Module overview
The BM4 course in years 1 and 2 is a highly contextualised and integrated course in which the application of knowledge and understanding, clinical skills and professional practice applicable to medicine are learnt through clinical topic weeks, in which students learn in a style similar to problem based learning. This module focuses on integration of knowledge learned in Foundations, research and writing skills and professional/transferable skills of reflection and learning to work independently and as part of a team. The assessment is predominantly assessing this. However it is not a stand-alone module and should be recognised by teachers and students alike as part of the whole course, which is achieved by this module, alongside 2 other modules: – Foundations of Medicine 1, and Clinical Medicine 1. The emphasis of the assessments for each of these modules aligns with the focus of learning for that module; however the integrated nature of the course means that there will undoubtedly be overlap and aspects of the assessment in each module will draw upon learning from all 3 modules
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Learning Outcomes
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Critically appraise the evidence-basis of common medical practice relevant to the topics studied
- Integrate biomedical, psychological, social science and population health principles with the clinical skills of history taking, diagnosis and treatment and apply this knowledge and understanding to common medical practice relevant to the topics studied
- Write coherently using appropriate terminology and referencing appropriately
- Apply scientific method and approaches to independent research
- Interpret literature, critically evaluate and analyse evidence and demonstrate synthesis of contextualized information and originality of thought.
Syllabus
TOPICS
Your learning will be structured around a series of clinical topic weeks, which will themselves be grouped around physiological systems. The order of clinical topic weeks has been designed to be mostly systems based whilst also allowing for an integrated and spiral curriculum.
CLINICAL CONTEXT
Weekly clinical topics are used to provide a framework for learning and to provide an example of the medical practice context to which the knowledge and understanding applies. Examples of the clinical topics for this module are provided below but are subject to change. The main physiological system areas that these topics apply to are provided with each clinical topic.
1. Start in Life
2. Congenital Disorders
3. Malignancies (Breast Cancer)
4. Metabolic Disorders (Obesity)
5. Metabolic Disorders (Diabetes)
6. Respiratory 1 (introduction)
7. Respiratory 2 (Infections)
8. Respiratory 3 (Failure)
9. Respiratory 4 (Malignancy)
10. Circulation (Hypertension)
11. Circulation (Peripheral Arterial Disease and Deep Vein Thrombosis)
12. Cardiac Function (Ischaemic Heart Disease)
13. Cardiac Function (Heart Failure)
14. Acute Kidney Injury
15. Chronic Kidney Disease
16. Anaemia
17. Gastrointestinal (Malabsorption)
18. Gastrointestinal (Hepatobiliary)
19. Gastrointestinal (Malignancies)
20. End of Life
21. The patient in Shock
22. Seriously Injured Patient
For each of these clinical topics detailed learning outcomes are provided to guide you in the biomedical, social, psychological, ethical, legal and population health knowledge and understanding that is applied to each topic.
These are available along with resources to support the learning within the Blackboard module pages.
Learning in this module focusses on students being able to integrate learning from these outcomes and relate them to specific patient cases.
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
This module is a student-led learning module in which students are provided with detailed guidance on the curriculum content to learn, however teaching is limited to graduate group sessions, sessions to support graduate group sessions, plenary sessions and Evidence in Practice.
Graduate Group Sessions:
Two graduate group sessions per clinical topic week provide a structured format and facilitated session in which students can use group work to support their learning. The first session uses a trigger to introduce, contextualise and motivate learning from which students work together to identify and share prior knowledge, gaps in knowledge and concepts to develop for the rest of the week. Learning outcomes are provided at the end of the session to support students to facilitate their learning in the appropriate direction during the week but should be used by students alongside their own identified learning outcomes from the graduate group session. Students will work independently during the week to integrate learning from other modules. In the second graduate group session at the end of the week students organise the session in such a way as to each teach each other key concepts and knowledge in allocated areas of the curriculum. It is expected that the group work will ensure that students will be able to teach topics based on the integrated learning they have done during the week, as well as to be able to give explanations of complex scientific subject matter in lay language.
Sessions to support Graduate Group Sessions:
Several sessions are provided during the year to firstly introduce and train students in the graduate group learning approach, and then to encourage them to reflect upon and enhance their graduate group learning skills including their team working skills.
Plenary Sessions:
The final session of each clinical topic week is a plenary session during which students have the opportunity to ask an expert in the field for clarification on any of the learning from the week. The speaker is usually a clinician in the field and so is able to provide reinforcement, understanding and help to clarify any misconceptions about how the knowledge and area from across the disciplines integrates and applies to real life medical practice.
Evidence Based Medicine Sessions:
Several sessions are provided during the year to introduce, train and formatively assess students’ skills in critical appraisal and evidence based medicine.
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 75 |
| Wider reading or practice | 42 |
| Seminar | 28.75 |
| Completion of assessment task | 150 |
| Tutorial | 79.25 |
| Total study time | 375 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
Personal academic tutor. Students are provided with a personal academic tutor with whom they will be encouraged to reflect upon their learning and studies and can therefore give feedback on reflective skills.
Blackboard. Resources to support the learning will be provided on Blackboard In addition a reading list will be provided on blackboard
BM4 tutor. Students are provided with an allocated BM4 tutor to support the learning of key subject areas, details can be found within the Blackboard pages. Resources to support students with their reflective skills will be made available on the BM4 webpages
Assessment
Assessment strategy
Mapping of Learning outcomes to Summative Assessment:
1. Integrate biomedical, psychological, social science and population health principles with the clinical skills of history taking, diagnosis and treatment and apply this knowledge and understanding to common medical practice relevant to the topics studied: Patient Study
2. Apply scientific method and approaches to independent research: Patient Study
3. Critically appraise the evidence-basis of common medical practice relevant to the topics studied: Patient Study
4. Interpret literature, critically evaluate and analyse evidence, and demonstrate synthesis of contextualised information and originality of thought: Patient Study.
5. Write coherently using appropriate terminology and referencing appropriately: Patient Study
Students are not normally permitted to repeat the year.
Formative
This is how we’ll give you feedback as you are learning. It is not a formal test or exam.
Graduate Group AssessmentSummative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Patient Study Assignment | 50% |
| Patient Study Assignment | 50% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Patient Study Assignment | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal