University of Aberdeen, School of Medicine
Encyclopedia
Aberdeen University Medical School is a school of the College of Life Sciences and Medicine
at the University of Aberdeen
. Medicine has been taught at the university
since the founding of King's College
in 1495. Indeed, the university has been described as the first medical school in Scotland and even the English
speaking world. Nevertheless, this assertion has been called into question as medical teaching already existed at Oxford and London and even as late as 1787 there were calls "for the establishment of a medical school" in Aberdeen. As of 2008 the Medical School takes 162 British students per year and an additional 13 from overseas .
for Teaching & Learning on the Foresterhill
site in Aberdeen. The main teaching hospitals are Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
, the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
, Woodend Hospital
and the Royal Cornhill Hospital
. Teaching is also provided in Inverness
, mainly at Raigmore Hospital
and in Elgin
at Dr Gray's Hospital
, as well as at various other hospitals in the Highlands and Islands
.
of the School is Professor
Michael Greaves, a Consultant
Haematologist. There are two active Regius Professor
ships, the Regius Chair of Medicine
and Regius Chair of Surgery
. The Regius Chairs of Midwifery
and Anatomy
are in abeyance
.
programme in Health Science.
Postgraduate degrees are offered as taught courses, generally leading to the degree of Master of Science
(MSc), and as research degrees either at a master's (MSc, MRes, ChM
) level or at doctoral (PhD
, MD
) level.
medical schools, Aberdeen offers a five-year programme, leading to the award of the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, MB ChB. Most teaching is traditional and didactic and problem-based learning
is used rarely, unlike in Glasgow
. The course is divided into four Phases, detailed below. There is also the opportunity to undertake a further year of study to gain a BSc (Hons) in Medical Science.
After a short Basic Science in Medicine course including lectures in physiology
and biochemistry
, lecture courses and anatomy sessions on each different system address all normal aspects. These are complemented by practical sessions. The Community Course takes place one morning a week. Small groups of students are taught at local general practices and encounter the many services for ensuring health in the community. For example, pairs of students visit a family with a newborn at home. The Communications Course involves small group tutorials and role play in the Clinical Skills Centre. A 4 week Student Selected Component allows small groups to choose from a wide range of healthcare topics, carry out in-depth research and report and present their findings.
In Phase I students begin to acquire understanding of the medical sciences which underpin medicine, the skills for effective self learning, and professional communication and attitudes appropriate to the profession.
After an introductory Principles of Disease course, lecture courses on each different system (gastrointestinal, respiratory etc) address all abnormal aspects, viz, diseases. The Community Course continues one morning a week but now the emphasis is on disease, disability and rehabilitation in the community. Two Medical Interviewing and Communications Courses involve small group tutorials, role play with ‘simulated patients’ including personal video sessions, in the Clinical Skills Centre. Clinical skills teaching and practice occur 2 mornings a week in the Clinical Skills Centre and the wards where students become adept at communication and clinical examination of patients. In two 4 week Student Selected Components, small groups choose from a wide range of topics on the molecular basis of medicine and then, population based disease. The groups carry out in-depth research, report and present their findings.
In Phase II, students are introduced to the concept of diseases and their general effects on patients, along with basic aspects of their investigation and management.
The phase begins with a Student Selected Component exploring ethical issues. The subsequent period consists of nine five-week clinical blocks organised partly by body system, e.g. alimentary or urinary, and partly by the ‘multi-disciplines’, Child Health and General Practice. During this phase students observe the theory from Phase II being put in to clinical practise in clinics and on wards and you will come into close contact with patients and relatives.
In Phase III, students develop their diagnosis and management skills for both individual patients and patient populations of all ages, with medical conditions affecting any of the body systems.
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Phase IV is very much an apprentice year where students prepare for the competent, safe, effective and professional practice of medicine as a Foundation House Officer
. The phase comprises four courses. In these, students have the opportunity to explore clinical areas that are of particular personal interest, whilst practising under supervision, a range of core skills common to all areas of medical training. The remaining course is a project based elective on a medical topic, often undertaken overseas.
BScMedSci (Hons)
in Medical Science, usually at the end of Phase II. The programme, which comprises both taught and research elements, is one year long and allows study in depth of an area of biomedical or clinical science. Appropriate training is provided. Each student works on an individual research project of their choice. By the end of the programme students are able to undertake and critically evaluate research and understand the basic principles of research methodology.
was a society set-up originally to bring medical students together in a social capacity. It is the oldest Aberdeen University Student Society and today has over 600 members. Annual social activities include Beerienteering, Medsoc Ball, Doctors v Medics Sports Day, Medsoc Revue and most recently a Fashion Show with proceeds going to a local children's charity.
University of Aberdeen, College of Life Sciences and Medicine
The College of Life Sciences and Medicine is one of three academic colleges at the University of Aberdeen. It consists of four schools plus the graduate school...
at the University of Aberdeen
University of Aberdeen
The University of Aberdeen, an ancient university founded in 1495, in Aberdeen, Scotland, is a British university. It is the third oldest university in Scotland, and the fifth oldest in the United Kingdom and wider English-speaking world...
. Medicine has been taught at the university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
since the founding of King's College
King's College, Aberdeen
King's College in Old Aberdeen, Scotland is a formerly independent university founded in 1495 and an integral part of the University of Aberdeen...
in 1495. Indeed, the university has been described as the first medical school in Scotland and even the English
English language
English is a West Germanic language that arose in the Anglo-Saxon kingdoms of England and spread into what was to become south-east Scotland under the influence of the Anglian medieval kingdom of Northumbria...
speaking world. Nevertheless, this assertion has been called into question as medical teaching already existed at Oxford and London and even as late as 1787 there were calls "for the establishment of a medical school" in Aberdeen. As of 2008 the Medical School takes 162 British students per year and an additional 13 from overseas .
Divisions
The School of Medicine and Dentistry is made up of three divisions:- Division of Medical and Dental Education
- Division of Applied Health Sciences
- Division of Applied Medicine
Units
- Centre for Rural Health
- Dugald Baird Centre for Research on Women's Health
- Health Economics Research Unit
- Health Services Research Unit
Former Departments
- Child Health
- Environmental & Occupational Medicine
- General Practice & Primary Care
- Medical Microbiology
- Medicine & Therapeutics
- Mental Health
- Obstetrics & Gynaecology
- Ophthalmology
- Pathology
- Public Health
- Radiology
- Surgery
Locations
Today, the school is based in the newly built Suttie CentreSuttie Centre
The Suttie Centre is a purpose-built training centre on the Foresterhill hospital campus in Aberdeen.-Facilities:The Suttie Centre for Teaching & Learning is a partnership between the University of Aberdeen and NHS Grampian. Designed by Edinburgh architects Bennetts Associates, the £20 million,...
for Teaching & Learning on the Foresterhill
Foresterhill
Foresterhill is an area in the city of Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the site of the city's main hospitals , as well as the medical school and medical science departments of the University of Aberdeen...
site in Aberdeen. The main teaching hospitals are Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary
Aberdeen Royal Infirmary or ARI is a teaching hospital on the Foresterhill site in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is run by NHS Grampian and has around 900 beds. ARI is a tertiary referral hospital serving a population of over 600,000 across the North of Scotland...
, Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
Aberdeen Maternity Hospital
Aberdeen Maternity Hospital or AMH is a specialist maternity hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. The buildings date from the late 1940s but have been updated and modernised since. It is part of the Aberdeen Joint Hospitals Scheme, envisaged by Professor Matthew Hay in the early 20th century. Between...
, the Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital
The Royal Aberdeen Children's Hospital or RACH is a children's hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is situated on the Foresterhill site, with the Aberdeen Royal Infirmary and Aberdeen Maternity Hospital...
, Woodend Hospital
Woodend Hospital
Woodend Hospital is a hospital in the Woodend/Summerhill area of Aberdeen, Scotland. Previously a general hospital, it now provides elective orthopaedic surgery, rehabilitation and care of the elderly in conjunction with the other hospitals in NHS Grampian....
and the Royal Cornhill Hospital
Royal Cornhill Hospital
The Royal Cornhill Hospital is a psychiatric hospital in Aberdeen, Scotland. It is the main centre for the treatment of people with mental health problems in Grampian.The hospital is situated on Westburn Road, East of the Foresterhill site....
. Teaching is also provided in Inverness
Inverness
Inverness is a city in the Scottish Highlands. It is the administrative centre for the Highland council area, and is regarded as the capital of the Highlands of Scotland...
, mainly at Raigmore Hospital
Raigmore Hospital
Raigmore Hospital in Inverness is the main hospital in the area of NHS Highland Health Board. It serves patients from its own and adjacent Community Health Partnership areas as well as those from adjacent Health Board areas. It is also a teaching hospital in association with the Universities of...
and in Elgin
Elgin, Moray
Elgin is a former cathedral city and Royal Burgh in Moray, Scotland. It is the administrative and commercial centre for Moray. The town originated to the south of the River Lossie on the higher ground above the flood plain. Elgin is first documented in the Cartulary of Moray in 1190...
at Dr Gray's Hospital
Dr Gray's Hospital
Dr. Gray's Hospital is the smallest District General Hospital in Scotland. It is in Elgin, Moray, and is part of NHS Grampian. It is also part of the Moray Community Health and Social Care Partnership ....
, as well as at various other hospitals in the Highlands and Islands
Highlands and Islands
The Highlands and Islands of Scotland are broadly the Scottish Highlands plus Orkney, Shetland and the Hebrides.The Highlands and Islands are sometimes defined as the area to which the Crofters' Act of 1886 applied...
.
People
The current DeanDean (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 the School is Professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
Michael Greaves, a Consultant
Consultant (medicine)
In the United Kingdom, Republic of Ireland, and parts of the Commonwealth, consultant is the title of a senior doctor who has completed all of his or her specialist training and been placed on the specialist register in their chosen specialty...
Haematologist. There are two active Regius Professor
Regius Professor
Regius Professorships are "royal" professorships at the ancient universities of the United Kingdom and Ireland - namely Oxford, Cambridge, St Andrews, Glasgow, Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Dublin. Each of the chairs was created by a monarch, and each appointment, save those at Dublin, is approved by the...
ships, the Regius Chair of Medicine
Regius Professor of Medicine (Aberdeen)
-Holders:*1912-1928 Professor Sir Ashley MacIntosh*1994-2009 Professor Andrew Rees*2009-present Professor Michael P. FrenneauxThis list is incomplete-See also:* Regius Professor of Medicine** Regius Professor of Physic...
and Regius Chair of Surgery
Regius Professor of Surgery (Aberdeen)
The Regius Professor of Surgery is a Regius professorship held at the University of Aberdeen. The position was created by Queen Victoria in 1839 and was originally a professorship at Marischal College, until it amalgamated with King's College in 1860 to become the University of Aberdeen.-Holders:*...
. The Regius Chairs of Midwifery
Midwifery
Midwifery is a health care profession in which providers offer care to childbearing women during pregnancy, labour and birth, and during the postpartum period. They also help care for the newborn and assist the mother with breastfeeding....
and Anatomy
Regius Professor of Anatomy (Aberdeen)
The Regius Professor of Anatomy is a Regius Professorship at the University of Aberdeen....
are in abeyance
Abeyance
Abeyance is a state of expectancy in respect of property, titles or office, when the right to them is not vested in any one person, but awaits the appearance or determination of the true owner. In law, the term abeyance can only be applied to such future estates as have not yet vested or possibly...
.
Division of Medical and Dental Education
The University of Aberdeen offers undergraduate courses in medicine (MB ChB), dentistry (BDS) and a BScBachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
programme in Health Science.
Postgraduate degrees are offered as taught courses, generally leading to the degree of Master of Science
Master of Science
A Master of Science is a postgraduate academic master's degree awarded by universities in many countries. The degree is typically studied for in the sciences including the social sciences.-Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay:...
(MSc), and as research degrees either at a master's (MSc, MRes, ChM
CHM
-Museums:* Chicago History Museum, founded in 1856 to study and interpret Chicago's history* Computer History Museum, established in 1996 in Mountain View, California, dedicated to preserving and presenting the stories and artifacts of the information age, and exploring the computing revolution and...
) level or at doctoral (PhD
PHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
, MD
Doctor of Medicine
Doctor of Medicine is a doctoral degree for physicians. The degree is granted by medical schools...
) level.
MB ChB course structure
In common with other ScottishScotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
medical schools, Aberdeen offers a five-year programme, leading to the award of the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery, MB ChB. Most teaching is traditional and didactic and problem-based learning
Problem-based learning
Problem-based learning is a student-centered pedagogy in which students learn about a subject in the context of complex, multifaceted, and realistic problems...
is used rarely, unlike in Glasgow
Glasgow Medical School
Glasgow School of Medicine is the medical school of the University of Glasgow and is one of the largest in Europe, offering a 5 year MBChB degree course. The School of Medicine is renowned for its integrated learning approach and strong international research links...
. The course is divided into four Phases, detailed below. There is also the opportunity to undertake a further year of study to gain a BSc (Hons) in Medical Science.
Phase I
Year 1: Fundamentals of Medical SciencesAfter a short Basic Science in Medicine course including lectures in 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...
and biochemistry
Biochemistry
Biochemistry, sometimes called biological chemistry, is the study of chemical processes in living organisms, including, but not limited to, living matter. Biochemistry governs all living organisms and living processes...
, lecture courses and anatomy sessions on each different system address all normal aspects. These are complemented by practical sessions. The Community Course takes place one morning a week. Small groups of students are taught at local general practices and encounter the many services for ensuring health in the community. For example, pairs of students visit a family with a newborn at home. The Communications Course involves small group tutorials and role play in the Clinical Skills Centre. A 4 week Student Selected Component allows small groups to choose from a wide range of healthcare topics, carry out in-depth research and report and present their findings.
In Phase I students begin to acquire understanding of the medical sciences which underpin medicine, the skills for effective self learning, and professional communication and attitudes appropriate to the profession.
Phase II
Year 2 & two thirds of Year 3: Principles of Clinical MedicineAfter an introductory Principles of Disease course, lecture courses on each different system (gastrointestinal, respiratory etc) address all abnormal aspects, viz, diseases. The Community Course continues one morning a week but now the emphasis is on disease, disability and rehabilitation in the community. Two Medical Interviewing and Communications Courses involve small group tutorials, role play with ‘simulated patients’ including personal video sessions, in the Clinical Skills Centre. Clinical skills teaching and practice occur 2 mornings a week in the Clinical Skills Centre and the wards where students become adept at communication and clinical examination of patients. In two 4 week Student Selected Components, small groups choose from a wide range of topics on the molecular basis of medicine and then, population based disease. The groups carry out in-depth research, report and present their findings.
In Phase II, students are introduced to the concept of diseases and their general effects on patients, along with basic aspects of their investigation and management.
Phase III
Year 3 (remaining third) & Year 4: Specialist Clinical PracticeThe phase begins with a Student Selected Component exploring ethical issues. The subsequent period consists of nine five-week clinical blocks organised partly by body system, e.g. alimentary or urinary, and partly by the ‘multi-disciplines’, Child Health and General Practice. During this phase students observe the theory from Phase II being put in to clinical practise in clinics and on wards and you will come into close contact with patients and relatives.
In Phase III, students develop their diagnosis and management skills for both individual patients and patient populations of all ages, with medical conditions affecting any of the body systems.
Phase IV
Year 5: Professional PracticePhase IV is very much an apprentice year where students prepare for the competent, safe, effective and professional practice of medicine as a Foundation House Officer
Foundation House Officer
A Foundation Doctor is a grade of medical practitioner in the United Kingdom undertaking the Foundation Programme - a two-year, general postgraduate medical training programme which forms the bridge between medical school and specialist/general practice training...
. The phase comprises four courses. In these, students have the opportunity to explore clinical areas that are of particular personal interest, whilst practising under supervision, a range of core skills common to all areas of medical training. The remaining course is a project based elective on a medical topic, often undertaken overseas.
Intercalated degree
The Division of Medical and Dental Education also offers an intercalatedIntercalation (university administration)
Intercalation, in the context of university administration, is a period when a student is officially suspended from studying for an academic degree. The grounds for intercalation to be granted are varied, though most commonly they are on compassionate or medical grounds...
BScMedSci (Hons)
Bachelor of Science
A Bachelor of Science is an undergraduate academic degree awarded for completed courses that generally last three to five years .-Australia:In Australia, the BSc is a 3 year degree, offered from 1st year on...
in Medical Science, usually at the end of Phase II. The programme, which comprises both taught and research elements, is one year long and allows study in depth of an area of biomedical or clinical science. Appropriate training is provided. Each student works on an individual research project of their choice. By the end of the programme students are able to undertake and critically evaluate research and understand the basic principles of research methodology.
Medical Society (Medsoc)
Aberdeen MedsocMedsoc
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 :...
was a society set-up originally to bring medical students together in a social capacity. It is the oldest Aberdeen University Student Society and today has over 600 members. Annual social activities include Beerienteering, Medsoc Ball, Doctors v Medics Sports Day, Medsoc Revue and most recently a Fashion Show with proceeds going to a local children's charity.
Famous alumni
- Robert BrownRobert Brown (botanist)Robert Brown was a Scottish botanist and palaeobotanist who made important contributions to botany largely through his pioneering use of the microscope...
- discoverer of Brownian motionBrownian motionBrownian motion or pedesis is the presumably random drifting of particles suspended in a fluid or the mathematical model used to describe such random movements, which is often called a particle theory.The mathematical model of Brownian motion has several real-world applications... - Sir Graeme CattoGraeme CattoSir Graeme Robertson Dawson Catto, MB ChB , MD , DSc, FKC, FRCP, FRCGP, FRCSE, FFPM, FMedSci, FRSE is a Scottish doctor who was President, later Chair, of the General Medical Council until April 2009...
— president of the General Medical CouncilGeneral Medical CouncilThe General Medical Council registers and regulates doctors practising in the United Kingdom. It has the power to revoke or restrict a doctor's registration if it deems them unfit to practise... - John James Richard MacleodJohn James Richard MacleodJohn James Rickard Macleod FRS was a Scottish physician and physiologist. He was noted as one of the co-discoverers of insulin and awarded the Nobel Prize for this discovery.-Biography:...
— co-discoverer of insulin and Nobel PrizeNobel PrizeThe Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
winner - Sir Patrick MansonPatrick MansonSir Patrick Manson was a Scottish physician who made important discoveries in parasitology and was the founder of the tropical medicine field....
— "Father of Tropical Medicine" - Sir Alexander OgstonAlexander OgstonSir Alexander Ogston KCVO MB CM MD was a Scottish surgeon, famous for his discovery of Staphylococcus aureus. He was born in Aberdeen in 1844 and died there in 1929. He was the eldest son of Prof. Francis Ogston .-University of Aberdeen:...
— discoverer of Staphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureusStaphylococcus aureus is a facultative anaerobic Gram-positive coccal bacterium. It is frequently found as part of the normal skin flora on the skin and nasal passages. It is estimated that 20% of the human population are long-term carriers of S. aureus. S. aureus is the most common species of... - The Very Reverend Professor Gordon McPhate - Dean of Chester CathedralChester CathedralChester Cathedral is the mother church of the Church of England Diocese of Chester, and is located in the city of Chester, Cheshire, England. The cathedral, formerly St Werburgh's abbey church of a Benedictine monastery, is dedicated to Christ and the Blessed Virgin Mary...