Medical Sciences

Our courses provide an excellent grounding in the science underlying the developments in molecular medicine; serving as ideal platforms for those wishing to carry out research in the area or considering studying medicine as a graduate.

Full entry requirements

Studying at Leicester

The strong collaboration between the disciplines of biochemistry, genetics, microbiology and physiology within the school and with the neighbouring School of Medicine, allows us to offer four medical sciences degrees: Medical Biochemistry, Medical Genetics, Medical Microbiology and Medical Physiology.

These courses will provide you with education and training in biochemistry, genetics, physiology or microbiology, with particular emphasis on the application to medicine.

Why study these courses at Leicester?

National Student Survey: 98% of students studying Medical Sciences satisfied with their course.
Position in 2013 subject league tables: Guardian 4th
Example Jobs: Biomedical Scientist; Healthcare Assistant; Health Care Support Worker; Laboratory Analyst; Laboratory Technician; Learning Support Assistant; Microbiologist; Psychiatric Support Worker; Research Assistant; Senior Pharmacy Technician; Science Teacher; Territory Sales Executive.
Example Employers: Advantage Healthcare; Kingston NHS Trust Hospital; Leicester Royal Infirmary; Loughborough Grammar School; Mattioli Woods plc; National Trust; NHS Coventry and Warwickshire Partnership Trust; Santander; St Luke’s Hospice; The Royal Orthopaedic Hospital NHS Trust; University of Cambridge.
Example Postgraduate Courses: BDS Dentistry; Medicine; MRes Cell Physiology and Pharmacology; MSc Blood Sciences; MSc Human Disease and Therapy; MSc Infection and Immunity; MSc Molecular Genetics; MSc Molecular Medicine and Cancer Research; MSc Oncology; PGCE (postgraduate teacher training); PhD Biochemistry; PhD Biology; PhD Cardiovascular Sciences; PhD Evolutionary Genetics; PhD Molecular Cell Biology; PhD Neurology
Example jobs and employers information comes from the University’s ‘Where Did They Go?’ survey, and shows destinations of 2010/11 graduates 6 months after graduation.
Medical Biochemistry:
Places: 30
Applications: 180
Medical Genetics:
Places: 30
Applications: 126
Medical Microbiology:
Places: 30
Applications: 65
Medical Physiology:
Places: 30
Applications: 190

We have an internationally-recognised reputation for the quality of our research, meaning your lectures and tutorials will frequently be led by scientists who are directly involved in ground-breaking work in these fields.

We offer a range of degrees and flexible courses designed to allow you to follow your own interests.

The School of Biological Sciences was recently awarded £4.5 million by the Higher Education Funding Council as a ‘Centre of Excellence for Teaching and Learning’.

The School was ranked top for genetics in the 2011 National Student Survey and 4th in the UK for biosciences in the Guardian 2013 University Guide. The School has consistently attracted financial support from the major UK research councils and from charities such as Cancer Research UK, the British Heart Foundation and the Wellcome Trust.

Our teaching and research laboratories have recently undergone extensive refurbishment to provide high quality, up-to-date facilities for staff and students.

Teaching, Learning and Assessment

Lectures will form a vital part of your teaching and may include web-based delivery, demonstrations/animations as well as the traditional lecture format. You will also take part in tutorials which allow you to research a particular topic. All of the courses are very practical and therefore strong emphasis is placed on the acquisition of varied laboratory skills. Practical classes take place in well-equipped laboratories under the guidance of academic staff and postgraduate demonstrators.

Course Opportunities

You will have the opportunity to take an extra year between years 2 and 3 to broaden your experience in a number of ways, including via a year in industry, the Erasmus Scheme which arranges a year of study in another European university, or a Year in North America.

Career Opportunities

A degree in medical sciences offers you a wide range of career opportunities and many of our graduates choose to undertake further training for research or teaching careers in Biology, often through completing the MSc or PhD programmes at Leicester. A significant proportion also go on to graduate entry courses in Medicine.

Full entry requirements

Opportunities to Visit and Further Information

Choosing where and what to study at university is an important decision for you. We believe it is important to give you the opportunity to talk to our admissions team, so you can learn whether our programmes are the right choice for you.

For further information, please contact the admissions tutor for your particular degree stream:

Medical Biochemistry
Dr Sally Prigent
0116 252 3324
Fax: 0116 252 5659
medbiochem_admiss@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/biochemistry

Medical Genetics
Professor Annette Cashmore
0116 252 3439
Fax: 0116 252 3378
amc19@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/ge

Medical Microbiology
Dr Shaun Heaphy
0116 252 2973
Fax: 0116 252 5030
medmicro_admiss@le.ac.uk
www.le.ac.uk/iii/microbiology

Medical Physiology
Dr Noel W Davies
0116 229 2907
Fax: 0116 252 5659
bsadmin@le.ac.uk

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