At Christ's College we have a strong track record in teaching Medicine. We have nine Fellows and four Bye-fellows (see photos on right) in subjects covered by the Medical Course, giving us a wide breadth of teaching expertise.

Directors of Studies:
Professor Mike Edwardson (Preclinical)
Professor Jonathan Gillard (Clinical)

Other Fellows in Medicine:
Professor Nick Gay
Professor Martin Johnson
Professor Peter McNaughton
Professor Margaret Stanley
Dr Helena Browne
Dr David Thomas
Dr Ed Roberts

Bye-Fellows in Medicine:
Dr Michael Gonzalez
Dr Susan Jones
Dr David Webster
Dr Abteen Mostofi

University Website: http://www.bio.cam.ac.uk/sbs/facbiol/mvst/

A Day in the Life of a Christ's Medical Student (opens in new window)

The University accepts around 300 students per year for Medicine. Lectures, practical classes and examinations, organised by the University, are the same for every student reading Medicine at Cambridge regardless of their college.

Why come to Christ's College?

Each student at Cambridge will also be a member of one of the Cambridge Colleges. Colleges are responsible for admitting students, providing accommodation and social facilities, and personal and academic support - including ‘supervisions’ (small group teaching sessions).

At Christ’s we accept 13-14 students each year, giving us a total of 40 medical students in the three preclinical years. So why come to Christ’s to study Medicine? We are a medium sized College, making it easy to get to know students, staff and fellows but also offering space for peace and quiet. Being just over 500 years old we have beautiful buildings - but modern facilities in all the important areas! Our College staff are helpful and supportive and our community is a friendly one. We are located in the centre of town, close to the lectures halls for medical courses (5-10 minutes' walk).

Christ's College first year medical students (2008-09) meet at the main gate prior to their lecture.

We are able to offer accommodation to all undergraduates for three years. There is an active Christ's Medical Society that organises social functions, such as an annual dinner and garden party. The College can provide travel awards to clinical students for Electives, and College prizes are available in Medicine, as in all subjects, for the recognition of academic excellence. The College has a modern library, a theatre, sporting facilities, playing fields, social activities, and clubs and societies open to all.

MVST1A students en route to the Christ's Med Soc dinner, 2008. 

Christ's & the University Preclinical Medical Course

Cambridge Medical students study preclinical courses in year one (Part IA) and year two (Part IB), and then complete a BA by reading one subject in more detail in the third year (Part II). Fellows in Medical Sciences at Christ’s have affiliations with the major teaching departments and/or the Clinical School, making it easy for us to access course information, advise students on options for Part1B and Part II, find suitable supervisors for any subjects that we do not cover ourselves, and advise on clinical school applications.

Mike Edwardson, the Director of Studies in Preclinical Medicine, advises students at Part I and Part II and oversees supervision arrangements for Christ’s Medical students. At Part I, students have one supervision per week for each course, providing regular, direct access to academic support in all subjects.

University courses and College supervisions at Part IA:
Physiology (Homeostasis) – supervised by David Thomas
Anatomy (Functional Architecture of the Body) – supervised by Jonathan Gillard & colleagues
Biochemistry (Molecules in Medical Science) – supervised by David Webster

University courses and College supervisions at Part IB:
Pharmacology (Mechanisms of Drug Action) – supervised by Mike Edwardson
Neurobiology of Human Behaviour – supervised by Sue Jones & colleagues
Pathology (Biology of Disease) – supervised by Helena Browne & colleagues
Human Reproduction – supervised by Martin Johnson & colleagues

MVST1B students clearly enjoying their neurobiology supervision with Dr Susan Jones. 

At Part II, students may choose from a plethora of courses within the School of Biological Sciences and have the opportunity to carry out research projects or to write a dissertation. Alternatively, students may take courses offered by Departments outside the Biological Sciences, e.g. Law, Philosophy, Theology, Modern Languages.

Third year Medical students advise the second years on the different options for Part II.

At the end of each preclinical year, Medical students sit exams set by the University departments. Each exam has two components:
1. Second MB exams are pass/ fail exams that must be completed to an acceptable standard in order to progress with the Medical course. They usually consist of multiple choice, short answer and / or practical questions.
2. Tripos exams (which usually include essays) will determine the class of your degree performance each year (e.g. First, Upper Second, Lower Second, Third).

At Christ’s most supervisors organise a ‘mock’ exam at the start of the Lent term so that students can monitor their progress and get a feel for the questions they will face in the real exam.

Throughout the preclinical training, Medical students have the opportunity to develop their clinical skills through the 'Preparing for Patients' (PfP) course. Jonathan Gillard, the Director of Studies in Clinical Medicine is available to advise students at Part I and Part II on PfP and on their clinical school applications. He also advises clinical students who remain in Cambridge.

Clinical Medicine

Clinical training starts in the fourth year. Currently, approximately 50% of the preclinical students at the University of Cambridge stay in Cambridge to study clinical medicine. The remaining students go to the London or Oxford clinical schools.  The clinical medicine course in Cambridge involves a three-year training program leading to degrees of Bachelor of Medicine (MB) and Bachelor of Surgery (B Chir).

How to apply to study Medicine at Christ’s

In addition to nominating Cambridge as one of your selected universities on the UCAS application form, it is also possible to choose a College of preference (the alternative is to submit an Open Application and allow a College preference to be chosen for you). If you are able to visit Cambridge (preferably on a College Open Day) you may get a better idea of the location, atmosphere and facilities of various Colleges.

Applicants who choose Christ’s as their preferred College will normally be invited for interviews in November/December, and will have at two or three interviews, including a general interview (usually with the Admissions Tutor) and academic interviews with College Fellows in Medical Sciences (usually the Directors of Studies). In the academic interview, we will be considering how applicants solve problems and apply their skills and knowledge, rather than testing factual knowledge. In all interviews, we will also be looking for evidence that you have the necessary skills to practice clinical Medicine. Interviews will typically last 15-30 minutes. At Christ's we aim to admit 13-14 students (from 60-80 applicants) each year.

Admissions requirements

Our aim is to admit the best students regardless of their background. The College will normally make a Conditional Offer, in which case you would have a guaranteed place provided that you achieve your target. Typically for Medicine this would be A*AA in three science subjects or mathematics at A-level, including Chemistry. Medical students also need to meet the University's pre-medical requirements, including the Biomedical Admissions Test (the BMAT):

Application statistics for Medicine for all Cambridge Colleges can be found in the Cambridge Applications Guide.

Further information

If you are able to come to a College Open Day, we will be glad to tell you more about the College and the course in person. If you are not able to come, we will be happy to answer any queries you may have that are not covered by the normal literature. Please address any such enquiries to the Admissions Tutor, Christ's College, Cambridge, CB2 3BU, or by e-mail to admissions@christs.cam.ac.uk.

Queries related specifically to Medicine can also be directed to Professor Edwardson.

Return to list of subjects.