Foundations of Medicine covers a vast scope of biomedical science that is ever changing and expanding. Treating this as a theme enables us to focus on core, up to date knowledge and recognises that not all knowledge in each medical discipline can be taught. Rather the course provides students with a scaffold on which they can build both during the course and in a lifelong manner.

Upon completion, students will have had an opportunity to:

Understand the principles of problem-based learning and its desired outcomes, particularly that of self-directed learning.

Have a basic knowledge of medical terminology from the medical sciences and the medical specialties.

Have an introductory knowledge in each of the following domains:

• Interactions between genes and the environment as determinants of health
• Physiological mechanisms and systems of the body
• Pathophysiological mechanisms underlying disease
• Ethical considerations in medical practice
• Disease causation and burden at the population level

Understand the principles of hypothesis testing in relation to the scientific setting and evidence-based medicine.

Have a basic knowledge of the structure of the principal tissues and organs of the body.

Have a basic knowledge of the physiological mechanisms that underlie the normal functions of the various tissues and organs.

Have a basic knowledge of fundamental mechanisms of disease particularly genetic, neoplastic, infectious and inflammatory processes

Have a basic knowledge of fundamental responses to disease particularly host-defence and allergenic responses

Have a basic knowledge of pharmacological principles

Have developed an understanding of the term normal range in the context of laboratory diagnostics.

Have developed a systematic approach to communication including consent, listening, development of rapport, history taking and presentation.

Have an understanding of the nature of complex encounters with patients and their relatives, including encounters that involve breaking bad news, children and adolescents, difficult patients, cultural diversity, and death and dying.

Have knowledge of the basic approach to physical examination, with a particular understanding of infection control, elicitation of vital signs, the importance of observation, examination of the hand, and the relevance of surface anatomy.

Understand the meaning of 'evidence-based medicine' and the principle techniques of clinical epidemiology (literature searching, interpretation of diagnostic tests, hypothesis generation and hypothesis testing).

Be able to perform first aid and basic adult & paediatric life-support.

Understand the fundamental principles and components of population health, epidemiology and evidence based practice and how they relate to each other

Have a basic knowledge of the population determinants of health and the assessment of causality (e.g. socio-economic, environmental, infectious and other factors) and burden of disease.

Have a basic understanding of the different processes of inference and the role of inference, particularly in determining disease causation

Have a basic knowledge of patient-doctor relationship ethical principles (confidentiality, autonomy, beneficence, non-malfeasance).

Have a basic knowledge of medical human rights/health law and ethics

Have a basic knowledge of institutional structure, and the history and philosophy of the medical profession.

The summative examination will include the following assessment types:

• Multiple Choice Questions (MCQ's)
• Mini-cases
• Short-answer questions
• Objective Structured Clinical Examinations (OSCE)

PBLs, Lectures, Laboratories and Clinical Skills activities

Departmental consent is required and only PhB Science students are eligible to enrol.

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Please go to the Medical School Website for list of recommended texts. 

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