***The following revised version of Regulation 8.10 will take effect on 2 October 2017 for all new and exisiting students. Amendments were approved by the University Council at the meeting on 12 July 2017.***

8.10. Regulations for the Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) and for the Bachelor of Medical Sciences (BMedSci) (Applying to all students registered on the MBChB programme from the academic year 2016/17 regardless of year of study)

(1) Candidates for the Degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MBChB) must have followed an approved course of full time study in the University extending normally over not fewer than four academic years. Students who are required to repeat a year or who temporarily withdraw from the course will normally be expected to complete the course within no more than six years from the date of first registration.

(2) To qualify for admission to the degree course a candidate must:

(a) Comply with the Regulations regarding admission to the University

(b) Hold an honours degree in an approved subject

(c) Be deemed fit to practise by the appropriate Fitness to Practise Committee or Fitness to Practise Review Group in accordance with Regulation 34.

(3)

(a) The course is divided into three phases, Phase I is normally completed by the end of the first year, Phase II is normally completed by the end of the second year and Phase III is normally completed by the end of the fourth year.

(b) Where a student is required to repeat any year with residence, they are normally required to repeat all of the core curriculum and associated tests that take place during that year. Students will only be permitted a third repeat year under exceptional circumstances.

(4) First Year Examinations

(a) In order to progress from Phase I to Phase II of the course candidates must satisfy the Phase I Board of Examiners that they have;

(i) Engaged and completed all of the core curriculum and associated formative tests, in the five blocks and passed any further tests, where required, held during any year(s) in which they have failed to complete the approved tests satisfactorily;

(ii) Candidates who fail to satisfy the Academic Progress Group (APG) that they have engaged and completed 4 a (i) above, may not be permitted to sit the summer examinations and following a meeting of the Phase I Board of Examiners may be required to fulfil a number of conditions before being permitted to present themselves for examination in the summer vacation only. Normally no re-sit opportunity will be available to such candidates.

(b) In the summer term the Phase I Board of Examiners will consider the progress of candidates during the first year on the basis of any written and/or clinical tests as may be approved by the Senate, together with candidates’ work in the first year, there will be no compensation between written and clinical elements and candidates will either:

(i) Be permitted to proceed to the second year of their course; or

(ii) Be required to take further tests in the summer vacation that relate to the element in which they were deemed to have failed; or

(iii) Be recommended to withdraw from their course of study.

(c) Candidates in (b)(iii) above may, if they wish, take further tests in the summer vacation as specified by the Board of Examiners.

(d) Before the start of the winter term the Phase I Board of Examiners will consider the results of tests held in the summer vacation together with candidates’ work in the first year and in the first sit of the written and clinical tests. There will be no compensation between written and clinical elements, and candidates will either:

(i) Be permitted to proceed to the second year of their course; or

(ii) Be required to repeat the first year of the course with residence (these students will only be permitted a third sit of the first year under exceptional circumstances); or

(iii) Be required to withdraw from their course of study.

(5) Second Year Examinations

(a) In order to progress from Phase II to Phase III of the course candidates must satisfy the Phase II Board of Examiners that they have;

(i) Engaged with the Student Selected Component (SSC1), satisfactorily completed all of the core curriculum and associated formative tests including any portfolio requirements during Advanced Cases 1 and the Core Clinical Education block, and passed any further tests, where required, held during any year(s) in which they have failed to complete the approved tests satisfactorily;

(ii) Candidates who fail to satisfy the APG that they have engaged and completed 5 a (i) above, may not be permitted to sit the summer examinations and following a meeting of the Phase II Board of Examiners may be required to fulfil a number of conditions before being permitted to present themselves for examination in the winter term of the third year only. Normally no re-sit opportunity will be available to such candidates.

(b) At the end of year two the Phase II Board of Examiners will consider the progress of candidates during the second year on the basis of any written and/or clinical tests as may be approved by the Senate, together with candidates’ work in the second year, there will be no compensation between the written and clinical elements, and candidates will either:

(i) Be permitted to proceed to Phase III of their course; or

(ii) Be required to take further tests in the winter term of the third year that relate to the element in which they were deemed to have failed; or

(iii) Be recommended to withdraw from their course of study.

(c) Candidates in (b)(iii) above may, if they wish, take further tests in the winter term of the third year as specified by the Board of Examiners, .

(d) The Phase II Board of Examiners will consider the results of the further tests taken in the winter term together with the candidates’ performance in other written and clinical tests and work during Phase II and in the first sit of the written and clinical tests, candidates will either:

(i) Be permitted to continue with III of the course; or

(ii) Be required to repeat at least the Core Clinical Education block of the second year of their course with residence, the Board may decide that a full repeat of the second year with residence is appropriate (in both cases these students will only be permitted a third sit of the second year under exceptional circumstances); or

(iii) Be required to withdraw from their course of study.

(6) Fourth Year Examinations

(a) In order to pass Phase III of the course candidates must:

(i) In the third year complete satisfactorily all of the core curriculum and associated formative tests including any portfolio requirements in the third year SSC, Advanced Cases 2, five specialist clinical placements, and passed any further tests, where required, held during any year(s) in which they have failed to complete the approved tests satisfactorily;

(ii) In the fourth year complete satisfactorily three specialist clinical placements, Advanced Clinical Cases 3, the Final Professional Examination (FPE), the elective period, the Assistantship and any portfolio requirements, and passed any further tests, where required, held during any year(s) in which they have failed to complete the approved tests satisfactorily; or

(iii) Candidates who fail to satisfy the APG that they have satisfactorily engaged and completed 6 (a) (i) and (ii) above, excluding the elective period and the Assistantship, may not be permitted to sit the spring term examinations and following a meeting of the Phase III Board of Examiners may be required to fulfil a number of conditions before being permitted to present themselves for examination in the summer term only. Normally no re-sit opportunity will be available to such candidates.

(b) In the spring term of the fourth year following the satisfactory completion of the third year SSC, Advanced Cases 2, Advanced Cases 3 and eight specialist clinical placements candidates sit the Final Professional Examination which will consist of a written element, a clinical element and a prescribing element. There will be no compensation permitted between any of the three elements.

(c) The first sitting of the Phase III Board of Examiners, in the spring term of the fourth year, will consider the performance of candidates in the written, clinical and prescribing element of the Final Professional Examination, and candidates will either:

(i) Pass all three elements and be permitted to proceed to their elective placement; or

(ii) Be required to re-sit any element in which they have been deemed to be unsatisfactory thereby being required to attend a directed elective period; or

(iii) Be required to repeat four specialist clinical placements and one block of Advanced Clinical Cases commencing the summer term of year three before sitting the written, prescribing and clinical elements of the Final Professional Examination for a full and final time followed by successful completion of the elective period and the Assistantship (these students will only be permitted a third sit of the final year under exceptional circumstances); or

(iv) Be recommended to withdraw with the right to proceed to sit further tests as specified by the Board of Examiners; or

(v) Be required to withdraw from their course of study, they may be awarded the BMedSci degree.

(d) The second sitting of the Phase III Board of Examiners, in the summer term of the fourth year, will consider the performance of candidates in the re-sit written, re-sit clinical and re-sit prescribing elements of the Final Professional Examination, and candidates will either:

(i) Pass the re-sit elements detailed in section 6 (c) above and be permitted to proceed to their Assistantship; or

(ii) Be required to repeat four specialist clinical placements and one block of Advanced Clinical Cases commencing the summer term of year three before sitting the written, prescribing and clinical elements of the Final Professional Examination for a full and final time followed by successful completion of the elective period and Assistantship (these students will only be permitted a third sit of the final year under exceptional circumstances); or

(iii) Be required to withdraw from their course of study, they may be awarded the BMedSci degree.

(e) The third sitting of the Phase III Board of Examiners, in the summer term of the fourth year, will consider the performance of candidates in the elective period and assistantship, and candidates will either:

(i) Be confirmed with the award of the MB ChB degrees; or

(ii) Be recommended for the award of MB ChB “with honours” (all eligible candidates); or

(iii) Be required to repeat three specialist clinical placements and one block of Advanced Clinical Cases commencing in the winter term of year four before sitting the written, prescribing and clinical elements of the Final Professional Examination for a full and final time followed by successful completion of the elective period and the Assistantship (these students will only be permitted a third sit of the final year under exceptional circumstances); or

(iv) Be required to withdraw from their course of study, they may be awarded the BMedSci degree.

(f) In order to be awarded the degrees of MB ChB candidates must be deemed fit to practise as set out in Regulation 34.

(g) In order to receive the degrees of MB ChB candidates who have successfully completed the requirements of the course will be required to affirm the Declaration of Geneva at the degree ceremony or on another occasion as decided by the Dean of the Warwick Medical School.

(7) Bachelor of Medical Science – BMedSci

(a) In order to be awarded the BMedSci degree candidates must have satisfied either the Phase II or Phase III Board of Examiners in accordance with the conditions set out in section (5) above that they have achieved the required standard for successful completion of Phases I and II of the MB ChB curriculum.

(b) Candidates who are awarded the degree of Bachelor of Medical Science are normally excluded from re-admission to the course for the degrees of MB ChB.

(8) Appeals

(a) A candidate who is required by a Board of Examiners to withdraw from his/her course of study under paragraphs (4)(d)(iii), (5)(d)(iii), (6)(c)(v), (6)(d)(iii) and (6)(e)(iv) has the right to make representations, normally in writing, within 10 days of the publication of the examination results, to the Appeals Committee of the Board of the Faculty. Appeals may be made on the following grounds:

(i) The candidate is in possession of evidence relevant to his/her examination performance which was not available to the Board of Examiners, through the Academic Progress Group, when its decision was reached and can provide good reasons for not having made the Academic Progress Group aware of this evidence.

(ii) There appears to be evidence of procedural irregularity in the conduct of the examination process.

(iii) There appears to be evidence of prejudice or bias on the part of one or more of the examiners.

(b) All appeals will first be considered by a Preliminary Review Panel (PRP) – the Chair of the Examination Board that made the decision to withdraw the student from the course of study and the Chair of the Appeal Committee. The PRP will consider whether an appellant has brought his or her appeal within the terms and conditions set out above and may also consider the substance and merits of the case and whether the factors advanced by the appellant would have had relevance at the time of the examinations, in arriving at their determinations. An appeal will not be considered in cases where both the Chair of the Board of Examiners and the Chair of the Appeal Committee consider that no such relevant evidence has been adduced by the candidate concerned.

(c) The Appeals Committee shall consist of not fewer than three members appointed by the Chair of the Board of the Faculty of Medicine from a panel comprising representatives of the Faculties of Science, Social Sciences and Arts appointed by the Senate. No teacher of any course studied by the appellant shall be a member of the Appeals Committee. The Appeals Committee shall not include any member of the Warwick Medical School.

The dates of the meetings of the Appeals Committees, together with the dates by which appellants must submit their appeals to the Secretary of the appropriate Faculty Board, shall be published by the University. Appellants will receive no less than 10 days formal notice of the meeting.

The Appeals Committee will consider the appeals of students against decisions made by the Boards of Examiners under paragraphs (4)(d)(iii), (5)(d)(iii), (6)(c)(v), (6)(d)(iii) and (6)(e)(iv) following consideration by the PRP (see 8b above).

The Chair of the appropriate Board of Examiners, or his/her authorised deputy, and the candidate’s Personal Tutor / Clinical Personal Tutor shall be in attendance when an appeal is being considered. If the appellant’s Personal Tutor / Clinical Personal Tutor is unable to be present, then a written statement, including the academic progress of the student, from the Personal Tutor / Clinical Personal Tutor or Medical School must be available at the hearing of the appeal. If the appellant’s Personal Tutor / Clinical Personal Tutor is not in attendance, a representative from the appellant’s department(s) must be available when the appeal is being considered to advise the committee on departmental procedure and other relevant matters in the course of the hearing.

A written statement shall be obtained from the Warwick Medical School which will include information on attendance, engagement with the course, examination results (formative and summative where appropriate), other mitigating circumstances; written statements from individual members of staff may also be requested at the discretion of the Chair of the Appeals Committee.

The appellant may, if he/she chooses, appear in person before the Appeals Committee and may invite any one other person to attend the hearing. The name and status of any person accompanying the student must be notified to the Chair of the Committee in advance of the meeting.

(d) In making a decision on the case presented the Appeals Committee may resolve to uphold the original decision of the Examination Board or permit a re-sit with residence, setting conditions as deemed appropriate. The Appeals Committee may not alter the allocated marks given to a candidate in order to permit them to graduate or proceed to the next year.

(e) The decision of the Appeals Committee is final.