Brighton and Sussex Medical School
About
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the local NHS health community. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality clinical and professional healthcare training and medical education in a nurturing learning environment.
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and the local NHS health community. We pride ourselves on providing high-quality clinical and professional healthcare training and medical education in a nurturing learning environment. Our medical school is based on fundamental values of friendliness, inclusivity and community, allied to excellence in education and deliberately chosen areas of research. We believe that every student should have an equal opportunity to acquire knowledge and prove their ability.
Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is an equal partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton together with NHS organisations throughout the South East region. The arrangements for the school's governance reflect this approach and students are awarded joint BM BS degrees of both universities.
The school is fully committed to the principles of Outcomes for Graduates; we endorse the value of medical education in a multi-professional context, and promote the highest possible standards in our teaching, clinical practice, and research (both fundamental and applied).
Undergraduate
We admit approximately 200 students annually to our BM BS degree course. BSMS has proved exceptionally popular and in recent admissions rounds we have continued to achieve one of the highest application rates of any UK medical school. Students spend their first two years primarily on the universities' campuses at Falmer; thereafter the focus shifts to the associated teaching hospitals and community settings in Brighton and East and West Sussex. We have purpose-built teaching facilities in all areas.
Our curriculum emphasises early clinical involvement, a broad range of experience and a firm foundation in basic science. Led by the Department of Medical Education, we employ a wide range of teaching and learning approaches as appropriate for the particular circumstances; we are not committed to a single method of delivery.
Postgraduate
Our postgraduate courses provide a range of opportunities from taught and research Masters courses to diplomas, certificates and individual continuing professional development (CPD) modules, allowing us to meet the needs of health professionals at all levels in a constantly changing healthcare sector.
As we respond to the needs of this sector, our courses continue to evolve, with new courses being added as a need is identified. We offer a range of clinical specialties, including anaesthesia, cardiology and dementia studies, along with professional courses ranging from medical education to public health and global health.
Our partnership with the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and overlapping research groupings offer a rich research environment for students wanting to pursue a research degree, and we offer PhDs, MDs and MPhils along with our Masters in Research.
Research
At BSMS our medical research has developed a strong reputation for making a real impact locally, nationally and internationally.
Ultimately, our research aims to:
- improve medical treatment
- answer fundamental biomedical and clinical questions
- deliver more personalised healthcare to patients.
We are a diverse, collaborative research community with expertise in a wide variety of research areas, from laboratory research through to social science and clinical studies. Close integration with the local NHS allows researchers to work directly with the local population, improving their health while developing research work that can be applied nationally and globally.
We are passionate about training and supporting our researchers at all levels, to deliver research that is relevant to our stakeholders, accelerate its recognition and foster adoption of our findings to catalyse new research impact.
Anatomy laboratory
The Anatomy Laboratory at BSMS is located in the Medical Teaching Building on the University of Sussex Campus and was opened in 2003. In 2018, the facility was expanded and updated (~£750,000) to include a student changing room area, three Dissecting Rooms (DR), a prosection/preparation area, an office and staff changing area with toilets and shower and state of the art Digital Learning and IT systems. In addition to this we acquired a new anatomy seminar room in 2021. The seminar room is a dedicated space for dry laboratory teaching and may be used for living anatomy and ultrasound teaching, non-human based surgical simulation, as well as lecture and seminar-based teaching.
The Dissecting Rooms house a collection of over a thousand museum pots and human bones that are all used for teaching. These demonstrate both ‘normal' and pathological anatomy and range in age to recently acquired specimens to those that are over 100 years old.
The Anatomy Laboratory is licensed under The Human Tissue Act 2004, regulated by the Human Tissue Authority (HTA). It holds both a HTA Anatomy Licence and a Public Display Licence, so that quality teaching and training sessions can be held for students and professionals alike. The licence holder is the Registrar of the University of Sussex and the day-to-day responsibilities for the licence reside with the 'Designated Individual' (Prof Claire Smith).
Due to visa restrictions, international students requiring a student visa (including EU/EEA who require a student visa) are eligible to apply for BSMS full-time Masters courses only. Part-time Masters courses, all PGDip and all PGCert courses are open to UK and Irish students and international students (including EU/EEA) who have an alternative visa/immigration permission to stay in the UK (such as settled/pre-settled status, Tier 2/work visa, indefinite leave to remain etc).
One thing is certain at BSMS - you'll never be short of options when it comes to your free time. There is a very rich student life here, with two vibrant campuses situated at the edge of the South Downs National Park, and near a bustling eclectic city centre.
Our student society, MedSoc, has more than 40 societies and clubs to get involved with. You are automatically a member of the student unions of two parent universities, which means you can join any of their societies too – and gain membership access to all the bars, clubs and events on both campuses. Whether your interests are sports, arts or spiritual, there’s something for everyone.
If that doesn’t keep you busy enough, Brighton is on the doorstep, with all the shopping, culture and entertainment you’d expect from this colourful and cosmopolitan seaside town.
Accommodation options
As a first-year medical student, you will be guaranteed accommodation. However, you must make BSMS your first choice when confirming places with UCAS, and submit your application for university residences by the deadline in late June.
BSMS students are allocated between halls of residence at the University of Sussex and the University of Brighton, and will have the opportunity to rank their accommodation choices in terms of preference. Please note we cannot guarantee your first choice. All residences have communal kitchens, internet and include contents insurance.
Sport, fitness & well-being
From beach volleyball to football in the park, kite surfing to mountain biking, and yoga to flamenco, getting active is huge in Brighton.
There are many opportunities to take part in sports on campus, where you will have access to both the University of Brighton and the University of Sussex sports facilities and clubs.
A range of student sports clubs are on offer, including watersports, which benefit from Brighton’s seaside location. Sports clubs provide coaching and instruction and take part in British Universities and Colleges Sports (BUCS) competitions, as well as local Sussex leagues. Both universities have a good record of success at the competition level in a range of team and individual sports. BSMS also has its own sports teams, including football, hockey and rugby among others, which participate in a range of leagues.
The rolling hills of the South Downs National Park, which surrounds the Falmer Campus, are a haven for hikers and mountain bikers and all sorts of watersports are available at the beach. Or if watching sport is more your thing, Brighton and Hove Albion Football Club is located right beside Falmer Campus and the Sussex County Cricket Club has its home ground in the area.
MedSoc
At the heart of student social life is BSMS MedSoc, our student society, which offers a huge variety of societies, sports clubs and social events. Get involved and you'll make friends for life!
- England
Brighton and Sussex Medical School BSMS Teaching Building University of Sussex
