One of the UK’s premier institutes and in the top 25 universities in the world, King’s College London is home to almost 25,000 students from 150 countries. Recognised as the Sunday Times University of the Year, King’s College London is dedicated to the advancement of knowledge, learning and understanding in the service of society.

King’s College London School of Medicine is internationally recognised for its comprehensive learning and training that offers a plethora of programmes and a distinguished faculty to deliver unsurpassed medical education. It is the largest centre for the education of healthcare professionals in Europe; no university has more Medical Research Council Centres.

Being situated at three central London hospital campuses, the school works in close association with Britain’s National Health Service (NHS); its 10 research divisions and 12 specialist centres, the latter of which are externally awarded and funded, offer unparalleled insight into the world of medicine.

In 2008, the Research Assessment Exercise for British universities ranked 23 departments of King’s in the top quartile of British universities, while over half of the university’s academic staff work in departments that are in the top 10% in the UK in their field. The College is also in the top seven UK universities for research earnings.

Pic: King's College London

Academics
King’s College London School of Medicine provides a large variety of undergraduate, postgraduate and research programmes to choose from.

Undergraduates of the School of Medicine can study towards an MBBS, one of the longest established medical degrees in the UK. Programmes in Nutrition and Physiotherapy are also available among others. The clinical experience offered by the university’s NHS partners solidifies the theoretical knowledge with practical understanding for the benefit of the students.

High-quality postgraduate programmes are also on offer. These combine intensive academic content with clinical training and an exceptional eye for research to provide that specialist edge.

Basic Science programmes are offered in Cardiovascular Research, Immunology and Translational Cancer Medicine that have a dominant research component. Programmes are also available in Healthcare Evaluation, Ultrasound and Pharmaceutical Medicine, among others. Speciality programmes can also be provided for qualified doctors and health professionals to enhance their training or develop on specialities. These include Paediatrics, Dietetics, Clinical Dermatology and Rheumatology among others.

Research degrees are supported by the university’s 10 Research Divisions with over 300 principle investigators. The university and its Research Divisions produce cutting-edge study offering the opportunity for the best graduate research. 30% of the 300 graduate research students at the School are international, maintaining the consistency King’s College London has towards an international fraternity to absorb and distribute true international learning.

The quality of the School is demonstrated, as the School of Medicine at King’s College London has the highest completion rates for PhD studies in the UK.

Professional short courses are available for those who don’t have the time to invest in a full-time degree but are still looking to enhance their skills. It is perfect for international candidates who want to travel to the UK for a short amount of time but increase their professional knowledge at a world-class institution. These courses include Pharmaceutical Medicine, Palliative Care and an e-learning Spanish course for medics and other health professionals.

Research
King’s College London is working on some of the most important topical global issues that affect the world today and predicting answers to those questions that are likely to affect us in the future. Key research themes include:

Leadership and society
Research in this field looks to answer some engaging questions such as how can personal freedom be balanced with national security and what will it take to eradicate poverty? With an interdisciplinary approach along with collaborating with national governments and other internationally recognised bodies, this research aims to build a multi-faced outlook and shared knowledge that can affect leaders who decide on plans for the future of the world.

Neuroscience and mental health
This research asks questions such as how we can regenerate a damaged brain, how we can respond to a pandemic of neurodegenerative disease over the next 30 years and how we can reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. It is proven that one in four people will experience mental health problems in their lifetime. King’s College London, with its 1,000-strong research team dedicated to finding answers for this cause, is pioneering path-breaking treatment for these mental disorders and neurological diseases.

Cancer
King’s College London has been endlessly researching to find treatments to beat cancer, the disease that kills more than seven million across the world every year. Cancer specialists at Europe’s largest health school come together to produce efficient, reliable and ground-breaking research to contribute towards finding an answer to this difficult disease.

Campus Life

The London Advantage
King’s College London’s location in the heart of this vibrant city has a huge impact on the student experience at the university. London is a global hub for cultural, business, political, media, legal and sporting events which attracts the best from around the world. The city itself offers its own education with a wealth of museums, universities and institutes which allow students to extend their learning beyond the campus.

Students at King’s College London benefit from close connections with leading UK professional, political, legal, scientific and cultural life, and from the university’s partnership with three leading NHS hospital foundation trusts. Students can also pursue a degree within the School of Arts and Humanities and work with the Tate or the BBC – opportunities that are rare if tried single-handedly and ones that have the potential to start a career. They can also choose to study at the School of Biomedical Sciences which runs a number of master’s programmes in collaboration with leading pharmacy companies such as Pfizer and GSK.

Pic: King's College London.

Student Activities
King’s College London has a vibrant and active student community. There are more than a 100 student groups and societies for students to take advantage of, along with community engagement projects, volunteering opportunities and student media. All these projects are run for students by students at the Student’s Union.

King’s Worldwide
King’s College London aims to embed an international perspective in the very fabric of the College. This can be demonstrated through its Global Institutes and Centres, its international partnerships and collaboration and the exchange opportunities that it provides for its students.

The Global Institutes encourage interest amongst King’s College London staff and students in key overseas nations through the development of teaching and research programmes at the university. These include the India Institute, the China Institute, and the African Leadership Centre.

Strategic Partnerships
King’s College London has strong partnerships with leading institutions across the globe to further learning and increase the quality of education. The university has close collaborations with Jawaharlal Nehru University in India, the National University of Singapore, the University of Hong Kong, Renmin University in Beijing, and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, as well as a number of other prestigious universities across Asia, Australasia, the Americas and Europe. Through agreements at College, School and department level, King’s College London partnerships further the university’s strategic vision to encourage progressive research, facilitate knowledge transfer, elevate learning and enhance the student experience. Students and staff alike are encouraged to make the most of the opportunity and to spend time at these partner universities.

King’s College London and its strong links to Asia make it a strong contender for the future generation of medical professionals from the East interested in an education at one of Europe’s finest institutes of higher learning.

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