Medicine (International Foundation) September 2021 entry

Incorporating a unique blend of academic skills with medicine-related topics, the International Foundation programme for Medicine has been designed in conjunction with the School of Medicine to develop the intellectual and communication skills necessary for success in a degree in medicine.

The programme adopts a holistic approach to preparing for the challenges of medical school. It includes insights into local practice, and you will study a diverse range of subjects, with teaching and learning embedded into Faculty of Science modules.

The programme has a high success rate with over 84% of students completing the programme successfully over the past four years.

Applications for September 2021 entry are now closed

Course information for September 2022 entry will be available on this page by the end of September 2021.

Course type

International Foundation programme

This is the University’s own pre-degree programme which prepares international students for undergraduate study in the UK and at the University of St Andrews in particular.

Course duration

Nine months, full time

Course dates

Start date: 6 September 2021
End date: 13 May 2022

The schedule for this programme differs slightly from the standard University semester dates. All weeks from the programme start date to end date are teaching, in-class revision or assessment weeks, other than the following:

independent learning week: 18 to 22 October 2021
winter vacation and inter-semester weeks: 21 December 2021 to 14 January 2022
February vacation: 21 February to 25 February 2022.

This course is for:

International students who are academically able, but whose high school qualification is not recognised for application to an undergraduate degree at St Andrews. Foundation students typically use English as an additional language.

Who can apply

Do I need to have studied this subject before?

Applicants must have studied sciences at school, and Chemistry should have been studied in the applicant’s final year at school. If you studied Chemistry only to IGCSE level or Grade or Year 10, you may be eligible for the International Pathway to Medicine programme.

Entry requirements

Academic requirements

Typical Medicine IFP and International Pathway to Medicine academic requirements (PDF) are listed alphabetically by country. If your qualification is not shown here, please email ifp@st-andrews.ac.uk about the grades needed from your high school system.

You can demonstrate that you have met the academic requirements with a high school transcript from your final year at school. Any high school qualification you use as evidence of your academic ability should be from the last year you attended high school and dated within the previous three years.

You should apply before your final results are available, as the University can make you a conditional offer based on your past exam performance and predicted grades.

English language requirement

All foundation applicants must submit a Secure English Test (SELT) as evidence of their English language ability, unless they have a UK passport.

See a list of approved English language tests and required scores for International Foundation programmes.

You do not need to have your result when you apply, as this can be a condition of an offer made by the University.

Work experience requirement

Students are required to have experience that allows them to demonstrate interpersonal skills relevant to the practice of medicine. This may include voluntary or work experience, and clinical observations. Applicants are advised to keep a record (for example, a diary) of this, as students will reflect upon these experiences throughout their foundation programme.

Application requirements

The University requires you to provide the following documents as part of your application:

your most recent high school transcript
a personal statement outlining why you wish to study medicine at St Andrews and reflecting on your life and learning experiences to explain why you feel you would be successful on this programme
an academic reference from your high school on their letterhead or from a school email
your official English language test result.

Application deadline

The deadline for applications is Sunday 1 August 2021. You only need to provide your high school transcript and personal statement when you first apply so that the University can consider your application. Your academic reference and your English language evidence can be provided later.

How to apply

Reputation

The University of St Andrews as a whole was voted top in the UK for student academic experience in The National Student Survey 2020 as 92.7% of St Andrews final-year students gave the University top marks for the quality of the learning and teaching experience.

The University has secured a TEF Gold award for the quality of teaching and the undergraduate experience.

Video transcript

- If you're thinking of applying to St Andrews, you definitely should.

It's so rewarding. There are so many things you can do here.

Although it's a small town, the opportunities are completely endless.

>>FIONA: St Andrew's location is stunning. A small seaside town on the east coast of Scotland.

>>PROFESSOR JUDITH WOLFE: Close enough to places like Edinburgh, and frankly to all of Europe. We are connected while also being our own place.

>>HENRY: For me, the best thing about St Andrews is the fact that it's such a small town, but yet it's got so many different opportunities within it.

>>THOMAS: Whether it's the societies or the sports clubs that you can get involved with. It's so much more than just academia.

>>DR JAMES RAE: St Andrews is a fantastic place to study because you get a university that has a strong research focus, but it's also a university that really values its teaching. We do that through having small class sizes, and through, I think, a really, a kind of strong community feel.

>>AABIYAH: The lecturers are really, really helpful. There's not this kind of hierarchy or anything. Everyone's really, really friendly and everyone's really trying to help out.

>>PROFESSOR KISHAN DHOLAKIA: Why does a person go to University? They want to expand their mind. They want to push the boundaries of what they know from a personal level and an academic level. It's not just education, it's research. Because they want to go to a place that is pushing the frontiers of human knowledge.

>>DR DHARINI BALASUBRAMANIAM: We look for people who are willing to question what they are taught and willing to explore their subject in depth.

- We want people who are curious, who are motivated, who want to understand the world around them, and then apply that to make ideally the world a better place.

>>PROFESSOR CLARE PEDDIE: The University degree at St Andrews reflects the Scottish degree system. Students coming into first and second year can take subjects outside their intended degree specialisation and then specialise in their degree subjects in third, and fourth, and possibly fifth year.

- It just offers an opportunity to explore new subjects and it's kind of changed my way of thinking.

>>MARKUS: It really helped me to just explore different things and try out everything.

- St Andrews has a really big feel.

-You really get to know everyone. You see a lot of people that you know and you recognise.

>>RACHEL: Hall life plays such a big part in St Andrews. Living in halls has such a wonderful atmosphere.

>>SHUTONG: It is a really tight community.

- You get a lot of different students, you get to meet a lot of different people which you normally wouldn't meet.

- We come from very different educational backgrounds, so, therefore, we're all gonna have a different point of view. So, you know, you're not gonna have people that agree with you all the time or they're gonna pick up on things that you don't necessarily pick up on.

>>DR STEPHEN TYRE: With a St Andrews degree you can almost do anything because the skills that you learn here are attractive to employers.

>>PROFESSOR FRANK LORENZ MULLER: Our students go into all kinds of professional careers, whether that's the law, whether that's financial services, whether that's civil service or government. Many of them also go into further study.

- Our students tend to be in great demand from employers. We have companies that see character in graduates.

- The skills that students get here allow our students to be successful at getting jobs, and they seem to be equipped very well for a wide range of jobs.

- If you're thinking of applying, do it. Absolutely do it. It's been one of the best decisions that I've made.

>>SARA: St Andrews really isn't a place to be afraid of, but going to college is scary, because you don't know what you're gonna have when you get there, but it's really great here because it's so easy to feel like you have everything.

Course information

The International Foundation programme for Medicine has been designed with the University's School of Medicine to develop your sciences and communication skills to prepare you for success in a degree in medicine.

Central to the Medicine Foundation programme is an ethos of cooperation and collaboration amongst students, which is achieved through group work and projects in the context of a supportive environment for personal and academic growth. 

You will be given personal tutorial slots each semester where you can discuss all aspects of academic work and life. Through these tutorials, you will learn how to adopt and develop positive mindsets and learning strategies in order to help you during the programme and your future degree.

English language teachers will work with you to develop your academic writing, your study techniques and your time-management skills.

Foundation programme classes integrate your science and English language learning through their focus on writing laboratory reports, structuring essays, critical thinking and scientific methods of investigation. In addition, you will practice doctor-patient interaction, including with simulated patients, and have opportunities to:

consolidate your learning and attend a workshop to prepare for the multiple mini interviews (MMI)
volunteer with a local charity which provides support and companionship for the elderly and vulnerable in the local area
gain an accredited first-aid certificate.

The programme enables international students to function effectively as undergraduates studying medicine, enhancing their discipline-specific knowledge and skills, and developing critical thinking and reflection.

By the end of the programme students will:

demonstrate an overall appreciation of the body of philosophies related to the study of medicine
demonstrate knowledge that is embedded in the main theories, concepts and principles of the philosophies related to the study of medicine and apply that knowledge in practical contexts
undertake critical analysis, evaluation and synthesis of ideas, concepts, information and issues that are within the common understandings of health and medicine
demonstrate awareness of own and others’ roles, responsibilities and contributions when carrying out and evaluating tasks related to the study of medicine
convey complex information to a range of audiences such as fellow students, medical professionals, and patients
exercise autonomy and initiative in some activities in their learning
manage, under guidance, ethical and professional issues in accordance with current professional codes related to the medical profession.

Modules

The International Foundation programme in Medicine has six modules.

Semester 1
Semester 2

Students will study the same three compulsory modules:

Foundations for Medicine 1: focuses on academic research and writing skills along with seminar and project skills. You will study medical ethics in order and understand how this links to clinical practice and medical professionalism. You will also have sessions on effective communication and attend workshops with simulated and real patients in the School of Medicine.
Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry: covers the origin of the elements, atoms and the Periodic Table, shapes and properties of molecules, chemistry of the elements, properties of solutions, thermochemistry, thermodynamics and kinetics.

Biology 1: introduces students to molecular and cellular biology. It covers cell diversity and the origins of life, cellular structures and fundamental processes.

All students will study these compulsory modules:

Foundations for Medicine 2: builds on the skills studied in Semester 1 to enhance confidence and competence in communication, specifically for a degree in medicine. Students continue studying medical ethics. Students will also have a series of lectures on important themes in Medicine which are delivered by staff from the School of Medicine.
Human Biology: covers all the key physiological systems within the topic areas, with an overarching focus on how disease affects these systems.

Organic and Biological Chemistry 1: includes lectures on the structure, stereochemistry and nomenclature of simple organic compounds, fundamental organic reaction mechanisms, organic functional groups and their reactions, introductory bioorganic chemistry, and organic spectroscopy.

Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs)

To prepare for the MMIs held by the School of Medicine in Semester 2, there will be workshops on the various interview stations so that students can develop their interview skills and MMI performance. Students also study medical ethics in order to transition into first-year medicine with an understanding of how medical ethics link to clinical practice and medical professionalism.

The modules listed here are indicative, and there is no guarantee they will run for 2021 entry. Take a look at the most up-to-date modules in the module catalogue.

Teaching

Teaching format

Classes take place from Monday to Friday between 9am and 6pm. You will spend approximately 16 hours per week on focused learning activities. During this time, you will experience a mixture of live or recorded lectures, live online or face to face seminars or tutorials. Seminar classes are typically scheduled in groups of no more than 16 students.

As well as your timetabled classes, you will be expected to complete approximately 20 to 25 hours of independent study each week. As a fully matriculated student, you have access to the University’s libraries and study areas, but you will also work with the University's online learning tools (Moodle and Microsoft Teams).

Students are expected to do the following to prepare for classes and consolidate their learning:

read and take notes from paper or online textbooks, articles, and other online sources as required
undertake additional research and self-study through the University library and online
complete a range of homework tasks, individually and in groups
engage with feedback on both formative and summative assessments.

The University’s student services team can help students who have additional needs resulting from disabilities, long-term medical conditions or learning disabilities. More information can be found on the students with disabilities web page.

Assessment

Students are assessed on coursework and end-of-semester examinations.

Students will experience different kinds of assessment:

academic essays
end-of-module examinations
individual or group projects
presentations
laboratory reports
class tests.

Meet us in your country

Staff of the University of St Andrews are always pleased to meet prospective students in person. We visit many schools, colleges and higher education fairs to talk about the University and provide support and information for those thinking about applying.

Meet us in your country

Join us for one of our information events where you can find out about different levels of study and specific courses we run.

Online information events

Fees

Tuition fees

The tuition fee for 2021 entry is £21,850, this fee includes:

access to all University facilities
a transfer from Edinburgh or Glasgow airport, or Leuchars train station, when you first arrive
the use of course books, handouts and other course materials
laboratory coats and dissection kits, as required.

Accommodation fees

The International Education Institute recommends that you request an en suite single room with either a self-catered or catered package as this ensures you have a place close to your classes and with other foundation students.

University accommodation is guaranteed for foundation students.

See fees and further information on the IFP accommodation web page.

Funding and scholarships

Kinnessburn Scholarship

Students who successfully complete the International Foundation programme with a distinction grade and move onto a degree at the University of St Andrews are eligible to apply for the Kinnessburn Scholarship. This scholarship is awarded to one student annually in June and provides a partial fee waiver for each year of study on an undergraduate programme at the University.

IFP September scholarship

If you are coming to study an International Foundation or International Pathway to Medicine programme in September 2021, and you receive your offer by the time the scholarship applications are reviewed, you can be eligible to apply for this scholarship.

Successful candidates receive £2,000 towards the cost of tuition fees.

The deadline for applications is Tuesday 30 March 2021. Find out more about the IFP September scholarship.

“My interest in experiencing new culture is what compelled me to choose studying in St Andrews, Scotland, over England or elsewhere as it provided me with a unique balance of both strong academics and a unique setting. The staff at IE are always willing to answer questions and point you in the right direction. If you need an answer to something, there is always someone you can ask."

Ahmed (Egypt)

Your future

Requirements for moving onto BSc Medicine (A100)

To progress onto the BSc Medicine (A100) at St Andrews, students must pass all modules on the programme and achieve:

an average grade of 11.0 or above at first sitting across the following modules:
- Foundations for Medicine 1 (IE1101)
- Foundations for Medicine 2 (IE1201)
- Human Biology (IE1252)
an grade of 12.0 or above at first sitting in each of the following modules:
- Biology 1 (BL 1101)
- Introductory Inorganic and Physical Chemistry (CH1401)
- Organic and Biological Chemistry 1 (CH1601)

Results are graded on the University's 20-point scale.

Students must also meet the following entry requirements of the School of Medicine:

a competitive score in UCAT, achieved in the year of entry onto the International Foundation programme for Medicine. If this condition is not met, the competitive score on UCAT can also be achieved in the year of graduation from the International Foundation programme, prior to entry onto A100 BSc Medicine.
satisfactory performance on the multiple mini interviews with the School of Medicine
applicants who use English as an additional language and who cannot provide their English language ability through their school-leaving qualifications must achieve 7.0 in all four components of the International English Language Testing Service (IELTS) exam, to be taken at one sitting. This is irrespective of any other English qualification achieved. The final four consecutive years of secondary or high school education in an English-medium school may in some cases be considered as evidence of English language ability. This will be considered on a case by case basis. IELTS scores have a recommended two-year validity period, and this time limit will be applied.
fulfilment of the 'fitness to practise' criteria listed on the School of Medicine entry requirements web page.

Additional information

Provided that you meet the above entry requirements for the School of Medicine at the University of St Andrews, you will be given an unconditional offer to enter first year of the BSc Medicine (A100).

The programme director for Medicine (International Foundation) is required to comment on your fitness to practise Medicine at the end of your studies when you are considered for the BSc Medicine degree. Under the School of Medicine’s policy, any concerns about your health or previous conduct or both may be considered at the time of application or prior to entry to the medical course. For more information, please refer to the entry requirements for BSc Medicine.

Studying a Science degree instead of BSc Medicine (A100)

Students who do not move on to medicine but meet the academic requirements for the Faculty of Science, may be able to study a science degree at the University. Such requests will be considered on a case-by-case basis, taking into account both student performance, and capacity within the relevant subject area. Students can also apply to secure a place at another institution. Programme directors will assist with advice and UCAS applications as necessary to work towards the best possible outcome for you.

Join a webinar

The International Education Institute offers webinars to prospective International Foundation students who would like more information about St Andrews, university life and the application process at the University.

See upcoming webinars

Contact

International Foundation programmes

International Education Institute
University of St Andrews
Kinnessburn
Kennedy Gardens
St Andrews
KY16 9DJ

Phone: +44 (0)1334 46 2255
Email: ifp@st-andrews.ac.uk

International Education Institute

Policies

Admission to the University of St Andrews is governed by our admissions policy.

Information about all programmes from previous years of entry can be found in the archive.

Curriculum development

As a research intensive institution, the University ensures that its teaching references the research interests of its staff, which may change from time to time. As a result, programmes are regularly reviewed with the aim of enhancing students' learning experience. Our approach to course revision is described online.

Tuition fees

The University will clarify compulsory fees and charges it requires any student to pay at the time of offer. The offer will also clarify conditions for any variation of fees. The University’s approach to fee setting is described online.