King's acknowledgement of the range of skills and attributes that successful doctors and dentists require led to the introduction of the Foundation Course in Natural Sciences. This course is designed for those students who do not meet the subject requirements for A205 who wish to pursue a career in dentistry, for example applicants with predominantly art A levels. It forms the first year of a six-year programme and is the only programme of its kind in London. The course covers biology, chemistry, physics and mathematics. One of the special features of the course is that students will study alongside students taking BSc degrees.
Students come from a diversity of backgrounds which makes for a lively and interesting year.
Previous careers of the mature students on the course have included banking in New York, accountancy, teaching in Pakistan and film production. Students will enter the course having specified on their UCAS form their intention to pursue either medicine or dentistry which they continue on to after successful completion of the Foundation Course. This two year integrated clinical and theoretical programme provides students with the skills needed to be a dental hygienist. Anatomy, physiology, microbiology and cross infection are emphasised early in the course, to allow safe treatment of patients as soon as the fourth week. Although the treatment of oral diseases is covered in detail, there is much emphasis on prevention.