Transforming healthcare with compassion
At St Mary’s (SMU), our Bachelor of Medicine Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) equips students to become ‘the complete doctor’.
With our modern curriculum, latest advances in digital technology and state-of-the-art facilities, students develop a complete understanding of medical expertise, compassionate care and ethics in medicine.
SMU is an established provider of health sciences, bioethics and education – our mission is to train the next generation of doctors to lead with expertise, excellence, and compassion, ultimately transforming lives.
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Our curriculum and accreditation
The St Mary’s University School of Medicine will be delivering a proven curriculum developed by the established University of Central Lancashire. As with all new Schools of Medicine, SMU is currently undergoing General Medical Council accreditation for its MBBS programme. During this accreditation process, all Schools of Medicine require a contingency partner, and this is provided by the University of Central Lancashire on our behalf.
Welcome from Anthony McClaran (Vice-Chancellor)
Within one of the largest and most diverse cities in the world, we have created a community where everyone is supported and valued. Since 1850, our mission has been to provide high-quality academic and professional education, built on our strong foundations in the Catholic faith. Our purpose is to help our students have successful, fulfilling careers – and give them the confidence to make a significant, positive impact on their communities.
Keeping this tradition, we are working towards the launch of St Mary’s University School of Medicine, welcoming our first cohort of students in September 2026. Our ambition is to train compassionate, complete doctors who will be exposed to comprehensive and diverse experiences, bringing them closer to the health challenges facing the public today and in the future.
Through medical technology, new facilities, and advanced teaching practices, we will equip doctors to be fit for practice. Our proven track record of teaching excellence and student satisfaction underpins our confidence in our ability to play our part in providing excellent doctors to a system which is currently under strain. We place the student at the heart of everything we do and will deliver the best teaching experience to our School of Medicine students.
Welcome from Professor Michael Bewick, MB.BS, MRCP, MRCGP, FRCGP, FRCP (Interim Founding Dean)
Striking the balance between professional skill and delivering care with humanity has never before been more important than it is to the training received by a 21st century doctor. Having qualified as a doctor in 1980 and completed a depth and breadth of roles across the health service, I have an unwavering commitment to enabling medicine to progress in line with patient need. I have worked with the University of Central Lancashire (UCLan), Edge Hill University, and Anglia Ruskin University to develop their new public Medical Schools.
St Mary’s is embarking on a new way of delivering Medical degrees; research into digital health can be applied to future Medical School models, and this will be a key differentiator for St Mary’s. Aligned to the Catholic Church’s long-term commitment to responding to health need through the provision of tens of thousands of healthcare professionals across the world, and complemented by a successful Allied Health and Sports provision, St Mary’s is the natural place to establish a forward-thinking centre of medical training.