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. Our BSc Clinical Anatomy course gives you the opportunity for hands-on study, supported by a wide range of digitally-enabled, inclusive and active learning opportunities in areas including gross anatomy, neuroanatomy, medical imaging and medical embryology.

The anatomy team is small and friendly, with diverse backgrounds that bring a wide range of perspectives and approaches to the programme which will support you in your own personal development of the subject matter. The programme team work very closely with the intercalating anatomy students and get to know them very well through partnership activities and small group interactions.

A high number of students on this degree programme have gone on to develop the necessary skills to deliver oral or poster presentations at national meetings, with some also winning awards for these presentations and output.

This course is an opportunity for students to explore the detailed anatomy of the human body through extensive cadaveric dissection working in both small groups and independently. Friendly and experienced staff will always be on-hand to help and 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.

We offer you core practical experience, supplemented by a wide range of digitally-enabled, inclusive and active learning opportunities, covering not just gross anatomy but also medical embryology, neuroanatomy and medical imaging. You will build your the anatomical knowledge, and develop a professional identity that will help your future career aspirations.

You will gain the necessary critical appraisal skills, experience and confidence to develop as a clinical anatomist, and meaningfully contribute to the wider healthcare sector upon graduation.

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. You will 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.

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

At Leeds, you will be experience a fully inclusive and active approach to learning, informed by sector-leading approaches to teaching, delivered through a mix of hands-on face-to-face activities and innovative and cutting-edge digital technologies. This will include considerable access to our dissection room facilities for hands-on cadaveric dissection, and also an opportunity to engage with the latest imaging technology and our anatomy and pathology museum specimens.

Working in partnership with our small team of anatomists you will engage in learning and teaching activities that support the acquisition of the knowledge, skills and attributes of relevance to clinical anatomy that will also help equip you to become an active participant of our global community through the development of presentation, teaching and critical appraisal sills. In addition to developing the relevant knowledge and skills required of an clinical anatomist, you will be supported to develop the necessary skills to become a reflective life-long learner in the subject matter.

Facilities

The Division of Anatomy at the University of Leeds has state of art anatomy dissection facilities that allow student to engage in full cadaveric dissection as part of the study. With access to an anatomy and pathology museum, along with imaging resources such as ultrasound, you will be able to immerse yourself in a learning environment that will support you throughout your learning journey.

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

Our assessments are designed to be fair, inclusive and authentic. This means we take a flexible approach to create assessments that are relevant, meaningful, engaging and situated within the subject matter. We work in partnership with students to ensure everyone understands how assessment works to support learning and use digital technologies to enhance what we do.   

Clinical Anatomy at Leeds builds on the University’s approach to assessment and uses a variety of approaches, including presentations, cadaveric dissection and written pieces, which will not only test your understanding of the subject, but your ability to work effectively and collaboratively with others. You will also learn how to bring together and integrate evidence from a variety of sources and critically understand and conceptually evaluate the latest understanding of topics in relation to clinical anatomy. Clinical Anatomy will allow you to develop a number of theoretical, scientific, practical and cultural competencies that will enhance your professional and personal capabilities, and will support you in your professional development to enter the healthcare sector.

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: £9,250

International: £27,500 (per year)

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2022/23
For UK full-time undergraduate students starting in 2022/23 the fee 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.

Tuition fees for UK undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for UK full-time undergraduate students for 2023/24 have been agreed by the UK Government and will remain at the current fee level of £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.

Tuition fees for international undergraduate students starting in 2023/24
Tuition fees for international students for 2023/24 should be available on individual course pages from September 2022.

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. Possession of an intercalated degree places medical students at a competitive advantage in securing Specialised Foundation and later specialty posts.

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.