Intercalated PhD option for Medical Students
Build on your study of Medicine with the chance to complete a PhD as part of your course.
Include a PhD as part of your Medicine degree
Explore research from a range of specialities
Benefit from world-class facilities and collaborate across departments at Imperial
Course key facts
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Qualification
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MBBS/PhD
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Duration
9 years
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Start date
October 2025
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UCAS course code
Apply to A100
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Study mode
Full-time
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Fees
MBBS: £9,535 per year
PhD: Varies by year HomeMBBS: £55,800 per year
PhD: Varies by year Overseas
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Delivered by
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Location
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South Kensington
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Applications: places
10 : 1 (2023)
Course overview
This course offers exceptional students on the standard Medicine MBBS/BSc degree the opportunity to include a PhD as part of their course.
This consists of three years’ research, taken after completion of the BSc component.
Research within the Department covers a very broad range of specialities, and you will benefit from access to world class facilities and the chance to collaborate with researchers from other departments and faculties at the university.
After your three years of research are complete, you will continue with the remainder of the MBBS programme, graduating with both an MBBS and PhD qualification.
Key facts
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4th in the world Medicine, Times Higher Education World University Rankings by Subject, 2024
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Specialist pathways so you can focus on core fields of interest such as neuroscience or mental health.
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Accredited by the General Medical Council Graduate qualified for provisional registration with the GMC
Structure
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the course runs over three years. You will undertake an integrated programme covering the scientific basis of medicine and the foundations of clinical practice, with clinical experience from the start.
The third year consists of clinical attachments in hospitals and placements in a primary care setting, supported by structured teaching.
Phase 2
Phase 2 leads to the award of a BSc degree at the end of year four. We have many specialist pathways available, exposing you to research at the cutting edge of the field. You also undertake a supervised research project.
Phase 3
Phase 3 covers the final two years of the MBBS qualification. You rotate through a wide range of clinical specialties, such as obstetrics and gynaecology, psychiatry, general practice and paediatrics.
In the final years, you have the freedom to follow your own interests and undertake an eight-week elective, which you may complete in the UK or overseas.
For full details of each phase, including specific modules, please see the Medicine MBBS/BSc page.
You will initially apply for Medicine MBBS/BSc.
During your fourth or third year of study, you will contact the BSc Programme Officer to apply to undertake an intercalated PhD.
While undertaking a PhD, you will be placed on an interruption of studies from your MBBS medicine course.
Professional accreditation
This course is professionally accredited by General Medical Council.
This means that your education meets a respected and recognised standard, starting your career with skills and attitudes needed to deliver high-quality care.
Associateship
As well as your main Imperial degree, you will also receive the award of the Associateship of the Imperial College School of Medicine (AICSM). This associateship is awarded by one of our historic constituent Colleges.
Teaching and assessment
Teaching methods
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Lectures
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Skill-based learning
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Scientific practicals
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Clinical placements
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Case studies
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Flipped classrooms
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Computer workshops
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Laboratory classes
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Guided problem solving
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Independent study
Assessment methods
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Written assessments
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Clinical assessments
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Reports and write ups
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Lay communications
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Oral presentation
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Progress tests
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Workplace assessments
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Applied knowledge tests
Your timetable and learning
We use a repeating schedule to allow you to focus on Professional Knowledge, Clinical Skills, Professional Values and Behaviours at specific times.
You will focus on deep and active learning methods, such as flipped classrooms and team-based Learning so you can practise and apply your knowledge and critical thinking.
Assessment
Your performance will be assessed by a combination of written and clinical examinations and continuous assessment.
Assessments for the MBBS programme are pass/fail. In-course assessments and examinations relating to the science modules in Phase 2 contribute to the final classification for honours for the BSc element of the MBBS/BSc degree and are graded.
Medical Licensing Assessment
The General Medical Council's Medical Licensing Assessment aims to demonstrate that those who obtain registration with a licence to practise medicine in the UK meet a common threshold for safe practice.
To obtain registration with a licence to practise, you will need to pass both parts of the MLA, pass university finals and demonstrate your fitness to practise.
Student agreement
Due to the unique nature of Medicine courses, which emphasise clinical placements, all students will be asked to sign an agreement upon entry which sets out the responsibilities of both the university and the student.
The agreement complements the university's current policies and procedures, promoting a coherent understanding between students and the Faculty as to what is expected from each and improving the student’s learning experience.
Placements and location of study
You will complete a number of placements and clinical attachments throughout your degree. Most of your study will be at our South Kensington and Charing Cross Campuses, however, your studies will also take you off-campus at various points in each academic year.
During phase one, you will undertake community-based experiences at General Practices in London. Practices will be accessible by either bus or train, usually requiring under one hour’s travel; travel may take longer depending on location.
The Phase 3 clinical specialities, as well as other opportunities to specialise, may be located at other Imperial campuses such as Charing Cross, Chelsea and Westminster, Hammersmith, Royal Brompton, St. Mary’s.
You can expect to complete attachments at the below list of teaching hospitals, provided as a guide:
- Chelsea and Westminster Hospital
- London North West Healthcare NHS Trust – Ealing Hospital
- Hillingdon Hospital NHS Trust
- Imperial College Healthcare NHS Trust – Charing Cross, Hammersmith, St Mary's and Western Eye Hospitals
- London North West Healthcare NHS Trust – Northwick Park
- Royal Brompton and Harefield NHS Trust
- West Middlesex University Hospital
We have partnerships with healthcare providers inside and outside of London, and the list above is given as a guide and is not intended to be exhaustive.
The main clinical attachments or training away from South Kensington and Charing Cross are in the Phase 1c, Phase 3a and Phase 3b:
- Phase 1c: three 8-weeks clinical placements (including one in General Practice)
- Phase 3a: dedicated pathology course and a range of clinical specialities
- Phase 3b: range of clinical attachments and elective period
Staff expertise
At Imperial, you will be taught by a range of teachers of all levels from Professors to PhD students, including some who undertake groundbreaking research and are regarded as experts in their field. You may also experience peer teaching and be taught by specialists external to the university.
Entry requirements
We consider all applicants on an individual basis, welcoming students from all over the world.
How to apply
Applications are closed for 2025 entry
From Admissions Cycle 2025–2026
Imperial will utilise University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) for Admissions Cycle entry 2025-2026 onwards, as part of our selection process for entry to Medicine (MBBS – A100). Those who have deferred their entry from 2024-2025 to start in the A100 programme in academic year 2025-2026 will not need to resit UCAT. Registration for the UCAT is now closed.
The UCAT
You will need to take the University Clinical Aptitude Test (UCAT) to study this course.
You must book the test yourself and must only take it once in an admissions cycle. It must be taken in the year that you apply.
Registration for the UCAT is now closed. See the University Clinical Aptitude Test website for registration and test dates. We encourage you to book your test slot at local centre as soon as registration opens.
How we use the UCAT
The School of Medicine will initially review applications to ensure they meet our minimum academic entry requirements as outlined in our Study pages. Following receipt of UCAT scores in November, we then begin inviting candidates to attend our Multiple Mini Interviews (MMIs).
Each year, we normally interview the top 1/3 of applicants and will send invitations on a rolling basis from December. Invitations are sent via our MMIs partner 'Shortlister'. Please make sure that emails from Imperial are on your/your School’s safe senders list or that you check your spam folder so that you don’t miss any notifications. Invitations will explain in detail how the interview will work.
UCAT cut-off scores are calculated each year, as a result of ranked candidate UCAT scores versus number of expected interview sessions. Therefore, the UCAT cut-offs change each year. For the 2025 cycle, the minimum requirements for interview included a minimum score in the Situational Judgement Test (SJT) section, as well as a minimum score in the total score.
For 2025 entry, all candidates who submitted special circumstances via UCAT were examined carefully on a case-by-case basis.
For those students identified as Widening Participation, who have declared carer status by 31st October 2024 as illustrated on this page, or are involved in the Imperial Outreach programme, a contextualised cut off was applied.
For 2025 entry, the number of Home places is 271 and Overseas places is 74. The following UCAT thresholds were applied.
UCAT threshold is:
- SJT: Band 3 minimum (Band 4 discounted)
- Minimum threshold Total Score: 3020
UCAT thresholds for contextual applicants:
- SJT: Band 3 minimum (Band 4 discounted)
- Minimum threshold Total Score: 2830
All candidates who attend the test are declaring that they are fit to sit the test. If circumstances occur which might affect performance, candidates must refer to the UCAT Fitness to Test Policy before sitting their test. On occasion the UCAT Office may communicate significant personal/medical circumstances to the Medical School. We were not able to consider special circumstances for anyone who did not communicate them to the UCAT Office.
You will initially apply initially for Medicine MBBS/BSc (UCAS code A100).
During your fourth year of study, you will contact the BSc Programme Officer to apply to undertake an intercalated PhD.
You must meet certain academic requirements in the early years of your degree to be eligible for the PhD programme, and places are competitive so cannot be guaranteed.
While undertaking a PhD, you will be placed on an interruption of studies from your medical course.
Student visas
If you are an international student, transferring to a different course could have an impact on your student visa.
Find out more from our International Student Support website.
Tuition fees
Home fee
2025 entry
£9,535 per year
Important update for 2025 entry
The UK government has announced that, starting in April 2025, maximum tuition fees for Home undergraduate students in England will increase from £9,250 per year to £9,535. Find out more.
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
If you're a Home student, you can apply for a Tuition Fee Loan from the UK government to cover the entire cost of tuition for every year of your course.
The loan is paid directly to the university.
You will start repaying it only after you leave your course, have a job, and are earning above a certain amount.
Once the repayments start, the amount you pay each month depends on how much you earn, not on how much you owe in total.
Home students can apply for a means-tested Maintenance Loan to help with their living costs.
In November 2024, the UK government announced a 3.1% increase in English Maintenance Loans for 2025-26.
How you apply for student finance depends on whether you have studied before and where you’re from or normally live. Find out more on the UK government's website.
The Imperial Bursary is available to all Home undergraduate students with a household income below £70,000 per year.
The amount awarded is based on your household income, with up to £5,000/year available for students from the lowest income households.
It's money which you don't need to pay back, and it's paid on top of any government funding you may also receive.
It is available for each year of your course, as long as your annual household income remains below £70,000.
You might need to budget for additional costs related to your course that aren't covered by your tuition fees – like field trips, books and protective clothing.
Our extra costs page outlines the additional costs related to courses in each of our departments. It's not an exhaustive list and any additional costs you could incur will be determined by the course and modules you choose.
Overseas fee
2025 entry
£55,800 per year
Your fee is based on the year you enter the university, not your year of study. This means that if you repeat a year or resume your studies after an interruption, your fees will only increase by the amount linked to inflation.
Find out more about our tuition fees payment terms, including how inflationary increases are applied to your tuition fees in subsequent years of study.
Whether you pay the Home or Overseas fee depends on your fee status. This is assessed based on UK Government legislation and includes things like where you live and your nationality or residency status. Find out how we assess your fee status.
You might need to budget for additional costs related to your course that aren't covered by your tuition fees – like field trips, books and protective clothing.
Our extra costs page outlines the additional costs related to courses in each of our departments. It's not an exhaustive list and any additional costs you could incur will be determined by the course and modules you choose.
Scholarships
Imperial Bursary
Value per award
- £1,000–£5,000 per year
Who it's for
- Home students whose household income falls below £60,000 a year
Medicine scholarships
Who it's for
- Students who have Firm Unconditional places to study Medicine at Imperial.
NHS funding
Value per award
- Full tuition fee support and a means-tested bursary or a tuition fees only bursary.
Who it's for
- Students in the final (clinical) years of their MBBS
How will studying at Imperial help my career as a doctor?
99% Of Imperial Medicine graduates in work or further study*
- 99% Of Imperial Medicine graduates in work or further study*
- 1%
97% Of Imperial Medicine graduates in highly skilled work or further study*
- 97% Of Imperial Medicine graduates in highly skilled work or further study*
- 3%
*2021-22 graduate outcomes data, published by HESA in 2024
Graduate with the skills and knowledge to enter into a diverse range of careers including clinical medical practice, biomedical research, the pharmaceutical industry, scientific journalism and healthcare management.
Access the specialist careers support from the medical school careers team, alongside the support offered through your personal tutor and other medical school staff. Including one-to-one appointments, talks from doctors in different specialities, skill sessions, networking events and careers fairs, a dedicated careers websites and much more.
Achieving this MBBS provides you with a primary medical qualification (PMQ), entitling you to provisional registration with the GMC and license to practise in approved Foundation Year 1 posts. In your final year, we will support you to apply for a Foundation Year 1 post through the UK Foundation Programme selection scheme.
On successful completion of the Foundation Year 1 programme you can apply for full registration with the GMC before entering Foundation Year 2.
As a doctor you’ll need full registration with a license to practise for unsupervised medical practise in the NHS or UK private practice, although regulations in this area are subject to change. Then, you can train as a specialist through an NHS scheme, choosing from around seventy different specialities.
Further links
Contact the department
- Telephone: +44 (0)20 7594 7259
- Email: medicine.ug.admissions@imperial.ac.uk
Visit the School of Medicine website
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Request info
Learn more about studying at Imperial. Receive useful information about our life in our undergraduate community and download our latest Study Guide.
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Events, tasters and talks
Meet us and find out more about studying at Imperial.
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Terms and conditions
There are some important pieces of information you should be aware of when applying to Imperial. These include key information about your tuition fees, funding, visas, accommodation and more.
You can find further information about your course, including degree classifications, regulations, progression and awards in the programme specification for your course.
Programme specifications