Durham University School of Medicine and Health
Encyclopedia
The School of Medicine and Health at the University of Durham was founded in 2001 as a partner with the University of Newcastle Medical School to educate medical student
Medical Student
Medical Student may refer to:*Someone studying at medical school*Medical Student Newspaper, a UK publication...

s in the first phase of their medical education (Years 1 and 2). It also has some postgraduate level research in the University's Wolfson Research Institute
Wolfson Research Institute
The Wolfson Research Institute is a multi-disciplinary research institute at Durham University in England. The Institute facilitates research on medicine, health, and well-being and is named after the Wolfson Foundation, which provided funds for the Institute's establishment...


Location

The School of Medicine and Health is located on the Queen's Campus of the University of Durham, with students being members of one of the two colleges on this campus - John Snow
John Snow College
John Snow College is a college of the University of Durham in England, and one of two located at Queen's Campus in Thornaby-on-Tees, south of the city of Durham itself...

 and George Stephenson College
George Stephenson College
Stephenson College is a college of the University of Durham in England, and one of two located at Queen's Campus in Stockton-on-Tees, south of the city of Durham itself...

s. Of these two colleges, the former's namesake was a physician, who became Queen Victoria's obstetrician and most famously located the source of the cholera outbreak in London in 1854.

Queen's Campus is based in Stockton-on-Tees, about 20 miles south of Durham City, where the majority of the University's colleges and departments are based. The University provides free bus services for students and staff with Arriva buses during term-time; journey times average around 45 minutes between Durham and Queen's Campus.

Admissions

The yearly intake quota for medical students at Durham is 102, 95 home student places and 7 Overseas places.

The current conditional offer given to a student taking A-Level examinations is AAA, to include Biology
Biology
Biology is a natural science concerned with the study of life and living organisms, including their structure, function, growth, origin, evolution, distribution, and taxonomy. Biology is a vast subject containing many subdivisions, topics, and disciplines...

 and/or Chemistry
Chemistry
Chemistry is the science of matter, especially its chemical reactions, but also its composition, structure and properties. Chemistry is concerned with atoms and their interactions with other atoms, and particularly with the properties of chemical bonds....

 at A-Level, and whichever may be missing at AS-Level. All applicants from October 2007 entry onwards must take the UKCAT
UKCAT
The UK Clinical Aptitude Test is a test that is beginning to be used in the selection process by a consortium of UK university Medical and Dental Schools. It is run by the UKCAT Consortium in partnership with Pearson VUE...

 prior to applying, an exam aimed at facilitating choosing between similarly high-achieving applicants, akin to the BMAT.

As with all UK Medical Students, successful applicants must have proof of immunity or non-infectivity against Hepatitis B, Diphtheria
Diphtheria
Diphtheria is an upper respiratory tract illness caused by Corynebacterium diphtheriae, a facultative anaerobic, Gram-positive bacterium. It is characterized by sore throat, low fever, and an adherent membrane on the tonsils, pharynx, and/or nasal cavity...

, Polio, Rubella
Rubella
Rubella, commonly known as German measles, is a disease caused by the rubella virus. The name "rubella" is derived from the Latin, meaning little red. Rubella is also known as German measles because the disease was first described by German physicians in the mid-eighteenth century. This disease is...

, Tetanus
Tetanus
Tetanus is a medical condition characterized by a prolonged contraction of skeletal muscle fibers. The primary symptoms are caused by tetanospasmin, a neurotoxin produced by the Gram-positive, rod-shaped, obligate anaerobic bacterium Clostridium tetani...

, Varicella and Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis
Tuberculosis, MTB, or TB is a common, and in many cases lethal, infectious disease caused by various strains of mycobacteria, usually Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Tuberculosis usually attacks the lungs but can also affect other parts of the body...

. Without complete immunisation, offers may be withdrawn.

Admissions for the medical school are managed by Newcastle, and it is to the University of Newcastle (UCAS code: N21 NEWC; Course Code: A100) that all applications are made, specifying a campus preference in the appropriate box of "D" (Queen's Campus, University of Durham), "N" (University of Newcastle) or "E" (Either - an open application where the campus is assigned by the universities).

Assessment

Summative examinations
Summative Assessment
Summative assessment refers to the assessment of the learning and summarizes the development of learners at a particular time. After a period of work, e.g. a unit for two weeks, the learner sits for a test and then the teacher marks the test and assigns a score. The test aims to summarize learning...

 are held in January (first week of the Epiphany term
Epiphany term
Epiphany term is the second academic term of the University of Durham and formerly of the University of Newcastle upon Tyne . The term runs from January to March.-See also:*Michaelmas term...

) and May/June (first week of main examination period, Easter term
Easter term
Easter term is the name of the summer term at the University of Cambridge, the University of Wales, Lampeter, University of Durham, and formerly University of Newcastle upon Tyne , in the United Kingdom...

) of both years. Summative assignments are set throughout both years, in varying formats, such as essay
Essay
An essay is a piece of writing which is often written from an author's personal point of view. Essays can consist of a number of elements, including: literary criticism, political manifestos, learned arguments, observations of daily life, recollections, and reflections of the author. The definition...

s, portfolios or project
Project
A project in business and science is typically defined as a collaborative enterprise, frequently involving research or design, that is carefully planned to achieve a particular aim. Projects can be further defined as temporary rather than permanent social systems that are constituted by teams...

s.

In assessments, students are graded on a four-point scale:
  • M - merit
  • S - satisfactory
  • B - borderline
  • U - unsatisfactory


In order to pass each year, a satisfactory grade in each marking domain must be achieved.

The three domains in which students are assessed are:
  • Skills
    • Clinical and communication skills
  • Knowledge
    • Knowledge and critical thought
  • Professionalism
    • Professional behaviour


Any borderline or unsatisfactory end of year grades are met with resits in August, along with the rest of the University. There is no viva for borderline end of year grades.

Any student with merits in all three domains is entered for an optional viva, where he may be awarded a distinction grade for the year.

Case-Led Curriculum

At Durham, students have the traditional medical sciences taught alongside their clinical relevance. For example, just before learning the physiology
Physiology
Physiology is the science of the function of living systems. This includes how organisms, organ systems, organs, cells, and bio-molecules carry out the chemical or physical functions that exist in a living system. The highest honor awarded in physiology is the Nobel Prize in Physiology or...

 of the lungs, a case was presented about a girl admitted to an Accident and Emergency
Emergency department
An emergency department , also known as accident & emergency , emergency room , emergency ward , or casualty department is a medical treatment facility specialising in acute care of patients who present without prior appointment, either by their own means or by ambulance...

 department with shortness of breath and other symptoms of asthma
Asthma
Asthma is the common chronic inflammatory disease of the airways characterized by variable and recurring symptoms, reversible airflow obstruction, and bronchospasm. Symptoms include wheezing, coughing, chest tightness, and shortness of breath...

. Once the topic has been taught, a "case round-up session" is held, where formative questions are asked, some with more clinical relevance.

The curriculum
Curriculum
See also Syllabus.In formal education, a curriculum is the set of courses, and their content, offered at a school or university. As an idea, curriculum stems from the Latin word for race course, referring to the course of deeds and experiences through which children grow to become mature adults...

 also means that while, for example, learning the physiology of the lungs, their anatomy and embryological development are also taught by other departments (anatomy
Anatomy
Anatomy is a branch of biology and medicine that is the consideration of the structure of living things. It is a general term that includes human anatomy, animal anatomy , and plant anatomy...

 and embryology
Embryology
Embryology is a science which is about the development of an embryo from the fertilization of the ovum to the fetus stage...

 respectively).

The curriculum is broadly taught in the following strands, with some departments spanning many, for example, anatomy and embryology:
  • Cardiovascular, Respiratory and Renal Medicine (CVRR)
  • Medicine in the Community (MiC)
  • Personal and Professional Development (PPD)
  • Life Cycle (LC)
  • Foundation Case (CF)
  • Clinical Sciences and Investigative Medicine (CSIM)
  • Thoughts, Senses and Movements (TSM) (Formerly known as Neurological and Skeletomotor Systems)
  • Nutrition, Metabolism and Endocrinology (NME)
  • Student Selected Component (SSC)


The Foundation Case is only taught in the first three weeks of the course in the first year, and its aim is to integrate the fundamental parts of preclinical medicine. During this time, a sufferer of the disease studied, cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis
Cystic fibrosis is a recessive genetic disease affecting most critically the lungs, and also the pancreas, liver, and intestine...

 (hence the abbreviation CF), pays a visit to the medical school and students pose questions of the disease's impact on the individual and the family. It is also in the Foundation Case that a lot of the microbiology
Microbiology
Microbiology is the study of microorganisms, which are defined as any microscopic organism that comprises either a single cell , cell clusters or no cell at all . This includes eukaryotes, such as fungi and protists, and prokaryotes...

 is taught, and it was here that members of previous years who hadn't taken A-Level Biology (it only became a requirement in 2007) struggled due to the immense amount of assumed knowledge. Since the recent change in admissions criteria, this should no longer be a problem.

This integrated curriculum also has implications for the students, in that they have very early patient contact, some within weeks, in the form of the Family Project, where students follow a pregnant woman through her pregnancy
Pregnancy
Pregnancy refers to the fertilization and development of one or more offspring, known as a fetus or embryo, in a woman's uterus. In a pregnancy, there can be multiple gestations, as in the case of twins or triplets...

 and into the first few months of life of the newborn in groups of two or three, and also in the form of hospital visits.

Members of Staff

Professor APS Hungin OBE is the Dean
Dean (education)
In academic administration, a dean is a person with significant authority over a specific academic unit, or over a specific area of concern, or both...

 of Medicine & Head of the School for Health, and Professor JC McLachlan the Academic Director.

Each strand of the course has a strand leader, and many of those that lecture to the undergraduates are either not from the School for Health (generally Biological and Biomedical Sciences or Anthropology
Anthropology
Anthropology is the study of humanity. It has origins in the humanities, the natural sciences, and the social sciences. The term "anthropology" is from the Greek anthrōpos , "man", understood to mean mankind or humanity, and -logia , "discourse" or "study", and was first used in 1501 by German...

, both of whose courses span both campuses) or are from outside the University (e.g. clinical lecturers are practising clinicians in NHS
National Health Service
The National Health Service is the shared name of three of the four publicly funded healthcare systems in the United Kingdom. They provide a comprehensive range of health services, the vast majority of which are free at the point of use to residents of the United Kingdom...

 hospital
Hospital
A hospital is a health care institution providing patient treatment by specialized staff and equipment. Hospitals often, but not always, provide for inpatient care or longer-term patient stays....

s).

Strand Leaders:
  • Dr. S Forrest - MiC and Life Cycle Stage 2
  • Dr M Sawdon - CVRR
  • DR RP Yeo - NME
  • Dr J Macnaughton - PPD
  • Dr P Denny - CSIM
  • Dr JL Donnelly & Dr D Patten- TSM
  • Dr A Chaytor - Foundation Case
  • Mrs. J Barbaro-Brown - Life Cycle Stage 1


A list of staff that work in the School is available http://www.dur.ac.uk/school.health/staffmembers/.

Anatomy

Anatomy is taught in the strands of respective systems by the Anatomy team. Before each anatomy session - primarily in the Dissection Room - anatomy workbooks are placed on DUO for you to print out for completion prior to each taught session. This is to facilitate learning and to have a reference text for revision.

The current anatomy staff is:
  • Dr D Patten
  • Dr JL Donnelly
  • Dr GM Finn
  • Mrs PM White

In addition to the above, Dr M Griksaitis, a recent graduate of the University of Newcastle Medical School, who completed Phase 1 of his medical degree at Queen's Campus, frequently assists, as do other locally based clinicians, especially surgeons.

Progression from Durham

After completing the two-year preclinical course at Queen's Campus, the vast majority of students join their University of Newcastle contemporaries in one of four base units in the North East of England for their clinical teaching:
  • Teesside
    Teesside
    Teesside is the name given to the conurbation in the north east of England made up of the towns of Middlesbrough, Stockton-on-Tees, Redcar, Billingham and surrounding settlements near the River Tees. It was also the name of a local government district between 1968 and 1974—the County Borough of...

  • Wearside
    Wearside
    Wearside is an area of north east England, centred on the continuous urban area formed by Sunderland, Seaham and other settlements by the River Wear. Mackems is a nickname used for the people of Wearside....

  • Tyneside
    Tyneside
    Tyneside is a conurbation in North East England, defined by the Office of National Statistics, which is home to over 80% of the population of Tyne and Wear. It includes the city of Newcastle upon Tyne and the Metropolitan Boroughs of Gateshead, North Tyneside and South Tyneside — all settlements on...

  • Northumbria
    Northumberland
    Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...



Students have the chance to assign preferences for stage 3 (phase 2) base units, with Newcastle University providing randomization and assignment based on student preference, and their place in the generated list. Options are provided to swap assigned base units with another student of the same stage if both parties are willing. It is not possible to go to the same base unit for stage 3 and stage 5 unless a case is presented to Newcastle medical school for this requirement.

There is the opportunity to intercalate a BSc after the second year, be it at the University of Durham or the University of Newcastle. The possibility also exists after the 4th year to complete a masters degree at Newcastle University, or, if permission is given by Newcastle University, at an external institution.

After successful completion of Phase 2 (Years 3-5), the University of Newcastle confers the degrees MB BS (Medicinæ Baccalaureus and Bachelor of Surgery) upon students

UDQC MedSoc

UDQC (University of Durham Queen's Campus) Medsoc
Medsoc
MedSocs are the students' unions for the 32 medical schools in the UK. It is their remit to look after the educational, pastoral, social and representational needs of the 7,000 medical students in the UK.- History :...

 (Medical Society) plays an integral role in the lives of students on Queen's Campus, organising nights out to Durham
Durham
Durham is a city in north east England. It is within the County Durham local government district, and is the county town of the larger ceremonial county...

 and Newcastle
Newcastle upon Tyne
Newcastle upon Tyne is a city and metropolitan borough of Tyne and Wear, in North East England. Historically a part of Northumberland, it is situated on the north bank of the River Tyne...

, but also raising money for charities like Marrow UK. Events organised by UDQC MedSoc are held in such high regard that students studying other courses attend, despite the higher fee for non-MedSoc members.

It also has many sports teams, which, despite the small size of the medical school (both in terms of numbers of years and yearly intake) are on par with many, much larger, medical schools.

MedSoc also produces an alternative welcome pack for 1st years before they arrive in October, which also gives a student's perspective of the recommended texts.

Links

  • Newcastle University Medical School
  • http://www.dur.ac.uk/school.health/
  • http://medical.faculty.ncl.ac.uk/
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