Medicine at Barts: Global Health Intercalation

Heys guys, I'm a medicine offer holder and cant make up my mind between Kings College London and Barts. How have you found the global health program at Barts? Are there oppurtunities to get work experience in the field?

If you're talking about the intercalated degree at Barts then I can tell you what my experience of it has been like. Bear in mind it's on global public health so nearly all of your time will be spent looking at global health issues at a strategic level. If you're more interested in the stuff that happens at the 'ground level' it may not be for you. Still, anybody who wants to be involved in global health would probably find it useful to do this course.

It's a theory-based course so you spend a lot of time thinking conceptually. It's not everyone's cup of tea and some will think it too 'wishy-washy' for their liking. You'll get to have a go at sociology, politics, economics and philosophy and apply it to real world problems. It's definitely a change from the usual medicine and basic science that you'll have spent at least three years doing.

The standard of teaching is ok. You'll find some of the tutors to be fantastic and some are quite average. There's a lot of scope for you to do your own reading around a subject. In fact, if you want to get the most out of it you'll probably have to do your own reading. That's not a bad thing, though. It's just like how it is with many other degrees.

The degree is actually a masters course so you'll be with masters students from QM. It's nice to meet some people outside of medicine and get away from the medic bubble. At the moment the word counts for our essays are smaller and we do less modules than the MSc students. I don't know whether it will still be like this when it becomes an MSci next year, though.

In terms of work experience there are no well-trodden paths for you to take. Your tutors will have a background in global health, public health or both so you can ask them for opportunities. Some of the keener masters students have also managed to network their way into some internships. You can try to do a similar thing. Barts also have a few active societies that have a global/public health slant.