Foundation in Clinical Sciences and Medicine leading to BSc Clinical Sciences

This course is designed to help students access a range of science and health related courses – including clinical sciences, medicine and pharmacy.
Entry onto clinical sciences with integrated foundation year provides students a unique and exciting opportunity to study science and health modules in preparation for progression onto the clinical sciences degree programme and to support entry to health related courses.

Historically around 40 offers to study medicine have been made to clinical sciences with integrated foundation year students each year.

The course is aimed at a wide range of students including those with a science background or with non-science qualifications.

The aim of the Foundation in Clinical Sciences and Medicine leading to BSc Clinical Sciences programme is to provide you with an integrated knowledge and understanding of science and health-related issues, putting you in an excellent position to apply to medical school or a variety of courses leading to careers within the health sector or pharmaceutical industries.

On completion of the clinical sciences foundation year, many students have progressed to Medical School and the BSc (Hons) in Clinical Sciences. Students have also accessed many healthcare sciences programmes leading to careers including:

• Physiotherapist

• Biomedical Scientist

• Physician Associate

• Healthcare Manager

An important focus of the Clinical Sciences Foundation Year is to encourage progression into medicine and healthcare education from under-represented groups. In addition to progression onto the BSc (Hons) Clinical Sciences, we have an established partnership with Sheffield Medical School so that the clinical sciences foundation year provides a formal opportunity for widening participation students to apply to enter the MBChB at Sheffield (subject to meeting academic, widening participation and UCAT criteria - please see Sheffield Medical School's website for further details).

In addition to our relationship with Sheffield Medical School, the high quality of our Foundation Year means that it is also recognised by other medical schools. Students have applied successfully to Leeds, Hull, York, Brighton and Sussex and Norwich medical schools. Please check individual medical school websites for more information relating to their entry requirements.

Foundation Year: Anatomy and medical imaging, Chemistry, Public health and community, Human biology, and Academic skills and professional development.
Year one: Ethics, law and values in healthcare, Systems, physiology, and anatomy and Academic skills and professional development.
Year two: Anatomy and pathology of disease, Careers and professional development, Digital health and enterprise, Global health, Medical and molecular genetics, Neurobiology and mental health and Pharmacology and therapeutics.

Year three: Advanced topics, Research skills, Research project, Health economics & management, Careers and professional development, Anthropology of illness and disease (optional module), and Genomics and personalised medicine (optional module).

The learning, teaching and assessment strategies recognise the wide diversity of educational backgrounds with which students may enter the programme and the different exit points of students and graduates. Consequently, a variety of teaching and learning opportunities and assessment methods are used to reflect the differences in learning styles between students and to address the various learning outcomes for the programme. You are expected to demonstrate greater autonomy in your learning as you progress through the programme. Formative assessments are embedded throughout the programme in order for you to gain feedback and monitor your own progress. Your knowledge and understanding and discipline skills are developed through lectures, laboratory sessions, workshops, tutorials and self-directed learning. Case studies, groupwork, individual assignments, verbal presentations, problem-based learning and a personal development portfolio will be used to refine your personal, transferable and specialist skills.