UCL Medical School
UCL Medical School is the medical school of University College London (UCL) and is located in London, United Kingdom. The School provides a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate medical education programmes and also has a medical education research unit and an education consultancy unit. It is internationally renowned and is currently ranked 8th in the world by the QS World University Rankings 2020. UCL has offered education in medicine since 1834. The currently configured and titled medical school was established in 2008 following mergers between UCLH Medical School and the medical school of the Middlesex Hospital  (in 1987) and The Royal Free Hospital Medical School (in 1998). The School's clinical teaching is primarily conducted at University College Hospital, The Royal Free Hospital and the Whittington Hospital, with other associated teaching hospitals including the Eastman Dental Hospital, Great Ormond Street Hospital, Moorfields Eye Hospital, the National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital, Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and Luton and Dunstable University Hospital. History. UCL Medical School formed over a number of years from the merger of a number of institutions: Middlesex Hospital and University College Hospital merged their  medical schools in 1987 to form University College & Middlesex School of Medicine (UCMSM). In 1998 The Royal Free & University College Medical School (RFUCMS) was formed from the merger of the two medical schools. On 1 October 2008, it was officially renamed UCL Medical School. In appreciation of the historic beginnings of UCL Medical School, its student society has retained the name "RUMS" (Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students Society) and runs clubs and societies within University College London Union. Teaching. The medical school is one of the largest in the country with a yearly intake of 330 students . Undergraduate teaching is spread across three campuses based in Bloomsbury (including University College Hospital), at Archway (including Whittington Hospital) and in Hampstead (including the Royal Free Hospital). Teaching takes place in arguably some of the best clinical sites in the country including: Great Ormond Street Hospital, The National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery (Queen's Square), Moorfields Eye Hospital, The Heart Hospital, The Royal National Orthopaedic Hospital and the Royal National Throat, Nose and Ear Hospital. The school is not only widely regarded as one of the best medical schools in the country (frequently ranked between number 1–5 in the  country), but also one of the best in the world; being ranked consistently in the top 10. Course. The course in medicine at UCL leads to the award of the MB BS and BSc (Hons) degrees and is a six-year integrated programme: Years 1 and 2 Fundamentals of Clinical Science; Year 3 Integrated BSc degree; Year 4 Integrated Clinical Care; Year 5 The Life Cycle and Specialist Practice and Year 6 Preparation for Practice. Admission. Admission to the medical school, in common with all 32 medical schools in the UK, is extremely competitive. The medical school receives approximately 2,500  applications yearly (over 2700 for 2018 entry) of which up to 700 applicants are selected for interview. Approximately 450 offers are given for 322 places. Prospective students must apply through the Universities and Colleges Admissions Service (UCAS). As of 2021 entry, conditional offers for entry include grades A*AA at A-level, to include at least Chemistry and Biology, and an additional subject at A-level. The International Baccalaureate (Full Diploma), although less common, is also an acceptable entry qualification. The course is also open to graduates with a minimum of a 2:1 required. Additionally, applicants must sit an entrance exam , the BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT) which is used alongside the rest of the UCAS application to determine selection for interview. Associated hospitals and research institutes. Hospitals. UCL Medical School is associated with the following hospitals: Research institutes. UCL Medical School is associated with the following research institutes: UCL Medical School forms part of the UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences, together with the Division of Medicine, Division of Infection and Immunity, Division of Surgery and Interventional Science, UCL Cancer Institute, UCL Eastman Dental Institute and UCL Wolfson Institute. UCL Faculty of Medical Sciences is one of four Faculties within the UCL  School of Life and Medical Sciences. Rankings. In the 2021, "QS World University Rankings by Subject" UCL was ranked 9th in the world (4th in Europe, 1st in London) for Medicine. In the 2014 "Academic Ranking of World Universities" subject tables, UCL was ranked 17th in the world (and 4th in Europe) for Clinical Medicine and Pharmacy. In domestic rankings for Medicine, UCL is ranked 2nd in the 2015 "Complete University Guide", 4th in the 2014 "Guardian University Guide", and 4th in the 2014 "Times and Sunday Times League Table". Student societies. All students at UCL Medical School are also  members of The Royal Free, University College and Middlesex Medical Students’ Association (RUMS MSA) - a student-led organisation that is independent of UCL Medical School. RUMS has a proud and illustrious past having been formed in the wake of the merger between the three constituent medical schools in 1998. Its predecessor, The Middlesex Hospital Medical Society is reportedly the oldest student society in England having been formed in 1774. Since its formation in 1998 RUMS (RUMS) has gone from strength to strength and now provides social events, sports teams, societies, welfare services and representation to the 1200 or so medical  students at UCL Medical School. In 2011, UCLU Medical Society was established separate from RUMS MSA to provide careers advice and peer teaching for medical students, as well as special interest events. These events can be centrally organised or by various subdivisions or "sections" within the society ranging from those devoted to medical specialities such as Paediatrics or General Practice to Medical Leadership & Management and Global Health. Since 2012, one of the most popular sections of UCLU Medical Society has been UCLU Med Soc Education, which provides peer-to-peer and near-peer teaching events, run by medical students for  other medical students. The novelty of this section is their collaboration with the medical school faculty to ensure quality and validity of the student-produced material and student-led teaching on offer. Notable alumni. Notable alumni of UCL Medical School and its predecessor institutions include: