Surrey announces launch of new medical school

Surrey will be offering a four-year, graduate-entry bachelor’s degree medical programme and expects to welcome the first cohort of 40 students in 2024.

Innovative curriculum

Announcing Surrey’s first medical school, Professor GQ Max Lu, President and Vice-Chancellor of the University, says: “I’m so proud to announce that Surrey has begun its journey to train skilled medical doctors. We already have an exceptional reputation for training high-quality health professionals and conducting world-leading research.

“Building on our multidisciplinary strengths in education, research and innovation across many disciplines, augmented by Surrey’s state-of-the-art clinical simulation facilities, the new programme will also benefit from an established and accredited curriculum.

“We are therefore delighted to be partnering with the University of Exeter, which will support the development of this new and innovative curriculum. With a highly respected medical programme of their own, and a patient-centred and forward-thinking ethos, Exeter is the perfect partner for us.”

Widening participation

Professor Lisa Roberts, Vice-Chancellor of the University of Exeter, adds:

“We’re delighted to be partnering with Surrey in this new venture; their choice of Exeter is testament to the quality of our medical programme and the expertise we have in training outstanding doctors. The pandemic has highlighted the crucial importance of training more health professionals in the future, and we’re excited to be supporting this objective.”

As an independent medical school, the majority of places will be for applicants from overseas initially. However, there will be a small number of places available for home students from underrepresented groups enabling access to a career in medicine. The University’s aspiration in the longer term is to have a greater number of funded places available for home students and to build on existing strengths in widening participation in higher education.

Multidisciplinary research

Professor Paul Townsend, Pro-Vice-Chancellor and Executive Dean of the Faculty of Health and Medical Sciences at the University of Surrey, continues: “Our medical school will combine an outstanding core teaching experience with the benefits of working alongside our multidisciplinary research specialisms – for example, through our Institute for People-Centred Artificial Intelligence and 5G Innovation Centre.

“We have an exceptional interprofessional learning environment. Our medical students will train with and alongside students from our highly respected nursing, midwifery, paramedic and veterinary medicine programmes, all ranking within the top ten in the Complete University Guide 2022.”

Crucially, the school will focus on combining an outstanding core learning experience working alongside the University’s regional NHS clinical placement partners.