Newcastle University Medical School

The University of Newcastle upon Tyne Medical School was established in 1834 in the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and served as the College of Medicine in connection with Durham University from 1851 to 1937 when it joined Armstrong College, to form King's College, Durham. In 1963 King's College became the University of Newcastle upon Tyne. The university now uses the name Newcastle University.

The medical school follows a modern, integrated, systems based curriculum. It operates in partnership with the Durham University Queen's Campus in Stockton-On-Tees. Students at both campuses study independently for the first two years, before all being assigned to one of four separate clinical base units for the third year. These base units are Tyneside, Northumbria, Wearside and Teesside. It is at these base units that the bulk of clinical teaching takes place. All students, including those from Queen's Campus then go to Newcastle Medical School for their fourth year before returning to a base unit different from the one they attended in third year for their fifth and final year of university teaching. Again, this is an almost entirely clinical year.

The medical school also offers an accelerated medical programme, intended for students who have a previous degree in a different (often unrelated) discipline. This lasts four years, the first year covering the same material as the first two years of the five-year course. Second year 'accelerated' students are then taught alongside the third year students from the five-year programme.

It consistently ranks as one of the top medical schools in the UK due to its high level of teaching and research. It is also the first institution in the UK to be given permission to pursue stem-cell research. Prospective students applying to the medical school for both the standard (five year) and accelerated (four year) programmes for entry in academic year 2007 will be required to sit the UKCAT admission test. Information about the test and preparation can be found at UKCAT