Welcome to the website of the Bute Medical Society.
MEDICINE
The early medical school
Medicine was the third subject to be taught at St Andrews, at St Salvator's College and later the United College of St Salvator and St Leonard. Bishop Kennedy founded St Salvator's College in 1450, confirmed by a Papal Bull in 1458.
From the 17th to the 19th centuries, medical degrees from St Andrews were awarded by an early version of distance learning. The university awarded the degree of MD to individuals who were usually already established in medical practice, the first being conferred in 1696. This degree was awarded on the basis of a testimonial written by a supervisor, and a fee was paid to the university. The whole process was conducted through the post, and the candidate did not have to visit the university. Recipients of the MD at this time include the infamous French Revolutionary, Jean-Paul Marat (1743–1793), who obtained his MD in 1775 for an essay on gonorrhea, and Edward Jenner (1749–1823), who developed the first smallpox vaccine, and was awarded the MD in 1792.
In 1721, whilst Chancellor of the University, James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos established the Chandos Chair of Medicine and Anatomy, to fund the appointment of a Professor of Medicine and Anatomy at the university, and Thomas Simson was appointed as the first Chandos Professor. The Chandos Chair still exists, although it has now become a chair of physiology.
In the early 19th century, examinations were introduced. Students had to visit St Andrews to sit them, but there was no teaching at the university.
[edit]The founding of the Bute Medical School
In 1897, as Rector of the University of St Andrews, the 3rd Marquess of Bute, in addition to his provident restorations of other university buildings, initiated the construction of the current Bute Medical Buildings, south of St Mary's College, completed in 1899. The buildings, much added to and modified, especially after a gift from Andrew Carnegie, built labs to the north (now the Carnegie Building). These provided for the establishment of a regular medical school, which both taught and examined medical students. The 3rd Marquess of Bute also provided for the establishment of a new chair of medicine - the Bute Chair of Medicine.
[edit]The St Andrews-Dundee course
In 1898, the University of St Andrews created the University College Dundee. Together, the Bute Medical School and clinical facilities at University College Dundee formed a conjoint medical school. Medical students could undertake their pre-clinical teaching at the Bute Medical School in St Andrews and then complete clinical training in Dundee. Students were awarded the degree of MB ChB by the University of St Andrews.
In 1954, University College changed its name to Queen's College, but remained part of the University of St Andrews.
In August 1967, following recommendations by the Robbins Report, the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966 came into force. This granted independent university status to the University of Dundee, separating Queen's College from the University of St Andrews. In many respects, the medical school at the University of Dundee inherited the medical traditions of St Andrews University.
As the clinical medical school (along with other parts of the University of St Andrews including the Law faculty) had been based in Dundee, this left St Andrews with no clinical medical school or teaching hospital. The Universities (Scotland) Act 1966 also removed the University of St Andrews's right to award undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in medicine, including the MB ChB and MD.
[edit]The link with Manchester Medical School
In order to continue to be able to teach medicine, St Andrews therefore established a new link with the English University of Manchester, in 1970 which was at that time seeking to enlarge its medical school. Students completed a three-year BSc in medical science at St Andrews, and could optionally complete an extra intercalated year for the award of BSc Hons at St Andrews, before completing their clinical training at the University of Manchester, with the final MB ChB awarded by Manchester. This arrangement has been under threat many times over the years.
Since 2002, there has also been the option of completing clinical training at Keele University Medical School in Stoke-on-Trent, and around twenty St Andrews graduates each year between 2002-2006 have gone to Keele University. This option no longer exists.
[edit]Recent history
Major changes to the curriculum were made in 2000 with increased emphasis on psychology and cellular biology in the course.
In 2002 the Scottish Parliament passed the University of St Andrews (Postgraduate Medical Degrees) Act 2002 which re-instated the university's right to award the postgraduate research degree of Medicinae Doctor (MD) to students who have completed two years of full-time or up to 5 years of part-time research, which had been removed by the Universities (Scotland) Act 1966. The first MD since 1967 was awarded in 2004.
In 2004, Prof. Sir Kenneth Calman's report into medical education recommended that medical graduates from St Andrews should remain in Scotland to complete their clinical medical education, and arising out of this, discussions about a link with University of Edinburgh have taken place.
The Board for Academic Medicine under Sir David Carter was established and tasked with, amongst other things, the implementation of these plans. Sir David, Professor Hugh MacDougall (dean of medicine at the Bute) and Simon Guild (director of teaching) surveyed the capacity of other medical schools to accept St Andrews medical students and plans were drawn up as follows: 50 students to go to the Glasgow medical school 30 students to go to Edinburgh 10 to Dundee 10 to Aberdeen
80 further students would continue to go to Manchester. This will begin with a phased introduction - of the students starting their St Andrews careers in 2007, 55 will progress to Scottish medical schools.
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