Hi, I am Hasmeet Gill and I am currently in my 3rd year of medical school at UEA. I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Norwich and am here to share my experiences about the university, medicine course and the place. I remember when I was applying for Med school, there seemed to be limited information on what the course actually was like on a day-to-day basis unless you got the opportunity to speak to someone from there, so hopefully I can be that person for you!
Medicine course:
My favourite aspects of UEA’s MBBS course are how early on they introduce clinical placements and how clinically relevant all your learning is.
Learning is taught module based so you learn all the anatomy, biochemistry, physiology etc relevant to that module and build on that knowledge in subsequent years due to the spiral learning nature of the course.
In Year 1 we learnt about orthopaedics and rheumatology, we had 1 day every week dedicated to GP placement. On top of that we had about 8 weeks of hospital placement during the whole year split into 2 week blocks.
In Year 2, there are 4 modules covered: cardiovascular, dermatology & haematology, stroke & vascular and lastly respiratory. After 5 weeks of lecture based teaching [including GP 1 day every week] we had 3 weeks of hospital placement for each module.
In Year 3 our modules are gastroenterology, renal & urology, endocrine & ENT and finally neurology & ophthalmology.
UEA also has PBL groups which are small groups of 10 people which you discuss cases based on your lecture teaching at the end of every week – this allows you to learn from your peers. We also do full body dissections which are very useful in anatomy as we are personally allowed to dissect, cut and feel different bodily structures.
A general week in the life of lecture-based teaching consists of 2 days of lectures, a day at GP placement, wrapping up the last day of the week with PBL discussions.
As you can imagine, by 5th year as a UEA medical student you would have had abundance opportunity in placement, developing your clinical skills, speaking to patients and really getting the feel of a real day in the life as a doctor.
In terms of research opportunities there are many being advertised constantly and as part of the course you learn how to conduct medical research and in 3rd year even get to design your own research protocol! Intercalation is also offered at UEA and they have lots of advice on their page.
Exams:
We have OSCES from year 1 which is super useful in developing confidence so by the time you're in 5th year OSCES become second nature. After every 2 modules you usually have an end of module osce, then in summer you are assessed with an end of year OSCE and 2 written multiple choice [single best answer] papers.
Norwich
Norwich is a wonderful, picturesque city, with lots of independent cafes, pubs and greenery. I have loved being here as its not too big and busy which can be especially overwhelming for a new Uni student away from home for the first time.
Its night-life is not as glamorous as other cities but what really makes it for me is the people and with there being less options it meant we would always see other UEA students – getting to all socialise together! On the weekends there are so many cute brunch/coffee places and we have multiple beaches only 30mins - 1hr away which is amazing in the summer! There is also an amazing cathedral adding to the beauty of the city.
In terms of accommodation, in year 1 most people live on campus which is great for making friends as everyone lives within 5 minute walks from each other. UEA being a campus uni is especially nice, we have a wonderful lake right on campus which is very popular for barbecues in the summertime!
Community
There are so many societies available to join from sport, music to drama, I’m part of medics netball and have loved it. There are also many medicine societies putting on revision lectures, mock OSCES, talks from specialists etc which are so useful as they come from older medical students who have already experienced it. Our medsoc is also amazing putting on several socials for all the healthcare courses – the spring/winter balls are a must!
There is lots of support available as well, you are assigned a personal advisor from day 1 alongside the several other avenues of support e.g. your year lead, module lead, PBL tutor etc.
In conclusion I have had a fantastic few years at Norwich and have made life-long friends and memories I will cherish from being here.
Hasmeet Gill – 3rd year medical student, UEA
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