Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition

During Welcome Week the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition will have academic inductions for our undergraduate students. More information will follow.

All reading lists for courses are already published in all Medical Sciences course manuals. These manuals are currently being updated for the new academic year but you can access the current version with the reading list from the School website. You can also access them via every course MyAberdeen site once it opens in advance of a new semester. Most courses also have electronic versions of their reading lists that link to electronic library holdings. Look for the Leganto link on your MyAberdeen sites.

For more advanced courses at levels 3 and 4, you will be expected to read more widely from the published literature. Such references will be given to you by individual lecturers. All such papers or peer-reviewed evidence will be accessible via the University library system or freely-accessible on the web.

In Medical Sciences, assessments will usually involve different types of coursework spread throughout a course. Some courses will include online tests as part of the assessments that are very similar to exams.  Some courses may have a major end of semester exam but details of such exams will always be provided by the course staff and within the course manual. Course manuals should always have details of how the course is assessed so it is clear how your final grade is worked out. Staff may also include this information during face-to-face lessons and in recorded material to make sure that students are fully aware of weightings, deadlines etc.

You MUST check your university email account and MyAberdeen announcements at least twice a week to make sure you do not miss any important messages that relate to assessments or deadlines. If you are not sure about how your course grade is calculated, please check the course manual and any introductory resources within a course’s MyAberdeen site – it should always be there.

Honours courses at Level 4 do not usually have exams (finals) during the normal Christmas exam diet – they are always at the end of the academic year in April/May. This arrangement will continue as normal during the coming academic year.

If there are any changes to assessment formats or timings, we will announce it via MyAberdeen or email and you will be given plenty of notice before any such assessments might take place. 

If your course includes lab work or other kinds of practical sessions, we will aim to provide these whoever possible.  Indeed, since the pandemic began, we have managed to maintain most practicals and have already been re-activating those that had to be temporarily stopped. All practical classes that were cancelled due to COVID should now be re-started, but we may have stricter health and safety requirements.

Practicals 

Almost all practical classes will now be taking place in the new Science Teaching Hub facility. We still need to be careful since COVID has not vanished so will be taking appropriate safety precautions. For example, respiratory-based practicals may have stricter safety requirements. All other human-based practicals have resumed and we are also using alternative spaces e.g. Aberdeen Sports Village, Cruickshank Botanic Gardens.  Some small group, advanced practicals may take place in various research buildings in Foresterhill Campus.

Please note that ALL Medical Science students should possess a clean, white lab coat to use in classes.
This should be a ‘Howie’ style lab coat – elasticated cuffs, fastening all the way up to the neck with popper fastenings. Older lab coats that are open at the collar or those with button fastenings should be avoided. If a practical has a special exemption where a lab coat is not required, students will be informed. However, you should always assume you need your lab coat for practicals and bring it with you. If you do not bring a lab coat, you will not be admitted to a lab class. All students must also purchase safety glasses.

Guidance on approved examples of lab coats and safety glasses and where they can be purchased are provided in the links below.

• Please pick up your lab coat and safety glasses
• Guidance on approved examples of lab coats and safety glasses

Students are expected to attend all practical sessions in person on campus - hybrid versions or online alternatives enabling remote participation will no longer be routinely organised.  We will continue using video resources and other materials on MyAberdeen to enhance how students prepare for in-person practical classes. We already had experience of using this approach for final year students before the pandemic and are exploring how we might expand it further. We will also continue using our cloud-based online learning platform, Lt for some practicals and assessments.

For practical classes involving close human interaction i.e. measuring ECG’s, collecting respiratory gases etc, we have already modified and risk-assessed such practicals and what personal protective equipment might be required.

Honours projects – lab-based projects 

All Honours projects in Medical Sciences take place in the second half-session, after the Christmas break. 

We are proceeding on the basis that we can increase the number of lab-based Honours projects this year now that physical distancing constraints have been reduced, but we will still need to be careful in labs as COVID has not gone away.  Research lab staff have developed new ways of working flexibly within research labs and can offer you valuable advice and help as to how to work safely and productively.  

We have a number of new academic staff who will also allow us to increase the number of lab- and non-lab-based project titles in the list of available projects.   

The full list of Honours projects will be published around the first week of the new academic term in September. There will be scheduled sessions in compulsory courses where the project allocation process will be explained and any safety requirements discussed. Students will then be given a period of several weeks to discuss project choices with potential supervisors. Students will then be allocated their projects.  Project allocations are usually released during December.

Since Honours projects do not start until January, changes may need to be made to arrangements before that time. Any such changes will be communicated to you via email or MyAberdeen if they occur. 

The member of staff responsible for coordinating Honours projects in Medical Sciences is Dr Derryck Shewan.

Honours projects – library and non-lab-based projects 

All Honours projects in Medical Sciences take place in the second half-session, after the Christmas break. 

If you are completing a non-lab-based project there will likely be more flexibility in how your regular supervisory meetings operate e.g. whether they are in person or online.  However, if you are in Aberdeen, you  will usually have face to face supervisory meetings. Your supervisor will discuss this with you.

We have a strong history of offering projects involving a diverse range of approaches and formats so there will be plenty of choice for all students if required. 

The full list of available Honours projects will be published early in the new academic term in September. There will be scheduled sessions in compulsory courses where the project allocation process will be explained and any safety requirements discussed. Students will then be given a period of several weeks to discuss project choices with potential supervisors. Students will then be allocated their projects.  

Since Honours projects do not start until January, changes may need to be made to arrangements before that time. Any such changes will be communicated to you via email or MyAberdeen if they occur.  

The member of staff responsible for coordinating Honours projects in Medical Sciences is Dr Derryck Shewan.

Industrial placement projects 

These have continued during the pandemic, subject to the safety requirements and working practices of the placement host. Many companies have adapted by allowing remote working, changing working protocols/safety measures, or adapting the project methods/topic. It is likely that companies will continue adapting their recruitment methods and the types of industrial placements they offer for the coming year as they learn what has worked well. We will still be encouraging students to apply for such placements, but you will have to remember that companies may have different ways of working than the university does. 

The coordinator of industrial placements in Medical Sciences is Dr Ian Fleming. He will provide regular updates to those students intending to undertake an industrial placement during the compulsory course that all such students must take as part of theirs studies in Level 3 (BT3006 - Working Out? Placement & Career Skills). 

During Welcome Week the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition will have academic inductions for our new undergraduate students. 

Please do not email IT requesting access to MyMBChB. You will be provided with details in the week before the start of term (providing you have completed registration).

Medical Admissions
Email: medadm@abdn.ac.uk

Reading lists will be available through MyMBChB at the start of term. Enjoy what time you have left of your break!

In the meantime, you can brush up your study skills and learn more about the University at our award-winning Toolkit website. 

Assessment will vary from course to course, and year to year. There will be specific details in every course guide at the start of term.

Clinical Skills

Throughout your undergraduate training there will be a wide range of skills and practical procedures you will need to acquire and demonstrate you can perform competently in order to graduate and practise medicine. In order to become competent in performing any skill it is essential that you practise and get feedback on your performance. You will find that you move through a number of stages before you feel that you are becoming expert.

You will attend numerous small group teaching activities in the Clinical Skills Centre throughout your medical course, especially during the early years. This facility is designed as a supportive environment to allow you to learn communication, examination and procedural skills to prepare you well for learning and practising in a working clinical environment with real patients. 

During your you will be introduced to our Patient Partners. Patient Partners are members of the public who have given up their time as volunteers to act as patients both for communication and physical examination sessions. Patient Partners will simulate a patient/ condition and will not have the symptoms or history of that condition in their everyday lives, however when in role they should be treated as if they do. Patient Partners are a valuable resource for you to practice and improve your skills in a safe non-threatening environment.

During some clinical skills teaching sessions you will be asked to act as the patient for peer examination. This is a valuable opportunity to experience the examination as a patient does and provides a wider and more diverse pool of people for you to examine. If you would prefer not to be examined during any session you will have the opportunity to notify the Clinical Skills 1 team in advance. You will receive further information on how to do this nearer the time.

Anatomy

The overall aim of Anatomy 1 is to study the three-dimensional structure of the human body by examining human tissues, handling models of organs/structures and interpreting radiological images, which will foster the development of skills in working with the three-dimensional nature and structural organisation of the human body. In addition, you will be expected to study surface anatomy.

During Welcome Week the School of Medicine, Medical Sciences and Nutrition will have academic inductions for our new undergraduate students. Details on this will follow soon.  Although the BDS Dentistry programme commences the week prior to Welcome Week, there will be time on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday of Welcome Week to join in events.

The BDS Dentistry teaching timetable is found within our Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) called MyBDS.  We do not use MyTimetable.

All lecture material and resources will be available online through MyBDS, either via the timetable or our curriculum resource pages and in some cases from both.   Students may be required to work through resources ahead of a live teaching session, for example, watching podcasts or accessing essential reading.

Students will also have opportunities to learn through other formats in MyBDS such as quizzes and discussion boards.

Reading lists for individual courses are available through the MyBDS homepage and noted within specific course handbooks.

You can brush up your study skills and learn more about the University at our award-winning Toolkit website.

Written and practical assessments take place within the Institute of Dentistry building.  This includes all online assessments via ExamSoft. 

Our Assessment and Progression Handbook will provide specific details on every course within the BDS Dentistry programme. This will be available on the MyBDS homepage under the Assessment and Progression tile.

All clinical skills teaching, dental laboratory teaching, and patient clinics are mandatory and take place at Aberdeen Dental Hospital & Institute of Dentistry.

During Welcome Week academic inductions for our new students will be shared on these pages. More information will follow.

• Postgraduate Teaching Academic Lead: Professor Amudha Poobalan
  PGT teaching support: pgt-mmsn@abdn.ac.uk

Reading lists for individual courses will be available through MyAberdeen. However, many of our PGT courses use research papers to support teaching and may not use a textbook. You also have the opportunity to brush up your study skills and learn more about the University at our award-winning Toolkit website.

For our PGT courses, written assessments will be submitted and marked via MyAberdeen. Courses will not be assessed by formal exams on campus in the first half session unless you are taking a course for which a formal exam is required by a professional body. Assessments may include essays, online exercises, presentations and timed assessments online. This will vary from course to course, and there will be specific details in every course guide at the start of term.

ASSESSMENT

For our PGT courses, written assessments will be submitted and marked via MyAberdeen. Some courses may be assessed by formal exams on campus. You will be informed if this applies to your course(s). Assessments may include essays, online exercises, presentations and timed assessments online. This will vary from course to course, and there will be specific details in every course overview at the start of term.

PRACTICALS, FIELDWORK AND PLACEMENTS

Some of our courses involve practicals or placements. Most practicals will take place in the Science Teaching Hub on the Old Aberdeen campus. You will be asked to purchase a lab coat and safety glasses before attending your first class.

The majority of laboratory-based research projects take place in research labs in the Institute of Medical Sciences and the Rowett Institute.

In the past some of our research projects have involved colleagues in the National Health Service (NHS).  Due to ongoing NHS issues, there may be reduced numbers of projects offered by NHS staff in this academic year.

Some of our programmes offer placements. These may be based on-campus, locally, working with a distanced partner or occasionally may involve a placement outside Aberdeen.

We are looking forward to welcoming you to campus to start your research journey with us. As a Postgraduate Research student you will have the opportunity to attend a University wide induction in addition to your school induction.

The University of Aberdeen Orientation programme has been designed to take you through all of the essential information you will need for your student life. You can get started now by working through the interactive modules.

There are a series of modules that you can work through before you arrive. Once you have registered you can access the remaining modules and complete your mandatory training programme through your bespoke PGR training platform on our virtual learning environment.

There will be a school welcome event for Postgraduate Research students. This will provide an opportunity to meet Postgraduate coordinators and PhD supervisors. There will also be time to answer any questions you may have. Further details regarding the welcome event will follow in due course.

As a PGR student you may have the opportunity to audit Master‘s courses to augment your research training. Please discuss this with your supervisor and check out the postgraduate taught pages above.

The PGR School also offers a comprehensive training programme to support your research journey.

The PGR School training and development programme offers academic, professional, and personal development through a number of training workshops, resources and opportunities, all intended to support the PGR community at the University of Aberdeen.

Find out more here.