[HDNG]INTRODUCTION:[EHDNG][PARA][BULL] The Medical College is part of University of Wales and [PARA]students are entitled to use its facilities.[EBOLD][PARA][BOLD]For general information about Cardiff:[EBOLD] see [ULNE]Cardiff, University of [PARA]Wales[EULNE]. UWCM is on the outskirts of Cardiff with the countryside[PARA]in sight, but still no more than 3 miles from the city centre. Being [PARA]a medical school (and a university college in its own right), the [PARA]College is attached to a hospital next door and only offers [PARA]courses in healthcare subjects. The College and hospital, made [PARA]up of low-rise 70s blocks, are small with few student facilities of [PARA]their own. If students want more, they get down to the larger and[PARA]completely separate [ULNE]Cardiff, University of Wales[EULNE], whose [PARA]facilities they're allowed to use.[HDNG]ATMOSPHERE:[EHDNG][PARA][ITAL]Medical types take a professional, serious-minded and quiet [PARA]attitude to study, working closely together and with hospital staff.[PARA]The College trots along on a friendly plane, but it's small and a tad[PARA]cliquey. Escape into town is possible and there students can [PARA]take a less quiet attitude to fun. Locals like to stay on the right [PARA]side of those who may be stitching them up or fiddling with their [PARA]most valued attachments tomorrow. [EITAL][HDNG]THE CITY:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Population: 272, 600 [BULL] London: 143miles [BULL] Bristol: 30miles[PARA][BULL] Swansea: 40miles[ESTAT][PARA]The University, along with the civic buildings, dominates the city [PARA]centre, most of which is closed to cars. But the traffic flows [PARA]through unfussed and the people leave little litter. It's just 5 miles [PARA]into the South Wales countryside. As the major urban centre for[PARA]the whole of Wales, Cardiff is well kitted out: shopping malls and [PARA]supermarkets; banks and book shops (including 2nd hand); [PARA]late-night shopping and many provisions designed for the tourists,[PARA]including lots of museums, galleries (National Museum of Wales,[PARA]Turner House Gallery, Welsh Industrial and Maritime Museum, [PARA]etc) and the Castle (1/2 Roman, 1/2 Norman, 1/2 medieval, 1/2 [PARA]mathematical impossibility).[HDNG]TRAVEL:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Trains: [EBOLD]Direct trains from Cardiff Central: London (2hrs, 1/hr); [PARA]Birmingham; Bristol; Edinburgh; and so on.[PARA][BOLD]Coaches: [EBOLD]National Express to most places: London (ú14.75, [PARA]3:05hrs, 7/day), Bristol (ú4.35, 1:15hrs, 1/hr), Birmingham (ú16.50, [PARA]2:20hrs, every 2hrs), Swansea (ú3.25, 1:10hrs, every 2hrs).[PARA][BOLD]Car: [EBOLD]Parts of the city centre are for pedestrians only. To get to [PARA]Cardiff, there's the M4, A449 and A48. [ITAL]A car's not really [PARA]necessary since the invention of feet. Nice for the countryside, [PARA]though.[EITAL][PARA][BOLD]Air: [EBOLD]Cardiff Airport has flights to the Channel Islands, Ireland, and [PARA]even the USA, as well as inland trips.[PARA][BOLD]Hitching: [EBOLD]The M4's a bonus - only 5 mins walk from the campus - [PARA]and the Welsh are willing.[PARA][BOLD]Local: [EBOLD]Cathays BR station is the closest (just a couple of mins) [PARA]and ú1 takes you to Cardiff Central Station. Local bus services [PARA]run every 20-30 mins all round town. They're reliable with an [PARA]average trip costing 50p.[PARA][BOLD]Taxis: [EBOLD]Lots of firms [ITAL]will happily extort [EITAL]about ú1.50 for the privilege [PARA]of a ride it'd take 10 mins to walk.[PARA][BOLD]Bicycles: [EBOLD]Everything's within cycling distance and there are [PARA]sheds at all the halls. Bikes have been known to ride off by [PARA]themselves though.[PARA][PARA]Heath High Level and Heath Low Level stations are 3/4 mile [PARA]away. [ITAL]Reliable [EITAL]local buses (Nos 8 and 9) run from the city centre[PARA]through the campus every 20mins till around midnight, however, [PARA]they take exact change only [ITAL]and demand ridiculous sums[EITAL], like [PARA]65p or 52p cheap rate to the halls, 2 miles away.[HDNG]NOS and REQUIREMENTS:[EHDNG][PARA][BOLD]Dentistry[EBOLD] 188 20pts[BOLD][PARA]Medicine[EBOLD] 427 26pts[BOLD][PARA]Nursing (degree)[EBOLD] 158 18pts[HDNG]LIBRARIES and COMPUTERS:[EHDNG][PARA][STAT][BULL] Books: 100,000 [BULL] Periodicals: 1,000 [BULL] Study places: 250 [PARA]Computer workstations: 30[ESTAT][PARA]5 libraries and 4 reading rooms (2 24-hour).[HDNG]CAREER PROSPECTS:[EHDNG][PARA]Unemployment is always rare for graduates from any medical [PARA]school but there is a careers service, operated by staff of the [PARA]postgraduate departments.[PARA][PARA][ITAL][HDNG]SPECIAL FEATURES:[EHDNG][EITAL][PARA][BULL]All 4th year medical, dental and Bachelor of Nursing students [PARA]do an 'elective' - an opportunity to spend time on a research [PARA]project for 6 to 8 weeks, often abroad.[HDNG]FAMOUS ALUMNI:[EHDNG][PARA]Prof Bernard Knight (forensic pathologist and crime writer); Dr [PARA]Thomas Stamps (Health Minister, Zimbabwe).[HDNG]FURTHER INFO:[EHDNG][PARA]Prospectuses for undergrads and postgrads, and loan of a video.
