Biomedical Sciences

Magdalen has a strong tradition of teaching and research in the medical sciences, particularly neuroscience and infection and immunity where we have had four Fellows win a Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine: Charles Sherrington, who laid the ground work for our modern understanding of the nervous system; John Eccles, who was his student and who helped discover how nerves signal; Howard Florey, who developed penicillin; and Peter Medawar, who discovered the function of lymphocytes and how the immune system distinguishes between self and non-self. The Biomedical Sciences Fellows are: Dr Jennifer Lau who studies the genetics and neuroscience of emotion and emotional disorders such as anxiety and depression in children and adolescents; Dr Robert Gilbert who studies the molecular structure of ribosomes and teaches biochemistry; Christopher Garland, Professor of Vascular Pharmacology, who studies how very small arteries control blood flow; Dr Stephen Goodwin, who is a neurogeneticist studying sexual behaviour; and Quentin Sattentau, Professor of Immunology, who studies interactions between HIV and the immune system. In addition Magdalen hosts three prestigious Personal Chairs: Gero Miesenboeck, Professor of Physiology, who studies the neurophysiological basis of behaviour in a fly model; Oliver Braddick, Professor of Psychology and an expert on visual development; and Peter Ratcliffe, Professor of Medicine, who has done groundbreaking work on the role of oxygen-sensing factors in disease.

Course structure

The Biomedical Sciences course is the integrated successor to the Physiological Sciences, Psychology, and Physiology courses. This course provides students with an intellectually stimulating education in modern molecular, cellular and systems biology and neuroscience and psychology. It will allow students first to acquire an integrated understanding of biomedical science before progressing to specialisation later in the course. On the basis of that specialisation students will be awarded a degree in either Neuroscience or Cells and Systems Biology. For further details on the structure of the course please refer to the Biomedical Sciences website.

We aim to admit up to two students each year to read for this course.

Tuition

You will usually receive up to three 1-hour tutorials per week, for which you will be set an assignment beforehand and to bring this to the tutorial to discuss with your tutor. The medical tutors are: Jennifer Lau, Robert Gilbert, Christopher Garland, Stephen Goodwin and Quentin Sattentau.

Entry requirements

A strong track record of achieved qualifications and predicted grades of A*AA at A2 (or equivalent qualifications) including two from Biology, Chemistry, Physics and Mathematics are normally required.

Entry procedure

All candidates must sit the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT), which will be taken at your school/college or an approved test centre. The test consists of quantitative reasoning, basic scientific facts (GCSE level) and a commentary on an article of medical interest. It is your responsibility to ensure that you are registered for the test and the standard registration deadline is 30 September. Further information about the BMAT test including registration information can be found at: www.bmat.org.uk. The decision to interview you will depend on your result in the BMAT, your GCSE performance, A-level progress and predictions, school report, general interests and personal statement.

If you are invited for interview for a place to study Biomedical Sciences, much of the interview will be devoted to questions relating to your A-level subjects. We will ask you to choose the initial topic we discuss, and this could concern a project you have carried out or an aspect of a subject you have studied that particularly interested you. We are interested in your academic potential, enthusiasm and interest in biomedical science and ability to think clearly, rather than in the level of detail of your existing knowledge. The rest of your interview will be about your understanding of biomedical science and possibly your wider interests.

Deferred entry

It is very rare indeed for us to offer deferred entry and it may be safer to apply post A-level during your gap year. If you are considering making an application for deferred entry you are advised to contact us in advance.

For informal enquiries contact Dr Jennifer Lau, Professor Quentin Sattentau or Professor Christopher Garland, Magdalen College, Oxford.

External links