Tell me about Barts and The London!

Your Union

• What is the BLSA and what is QMSU?

  BLSA stands for ‘Barts and the London Student Association’ which is a subset of QMSU which is the ‘Queen Mary Student’s Union’. All students at Barts and the London are automatically a member of the students' union. BLSA and QMSU are both student run organisations separate from the University made up of elected representatives that work to improve student experience of University. You will all be introduced to the reps when you move into the University. 

• How can I get involved in the BLSA?

  At the start of the year around October we will be holding elections for course reps. This is a position you can apply to if your interested in representing your year and course. You will sit on meetings with staff and raise issues, propose solutions and debate policy. Furthermore, around April there will be the union elections for all of the rep roles which all students can run for. 

• Do I need to pay to be a member of the BLSA?

  No. The BLSA is run for students by students. You do not need to pay to be a member, you become one as soon as you join Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry!

Academic

• What is assessment like in first year of Medicine like?

  In first year you have 5 papers (A-E). Paper A is continuous assessment throughout the year made of 3 in-course assessments and a few small pieces of course work. Paper B is your final written examination. Paper C is you final data interpretation exam (anatomy, histology and physiology). Paper D is you OSCE (clinical skills exam). Paper E is your annual student selected component section.

• What does the average week in first year look like?

  During the first year you have roughly 10 lectures a week, 4 hours of PBL, 1 day of placement and 2 Lab sessions. On Wednesdays Your time table will end at 1pm which gives you time for student groups, sports and volunteering. 

• Do we need to read all the textbooks on the reading list?

  The reading list is a resource which outlines the textbooks with lecturers will refer to and that cover a great portion of your course content. You are not expected to have read all of the books before the course starts.

• What textbooks should I buy? Should I buy the ones on the reading list?

  You can purchase any textbook you want however the medical school doesn’t require you to own any of these textbooks. They are all available in the library for you to borrow. Furthermore, not all students feel they need the textbooks. We recommend you find out what works for you once your here. 

Welfare

• What is BL Families?

  Don’t feel too sad after you’ve waved goodbye to your loved ones as you will soon meet your new BL family! Current BL Students are paired with yourselves to offer support/information throughout your first year and especially while you’re settling in. Who knows? They may even take you for your first Brick Lane Curry! Mummies and Daddies is a way of life at Barts and The London Students' Association. Our students can often recite their family trees for up to three generations and describe the highs and lows that come with the typical family politics. Designed to be a scheme that helps first year students get access to the knowledge and experience of peers in more senior years, the scheme has run successfully for over twenty years.

• Do I need a ticket for BL Families?

  You do not require a ticket for the BL Families pairing as well as the dinner they will take you out too. However, you will need a ticket for the after party in the Griff Inn our SU Bar. It promises to be one of your best nights out at Uni and is remembered fondly by all of your seniors. 

• Where can I go if I have a welfare concern?

  There are many facilities for welfare support on campus. You can reach out to your Welfare Officer who has the support of the welfare team, who you can reach out to if you have a specific concern (eg. Learning Difficulties - SPLD Rep). Furthermore, in the university, you can reach out to advice and counselling in Mile End and Student Support on the Garrod building.

• How safe is our campus?

  East London has a reputation for being less safe than other parts of London. However, Whitechapel Campus is a safe student space and the Union is working tirelessly with the University to ensure that. There is 24 hour security on all campuses everyday of the week. Moreover, students are encouraged to make sure they are doing what they can to stay safe such as sticking to well lit routes and ensuring that you text your flatmates when your walking home if you are alone.

Activities

• Where can I see all the sport’s societies and volunteering opportunities on offer?

  You can look on both QMSU and BLSA websites to see the variety of student groups we have. Furthermore during freshers fayre you can meet all of the groups at their stall on both Whitechapel and Mile End campus.

• How much time do I have to commit if I want to volunteer?

  As much as you want, no more no less! Student-led volunteering groups  encourage regular commitment, and some groups do have a minimum amount of participation (for example, Project Play requires you commit to 5 sessions over the academic year). If this seems like too much, there are 'Give Volunteering a Go' opportunities which you can sign up for on an 'as and when' basis, with no minimum mandatory sessions

• Will I be able to fit both sports and volunteering into my schedule?

  Most definitely! Sports tend to take place on Wednesday afternoons (usually after 1 pm), and there are many volunteering groups and one-off opportunities that run outside this time slot. This does, however, mean that sessions may take place after 5 pm and sometimes even on weekends but it's absolutely up to you which sessions you sign up for.

• Can I try a sport out before committing to it?

  Yes you can. BL Sports clubs put on a taster session in the 2nd or 3rd week where you should have a chance to train with the team. 

• What is RAG?

  Raise and Give (RAG) is the branch of the student union that raises money for charities. It achieves this by running some staple Barts and The London events such as Take Me Out and through collaborations with student groups.

• Can I start a society if there isn’t one already?

  Yes you definitely can. Have a look on the QMSU societies page for more information on how to start your own society. We are always happy to have more student groups.

 Freshers Fortnight

• What does the freshers wristband cover?

  The freshers pass covers all union organised events across freshers fortnight except the boat ball. You will need to purchase an additional ticket for the boat ball on the QMSU website. Do make sure that you purchase a QMSU freshers pass not a london events pass. They are separate wristbands.

• What is tables?

  Tables is a weekly celebration of sporting success in the griff inn. During freshers sports teams will host a curry in Brick Lane where you will meet the club members and get a chance to socialise with people across years. You will then head to tables where you enjoy bonding activities with your team at the Griff Inn. 

• Do we have lectures during freshers?

  During the first week of freshers you don’t have academic lectures. They are all introductory lectures which will introduce you to the various aspects of the course and give you an outline of first year. Furthermore, on wednesday’s across the year university will end by 1pm allowing you to engage in sports, volunteering or societies.