Lincoln Medical School Independence Project

Project Overview

Lincoln Medical School was created in 2018 through a collaboration between the universities of Lincoln and Nottingham to deliver world-class medical education in the heart of Lincolnshire. Until this point, Lincolnshire was the largest English county without a dedicated medical school of its own, with local NHS skills shortages in some specialisms.

The bid to Health Education England for additional medical training places in Lincolnshire was supported by the region's NHS Trusts and a range of other partner organisations with an interest in the health and prosperity of local communities. With a focus on advancing healthcare in rural settings, Lincoln Medical School now plays a major role in training future generations of hospital doctors and GPs to serve communities across Greater Lincolnshire and surrounding rural areas.

The successful bid to establish a medical school for Lincolnshire was originally driven by a partnership between the universities of Lincoln and Nottingham, with support from the local healthcare community. The same founding partners are now committed to the next phase of the medical school's development: for Lincoln Medical School to operate independently of the University of Nottingham from the 2026-27 academic year, dependent on General Medical Council approval.

Please check back regularly as we will be updating this page with the latest information. You can also contact us directly at LMSProjectsTeam@lincoln.ac.uk.

Our History

Medicine Foundation students in the Joseph Banks Laboratories

Lincoln Medical School Established

Lincoln Medical School was established in 2018 with the specific aim of improving the recruitment and retention of doctors to Lincolnshire.

Lincoln Medical School students in the Sarah Swift Building.

First Students Begin Their Studies

Our first students started their studies in September 2019, on our BMBS Medicine and BMBS Medicine with a Foundation Year programmes.

The exterior of the Ross Lucas Medical Sciences Building

Ross Lucas Medical Sciences Building Completed

The new purpose-built Ross Lucas Medical Sciences Building was completed in March 2021, where our students now benefit from specialist facilities.

Medical students interacting with a full-size anatomical skeleton.

Independence Project Announced

Lincoln Medical School aims to operate independently of the University of Nottingham from 2026-27, dependent on General Medical Council approval.

Inaugural Dean Appointed

In April 2024, Dr Jamie Read FHEA BMBS MAcadMEd MClinEd FRCP joined the University of Lincoln as Inaugural Dean of Lincoln Medical School.

Independence Project FAQs

What Medicine degree programmes will you be offering from 2026?

We intend to offer two Medicine programmes: Medicine MBChB (5 years of study) and Medicine MBChB with a Gateway Year (6 years of study, including an integrated year 0 — this will only be open to students from widening participation backgrounds).

The last year of entry for the programmes under our partnership with University of Nottingham will be the 2024/25 academic year for Foundation Year (A18L), and 2025/26 academic year for BMBS Medicine (A10L).

How many places will you have available on your programmes for 2026 entry?

Subject to agreement with the Office for Students, for 2026 entry we will have 80 places available on our Medicine MBChB programme and 20 places available on our Medicine MBChB with a Gateway year programme.

I am a current student at Lincoln Medical School. How will this affect me?

As a current student you are registered at the University of Nottingham. Lincoln Medical School independence will not affect your programme of study as the two universities in the partnership will work together to ensure that you can graduate with BMedSci and BMBS (University of Nottingham).

I have applied to study at Lincoln Medical School starting in September 2024. How will this affect me?

If you are successful in gaining a place at Lincoln Medical School to start in September 2024, you will be registered at the University of Nottingham. Lincoln Medical School independence will not affect your programme of study as the two universities in the partnership will work together to ensure that you can graduate with BMedSci and BMBS (University of Nottingham).

Why are you seeking independence now?

Lincoln Medical School was established in 2018 as a partnership between the two universities, with the stated aim of the University of Lincoln taking over as the degree awarding body in due course. Our first students, admitted in September 2019, are due to graduate with their medical degrees in July 2024; this milestone is a proof of principle that medical students can successfully undertake all of their undergraduate training in Lincolnshire and so the path to independence is now clear.

How does ‘Medicine with a Gateway Year’ differ from ‘Medicine with a Foundation Year’?

Whilst there will be some differences in the content of year 0 in the new programme, the change is mostly semantic. Changing the title to ‘with a Gateway Year’ avoids confusion between this programme and the University of Lincoln’s Science Foundation Year, Foundation degrees (which medical schools do not offer) and the United Kingdom Foundation Programme for graduating doctors (FY1/FY2).

You say that independence from the University of Nottingham is dependent on approval from the General Medical Council. What does this mean?

All UK universities that have the power to award Medicine degrees (primary medical qualifications) must be accredited by the General Medical Council (GMC), which sets the standards for undergraduate medical education in the UK.

All new medical schools are on an accreditation journey, and the GMC do not provide full accreditation until the first cohort of students are in their final year of study. All new schools are therefore required to have a ‘contingency’ school who can award their medical degree in the unlikely event that something goes wrong.

In our case, the contingency school will be the University of Nottingham. Full accreditation means that graduates can gain provisional registration with the GMC and a licence to practise medicine in the UK; full registration of UK medical graduates with the GMC is only possible after successful completion of the first year of the UK Foundation Programme (FY1).

If I enrol at Lincoln Medical School in 2026, does this mean I am enrolling on a non-accredited degree programme?

Technically, yes. However, this is no different to the situation in all new medical schools, and the University of Nottingham will be ready to award the degree if required.

What will the Lincoln Medical School curriculum look like?

Full university approval of our curriculum will not be in place until summer 2024, but our current plans are for an integrated, systems-based and case-based curriculum that takes place over three phases.

All teaching and learning will be mapped to the General Medical Council’s Outcomes for Graduates and List of Practical Skills and Procedures, and the Medical Licensing Assessment Content Map. Phase one will represent the early years of study (years 0-2) and will aim to provide students with a solid base of biomedical, psychosocial, and professional skills to enable them to make a success of the remainder of their studies, and will include some clinical placement in GP practices and hospitals.

Phase two will represent the transition to full-time clinical placements and introduce students to the practice of medicine, surgery, primary care, psychiatry, child health, women’s health, and other specialties over years three and four. Placements will be complemented by simulation in both the clinical and the university environment.

Phase three will be the final year of study, where students can reinforce their knowledge of the principles and practice of medicine and develop from being ‘proto-professionals’ to the successful medical graduates and practitioners of the future.

What admissions criteria will you set in 2026?

Full university approval of our admissions criteria will not be in place until spring 2025. However, we are unlikely to change significantly from the current admissions criteria for A10L (in the case of Medicine MBChB) or A18L (in the case of Medicine with a Gateway Year MBChB). Please see our website course pages for full details.

These FAQs will be regularly updated as the independence project progresses. In the meantime, if you have any further questions or concerns, please contact us by email at LMSProjectsTeam@lincoln.ac.uk.