Brighton and Sussex Medical School

Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is an equal partnership between the Universities of Sussex and Brighton together with NHS organisations throughout the South East region. The arrangements for the school's governance reflect this approach and students are awarded joint BM BS degrees of both universities. The school is fully committed to the principles of Tomorrow's Doctors; we endorse the value of medical education in a multi-professional context, and promote the highest possible standards in our teaching, clinical practice, and research (both fundamental and applied).

We admit approximately 150 students annually to our BM BS degree course. BSMS has proved exceptionally popular and in recent admissions rounds we have continued to achieve one of the highest application rates of any UK medical school. Students spend their first two years primarily on the universities' campuses at Falmer; thereafter the focus shifts to the associated teaching hospitals and community settings in Brighton and the surrounding area. We have purpose-built teaching facilities in all areas.

Our curriculum emphasises early clinical involvement, a broad range of experience and a firm foundation in basic science. Led by the Department of Medical Education, we employ a wide range of teaching and learning approaches as appropriate for the particular circumstances; we are not committed to a single method of delivery. Feedback from the National Student Survey has demonstrated an exceptionally high level of student satisfaction, with BSMS students consistently returning overall satisfaction rates above 90%.

Our postgraduate courses provide a range of opportunities from taught and research Masters courses to diplomas, certificates and individual continuing professional development (CPD) modules, allowing us to meet the needs of health professionals at all levels in a constantly changing healthcare sector. As we respond to the needs of this sector, our courses continue to evolve, with new courses being added as a need is identified. We offer a range of clinical specialties, including anaesthesia, cardiology and dementia, along with professional courses ranging from medical education to public health and global health.

Our partnership with the Universities of Brighton and Sussex and overlapping research groupings offer a rich research environment for students wanting to pursue a research degree, and we offer PhDs, MDs and MPhils along with our Masters in Research. The research undertaken at BSMS aims to make a genuine contribution to the evidence and science underpinning clinical practice, and to benefit people and patients in their health and wellbeing.

We have made significant investments in research infrastructure, including a world-class Clinical Imaging Sciences Centre (CISC) housing a 3T and 1.5T MRI and a PET- CT scanner and a Clinical Investigation and Research Unit (CIRU) dedicated to patient-orientated research and early clinical trials. Our key domains of research strength are recognised locally, nationally and on the international stage. These are represented by our departments of Global Health and Infection (including HIV and sexual health), Neuroscience (including mental health and neurology) Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Medical Education, Primary Care and Public Health.

BSMS offers an Academic Training Programme aimed at doctors who are considering an academic career in medicine. The programme is jointly overseen by BSMS and Health Education Kent, Surrey and Sussex and in close collaboration with the relevant partnership NHS Trusts (Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust and Sussex Partnership Foundation Trust).