Edinburgh Medical School: Medicine

Taught programmes

Research programmes

About the School

Medicine at Edinburgh can trace its origins back nearly 500 years. Darwin, Simpson and Conan Doyle were students here. For centuries, We have held an international reputation for research and teaching leadership and for improving the health and wellbeing of communities across the globe.

The College’s reputation as one of the world’s leading centres of medical and veterinary medical research has been reaffirmed by its results in the 2014 Research Excellence Framework (REF), with 84% of the College’s research activity rated world leading or internationally excellent (3* and 4*). In terms of ‘one medicine’ research (human and animal medicine), the University of Edinburgh’s research power (quality x volume) is the strongest in the UK. Veterinary Medicine (a joint submission with Scotland’s Rural College) came 1st in the UK, and Neuroscience was ranked 3rd in the UK out of 82 submissions.

Edinburgh Medical School

Established in 1726, Edinburgh Medical School was the pre-eminent medical centre of the 18th and 19th centuries. Today it retains its status as a leading force internationally in basic-to-clinical translational research and teaching.

We offer you the opportunity to study in an environment where research is an important component of every student’s life, nurturing a way of thinking that will equip you to deliver positive change for humanity. By bringing together clinicians and basic scientists, we create opportunities to develop cutting-edge work that makes a real difference to people’s lives.

Here at Edinburgh you will find a broad range of world-leading research centres, including Medical Research Council-funded centres, working side by side. We offer state-of-the-art facilities; co-location and close collaboration with NHS Lothian hospitals; all major imaging technologies; clinical trials support; and commercialisation training and opportunities. Our ground-breaking collaboration with Edinburgh BioQuarter, a landmark life science development on the Little France campus, is establishing Edinburgh and Scotland as one of the world’s major centres for biomedical commercialisation.

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