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London’s St. Mary’s University (SMU) has announced plans to get into the business of training future medical professionals in its new School of Medicine. It will be the first Catholic medical school in the UK when it opens for the Fall 2026 school year.
The news comes after the UK’s General Medical Council (GMC), the body that oversees medical education and training in the UK, has granted permission to move to the next stage of development. The GMC reported that the school has shown progress towards meeting the required standards of medical education. It will, however, need to work closely with the GMC to submit more evidence of meeting the standards as it works towards its final timetable.
In a press release, St Mary’s Vice-Chancellor Professor Anthony McClaran seemed confident that SMU would be able to meet the GMC’s criteria. He noted that the School of Medicine will become the cornerstone of SMU’s offerings. He said that the School of Medicine will allow for “strategic growth” for the university, while “delivering a sustained, positive impact on society.”
“The school will not only contribute to the workforce development demands in the UK for more doctors and medical professionals, but it will also train global professionals able to work anywhere in the world.” McClaran said. “Our approach to developing the whole person during students’ time at SMU will mean medics of the future will leave this University with the technical and personal skills they need to deliver truly holistic, compassionate, patient-centered care.”
To support the development of the program, SMU has initiated a partnership with the University of Central Lancashire, for which SMU will use its Bachelor Medicine Bachelor Surgery (MBBS) as a model for its own curriculum.
Professor Cathy Jackson was the Founding Head of the University of Central Lancashire’s Medical School, explained that the Lancashire Medical School curriculum was written to “be a fit for the long-term future.” She said of the arrangement:
“The University of Central Lancashire’s Medical School will now support St Mary’s new medical school as its contingent partner as it progresses through all the stages to full GMC accreditation, and I’m delighted they’ll now deliver the curriculum we created to their new cohort of students.”
Currently in the national Top 10 for student experience and the national Top 5 of teaching excellence, SMU is expected to draw a great deal of interest from prospective medical students. The school promises new facilities equipped with the “latest technologies” that will further support the “advanced teaching practices,” that SMU has become known for.
Learn more about the new program at St. Mary’s University.
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