SGU School of Medicine / Northumbria University

PCLN 200: Science and Numeracy Skills – 6cr.

On completion of this module, the student will be able to demonstrate a range of numeracy skills that are essential for high standard performance in science subjects that involve practical laboratory and field work and require the production of informative scientific reports. These include calculations applied to solving problems in chemistry, biology, biochemistry, biomedical science, food science and nutrition, forensic science and sport science, as well as simple basic descriptive and hypothesis testing statistics. In addition, the student will have learned how to present scientific information in a variety of formats and how to use and reference appropriately scientific publications. These skills will be invaluable for completing assessments for the other modules that are part of the six-year MD track and for any progression through the BMedSci degree.

PCLN 201: Practical Skills in Science – 6cr.

The principal focus of this module is the practice and development of a range of skills that underpin study at university. Throughout the module, the student will have the opportunity to experience wet laboratory practicals from all subject specialisms in a range of laboratories, and these will be supported by tutorials to work through the results and their interpretations. The student will gain valuable experience in writing a laboratory report in an IMRaD format, something which they will need to be skilled at throughout their subsequent degree. The skills the student will develop on this module will be invaluable to progression through the BMedSci degree.

PCLN 203: Chemistry for Medical Sciences – 6cr.

Chemistry for Medical Sciences is a module designed to give students the insight and knowledge to be able to discuss important areas of chemistry with colleagues and peers, focusing on how chemistry is embedded in the development of new technologies, pharmaceuticals, materials, and processes as specifically related to the field of medicine. The module is structured into four main areas of ‘Spectroscopy and Analysis,’ ‘Drugs and Molecules,’ ‘Organic Chemistry,’ and ‘Computational Chemistry.’ Within each of these key areas, students will learn about the fundamental science that underpins these important research areas, why these areas are so important to us all, and how recent developments in these fields have helped advance medical sciences.

PCLN 210: Research and Science Communication Project – 6cr.

This module will teach students how to expand their scientific research, science communication, and teamwork skills through the collaborative research and presentation of a scientific research project. In small teams, students will research and explore a scientific topic, and by the end of the module, submit a collaborative video describing and presenting their findings. Lectures and seminars will be delivered, teaching students how to research a scientific subject, how to work as a team in doing this, and how to condense large amounts of information into a concise message—all of which are essential core skills for a career in science.

PCLN 211: Introduction to Biomedical Sciences – 6cr.

Students will explore the functional significance of the structures found in humans and how these relate to their functions. This exploration will begin at the molecular level and build up to concepts of human genetics and the transmission of heritable information. Students will consider the biochemical constituents of living organisms, how they are obtained and assimilated through the physical and chemical aspects of digestion, and how they are subsequently utilised at a molecular level throughout the body. Moving on to the organ and systems level, students will explore the transport process and the mediums that are involved, considering structure and function of the organs and process of the cardio-respiratory and circulatory systems. Finally, students will consider the human organism as a whole—exploring endocrine and nervous control of the entire body and the homeostatic process that sense and respond to change.

PCLN 213: Introduction to Clinical Communication and Practice – 6cr.

The module teaching-learning philosophy is to foster students’ early exposure to perspectives of medical education that will enhance their future learning of health and disease and introduce them to the role of the physician. The module will integrate clinical principles and practice with the basic sciences and is designed to build communication skills and an understanding of the patient journey. It will give students a strong foundation to interpersonal skills, essential for all physicians. The module will consider the medical humanities, including the history of medicine, ethics and the psychology of illness, from theoretical perspectives. Alongside the theoretical knowledge, students will be introduced to basic practical skills that are crucial for physicians to master to enable medical decision-making, including history/anamnesis taking. Students will also explore the relationship between the clinical observations and biomedical science and how the two entities are required to provide a platform on which diagnoses can be made and treatment effectiveness can be monitored.

BIOL 317: Practical Skills for Health Science  – 6cr.

Practical Skills is a primary course taken by undergraduate students, which offers key laboratory and transferable skills, providing essential knowledge to enable responsible and efficient laboratory working. The course provides an optimum grounding in skills required for subsequent courses such as CHEM 450-Biochemistry and BIOL 321-Molecular Biology. The course will provide students with the knowledge and confidence to undertake laboratory and literature enquiry-based learning through guided activities and continued tutor support, assessment, and feedback. Assessment will be varied, utilising a combination of traditional workbooks, online assessments, and examinations, with an equal focus on the assessment of technical laboratory skills and analysis skills. The transferable nature of the skills taught means this course will be of benefit to any future career path requiring either laboratory or enquiry-based research.

BIOL 318: Introduction to Cell Biology – 5cr.

The student will study cell biology: the structure and function of cells and the organelles they contain. This study includes their life cycle, division, self-replication, and death processes. The student will develop this knowledge further with the study of genetics and molecular biology. In genetics, the student will study the structure and function of genes and genomes. The molecular biology that underpins the manipulation of nucleic acids (DNA, RNA) will form the basis of lectured material and a practical session. This introduces DNA manipulation and study in the laboratory. The student will then extend this knowledge into the study of the role of genes and mutations in inheritance of disease. This will introduce clinical genetics, with the identification of genetic mutations and polymorphisms and their influence on disease processes are discussed.

BIOL 319: Introductory Biochemistry – 5cr.

Understanding how living systems operate at the molecular level is key to understanding the biochemistry of life. This important field of knowledge is both exciting and dynamic and contributes to all other life sciences, such as biomedical sciences, human bioscience, medicine, genetics, nutrition, biology, and biotechnology, to name but a few. This course will provide students with an important and invaluable introduction to biochemistry, namely to the structure and function of the principal molecular components of living systems, including carbohydrates, lipids, proteins, and nucleic acids. In addition, the actions and properties of enzymes will be studied. This will provide students with a solid foundation for further study of the molecular basis of living systems.

PCLN 301: Learning Strategies for Preprofessional programs  – 1cr.

This is a skills development course through which students in the pre-professional programs will find creative and constructive ways to gain and apply knowledge in learning situations. Students will develop a commitment to learning in a more personalized, efficient, and effective way. Significant attention will be given to study strategies and how to best place these strategies into practice in their course of study. Class sessions will provide opportunities for students to gain exposure to various learning strategies and for students to share their experiences, successes, and concerns with other students. Students will gain exposure to various learning techniques. Students will be exposed to levels of learning, types of studying, time management and planning, active review, memory, note-taking strategies, group study, and methods of developing critical-thinking skills.

PCLN 302: Communication for Health Professions I – 2cr.

Practicing professionals need to be able to read, understand, and evaluate research studies. They need to critically evaluate research data and determine whether research methods and arguments are sound and valid. They need to be able to summarize, paraphrase, and synthesize published work, with appropriate documentation, to support their own professional decisions, claims, and arguments. This course is designed to support students in developing these skills.

PCLN 303: Communication for Health Professions II – 3cr.

This course aims to train students of the health professions to write clearly and effectively, to identify and correct punctuation and grammatical errors, and to write in styles and registers that are appropriate for academic and professional contexts. Students will analyze several writing tasks commonly required in the health professions in order to identify and then apply the principles contributing to effectively performing these tasks. A process approach will be taken.

BIOL 321: Molecular Biology – 3cr.

This upper-division course is designed to help students develop an understanding of the molecular mechanisms that biological organisms use to store and preserve genetic information, the means by which they use that information to create functional biological structures, and the techniques that are commonly used to manipulate and study these processes in the laboratory. A basic understanding of chemistry, biology, genetics, and biochemistry will be assumed.

BIOL 441: Physiology and Lab – 4cr.

Human Physiology is a 4-credit course presented over 16 weeks as part of the discipline-based preclinical science curriculum at St. George’s University School of Medicine. It is designed to provide a fundamental basis for understanding human physiology pertinent to clinical medicine, based on the Medical Physiology Learning Objectives published by the American Physiological Society (APS). It is one of the final prerequisite courses for third-year preclinical sciences and biology students, and a central component of the Charter Foundations to Medicine program. The course uses a variety of instructional approaches to facilitate learning, using lectures, quizzes, interactive multiple-choice question sessions, and small group clinical discussions.

Course topics teaching the essential elements, concepts, and organ systems in human physiology are delivered across four consecutive blocks:

Module Name

• Block1—(CTP) Cell and Tissue Physiology: Homeostasis, Excitable tissue, and Intro to Nervous System (4 weeks)
• Block2—(S1) System: Neurophysiology, Autonomic Nervous, and Cardiovascular Systems (4 weeks)
• Block3—(S2) System: Gastrointestinal and Pulmonary Systems (4 weeks)
• Block4—(S3) System: Endocrine and Renal Systems (4 weeks) Total 16 Weeks

BIOL 460: Human Anatomy/Lab – 4cr.

Students will learn basic human anatomy and develop an understanding of the basic applications to clinical practice.

CHEM 450: Biochemistry – 3cr.

Living organisms are construed principally from macromolecules, i.e., proteins, lipids etc. In addition, certain proteins (enzymes) catalyze most of the reactions occurring within cells. This course is designed to deal with the structure and function of proteins (including enzymes, cofactors, and antibodies), carbohydrates, nucleic acids (DNA and RNA), and lipids (including membrane structure). All cells require a continual supply of energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This course begins by describing the structure and significance of ATP and explains how ATP is synthesized. The key process of the TCA cycle, oxidative phosphorylation, glycolysis and fatty acid degradation will all be described. The course will also explain how macromolecules such as carbohydrates and lipids are synthesized from simpler precursors.

PSYC 411: Introduction to Psychopathology – 3cr.

This course reviews the major psychiatric disorders as defined in the DSM-5. The salient diagnostic features of the mental disorders are highlighted.  Major theories of the etiology of mental illness are reviewed, and neurobiological correlates of abnormal behavior are emphasized when possible.  Both psychotherapeutic and biological treatment options, and outcome measures for mental illness, are covered.  Clinical cases and clinical videos illustrating psychopathology are utilized to enhance learning.