Welcome to the David Game College Medical & Life Sciences Programme. University admissions in medicine and related fields are fiercely competitive and successful candidates need to have an outstanding academic record as well as demonstrate exceptional commitment when applying for courses. The medical programme at the College has been designed to boost students’ chances of securing their first choice medical/dental school or related degree (e.g. neuroscience, immunology, virology, genomic medicine, medical genetics, biomedical science, nursing, pharmacy or pharmacology).
In addition to core medical courses, the programme also prepares students who wish to study life sciences at leading universities such as Oxford, Cambridge, Imperial, and UCL. Entry standards for life sciences subjects into Oxbridge, Imperial and UCL can be high as those for medical studies. The course helps students better understand their potential area of study and the College has over 30 years’ experience and implicit knowledge of what is required to get a student successfully into medicine.
To achieve this, the College has a highly experienced and dedicated team who have between them considerable experience and specialist knowledge and insight into how best to secure a place. The course is led by John Dalton, former managing editor of one of the world’s leading medical journals Current Opinion in Gastroenterology, and one of the early editors of the medical text book, Immunobiology by the late Professor Charles Janeway of Yale University. The course is supported and taught by Dr Peter Stanley (who taught pre-clinical medicine students at UCL). Dr Stanley specialises in UCAT, BMAT and cardiovascular diseases. Further clinical expertise and coverage is provided by Dr Iqbal, a consultant physician in acute medicine at an NHS hospital and a graduate and Gold Medal winner from Imperial College. In addition, Dr Julia Cushnir and Dr Daniel Pooley also help support the course through the Chemistry and Physics departments.
The Medical Programme advises on preparing students who may wish to apply to Medical Schools in the United States, in particular Ivy League universities such as Harvard, John Hopkins, Stanford and Yale. Naturally, these institutions are extremely competitive and command significant financial resources. David Game College has experience of placing students in foreign universities, especially in the United States.
Key Features of the Medical and Life Sciences Programme
The programme has two elements:
The course will also run special seminars on:
The Fundamentals:
Core Lectures Topics:
Duration: 7 Months
Venue: David Game College, Large Lecture Theatre, 31 Jewry Street, London, EC3N 2ET.
Course Benefits
The course has been designed to boost examination grades, deepen knowledge of physiology, biochemistry and clinically-related subjects, and serves as evidence to demonstrate interest in pursuing a medical or scientific career.
The course also provides important contextual information that will allow students to better comprehend those factors that impact medicine in the UK (and globally). Complex issues, such as medical ethics and critical thinking, are explored. This involves debating and discussing topics such as assisted dying, resource allocation in medicine, consent, health equity and challenges caused by an ageing population. Finally, some reference is made to a growing field called evolutionary medicine and its impact on our understanding of disease and epigenetics.
In addition, the course explains the role of the National Health Service and the impact that technology is having on medical diagnosis and thereby allows students to gain a wider understanding of medical matters. Students will also gain up-to-date information on key medical topics and gain important insights and preparation for interviews and aptitude tests (UCAT and BMAT).
Course Lead: Dr Adeel Iqbal
Dr. Adeel Iqbal is a medical consultant at the Medway Maritime Hospital in the United Kingdom. Dr. Iqbal trained in some of London’s busiest tertiary hospitals including St. Mary’s Hospital, Charring Cross Hospital and the Chelsea & Westminster Hospital. He graduated from Imperial College London winning the Rector’s Gold Medal Award as well as multiple academic prizes for the highest performance in undergraduate medical exams - including the Abraham’s Award for medical pathology and a first-class honours degree from the National Heart and Lung Institute in Cardiovascular Sciences.
Dr. Iqbal has extensive experience of the NHS having worked at hospitals including the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, Colchester University Hospital, Nobles Hospital, Isle of Man and Whipps Cross University Hospital, London.
Research & Publications
Immunosuppressive Agents Modulate Function, Growth, and Survival of Cardiomyocytes and Endothelial Cells Derived from Human Embryonic Stem Cells. Földes Gábor, Mioulane Maxime, Kodagoda Thusharika, Lendvai Zsuzsanna, Iqbal Adeel, Ali Nadire N, Schneider Michael D., and Harding Sian E.. Stem Cells and Development. March 1, 2014, 23(5): 467-476. doi:10.1089/scd.2013.0229.
Growth and proliferative activity of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes is modulated in a calcineurin-NFAT-dependent manner. Gabor Foldes, Maxime Mioulane, Adeel Iqbal, Michael D. Schneider, Nadire N. Ali, Sian E. Harding. NHLI, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK.
Immunosuppressants block proliferation and growth of human embryonic stem cell-derived cardiomyocytes. Gabor Foldes, Maxime Mioulane, Adeel Iqbal, Michael D. Schneider, Nadire N. Ali, Sian E. Harding. National Heart and Lung Institute, Imperial College, London SW7 2AZ, UK. Presented in Hungary 2013.
Key Roles
Awards
Life Sciences
This section of the course will cover a wide range of essentially non-clinical topics, but nonetheless equally fascinating and related topics, such as:
Course Leads:
John Dalton: BSc, MRSB, CBiol
A graduate of Biochemistry and currently an active member of the Royal Institute of Biology as well as a chartered Biologist. Before entering into teaching, he was managing editor of one of the world’s leading medical journals, Current Opinion in Gastroenterology. John has worked closely with some of the world’s leading scientists, including the late Professor Janeway of Yale University. John helped prepare and edit the first edition of the famous medical textbook, Immuno-biology, which is now in its Eight Edition. John also has worked with scientists such as Professor G.V.R Born FRS, at the William Harvey Research Institute. John was also editor of Calcium Antagonists, which was written by Professor Born.
John has a special interest in cell and molecular biology as well as evolutionary science. He is currently Head of Science at the College and is the also Head of the Medical Programme for the College.
Dr Peter Stanley, MSc, PhD, MRSB, Cbiol, MRSC
Dr Peter Stanley is a graduate biochemist, who following his PhD at UCL, taught medical students for many years at UCL as a post-doctoral researcher. Peter also has an MSc in Pharmacology from King’s College London, and has a deep understanding of biochemistry, pharmacology and human physiology. Peter is also knowledgeable on how to prepare for UKCAT and BMAT tests and presents lectures and seminars on various topics in the life sciences. Peter has published various professional sciences papers as well as many science related articles in professional biology magazines. Dr Stanley is equally capable in teaching both biology and chemistry.
