1. These regulations, which shall be known as the Revised Regulations for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, shall apply to
2. On completing the requisite number of terms,17 a student who has passed in Parts I and II of the Final M.B. Examination as prescribed in these regulations shall be qualified to supplicate for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The short titles of these degrees shall be M.B., B.Chir.
3. In these regulations unless the context shall require otherwise:
For Part I: |
pathology and epidemiology. |
|
For Part II: |
obstetrics and gynaecology, medicine, surgery, paediatrics, psychiatry, clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, the care of the elderly, radiology, anaesthetics, general practice, community medicine, ethics, and legal medicine. |
4. There shall be a Second Examination and a Final Examination for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, referred to in these regulations as the Second M.B. Examination and the Final M.B. Examination.
5. The Faculty Board, after consulting other bodies concerned, shall have power to issue from time to time supplementary regulations defining or limiting all or any of the Parts, subjects, papers, or sections of the Second M.B. Examination or the Final M.B. Examination. Due care shall be taken that sufficient notice is given of any alteration of such supplementary regulations.
6. Where a candidate for any of the examinations prescribed in these regulations is required by them to produce evidence of instruction or of any other matter, the candidate's entry shall not be considered to have been made earlier than the day on which the Registrary receives that evidence or the last part of it to be submitted.
7. No student shall be a candidate for any subject of the Second M.B. Examination unless he or she has previously satisfied the University's premedical requirements. The premedical requirements, which shall be determined by the Faculty Board, shall be specified in Schedule A to these regulations; the Faculty Board shall have power to amend that Schedule from time to time as they think fit.
8. The Faculty Board shall have power to grant exemption from all or part of the premedical requirements to a student who is deemed by the Board to have attained a satisfactory standard in an examination or examinations approved by the Board for this purpose in an appropriate subject or subjects.
9. The subjects of the Second M.B. Examination shall be as follows:
Biology of Disease (BOD)
Functional Architecture of the Body (FAB)
Homeostasis (HOM)
Human Reproduction (HR)
Introduction to the Scientific Basis of Medicine (ISBM)
Mechanisms of Drug Action (MODA)
Medical Sociology (MSOC)
Molecules in Medical Science (MIMS)
Neurobiology with Human Behaviour (NHB)
Preparing for Patients (PFP)
provided that a candidate taking the Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine shall not be examined in the subject PFP.
(a) The examinations in BOD, FAB, HOM, MIMS, MODA, and NHB shall each consist of a written paper of one hour, which shall contain compulsory short-answer questions (Section I), and a practical examination of two hours (Section II).
(b) The examination in HR shall consist of a written paper of one hour, which shall contain compulsory short-answer questions (Section I), and a practical examination of one hour (Section II).
(c) The examination in MSOC shall consist of a written paper of one hour.
(d) The examination in ISBM shall consist of a written paper of forty-five minutes.
(e) The examinations in PFP shall each consist of the submission of records of such course-work done by candidates as shall be specified from time to time by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine after consultation with the Faculty Board of Biology.
10. The Second M.B. Examination shall be held as follows:
(a) The examinations in BOD, FAB, HOM, HR, MIMS, MODA, and NHB shall be held twice a year, as follows:
(b) The examination in ISBM and MSOC shall be held twice a year on the last day of Full Lent Term and in the week beginning on the Monday next but one before the first day of the Michaelmas Term.
(c) Records of course-work for PFP shall be submitted, in accordance with detailed arrangements approved by the Faculty Board after consultation with the Faculty Board of Biology.
11. A candidate for the Second M.B. Examination shall be required to have diligently attended approved courses of instruction appropriate to the subject or subjects to be offered in the examination. Approved courses recognized for this purpose shall be listed in Schedule C to these regulations; the Faculty Board shall have power to amend this Schedule from time to time as they think fit. The Faculty Board shall have authority to approve for this purpose additional courses offered by a university other than Cambridge, or, in exceptional circumstances, to waive the requirement. The Second M.B. Examination may be taken by an unmatriculated student who has satisfied this requirement and who is certified on behalf of a College to the Registrary to be a bona fide candidate for admission to the College.
No student whose name does not appear on the Medical Students Register shall be a candidate for any subject of the Second M.B. Examination.
12. (a) The Faculty Board shall have power to grant exemption from any subject or subjects of the Second M.B. Examination to a candidate for admission as a clinical student from a university other than Cambridge, provided that the student has satisfied the conditions of Regulation 11 and has attained a satisfactory standard, as prescribed by the Faculty Board, in corresponding subjects taken in an examination for a degree of a university other than Cambridge.
(b) The Faculty Board shall inform the Registrary as early as possible of the names of those candidates who have been granted exemption from any subject or subjects of the Second M.B. Examination and who have satisfied the requirements in Regulation 12(a).
13. A candidate who is unsuccessful in the examination in any subject of the Second M.B. Examination shall be eligible for re-examination, provided that, except by special permission of the Faculty Board granted in exceptional circumstances,
14. The Final M.B. Examination shall consist of two Parts, Parts I and II; Part II shall be divided into five components. Part I shall be held in the Lent Term and in December, and Part II shall be held in June and December, in accordance with the timetable that shall be published by the Board of Examinations, after consultation with the Faculty Board, before the division of the Easter Term each year for the calendar year next following.
15. The Parts of the Final M.B. Examination shall consist of the following components:
Part I: two written papers, one of two hours and one of two hours and twenty minutes, and a practical examination. The Examiners at their discretion may examine any candidate for distinction viva voce.
Part II: three written papers, two of three hours and one of two hours, and two clinical examinations.
In order to satisfy the Examiners a student shall produce evidence of a satisfactory performance in the pelvic examination of gynaecological patients.
16. Before taking either Part of the Final M.B. Examination a student shall
No student whose name does not appear on the Medical Students Register shall be a candidate for either Part of the Final M.B. Examination.
17. A student who proposes to be a candidate for either Part of the Final M.B. Examination shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily attended the approved courses of clinical instruction appropriate to that Part. Except by permission of the Faculty Board in exceptional circumstances, and subject to any conditions determined by them, a course of clinical instruction shall not count towards the requirements of the Final M.B. Examination:
18. (a) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (d)(ii) and Regulation 20 below, Parts I and II of the Final M.B. Examination shall be taken separately;
(b) a student shall not be a candidate for the first time for Part I until at least fourteen months have elapsed since the beginning of the student's course of clinical study;
(c) a student who is a candidate for the first time for Part II shall offer all components;
(d) a student shall not be a candidate for the first time for Part II unless
and unless
(e) except by special permission of the Faculty Board in exceptional circumstances, no student shall be a candidate for the first time for Part I later than three years after beginning his or her course of clinical study and no student shall be a candidate for the first time for Part II later than five years after beginning his or her or course of clinical study.
19. The following provisions shall apply to M.B./Ph.D. Programme students:
20. If at the first attempt a student fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part I or Part II or in a component of Part II he or she shall be eligible for re-examination in the relevant Part or component under conditions set by the Faculty Board, taking them separately or together, provided that
21. For grave cause a student may be required by the Faculty Board to defer taking a Part of the Final Examination until he or she has received the permission of the Faculty Board to do so.
22. The arrangements for the appointment of Examiners shall be as follows:
(a) The Faculty Board shall nominate for each subject of the Second M.B. Examination a Senior Examiner and such number of other Examiners and Assessors as are required to conduct the examination; provided that for sittings of subjects of the Second M.B. Examination held under Regulation 10(a)(i)19 the Examiners shall be the Examiners appointed for those subjects in the Medical and Veterinary Sciences Tripos.
(b) The Regius Professor shall be an Examiner and Chairman of Examiners for all Parts of the Final M.B. Examination, provided that, on the nomination of the Regius Professor, any Professor who is medically qualified, or any Doctor of Medicine who is a member of the Regent House, may be appointed to deputize for the Regius Professor for the purpose of this regulation. In addition, the Faculty Board shall nominate for Part I and for each component of Part II of the Final M.B. Examination, a Senior Examiner and such number of other Examiners as the Faculty Board may deem sufficient. Such Examiners shall be appointed to serve for the calendar year next following their appointment.
23. The Faculty Board shall appoint for each calendar year such number of persons as they may deem sufficient to act as Collectors and Assistant Collectors of Cases, provided that the persons so appointed shall be not less than three in number and shall include one obstetrician and gynaecologist, one physician, and one surgeon. The Collectors and Assistant Collectors of Cases shall invite such patients and shall make such arrangements as may be required for the clinical examinations in Part II of the Final M.B. Examination. The Faculty Board shall appoint for each clinical examination such numbers of persons as they deem sufficient to act as Clinical Assessors, who shall provide marks and comments to the appointed Examiners.
24. The Examiners and Assessors in each subject or section of each examination shall observe the following requirements:
25. Separate class-lists shall be published for each subject of the Second M.B. Examination and for each Part of the Final M.B. Examination. The names of successful candidates in the several lists shall be arranged in alphabetical order. The list for Part II of the Final M.B. Examination shall indicate the components of the examination in which the candidate has passed. On the occasion of a candidate's first attempt at either Part of the Final M.B. Examination, but not on any subsequent occasion, special merit may be recognized by the award of a mark of distinction in Part I or in Part II.
26. The Chairman of Examiners shall communicate to the Registrary the marks of all the candidates for the Part, or section of a Part, or subject, of the examination with which he or she is concerned. The Registrary shall communicate to Tutors or other designated College officers, for transmission to their pupils, the marks of their pupils and such other information as may be considered advisable.20
27. Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 13, a student who was a candidate for any subject of the second M.B. Examination before 30 September 1996 shall be eligible, if unsuccessful either in such a subject or in any other subject of the Second M.B. Examination, for re-examination under the regulations that were in force on that date.
28. Notwithstanding the provisions of the foregoing regulations,
29. Notwithstanding the provisions of the foregoing regulations a student who was a candidate for any Part of the Final M.B. Examination before 30 September 2003 shall be eligible, if unsuccessful in any Part or section, for re-examination under the regulations that were in force on that date.
30. Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 14, the Faculty Board may announce, after consultation with the Board of Examinations, additional sittings of Part I and the written paper components of Part II in any one year, provided that the Faculty Board shall give sufficient notice of such an additional sitting that no candidate shall be disadvantaged.
1. In this Schedule the Advanced level and AS (Advanced Subsidiary) level passes referred to are passes at those levels in a General Certificate of Education (GCE) issued by an awarding body approved by the relevant regulatory authority in England (QCA), Wales (ACCAC), and Northern Ireland (CCEA). The General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE) passes referred to are passes in that Certificate, at Grade A, B, or C, issued by an awarding body approved by the relevant regulatory authority in England (QCA), Wales (ACCAC), and Northern Ireland (CCEA).
2. For the purposes of this Schedule, the following shall be regarded as the equivalent of a pass at (Advanced) level:
3. For the purpose of this Schedule, the following shall be regarded as the equivalent of a pass at AS (Advanced Subsidiary) level:
4. For the purposes of this Schedule, the following shall be regarded as the equivalent of a pass in the GCSE:
5. Passes in subjects of examinations for certificates conducted overseas by the Local Examinations Syndicate shall be considered for equivalence according to the level attained, provided always that the examination is conducted in the medium of English.
6. The premedical requirements shall consist of two Parts, A and B.
provided that
(1) at least one of these subjects must be passed at Advanced level;
(2) the examination requirements for matriculation are complied with.21
The following courses are approved for the purpose of Regulation 3(e):
In addition to the courses offered as specific preparation for the subjects for the Second M.B. Examination, the following courses have been approved by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine as appropriate courses of instruction for certain subjects of the Second M.B. Examination.
Subjects in the Second M.B. Examination |
Subject in Natural Sciences Tripos Examinations |
|
Biology of Disease |
or |
NST Ib Pathology NST II Pathology |
Mechanisms of Drug Action |
or |
NST Ib Pharmacology NST II Pharmacology |
Molecules in Medical Science |
or |
NST Ib Biochemistry and Molecular Biology NST II Biochemistry |
Homeostasis |
and |
NST Ia Physiology of Organisms NST Ib Physiology |
The examination in BOD will be treated from the standpoint of abnormal biology. It will include the variations that may occur in the structure and functions of living cells, tissues, and organs, together with the biology of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions on the lecture material. Section II will consist of a two-hour practical examination which will include laboratory work and questions on practical aspects and problem solving.
Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions on tissue anatomy, aspects of organogenesis, the topographical, functional, and applied anatomy of the human body. Section II will consist of a practical examination and will cover similar aspects.
Section I will consist of computer-marked and short-answer questions on nerve and neuromuscular transmission, muscle, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiration, kidney, salt and water balance, digestion, absorption, and temperature regulation. Section II will consist of questions on the practical work in experimental physiology and histology.
Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions and Section II will consist of practical questions.
The examination will consist of compulsory short-answer or computer-marked questions on the ISBM course.
Section I, which will include or consist entirely of short-answer questions, will require knowledge of the actions of drugs on whole organisms and mammalian systems, and also of the mode of drug action at the cellular, sub-cellular, and molecular levels. Section II will consist of a practical examination, which will include questions on data handling and problem solving; laboratory work will not be involved. Questions that require an elementary knowledge of statistical procedures may be included in both sections of the examination.
The written paper will require knowledge of medical sociology.
The examination will test knowledge and understanding of the material contained in the MIMS course. Section I will consist of short-answer questions on the lecture. Section II will consist of questions on practical aspects, including interpretation and handling of data.
The examination in NHB will require knowledge of the structure and functions of the central nervous system and the special sense organs, neuroanatomy, experimental psychology and some of its applications to medicine. Particular topics will include neuropharmacology; learning and memory; perception and information processing; intelligence and development; emotion and its physiological basis; and social psychology. Section I will include or consist entirely of compulsory short-answer questions. In Section II, candidates will be examined on practical aspects of neuroanatomy and in experimental neurophysiology; questions may be included which require an elementary knowledge of statistical procedures.
Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners such written work for each strand of Preparing for Patients as shall be required by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine.
The examination is concerned with the application to human disease of the principles of pathology. It covers morphological, laboratory, and clinical aspects of pathology, including histopathology, haematology, microbiology, chemical pathology, immunology, and genetics. There are three papers; one paper will consist of multiple part objective questions, one will consist of essay questions, and one will consist of practical data interpretation.
The examination in this Part will be concerned with the principles and practice of medicine and surgery with clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, general practice, public health medicine, paediatrics, and other medical and surgical specialities covered in the curriculum. The examination will be designed to assess the candidate's knowledge and experience of medicine and surgery in their widest sense; her or his ability to apply that knowledge and experience to the management of patients; her or his ability to communicate effectively with patients and to respect their autonomy; and her or his experience of ethical problems in clinical medicine.
The examination will consist of five components testing all areas of the curriculum: Component 1 will consist of no fewer than 100 multiple choice questions covering factual knowledge and its application in a clinical context. Component 2 will consist of no fewer than 25 extended matching questions covering application of knowledge and clinical problem solving skills. Component 3 will consist of not less than five short structured-answer questions covering written communication skills, ethics, and law in clinical medicine. Components 4 and 5 will be clinical examinations in which students will be assessed on their clinical performance; Component 4 will consist of not less than 10 stations covering clinical history-taking, clinical reasoning, and interpersonal communication skills; Component 5 will consist of not less than 18 stations covering clinical examination and practical skills.
1. These regulations, which shall be known as the New Curriculum Regulations for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, shall apply to those students who begin their clinical course on or after 1 September 2005.
2. On completing the requisite number of terms,23 a student who has passed in Parts I, II, and III of the Final M.B. Examination as prescribed in these regulations shall be qualified to supplicate for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery. The short titles of these degrees shall be M.B., B.Chir.
3. In these regulations unless the context shall require otherwise:
for Part I: |
Pathology |
|
for Part II: |
Clinical Paediatrics and Clinical Obstetrics and Gynaecology |
|
for Part III: |
Medicine and Surgery with Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics, General Practice, Public Health Medicine, Paediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynaecology, Ethics and Law, and other medical and surgical specialities covered in the curriculum. |
4. There shall be a Second Examination and a Final Examination for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, referred to in these regulations as the Second M.B. Examination and the Final M.B. Examination.
5. The Faculty Board, after consulting other bodies concerned, shall have power to issue from time to time supplementary regulations defining or limiting all or any of the Parts, subjects, papers, or sections of the Second M.B. Examination or the Final M.B. Examination. Due care shall be taken that sufficient notice is given of any alteration of such supplementary regulations.
6. Where a candidate for any of the examinations prescribed in these regulations is required by them to produce evidence of instruction or of any other matter, the candidate's entry shall not be considered to have been made earlier than the day on which the Registrary receives that evidence or the last part of it to be submitted.
7. No student shall be a candidate for any subject of the Second M.B. Examination unless he or she has previously satisfied the University's premedical requirements. The premedical requirements, which shall be determined by the Faculty Board, shall be specified in Schedule A to these regulations; the Faculty Board shall have power to amend that Schedule from time to time as they think fit.
8. The Faculty Board shall have power to grant exemption from all or part of the premedical requirements to a student who is deemed by the Board to have attained a satisfactory standard in an examination or examinations approved by the Board for this purpose in an appropriate subject or subjects.
9. The subjects of the Second M.B. Examination shall be as follows:
Biology of Disease (BOD)
Functional Architecture of the Body (FAB)
Homeostasis (HOM)
Human Reproduction (HR)
Introduction to the Scientific Basis of Medicine (ISBM)
Mechanisms of Drug Action (MODA)
Molecules in Medical Science (MIMS)
Neurobiology with Human Behaviour (NHB)
Preparing for Patients (PFP)
Social Context of Health and Illness (SCHI)
provided that a candidate taking the Cambridge Graduate Course in Medicine shall not be examined in the subject PFP.
(a) The examinations in BOD, FAB, HOM, MIMS, MODA, and NHB shall each consist of a written paper of one hour, which shall contain compulsory short-answer questions (Section I), and a practical examination of two hours (Section II).
(b) The examination in HR shall consist of a written paper of one hour, which shall contain compulsory short-answer questions (Section I), and a practical examination of one hour (Section II).
(c) The examination in SCHI shall consist of a written paper of ninety minutes.
(d) The examination in ISBM shall consist of a written paper of forty-five minutes.
(e) The examinations in PFP shall each consist of the submission of records of such course-work done by candidates as shall be specified from time to time by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine after consultation with the Faculty Board of Biology.
10. The Second M.B. Examination shall be held as follows:
(a) The examinations in BOD, FAB, HOM, HR, MIMS, MODA, and NHB shall be held twice a year, as follows:
(b) The examination in ISBM and SCHI shall be held twice a year on the last day of Full Lent Term and in the week beginning on the Monday next but one before the first day of the Michaelmas Term.
(c) Records of course-work for PFP shall be submitted, in accordance with detailed arrangements approved by the Faculty Board after consultation with the Faculty Board of Biology.
11. A candidate for the Second M.B. Examination shall be required to have diligently attended approved courses of instruction appropriate to the subject or subjects to be offered in the examination. Approved courses recognized for this purpose shall be listed in Schedule B to these regulations; the Faculty Board shall have power to amend this Schedule from time to time as they think fit. The Faculty Board shall have authority to approve for this purpose additional courses offered by a university other than Cambridge, or, in exceptional circumstances, to waive the requirement. The Second M.B. Examination may be taken by an unmatriculated student who has satisfied this requirement and who is certified on behalf of a College to the Registrary to be a bona fide candidate for admission to the College.
No student whose name does not appear on the Medical Students Register shall be a candidate for any subject of the Second M.B. Examination.
12. (a) The Faculty Board shall have power to grant exemption from any subject or subjects of the Second M.B. Examination to a candidate for admission as a clinical student from a university other than Cambridge, provided that the student has satisfied the conditions of Regulation 11 and has attained a satisfactory standard, as prescribed by the Faculty Board, in corresponding subjects taken in an examination for a degree of a university other than Cambridge.
(b) The Faculty Board shall inform the Registrary as early as possible of the names of those candidates who have been granted exemption from any subject or subjects of the Second M.B. Examination and who have satisfied the requirements in Regulation 12(a).
13. A candidate who is unsuccessful in the examination in any subject of the Second M.B. Examination shall be eligible for re-examination, provided that, except by special permission of the Faculty Board granted in exceptional circumstances,
14. The Final M.B. Examination shall consist of three Parts, Parts I, II, and III; Part II shall be divided into two components, Part III shall be divided into five components. All Parts shall be held in the Easter Term. Part I and Part II shall also be held in the following Michaelmas Term; the written paper components of Part III shall also be held in July. A timetable for each sitting of the examinations shall be published by the Board of Examinations after consultation with the Faculty Board, before the division of the Easter Term each year for the calendar year next following.
15. The Parts of the Final M.B. Examination shall consist of the following components:
Part I: |
two written papers, one of two hours and one of two hours and twenty minutes, and a practical examination. The Examiners at their discretion may examine any candidate for distinction viva voce. |
Part II: |
two clinical examinations. |
Part III: |
three written papers, two of three hours and one of two hours, and two clinical examinations. |
Candidature for the Final M.B. Examination shall be subject to the restrictions and conditions specified in Regulations 16–21 below.
16. Before taking any Part of the Final M.B. Examination a student shall
No student whose name does not appear on the Medical Students Register shall be a candidate for any Part of the Final M.B. Examination.
17. A student who proposes to be a candidate for any Part of the Final M.B. Examination shall produce evidence of having satisfactorily completed the approved courses of clinical instruction appropriate to that Part. Except by permission of the Faculty Board in exceptional circumstances, and subject to any conditions determined by them, a course of clinical instruction shall not count towards the requirements of the Final M.B. Examination:
18. A student who has failed to complete satisfactorily any part of the approved courses of clinical instruction, including permitted reassessments as specified by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine, shall not be permitted to progress to the next course of clinical instruction.
19. (a) Subject to the provisions of sub-paragraph (d)(ii) and Regulation 21 below, Parts I and II of the Final M.B. Examination shall be taken concurrently.
(b) A student shall not be a candidate for the first time for Part I or Part II until at least eighteen months have elapsed since the beginning of the student's course of clinical study.
(c) A student who is a candidate for the first time for Part II or Part III shall offer all components.
(d) A student shall not be a candidate for the first time for Part III unless
and unless
(e) Except by special permission of the Faculty Board in exceptional circumstances, no student shall be a candidate for the first time for Part I and Part II later than three years after beginning his or her course of clinical study and no student shall be a candidate for the first time for Part III later than five years after beginning his or her or course of clinical study.
20. The following provision shall apply to M.B./Ph.D. Programme students:
21. If at the first attempt a student fails to satisfy the Examiners in Part I, Part II, or Part III or in a component of Part II or Part III he or she shall be eligible for re-examination in the relevant Part or component under conditions set by the Faculty Board, taking them separately or together, provided that
22. For grave cause a student may be required by the Faculty Board to defer taking a Part of the Final Examination until he or she has received the permission of the Faculty Board to do so.
23. The arrangements for the appointment of Examiners shall be as follows:
24. The Faculty Board shall appoint for each calendar year such number of persons as they may deem sufficient to act as Collectors and Assistant Collectors of Cases, provided that the persons so appointed shall be not less than three in number and shall include one Physician, and one Surgeon. The Collectors and Assistant Collectors of Cases shall invite such patients and shall make such arrangements as may be required for the clinical examinations in Part II and Part III of the Final M.B. Examination. The Faculty Board shall appoint for each clinical examination such numbers of persons as they deem sufficient to act as Clinical Assessors, who shall provide marks and comments to the appointed Examiners.
25. The Examiners and Assessors in each subject or component of each examination shall observe the following requirements:
26. Separate class-lists shall be published for each subject of the Second M.B. Examination and for each Part of the Final M.B. Examination. The names of successful candidates in the several lists shall be arranged in alphabetical order. The list for Part II and Part III of the Final M.B. Examination shall indicate the components of the examination in which the candidate has passed. On the occasion of a candidate's first attempt at any Part of the Final M.B. Examination, but not on any subsequent occasion, special merit may be recognized by the award of a mark of distinction in Part I or in Part II or in Part III.
27. The Chairman of Examiners shall communicate to the Registrary the marks of all the candidates for the Part, or component of a Part, or subject, of the examination with which he or she is concerned. The Registrary shall communicate to Tutors or other designated College officers, for transmission to their pupils, the marks of their pupils and such other information as may be considered advisable.25
28. Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulation 14, the Faculty Board may announce, after consultation with the Board of Examinations, additional sittings of Part I and the written paper components of Part II in any one year, provided that the Faculty Board shall give sufficient notice of such an additional sitting that no candidate shall be disadvantaged.
29. Notwithstanding the provisions of Regulations 1 and 14, candidates who began their clinical course before 1 September 2006 under the New Curriculum Regulations shall be examined under the regulations current in September 2007.
See Revised Regulations, p. 470.
In addition to the courses offered as specific preparation for the subjects for the Second M.B. Examination, the following courses have been approved by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine as appropriate courses of instruction for certain subjects of the Second M.B. Examination.
Subjects in the Second M.B. Examination |
Subject in Natural Sciences Tripos Examinations |
|
Biology of Disease |
or |
NST Ib Pathology NST II Pathology |
Mechanisms of Drug Action |
or |
NST Ib Pharmacology NST II Pharmacology |
Molecules in Medical Science |
or |
NST Ib Biochemistry and Molecular Biology NST II Biochemistry |
Homeostasis |
and |
NST Ia Physiology of Organisms NST Ib Physiology |
The examination in BOD will be treated from the standpoint of abnormal biology. It will include the variations that may occur in the structure and functions of living cells, tissues, and organs, together with the biology of parasites, bacteria, and viruses. Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions on the lecture material. Section II will consist of a two-hour practical examination which will include laboratory work and questions on practical aspects and problem solving.
Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions on tissue anatomy, aspects of organogenesis, the topographical, functional, and applied anatomy of the human body. Section II will consist of a practical examination and will cover similar aspects.
Section I will consist of computer-marked and short-answer questions on nerve and neuromuscular transmission, muscle, autonomic nervous system, cardiovascular system, respiration, kidney, salt and water balance, digestion, absorption, and temperature regulation. Section II will consist of questions on the practical work in experimental physiology and histology.
Section I will consist of compulsory short-answer questions and Section II will consist of practical questions.
The examination will consist of compulsory short-answer or computer-marked questions on the ISBM course.
Section I, which will include or consist entirely of short-answer questions, will require knowledge of the actions of drugs on whole organisms and mammalian systems, and also of the mode of drug action at the cellular, subcellular, and molecular levels. Section II will consist of a practical examination, which will include questions on data handling and problem solving; laboratory work will not be involved. Questions that require an elementary knowledge of statistical procedures may be included in both sections of the examination.
The examination will test knowledge and understanding of the material contained in the MIMS course. Section I will consist of short-answer questions on the lecture. Section II will consist of questions on practical aspects, including interpretation and handling of data.
The examination in NHB will require knowledge of the structure and functions of the central nervous system and the special sense organs, neuroanatomy, experimental psychology and some of its applications to medicine. Particular topics will include neuropharmacology; learning and memory; perception and information processing; intelligence and development; emotion and its physiological basis; and social psychology. Section I will include or consist entirely of compulsory short-answer questions. In Section II, candidates will be examined on practical aspects of neuroanatomy and in experimental neurophysiology; questions may be included which require an elementary knowledge of statistical procedures.
Each candidate shall submit to the Examiners such written work for each strand of Preparing for Patients as shall be required by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine.
The written paper will require knowledge of social science perspectives that relate to medicine.
The examination in this Part will be concerned with the principles and practice of medicine and surgery with clinical pharmacology and therapeutics, general practice, public health medicine, paediatrics, and other medical and surgical specialities covered in the curriculum. The examination will be designed to assess the candidate's knowledge and experience of medicine and surgery in their widest sense; her or his ability to apply that knowledge and experience to the management of patients; her or his ability to communicate effectively with patients and to respect their autonomy; and her or his experience of ethical problems in clinical medicine.
The examination will consist of five components testing all areas of the curriculum:
Component 1 will consist of no fewer than 100 multiple choice questions covering factual knowledge and its application in a clinical context.
Component 2 will consist of no fewer than 25 extended matching questions covering application of knowledge and clinical problem solving skills.
Component 3 will consist of not less than five short structured-answer questions covering written communication skills, ethics, and law in clinical medicine.
Components 4 and 5 will be clinical examinations in which students will be assessed on their clinical performance; Component 4 will consist of not less than 10 stations covering clinical history-taking, clinical reasoning, and interpersonal communication skills; Component 5 will consist of not less than 18 stations covering clinical examination and practical skills.
1. Notwithstanding any other provision of the Ordinances, candidates for the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, of which the short titles are M.B. and B.Chir., shall be entitled to supplicate for and to receive those degrees in the manner provided for by the following regulations.
2. A candidate for the Final M.B. Examination may supplicate for the degrees of M.B. and B.Chir. by causing a Supplicat in the form shown in Schedule A to these regulations to be delivered to the Registrary by the authorities of his or her College in the manner prescribed in Regulation 1 for admission to degrees not later than the first day of the examination. Degrees may be conferred under these regulations, notwithstanding late delivery of a supplicat, provided that the necessary documents have been sent to the Registrary in time for proper consideration and for the completion of the list referred to in Regulation 3, but the candidate shall incur a fine of £1.
3. Not later than the third day of the examination the Registrary shall sign and cause to be posted on a board in the Schools Arcade a list of names of persons whose supplicats have been received, and who have completed the requirements of the Statutes and Ordinances for proceeding to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, save for the completion of the Final M.B. Examination, for which they are candidates. The list shall be headed as shown in Schedule B to these regulations.
4. If any member of the Regent House informs the Vice-Chancellor in writing, not later than the day following the posting of the list referred to in Regulation 3, that he or she intends to non placet the conferment of a degree upon any person named in the list, the Vice-Chancellor shall cause that person's name to be struck out from the list and that person shall not be entitled to proceed to a degree under these regulations but may supplicate for a degree under the regulations for admission to degrees.
5. Not later than the day next but one following that on which the publication of the lists of successful candidates for the Final M.B. Examination is completed, the Registrary shall sign and cause to be posted on a board in the Schools Arcade a list of those persons named in the list referred to in Regulation 3 whose names have not been struck out in pursuance of Regulation 4 and who have completed the Final M.B. Examination. The list shall be headed as shown in Schedule C to these regulations.
6. The posting of the list referred to in Regulation 5 shall constitute the conferment of the degree of B.Chir. upon each of the persons named in it. The names of the persons upon whom the degree has been conferred under this regulation shall be published in the Reporter as soon as is convenient after the posting of the list.
7. Any person who has received the degree of B.Chir. in accordance with these regulations may, not later than twelve calendar months after receiving that degree, supplicate for the degree of M.B. in the manner provided for in the regulations for admission to degrees.
8. If at the expiry of twelve months from the conferment of the degree of B.Chir. upon any person in the manner provided for by these regulations no Supplicat in the prescribed form has been received by the Registrary for that person to be admitted at a Congregation to the degree of M.B., his or her name shall be included in a list, headed as shown in Schedule D to these regulations, which the Registrary shall sign and cause to be posted on a board in the Schools Arcade.
9. The posting of the list referred to in Regulation 8 shall constitute the conferment of the degree of M.B. upon each of the persons named in it. The names of such persons shall be published in the Reporter as soon as is convenient after the posting of the list.
10. There shall be no additional fees for the conferment of the degrees of M.B. and B.Chir. under these regulations.
Supplicat reverentiis vestris
ut gradus assequatur Baccalaurei in Medicina et Baccalaurei in Chirurgia. Eundem (Eandem) confirmamus tam moribus quam doctrina idoneum (idoneam) esse ad hos gradus assequendos.
I hereby certify that the following persons have completed the requirements of the Statutes and Ordinances for proceeding to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, save for completion of the Final M.B. Examination, for which they are candidates:
I hereby certify that the following persons have completed the requirements of the Statutes and Ordinances for proceeding to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, that their names have been posted in accordance with the special regulations for the conferment of those degrees and have not been struck out by the Vice-Chancellor, and that in pursuance of those regulations the degree of Bachelor of Surgery is hereby conferred upon them:
In pursuance of the special regulations for the conferment of the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, the degree of Bachelor of Medicine is hereby conferred upon the following persons who received the degree of Bachelor of Surgery on (date):
1. In order to qualify for the degree of Doctor of Medicine a candidate shall be required to give proof, in accordance with the provisions of these regulations, of distinction in the science, art, or history of medicine.
2. Any person may apply in accordance with Regulation 6 of these regulations to become a candidate for the degree of Doctor of Medicine who
No person whose candidature has been approved under Regulations 6–8 shall submit a dissertation or any other work until four years have elapsed since he or she was admitted
3. There shall be an M.D. Committee which shall consist of:
Members in class (c) shall be appointed annually by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine in the Michaelmas Term to serve for one year from 1 January following their appointment. Members in class (d) shall serve until the end of the calendar year in which they are co-opted. The Committee shall elect annually one of their own number as Chairman. Six members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
4. The Assessor to the Regius Professor of Physic, who must be a member of the Senate and a graduate in Medicine, shall be appointed not later than the division of the Michaelmas Term in each year by the General Board on the nomination of the Faculty Board to act for one year from 1 January following the date of appointment. The Assessor shall be Secretary of the Committee, for which duty the Faculty Board may, subject to the approval of the General Board, pay a stipend.
5. If either the Chairman of the M.D. Committee or the Assessor is prevented at any time by illness or other cause from performing any of the duties prescribed in these regulations, the General Board, on the nomination of the M.D. Committee, shall appoint a member of the Senate who is a graduate in Medicine to act as a deputy.
6. A person who wishes to become a candidate for the degree shall send to the Assessor
Applicants shall state whether they wish to submit a dissertation under Regulation 7 or previously published work under Regulation 8; an application to submit previously published work shall be accompanied by a declaration that it is not substantially the same as any work that the candidate may have submitted for a degree, diploma, or other qualification at this or any other university. The Assessor shall submit each application to the M.D. Committee, who may refer it to one or more referees for their opinion and advice before deciding whether to approve, reject, or suggest some modification of the applicant's proposal. The Assessor shall communicate the decision of the M.D. Committee to the applicant.
7. Except as provided in Regulation 8, a candidate for the degree shall submit a dissertation specially composed for the purpose and shall specify the portions of the dissertation which are claimed as original. If the dissertation is based wholly or partly on work already published, a copy of such work shall be submitted with the dissertation. Candidates may also submit in support of their dissertations copies of any other published work which they wish the Committee to consider.
8. In exceptional circumstances the M.D. Committee may give leave to a candidate to submit instead of a dissertation work already published on one or more topics if, after considering the qualifications of the candidate and the opinions of any referees whom they may consult, the Committee decide that the published work is of outstanding quality and constitutes a substantial and original contribution to the advancement of the science, art, or history of medicine.
9. A person whose application to become a candidate has been approved shall submit to the Assessor, not later than six years after the date of such approval, unless given special permission by the Committee to delay submission until a later date:
10. After preliminary consideration by the M.D. Committee a candidate's work shall be sent to at least two Examiners appointed by the Committee, but who need not necessarily be members of the Committee. Each Examiner shall submit an independent written report on the candidate's work.
11. (a) Except for a candidate who has submitted published work under Regulation 8, every candidate shall be allowed to proceed to the Act. If, after considering a candidate’s submitted work and the Examiners’ reports thereon, the M.D. Committee are of the view that the candidate’s submitted work is not of a high enough standard, they may resolve that the candidate be given leave to resubmit the work in a revised form before proceeding to the Act, without being required to pay any additional fee.
(b) For a candidate who has submitted published work under Regulation 8, the M.D. Committee shall, after considering a candidate’s submitted work and the Examiners’ reports thereon,
The Assessor shall communicate to the candidate any resolution of the Committee under this regulation.
12. The Assessor, after consultation with the Chairman of the M.D. Committee, shall notify the candidate, the Praelector of the candidate's College, the Registrary, the Examiners appointed under Regulation 10, and the members of the M.D. Committee, of the day, hour, and place at which the Act is to be held.
13. Twenty-eight days (or such shorter period as the Chairman of the M.D. Committee may allow) before the Act is due to be held, the candidate shall send to the Assessor an acknowledgement of the notice received from the Assessor, and the Assessor shall forthwith cause a copy of the notice to be posted in the Clinical School.
14. The Act shall be conducted by the Chairman of the M.D. Committee, who shall preside, the Assessor, one or both of the Examiners appointed under Regulation 10, and any members of the M.D. Committee who may wish to be present. The persons conducting the Act shall examine the candidate viva voce on questions connected with the work submitted as well as on other medical subjects.
15. The Assessor shall report to the M.D. Committee on the candidate's performance at the Act. In considering the report of the Assessor the Committee shall also take into account the candidate's submitted work and the Examiners’ reports thereon. If the Committee are satisfied that the candidate's overall performance, as shown in the Act and in the submitted work, is of the requisite standard for the degree, they shall so resolve and the Assessor shall send to the Registrary a certificate (in duplicate) that the candidate has kept the Act. Such a certificate shall be signed by the Chairman of the M.D. Committee and the Assessor. The certificate, which shall include the title of the candidate's submitted work, shall be published in the Reporter, and the Registrary shall inform the successful candidate accordingly.
16. If the Committee are of the view that the candidate's overall performance, as shown in the Act and in the submitted work, is not of the requisite standard for the degree, they may resolve, with the concurrence of both the Examiners, that the candidate, without being required to pay any additional fee, be
or that the candidate be not approved for the degree. The Assessor shall communicate to the candidate any resolution of the Committee under this regulation.
17. In exceptional circumstances the M.D. Committee may, if they consider that the work submitted by the candidate is of a sufficiently high standard, grant exemption from the Act and resolve that the candidate be approved for the degree. The Chairman of the M.D. Committee and the Assessor shall then sign and send to the Registrary a certificate (in duplicate) to that effect. The certificate, which shall include the title of the candidate's work, shall be published in the Reporter, and the Registrary shall inform the successful candidate accordingly.
18. A candidate who has been certified under Regulation 15 to have kept the Act, or under Regulation 17 to have been approved for the degree, shall be qualified to supplicate for the degree of Doctor of Medicine. No fee shall be payable on admission to the degree.
19. The payments to be made to the Assessor, to the Examiners, and to a deputy for the Chairman of the M.D. Committee, shall be those prescribed in the Schedule to these regulations.
20. A successful candidate shall deposit in the University Library and in the Medical Library a bound copy of his or her dissertation or publications in a form approved by the M.D. Committee.
21. All the dissertations and publications submitted by candidates who have been approved for the M.D. Degree in each academical year shall be considered by the M.D. Committee for any Prize, Medal, or other emolument that is awarded for work done by a candidate for the degree. For this purpose the Committee may delegate their functions to a sub-committee not necessarily consisting wholly of members of the Committee.
To the Chairman of the M.D. Committee at an Act, or to a deputy for the Chairman appointed under Regulation 5, for each candidate: £45.
To a referee (Regulation 6): £45.
To the Assessor for each candidate: £45.
To an Examiner (Regulation 10) for examining and reporting on a dissertation and for taking part in the conduct of the Act if required to do so: £135.
To an external Examiner who is required to take part in the conduct of the Act an additional: £90.
To an Examiner for taking part in a clinical examination at an Act an additional: £120.
Each external Examiner shall receive in addition railway fares to and from Cambridge together with a subsistence allowance in accordance with Regulation 6 for payments to Examiners and Assessors.
1. Any person may apply, in accordance with Regulation 4 below, to become a candidate for the degree of Master of Surgery who
No person whose candidature has been approved under Regulation 4 shall submit a thesis, or other work approved under Regulation 6, until five years have elapsed since he or she was admitted
2. There shall be an M.Chir. Committee which shall consist of:
Members in classes (c) and (d) shall be appointed by the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine in the Michaelmas Term to serve for two years from 1 January following their appointment. Five members of the Committee shall constitute a quorum.
3. In the Michaelmas Term of every second year the Faculty Board of Clinical Medicine shall appoint a member of the Faculty to act as Secretary of the M.Chir. Committee for two years from 1 January following the date of appointment. Subject to the approval of the General Board, the Faculty Board may pay the Secretary a stipend. If the Secretary is prevented by illness or other cause from performing any of the duties prescribed in these regulations, the Faculty Board on the nomination of the Professor of Surgery shall appoint some other member of the Faculty of Clinical Medicine to act as a deputy.
4. A person who wishes to become a candidate for the degree shall send to the Secretary of the M.Chir. Committee
The Committee shall decide whether or not to approve the applicant as a candidate for the degree, and the Secretary shall inform the applicant accordingly.
5. Except as provided in Regulation 6, a person approved as a candidate for the degree shall submit a thesis specially composed for the purpose,26 containing original observations which may be based on clinical work or laboratory work or a combination of the two. Each candidate shall send to the Secretary of the Committee, on a form obtainable from the Secretary, an application for approval of the proposed title of the thesis; such an application shall include an outline of the work on which the thesis will be based, and shall specify the nature of any special branch of surgery in which the candidate is interested. The Secretary shall submit each application to the Committee, who may refer it to one or more referees for their opinion and advice before deciding whether to approve, reject, or suggest some modification of the candidate's proposal. The Secretary shall communicate the Committee's decision to the candidate.
6. In exceptional circumstances a candidate may apply to the Committee for permission to submit instead of a thesis work which has been previously published. Such an application shall be accompanied by a declaration that the work in question is not substantially the same as any work that the candidate may have submitted for a degree, diploma, or other qualification at this or any other university. The Secretary shall communicate to the candidate the Committee's approval or rejection of the application.
7. A candidate who has obtained the approval of the Committee under Regulation 5(b) or Regulation 6 shall submit to the Secretary of the Committee, not later than six years after the date of such approval, unless given special permission by the Committee to delay submission until a later date:
8. After preliminary consideration by the M.Chir. Committee the thesis or published work shall be sent to two or more Examiners appointed by the Committee who need not be members of the Committee. The Examiners shall be required to submit independent written reports to the Committee.
9. A candidate may be examined viva voce by the two Examiners appointed under Regulation 8; the Chairman or the Secretary of the M.Chir. Committee, or another member of the Committee, shall preside at such an examination. The two Examiners shall sign a joint report on the candidate's performance in the examination.
10. The M.Chir. Committee shall consider a candidate's thesis or published work and the reports of the Examiners thereon at a meeting at which not less than five members are present. If in their opinion the thesis is not of a sufficiently high standard the Committee may, on the recommendation of the Examiners, allow the candidate to submit a revised thesis on one occasion only without being required to pay any additional fee.
11. If the Committee are satisfied that a candidate's work is of the requisite standard, they shall resolve that the candidate be approved for the degree and the Secretary shall send a certificate to that effect to the Registrary. This certificate and the title of the candidate's thesis or published work shall be published in the Reporter.
12. The payments to be made to the Secretary of the M.Chir. Committee, and to referees and Examiners, shall be as prescribed in the Schedule to these regulations.
13. A candidate who has been approved for the degree of M.Chir. shall be qualified to proceed to the degree. No fee shall be payable on admission to the degree.
14. A successful candidate shall deposit in the University Library and the Medical Library a copy of the thesis or other work submitted in a form approved by the M.Chir. Committee.
To the person presiding at a viva voce examination: £45.
To a referee (Regulation 5): £45.
To an Examiner (Regulation 8) for examining and reporting on a thesis and for taking part in a viva voce examination if required to do so: £135.
To an external Examiner who is required to take part in a viva voce examination an additional: £90.
Each external Examiner shall also receive railway fares to and from the place of each examination at which he or she is required to be present together with a subsistence allowance in accordance with Regulation 6 for payments to Examiners and Assessors.
1. The M.D. Committee or the M.Chir. Committee, as the case may be, shall consider any representations made by or on behalf of a candidate which constitute a complaint about the conduct of the examination in that candidate's case for the degree of Doctor of Medicine or Master of Surgery, respectively, provided that such representations shall not be considered unless they are received by the Assessor to the Regius Professor of Medicine or the Secretary of the M.Chir Committee, respectively, not later than six months after the date on which the result of the examination was communicated by the Assessor or the Secretary to the candidate. In exceptional circumstances the Committee concerned may allow an extension of this deadline of up to three months.
2. If after considering any representations made by or on behalf of a candidate under Regulation 1 the Committee concerned are satisfied that the examination of that candidate was properly conducted and that the complaint is unjustified, the Committee shall so inform the candidate. If they are not so satisfied, they shall have power to reconsider their earlier decision or to refer the representations to a Review Committee constituted in accordance with Regulation 4. The Committee shall inform the candidate of their decision not more than three months following receipt of the representations.
3. The Committee concerned shall refer to a Review Committee constituted in accordance with Regulation 4 any representations which may be made by or on behalf of a candidate after he or she has been informed of a decision taken by the Committee under Regulation 2 above, provided that such representations shall not be considered unless they are received by the Assessor or the Secretary, respectively, within six months of the date on which the decision taken under Regulation 2 was communicated by the Assessor or the Secretary to the candidate. In exceptional circumstances the Review Committee may allow an extension of this deadline of up to three months.
4. A Review Committee appointed under these regulations shall consist of:
In selecting members of the panel for appointment as members of the Review Committee, the General Board shall exclude any person who has been involved in the particular case at an earlier stage. A person appointed a member of a Review Committee shall serve until the conclusion of the particular case for which he or she was appointed.
5. A person appointed by the Academic Secretary, shall act as Secretary to the Review Committee.
6. For the purpose of these regulations the term ‘complainant’ shall mean the student making a complaint, or on whose behalf a complaint is made.
7. The Secretary to the Review Committee shall notify the complainant of the persons appointed to be members of the Review Committee. The complainant shall be entitled to object for good cause to any member so appointed. The Vice-Chancellor shall rule on any such objection, and his or her decision shall be final. If the Vice-Chancellor allows such an objection, another person shall be appointed to replace the person who was the subject of the objection.
8. The Review Committee shall consider any representations referred to them under Regulation 2 or Regulation 3 which in the judgement of the Review Committee constitute a complaint on one or more of the following grounds:
If the Review Committee are of the view that a complaint does not fall within any of the grounds specified above, they shall dismiss the complaint and shall inform the complainant and the M.D. Committee or the M.Chir. Committee, as the case may be, accordingly.
9. When a representation is to be considered by a Review Committee the complainant shall furnish a full statement of the complaint and of the grounds on which the complaint is based, which shall be submitted to the Review Committee not later than a date to be determined by them. The Review Committee shall appoint a day and time for a hearing at which the complainant shall be entitled to be present and to be accompanied by an adviser or a representative who may speak on his or her behalf.
10. Any statement of a complaint received by the Review Committee under Regulation 9 shall be made available to each of the following:
Each of these parties shall be given an opportunity to submit a written statement to the Review Committee in response to the complaint. Such a statement may include the reports of the Examiners or extracts from those reports. The Review Committee shall have power to seek statements from other persons or bodies, as they think fit.
11. Any statement submitted to the Review Committee under Regulation 10 shall be made available to the complainant and to the other parties specified in that regulation, each of whom shall be afforded an opportunity to comment on it.
12. A Review Committee shall consider any complaint or any representations referred to them under Regulation 2 or Regulation 3 and shall have power to dismiss the complaint or, if they consider it justified:
13. The Secretary to the Review Committee shall send written notification of the Committee's decision and the reasons for it to the complainant and to the other parties specified in Regulation 10.
14. The decision of a Review Committee on any particular case shall be final.
15. These regulations shall apply to all examinations held on or after 1 October 2003. For the purpose of this regulation an examination shall be deemed to be held on the day on which the candidate's dissertation, thesis, or other submitted work is received by the Assessor or the Secretary.