Medicine at University of Chester Medical School (GEM) & Interview Questions 2024
Overview of Chester Medical School
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Graduate Entry Only
Chester Medical School, a part of the University of Chester, offers a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in biomedical and life sciences, as well as medical practice. The school is set to launch its four-year Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course from September 2024, providing a unique opportunity for students with a previous degree in any discipline to pursue a medical degree.
The GEM program at Chester Medical School is designed to accommodate students from diverse backgrounds, not just those with a scientific or healthcare-related degree. Currently open only to international students, the school plans to extend this opportunity to home students soon. The first cohort will commence in 2024, and the program is undergoing the General Medical Council's (GMC) quality assurance process to ensure high educational standards.
The GEM course will be delivered mainly at the Chester campus with facilities at Exton Park, Wheeler Building, and Bache Hall. Students will be partnered with several NHS sites for practical exposure. The course comprises 160 teaching weeks, with approximately 100 weeks dedicated to clinical placements across Cheshire, Shropshire, and North Wales.
Year One focuses on university-based teaching, with learning organized into five blocks of five weeks each. The curriculum utilizes Case-Based Learning (CBL) as the central teaching method, supplemented by lectures, seminars, and clinical skills sessions. Students will have early patient contact and will be exposed to various clinical settings, including state-of-the-art simulation suites, hospitals, general practices, and community placements.
Assessment includes formative assessments at the end of each teaching block and summative assessments at the end of years 1, 2, and 4. Upon successful completion, students will be awarded a Bachelors of Medicine and Surgery from the University of Chester, enabling them to work as Foundation Year 1 doctors in the UK or equivalent posts overseas.
Chester Medical School is committed to delivering a high-quality medical education, with Warwick Medical School as its contingency school to ensure students' progression and completion.
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Chester Medicine Course Structure
The Chester Medical School's Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM) course is a four-year program with a focus on Case-Based Learning (CBL). The course structure is as follows:
Year 1:
University-based teaching on Chester campus
Organized into five blocks of five weeks each, covering various medical topics
Patient contact and clinical skills training from the first term
Year 2:
Divided into three main blocks: Advanced Cases 1, Core Clinical Education, and Student Selected Component (SSC)
Transition to a greater amount of teaching in the clinical environment
Core Clinical Education includes time spent in various medical specialties
SSC allows students to explore a particular topic in greater depth
Year 3:
Majority of teaching based in the community, general practice, and NHS hospitals
Divided into three main blocks: Student Selected Component, Advanced Cases 2, and Specialist Clinical Placements
Specialist Clinical Placements cover eight specialties, with six placements in Year 3 and the remaining two in Year 4
Year 4:
Divided into four blocks: Specialist Clinical Placements, Elective, Advanced Clinical Cases, and Assistantship
Elective allows students to undertake a medical project in a setting of their choice, often outside the UK
Advanced Clinical Cases helps consolidate knowledge and practice skills in a practical clinical context
Assistantship prepares students for work as a Foundation Year 1 doctor, integrating them within a clinical team
Teaching methods include small group seminars, clinical skills and simulation sessions, and larger lecture theaters. There are 160 teaching weeks over the four years, with around 100 weeks in clinical placements across Cheshire, Shropshire, and North Wales. Students are assessed through formative assessments at the end of each teaching block and summative assessments at the end of years 1, 2, and 4.
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Chester Medical School Entry Requirements - Medicine
GCSE
We do not look at school-leaving qualifications as part of admissions criteria.
A Levels
We do not look at school-leaving qualifications as part of admissions criteria.
IB
We do not look at school-leaving qualifications as part of admissions criteria.
Scottish Higher
We do not look at school-leaving qualifications as part of admissions criteria.
Scottish Advanced
We do not look at school-leaving qualifications as part of admissions criteria.
Degree (Graduates)
BSc 2.1 or above. 2.2 degree accepted with Masters or Doctorate.
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Admission Tests for Chester Medical School
UCAT
Yes
How Does Chester Medical School Look At The UCAT?
Chester UCAT Cut Off 2024 for 2025 Entry
UCAT is one of the entry criteria for graduate entry and you must meet the minimum threshold mark, there is no current information as to what this is.
Note: It is only available for graduates for 2024 entry
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BMAT
No
GAMSAT
No
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Course Information
Graduate Entry
Yes - exclusively for graduate entrants only
Intercalation
No
Applications : Place
Application Statistics (Home)
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Application Statistics (International)
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Applications : Interview
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International Student Tuition Fee
The international student fee per year is £43500
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Work Experience Requirements for Chester Medical School
At least 70 hours of work experience in the last 4 years in a healthcare setting in required for admission to Chester Medical School. Should involve direct "hands-on" care of people. "Shadowing", e.g. of doctors, is acceptable but can only count for a maximum of 20 hours of the 70 hours minimum work experience.
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How does Chester look at the personal statement for medicine?
No information given.
👉🏼 Ultimate Medicine Personal Statement Guide 2024
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Does This Medical School Have A Gateway or Foundation Year?
Website
Description
Criteria
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Chester Medical School Interview Questions 2024
Key Details
- Chester Medical School's interview is the MMI (Multiple Mini Interview) format
- There will be a number of stations you will rotate around
Interview Dates
Will be accepting applications from Autumn 2023 for September 2024 entry
Key Aspects
Chester has not provided any information on their MMI topics - here are some that we would prepare just in case:
Motivation to study medicine
Why medicine?
Why Chester?
What did you learn from your work experience?
What do you know about the Chester Medicine course? How is it taught?
What is the remote rural practice offered by Chester medical school?
What is the difference between medicine in cities and in rural areas in Chester?
Why do you think you will be well suited to this course?
Why medicine and not dentistry or nursing?
Tell us about your volunteering
What are your hobbies?
What are the negatives of a career in medicine?
What are the careers of your family?
Are you the 1st of your siblings to go to University?
How are you going to finance medical school?
What first made you realise you wanted to be a doctor?
What would you do if you didn’t get into medical school this year?
Give us an example of a time when you have cared for others.
Personal Insight
Why should patients trust you?
What are your best qualities?
How do you manage stress?
Give us an example of a time when you demonstrated resilience.
Give us an example of a time when you demonstrated teamwork.
What are your strengths and weaknesses?
How would your friends describe you?
Tell us about an article that you have recently read.
Should doctors always tell the truth?
NHS & Local Area
What changes would you make to the NHS if you could?
How would you manage a public health campaign?
How would you improve the local A&E department?
What are the NHS values and why are they important?
What is it like to be a doctor?
How do you deal with overpopulation?
What do you know about the local area here in Chester?
What are the biggest issues surrounding non-communicable diseases on a local, national and international level?
What are the main challenges that face the NHS?
How has COVID changed the way the NHS operates?
What do you think are going to be the long-term consequences of COVID on the NHS?
How does the healthcare system differ here compared to other areas in the UK?
Ethical Scenarios
Understanding of the four ethical principles
Understanding of the GMC’s good medical practice
What is the debate surrounding euthanasia, should it be legalised?
Who would you give this organ to? [Prioritisation]
If you notice that a colleague has turned up to work drunk, what would you do?
Who can you escalate concerns to within a hospital?
Role play: dealing with an aggressive customer
Role play: dealing with a patient who has added you on social media
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