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In keeping with an interest in medical science, many of our graduates take the plunge and continue their medical education by starting all over again as undergraduates on five-year medicine programmes (either here in Exeter or elsewhere) or, if they are fortunate enough to secure a place, on accelerated part-funded four-year graduate-entry medicine (GEM) programmes. It's a long and expensive road, but it can be worth it. Click on the button above to find out more about available options to study medicine as a Medical Sciences graduate.
In today's ultra-competitive jobs market (sorry, but having a good Bachelors degree from a top university is simply no longer enough to give you an edge over the competition, although it certainly helps!), many graduating students look to enhance their academic profile by continuing their education as postgraduate students, either through undertaking a one or two-year Masters degree or, if they wish to pursue a career in research and/or academia, a three-year Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D). Click on the button above to access further advice and guidance on postgraduate programmes.
A buzzword is a code that links your application to a school, college or other pre-university education centre where a student is currently studying. It is not relevant to a student at University who is applying for a postgraduate degree, such as a medicine degree, through UCAS. Thus, you do not need to provide a buzzword in your UCAS application or provide the name of a school, college or education centre.
The short answer is: no, you do not! The longer answer is (depending on your circumstances, motivation, career ambitions)... perhaps.
Good reasons to do a MSc. include:
To train in a new discipline and acquire new theoretical knowledge and/or research skills that will enable you to move into a different career pathway from the one that your undergraduate degree prepared you for. For example, public health, data science, bioinformatics, business, management, finance, law, etc.
To gain competency in advanced research skills that will then help you to secure a place as a PhD candidate. You do not need to do a MSc. in order to be considered a suitable candidate for a PhD programme, but being able to demonstrate that you are capable of undertaking independent post-graduate research (as part of a research MSc. programme) can certainly strengthen your application.
Visit this page for more information on applying to do a MSc. (or not!): Masters and PhD Applications