Clinical Skills Foundation Course

The unit aims to enable students to make progress towards meeting some of the learning outcomes described in outcomes for graduates (2018) relevant to ‘The Doctor as a Scholar and Scientist’ and ‘the Doctor as a Professional’. The specific aims are to enable students to carry out a patient-centred consultation and interpret the findings to generate appropriate working diagnoses and to enable students to take and record a history from a patient, perform a physical examination of the main systems of the body and understand the importance of the patient perspective in diagnosing and managing patient problems.

Cardiovascular System

The unit aims to enable students to make progress towards meeting some of the learning outcomes described in outcomes for graduates (2018) relevant to ‘The Doctor as a Scholar and Scientist’ and ‘the Doctor as a Professional’. The specific aims of this unit are that students should understand the structure and function of the human cardiovascular system, how its condition is assessed, how cardiovascular function is altered in common diseases, and begin to understand the basis of management of cardiovascular disorders.

Respiratory System

The unit aims to enable students to make progress towards meeting some of the learning outcomes described in outcomes for graduates (2018) relevant to ‘The Doctor as a Scholar and Scientist’, 'The Doctor as a Practitioner; and 'The Doctor as a Professional'. The specific aim is to enable students to develop an understanding of the structure and function of the respiratory system, how it is affected by common diseases, how its condition may be assessed and the basic principles of treatment of respiratory disorders.

Health, Psychology & Diversity

The unit aims to enable students to make progress towards meeting some of the learning outcomes described in Outcomes for Graduates (2018) relevant to 'The Doctor as a Scholar and Scientist' and 'The Doctor as a Professional'. The specific aim is to introduce students to major psychological factors involved with health, illness and medical care. After an introduction to stereotypical thinking and prejudice, students will be challenged to reflect upon their own responses to various aspects of human diversity in the context of their role as doctor and how they need to manage these responses in order to fulfil their professional obligations. Students will be introduced to psychological theories of health related behaviour and reflect on implications for practice. They will have the opportunity to develop an understanding of how people might respond and adapt to diagnosis, treatment, and living with chronic illness, and to dying and bereavement. They will also be introduced to models of good practice in communicating with patients in difficult circumstances, such as breaking bad news. 


Urinary System

The unit aims to enable students to make progress towards meeting some of the learning outcomes described in outcomes for graduates (2018) relevant to 'The Doctor as a Scholar and Scientist' and 'The Doctor as a Professional'. The specific aims of this third term unit are that students should have sufficient knowledge of the macroscopic and microscopic structure of the urinary tract to understand normal function and common clinical abnormalities. Secondly, students should appreciate the role of the kidney in controlling the volume and composition of body fluid and the way in which they respond to departures from normal parameters of volume, electrolyte concentration and systemic haemodynamics. Thirdly, they should understand as much detail of renal cellular function as will allow them to appreciate the basis of relevant therapeutics, and fourthly, they should be able to describe normal micturition, the reasons for oliguria, and such common conditions as glomerulonephritis, pyelonephritis, urinary tract infection, haematuria, proteinuria and acute and chronic renal failure.