Student reviews
What is studying medicine at University of Oxford actually like?
The interview gets you a place; these reports are about the five or six years after that. Gathered from current student and recent graduate forums, weighted by how many independent sources agree. These are unverified community reports, not official university information.
6 reports · 1 widely reported
Oxford preclinical teaching is lecture and tutorial based, not PBL. Expect 2 to 4 lectures or practicals most days plus 2 to 4 tutorials a week, with an essay required for most of them, written from wider reading well beyond the lecture content.
Widely reported · 3 sources(spans several cycles)
Oxford preclinical teaching is lecture and tutorial based, not PBL. Expect 2 to 4 lectures or practicals most days plus 2 to 4 tutorials a week, with an essay required for most of them, written from wider reading well beyond the lecture content.
"I currently have 2 to 4 lectures or practicals from 9am to 3pm every day and then 3 to 4 tutorials a week."
Irene Mathias, first-year Oxford medic, Christ Church (The Medic Portal diary)"Tutorials are some of our most useful contact hours. We write essays for our tutorials based on a subject that we have been attending lectures in."
Niamh, fourth-year Oxford medic (6med Oxford Medical School Review)"20-25 hours of lectures/practicals/dissection room per week, in addition to 2-3 tutorials per week, of which perhaps 2 will require an essay (paraphrase from search snippet)."
The Student Room, Oxford medicine wiki/thread snippetsOxford's standard anatomy course is prosection based, not hands-on cadaveric dissection. Students handle and examine pre-dissected donated body parts led by anatomy tutors and registrar surgeons, rather than dissecting themselves.
Several reports · 2 sources(spans several cycles)
Oxford's standard anatomy course is prosection based, not hands-on cadaveric dissection. Students handle and examine pre-dissected donated body parts led by anatomy tutors and registrar surgeons, rather than dissecting themselves.
"The standard anatomy course in years 1 and 2 involves prosection, rather than dissection, with anatomy tutors/registrar surgeons using pre-dissected body parts (paraphrase from search snippet)."
The Student Room, Does oxford do full body dissection?"Unlike Cambridge, which does full cadaveric dissection, Oxford uses prosection rather than hands-on dissection for anatomy teaching (paraphrase from search snippet)."
The Student Room, Medicine; Oxford and Cambridge coursesThe workload is the most commonly cited downside of Oxford medicine: 2 to 3 essays a week is normal, essays can be 2000 words, and freshers' week medics were reportedly set essays for the following Monday before term even properly started. Tutors will grant extensions but the pace does not really let up.
Several reports · 2 sources(spans several cycles)
The workload is the most commonly cited downside of Oxford medicine: 2 to 3 essays a week is normal, essays can be 2000 words, and freshers' week medics were reportedly set essays for the following Monday before term even properly started. Tutors will grant extensions but the pace does not really let up.
"The worst thing about Oxford is probably the workload. It can get pretty intense with 2/3 essays a week. If writing 2000 word essays 3 times a week sounds like your worst nightmare, Oxford probably isn't for you."
Niamh, fourth-year Oxford medic (6med Oxford Medical School Review)"Medicine is amazing but it is also important to realise that it is a lot of work... were set 3 essays in for the next week, one in for 9am Monday."
Irene Mathias, first-year Oxford medic, Christ Church (The Medic Portal diary)Which college you pick genuinely matters for medics: students flag that a richer college with strong library and academic provision helps because college libraries are often inadequate for medicine, and the 8-week terms are intense but leave long vacations some use for travel or internships.
Several reports · 2 sources(spans several cycles)
Which college you pick genuinely matters for medics: students flag that a richer college with strong library and academic provision helps because college libraries are often inadequate for medicine, and the 8-week terms are intense but leave long vacations some use for travel or internships.
"For Medicine, a richer college with more academic provisions and library facilities is recommended, as medics often complain that college libraries are inadequate (paraphrase from search snippet)."
The Student Room, Oxford college choice threads"The 8-week terms... allow students the opportunity to engage in internships or even go travelling over the long breaks."
Niamh, fourth-year Oxford medic (6med Oxford Medical School Review)Clinical years are mostly spent in and around Oxford (John Radcliffe and district general hospitals like Royal Berkshire, Milton Keynes, Swindon), and many medics deliberately switch to Green Templeton College for the clinical years since it holds a large share of clinical-year places.
Single report(spans several cycles)
Clinical years are mostly spent in and around Oxford (John Radcliffe and district general hospitals like Royal Berkshire, Milton Keynes, Swindon), and many medics deliberately switch to Green Templeton College for the clinical years since it holds a large share of clinical-year places.
"Oxford students remain in Oxford for the vast majority of clinical years, with usually short placements nearby. Many students move to Green Templeton College as it has a large number of clinical year places, so your initial college choice may only be for the first 3 years (paraphrase from search snippet)."
The Student Room, Oxford college choice threadsIntercalation is compulsory in year 3, and students describe it as a deceptive lull: contact hours drop sharply from 3-4 tutorials a week to around 10 across the whole year, but the ease is a false sense of security since coursework and exams pile up in the final term.
Single report(spans several cycles)
Intercalation is compulsory in year 3, and students describe it as a deceptive lull: contact hours drop sharply from 3-4 tutorials a week to around 10 across the whole year, but the ease is a false sense of security since coursework and exams pile up in the final term.
"The sudden transition from 3-4 tutorials a week to 10 tutorials across the entire year requires certain lifestyle adjustments... it is a false sense of security, which is completely shattered in Hillary when all your coursework is due."
Amrit Rooprai, Oxford medic (thatoxfordgirl.com blog)Free course: Medical Ethics
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