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Health Sciences
183
Course content
The first medical year
The course is delivered as a set of five modules.
Module 1: Human development, behavioural
sciences and ethics
Aims:
n
To give students an understanding of concepts of normality
in physical and psychological human development
n
To enable students to understand the evolution of man and
the functioning and relationships of individuals in relation to
society and environment
n
To equip students with a thorough and integrated knowledge
of normal human function and behaviour
n
To provide students with their first professional experience
of health care through the family case study
Teaching methods and topics:
n
Family case study where students, guided by a family
physician, make a number of visits to a family with a young
baby and observe the physical and mental development of
the baby and its assimilation into its family
n
Lectures deal with the physical and psychological aspects
of general human development
n
Small-group psychology tutorials using clinical scenarios
to facilitate learning
n
Ethical issues that may arise in the safe delivery of health
care
n
The skills that contribute to active learning and the
development of information-handling skills and critical
thinking
n
Aspects of teamwork and also the ability to give and receive
constructive criticism and to self-assess realistically
Module 2: Evolution and life
Aims are to assist students to explore:
n
The areas of basic science that impact on man and his
survival in the environment
n
The principles of biochemistry, genetics, and immunology
at a basic level
Teaching methods:
n
Small-group learning tutorials with related lectures as
appropriate. All topics will be multidisciplinary and scenarios
will be set in a human context. Disciplines contributing to
this integrated module include chemistry, biology, anatomy,
physiology, biochemistry and immunology
Modules 3 and 4: Human form and function
Aims:
n
To enable students to understand the three-dimensional
macroscopic structure of the human body
n
Human physical development and function at cell, organ,
systems and whole body levels
n
To develop an understanding of how structure relates to
function with particular emphasis on the biomechanical
and surgical implications
n
To introduce students to current diagnostic imaging
techniques and their use in the diagnosis of disease
Teaching methods:
n
Anatomy – structure of the limbs, thorax and abdomen,
studied through human dissection and lectures
n
Small-group learning tutorials with related lectures as
appropriate. All topics will be multidisciplinary and scenarios
will be set in a human context. Disciplines contributing to this
integrated module include biology, anatomy and physiology
Module 5: Science and humanities
Aims:
n
To consider medicine, health and illness from theories
drawn from the Humanities, Arts and Social sciences
n
To gain insight into the human condition
Teaching methods:
n
Most learning will take place in small-group tutorials.
There will also be core lectures
The second medical year
In this year there are seven modules.
Module 1: Molecular and translational medicine
Aims:
n
To provide an insight into the mechanisms of the
development of pathological processes at molecular level
This module is largely lecture-based and also uses computer-
based practical programmes.
Module 2: Clinical biochemistry
Aims:
n
To build on the understanding of basic biochemistry acquired
in the first year of the course and to consider how that
knowledge may be used for diagnosis of disease states
Module 3: Principles of pharmacology and practical
scientific research
Aims:
n
To develop a knowledge and understanding of the
pharmacological basis of therapeutics
n
To consider the range of drugs and treatment strategies
available for disease prevention and control