Should you study for an intercalated degree?
BMJ 2016; 354 doi: https://doi.org/10.1136/sbmj.h4136 (Published 12 September 2016) Cite this as: BMJ 2016;354:h4136
- Rachel Walden, project officer at the Hull York Medical School ,
- Ian Watt, academic lead for the Hull York Medical School intercalation programme
- 1Hull York Medical School (www.hyms.ac.uk/)
This article contains...
- Who intercalates?
- When to intercalate?
- What are the degree options and where should you search for opportunities?
- Applying to intercalate
- Fees and funding
- Reasons for and against intercalating
- Advice for students thinking about intercalating
An intercalated degree is an opportunity for medical students to take a year out from their medical training and to undertake a further degree qualification. The aim of an intercalated degree is to give future clinicians additional skills and experience in a specialist area, which can be anything from anatomy, global health, psychology, and medical education to medical journalism and philosophy. Taking an intercalated year when you are at medical school can also add up to five points to your foundation programme application, which may improve your chances of getting the training destination of your choice. In this article we look at the things you need to consider when thinking about studying for an intercalated degree.
Who intercalates?
About one third of undergraduate medical students in the United Kingdom intercalate (see figure).1 Some medical schools, such as Oxford and Imperial College London, offer a 6 year programme which includes studying towards a BA or BSc as well as a medical degree; at other institutions intercalation is optional. Some universities offer students the opportunity to study externally at other medical schools, which can give individuals a wider choice of subjects to study.⇓
Number of UK medical students intercalating between 2011 and 20142
When to intercalate?
The point at which a student can intercalate varies between medical schools. Some universities offer a single point in the curriculum at which students can intercalate, whereas others offer two or three opportunities for intercalation. Students intercalate roughly in equal numbers between years 2 and 3, …
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