William Harvey's knock down demonstration
of the Circulation (1628)

The Cambridge Medical course is different from most. By getting the basic preclinical work over in two years, and by teaching the subject uncompromisingly as a branch of the biological sciences, with an unrivalled degree of personal tuition in college supervisions, in the third year we are able to offer a range of advanced study options that are unsurpassed anywhere in the world. This will bring you right to the cutting edge of current science and would enable you, if you wished, to proceed immediately to scientific research. Indeed many research projects that students undertake during the final year are published as papers in scientific journals.

Much more information is available here.

Medicine at Caius

Caius is the leading medical college in Cambridge, and has been so for at least 450 years. The second founder of the College, John Caius (Master 1559-1573) was a brilliantly successful physician; he was a scholar and Fellow of the College before completing his studies in Padua, where Fabricius the anatomist was one of his teachers. After his return from Italy he established himself in London both as a lecturer in anatomy and in a highly lucrative medical practice, which provided the means for his generous endowment of the College he loved. He was also President of the College of Physicians, now the Royal College of Physicians (1558-1561 and 1562-1564). A string of eminent medics have been educated here, including William Harvey, and this tradition continues and flourishes: we have by far the largest number of medical students of any Cambridge college, and an impressive array of medical teaching and professorial Fellows to match, in every branch of the subject:

Anatomy: Professor David Riches* (2nd year DoS), Dr. Ferdia Gallagher* (Research Fellow, Radiology)
Biochemistry: Dr. Helen Mott
Physiology: Dr. Dino Giussani (1st year DoS), Dr. James Fraser* Professor James Fitzsimons FRS*
Pathology: Dr. Julian Sale* (3rd year DoS and medical admissions coordinator), Dr. K.J. Patel* (Clinical DoS)
Pharmacology: Dr. Kevin O’Shaughnessy*
Neuroscience: Professor Roger Carpenter, Professor Joe Herbert, Professor John Mollon FRS
Clinical Medicine: Dr. John Latimer* (Clinical Advisor)

Other Professorial & Life Fellows: Professor Morris Brown (Professor of Clinical Pharmacology)*, Professor Kay-Tee Khaw* (Professor of Clinical Gerontology), Professor Gene Paykel* (Emeritus Professor of Psychiatry), Professor John Todd FRS (Professor of Medical Genetics), Professor Christine Holt FRS (Professor of Developmental Neuroscience), Professor David Ellar (Biochemistry), Dr. Richard Le Page (Pathology)

DoS = Director of Studies
*medically qualified

Admissions

At Caius we will provide you with the foundation of a comprehensive scientific training that is essential in your becoming a responsible and compassionate doctor. The qualities we are looking for are intelligence and imagination, a breadth and flexibility of outlook, but above all an intellectual curiosity and a passion for science itself. In trying to estimate the extent to which you appear to have these qualities, we rely on your Head's report, based on the opinions of those who have been teaching you, on what you say about yourself and your interests in your personal statement, your academic record so far, your performance in the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT), and on the interviews when you come to Caius (or, for some international applicants, interviews held by the University in the Far East). As far as logistics allow, we like to make our decision for all candidates based on as much information as possible and therefore we currently offer interviews to all applicants.

These interviews need not be a daunting experience; many candidates have in the past said that they have found them enjoyable and intellectually stimulating. You will have normally have three one-to-one interviews of twenty minutes each. One of your interviews will be with a medically qualified interviewer who will explore your motivation and suitability for medicine; the other two will be primarily academic interviews with the College’s medical fellows and teachers.

We are likely to ask about which of your subjects most interests you, and why, and encourage you to demonstrate some independent enthusiasm for it - for example, by talking about things you have done that are not simply part of your course. We will certainly ask about what you read: at university, you will to a large extent be teaching yourself through guided reading, and someone who has no liking for books and is not interested enough in science to spend some of their free time reading about it is not likely to make a good impression. Discussion may well centre on experimental and particularly project work that you have done at school, for this often gives a good idea of a student's scientific understanding independently of how well they have been taught. As well as finding out how deeply you understand the work you have been doing at school, we may also challenge you with new information and data. Part of the interviews with Directors of Studies may consist of a discussion of your answers to Section C of the BMAT, and if this is the case you will be provided with a copy of your script. We are likely to try to discover whether your perception of medicine is a realistic rather than a romantic one, and ask about any hospital or other medical experience, although we fully appreciate the difficulties many students now have in finding work experience in a clinical setting. Finally, you will be given a chance to ask any questions that you may have concerning Cambridge, the medical course, and the College.
The number of places we have on offer is strictly limited by a University quota system, and though our quota is the largest of any Cambridge college, we obviously cannot take all who apply, and every year we are forced to say no to academically extremely strong candidates whom we also liked personally at interview. Those near the borderline are entered for the 'pool', where they are available for consideration by any college that has not yet filled its quota. The result of all this post-interview activity is communicated to all candidates simultaneously, in early January.

If you have any queries about Admissions, please contact the Admissions Tutor at admissions@cai.cam.ac.uk.