Health and Disability

Health Requirements

Assessment

All candidates offered a place must complete a health assessment with the College's Occupational Health Service. You will be sent a confidential questionnaire along with your offer. You should submit this and return it to the Occupational Health Service as soon as possible.

The primary aim of the assessment is to learn about any health problems or disabilities you may have which may require special support, so that we can plan for this before you begin your course. We are also required by the General Medical Council (GMC) to ensure that you are not affected by a condition that would make it impossible for you to acquire the skills necessary to qualify and work safely as a doctor before accepting you onto the course.

The School of Medicine welcomes applications from candidates with disabilities and, wherever possible, seeks to provide any extra support that may be necessary. Most disabilities or health problems, even if substantial, can be accommodated. If you have a disability or health problem that you think may affect your fitness to practice, or which you think may be difficult to accommodate then you can contact the College Occupational Physician for advice, in confidence, before applying.

Vaccinations for medical school

If you are offered a place, you will need to be immunised against a range of infections to meet health and safety standards necessary for work with patients. You will be sent details of the vaccination programme along with your offer. As soon as you receive this information you should arrange with your doctor or a health clinic to begin this programme, as it can take eight months to complete.

Blood-borne infections

Chronic viral infections that are carried in the blood can be transmitted during surgery to patients from an infected healthcare worker. When you come to Imperial, in order to comply with NHS requirements, you will be offered bood tests to check that you are not infected with hepatitis B, hepatitis C and/or HIV, before you can be cleared for hands-on surgical experience.

If you are infected, you will be allowed to continue your course but not allowed to assist with or undertake surgery or other 'exposure-prone' procedures on patients. It will not prevent you from qualifying or practising as a doctor, except for the restriction on exposure-prone procedures.

Information for disabled applicants

Prospective students are encouraged to contact the College Disabilities Officer at the earliest opportunity and to identify any disabilities on their UCAS form. This enables an understanding to be reached in advance between the College and the student about the support that will be required and what can reasonably be provided. The College has a disabilities statement which provides advice to prospective students.

On admission to the course, students receive support and advice via their Personal/Clinical Tutor, the Senior Welfare Tutor, ICSMSU Welfare Representative and the College Disabilities Officer. The College Disabilities Officer arranges funding of equipment for individual disabled students through their Local Education Authority.