Cardiff University School of Medicine

Cardiff University School of Medicine was founded in 1893 when the Departments of Anatomy, Physiology, Pharmacology, Pathology, Bacteriology were founded at University College of South Wales and Monmouthshire, in the same year. Students finishing their preclinical studies at Cardiff went on to other medical schools to continue their clinical studies. Most went to University College Hospital in London, part of University College London to complete their clinical studies. In 1931, the Medical School established a separate identity as the Welsh National School of Medicine, and in 1984, its name changed to University of Wales College of Medicine. In 2004, University of Wales College of Medicine was re-united with Cardiff, forming the Cardiff University School of Medicine.

The Medical School is situated at the University Hospital of Wales, Cardiff, UK.

Curriculum
In 1995, the college introduced a new medical curriculum from which students should be able to combine and use knowledge, skills and judgement and develop appropriate attitudes to deliver a high standard of professional care.

Cardiff University offers an integrated medical course, whereby majority of the teaching is through lectures, but there also are problem-based learning, self-directed sessions and tutorials for demonstrations of clinical components.

Academic departments
The School's 21 academic departments are organised into three divisions: Division of Clinical Laboratory Science, Division of Community Specialties and Division of Hospital Specialties.

The pre-clinical years are mostly spent within the School of Biosciences at Park Place before moving on to the University Hospital at Heath Park for the remainder of the course. There are however a few teaching sessions within University Hospital during the pre-clinical years.

Research
The School has a strong reputation for research. Research facilities have recently been enhanced with the £11m Henry Wellcome Building for Biomedical Research in Wales. The building includes 4500 of state-of-the-art laboratories and equipment for research into Infection & Immunity, Cancer Biology and Psychiatric Genetics, adjacent to a purpose-built Clinical Research Facility. The Henry Wellcome Building is the largest development of its kind ever undertaken in Wales and will be a flagship for biomedical research in Wales and the Principality.

Alumni
There are many distinguished alumni of the Cardiff University School of Medicine. These include Professor Sir Keith Peters, who is Regius Professor of Physics at the University of Cambridge, where he is also the Head of the School of Clinical Medicine. Another distinguished alumnus is Professor Sir Leszek Borysiewicz. Previously, Professor Borysiewicz was Professor of Medicine and Head of the Department of Medicine at Cardiff University School of Medicine, he became the Principal of the Imperial College Faculty of Medicine until August 2004. He is now Deputy Rector of Imperial College London.

Staff and Students
The School of Medicine welcomes around 320 undergraduates and around 80 post-graduates. The dean of Cardiff University School of Medicine is Professor David-Wynford Thomas.