BSMS in top five for student satisfaction

Brighton and Sussex Medical School has been ranked among the top five institutions in the country, according to the National Student Survey.

Out of 32 medicine and dentistry educational institutions in the UK, BSMS has been ranked at number five, with 94% overall student satisfaction with the course.

Final-year students across the country were asked to rate their institution on a scale of one to five. They were asked questions such as whether staff have made the subject interesting, if the timetable works efficiently, if assessments have been fair and whether resources have met their needs.

BSMS is the most popular medical school in the UK and the reasons applicants give for being attracted towards it include its friendliness, curriculum, facilities and enthusiasm. Their perceptions have been corroborated by the 83 fifth-year students in this survey; staff enthusiasm is rated at 96%, as are the IT resources. Students give a 97% rating to the intellectual stimulation provided by the course.

Being a young medical school, this is BSMS’s first year of inclusion in the National Student Survey. The Dean of the School, Professor Jon Cohen, says

'This is a fantastic result and a huge endorsement of the hard work that everyone in the school has put in to create a truly exceptional programme for our students. We will use this information to ensure that we continue to improve the course and iron out a few of the wrinkles that inevitably occur with a brand new course.'

With students giving a 92% rating for ‘As a result of the course I feel confident in tackling unfamiliar problems’, and 95% for ‘My communication skills have improved’, the recently-graduated doctors seem all set for success in their new jobs around Sussex.

Notes for editors

The Universities of Brighton and Sussex each carried out the survey with half of the BSMS fifth years. Those featuring in the Sussex results gave an overall satisfaction rating of 92%, and those in the Brighton results gave 96% (third in the UK), giving an overall average of 94%.

Founded in 2003, Brighton and Sussex Medical School (BSMS) is a partnership between the Universities of Brighton and Sussex. The curriculum is designed to develop highly competent, strongly motivated doctors, committed to the highest standards of clinical practice and patient care.

The National Student Survey (NSS) published by the Higher Education Funding Council for England, gathers feedback on the quality of students' courses, to help inform the choices of future applicants to higher education, and to contribute to public accountability. For more information on the National Student Survey, see www.unistats.com