The UK is home to some of the oldest universities in the world. In fact, two English universities find themselves on the list of the 10 oldest universities in the world. The island country is known for its fantastic legends about kings and knights, but its selection of prestigious universities offer a rich historic atmosphere and beautiful ancient architecture that has inspired students for generations. The country’s 6 oldest universities were founded by the 17th century or earlier, and you’ll be surprised that it took almost another 250 years until the next university was founded.
Find out all you need to know about the oldest medical school in the uk, oldest medical school in the world, uk medical school requirements international students, top 10 medical colleges in uk, best medical colleges in uk for international students, and uk medical school ranking, right here on this page!
The University of Aberdeen School of Medicine is the oldest medical school in the UK. It was founded in 1726 and has been continually operating ever since. The school was originally located at Marischal College, but in 1969 it moved to Foresterhill.
The University of Aberdeen School of Medicine offers undergraduate courses leading to a bachelor’s degree, as well as postgraduate courses leading to master’s degrees or doctorates. It also has research programs that include clinical trials and epidemiology studies.
Oldest Medical School In UK
Now we shall explore the oldest medical school in the uk, oldest medical school in the world, uk medical school requirements international students, top 10 medical colleges in uk, best medical colleges in uk for international students, and uk medical school ranking
University of Oxford
Location: Oxford, England
Established: 1096
About: When people think about prestigious universities in the UK, the University of Oxford and its long-standing tradition and centuries of history is quick to come to mind. It is the oldest university in the UK and educates a body of talented students locally and from all around the world. The University of Oxford is known formally as The Chancellor Masters and Scholars of the University of Oxford, and has buildings and facilities scattered throughout the city centre. Oxford is a private university and is made up of 38 constituent colleges and a full range of academic departments, organised further into four divisions. In order to be a member of University of Oxford, all students must also be a member of a college or hall.
Though there is no known foundation date, teaching in Oxford can be traced back to 1096. The student body grew when English students returned to Oxford from the University of Paris, and the teaching body was recognised as a universitas or corporation in 1231. Oxford was granted a royal charter in 1248 during the reign of King Henry III. The two ancient universities of England, Oxford and Cambridge, are referred to Oxbridge and enjoy worldwide recognition. The year 1920 saw the admission of female students to Oxford.
Number of students: 23,195 (Undergraduates 11,728; Postgraduates 10,941)
Motto: Dominus Illuminatio Mea(Latin); The Lord is my Light
Colours: Oxford blue
Notable Alumni: 27 British prime ministers; 30 international leaders; Albert Einstein; Adam Smith; Margaret Thatcher; J.R.R. Tolkien; Bill Clinton; Oscar Wilde; Hugh Grant; Amal Clooney; Stephen Hawkings
Nobel laureates: 29 Nobel laureates are affiliated with Oxford including Erwin Schroedinger, Austrian physicist who is known for his “Schrödinger’s cat” thought-experiment; Aung San Suu Kyi, Burmese politician and leader of the National League for Democracy, a position akin to prime minister; Malala Yousafzai, Pakistani activist for female education and the youngest Nobel Prize laureate
Fun fact: The word “snob” actually originated at Oxford. It started off as an abbreviated form of the Latin phrase “sine nobilitate”, which means “without nobility.”
oldest medical school in the world
Montpellier is home to the oldest practicing medical school in the world. The Faculty of Medicine was created in the 12th century and sees around 5,000 students pass though its halls. Here is a brief history of one of Montpellier’s finest legacies.
How it began
Medical education in Montpellier was born out of practice at the beginning of the 12th century. From around 1122, it only took under a century for its humble medical landscape of traders and doctors from the Arab and Jewish worlds to evolve into an acknowledged medical school Universitas medicorum.
A historic building
The Faculty of Medicine lies in a former Benedictine monastery, consisting of an abbey chapel with four towers (now Montpellier’s Cathédrale Saint-Pierre) and three buildings overlooking an inner courtyard surrounded by a cloister. In 1795, The Faculty of Medicine officially took residence in this historic building. Since then, of course, there have been additions and adaptations, such as an extensive library, administrative departments and so on.
Entrance statues explained…
At the entrance to the medical school, there are two dominating statues, one placed either side of the large arched doorway. These are two of the school’s most famous professors. Francois de la Peyronie (1678-1747) sits on the left. In 1736, La Peyronie became first surgeon to King Louis XV and as such, managed to negotiate certain facilities at the school in Montpellier, much to the jealously of other medical schools. On the right is the famed vitalist, Paul Joseph Barthez.
The university is considerably older than its formal founding date, associated with a papal bull issued by Pope Nicholas IV in 1289, combining all the centuries-old schools into a university, but the first statutes were given by Conrad of Urach in 1220.
It is not known exactly when the schools of liberal arts were founded that developed into the Montpellier faculty of arts; it may be that they were a direct continuation of the Gallo-Roman schools that gathered around masters of rhetoric. The school of law was founded by Placentinus, from the school of law at Bologna, who came to Montpellier in 1160, taught there during two different periods, and died there in 1192. The faculty of law has had a long career. Professors from Montpellier were prominent in the drafting of the Napoleonic Code, the civil code by which France is still guided and a foundation for modern law codes wherever Napoleonic influence extended. The faculty of law was reorganized in 1998.
The prestigious school of medicine was founded perhaps by people trained in the Muslim Spanish medical schools as Muslim rule from the Spain did not end until 1492; it is certain that, as early as 1137, there were excellent physicians at Montpellier University. It is the world’s oldest medical school still in operation, however, the University of Azhar, Egypt used to award medical degrees as early as 700 AD. The school of medicine owed its success to a policy of the Guilhem lords of Montpellier, by which any licensed physician might lecture there: with no fixed limit to the number of teachers, lectures multiplied, thus providing a great choice of teachers coming from all around the Mediterranean region (Guilhem VIII act of January 1181). The statutes given in 1220 by Cardinal Conrad von Urach, legate of Pope Honorius III, which were confirmed and extended in 1240, placed this school under the direction of the Bishop of Maguelonne, but the school enjoyed a great deal of de facto autonomy.
The school was famous for arguing in the fourteenth century that the Black Death was caused by a miasma entering the opening of the body’s pores, citing theories developed by Galen. Doctors educated at Montpellier advocated against bathing because they claimed bathing opened the body’s pores, making one more susceptible to the bubonic plague.
In 1529, after some years as an apothecary, Nostradamus entered the University of Montpellier to study for a doctorate in medicine. He was expelled shortly afterwards when it was discovered that he had been an apothecary, a “manual trade” expressly banned by the university statutes. The expulsion document (BIU Montpellier, Register S 2 folio 87) still exists in the faculty library. Rabelais took his medical degree at Montpellier, and his portrait hangs among the gallery of professors.
The Jardin des plantes de Montpellier, founded in 1593, is the oldest botanical garden in France. It was in this school that the biological theory of vitalism, elaborated by Barthez (1734–1806), had its origin. The French Revolution did not interrupt the existence of the faculty of medicine. The Benedictine monastery that had been converted into the bishop’s palace, was given to house the medical school in 1795. A gallery devoted to the portraits of professors since 1239 contains one of Rabelais.
The school of theology had its origins in lectures in the convents: St. Anthony of Padua, Raymundus Lullus, and the Dominican Bernard of Trilia all lectured. Two letters of King John II prove that a faculty of theology existed at Montpellier independently of the convents, in January 1350. By a Bull of 17 December 1421, Pope Martin V granted canonical institution to this faculty and united it closely with the faculty of law.
In the 16th century the local triumph of Calvinism interrupted the somewhat somnolent Catholic school of theology, which was reinstated in 1622; but the rivalries of Dominicans and Jesuits interfered seriously with the prosperity of the faculty, which disappeared at the Revolution. In better days, among Montpellier’s illustrious pupils of law were Petrarch, who spent four years at Montpellier, and among its lecturers were William of Nogaret, chancellor to Philip IV, Guillaume de Grimoard, afterwards Pope Urban V, and Pedro de Luna, afterwards antipope Benedict XIII.
Like all other provincial universities of France, that of Montpellier was suppressed at the outbreak of the French Revolution in 1793. The faculties of science and of letters were re-established in 1810; that of law in 1880. The university of Montpellier was officially re-organised in 1969, on the aftermath of May 1968 and the students’ revolt all over the country. It was split into its successor institutions the University of Montpellier 1 (comprising the former faculties of medicine, law, and economy), University of Montpellier 2 (science and technology) and University of Montpellier 3 (social sciences, humanities and liberal arts).
On 1 January 2015, the University of Montpellier 1 and the University of Montpellier 2 merged to form the newly recreated University of Montpellier. Meanwhile, the Paul Valéry University Montpellier 3, now only Paul Valéry, remains a separate institution.
uk medical school requirements international students
More details on uk medical school requirements international students, top 10 medical colleges in uk, best medical colleges in uk for international students, and uk medical school ranking, coming right up!
Undergraduate medicine entry requirements
Students applying to a medical school in the UK broadly have two main course choices; the A100 medicine programme or the A104 medicine with foundation year.
UCAS Medicine Courses
Standard entry medicine (UCAS code: A100)
Standard entry medicine is usually five years long, but can be six. It can have different abbreviations, such as MBBS or MBChB, but all result in the bachelor’s degree in medicine.
- International Baccalaureate: 37 points including chemistry and another science subject.
- A-level: AAA including chemistry and one other science, such as maths, physics, biology or psychology.
- IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
Graduate entry medicine (UCAS Code: A101)
Graduate entry medicine is open to application from those who already have a bachelor’s degree. Many universities require the previous degree to be health-related, but not all. It is a four-year accelerated degree in most cases, but at some universities it is a five-year course.
- International Baccalaureate: 37 points.
- A-level: AAA.
- IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
Medicine with a preliminary year (UCAS code: A104)
This course takes the form of either a five-year Standard Entry Medicine with an additional year at the start, making a six-year course, or sometimes the preliminary year is taken as a standalone one-year course. It is also known as Medicine with a Foundation Year, or similar.
- International Baccalaureate: 34 points.
- A-level: AAA.
- IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
Medicine with a gateway year (UCAS code: A108)
- International Baccalaureate: 32 points.
- A-level: BBC at A level to include Chemistry. Grade B must be achieved in a science subject.
- IELTS: 7.5 overall, with no lower than 7.0 in any one component.
Medicine Personal Statement
Your personal statement is a crucial part of the application process when wishing to study in the UK and, because of the competitive nature and limited number of spaces at medical schools, it is vital that your medicine personal statement is of an extremely high standard. Important topics to cover include:
- What you wish to achieve as a doctor
- Work experience at any GP or medical institution and what you achieved
- Your commitment to medicine and the NHS
- Your achievements academically
- Why you will succeed on the course
- Hobbies and interests
Medical Work Experience
Work experience is valued highly by medical school admission boards as it showcases the relevant skills and strength of character needed to become a doctor. Practical work experience also recognises a student’s ability to work independently or in a team, as well as communication skills, enthusiasm and responsibility.
Many medicine programmes require a student to have completed work experience, but if you missed out on a placement, there are still a number of medical schools which will accept your initial application.
Study Medicine in the UK
If you are interested in studying medicine in the UK, the Medicine Service will help prepare you fully for being accepted at a UK medical school. Arrange a free consultation with SI-UK London today to begin your UCAS application.
top 10 medical colleges in uK
Top 10 UK Universities for Medicine 2022
Medicine courses in the UK prepare students for their careers through a combination of world class teaching and real clinical practice. Many UK medical schools work alongside local NHS hospitals and practices to provide real life training, while cutting edge research facilities conduct life changing work alongside your study.
Entry standards for medical schools are tough and students will be expected to pass interviews which cover topics such as personal motivation, previous work and personal interests. A number of medical schools will expect completion of the clinical aptitude test, UCAT.
If you want to study Medicine in the UK, arrange a free consultation with SI-UK London today.
Top 10 UK Medical Schools for Medicine
| Rank | University | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Edinburgh | Edinburgh, Scotland |
| 2 | University of Aberdeen | Aberdeen, Scotland |
| 3 | Brighton and Sussex Medical School | Brighton, England |
| 4 | Swansea University | Swansea, Wales |
| 5 | University of Oxford | Oxford, England |
| 6 | University of Dundee | Dundee, Scotland |
| 7 | University of Cambridge | Cambridge, England |
| 8 | University of St Andrews | St Andrews, Scotland |
| 9 | Keele University | Newcastle-under-Lyme, England |
| 10 | University of Bristol | Bristol, England |
best medical colleges in uK for international students
Below are the best medical colleges in uk for international students
1. University of Oxford
The University of Oxford Medical School offers separate pre-clinical and clinical courses, enabling students to gain a comprehensive overview of medical science, before applying that knowledge in a clinical setting. Medical Colleges at Oxford offer individual tuition and the very best in pastoral support.
2. University of Glasgow
The University of Glasgow School of Medicine provides a friendly environment where staff and patients will support you in your learning. The undergraduate MBChB course is designed to ensure you meet the necessary standards in terms of knowledge, skills and attitudes that new doctors need, as identified by the GMC in its publication, ‘Outcomes for Graduates’.
3. Swansea University
The Swansea University Medical School is the best medical school in Wales and research produced by the department is the second best in the UK (Research Excellence Framework). Each of Swansea’s six pathway degrees offer graduates a guaranteed interview for Graduate Entry Medicine, whilst the BSc (hons) Applied Medical Sciences (Foundation) will introduce students to the key concepts and knowledge you need to progress to the BSc in Applied Medical Sciences.
4. University of Edinburgh
The Edinburgh Medical School at the University of Edinburgh is one of the largest of its kind in the UK and the teaching team aspires to create an experience where research is cherished and is an important component of the life of every student. The six year Bachelor of Medicine and Surgery (MBChB) degree will equip you with the knowledge, understanding and skills required to become a Foundation Year 1 doctor.
5. University of Bristol
The MB ChB Gateway to Medicine at the Bristol Medical School at the University of Bristol is for students who have the potential to become doctors but do not meet the current academic entry criteria. The course will “deepen existing knowledge of core basic sciences underpinning clinical subjects and places emphasis on the development of personal and professional skills”.
uk medical school ranking
Of course, another really important thing to think about is if you meet each university’s entry requirements. There is no point in applying to a university of a specific ranking if you haven’t got the specific GCSEs / UCAT score etc that is required. At the end of the day, you have to be pragmatic, and as you only have 4 places available to apply to for medical school, you don’t want to waste a whole application spot on a place that you realistically won’t be able to get into.
On the other hand, don’t be put off applying to a certain university just because it has a supposedly “low ranking”. As I have already said, the most important thing is how you feel about the university, (such as if there are specific aspects of the course that you like, such as whole-body dissections, early clinical experiences, PBL approaches or opportunities to study abroad) and also how you feel about the university and city/town/campus.
In conclusion, well researched, informative medical school rankings do exist, and they can be useful in helping you to narrow down or inform your choices of which medical school to apply to. However, please don’t let medical school rankings be the main thing that influences your decision on which medical schools to apply to. And let me just repeat myself here – No Medical School is the best Medical School in the UK.
| Ranking | University | UK Ranking | World Ranking | Fees | A Level Requirement | IB Requirement | TEF rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | University of Oxford | 1 | 2 | £35,380 | A*AA | 39 (7,6,6 HL) | Gold |
| 3 | University of Dundee | 28 | 322 | £ 36,380 | AAA | 37 (6,6,6 HL) | Gold |
| 5 | University of Edinburgh | 12 | 16 | £33,700 | AAA | 37 (7,6,6 HL) | – |
| 6 | University of Glasgow | 16 | 73 | £ 45,170 | AAA | 38 (6,6,6 HL) | – |
| 7 | University of Aberdeen | 38 | 205 | £46,000 | AAA | 36 | – |
| Subject Ranking | University | UK Ranking | World Ranking | Fees | A Level Requirement | IB Requirement | TEF rating |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 | Imperial College London | 5 | 7 | £45,300 | AAA | 38 | Gold |
| 13 | Lancaster University | 11 | 132 | £36,430 | AAA-AAB | 36 | Gold |
| 20 | University College Of London | 8 | 8 | £ 36,900 | A*AA | 39 | Silver |
| 29 | University of Nottingham | 24 | 103 | £ 26,500 | AAA | 36 | Gold |
| 33 | St George’s, University of London | 61 | – | £ 37,000 | AAA | 36 | Bronze |
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