Applied Health (Medical Education) BSc

Course overview

All newly qualified doctors are expected to “work effectively and appropriately as a mentor and teacher for other learners in the multi-professional team” (General Medical Council, 2018). The BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) will help you to become an effective medical educator now and in the future. You will engage with important issues and theories in medical education, develop medical education research skills and understanding, and gain valuable teaching practice and experience, so that you can become an inspiring and impactful educator.

At the end of the course, you will be able to:

• Deploy educational theory, principles, and evidence to inform teaching and assessment plans, teaching practice and educational research

• Identify an important medical education research question and develop an appropriate research design, defending own methodological choices and considering ethical dimensions

• Identify implications of your own research for educational practice and/or research and reflect on any uncertainties, limitations, or complexities that emerged during the research process

• Teach and support learning, implement learning activities to enable understanding and engagement, and address intended learning outcomes

• Explain the principles, systems, stakeholders and societal trends that inform medical education curricula

• Explain the rationale for using a range of different assessment methods in medical education, including theoretical justification

• Employ a curious, questioning, and critical stance in relation to academic literature, received opinion and established educational practice

• Seek, evaluate and use feedback to develop reflective practice as an educator and scholar

• Communicate clearly and persuasively in written, oral, and digital formats, selecting appropriate techniques and tools for the topic, situation, and audience.

Facilities

The BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) is taught by staff from the Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME) and the Leeds Institute of Health Sciences (LIHS).

As a medical education student, you will have access to the academic resources of the Leeds Institute of Medical Education (LIME), including expertise in areas such as GMC educational requirements, curriculum development, assessment, educational research methods, and statistical support.

LIME is one of the leading medical education units within the UK, and research produced by LIME has influenced medical education research, policy and practice locally, nationally and internationally. Members of LIME have particular research interests and strengths in assessment of competence, transitions and performance in medicine and the use of technology to enhance learning and teaching. LIME provides an encouraging and supportive culture to foster the research development of students and staff.

As a graduate of the BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education), you will be eligible to apply for associate fellowship of Advance HE through the University’s PRiSE (Professional Recognition in Student Education) scheme.

Course details

You will undertake modules about learning and teaching, curriculum development, assessment strategies and research methods relevant to medical education. Throughout the course, you will attend placement in various learning environments, and be supported to develop and undertake a medical education research project.

Across these modules, you will be challenged to engage with contemporary issues in medical and wider education and consider how these impact on an emerging generation of doctors. Independent and critical learning and thinking is encouraged and fostered and you are supported to discover and develop your own interests in medical education.

Course Structure

The modules shown below represent typical content/components and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions

Year One

Learning and Teaching – an introduction to methods and theories concerning education and learning

Meeting the Objectives: Appraisal and Assessment - learn about assessment methods in medical education; critique the place of appraisal and assessment in undergraduate and post-graduate Medical Education and identify theoretical principles of feedback, appraisal and assessment.

Approaches to Curriculum Development – Policy and Practice - an introduction to the principles of curriculum development, including underpinning learning and teaching theory and the impact of policy; learn to recognise the role of organisations such as the GMC in influencing undergraduate and postgraduate medical education.

Medical Education Placement - experience different types of learning and teaching delivered to undergraduate and postgraduate doctors. Practice and develop your teaching skills through regular delivery (or assisting delivery) of a variety of teaching sessions to a range of health professions and levels of experience.

Medical Education Research Project - this module equips you with the knowledge, skills, support and experience to undertake medical education research that is relevant, robust, and can inform future medical education practice and research.

Transforming Medical Education: Opportunities and Challenges - contemporary issues in healthcare and opportunities and challenges for addressing through education; GMC history and politics; Critical pedagogies for promoting change.

Learning and teaching

Teaching on the course aims to be interactive and is mostly delivered through small group-work supported through our online learning environment. One to one meetings with research and educational supervisors further support you in developing your identity as an educator. The importance of active learning is emphasised across all modules and the course team teach and role model inclusive practice.

Across all modules, there is an emphasis on promoting interaction, discussion, and the development of critical thinking and creativity. Placement visits are arranged at the University of Leeds and neighbouring medical schools and clinical teaching environments. You are encouraged and supported to address new and emerging areas of concern in medical education through your research project.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

On this course you’ll be taught by our expert academics, from lecturers through to professors. You may also be taught by industry professionals with years of experience, as well as trained postgraduate researchers, connecting you to some of the brightest minds on campus.

Assessment

Assessment is continuous throughout the year, using a variety of assessment methods to reflect activities you will encounter as a scholarly educator in the future. These include individual and group presentations, teaching performance assessments, debates, essays and a research dissertation. As part of the placement module, you will prepare an educational portfolio and reflect on your teaching in the style of an application for fellowship of Advance HE (Higher Education qualification)

Entry requirements

Other course specific tests:

This intercalated BSc is only open to medical students, who have completed at least two years of undergraduate medical training. Undergraduate students from the University of Leeds and other universities are welcome to apply.

Application to this course is a competitive process and those students with education and research experience will be favoured.

International Foundation Year

International students who do not meet the academic requirements for undergraduate study may be able to study the University of Leeds International Foundation Year. This gives you the opportunity to study on campus, be taught by University of Leeds academics and progress onto a wide range of Leeds undergraduate courses. Find out more about International Foundation Year programmes.

Fees

UK: £9,250 (per year)

International: £30,250 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2024/25
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students are set by the UK Government and will be £9,250 for students starting in 2024/25.

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation only, as a consequence of future changes in Government legislation and as permitted by law.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2025/26
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2025/26 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. When the fee is available we will update individual course pages.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2024/25 and 2025/26
Tuition fees for international students for 2024/25 are available on individual course pages. Fees for students starting in 2025/26 will be available from September 2024.

Read more about paying fees and charges.

There may be additional costs related to your course or programme of study, or related to being a student at the University of Leeds. Read more on our living costs and budgeting page.

Scholarships and financial support

Read about possible financial support for intercalation on the School of Medicine website.

Applying

Read about applying for intercalation on the School of Medicine website.

All Leeds medical/dental students wishing to intercalate at Leeds University must complete the relevant application form indicating a first, second and third choice of programme.

Medical students from other universities may apply for entry to this programme by contacting the Programme Coordinator in the first instance.

Selection principles

Application to intercalated programmes at the University of Leeds is a competitive process based on the student’s academic profile. The number of places available on each course differs yearly and students are not guaranteed a place. For internal students, it is expected that the majority of students will be given one of their specified choices. If demand for a particular programme exceeds the places available, a clearing exercise will be initiated for unallocated students who wish to obtain a place on another degree programme.

Students applying to the BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) are ranked based on their academic profile and evidence of a keen interest in medical education, along with education and/or research experience (as demonstrated in their supporting statements).

Contact us

Applied Health (Medical Education) Admissions

Email: iBScAHS@leeds.ac.uk
Telephone:

Career opportunities

Graduates from the BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) are well placed for careers in medical education and medical education research. This course serves as an excellent foundation for postgraduate programmes, such as the PGCert, PGDiploma and MEd in Clinical Education programmes at the University of Leeds, Specialised Foundation programmes in medical education, or a PhD on a medical education topic.

As a graduate of the BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) you are welcome to join the community of medical education scholars at the Leeds Institute of Medical Education.

Study abroad and work placements

The course includes a 30-credit placement module, in which students attend and reflect on teaching and learning sessions in and around Leeds. Possible placement locations include University of Leeds MBChB teaching rooms, clinical teaching environments, and local medical schools. By the end of your studies, you are expected to have gained some experience in teaching and in critically appraising medical education practice, policy, and research.

You will also develop and undertake a research project on a topic pertinent to medical education, with the support of a research supervisor. Recent graduates have completed research on topics such as clinical placement learning, surgical teaching, social accountability in medical education and the arts in medical education.