MBBS in University of Lancashire School of Medicine and Dentistry

School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Lancashire is a young UK medical school that accepted its first batch of MBBS students in 2015. Before September 2025, the institution was known as University of Central Lancashire (UCLan). The university received the new name in September 2025. This is the Preston-based university, not Lancaster University, which is another institution.

The school of medicine and dentistry was established from scratch and not developed on the basis of a teaching hospital. Therefore, the five-year MBBS course offered at the school follows a modern spiral curriculum where medical knowledge is repeatedly revisited at ever-increasing complexity. The degree itself is known as MBBS. The use of this term does not affect the UK licensing and registration requirements associated with the degree.

There is a significant structural characteristic of the programme, namely, relocation during the programme. The first two years are mostly spent in Preston where students receive their scientific education along with early GP and community placements. Years 3-5 are spent either in Burnley (East Lancashire) or in Westlakes (Cumbria). Clinical education takes place through the help of NHS partners (East Lancashire Hospitals NHS Trust and North Cumbria Integrated Care NHS Foundation Trust). The students may specify the preference but the final location is not guaranteed. Therefore, interested students need to be ready to relocate during the studies.

The most significant advantage of the programme is its direct affiliation with the UK healthcare system. The MBBS course is accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC), and students complete the UK Medical Licensing Assessment as a part of the course. Therefore, graduates of the MBBS are ready to proceed to GMC registration and NHS practice because it is unnecessary for them to get recognition of their overseas medical qualification. For those students who plan to work in the UK in the future, this advantage makes the programme much better than cheaper medical degrees in Europe that may require additional steps of licensing and/or recognition of their qualification.

However, cost is a very significant drawback of the programme. International students' tuition is nearly £50,000 per year. The university has a special Excellence Scholarship that allows reducing the cost by £5,000 in the first two years of study for top-performing students. Additionally, the students have to pay £15,000 deposit after getting the acceptance letter. It is then reduced from the overall tuition amount and is not an additional cost. There is also a six-year MBBS programme that incorporates an integrated foundation year for students who do not meet the direct-entry requirements.

Preston is one of the less expensive locations in the UK, especially compared to London and Manchester. Consequently, the accommodation and living expenses become much less. Another advantage of the programme is a good clinical exposure of the students. They get in touch with patients early in the course, while the final year contains four six-week apprentice rotations to train them in assuming bigger clinical responsibility during the studies. Good-performing students will have the opportunity to complete an additional integrated master's year.

For Indian students, the major point of interest in choosing the programme is a significant difference between studying medicine in the UK and elsewhere in Europe. The programme provides a GMC-accredited degree, clinical training in the UK and an easier way of entering NHS practice compared to cheap European medical degrees. Nevertheless, students intending to return to India have to meet the requirements set by the National Medical Commission at the moment of applying for the registration.

Summarizing all aspects mentioned above, it can be said that the University of Lancashire is a good choice for a student who is willing to receive a UK medical degree, appreciates the early patient exposure, can relocate from Preston to Burnley/Cumbria during the programme and can afford the high international tuition. Even though it is a relatively young institution and cannot boast a great history compared to Oxford, Edinburgh and Queen's Belfast, it is a legitimate option to receive UK medical education rather than just a lower-cost option.