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UCL - Y1/2 course structure?

Hey! I really like everything I've seen about UCL so far, but just wanted to ask about how integrated the first two years are. At loads of unis that I've read about, you visit a GP and sit in on a session weekly/fortnightly - do you do this (or something like it) at UCL? Is it very lecture-heavy or do you get a good mix of smaller group sessions as well? If possible, could any current UCL students show me a typical timetable for the first two years?

Cheers for any help!
I'm in 2nd year so can help you out.

UCL doesn't go in for lots of patient contact in the first two years. Teaching is lecture based with computer labs, anatomy labs, practical classes and a few tutorials to supplement this. You have small group work (with a group of around 14 people) one morning a week for both first and second year, where you discuss more patient related things.

In first year you get three mornings of placement and two mornings where patients come in to speak to you, and in second year you get two mornings of placements, and one morning where a patient comes in to speak to you.

If you want a really integrated course then maybe don't come to UCL, but generally the teaching is good and well structured. The low patient contact doesn't bother me especially.
Reply 2
Avatar for jb10101
jb10101
OP
6
Original post by violin101
I'm in 2nd year so can help you out.

UCL doesn't go in for lots of patient contact in the first two years. Teaching is lecture based with computer labs, anatomy labs, practical classes and a few tutorials to supplement this. You have small group work (with a group of around 14 people) one morning a week for both first and second year, where you discuss more patient related things.

In first year you get three mornings of placement and two mornings where patients come in to speak to you, and in second year you get two mornings of placements, and one morning where a patient comes in to speak to you.

If you want a really integrated course then maybe don't come to UCL, but generally the teaching is good and well structured. The low patient contact doesn't bother me especially.


Hey, thanks so much for your reply! That's really helpful to me, I'm trying to work out what aspects of courses are most important to me (patient contact/no, pbl/no etc) and its great to know that. If you don't mind me asking, what was it about UCL that made you choose to go there? Are you enjoying it?
Reply 3
Avatar for 6med
6med
6
Hey there :-) As violin101 has already explained, there isn't oodles of patient contact in the first two years. However, I wouldn't let that be a huge deterrent. The time will fly by and before you know it you are in 4th year at which point onwards it is full on patient contact for the rest of your working life! Looking back now, I really appreciate the first two years of preclinical studies and see them as necessary and useful preparation for the clinical environment. But of course, this is just my personal opinion :-)

Best,

Alex, 4th year UCL medic,
6med

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