come here."
If you would like to chat with a current student, you can message our Faculty Instagram and one of our student ambassadors will get back to you, or you can reach out via the university online chat.
Lancaster Medical School is based in the Health Innovation One building. The building was opened by our Faculty of Health and Medicine executive Dean in 2020. It sits slightly apart from the rest of the campus (but don't worry, it's an easy walk down from any of the halls of reseidence, or Colleges).
We combine problem-based learning (PBL) and early clinical placements with teaching from academics and clinicians.
We use PBL because we feel it most closely reflects the real-life way that cases present themselves once you qualify as a doctor.
In PBL you will work in a small group to ‘solve’ a scenario or medical case study. You will read through the case together and identify learning objectives, which will inform exactly what you need to go away and research individually. Some of the knowledge will also be covered in your other classes. You will then re-group to discuss findings.
PBL is always facilitated by an experienced tutor, who will ensure that you learn the appropriate breadth and depth of material.
For me, problem-based learning is a much more engaging way to learn than being assigned book after book on a topic and then having to memorise it for an exam. In PBL, we are given the opportunity to do our own research (which is guided by set recommended resources) to fill in gaps in our knowledge on the clinical case of the week. Feedback discussions are always interesting because people in the class have additional information to add so we really build a good understanding of each topic.
Clinical placements will make up most of your timetable in years three to five. You'll work in hospitals and primary care/community settings in north and east Lancashire and south Cumbria, gaining experience of different specialties.
In your first year, you will have classes dedicated to studying effective communication and you'll have the opportunity to develop your communication skills in interaction with simulated patients (actors).
From year two, in addition to teaching sessions with simulated patients and clinical tutors, you will continue to develop these skillsyou’ll continue to develop these skills through interaction with real patients in hospitals and GP practices.
In year one, your clinical skills training will take place in our Clinical Skills Centre - a mock clinical setting housed on campus. We use technology called SMOTS to facilitate teaching, enabling you to view the demonstrations from anywhere in the room.
In years two to five, you’ll continue growing these skills on your clinical placements with real patients under the supervision of senior medical staff.
Lancaster Medical School uses non-cadaveric dissection to teach anatomy. We teach anatomy using a range of tools and equipment, from anatomical models and detailed posters, to technology like 3D projectors and anatomage tables. Our clinical academic team has selected what they believe to be the absolute best methods for training you in human anatomy.
Dr Megan Prince is one of the class of 2020 who graduated early to join frontline workers in the NHS. Her first job post-graduation was as an interim-Foundation Doctor (a role that had not existed before), in Airedale General Hospital, West Yorkshire. She started out working Surgery.
On one of her first days on the job, she was concerned that she might not be able to cope, but someone took her to one side and told her not to worry because ‘Lancaster makes great doctors’.
You can read about her experiences transitioning into the NHS during a pandemic here.
We caught up with Megan to ask her some questions about her decisions to study Medicine, and about life after Lancaster:
Hey Megan! How’s it all going?
It's going well! I am still really enjoying the work which is so nice to be able to say. I think this is largely down to how supportive the team is at Airedale, and how well the hospital looks after us junior doctors. I am now working on Medicine, mainly the Covid wards so far, so it has been quite an adjustment from Surgery but I am learning more each day.
What made you want to become a doctor?
I wasn't one of those people who wanted to be a doctor since they learned how to talk. I went through my GCSEs very unsure of what I wanted to do [...]
