First BM Parts I and II

First Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine

• 1. The First Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine shall be under the supervision of the Medical Sciences Board.

• 2. No candidate shall be admitted to the First Examination unless hethey or she hashave been through the standard selection procedures for the standard medical course (including sitting the Biomedicalprescribed Admissionsadmissions Test—BMATtest), has met the published entry requirements for admission to the standard medical course, and his or hertheir name has been entered on the University Register of Medical Students.

  3. A candidate shall be deemed to have passed the First Examination for the degree of Bachelor of Medicine if they have satisfied the examiners in all the subjects of Parts I and II.

• 4. The examiners may award a Distinction to candidates of special merit in the First BM overall, provided that all assessment units for Part I and Part II have been offered in their entirety and passed in one sitting at the first scheduled opportunity for each Part which shall be the candidate’s first attempt, except in one of the following exceptional circumstances: 
  •  • The candidate has been given permission by the Education Committee of Council to split the assessment over more than one examination session.
  •  
  • • The candidate has been excused by the Proctors from taking one or more assessment units at the first scheduled opportunity, in accordance with Part 14 of the Regulations for the Conduct of University Examinations.
  •  

Part I of the First Examination

1. The subjectsassessment units of Part I of the First Examination shall be:

• 1. Organisation of the Body

• 2. Physiology and Pharmacology

• 3. Biochemistry and Medical Genetics

• 4. Population Health 1: Medical Sociology

• 5. Learning from Patients 1
•  
• 6. Practical Work
•  
• 7. Medical Statistics

2. The syllabus of each subject shall be as prescribed from time to time by the Medical Sciences Board.

3. Subjects 1, 2, and 3 shall each be examined in three assessment units: Part A, Part B and Part C. Subject 4 forms a single assessment unit. The content and assessment format of the assessment units are provided in the Schedule below. A candidate must offer all tenseven assessment units in Part I atin one sitting, unless they have been given permission by the Proctors or the Education Committee of Council to split the assessment over more than one examination session, and provided that the Medical Sciences Board may dispense candidates who have already passed a First Public Examination in any subject from the requirement to offer all tenseven assessment units at one examination. The examiners may request that a candidate attend one or more oral examinations.

4. RegulationsAssessment for Part C of subjectsunits 1, 2, and 3 (Organisation of the Body, Physiology and Pharmacology, and Biochemistry and Medical Genetics).

ForThere will be one examination for each subject,assessment theunit.

5. Assessment unit 4 (Population Health 1: Medical Sociology).

This assessment unit is a take-home assignment.

6. Assessment unit 5 (Learning from Patients 1).

The Director of Preclinical Studies or histheir deputy will provide the Examination Board with evidence to certify that each candidate has participated satisfactorily in the Learning from Patients 1 course.

7. Assessment unit 6 (Practical Work)

The Director of Preclinical Studies or hertheir deputy will provide the Examination Board with evidence to certify that each candidate has a satisfactory record of attendance for practical classes where attendance is compulsory, as specified in the course handbook.

The Director of Preclinical Studies or their deputy may request practical notebooks from any candidate in order to subsequently make available to the examiners evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) showing the extent to which each candidate has a satisfactory attendance record at practical classes in that subject anddetermine the extent to which each candidate has a satisfactory record of practical work in that subject. The examiners may also request practical notebooks from any candidate; such candidates will be named in a list posted in the foyer of the Medical Sciences Teaching Centre one week before the day of the first examination paper. Each notebook submitted shall be accompanied by a statement signed by the candidate indicating that the notebook is the candidate’s own work. 

The practical course for subject 2 includes the course in elementary statistics defined in the Composite Syllabus for Part I.

Candidates whose attendance record and/or record of practical work is unsatisfactory will normally be required by the examiners to submit to further examination8. FailureAssessment tounit satisfy7 the(Medical examiners that the candidate has a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the practical course shall result in the candidate being failed in Part C of the relevant subject of the examination.

Evidence of satisfactory practical work and of attendance at a practical course is normally admissible by the examiners for a period extending no longer than to the end of the academic year following the year in which the course was pursued.

A candidate who is taking one or more Part C units for the second time, having failed their first attempt at those units, may be examined orally on the material covered during the practical course for that subject. However, in the case of a student exceptionally repeating the entire academic year, they will normally be expected to satisfy the Examiners by having a satisfactory record of attendance and performance in practical work.Statistics)

5. Regulations for the Patient and Doctor Course

The Director of Preclinical Studies or his or hertheir deputy will make available toprovide the examinersExamination Board with evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) to certify that each candidate has participatedengaged satisfactorilyfully, has a satisfactory record of attendance at compulsory teaching sessions, and has reached the required standard in Medical Statistics. 

Outcomes of Part I of the PatientFirst and Doctor Course.

Examination 

61. The outcomes of Part I of the First Examination are as follows:

• a) A candidate who has satisfied the Examiners in all tenseven assessment units will be deemed to have passed Part I of the First Examination.

• b) A candidate who has failed more than one or more assessment units but hasfewer satisfiedthan the Examiners in four or moreseven of the seven written or computer-based assessment units (Parts A and B of subjects 1-3, and subject 4), will be deemed to have achieved a partial pass. They will be permitted one further attempt at the unitsunit(s) they have failed[For. studentsThis startingresit beforeattempt MT 2019:shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, withinbut may be deferred once, i.e. it must be taken at one year of the initialnext failuretwo opportunities. 
  ][For students starting from MT 2019: ].

• c) A candidate who has satisfied the Examiners in fewer than four of the seven written or computer-based assessment units (Parts A and B of subjects 1-3, and subject 4), will be deemed to have failed Part I of the First Examination. They will be permitted one further attempt at all seven written or computer-based assessment units, along with any Part C units failed during the first sitting[For students starting before MT 2019: , within one year of the initial failure.][For students starting from MT 2019: ] Part C units passed during the first sitting can usually be carried forward to the second attempt.

69. Assessment Regulationsunit for8 the(Medical Patient and Doctor CourseStatistics) 

The Director of Preclinical Studies or his or hertheir deputy will make available toprovide the examinersExamination Board with evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) to certify that each candidate has participatedengaged satisfactorilyfully, has a satisfactory record of attendance at compulsory teaching sessions, and has reached the required standard in Medical Statistics. 

Outcomes of Part II of the PatientFirst and Doctor Course.

Examination

71. The outcomes of Part II of the First Examination are as follows:

• a) A candidate who has satisfied the Examiners in all teneight assessment units will be deemed to have passed Part II of the First Examination.

• b) A candidate who has satisfied the Examiners in more than one orbut morefewer ofthan the teneight assessment units will be deemed to have achieved a partial pass. They will be permitted one further attempt at the unit(s) they have failed[For students starting before MT 2018: ][For students starting from MT 2018: . This resit attempt shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, but may be deferred once, i.e. it must be taken at one of the next two opportunities]. A candidate who is taking one or more Part C units for the second time, having failed their first attempt at those units, may be examined orally on the material covered during the practical course for that subject. However, in the case of a student exceptionally repeating the entire academic year, they will normally be expected to satisfy the Examiners by having a satisfactory record of attendance and performance in practical work. 

2. For assessment units 6-8, the resit attempt will consist of candidates being required to repeat a section of the course or to complete remedial work by a specified deadline. Details of what is required will be decided by and communicated to candidates by the Director of Pre-clinical Studies.

3. No candidate may offer any assessment unit for Part II of the First Examination on more than two occasions, save in exceptional circumstances. A further exceptional opportunity to offer any assessment unit for Part II of the First Examination shall require application to and approval on behalf of the Educational Policy and Standards Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, according to the procedure set out in the handbook for medical students in Years 1-3.[For students starting from MT 2018: If granted, this exceptional resit attempt shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, but may be deferred once, i.e. it must be taken at one of the next two opportunities.]

9. The examiners may award a Distinction to candidates of special merit in Part II of the examination, provided that all assessment units for all four subjects specified for Part II have been offered in their entirety and passed at one examination at the first scheduled opportunity which shall be the candidate’s first attempt, except in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Board of Examiners following application from the candidate’s society.

104. The examiners may award a Pass with Merit to candidates of special merit in any of the individual subjects 5, 6, or 7, provided that all ten assessment units of1-3 Partor II of the examination have been offered in their entirety at one examination5. The award of Pass with Merit shall be based on performance in Part B of a subject and shall be confined to candidates who have passedoffered Partsall Aeight andassessment Cunits of thatPart subjectII atof the sameexamination in one sitting, which shall be the first scheduled opportunity and the candidate’s first attempt, except in one of the following exceptional circumstances:

• • The candidate has been given permission by theEducation Committee of Council to split the assessment over more than one examination session.
• • The candidate has been excused by the Proctors from taking one or more assessment units at the discretionfirst scheduled opportunity in accordance with Part 14 of the BoardRegulations for the Counduct of ExaminersUniversity following application from the candidate’s societyExaminations.

115. A person admitted for Part II of the first examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine within three terms of the term in which they were originally due to be examined for Part II of the first examination, shall be entitled to be examined in accordance with the regulations pertaining to the original examination, if they so wish.

A person admitted for Part II of the first examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine four or more terms after the term in which they were originally due to be examined for Part II of the first examination shall normally be examined in accordance with the current regulations.

Schedule for Part II

• 5. Applied Physiology and Pharmacology

• 6. The Nervous System

• 7. Principles of Pathology

• 8. Psychology for Medicine

A Composite Syllabus (Core plus Extension) for Part II will be published annually at the start of Michaelmas Term by the Medical Sciences Board. The syllabus will make appropriate reference to related issues of clinical significance. In each subject, candidates will be expected to have a general understanding of the components specified in the syllabus, including methods of study and quantitative analysis of experimental results.

In subjects 5, 6, and 7 two papers will be set, Paper A and Paper B. Paper A shall be no longer than 1 hour and 15 minutes in duration, and shall be a computer-based assessment of breadth of knowledge and understanding of the Core Syllabus. Paper B shall be set to examine deeper knowledge and understanding of a choice of topics included in or closely relating to the Composite Syllabus. For Subjects 5, 6, and 7, Paper B shall be three hours in duration.

In subject 8, one one-and-a-half hour paper will be set. The paper shall consist of two sections: (1) multiple-choice questions (45 minutes), assessing breadth of knowledge and understanding of the Core Syllabus; (2) essay questions (45 minutes), examining deeper knowledge and understanding of a choice of topics included in or closely related to the Composite Syllabus.