what do you learn in medical degree?
so what sort of things are covered in medical degree and is there a difference in the topics that you learn in different med school or is it the same, just taught in a different way. i am mainly asking for the science topics but the clinical bit should also prove to be helpful for me.
yes i have already looked at the course section in most uni websites but they only say stuff like "molecules in medical science' which is very broad, so can you break it down for me (molecules in med science is only an example).
and it turns out i have more than one question after all, so here comes.
I've heard that medics have a lot of workload and so do oxbridge students. so does this mean that a medic at oxbridge has even more workload, or is medicine like one of those thing that its difficult wherever you go.
and finally, how much of medicine is biology, chemistry, physics and maths, etc. and can you give me examples, esp for physics and maths if they are at all involved in medicine.
thanks a lot.
yes i have already looked at the course section in most uni websites but they only say stuff like "molecules in medical science' which is very broad, so can you break it down for me (molecules in med science is only an example).
and it turns out i have more than one question after all, so here comes.
I've heard that medics have a lot of workload and so do oxbridge students. so does this mean that a medic at oxbridge has even more workload, or is medicine like one of those thing that its difficult wherever you go.
and finally, how much of medicine is biology, chemistry, physics and maths, etc. and can you give me examples, esp for physics and maths if they are at all involved in medicine.
thanks a lot.
Scroll to see replies
Original post by swopnil
so what sort of things are covered in medical degree and is there a difference in the topics that you learn in different med school or is it the same, just taught in a different way. i am mainly asking for the science topics but the clinical bit should also prove to be helpful for me.
yes i have already looked at the course section in most uni websites but they only say stuff like "molecules in medical science' which is very broad, so can you break it down for me (molecules in med science is only an example).
yes i have already looked at the course section in most uni websites but they only say stuff like "molecules in medical science' which is very broad, so can you break it down for me (molecules in med science is only an example).
The pre-clinical years involve learning the basic medical sciences. Yeah, universities will give them weird and wonderful module titles, but traditionally they are anatomy, physiology, biochemistry, pharmacology and pathology.
These subjects can either be taught traditionally i.e. an anatomy block which teaches the whole of gross anatomy from beginning to end, or they can be integrated within body systems e.g. you'll do a cardiovascular module in which you'll learn about the anatomy and physiology of the heart and circulation, as well as relevant cardiovascular drugs, cardiovascular diseases etc.
The content will be delivered differently in each medical school e.g. as lectures, PBL, small group work etc but all medical students ultimately need to learn the same things as set out by the GMC.
and it turns out i have more than one question after all, so here comes.
I've heard that medics have a lot of workload and so do oxbridge students. so does this mean that a medic at oxbridge has even more workload, or is medicine like one of those thing that its difficult wherever you go.
I've heard that medics have a lot of workload and so do oxbridge students. so does this mean that a medic at oxbridge has even more workload, or is medicine like one of those thing that its difficult wherever you go.
Well I don't go to Oxford or Cambridge and an Oxbridge medic doesn't go anywhere else so no one will ever be able to offer a truly accurate comparison imho...but no one ever gained the letters MB ChB/MBBS after their name without having to work hard for it.
The course isn't much harder than A levels in terms of difficulty, but the workload can be pretty high and it can be difficult in less obvious ways too.
and finally, how much of medicine is biology, chemistry, physics and maths, etc. and can you give me examples, esp for physics and maths if they are at all involved in medicine.
thanks a lot.
thanks a lot.
Biology - well, human biology certainly features, but not in the way which you might think. It's less about experimentation, and more about learning principles and understanding how they apply to clinical situations. Oh and memorisation, a whole load of memorisation for anatomy.
Chemistry - pure chemistry features very little. I've said it before on here and I'll say it again, if you can understand this equation, you'll do more than fine as far as med school chemistry goes.
Physics - negligible, some very basic stuff on fluid mechanics when it comes to learning about the cardiovascular system. If you have done GCSE science you'll be fine.
Maths - some simple equations (like, easier than GCSE standard) to do for public health and some drug calculations which involve a bit of basic arithmetic.
(edited 9 years ago)
Pretty much what was said above by Democracy. I think there are variations between the medical schools for sure. For example i've heard some schools teach different subjects to different levels of depth. The GMC ensures that all school meets the standards but beyond that a school has the ability to adjust their teaching.
My school for instance has 9-11 hours of lectures per week, lasting 2.5 years. We get around 6-8 hours of tutorials/clinical skills/dissection on top of that.
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
My school for instance has 9-11 hours of lectures per week, lasting 2.5 years. We get around 6-8 hours of tutorials/clinical skills/dissection on top of that.
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
(edited 9 years ago)
The content very much does vary. For example, some schools teach very detailed anatomy as one of the main parts of pre-clinical, others ride the minimum they can get away with and focus on other things. Biochemistry and genetics are very variably taught too.
Only one essay per week would have been amazing
Try 2 or 3.
Is not as simple as that though, obv. Oxbridge have very short terms so clearly there would be a decent intensity of work. Clinical contact and skills in those years was kept to a minimum. Then for clinical it's the opposite really - long terms but no ridiculous logbooks and pointless sign is like elsewhere. Swings.
Original post by Okorange
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
Only one essay per week would have been amazing
Try 2 or 3. Is not as simple as that though, obv. Oxbridge have very short terms so clearly there would be a decent intensity of work. Clinical contact and skills in those years was kept to a minimum. Then for clinical it's the opposite really - long terms but no ridiculous logbooks and pointless sign is like elsewhere. Swings.
Original post by Democracy
quote
brilliant, you have answered all of my questions so thanks.
but i was still eager to know the full topics thats going to be covered. is there a link where i can find out? like is there a rough specification for a medical course that i can have a look at. thanks.
Original post by swopnil
brilliant, you have answered all of my questions so thanks.
but i was still eager to know the full topics thats going to be covered. is there a link where i can find out? like is there a rough specification for a medical course that i can have a look at. thanks.
but i was still eager to know the full topics thats going to be covered. is there a link where i can find out? like is there a rough specification for a medical course that i can have a look at. thanks.
Well, here's one example - hope it helps:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/staff-students/general-information/prog-specs/Programme-specification-MBBS-2012-FINAL-VERSION-Aug-2012.pdf
Original post by Okorange
Pretty much what was said above by Democracy. I think there are variations between the medical schools for sure. For example i've heard some schools teach different subjects to different levels of depth. The GMC ensures that all school meets the standards but beyond that a school has the ability to adjust their teaching.
My school for instance has 9-11 hours of lectures per week, lasting 2.5 years. We get around 6-8 hours of tutorials/clinical skills/dissection on top of that.
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
My school for instance has 9-11 hours of lectures per week, lasting 2.5 years. We get around 6-8 hours of tutorials/clinical skills/dissection on top of that.
I do think the Oxbridge medics have a higher workload. They are required to write an essay each week, something I'm pretty sure most other medical schools do not require of their students.
thanks for the answers. so if you have to hand in an essay each week for oxbridge, what do you have to hand in for other universities. do you even get homework in your/other university?
it may sound like a stupid question but oxbridge has supervision/tutorials but i haven't heard anything like this for other universities. do you just get work from lectures, practices, etc. and you do it at your will or do you also hand 'homeworks' in to the professors and theres extra teaching involved where they mark it and they discuss your work with you.
thanks
Original post by Democracy
Well, here's one example - hope it helps:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/staff-students/general-information/prog-specs/Programme-specification-MBBS-2012-FINAL-VERSION-Aug-2012.pdf
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medicalschool/staff-students/general-information/prog-specs/Programme-specification-MBBS-2012-FINAL-VERSION-Aug-2012.pdf
ah that certainly looks like exactly what i was looking for. thanks a lot.
i also typed medicine programme specification in google and got a whole bunch more as well, so i will definitely be having a look at that.
thanks again.
Original post by nexttime
The content very much does vary. For example, some schools teach very detailed anatomy as one of the main parts of pre-clinical, others ride the minimum they can get away with and focus on other things. Biochemistry and genetics are very variably taught too.
Only one essay per week would have been amazing Try 2 or 3.
Is not as simple as that though, obv. Oxbridge have very short terms so clearly there would be a decent intensity of work. Clinical contact and skills in those years was kept to a minimum. Then for clinical it's the opposite really - long terms but no ridiculous logbooks and pointless sign is like elsewhere. Swings.
Only one essay per week would have been amazing
Try 2 or 3. Is not as simple as that though, obv. Oxbridge have very short terms so clearly there would be a decent intensity of work. Clinical contact and skills in those years was kept to a minimum. Then for clinical it's the opposite really - long terms but no ridiculous logbooks and pointless sign is like elsewhere. Swings.
i guess you will really like the pre-clinical course if you are into the science and academic medicine, which is alright.
but do you know anything about the clinical years? because you have covered all the sciences now, do you just go to the hospitals all the time and 'train'?
and what sort of exam questions do you get anyway in the clinical years? or is it going to be mostly practical exams?
thanks
Original post by swopnil
i guess you will really like the pre-clinical course if you are into the science and academic medicine, which is alright.
but do you know anything about the clinical years? because you have covered all the sciences now, do you just go to the hospitals all the time and 'train'?
and what sort of exam questions do you get anyway in the clinical years? or is it going to be mostly practical exams?
thanks
but do you know anything about the clinical years? because you have covered all the sciences now, do you just go to the hospitals all the time and 'train'?
and what sort of exam questions do you get anyway in the clinical years? or is it going to be mostly practical exams?
thanks
You will spend most of your time in hospital yes. Observing and helping on the ward, taking to and examining patients e.g. in A&E, observing clinics, going to theatre etc. You will cover a wide variety of specialities. As i say, a lot of places have extensive logbooks to monitor your activity. You will also have lectures and continue academic teaching though alongside. Exams are both written and practical.
Original post by nexttime
You will spend most of your time in hospital yes. Observing and helping on the ward, taking to and examining patients e.g. in A&E, observing clinics, going to theatre etc. You will cover a wide variety of specialities. As i say, a lot of places have extensive logbooks to monitor your activity. You will also have lectures and continue academic teaching though alongside. Exams are both written and practical.
so whats the difference between clinical years and a junior doctor then? also, is the clinical years supposed to be less 'hard' and more relaxed than the pre-clinical? thanks,
Original post by swopnil
so whats the difference between clinical years and a junior doctor then?
A junior doctor has a lot more responsibility. Plus gets paid to be there. Most of what you will do is secretarial work though, and you lose virtually all of your teaching and a lot of your knowledge. You actually learn stuff at med school, basically.
Almost everyone finds them more enjoyable. Hours are typically longer though.
Original post by nexttime
A junior doctor has a lot more responsibility. Plus gets paid to be there. Most of what you will do is secretarial work though, and you lose virtually all of your teaching and a lot of your knowledge. You actually learn stuff at med school, basically.
Almost everyone finds them more enjoyable. Hours are typically longer though.
Almost everyone finds them more enjoyable. Hours are typically longer though.
ah ok. btw, i have another question. since you have the MB + intercalated BSc in pre clinical and BCh or Bchir in clinical. do medics graduate twice at oxbridge? esp. because you don't necessarily do your BCh at the same oxbridge university.
also, i was interested in what sort of academic dress that medic graduate wears. i get too many different images and i can't recognise it. i know that it depends on university but still, there must similar right?
thanks,
Original post by swopnil
ah ok. btw, i have another question. since you have the MB + intercalated BSc in pre clinical and BCh or Bchir in clinical. do medics graduate twice at oxbridge? esp. because you don't necessarily do your BCh at the same oxbridge university.
At Oxford you do graduate twice. Once for the BA in medial sciences after 3 years, again for BMBCh after 6 years.
also, i was interested in what sort of academic dress that medic graduate wears. i get too many different images and i can't recognise it. i know that it depends on university but still, there must similar right?
thanks,
thanks,
Academic dress? You mean when you graduate? Or for Oxford's exams?
Both of those questions are just formalities though - hardly important!
Original post by Democracy
x
Sweet. Fills me with confidence for GEM
Doesn't sound too bad at all!Original post by nexttime
At Oxford you do graduate twice. Once for the BA in medial sciences after 3 years, again for BMBCh after 6 years.
Academic dress? You mean when you graduate? Or for Oxford's exams?
Both of those questions are just formalities though - hardly important!
Academic dress? You mean when you graduate? Or for Oxford's exams?
Both of those questions are just formalities though - hardly important!
ah! you do graduate twice, nice!
i mean when you graduate. i know they are only for formalities but i was interested to see. can you possibly link me to a picture? thanks.
btw, is oxbridge different in that even medics get degree classification at the end or is it just for the intercalated BSc degree? i heard that cambridge had some sort of rankings and grades for each exams you do, but it doesn't add up to a final grade. whats it like in oxford?
thanks again.
Original post by swopnil
ah! you do graduate twice, nice!
btw, is oxbridge different in that even medics get degree classification at the end or is it just for the intercalated BSc degree? i heard that cambridge had some sort of rankings and grades for each exams you do, but it doesn't add up to a final grade. whats it like in oxford?
thanks again.
btw, is oxbridge different in that even medics get degree classification at the end or is it just for the intercalated BSc degree? i heard that cambridge had some sort of rankings and grades for each exams you do, but it doesn't add up to a final grade. whats it like in oxford?
thanks again.
why are you so interested in oxbridge? there are so many other great medical schools
Original post by nexttime
At Oxford you do graduate twice. Once for the BA in medial sciences after 3 years, again for BMBCh after 6 years.
Academic dress? You mean when you graduate? Or for Oxford's exams?
Both of those questions are just formalities though - hardly important!
Academic dress? You mean when you graduate? Or for Oxford's exams?
Both of those questions are just formalities though - hardly important!
Is the OP correct in thinking that BM refers to preclinical and BChir refers to the clinical years? Sounds unlikely to me, but you don't seem to have addressed it, so now I'm unsure.
Original post by swopnil
ah! you do graduate twice, nice!
I didn't attend either. Spending half a day prancing around in a costume is not my thing.
i mean when you graduate. i know they are only for formalities but i was interested to see. can you possibly link me to a picture? thanks.
Normal exam attire: http://wordsmith.org/words/images/subfusc_large.jpg
BA gown: http://www.reddirtchronicles.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/08/img_0624.jpg
BM, BCh gown: http://www.trinity.ox.ac.uk/wordpress/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/BCL-Gown-150x150.jpg
btw, is oxbridge different in that even medics get degree classification at the end or is it just for the intercalated BSc degree? i heard that cambridge had some sort of rankings and grades for each exams you do, but it doesn't add up to a final grade. whats it like in oxford?
thanks again.
thanks again.
Only get a degree classification for the BA.
Original post by Ronove
Is the OP correct in thinking that BM refers to preclinical and BChir refers to the clinical years? Sounds unlikely to me, but you don't seem to have addressed it, so now I'm unsure.
No, but how it actually works is a bit weird and entirely arbitrary so I didn't bother specifically correcting.
Since you ask though: 1st 5 terms are referred to as '1st BM' and enable you to be allowed to take terms 6-9, which are a Bachelor of Arts in Medical Sciences. After that its the '2nd BM' which, when completed, awards Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (BM, BCh). Of course Oxford also does the random upgrade to MA (oxon) some number of terms after matriculation as well if you really want to get into the semantics of it all.
Original post by nexttime
x
alrighttt! thanks.
u've been the most helpful so reps. :P
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