The Peninsula Medical School was established as a partnership between the Universities of Exeter and Plymouth and the NHS in Devon and Cornwall on 1 August 2000. It was formed, following a successful bid to the Government, as part of a national expansion of medical student numbers in the UK.

The Peninsula Medical School has established a reputation for teaching excellence and excellence in medical research (particularly in areas such as diabetes: further information is available from the School's website). In early 2006 the School's quality and performance were recognised with the award of additional government funding to develop the first new UK dental school in three decades, the Peninsula Dental School.

The Peninsula Medical School Undergraduate Degree Programme

Peninsula Medical School’s Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BM,BS) degree programme has been designed specifically to develop students to meet the challenges facing health care in the new century. The first intake of 130 undergraduate students commenced their studies on 30 September 2002. From September 2003, the annual intake rose to 167 and in January 2006 the Secretary of State for Health, Patricia Hewitt, announced that the Peninsula Medical School had been awarded funding for an additional 33 undergraduate student places. The additional UK and overseas places will increase the School's intake to 214 from September 2006.

The BM,BS degree programme attempts to improve on traditional medical school curricula by:

• being community-wide. The School involves the student in health care provision in a wide range of community-based settings throughout Devon and Cornwall and thus provides a clinical educational experience more suited for the new NHS.

• placing particular emphasis on training doctors to be part of a multi-professional team and to understand and appreciate the roles of other health care professionals.

• emphasising the importance of competence and confidence in Clinical Skills.

Undergraduate Programme Structure

For the first two years of the undergraduate programme students are based at either the University of Exeter or the University of Plymouthcampus. The learning emphasis is placed upon biomedical sciences, taught within the context of relevant clinical problems. From the first week of the programme students learn in various community-based clinical environments.

In years three and four, students spend the majority of their time in acute and community-based clinical placements and are based at one of the School's 3 main localitiesin Exeter, Truro or the headquarters at the Tamar Science Park Plymouth.

During year five students are attached to clinical apprenticeships with general practitioners and consultants throughout Devon and Cornwall. In the first Foundation year (year six) Peninsula Medical School plays an important part in providing academic support for students.

--Simonpaice 13:24, 10 July 2006 (UTC)