The University has announced it will put an end to the practice of sending half of its medical students to London and Oxford for the clinical part of their training.

Students admitted to study medicine from October 2014 will no longer be able to move to one of six other medical schools to complete the final three years of their degree.

Dr Diana Wood, the Clinical Dean at the University of Cambridge, said that the existing system was “no longer fit for purpose”.

She explained: “The ‘pre-clinical/ clinical divide’ is now widely regarded as outmoded and our situation hinders innovation, since any curricular change would require coordination with courses in seven clinical schools.”

She added: “A fully developed six year programme provides Cambridge with opportunities to create innovative educational themes stretching across two Schools of the University.”

Under the existing system – which has been in place for sixty years – medical students can transfer to one of five medical school affiliated to the University of London or to Oxford University Medical School. Cambridge medics will now undertake their clini- cal placements in hospitals in East Anglia.

Rebecca Green, a second-year medical student at Trinity, said that she planned to stay on at Cambridge for the clinical part of her degree, but commented: “The excitement and sheer range of cases that you would be able to experience in a London hospital is very appealing and I feel this is what attracts people to transfer.”

Peter Kopelman principal of St George’s, University of London and chair of London Medicine – the body that represents the capital’s medical schools – said that he was “disappointed” by the change.

Speaking to the Times Higher Education supplement he argued that it would be in the best interest of Cambridge medical students for the current scheme to continue.

He said: “London continues to offer medical students the greatest and most varied experience when they carry out their clinical training.”

The University of Oxford, which also sends medical students to London to complete their degree, does not intend to change its system.

A second-year medic at St Catharine’s, Ali Amin-Nejad, said: “Whilst the new scheme means that there will no longer be any competition when applying for clinical schools, I think most would have preferred at least having the choice of going to London or Oxford for their clinical years.”

As spokesperson for the University of Cambridge Clinical Students Society said that it had been closely involved in discussions about the changes.

They said that the shift brought Cambridge “in line with almost every other medical school in the country”. The spokesperson noted the stress caused to many students by the current system, pointing to many students’ “disappointment every year” when rejected from the Cambridge medical school.

Nathan Grundy, a fourth-year Cambridge medic who moved to London for the clinical portion of his training, said that change had come “far too late”.

He said: “It was always ridiculous that Cambridge medical school couldn’t accommodate all the students from pre-clinical and that as a consequence students were forced to move elsewhere.

“It’s all well and good suggesting that students benefited from the choice to move, but in reality it’s actually not that difficult to transfer between medical schools if you really have the desire to, even without the benefit of an established system.”

Shershah Assadullah, a medical student who decided to remain in Cambridge, said that many students do not realise that clinical training at another medical school is an option when applying to Cambridge.

He said: “Many of us just didn’t realise there was a separate application for clinical school and the possibility that we wouldn’t be able to stay. This meant that a few people were pretty upset when they weren’t accepted to stay. So I don’t think it will make a massive difference.

“Saying that though, I know lots of people who were 100 per cent adamant they wanted to leave Cambridge.”