Skip to main content

Unit information: Year 1 MB ChB in 2025/26

Please note: Programme and unit information may change as the relevant academic field develops. We may also make changes to the structure of programmes and assessments to improve the student experience.

Unit name Year 1 MB ChB
Unit code MEDI10007
Credit points 0
Level of study C/4
Teaching block(s) Academic Year (weeks 1 - 52)
Unit director Dr. Brown
Open unit status Not open
Units you must take before you take this one (pre-requisite units)

None

Units you must take alongside this one (co-requisite units)

None

Units you may not take alongside this one

Not applicable for the MBChB programme.

School/department Bristol Medical School
Faculty Faculty of Health Sciences

Unit Information

Unit Director: Dr Juliet Brown

Foundations of Medicine: 11 weeks

The first ten weeks of teaching block 1 will be focused on the Foundations of Medicine (FOM), alongside which will run the training in basic life support (BLS) course, effective consulting (EC), and the personal and professional development programme (PPD). The teaching will be delivered using a ‘blended-teaching’ approach, to incorporate multiple teaching styles, including lectures, small group teaching and practical sessions. FOM will consider the transition from school or first degree, and the development of self-directed learners. It will provide a foundation in the principles of basic science, clinical and social science and medical humanities, as well as an introduction to research methods and evidence-based medicine. This will be framed by clinical relevance, delivered with decreased reliance on lectures, and more small-group teaching.

FOM offers opportunities for students to meet patients during their EC placements in primary care, and during the 3D (disability, disadvantage and diversity) days, to bring together further concepts of health and disease at both an individual and population level. Interdisciplinary team-building is offered during the Interprofessional Learning (IP) sessions.

Students participate in a Foundations of Medicine Conference, bringing together research and clinical experience from FOM, with the opportunity to present to peers and senior Faculty staff.

Students engage in an introductory mini-case in which they develop case based learning and clinical examination skills.

Human Health and Well-being: 14 weeks

The teaching then moves into the Human Health and Well-being phase, where the teaching will be delivered as systems case-based learning (CBL). This is designed as two-week teaching blocks, revolving around seven systems of the body and centering on case-based discussions. Each fortnight will follow a common structure, using a blended learning approach with a variety of teaching and delivery methods. A Health Care Assistantship (HCA) programme is embedded within teaching block 2, as is the first student choice project.

Unit Aims

  1. To welcome the student as a valued member of the Bristol Medical School community
  2. To develop the student as an adult learner, both independently and as part of a team, and to inspire them in the study and art of medicine
  3. To ensure a thorough understanding of the basic underlying scientific principles of the form and function of the human body
  4. To introduce students to scientific reading and writing, and to evidence based practice
  5. To encourage students to view health, illness and health care within social, cultural and ethical contexts
  6. To provide opportunities for students to meet with patients and discuss their health and well-being
  7. To introduce the student to the NHS healthcare environment and multidisciplinary healthcare teams
  8. To initiate training in medical communication skills and use of medical terminology
  9. To start developing students’ professional behaviour and understanding of the duty of candour
  10. To train and certify the student in basic life support
  11. To support students in beginning to deal with the complexity, uncertainty and change inherent in medical practice

Your learning on this unit

Intended Learning Outcomes:

  1. To develop an approach to effective consultation through experience in gathering clinical information in primary and secondary care settings
  2. To study a topic of choice from a health and wellbeing focussed portfolio of options, studying an aspect in detail through self-directed learning and production of a written report
  3. To develop team-based presentation skills through group work for a student conference
  4. To develop an understanding of the application to medical practice of ethical, behavioural, social science, and evidence-based medicine frameworks
  5. To develop an understanding of normal physiology, anatomy and functions of the musculoskeletal, cardiovascular, respiratory, gastrointestinal, urinary, endocrine and neurological systems, and how these respond to normal challenges and stressors
  6. To develop an understanding of whole person care and the art of medicine, through taught sessions and the presentation of creative reflection based on clinical experience
  7. To develop an understanding of patients' perspectives on health, wellness and illness, through meeting patients with a broad range of lived experiences and appreciating the impact that intersectional inequalities can have on these areas
  8. To begin to recognise and challenge bias in medical practice whether conscious or unconscious
  9. To develop an initial understanding of clinical reasoning in order to generate a holistic problem list
  10. To gain an understanding of the helical themes underpinning medical practice
  11. To develop an understanding of the roles of the multidisciplinary team, through clinical practice, healthcare assistantship and an interprofessional education day

How you will learn

The teaching and learning methods to be adopted in Year 1 reflect the aim of developing students as adult learners, whilst recognising that this takes time to develop. From day one, students should feel they are preparing to become a doctor. They should learn to study in collaboration with, and with the support of their peers, mentors and lecturers. Practical procedures and patient contact time are both highly valued. In summary, the teaching methods are:

1.Lecture-style content e.g. 4-6 sessions per week

2.Peer group work in groups of 12, supported by a facilitator. e.g. 3-4 hours a week

3.Private study time, supported by library, electronic learning and bulletin boards

4.Electronic learning packages (supporting teaching, self-directed learning and formative assessment)

5.Practical skills teaching: laboratory biomedical, anatomy, clinical skills

6.Clinical practice experiences: primary and secondary care placements, healthcare assistant (HCA) attachment

7.Simulation of clinical environments; clinical biosciences

8.Basic life support (BLS) training: certified provider status training in life support skills for all Y1 students, using near-peer trainers and examiners

9.Access to patients, doctors, scientists, researchers, allied health professionals and community health teams

How you will be assessed

Overall engagement

To be eligible to sit the end of year 1 summative examination a student must have achieved a satisfactory engagement with the curriculum. This requires the student to have engaged satisfactorily* with the following:

1. Basic life support (BLS)

2. Case Based Learning (CBL) and discipline based tutorials

3. Disability, Diversity & Disadvantage (3D) sessions

4. Effective Consulting (EC Labs & Clinical Contact)

5. Foundations of Medicine (FOM)

6. Healthcare Assistantship (HCA)

7. Practical Sessions

8. Student Choice Project 1 – MUST PASS

9. Team Assessment of Behaviour (TAB)

The student must sit the following formative assessments:

1. FOM Written Assessment: SBA examination

2. FOM Form & Function Assessment: SBA examination

3. Progress Testing

4. Pre and post practical session quizzes

The student must sit the end of Year 1 Summative Assessment:

The student will be required to achieve a pass mark in the end of Year 1 summative SBA examination to progress to Year 2. This assessment will contribute 100% towards the total assessment mark for this year.

For full details of what constitutes satisfactory engagement, please view the Student Progression Requirements document.

Resources

If this unit has a Resource List, you will normally find a link to it in the Blackboard area for the unit. Sometimes there will be a separate link for each weekly topic.

If you are unable to access a list through Blackboard, you can also find it via the Resource Lists homepage. Search for the list by the unit name or code (e.g. MEDI10007).

How much time the unit requires
Each credit equates to 10 hours of total student input. For example a 20 credit unit will take you 200 hours of study to complete. Your total learning time is made up of contact time, directed learning tasks, independent learning and assessment activity.

See the University Workload statement relating to this unit for more information.

Assessment
The Board of Examiners will consider all cases where students have failed or not completed the assessments required for credit. The Board considers each student's outcomes across all the units which contribute to each year's programme of study. For appropriate assessments, if you have self-certificated your absence, you will normally be required to complete it the next time it runs (for assessments at the end of TB1 and TB2 this is usually in the next re-assessment period).
The Board of Examiners will take into account any exceptional circumstances and operates within the Regulations and Code of Practice for Taught Programmes.

Feedback