Clinical Anatomy Intercalated BSc

A sound knowledge and understanding of human anatomy is required in almost all medical specialities, not simply in the obvious disciplines like surgery, pathology and radiology. The BSc Clinical Anatomy provides the opportunity for extensive hands-on study of anatomy in the dissecting room supported by lectures, tutorials and seminars in areas including gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, medical imaging and medical embryology.

The anatomy team is small and friendly. We work very closely with the intercalating anatomy students and get to know them very well.

Students on this degree programme have gone on to give oral or poster presentations at national meetings; some have won awards for these presentations.

Each student will carry out extensive detailed dissections, initially in small groups of 2-3 and then individually. The Anatomy staff will always be on-hand to guide you, and you shouldn't be concerned if you haven't done any dissection before - the course is designed to provide you with the necessary skills. This core practical experience is supplemented by lectures, tutorials, seminars and other forms of learning, covering not just gross anatomy but also medical embryology, neuroanatomy and medical imaging. The modules offered build substantially on the anatomical learning you will have done earlier in your medical programme. In all cases, the anatomy is put into a clinical context.

The practical element of the programme is carefully constructed to facilitate the transition from the group working you may have experienced in the dissection room as a medical undergraduate to individual study and the preparation of exhibition-quality specimens as part of the Clinical Anatomy Project module. The latter allows you to study in detail aspects of anatomy relevant to a clinical condition or surgical procedure; for example, you might compare the structures at risk during different surgical approaches used in the treatment of a particular condition or investigate the anatomical reasons why a particular mode of treatment may fail in a proportion of patients even though they all have substantially similar disease. Recent project titles include:

• Clinical outcomes of carpal tunnel release with and without opposition transfer
• Operative management of medial epicondyle fractures
• Surgical management of splenic injuries
• Pancreatic transplant surgery with and without concomitant kidney transplant
• A comparison of three different injection sites for the anaesthesia of the anterior abdominal wall
• The key anatomical landmarks for retrograde identification and dissection of the facial nerve in parotid surgery
• Lung vasculature: Pulmonary and bronchial artery and vein variation and significance for lobe resection
• Neurovascular structures in the gluteal region (with reference to hip arthroplasty)
• The structures involved in uterine transplantation
• The anatomy of toe-to-thumb transfers
• Safe corridors for fine wire fixation of the distal tibia in relation to the peroneal nerve: an anatomic study
• An anatomical Study of the Brachial Plexus and Surrounding Structures for Ultrasound Guided Regional Anaesthesia with Special Reference to Pectoral and Intercostobrachial Nerve Blocks
• The anterolateral ligament of the knee: does it exist and what is its importance in knee injuries?
• Structures at risk during the extreme lateral (trans-psoas) approach to the lumbar spine
• Students are able to suggest their own project title if they wish.

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 Clinical Anatomy BSc in the course catalogue

Modules

Year 1

Discovery modules

Throughout your degree you will benefit from a range of opportunities to expand your intellectual horizons outside or within your subject area.

This course gives you the opportunity to choose from a range of discovery modules. They’re a great way to tailor your study around your interests or career aspirations and help you stand out from the crowd when you graduate. Find out more about discovery modules on our Broadening webpages.

Learning and teaching

Learning is centred on practical sessions, tutorials, seminars and lectures, supplemented by extensive individual study.

Facilities

Intercalating students have access to a well-equipped dissecting room. As well as basic instruments, the facilities are equipped with operating tables and lighting, an operating microscope, laparoscopic stacks, and extensive a.v. facilitlies including a powerwall. As well as formalin-fixed material, we are able to provide Thiel-embalmed specimens; the University of Leeds is one of only four centres in the UK where such specimens are available.

We hold a collection of over 4000 anatomy and pathology museum specimens, including some that have played key roles in the understanding of surgical anatomy and in the development of modern surgical techniques.

We have extensive connections with the Leeds Teaching Hospitals Trust; many students conduct their clinical anatomy project in collaboration with a consultant clinician.

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 by a combination of coursework, written and spot-test examinations. Coursework elements include poster and oral presentations, dissection and the preparation of a dissertation.

Dissection skills are not assessed in semester 1. However, the quality of the specimens produced is an important element in the assessment of the Clinical Anatomy Project module taken in semester 2.

Entry requirements

Other course specific tests:

Successful completion of the first two years of an MBChB programme (or equivalent) at a UK University or International equivalent. For International students, proof of English language proficiency will be required. In line with undergraduate medicine, we require a minimum of English GCSE grade B or IELTS 7.5

How to apply

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

Potential applicants from other universities must contact the Programme Administrator Miss Sarah McLaren (s.mclaren@leeds.ac.uk), for further information about the programme and the application process.

Fees

UK: See fees section below

International: £25,250 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time students starting in 2022, the fee for 2022/23 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 undergraduate students are decided by the Government and may vary if policy changes.
 

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 about additional costs

Most medical students are appointed to NHS foundation school posts, following graduation with MBChB. At the moment, possession of an intercalated degree places medical students at a competitive advantage in the foundation post application process.

The Clinical Anatomy programme may be particularly beneficial for students interested in pursuing careers in surgery, radiology, anesthesiology, pathology and related subjects.

Students on this degree programme have gone on to give oral or poster presentations at national meetings; some have won awards for these presentations. Recent examples, with student names shown in italic text, include:

Kumar, S.D & Bourke, G. Nerve compression syndromes at the elbow. Orthopaedics and Trauma 30(4): 355-362, 2016

Jones, L. The limitations of the use of the sternocleidomastoid muscle as a reconstructive flap. Christie International Student Cancer Conference, Manchester 2016.

Rogers, G, Clancy, J, Taylor, M & Harwood, P. The safety of distal tibia Illizarov wire insertion in relation to the superficial peroneal nerve and deep peroneal neurovascular bundle: a cadaveric study. British Orthopaedic Association, Belfast 2016.

Moriarty, S & Clancy, J. Branches of the cervical vagus nerve and implications for vagus nerve stimulation. International League Against Epilepsy Annual Scientific Meeting, Dublin, 2016.

Blackham, M. Surgical approaches to the cervical spine. Cutting Edge Women in Surgery Conference Leeds, 2016.

Chandra M, Start S, Roberts D and Bodenham A. Arterial vessels behind the right internal jugular vein with relevance to central venous catheterisation. Journal of the Intensive Care Society 16(3) 202-207, 2015

Kelly, C, Loughenbury, P, Harwood, PJ, Clancy, J & Britten, SS . Safe corridors for insertion of calcaneal wires in Ilizarov surgery: An anatomic study. Oral presentation at the 16th EFORT Congress, Prague 2015.

Scarff , G & Pickering JD. Blood supply to the splenic flexure and prevalence of the collateral vessel Arc of Riolan in relation to ischaemic colitis. Oral presentation to the British Association of Clinical Anatomists 2015.

Wood, B, Kelly, G, Phillips, N & Pickering JD. Approaches to the cerebellopontine angle: What is the most effective form of management for a patient presenting with a small acoustic neuroma and serviceable hearing. Oral presentation to the British Association of Clinical Anatomists 2015.

Jackson, P & Roberts, DJH. Assessment of anatomical landmarks as reliable predictors of the course of the Spinal Accessory Nerve in the posterior cervical triangle. Poster presentation to the British Association of Clinical Anatomists 2014.

Smith A & Pickering JD. Assessing the usefulness of Simon’s and Joll’s triangles in thyroidectomy. Oral presentation to the British Association of Clinical Anatomists 2014.