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Medicine is a broad subject area which encompasses a wide range of disciplines such as anatomy, physiology, pharmacology, pathology, and more. It involves the study of the human body, with a focus on diagnosing, treating and preventing illness, disease or injury.
Postgraduate medicine offers numerous specialisations within medical or surgical branches, including areas such as radiology, anaesthesiology and pathology. As research and technology advance, new specialisations continue to emerge, providing diverse career pathways in clinical practice or research. Pursuing postgraduate medicine is a popular choice for students with a biomedical or life science background seeking to further specialise in a specific area.
Choosing to study medicine at postgraduate level is a significant decision, which will be influenced by various factors depending on your educational background and career aspirations. For existing medical students, a postgraduate degree offers the opportunity to specialise in a particular area of interest, such as epidemiology or orthopaedic surgery, enhancing your expertise and preparing you for eventual consultancy roles.
Alternatively, if you come from a non-medical background and are considering a graduate entry course in medicine, your prior higher education experience can expedite your journey to becoming a junior doctor in a shorter time frame compared to traditional routes. Regardless of your background, medicine courses are in high demand and fiercely competitive, offering the chance to become a healthcare professional and directly impact individual lives in a positive way.
You can choose from a variety of course types when studying medicine at postgraduate level, depending on your academic background and career goals. After completing undergraduate medical training, all medical graduates will need to complete two years of foundation training. This programme is designed to equip you with the practical skills and experience needed to operate as a fully registered doctor.
A graduate entry degree in medicine is a conversion course designed for students who have already completed an undergraduate degree in another subject, but wish to study medicine.
Taught master’s degrees in a variety of medical sub-disciplines are a popular way to develop specialised knowledge after qualifying as a doctor. These are optional qualifications, which cover around 60 different medical specialties.
There are also a broad range of postgraduate research pathways open to medical graduates and practicing doctors. In one of these courses, you may spend less time on front-line care and more time conducting research in a clinical or laboratory setting.
There are several pathways into postgraduate medicine, which cater for a range of educational backgrounds and career objectives. Some common pathways include:
Graduate Entry Medicine (GEM):
This pathway is designed for graduates with a bachelor’s degree in a non-medical field. GEM programmes typically last four to five years and lead to a medical degree (MBBS or equivalent). As a Primary Medical Qualification, this programme enables students to apply to the GMC for registration to practise medicine in the UK.
Foundation Year 2 (F2) Entry:
Doctors who have completed their Foundation Year 1 (F1) training can apply for speciality training in various medical programmes. This allows doctors to specialise in a specific area of medicine.
Academic Foundation programme (AFP):
The AFP is a two-year programme that combines clinical work with academic research. It is aimed at medical graduates interested in pursuing a career in academic medicine or research.
Physician Associate (PA) Training:
Physician Associates are medical professionals who work under the supervision of doctors to provide patient care. If you have a relevant undergraduate degree, you can opt for a PA training programme as an alternative to traditional medical training.
Postgraduate Diploma or Master’s Degree in a Medical Speciality:
PGDip and Master’s degrees will enable you to specialise in specific field, such as surgery, psychiatry or paediatrics and so on. These programmes provide advanced training and expertise in a particular area of medicine.
International Medical Graduates (IMGs):
IMGs who have completed their medical training outside of the UK but wish to practice here, can undertake further training and exams, aligning their medical training to UK standards, leading to registration with the GMC (General Medical Council).
These are just some of the diverse pathways available. However, it’s important to note, you should research thoroughly your chosen medical profession to make sure your qualifications and career aspirations align with your chosen pathway.
Currently, there are 436 postgraduate medicine degrees at 73 universities across the UK. Depending on your chosen field of study and academic background, there are a range of degree courses available. Master’s level courses will most likely be MSc (Master of Science), which offer opportunities to specialise in your specific field of interest. Programmes are usually one year in duration if full time or two years part time. Shorter PGDip or PGCert qualifications are also an option, providing the opportunity to train or learn in a certain area in less than one academic year—great for professionals or students looking to change academic direction. MD doctoral degrees offer opportunities for registered doctors to specialise in a specific field of interest, paving the way to consultancy. PhD courses enable students to delve into areas of research, and provide the opportunity to train as a professional researcher and conduct impactful work in your field, often leading to publication. You can use our university search tool to find the right course for you.
Examples of postgraduate medicine degrees:
The entry requirements for studying medicine at postgraduate level vary widely, depending on the level of study and the specialist area you are considering. At a minimum, you’ll usually need an undergraduate qualification in medicine or a related subject, such as biomedical sciences or another science, at 2:1 level or above.
The foundation training that all medical undergraduates will go on to complete has its own entry requirements and is applied for via a national admissions process. Many master’s programmes in medicine, both taught and research, may ask for evidence of professional experience in a relevant clinical or research setting. Doctoral research programmes will typically expect a relevant master’s qualification and/or significant professional experience. If you are intending on studying an MD qualification, then you will need to have a medical qualification, such as a MBChB, MBBS, BDS or BChD and be registered with either the GMC (Gen eral Medical Council) or GDC (General Dental Council), with a minimum of two years clinical practice post registration as well as an additional year in specialist practice.
The content of your studies and the skills you'll develop will depend on the level and topic of your medicine course. Teaching, learning and assessment in postgraduate medicine programmes typically involves a combination of clinical placements, lectures, seminars and practical skills training. Assessment methods may include written exams, clinical assessments and research projects.
Foundation programmes cover training in a wide range of workplace and clinical settings, including general practice, acute medical care, community health and mental health. It has a strong practical focus and is designed to give you the clinical and non-clinical skills you’ll need to succeed across any number of medical roles.
Taught master’s courses will be geared towards preparing you for a medical career in a particular discipline, such as haematology or gynaecology. These will usually be delivered through a mix of classroom and seminar content, work-based learning, and research activity.
Research master’s and doctoral qualifications will be almost entirely focused on building research skills and carrying out impactful, quality research around your chosen research area.
What Modules will I study?
The exact modules you’ll study depend on the specific course you’ve applied to; however, you can expect to study for one year on a full-time basis, or two to three years if you choose study with part-time attendance.
How will I be assessed?
In your foundation training, you’ll be assessed through a mixture of e-portfolio building, supervised clinical practice, and other assessments. Completing medical audits, giving presentations, teaching others, and publishing research or reports may also be involved.
Studying medicine through a taught master’s degree will usually involve assessment in the form of essays, written reports, presentations, practical assessments, exams or completion of a dissertation.
Research students will be assessed based on the quality of their research project, which will be evaluated as a dissertation or thesis, accompanied by an oral examination (viva).
Career progression for individuals with postgraduate qualifications in medicine can lead to various opportunities, such as becoming a consultant in a chosen speciality, pursuing academic research or working in healthcare management or policy roles.
Medical careers include:
Transferable skills
There are a number of different bodies which accredit postgraduate medical and training programmes which aim to ensure high standards and quality of patient care. Some of the key accrediting bodies associated with postgraduate medicine are:
General Medical Council (GMC): The GMC is the regulatory body for doctors and sets standards for medical education and training. It oversees the accreditation of postgraduate medical training programmes and ensures doctors meet the required competencies to practice safely and effectively in the UK. The GMC decide which universities can award a Primary Medical Qualifications (PMQs).
Royal Colleges: Each medical speciality is overseen by a Royal College, such as the Royal College of Physicians or the Royal College of Surgeons. The colleges set the curriculum. standards and assessments for postgraduate training in their respective specialities and accredit training programmes.
General Dental Council (GDC): The GDC are the regulatory body overseeing dentistry. It is responsible for overseeing standards and ensuring patient care and education quality in the training of dental practitioners.
The NHS offer funding to existing employees looking to pursue a postgraduate medicine qualification as part of their career development, such as NHS training grants and bursaries which can help cover tuition fees, living costs, study materials etc., this also applies to doctors who wish to undertake speciality training in a specific medical field. Other sources of funding include student loans, scholarships and grants or employer sponsorship. Find out more about scholarships for medicine, dentistry and health. It is also worth emailing the student finance office at the universities you are interested to find out more about the scholarships, bursaries and financial aid options specific to postgraduate medicine. To learn more about funding, check out our ULTIMATE guide to postgraduate funding.
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