About Us:

Every student at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry is a member of the Barts and The London Student Association (BLSA). We are a student-led organisation that is here to represent, support and provide opportunities for you throughout your time here at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry (BLSMD).

BLSA is led by students who are elected every year and supported by staff. It is led by the Student President, who is supported in their role by a whole range of representatives who sit on the BLSA Board. We are a division of Queen Mary University of London Students' Union (QMSU) who represent students across all of Queen Mary University of London (QMUL).

What is Barts and The London?

Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry was formed by the merger of The London Hospital Medical College and St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College. This new School subsequently merged with Queen Mary & Westfield College (now Queen Mary University London) in the same year.

St Bartholomew’s Hospital was established in 1123 by the monk Rahere, and is the oldest hospital to remain on the same site in the UK. Teaching has been recorded at this hospital since 1622 although it was only initially recognised in 1791 when the governors of the hospital built a lecture theatre at the request of surgeon John Abernathy. The College and the Hospital were formally separated in 1921 and, in 1934, St Bartholomew’s Hospital Medical College moved into a new campus in Charterhouse Square. This campus was severely damaged by bombing in the Second World War, and it was only in 1963 that rebuilding was completed.

The London Hospital was founded in 1740 to provide healthcare for the sick and poor of East London, following a meeting by subscribers in ‘The Feathers Tavern’ on Cheapside. Teaching began almost as soon as it was operational in 1741, although it was only in 1785 when this was formalised into The London Hospital Medical College with the building of a lecture theatre proposed by William Blizard and Dr James Maddocks.

The London Hospital Medical College expanded quickly with the expansion into the Garrod Building (where you’ll still find us!) in 1887 and the formation of the Dental School in 1911. In 1893, famous surgeon Frederick Treves helped set up the Clubs Union, what eventually would become Barts and The London Students’ Association.

Discussions of a merger between the two Colleges had taken place since the 1960s and joint teaching departments were subsequently formed. In 1989, pre-clinical medicine was taught together at Queen Mary & Westfield College in Mile End. Following the recommendations of the Tomlinson Report 1992, discussions intensified between the 3 parties and a bill was placed before Parliament to unite the Medical Colleges with Queen Mary & Westfield College.

In 1995, this merger was formalised and Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry was formed within Queen Mary University of London. In 2017, a MBBS course was launched overseas, based on the island of Gozo in Malta.

Learn about the long and illustrious history of our medical and dental school, its famous alumni and historic campuses! Download the pdf here

You can also watch “The Medical Student: A Brief History” which goes through some fantastic old pictures from the Barts Health Museum archives!