Second BM

Differences from 2016/17 to 2021/22

Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine

1. A candidate may be admitted to the Second Examination if his or her name has been entered on the University Register of Clinical Students and he or she has satisfied one of the following conditions:

  • (a) he or she has passed in all the subjects of the First Examination and the Qualifying Examination in the Principles of Clinical Anatomy and has either been admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Arts with Honours or obtained a bachelor's degree at another university; or

  • (b)  he or she has passed in all the subjects of the Preliminary Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine and the Year 2 Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine; or

  • (c) he or she has both

    • (i)  successfully completed at a university in the United Kingdom a GMC-approved course of study in medical sciences that has included the subjects of the First Examination and the Principles of Clinical Anatomy, and is deemed by the Medical Sciences Board to qualify the candidate for admission; and

    • (ii) obtained a bachelor's degree in science or arts at a university, such degree having been approved by the Board.

2. [Until MT 2018: Candidates for the Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine are required to pursue their studies during a period of: normally 38 weeks in Year 1; normally 45 weeks in Year 2; normally 46 weeks in Year 3; provided that the Medical Sciences Board shall have power to permit candidates to vary the dates of their studies so long as the overall programme requirement is met.] [From MT 2018: Candidates for the Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine are required to pursue their studies during a period of: normally 38 weeks in Year 4; normally 45 weeks in Year 5; normally 46 weeks in Year 6; provided that the Medical Sciences Board shall have power to permit candidates to vary the dates of their studies so long as the overall programme requirement is met.]

3. The Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine shall be under the supervision of the Medical Sciences Board. The Board shall have power to require candidates for admission to any part of the Second Examination to produce certificates of attendance at courses of practical instruction, and such other certificates as the Board may from time to time determine, and to define the form of such certificates. It shall be the duty of the Registrar to see that these conditions are observed.

4. The subject of the Second Examination shall be clinical medicine in all its aspects.

  • (a)  The Second Examination shall cover three years, the subjects for each year being prescribed by regulation of the Medical Sciences Board.

  • (b) [Until MT 2018: Each of Years 1 and 2 shall involve a form of assessment prescribed by regulation of the Board which shall be notified to candidates. No candidate shall commence Year 2 or 3 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 1 or 2 respectively (except that a candidate shall be permitted to commence Year 2 if he or she has passed in all the subjects in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine), unless the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies, at their discretion and in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to the next year of study on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.] [From MT 2018:  Each of Years 4 and 5 shall involve a form of assessment prescribed by regulation of the Board which shall be notified to candidates. No candidate shall commence Year 5 or 6 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 4 or 5 respectively (except that a candidate shall be permitted to commence Year 5 if he or she has passed in all the subjectsassessment units in the Preliminary Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine and satisfactorilyhas completedpassed those additional courses of instruction and assessments specified in clause 8all of the regulationsassessment forunits of the PreliminaryYear 2 Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine Part II), unless the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies, at their discretion and in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to the next year of study on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.]

  • (c) [Until MT 2018: Year 3 shall involve written and clinical examinations and may involve oral examinations. No candidate shall be examined on the Year 3 Vocational Skills Course until he or she has passed the assessments for Years 1 and 2 and the Year 3 General Clinical Studies Course.] [From MT 2018: Year 6 shall involve written and clinical examinations and may involve oral examinations. No candidate shall be examineddeemed onto have completed the Year 6 Vocational Skills Course until hethey or she hashave passed the assessments for Years 4 and 5 and the Year 6 General Clinical Studies Course.]

5. [Until MT 2018: A candidate who has passed in all the subjects of the Preliminary Examination in Medicine shall be exempted from the Year 1 assessments of the Second Examination and shall be permitted to proceed directly to commence Year 2.] [From MT 2018:  A candidate who has passed in all the subjectsassessment units of the Preliminary Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine and has satisfactorilypassed completed the additional courses of instruction and assessments specified in clause 8all of the regulationsassessment forunits of the PreliminaryYear Examinationin2 Examination in Graduate-entry Medicine Part II  shall be permitted to proceed directly to commence Year 5.]

6.  The examiners may award a Distinction for outstanding performance over the three years. Criteria for Distinctions will be determined by the Medical Sciences Board.

7.  The examiners may award merits in each of the examined subjects in [Until MT 2018: Years 1, 2 and 3.] [From MT 2018: Years 4, 5 and 6.]

8.  Breach of the Code of Conduct for Medical Students, as approved and from time to time amended by Council's General Purposes Committee on the recommendation of the Medical Sciences Board, may be deemed to be a ground for removal of a student's name from the University Register of Clinical Students according to procedures which shall always be subject to approval by Council's General Purposes Committee on the recommendation of the Medical Sciences Board.

9.  The provisions of the appropriate regulations, concerning the times of holding examinations and the entry of names, and the special regulation concerning dress shall not, unless otherwise prescribed by regulation of the board, apply to Years 14 and 25, except in the case of a formal examination set by the examiners of these stages, as prescribed by regulation of the Board.

[Until MT 2018: Regulations for Assessment in Years 1, 2, and 3][From MT 2018: 

Regulations for Assessment in Years 4, 5, and 6]

[Until MT 2018: Proposals for the assessment of candidates in Years 14, 25, and 36 of the examination shall be drawn up by each specialty group, or in the case of Year 3 by the Board’s Clinical Education Committee and submitted for approval to the Medical Sciences Board, at such times as the Board shall determine.] [From MT 2018: Proposals for the assessment of candidates in Years 4, 5, and 6 of the examination shall be drawn up by each specialty group, or in the case of Year 6 by the Board’s Clinical Education Committee and submitted for approval to the Medical Sciences Board, at such times as the Board shall determine.] The form or forms of assessment are chosen from among the following: 

  • (a) clinical examination including long and short cases;

  • (b) competency check sheets, logbooks, or portfolios;

  • (c) examination and comment (written or viva voce) on specimens;

  • (d) objective structured clinical  examinations;

     
  • (eb) poster presentations;

  • (f) case presentations;

  • (g) written tests, which may consist in whole or in part of, for example, multiple choice questions; 

  • (c) clinical questionsexamination including long and short cases; 
  • (d) competency check sheets, short answer questionslogbooks, extended matching questions or essaysportfolios;

     
  • (e) examination and comment (written or viva voce) on specimens; 
  • (f) poster presentations; 
  • (g) case presentations; 
  • (h) case histories and  commentaries;

     
  • (i) prepared  essays;

     
  • (j) viva voce examinations; and

  • (k) other tests individually approved by the Board.

     

In clinical subjects, all assessments shall include a test of clinical competence. In addition, reports on candidates’ attendance and general aptitude shown during the course of instruction shall be made by those responsible for the course and taken into consideration in association with the performance of candidates in the assessment.

Candidates will be required to satisfy the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies regarding their professional behaviour by having both satisfactorily attended and completed required coursework.

A candidate shall be warned (in a timely fashion and in writing with a copy to the Director of Clinical Studies) by those responsible for the course in question before the assessment takes place, if his or hertheir attendance and general aptitude are such as seems likely to jeopardise histhe or hercandidate's chances of passing the assessment (either work-based on course assessment or the end of year assessment).

[UntilNo MTcandidate 2018:may Theoffer firstany assessment ofon candidatesmore shallthan betwo carried out during or at the conclusion of each component of the course by the staffoccasions, as appointed by the head of the relevant department, or,save in theexceptional casecircumstances.  ofA Yearfurther 3,exceptional by the examiners and/or assessors. Candidates in Years 1 and 3 shall be permitted a maximum of three attemptsopportunity to passoffer anany assessment. In Year 2 the Examination Board may require candidates to be assessed in a specified module or modules on one further occasion. Candidates in Year 2 shall be permitted a maximum of two attempts in order to pass Year 2.] [From MT 2018: The first assessment of candidates shall be carried out during or at the conclusion of each component of the course by the staff, as appointed by the head of the relevant department, or, in the case of Year 6, by the examiners and/or assessors. Candidates in Years 4, and5 or 6 shall berequire permittedapplication ato maximumand approval on behalf of threethe attemptsEducational Policy and Standards Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, according to passthe anpublished assessment.‘Procedure Infor YearExceptional 5Attempts at the Second BM Examination’.  If Boardgranted, this exceptional resit attempt shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, but may requirebe candidatesdeferred toonce, i.e. it must be assessedtaken in a specified module or modules onat one furtherof occasion.the Candidates in Year 5 shall be permitted a maximum ofnext two attempts in order to pass Year 5opportunities.]

It shall be the responsibility of the staff concerned, under the supervision of the Medical Sciences Board, to give the candidates and the relevant examiners and/or assessors, reasonable notice of the dates on which the assessments will take place, to decide on the outcome of each assessment, and to keep departmental records of each assessment. A candidate should not normally be assessed exclusively by staff members who have been responsible for his or her instruction.

Year 1

4

Syllabus and Examination 

In Year 14, students are required to satisfy the examiners in the:

  • (a) the Laboratory Medicine course (concerning the application to human disease of the principles of Laboratory Medicine, including Histopathology, Microbiology and Infection, Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology, and Haematology);

  • (b) (b)Integrated Clinical Course: Medicine;

  • (c) and Surgery.

Each candidate will be assessed according to the methods approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction.

Candidates must satisfy the relevant head of department or his or her deputy, or the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies, that they have attended a course of instruction, and attained the necessary skills, knowledge and understanding in:

  • (a) The  Patient Doctor 2Course CourseII: introduction to clinical practice (being an introduction to clinical methods, history taking and physical examination);

  • (b) Anaesthetics;

  • (c) Clinical Pharmacology;

  • (d)  Communication Skills;

  • (ec)  Medical Ethics and Law;

  • (fd)  Primary Health Care;

  • (ge) Radiology;

  • (h)  Special Study approved on behalf of the Medical Sciences Board.

No candidate shall commence Year 25 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 14, unless the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies at their discretion should, in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to Year 25 on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.

Assessment

A candidate in Year 14 who failshas been deemed to reachhave a satisfactory standardfailed in any part of the assessment at the first attempt maywill offerbe himself or herself for reassessment onpermitted one further occasionattempt and will only be required to be reassessed in the part or parts of the assessment they have failed.

If aNo candidate failsmay offer any assessment unit for Year 4 on more than two occasions, save in exceptional circumstances.  A further exceptional opportunity to reachoffer aany satisfactoryassessment standardunit in Year 4 shall require application to and approval on behalf of the Educational Policy and Standards Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, according to the ‘Procedure for Exceptional Attempts at the secondSecond BM Examination’.  If granted, the exceptional resit attempt will only be in anythe partassessment component which the candidate has failed and shall normally be taken at the next opportunity, but may be deferred once, ie it must be taken at one of the assessment,next thetwo head of department concerned, or his or her deputy, shall require the candidate to be reassessed in the part or parts of the assessment previously failed after completing the necessary coursework; this assessment shall be carried out and adjudged by the staff appointed by the relevant head of department and in the presence of an external examineropportunities. In the event that a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this thirdsecond attempt, and any application that may have been made for an exceptional attempt is unsuccessful, then his or hertheir name shall be removed from the Register of Clinical Students.

Year subject5

Syllabus and Examination

In order to appealpass Year 5, candidates are required to have satisfactorily attended all courses and fulfilled individual course requirements, including completing all relevant formative assessments, for all the subjects specified in (a) to (f) below; and to have satisfied the Medicalexaminers Sciencesin Boardthe Year 5 Integrated Summative Assessment, both written and clinical examinations. 

DutiesNo candidate may sit the Integrated Summative Assessment if they have not satisfactorily attended and fulfilled all of the Examinersindividual

Incourse the first assessment of candidatesrequirements in Year 1 each relevant pair of examiners shall be required to attend, and if they so wish participate, on at least onefive occasion each year.

Inof the reassessmentsix ofsubjects anyspecified candidatein who has been deemed(a) to have(f) failedbelow, the whole assessmentexcept in Yearexceptional 1, the external examiner shall be present and may participate if he or she wishes.

Year 3 examiners may assistcircumstances with the assessmentpermission inof Yearthe 1.

Year 2 

SyllabusDirector and ExaminationAssociate Director of Clinical Studies. 

  • [For1.  students(a) startingClinical beforeNeurosciences;
  • (b) MT 2017:Community-based InMedicine;
  • (c) YearOrthopaedic 2Surgery, studentsRheumatology, Trauma and Emergency Medicine;
  • (d) Paediatrics;
  • (e) Psychiatry;
  • (f) Women’s and Reproductive Health.
  •  
  • 2. Candidates are required to satisfy the examiners in:

    • (a) Clinicalthe Neurosciences,Integrated OphthalmologySummative and Otolaryngology;

    • (b) Community-based Subjects (encompassing Geratology, Dermatology, Palliative Care, Primary Care and Population Health 2: Public Health);

    • (c) Obstetrics and Gynaecology (including Genito-Urinary Medicine);

    • (d) Orthopaedics, Rheumatology, Trauma and Emergency Medicine;

    • (e) Paediatrics;

    • (f) PsychiatryAssessment.

    Eachwill each assess the subjects specified in (a) to (f) above, and each candidate will be assessed according to the methods approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction.

    No candidate shall commence Year 36 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 25, unless the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies at their discretion should, in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to Year 36 on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.

    Assessment

    [For students starting from MT 2017: ]

    Assessment

    A candidate in Year 2 5 who failshas been deemed to reachhave a satisfactory standardfailed in any individualpart courseof modulethe assessmentIntegrated Summative Assessment at the first attempt and is required by the Examination Board towill be reassessed,permitted one further attempt and will only be required to be reassessed in the part or parts of the assessment they have failed.

    ANo candidate mustmay reachoffer theany thresholdassessment pass markunit for Year 25 A (fromfurther theexceptional sumopportunity ofto cumulativeoffer marks awarded from each course moduleany assessment) unit in Year 5 shall require application to and satisfyapproval theon Examination Board in a minimum of five outbehalf of the sixEducational modulesPolicy and Standards Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, oraccording to the ‘Procedure for Exceptional Attempts at the Second BM Examination’,  If granted, the exceptional resit attempt will only be in the assessment component which the candidate willhas failed and shall normally be deemedtaken to have failedat the second ]i.e.year it must be taken at one of the coursenext two opportunities. A candidate who has been deemed to have failed will be allowed only one further attempt to pass Year 2 ] and will be required to repeat the[For students starting before MT 2017:  second year of the course in its entirety. In the event that a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this second attempt, and any application that may have been made for an exceptional attempt is unsuccessful, then his or hertheir name shall be removed from the University Register of Clinical Students subject to appeal to the Medical Sciences Board.

    Duties of the Examiners

    In the first assessment of candidates in the individual course module assessments of Year 2  each relevant pair of examiners/specialty advisors shall be required to attend, and if they so wish participate, on at least one occasion in each year.

    Year 6

     

    Syllabus and Examination 

    In Year 6, students are required to satisfy: (a) the examiners in General Clinical Studies; and (b) the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies in Vocational Skills. Each candidate will be assessed according to the methods approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction. Students who fail an assessment willmay have to forfeit part or all of the elective for a period of intensive clinical training.

    • 1. General Clinical Studies

    Students are required to satisfy the examiners in Medicine and Surgery encompassingin Communicationaccordance Skills,with Radiology,the andGeneral ClinicalMedical PharmacologyCouncil’s Outcome for Graduates.

    Candidates must satisfy the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies that they have attended a course of instruction in Clinical Options approved by the Medical Sciences Board.

    • 2. Vocational Skills

    Students are required to satisfy the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies that they have provided work to a satisfactory standard in: 

    • (a) Special Study as approved byon behalf of the Medical Sciences  Board; 

    • (b) A Course to prepare students for work as a Foundation 1 doctor;

    • (c)  An Elective (students who fail an assessment may be required to complete remedial clinical work. These students will forfeit part, or all, of the elective and instead will be required to produce a satisfactory report at the end of an additional clinical attachment);

       
    • (dc)  A student assistantship with a clinical  team; and

       
    • (ed) A AnCourse assessmentto inprepare proceduralstudents skillsfor work as a Foundation 1 doctor.

       

    Assessment

    A candidate in Year 6 who failshas been deemed to reachhave a satisfactory standard at the first attemptfailed in any part of the assessment in medicine and surgery at the first attempt will be deemed, normally, to have failed the complete assessment and may offer himself or herself for reassessment onpermitted one further occasion.attempt A candidate in this positionand will usuallyonly be required to be reassessed in all parts of the assessment, unless the examiners specifically direct that there be reassessment only in the part or parts in which the candidate has failed to reach a satisfactory standard.

    If a candidate fails to reach a satisfactory standard at the second attempt in any part of the assessment, then the candidate shall be deemed tothey have failed the complete assessment. The examiners shall require the candidate to be reassessed after completing the  necessary coursework; this assessment shall be carried out and adjudged by the examiners.

    No candidate may offer any assessment unit for Year 6 on more than two occasions, save in exceptional circumstances.  A further exceptional opportunity to offer any assessment unit in Year 6 shall require application to and approval on behalf of the Educational Policy and Standards Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, according to the ‘Procedure for Exceptional Attempts at the Second BM Examination’,  If granted, the exceptional resit attempt will only be in the assessment component which the candidate has failed and 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. In the event that  a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this thirdsecond attempt, and any application that may have been made for an exceptional attempt is unsuccessful, then his or hertheir name shall be removed from the University Register of Clinical Students subject to appeal to the Medical Sciences Board.

    Duties of the Examiners

    • 1. General Clinical Studies

    The examination shall be arranged and conducted by the Year 6 Examination Board under the direction of the Chair of Examiners and the Principal Examiners in Medicine and Surgery.

    In considering whether a candidate has passed the assessment, the examiners may fail a candidate who does not satisfy them in one part of the assessment, even if he or she has satisfied them in other parts at that stage.

    • 2. Vocational Skills

    Candidates shall be required to submit to the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies such evidence as they require of the successful completion of their work.

    In considering whether candidates shall have passed the assessment, the Director of Clinical Studies and the Associate Director of Clinical Studies may fail a candidate who has provided either none or insufficient evidence of satisfactory completion of one part of the course, even if he or she has satisfied them in other parts of the course.