Medicine

Modules shown are for the current academic year, and are subject to change depending on your year of entry.

During the first two weeks you will undertake an introduction and orientation to the undergraduate medical course and to the School of Medicine. This includes study skills and information technology sessions, and introductory sessions in the scientific basis of medicine and clinical practice.

You will undertake an integrated programme covering the three main elements of the core course: Scientific Basis of Medicine; Doctor and Patient; and Clinical Experience.

• Molecules, Cells and Disease includes molecular and cell biology, genetics, blood and blood-forming tissues, metabolism, infection, immunity, cell pathology, and cancer.

• Life Support Systems includes the skin, cardiovascular, respiratory, alimentary and urinary systems, and the anatomy of the thorax, abdomen, pelvis and perineum.

• Life Cycle And Regulatory Systems includes the human life cycle, neuroscience and mental health, the endocrine and musculoskeletal systems, the anatomy of the head, neck, spine and limbs, as well as pharmacology and therapeutics.

• Foundations of Clinical Practice includes communication skills, sociology, ethics, epidemiology in practice, and information technology. The initial element of clinical experience (the Patient Contact course) is also managed as part of this theme.

• Science and the Patient integrates your learning from the first two years with the teaching of generic skills that will be particularly useful in your BSc e.g. critical appraisal and data analysis.

Teaching comprises lectures, clinical demonstrations, tutorials, seminars, computer workshops, laboratory practical and clinical skills classes, and some problem-based learning.

Doctor and Patient includes problem-based learning and personal and professional development and is taught in small groups throughout the first and second years.

Clinical experience in the first year is provided by the First Clinical Attachment. During the module, students will pay a number of visits to a patient in their home environment and in a clinic setting, in order to explore the module topics: illness, health and disease; the experience of health and social care; and living with a long term condition. Patient visits are supplemented by small group work with practising GPs or hospital consultants.

In the second year you progress to your first hospital-based clinical attachment where you begin to apply your knowledge and skills to the care of patients.

This year consists of three 10-week clinical attachments, which may be at any of the hospitals associated with the School.

You also continue to study the systems and topics component of the course via a programme of live lectures and interactive online learning delivered alongside the clinical attachments.

The emphasis throughout is on the acquisition of core skills and knowledge in general medicine (including cardiovascular, renal, respiratory, neurology, oncology, gastroenterology, endocrinology, haematology, rheumatology and medicine for the elderly), general surgery (including gastrointestinal, breast and vascular surgery, and urology), anaesthetics, and clinical pharmacology and therapeutics.

• Medical or surgical takes

• GP teaching: basic clinical skills/methods in general practice

• Patient clerking: to clerk (take the history and examine) at least two patients each week and write up these case histories – students are assessed on two of these written clerkings during each attachment, separate from the case project

• Consultant teaching: key cases relating to the attachment – you will be expected to present patients during these sessions and this forms part of your assessment

• Problem-based learning

• Lecture module: a continuation of systems and topics teaching

• Other teaching: this will depend on the nature of the clinical programme of the attachment, but should include outpatient clinic teaching, theatre sessions, endoscopy sessions, and anaesthetics sessions

• Reading and electronic resources

• You will also undertake the three-week Doctor, Patient and Disease module which will integrate all your clinical learning and introduce some pathology

You will spend this year working towards the BSc by undertaking a series of modules and a supervised research project or specialist module in an area of particular scientific/medical interest, leading to one of the degrees below.

'Medical Science with' one of:

• Cardiovascular Science
• Endocrinology
• Gastroenterology and Hepatology
• Global Health
• Haematology
• Immunity and Infection
• Management
• Neurosciences and Mental Health
• Pharmacology
• Reproductive and Developmental Science
• Respiratory Science
• Surgery and Anaesthesia

There is a dedicated Pathology unit at the start of the fifth year which covers essential clinical pathology followed by ten clinical specialties:

• Obstetrics and Gynaecology
• Paediatrics
• Psychiatry
• Oncology and Palliative Care
• General Practice and Primary Health Care
• Radiology
• Infectious Diseases/GUM/HIV
• Dermatology
• Rheumatology
• Orthopaedics/Musculoskeletal Medicine
• Critical care
• Teaching skills

The final year consists of:

• Seven three-week clinical attachments in:
  • Emergency Medicine
  • General Practice Student Assistantship
  • Cardiology
  • Neurology
  • Ears, Nose and Throat (ENT)
  • Ophthalmology
  • Renal Medicine
• Two professional work experience attachments (one in medicine and one in surgery)
• One specialty choice module
• An eight-week elective period which may be spent in the UK or overseas
• Five weeks of private study
• A practical medicine course
• An integrated course in Medicine, Surgery and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics