skip to content
 

First Year Medical and Veterinary courses (Med/VetST IA)

This table summarises the courses which are taken by students in their first year and how they are assessed. First year students take both 2nd MB/2nd Vet MB and Tripos examinations. The main sitting for the 2nd MB/Tripos examinations is in June; the 2nd MB examinations in the Social Context of Health and Illness, the Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice, and the 2nd Vet MB examinations in Principles of Animal Management and the Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice are taken at the end of the Lent term. 2nd MB Preparing for Patients reports must be handed in at review sessions in the Lent term.

Students are permitted only two attempts at 2nd MB/2nd Vet MB examinations. Resits are in September.

As a guide, the Faculty have agreed that information about pass marks for 2nd MB/2nd Vet MB subjects should be available to students.

If students attend all lectures, practicals and supervisions, they will be furnished with all the information needed to pass their exams, whilst support and guidance is available for those struggling with any aspect of the course.

Course Exam paper structure Material examined Assessment Exam format Notes

Homeostasis (HOM) and Histology

Section I 1 hour Lecture material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos

MCQs or Short Notes

 
Section II 1 hour Practical material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions (by MCQs)
Section II/P 1 hour Practical material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions (by MCQs)
Section III 2 hours Whole course   Tripos Essay questions
Molecules in Medical Science (MIMS) Section I 1 hour Lecture material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos MCQs  
Section II 2 hours Practical material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions
Section III 2 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Functional Architecture of the Body (FAB) Section I Combined 1 h 30 paper Whole course 2nd MB   Tripos Short answer questions  
Section II Whole course 2nd MB   Tripos Practical questions
Section III 2 hours Whole course   Tripos Essay questions
Veterinary Anatomy and Physiology (VAP) Section I 1 hour Lecture material   2nd Vet MB Tripos MCQs Sections I & III taken as a single 3 hour paper
Section II 2 hours Practical material   2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions (short notes and MCQs)
Section III 2 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Foundations of Evidence-Based Practice (FEBP) One paper 45 minutes   2nd MB 2nd Vet MB   MCQs  
Social and Ethical Context of Health and Illness (SECHI) Course work     2nd MB     Two submitted 3000-word essays   
Principles of Animal Management One paper 1 hour     2nd Vet MB   MCQs  
Preparing for Patients A (PfPA) Course work   2nd MB        
Preparing for the Veterinary Profession A (PfVPA) note 1       2nd Vet MB      

 

Note 1 The PfVP course has been revised. Students starting the course since 2002 will be assessed on both the first and second year strands of PfVP in the Lent term of their second year.

Note 2 In order to validate the Biomedical Admissions Test (BMAT) IA Tripos results will be released, under conditions of strict confidentiality, to the University of Cambridge Local Examinations Syndicate who run the BMAT on behalf of the University and Colleges. Tripos results will be compared with BMAT results to assess the validity of the test.

Note 3 The regulations for MVST IA stipulate that each subject of the IA examination should carry the same marks.

Form and Conduct Notices have been published in the Reporter which describe in detail the format of each examination.

 

Second Year Medical and Veterinary courses (Med/VetST IB)

This table summarises the courses which are taken by students in their second year and how they are assessed. The main sitting for 2nd MB/Tripos examinations is in June, but the 2nd Vet MB examination in Preparing for the Veterinary Profession is at the end of the Lent term. Course work for the 2nd MB Preparing for Patients must be handed in as directed by the Course Organiser.

Students are only permitted two attempts at 2nd MB/2nd Vet MB examinations. Resists are in September.

As a guide, the Faculty have agreed that information about pass marks for 2nd MB subjects should be available to students.

Course Exam Structure Material examined Assessment Exam format Notes
Biology of Disease (BOD) Section I 1 ½ hours Lecture material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos MCQs  
Section II 2 hours Practical material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions
Section III 2 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Mechanisms of Drug Action(MODA) Section I

1 ½
 hours

Lecture material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos MCQs  
Section II 2 hours Practical material 2nd MB 2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions
Section III 2 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Neurobiology and Human Behaviour(NHB) Section I 1 h 30 Lecture material 2nd MB   Tripos Short Answer Questions Sections I & III taken on one day and Section II on a separate day
Section II 1 hour Practical material 2nd MB   Tripos Practical questions
Section III 3 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Neurobiology and Animal Behaviour(NAB) Section I 1 hour Lecture material   2nd Vet MB Tripos Short Answer Questions Sections I & III taken on the same day
Section II 1 hour Practical material   2nd Vet MB Tripos Practical questions
Section III 2 hours Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Human Reproduction (HR) Section I 1 hour Lecture material 2nd MB   Tripos MCQs Sections I and III taken as a single 2½ hour paper
Section II 1 hour Practical material 2nd MB   Tripos Practical questions
Section III 1½ hrs Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Veterinary Reproductive Biology (VRB) Sections I & II 1½ hrs Whole course   2nd Vet MB Tripos Steeple chase  
Section III 1½ hrs Whole course     Tripos Essay questions
Comparative Vertebrate Biology (CVB) Sections I & II 1½ hr     2nd Vet MB Tripos Steeple chase  
Section III 1½ hr       Tripos Two essays
Head and Neck Anatomy (HNA)   1h30 Whole course 2nd MB   Tripos Short answer questions  
Preparing for Patients B (PfPB) Course work   2nd MB        
Preparing for the Veterinary Profession (PfVP) One Paper 45 min     2nd VetMB  

MCQs

See note below

The regulations for MVST IB stipulate that the maximum marks allocated to each subject at IB should be in the following proportions:

  • Biology of Disease 10
  • Mechanisms of Drug Action 10
  • Neurobiology with Animal Behaviour (Vets only) 10
  • Neurobiology with Human Behaviour (Medics only) 14
  • Human Reproduction (Medics only)/Veterinary Reproductive Biology (Vets only) 8
  • Comparative Vertebrate Biology (Vets only) 8
  • Head and Neck Anatomy (Medics only) 4
  • Total 46

Note The first and second years of the PfVP course are assessed together at the end of the Lent term of the second year.

Form and Conduct Notices have been published in the Reporter which describe in detail the format of individual examinations.