Based in the heart of Cardiff, Wales’s capital city, Cardiff University offers an integrated approach to medicine and dentistry. The University’s combined emphasis on clinical training, scientific knowledge and patient management skills provides a well-rounded education for undergraduate and postgraduate students alike.
School of Medicine
Cardiff University’s School of Medicine, one of the largest in the UK, has 23 departments and over 1000 undergraduate and 1100 postgraduate students.
The School works with more than 12 NHS Trusts and 100 GPs to place students in clinical teaching programmes.
The School of Medicine is partnered with Swansea University, whose 4-Year Graduate Entry Programme offers an accelerated two-year phase for students wishing to finish their degree in four years, and is also partnered with North Wales Clinical School.
Courses
Undergraduate Medicine
For undergraduates, Cardiff University’s primary degree programme is the MBBCh in Medicine. The programme’s integrated curriculum is developed in combination by the School of Medicine and the university’s School of Biosciences.
In addition to its standard 5-year programme, the university also offers a 6-year Foundation programme for students who do not meet the requirements for the 5-year programme (such as students without science A-levels).
The programme focuses on patient management skills as well as medical training. Students interact directly with patients from Year 1 to begin developing clinical skills at an early stage.
75% of the curriculum consists of a core course, while 25% consists of Student Selected Components (SSCs), allowing students to choose their own disciplines for further in-depth study.
Postgraduate Medicine
The School of Medicine offers both Postgraduate Research and Postgraduate Taught programmes.
Rather than being confined to a single area of study, Postgraduate Research students carry out their degree in one of these Interdisciplinary Research Groups (IRGs):
- Cancer Studies
- Clinical Epidemiology
- Infection, Immunity and Inflammation
- Metabolism Repair and Regeneration
- Neurosciences and Mental Health
The Cancer Studies and Infection, Immunity and Inflammation IRGs received a 5 – the highest possible score – during the university’s last Research Assessment Exercise in 2001.
Postgraduate Taught programmes focus on increasing medical students’ vocational skills, and offer both part-time and full-time study options. Some courses offer distance learning options as well. The Postgraduate Taught courses and programmes consist of:
- Anaesthetics and Intensive Care Medicine
- Child Health
- Diabetes Research
- Dermatology
- Geriatric Medicine
- Medical Genetics
- Obstetrics and Gynaecology
- Primary Care & Public Health
- Oncology and Palliative Medicine
- Pharmacology, Theraputics and Toxicology
- Psychological Medicine
- Welsh Centre for Learning Disabilities
- Wound Healing
School of Dentistry
With 290 students in the Bachelor of Dental Surgery programme and over 50 postgraduate students, Cardiff University’s School of Dentistry is an exclusive, forward-thinking institution.
The Dean of the School manages the area’s NHS Dental Services Group, which oversees the UK’s largest Community Dental Service and the local Dental Hospital, whose Paediatric Dentistry Clinic introduced the first Electronic Patient Records ever used in UK dentistry.
Students at the School undergo clinical training in the UK’s first Primary Dental Care unit at St. David’s Hospital, which is also the first UK institution to use Electronic Patient Records for undergraduate study.
Undergraduate Dentistry Courses
At the undergraduate level, the School of Dentistry offers a Bachelor of Dental Surgery (BDS) course in both 5-year and 6-year programmes. Like the School of Medicine courses, the standard programme takes 5 years and the 6-year programme includes a foundation year for students who do not meet the 5-year programme requirements.
The BDS course combines biosciences – anatomy, physiology and biochemistry – with a wide range of dentistry skills. In the final year, students gain practical knowledge by training in hospitals, clinics and primary dental care units.
The School also offers an ERASMUS option for students wishing to study abroad, and is associated with institutions in Italy, Sweden, the Netherlands, and various countries in Europe.
Postgraduate Dentistry Courses
Currently, the School of Dentistry offers Postgraduate Taught courses in:
- Orthodontics (MSc)
- Implantology (MSc)
- Tissue Engineering (MSc)
- Conscious Sedation (MSc/Diploma)
- Clinical Dentistry (MClinDent)
The School also plans to introduce a Dental Education (MSc/Diploma) course in 2010.
Postgraduate Research options in Dental Studies are also available.
Student Life
The City
Cardiff City Centre is accessible by car, bus or walking from the university campus, and contains a variety of bars, restaurants, cafes, pubs and movie theatres. Chapter Arts Centre and The Gate offer weekly classes and host art events throughout the year. For nightlife, try one of Cardiff’s many nightclubs or live music venues.
Student Activities
The university’s Athletic Union has over 60 recreational and competitive sports clubs, while the Student Union supports more than 120 departmental, international, political, religious, volunteering and interest-based student societies.
Students also have the use of a wide range of exercise equipment and classes at three university-owned sports facilities located around Cardiff.
Student Support
Cardiff University provides a variety of support services to help students. The university Careers Service offers career advice, support and guidance to students, while the Day Care Centre looks after students’ children between 0-5 years of age.
The BACP-accredited Counselling Service provides resources and counselling for students struggling with difficult academic or life issues, and runs workshops and a counselling service library.
The non-denominational interfaith campus chaplaincy hosts social events, interfaith discussions and lectures, conducts worship services, and offers a confidential pastoral listening service.