The MB ChB programme is an accelerated course delivered over a 4-year period and is structured in 3 phases. Across all four years, the educational activities will include case-based learning, lectures, small group sessions, experiential learning, clinical skills and e-learning.

Course Aims

• Provide new graduates with the clinical competence to work as Foundation Doctors.
• Produce graduates with the potential to develop along the continuum of medical education into humane and rational doctors.
• Produce graduates having the understanding, intellectual skills, attitudes to practice and habit of lifelong learning necessary for a career of continuing development in the health services of the future.
• Graduate individuals into the medical profession who meet the requirements of the General Medical Council.

Course Learning Outcomes

Be able to apply to medical practice biomedical scientific principles, method and knowledge relating to: anatomy, biochemistry, cell biology, genetics, immunology, microbiology, molecular biology, nutrition, pathology, pharmacology and physiology.

• Apply psychological principles, method and knowledge to medical practice
• Apply social science principles, method and knowledge to medical practice.
• Apply to medical practice the principles, method and knowledge of population health and the improvement of health and healthcare.
• Apply scientific method and approaches to medical research
• Reflect, learn and teach others.
• Protect patients and improve care.
• Learn and work effectively within a multi-professional team
• Be able to behave according to ethical and legal principles
• Be able to carry out a consultation with a patient.
• Diagnose and manage clinical presentations
• Communicate effectively with patients and colleagues in a medical context
• Provide immediate care in medical emergencies
• Prescribe drugs safely, effectively and economically
• Carry out practical procedures safely and effectively
• Use information effectively in a medical context.

Curriculum Themes

The curriculum integrates the following themes across all 3 course phases:

• Personal & Professional Development
• Social & Population Perspectives
• Cell & Tissue Biomedicine
• Pharmacology, Prescribing & Therapeutics
• Clinical Anatomy & Imaging
• Clinical Skills
• Communication and lived experience
• Values, Law & Ethics
• Community learning

The course structure is outlined in the table below. All the content is core (i.e. there are no optional blocks) and must be successfully completed.

The MB ChB attendance guidance aligns with the principles on attendance and engagement as set out by the University. You should familiarise yourself with both the MB CHB attendance guidance and Regulation 36 which governs student registration, attendance and progression.

Course Dates

Course dates for each Phase will be made available at the start of each academic year and published on the Moodle cohort pages.

MB ChB Attendance Guidance

The General Medical Council states that all medical students must fully engage with the course throughout their training. Demonstrating engagement with the course ensures that you have covered the learning outcomes and have the appropriate opportunities to develop the knowledge and skills required for foundation training.

We expect students to attend and engage with all educational activities provided, both face to face and online including lectures, case based learning and group work at the WMS site and clinical learning opportunities, tutorials and workshops within clinical settings.

We understand that students may require time off for personal or sickness reasons and our attendance and absence guidance sets out how you should notify us and make up for any missed learning.

Attendance is usually collected by completion of physical or electronic registers (including MS Teams attendance reports) which become part of your academic record. You are responsible for ensuring your attendance is recorded at sessions. Students can view their own attendance record via Tabula.

Monitoring Points

The University requires all departments to operate a scheme for monitoring student's attendance to support students learning and to demonstrate compliance with respect of UK Visas and Immigration (UKVI). Under the University’s monitoring scheme, attendance is monitored by means of specific ‘contact points’ (or ‘monitoring points’).Any formal points that are recorded as missed (unauthorised) are automatically reported centrally overnight. These monitoring points are listed in your Tabula profile. An automated email notification is sent to students and to departmental staff each time a student misses an official monitoring point.

International Students and Student Visa Requirements

International students should be particularly aware of the consequences of missing Monitoring Points: The University Immigration & Compliance Team is obliged to report to the Home Office UK Visas and Immigration if any students holding Student Visas have been found not to be engaging with and attending their course. This will normally lead to the curtailment of their visas. The University International Office provides further information about visas and immigration advice.

What if I need a break from my studies?

We recognise that personal circumstances may change such that continuing with study is impractical. In this case, the student may apply for a period of temporary withdrawal. A temporary withdrawal is a period of time when a student is not studying for their award and is governed by University Regulation 36.1.A temporary withdrawal period is normally 12 months from the point of application. The Student Support Team can advise and guide you through this process. All periods of temporary withdrawal (TWD) will require approval by the School and the University. It is important to note that any period of temporary withdrawal due to medical or health-related grounds will require submission of medical evidence to support the request. A student who has taken temporary withdrawal in these grounds will also need to provide evidence to demonstrate they are fit to return to studies when they plan to do so.

Demonstrating engagement with the MB ChB course

You will need to take responsibility for being an independent learner and take advantage of all available opportunities to build your understanding and obtain feedback. If you do not engage fully and take an active role in developing your understanding, you will not reach your potential.

Feedback is an essential part of learning as it identifies gaps in your knowledge and understanding and provides guidance on improving. Feedback comes in many forms including;

• Discussion with other students, for examples in tutorials or seminars
• Conversations with teaching staff, for example asking questions during / after a lecture
• Written feedback on submitted coursework
• Comparing your answers to model solutions
• Using model solutions or mark schemes to mark other students’ work and identify key features of good work
• Using cohort level examination feedback to identify common mistakes
• Using textbooks to attempt problems with a different style

To enable you to demonstrate course engagement, we have identified a set of criteria that you must fulfil. We have called these engagement criteria. There are engagement criteria for each year of the course. To progress from one year to the next, in addition to passing all summative assessments, you must have fulfilled the engagement criteria for the year.

How do we support you to complete the engagement tasks?

We monitor your academic engagement and progress to offer appropriate academic and pastoral support and to identify where support from outside the department may be necessary. We have set clinically relevant and realistic tasks with achievable deadlines. The Phase Teams will provide information and advice about completing the tasks and monitor your progress towards fulfilling the engagement criteria. Further information is available on your cohort Moodle pages.

What to do if you are struggling to meet the engagement criteria?

We recognise that sometimes there may be valid reasons why you may not be able to complete a task by the required deadline. If you anticipate this you should let us know in advance and the deadline may be extended for you or you may be permitted to complete the task at a later date.

If, for any reason, you are struggling to fulfil the engagement criteria, then you should seek support as soon as possible. Your Personal Tutor (PT) for Phase 1, and Clinical Personal Tutor (CPT) for Years 2-4 are there to support you. There is also a Deputy Senior Tutor for each year of the course and a Senior Tutor who you may also approach for support. If you have missed a deadline for completion of a task, and have not discussed this with us in advance, then the Phase Team will contact you to identify the reasons for this and any support needs you may have. If you continue to miss deadlines for completion of engagement tasks then you may be referred to the Health, Welfare and Professionalism Group with the aim of providing support and reasonable adjustments to help prevent any issues becoming more serious and a greater cause for difficulty. The Group also considers whether the threshold of student fitness to practise may have been reached and should this be the case, the matter will be referred to the WMS Fitness to Practise (FtP) Committee.

How does the medical school assess course engagement?

At the end of each phase and prior to the first sit of the Examination Board, the Course Progress Group will consider whether each student has fulfilled the engagement criteria. It is your responsibility therefore, to make sure that you have completed all the tasks by the set deadlines. The Phase Examination Board will consider each student’s summative examination results and the Course Progress Group’s report on a student’s engagement with the course. It will also consider any report from the Course Progress Group on any mitigating circumstances submitted by the student. The Examination Board will normally require students who have failed to satisfy one or more of the engagement requirements to remediate these elements prior to the meeting of the next Phase Board of Examiners. Students who cannot demonstrate that they have met all the engagement criteria may not be permitted to progress to the next phase of the course. The final decision about progression will be made by the Examination Board.

Health, Welfare and Professionalism (HWP)

The WMS Health, Welfare and Professionalism (HWP) Group acts as the low-level professionalism committee described in the GMC/MSC Guidance and is recognised as best practice amongst all medical schools. Its role is to identify in the first instance (and continue to review as required) all students’ self-referred or referred HWP issues with the aim of providing support and reasonable adjustments to help prevent any issues becoming more serious and a greater cause for difficulty. The Group also considers whether the threshold of student fitness to practiseLink opens in a new window may have been reached and should this be the case, the matter will be referred to the WMS FtP CommitteeLink opens in a new window. The Terms of Reference and membership can be found on the Health, Welfare and Professionalism web page. If you have an HWP issue, it is strongly recommended that you self-refer using the HWP Self-referral formLink opens in a new window so that help can be identified and provided. Please don’t wait to see if an issue resolves itself or try to resolve it without help.

The WMS Fitness to Practise (FtP) Committee

A HWP issue is not an FtP issue unless and until the matter has been referred to the WMS FtP Committee and they determine that the threshold of student FtP has been reached. The WMS Fitness to Practise Committee operates under University Regulation 34 Determination of Fitness to Practise and its members are drawn from both academic and clinical staff. The Terms of Reference and membership can be found on the Health, Welfare and Professionalism web page. University Regulation 23 outlines the University policy on student disciplinary offences.