WMS MB ChB Phase 1 Themes

Themes run across all Blocks and Phases...

...woven together in classes, placements, and exams. Here's a brief overview of each one, who leads them, introduction videos from WMS, and some resources students have found helpful when learning them.

Cell & Tissue Biomedicine

Lead: Dr Claire Garcin

Encompassing biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, nutrition, pathology, and physiology, you'll start with some pre-attendance intro sessions.

It'll be more comfortable for those with a biomedical-type background (but remember, the focus is on breadth, rather than depth), and may sometimes feel fast-paced and overwhelming for those without. So please, be mindful of the areas you find particularly challenging, and ask for help with them early - the course builds on these key concepts.

Managing this Theme

No biochem degree? Non-Science Peer Teaching is a valuable student seminar!
If it's not sticking, review our Pre-learning Guide - it's well worth your time to understand how you learn now, rather than struggle through the whole year.
Review the Science for Medicine series by our own Dr Helen Strachan-Jones.
Plus, lots of excellent creators explain tricky processes in their own way; just explore their styles to find someone you like. Look up CrashCourse, Osmosis, Armando Hasudungan, Khan Academy to get started.
Email a lecturer for an answer you haven't found, or ask for a few minutes where they can explain things in person.
The Clinical Education Fellows have many books in their office MD 1.04/1.05/1.06, or you can check out the main library or Biomed Grid.

Clinical Anatomy & Imaging

Lead: Professor Richard Tunstall & Dr Erin Fillmore

A consistent WMS award winner, CAI is a big part of Phase 1; taught through many methods, it's incredibly interactive, and exciting for many.

How to Learn Anatomy

Don't worry if you haven't studied Anatomy before; Erin's "How to learn AnatomyLink opens in a new window" video has some great advice:

"Don't lose sight of why it is you are here - to become a doctor. Sometimes that can get lost…it helps to step back and look at the bigger picture."

"Come armed [to sessions] with questions... to explore, make mistakes, and figure things out yourselves. These are great sessions to ask questions of a friend or a tutor - it's much better to practice and find out what you don't know sooner rather than later."

"...Learning the language of anatomy is a challenge of its own... read the first two chapters of Grey's Anatomy for Students to [understand] the terms used, prior to starting at WMS, or early on in your learning."

Tip

To echo Erin - "Whiteboards. Get one, borrow one, either way try using one – drawing is integral to learning, and you will do this throughout anatomy at Warwick."

Lectures

These cover core learning areas for the LO's, and lay the groundwork for the weekly interactive sessions.

They're Asynchronous, though you can study them with others if that works for you - ask your CBL group.

It's usually 1-4 videos per week that have 3-4 'chapters' of topics each.

Some weeks or Blocks can be CAI-heavy, but every Block, and the year, is 'front-loaded' - there's time to catch up!

Tips

The 'title' of each slide is the core message to take away. Focus on that if you're getting overwhelmed.

On the CAI Moodle Theme page, you'll find Crispin's Bitesize videos. These are invaluable - do not skip them! Watch them pre-main lecture, to recap just before in-person sessions, and as a quick reference to summarise clinical applications during revision.

Workbooks

Provided for each Block in Phase 1, available in paper form or digital. If you need any nonwhite paper form, please email Erin well before the start of the Block (or Laura if before Block 1).

They contain your weekly LO's, usually (not always) related to that week’s content; they guide your learning, and the ever-present question, ‘How much do I need to know?’
You're not required to complete them, but they are good to prepare for the weekly face-to-face sessions (Thursdays or Fridays) - so use them as you see fit to address your LO's.
They don't contain model answers - they're meant to guide you as a learning tool. But, all answers can be found in lectures, from the CAI team, or in the recommended texts like Gray's Anatomy for Students.

Tips

If stuck on how in-depth to go, pay attention to the wording of the LO - 'outline' vs 'describe'

Complete workbooks digitally for sessions (alongside lectures), and the paper versions for revision (or vice versa)

If you struggle to answer a workbook or lecture's 'sticky note' questions, ask the CAI team at your next in-person session

Workshops

You have weekly interactive sessions with the incredible prosected plastinates, imaging, a year-long quiz, surface anatomy models - even crafts!

They build on and reframe content from lectures, workbooks, imaging activities, and seminars. They're ideal to cement your learning from a new angle and bridge any gaps - the team are always happy to explain anything you found challenging, and can provide helpful tricks to remember the tricky bits!

Erin also handmakes original drawing and model-building tasks for every week, turning 2D lectures and images into 3D representations, which create many “ah-ha” moments!

Use workshops to ask the CAI Team any questions you have - better now than still not get it come exams, and they have plenty of friendly advice. The team really are there to help you; they want you to succeed, enjoy CAI, and they love talking about anatomy! So email any of them, message on Teams, ask for a quick chat, or simply knock on their door if you need it.

Pharmacology, Prescribing, & Therapeutics

Lead: Dr Dan Mitchell

The Phase I Drug List is generally released during Block 1, and lists all the drugs whose Mechanism of Action (MoA) should be known by Phase 1 students.

You have targeted pharmacology lectures, plus it's incorporated in many CTB lectures. Pharmacology also has it's own language, which can be daunting. First try learning the different drug classes and relevant names; then layer with their MOA, or group them by type/use. Create pictures to aid remembering drug names, their associations, and related actions as a helpful memory aid (for example, Dinoprostone is used to induce labour - it acts like dynamite!)

Pharmacology works well with Anki and similar platforms, like Sporcle, and there's many decks from upper years (just ask - though we'll be collating them into a shared OneDrive too) if you don't want to make your own. But, do always check they cover the list for your year, as they do change!

If you're really struggling and feel you aren't getting to grips with the drugs, please reach out to faculty. Dan is very willing to help students learn this tricky topic (that becomes more essential with each Phase), as are other faculty like Mark Richards and Helen Strachan-Jones - just ask for some time!

Student Sems can also be useful for finding useful tricks and tips for how other students have managed to remember them. Specific revision sessions are also held closer to exam time, by both the faculty and students.

Clinical Skills

Lead: Professor Vinod Patel

Desperate to sling a stethoscope round your neck? This is the theme for you! It covers how to talk to patients, take a history from them, and examine them for clinical signs.

Clinical Skills are examined via OSCEs, a practical exam where you perform a variety of histories and examinations in dedicated 'stations'.

On your iPad you will have access to a Clinical Skills handbook from the start of the year, and each week you will cover one or two of the exams in groups, with time to practise on each other with a CS tutor to guide you. These sessions take place at the brand new clinical education hub (also known as the beehive) where you have access to a simulated hospital ward and medical equipment.

As you are going to be practising the skills on each other, try to come in comfortable clothes and don't be surprised if you are asked to remove or pull up your shirts during the sessions - if you're happy to do so of course. If you have time, it is recommended to, at the very least, read through the exam proforma in your booklet and watch WMS's own Dr James Gill's examination videos prior to the sessions.

Because there is so much lecture time in first year, Clinical Skills can be neglected by students, but it is worth bearing in mind that you will be performing clinical exams on patients as soon as you start your hospital placements, and that this is therefore very much a core set of skills you need to learn.

To gain the most from the Clinical Skills sessions ideally:

Volunteer to examine and be examined this is the time to practice and get things wrong and ask questions. You will not get as much out of the sessions sitting and watching someone else perform it.
Keep practising in your pair or groups when time is given to do so - you will find you have questions about what it is that you're doing, and now is the time to ask them.

If you want to practice the skills in your own time, you can borrow the required equipment, e.g. a blood pressure cuff. If you're practising and would like to be observed or have questions, it's also worth dropping a message to the Clinical Education Fellows (CEFs) as if they are free and available, they'd be happy to come and watch and give feedback.

At the end of the first term, you will sit mock OSCEs, which are a valuable opportunity to get a sense of how you will be examined in the summer. One thing that often throws students is that they are used to conducting the entire examination in sequence, but in assessments you will often be asked to start midway through or only perform certain parts of the exam. Practice, practice and more practice will help you to rise to the challenge!

Social & Population Studies

Lead: Dr Beck Taylor (Soc) & Dr Saran Shantikumar (Pop)

SocPop explores population health and the public and individual strategies that enhance health and healthcare. There's some maths involved (don't forget your calculator!), it is doable - but you may have to revisit the formulas!

You'll discuss societal issues like social determinants of health (income, environment, community), and learn about evidence-based medicine and person-centered care. These are important to making a difference in the lives of patients, their families, and entire communities. Overall, SocPop shows how the care we provide interacts with society at large.

Values, Law & Ethics

Lead: Dr Greg Moorlock

VLE seeks to help you become a good doctor (and, hopefully, a more ethical person) by understanding how they 'should' behave - ethically, legally, and professionally. You'll cover pretty interesting concepts and debates, such as;

How do we decide if something is right or wrong?
How should decisions be made for patients who are unable to decide for themselves?
What is autonomy? Why do most people insist on getting it completely wrong?

These things are required under the GMC Learning Outcomes, but the sessions are genuinely interesting, and as with anything - you get out what you put in. Sessions welcome disagreement and the variety of perspectives available, and give plenty of opportunity for discussion and to develop your reasoning skills. Things build in complexity with each Phase, so get stuck in during Phase 1 - it can be a welcome change to the heavy science stuff.

The VLE Team are always happy to chat about the content, or about ethical and legal aspects of medicine more generally, so feel free to reach out any time!

Personal & Professional Development

Lead: Dr Louise Dunford

PPD covers things like learning effectively, maintaining your wellbeing, teamwork and the MDT, how to reflect, ging and receiving constructive feedback - all skills that are still important to being a good doctor.

Content is covered through lectures, and workshops, and two reflections on your community placement - and PPD is examinable!

Community Learning

Lead: Jackie Shanley

You'll be allocated a community placement at the start of the year. The first 'community' day will be spent getting to know the local area, while the following days will consist of meeting a patient and the individuals involved in their care in smaller groups, followed by sessions where you present your patient to the community team.

Community days can be the first opportunity to meet patients, or their families and carers, or members of the MDT who work in the community for some students - so if you already have experience on this, use the time to see it from a new role, and support your peers' learning by sharing your experiences.

Communication & Lived Experience

Lead: Dr Kerry Brown & Dr Michele Gutteridge

Here you'll have workshops on patient perspectives and communication skills. Some were created in consultation with members of the WMS Patient Group, or they co-deliver the session.

They like to get you involved, via consultation, feedback, observations, and reflection. You'll practice thinking on your feet with simulated patients, and learn how to remain professional in (safe) challenging consultation scenarios.

Some sessions can be emotionally involving, but you'll be told beforehand and offered support after the session if needed.

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