Applied Health (Medical Education) Intercalated BSc

Medical education is an exciting specialty which is still relatively new. All doctors are now required to “reflect, learn and teach others” (GMC, 2009). The BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) will help prepare you to become a medical educator of the future, whether in a clinical or university setting. You will be exposed to important issues and theories in medical education, develop medical education research skills and understanding, and gain valuable teaching practice and experience.

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

• appreciate the principles of educational theory and its practical application in learning, teaching, and assessment
• demonstrate development of critical insight into a range of pedagogies for studying medical education
• appreciate the importance of recent trends in medical education including its international dimensions, equity and social inclusion and access and participation in medical education
• demonstrate teaching and assessment skills using a variety of approaches and demonstrate appropriate and timely application of these skills
• demonstrate knowledge of the principles of qualitative and quantitative research methodology and their application to the design of educational research projects
• demonstrate the knowledge, skills, and confidence to undertake future scholarship in the area of medical education
• demonstrate understanding of medical education policy, changing trends in education nationally and internationally and the role of organisations such as the GMC
• demonstrate understanding of how to become professional educators demonstrating professionalism.

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.

In the early terms, you will undertake modules about learning and teaching, curriculum development, assessment strategies, research methods relevant to medical education, and health systems. 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 learning and thinking is encouraged.

Course structure

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

For more information and a full list of typical modules available on this course, please read Applied Health (Medical Education) BSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

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. Class sizes vary, depending on the module. Some modules are open only to students in the medical education specialty, others are core modules undertaken with students from other specialties in the Applied Health suite.

Across all modules, there is an emphasis on small group teaching to promote interaction, discussion, and the development of critical appraisal skills. Placement visits are arranged at the University of Leeds and neighbouring medical schools and clinical teaching environments.

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; a variety of methods are employed, including essays, poster and oral presentations, a debate, a literature review, a research project report, reflective logs and portfolios.

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.

How to apply

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).

Fees

UK/EU: See fees section below

International: £23,750 (per year)

Undergraduate tuition fees for 2020 entry 
For UK and non-UK EU full-time students starting in 2020, the fee for 2020/21 will be £9,250. 

The fee may increase in future years of your course in line with inflation, and as permitted by law. Fees for UK and non-UK EU undergraduate students are decided by Government and may vary if policy changes.

The UK government has confirmed that non-UK EU students starting in the 2020/21 academic year will have home fee status and be eligible for UK government student loans for the duration of their course. The UK government has not confirmed the situation for future years, so keep checking our website for updates.

UK undergraduate tuition fees for 2021 entry 
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2021/22 have not yet been confirmed by the UK government. In other years, the government has confirmed fee levels in summer. When the fee is confirmed, we will publish an update on this website.

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 about additional costs

Financial support

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

Graduates from the BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) are well placed for careers in medical education and medical education research. The BSc in Applied Health (Medical Education) serves as an excellent foundation for postgraduate programmes, such as the PGCert and MEd in Clinical Education programmes at the University of Leeds 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.

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 leadership and management training.