Graduate Medicine

Course Structure

1. During the first two weeks you will undertake an introduction and orientation to the undergraduate medical course and to the School of Medicine.
2. Following the introductory sessions you will begin an integrated programme consisting of themes covering the main elements of the core course: Scientific Basis of Medicine and Clinical Experience.
3. Molecules, Cells and Disease includes molecular and cell biology, genetics, blood and blood-forming tissues, metabolism, infection, immunity, cell pathology, and cancer
4. Life Support Systems includes the skin, cardiovascular, respiratory, alimentary and urinary systems, and the anatomy of the thorax, abdomen, pelvis and perineum
5. Life Cycle And Regulatory Systems includes 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, Society and Health Medical ethics and Law, epidemiology in practice, and Digital Literacy The initial element of clinical experience (the Patient Contact course) is also managed as part of this theme
6. Science and the Patient includes problem-based learning and personal and professional development and is taught in small groups throughout the first and second years
7. Teaching comprises lectures, clinical demonstrations, tutorials, seminars, computer workshops, laboratory practical and clinical skills classes, and some problem-based learning. Graduate Medicine students will be cohorted together for small group teaching sessions as much as possible. Lecture programme attendance will be tailored to individual needs after discussion with the Head of Graduate Medicine.
8. CLINICAL EXPERIENCE
9. Clinical experience in the first year is provided by the Patient Contact course. During the course students will pay a number of visits to a patient or a family in their home environment, and in a clinic setting, in order to explore the course 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.
10. This course is designed to enable you to understand health and illness from the perspective of patients, their families and carers, in a number of different settings.
11. 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.
12. In addition to the core learning associated with Years 1 & 2, Graduate Medics will be offered the following learning opportunities generated specifically to meet a key aim of the Imperial Graduate Medicine MBBS programme - to identify and train the academic clinicians of tomorrow.
13. CLINICAL RESEARCH EXPERIENCE
14. During Year 1, research supervisors will be assigned. Students will be able to undertake these research projects during free time across Years 1 & 2, although a specific eight week block will be assigned for completion of these projects during Year 2 as part of the Science and Patient Course.
15. EDUCATIONAL TRAINING
16. During Year 1, students will receive specific teaching on \x91how students learn\x92 and \x91appropriate methods for teaching, learning and assessing in medicine\x92. During Year 2, students will have the opportunity to act as Graduate Teaching Assistants within the Undergraduate Medical programme. Those students wishing to obtain the Higher Education Academy Associate Fellowship will need to produce an Account of Professional Practice (APP) for submission to the HEA.
17. Mentorship
18. Pastoral care will be provided by academic clinicians who can also act as role models and offer advice on the academic route to medicine.
19. This year consists of three 10-week clinical placements, which may be at any of the hospitals associated with the School.
20. You also continue to study the systems and topics component of the programme, begun in the first and second years, via a programme of live lectures and interactive online learning delivered alongside the clinical attachments.
21. 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.
22. CORE LEARNING IS BASED ON
23. Medical or surgical takes
24. GP teaching: basic clinical skills/methods in general practice
25. Patient clerking: to clerk (take the history and examine) at least two patients each week and write up these case histories \x96 students are assessed on two of these written clerkings during each attachment, separate from the case project
26. Consultant teaching: key cases relating to the attachment \x96 you will be expected to present patients during these sessions and this forms part of your assessment Problem-based learning
27. Lecture course: a continuation of systems and topics teaching
28. Other teaching: this will depend on the nature of the clinical attachment, but should include outpatient clinic teaching, theatre sessions, endoscopy sessions, and anaesthetics sessions
29. Reading and electronic resources
30. You will also undertake the three-week Background to Clinical Specialties course which acts as an introduction to many different clinical specialties
31. Obstetrics and Gynaecology
32. Paediatrics
33. Psychiatry
34. Oncology and Palliative Care
35. General Practice and Primary Health Care
36. Radiology
37. Infectious Diseases/GUM/HIV
38. Dermatology
39. Rheumatology
40. Orthopaedics/Musculoskeletal Medicine
41. Critical care
42. Teaching skills
43. Seven three-week clinical attachments in:
44. Emergency Medicine
45. General Practice Student Assistantship
46. Cardiology
47. Neurology
48. Ears, Nose and Throat
49. Ophthalmology
50. Renal Medicine
51. Two senior placements (one in medicine and one in surgery)
52. One specialty choice module
53. An eight-week elective period which may be spent in the UK or overseas
54. An integrated course in Medicine, Surgery and Clinical Pharmacology and Therapeutics A revision course for the finals examinations
55. A transition to Foundation course