Undergraduate Medicine 2026-2027

This course delivers the anatomy content for Year 1 MBChB.

The Clinical Skills 1 course introduces the process of diagnosis and treatment through medical history taking, clinical examination, performance of basic clinical procedures and clinical assessment that is appropriate to the patient's needs. In year one the course covers the principles and application of clinical skills, clinical examination and communication skills in general terms and as applied to the respiratory and cardiovascular systems. It also introduces students to the clinical environment and to patient centred care and patient safety. The professional and ethical principles of the doctor are introduced and the need for medical students to take personal and professional responsibility for their actions and their learning.

This course is the start of the systems based teaching in the medicine curriculum and incorporates the form and function of the human respiratory and cardiovascular systems in both health and disease and the biomedical principles which underlie them. Diagnosis and management of common respiratory and cardiovascular disease are studied. This course is only available to students in year 1 of the MBChB programme/ year 1 of the B Clin Med Sci programme.

The course builds on the process of diagnosis and management through, clinical communication (history taking and explanation and planning), clinical examination, performance of clinical practical procedures and assessment appropriate to patient

Year 2 covers principles and application of clinical skills, in generic and specific terms as applied to the general, respiratory, cardiovascular, alimentary, head and neck, neurological, endocrine, urinary, and musculoskeletal systems. It also builds on students’ exposure to the simulated and clinical environments whilst focusing on patient centred care and patient safety.

The course builds on the process of diagnosis and management through, clinical communication (history taking and explanation and planning), clinical examination, performance of clinical practical procedures and assessment appropriate to patient Year 3 covers principles and application of clinical skills  in specific terms and as applied to the reproductive system and communication skills relevant to psychiatric, paediatric, and breaking bad news. Whilst building exposure to simulated and clinical environments with continued focus on patient centred care and patient safety. 

This course aims to familiarize students with the basics of spoken and written forms of Mandarin Chinese. Emphasis will be placed first on speaking and listening, particularly pronunciation and tones. The written form will be presented first through the medium of pinyin and gradually students will be introduced to a small number of the highest frequency characters. The emphasis will be on dialogue and role play. It covers a good deal of ground in the four class hours a week and requires considerable effort and self-study to consolidate new vocabulary, grammar and Chinese characters.

Between 1200 and 1500 Christendom was afflicted by war, plague and climatic regression. The social fabric was questioned by popular revolt, while both the political and religious unity of earlier centuries began to crumble. This course offers a thematic survey of the later medieval west, as Europe emerged from Christendom.

Lectures and tutorials focus on religion, society, culture and the economy and environment. Throughout attention is devoted to the general European context, demonstrating whenever appropriate how particular themes relate to Scotland.

‘Art’ is a controversial category. In museums, you might see urinals and cardboard boxes exhibited – but what earns them this accolade? Is it about skill? Creativity? Beauty? Who decides what counts as ‘good’ art? And why are museums full of stuff made by white men? This course discusses these and related questions. It will introduce you to a wide range of historical definitions of art, and discuss key works, from antiquity to Instagram - many of which challenged the boundaries of ‘art’.

The Year 4 curriculum builds on the considerable breadth and depth of specialty knowledge of Years 1-3 systems-based teaching and provides the clinically based core learning required in Outcomes for Graduates (2018) for graduating doctors. Building on prior learning, Year 4 students will be able to apply their knowledge of basic physiology, anatomy, pharmacology and pathology to patients with a wide range of problems. The Year 4 curriculum is designed to ensure that students achieve the standards set by the GMC across a broad range of clinical settings and conditions. These experiences will enable students to increasingly contribute to the care of patients under supervision.

The Year 4 curriculum builds on the considerable breadth and depth of specialty knowledge of Years 1-3 systems-based teaching and provides the clinically based core learning required in Outcomes for Graduates (2018) for graduating doctors. Building on prior learning, Year 4 students will be able to apply their knowledge of basic physiology, anatomy, pharmacology and pathology to patients with a wide range of problems. The Year 4 curriculum is designed to ensure that students achieve the standards set by the GMC across a broad range of clinical settings and conditions. These experiences will enable students to increasingly contribute to the care of patients under supervision.

This one week taught course sets the scene for the clinical learning that students will undertake, on a rotational basis during the seven, six week long clinical blocks ahead.  It provides both whole group teaching and smaller group discussion of how to make the most of the learning opportunities in clinical areas, with a focus on learning from and through work, both signposted activities and through experiential learning.  It also discusses expectations of professional behaviour in senior clinical practice.

This one week taught course (the second of the Professional Practice Blocks) provides both whole group teaching and smaller group discussion regarding professional behaviour in senior clinical practice and revisiting the horizontal themes that were launched in the first the Professional Practice Block at the start of Year 4.

While the second theme expands on the previous years teaching on Human Factors in healthcare.
Human Factors is a both a scientific discipline and a practice. The science is all about the study of how humans interact with the systems in which they work. The knowledge gained through this study (and the methods and tools developed) are then applied in practice to achieve twin aims: Optimising system performance and improving human wellbeing and therefore patient safety.
Students will undertake a range of activities and are based around the Chartered Institute of Ergonomics and Human Factors Guidance on Effective Writing of Procedures.

This course is a required component of year 2 of the MSc in Physician Associate Studies programme. This course ensures that PA students have the competence to perform a range of skills safely and effectively at the point of graduation.

These core skills are essential for practice and also in preparation for post-graduation registration assessments.