UCL MEDICAL SCHOOL

Year 2 Study Guide

2017-2018
 Year 2
Fundamentals of Clinical Science

The UCL Doctor

A highly competent and scientifically literate clinician, equipped to practise

person-centred medicine in a constantly changing modern world, with a

foundation in the basic medical and social sciences. This vision is underpinned

by the values of scholarship, rigour and professionalism. The focus is on the

development of the student as a scientifically informed, socially responsible

professional who, in turn, can serve the health needs of individuals and

communities

The information contained in this Student Guide was correct at the time of going to press, but no
guarantees can be given that it will not be amended before the commencement of, or during, the
degree programme to which it refers. Please refer to the Year 2 Moodle pages regularly
throughout the year.

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 Year 2
Fundamentals of Clinical Science
Year 2
Fundamentals of Clinical Science

CONTENTS

Section 1: MBBS Year 2

• Year 2: Fundamentals of Clinical Science
• Structure of the year
• Reading lists
• Assessment & progression

Section 2: Year 2 modules

• Movement and Musculoskeletal Biology
• Neuroscience and Behaviour
• Endocrine Systems and Reproduction
• Genetics, Development and Cancer
• Student Selected Components
• Introduction and Orientation Module to Year 3

Section 3: Clinical & Professional Practice in Year 2

• Addressing Clinical and Professional Practice learning: everybody’s
business
• Additional Clinical and Professional Practice sessions

Section 4: Medical Student Code of Conduct

Section 5: Further information and contacts

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Section 1: MBBS Year 2

Welcome to Year 2 of the MBBS programme at UCL Medical School. This booklet acts as an
orientation to your second year, outlining the overall structure of the year, the syllabus, how
learning will be organised and how you will be assessed, including the criteria for successful
progression to Year 3. The information in this booklet is not exhaustive and it should be used
alongside the resources on the UCL MBBS website and Moodle: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-
school/staff-students, which is regularly updated. Students are advised that aspects of the
MBBS programme are frequently reviewed and revised and that it is their individual
responsibility to keep themselves up to date.

Year 2: Fundamentals of Clinical Science

Learning is presented as a series of sequential, integrated, systems based modules. Each
module is based around a physiological system, provides integrated teaching across
disciplines, is integrated with clinical and professional practice (CPP) and is designed to build
on knowledge and skills learnt in previous modules. There are opportunities for early patient
contact and for meeting health professionals, to allow you to keep preparation for practice firmly
in sight.

The aims of the Fundamentals of Clinical Science years are for you to:
• gain a firm understanding of the scientific knowledge and principles that are relevant to,
and essential for, excellence in clinical practice
• develop an understanding of science in the context of its application to clinical medicine,
organised according to physiological and functional systems (e.g., endocrine system),
rather than by academic disciplines (e.g., physiology, biochemistry and anatomy)
• understand the application of science to medicine and have the skills to appreciate the
methods of scientific research, thereby enabling you to appreciate and understand
future advances in medicine
• gain a good foundation for the integrated BSc in Year 3
• develop the key skills required for data collection and analysis, information retrieval and
use of electronic databases, problem solving, report writing and presentation of
information and case reports
• have opportunities to appreciate the ethical, social and legal dimensions of medicine
• have an opportunity for early patient contact and start to develop the foundations of the
professional skills required for good patient care
• start to develop an understanding of the value of health education, preventive medicine
and the natural history of disease

This will be achieved in Year 2 through:

• systems based learning in modules: Movement and Musculoskeletal Biology;
Neuroscience and Behaviour; Endocrine Systems and Reproduction; Genetics,
Development and Cancer; that occur in sequential blocks throughout the year
• CPP modules that build on learning in Year 1 and are ongoing throughout the year and
extend into the latter years of the programme
• relating learning where appropriate to the UCL MBBS core conditions and presentations
• the patient pathways: continuing with the Integrated and community care patient
pathway and a cardiometabolic patient pathway, including extended patient contact with
patients who have cardiometabolic disorders
• formative assessments throughout the year
• maintenance of a portfolio including the record of completed procedures card
• written and practical summative assessments

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 • an induction and orientation module to Year 3, the integrated BSc (iBSc) year
(http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/course-information/year-3) which
will take place at the end of the academic year

The structure of the year

You will complete the following modules over the course of the year:
• Movement and Musculoskeletal Biology
• Neuroscience and Behaviour
• Endocrine Systems and Reproduction
• Genetics, Development, and Cancer
Alongside these you also choose a Student Selected Component (SSC) from a range of SSC
domains which ensure you develop the widest possible range of generic skills. The SSCs are
divided into four broad domains:

• Clinical/vocational
• Underpinning science (clinical or basic sciences)
• Research oriented
• Arts/humanities/social sciences

You will also continue learning in CPP, which is present throughout your MBBS course from
Year 1 to Year 6:

• Integrated Strands
o Anatomy and imaging
o Clinical skills and practical procedures
o Pathological sciences
o Use of evidence
o Use of medicines

• Overarching themes
o Mental health
o Social determinants of health
o Synthesis and professional practice

• Student and patient centred learning

o Portfolio
o Patient pathways

The introductory module for Year 3 (iBSc) will take place immediately after the Year 2
summative assessments in May/June 2017.

CIF weeks (Consolidation, Integration, Feedback) take place in November, February and May.
These will provide an opportunity for synthesising knowledge and handling concepts, along
with elements of formative assessment.

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Reading lists
Reading lists for Year 2 are available at: http://readinglists.ucl.ac.uk/programmes/mbbs.html
- this site has a search facility: search using “MBBS”. When the “MBBS” search is conducted,
links are provided to core and specialty (module) reading lists.

Alternatively, for Core Reading List Year 2, go to:

http://readinglists.ucl.ac.uk/lists/24FECAA4-1F01-3D29-0F8C-4967D5344F1D.html

Assessment & progression

Formative assessments
Formative assessment is any kind of assessment or feedback that is for your benefit, to enable
you to see how well you are progressing. The main objective of formative assessment is to
stimulate your efficient and effective learning.

Formative assessments will test the integration of learning from earlier modules and CPP, as
well as your most recent studies. Note especially that assessments in February will cover
material from all modules in the year to date and not only the module most recently completed.
Formative assessments are held at intervals throughout the academic year. The formatives
include examples of all the question formats used in the end-of-year summative assessments
and so provide good practice for these examinations.

Year 2 Movement and Musculoskeletal Biology: on-line single-best-answer (SBA)

Year 2 Neuroscience and Behaviour: on-line SBA
Year 2 Genetics and Development: on-line SBA

In-course assessments
A compulsory in-course formative assessment is held during CIF Week in February. The
objective of this assessment is to stimulate efficient learning and to provide students with the
opportunity to experience assessments under examination conditions.

Students are invited to discuss their performance in February formative, in-course

assessments with their personal tutor and may request an appointment with a Student Support
Tutor if they wish.

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Summative assessments
The end of year summative assessments determine your progression to the next year of study.
Your marks in these assessments, together with your marks from Year 1, will count towards
the final classification of your integrated BSc degree.
Assessment in Year 2 is overseen by the Years 1 and 2 Sub Board of Examiners and the Years
1 and 2 Panel of Examiners. Standard Setting Groups are responsible for setting the pass
marks.

All of the summative assessments are designed to provide an integrated assessment of

students’ abilities across modules, and across all disciplines, and test intellectual and practical
skills and application of knowledge rather than simple recall of factual information. Integrated
summative assessments are held at the end of the academic year in May/June. The
assessments comprise 2 X 2 hour SBA papers, a short station Objective Structured Clinical
and Practical Examination (OCaPE), and an Anatomy Practical Exam (APE) (all computer
marked). Students who are unsuccessful at their first attempt are normally allowed to re-sit in
July and are required to re-sit the full diet of examinations regardless of the number of individual
examinations failed.

Satisfactory attendance, a satisfactory fitness to practise record, and the satisfactory

completion of the portfolio including the record of completed procedures card and all required
course work are also necessary for progression to Year 3.

Year 2
MBBS22008 SBA Paper 1 100 questions in 2 hours Each paper contributes equal
SBA Paper 2 100 questions in 2 hours marks to the overall mark for
the written component
MBBS22007 OCaPE 80-90 minute examination 75% of marks for the practical
5 & 10 minute stations component
APE 45 minute examination 25% of marks for the practical
Multiple brief stations component

Sample question styles

Samples of the different styles of questions and further details of the Year 2 marking scheme
are available on the Medical School intranet site at:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/assessments/

Feedback
Feedback is an important part of your development as a medical student and you will receive
feedback on your performance and developing skills and understanding from your teachers
and peers throughout the year. This is mostly informal feedback in small group learning
activities but also includes more formal on-line feedback following each formative assessment.
You will also take part in a feedback activity with your peers as part of the synthesis and
professional practice module.
In course assessment: detailed on line feedback and access to notes on ‘common
misconceptions’, based on the performance of the whole year group, is provided following the
compulsory February assessment and marks and decile rankings are given following the
February in course assessment as an indication of your performance compared to your cohort.
Summative assessments: overall marks and decile rankings are issued to students for the
summative assessments and copied to Personal Tutors. Decile rankings are indicative at this
stage and do not contribute to the final ranking for Foundation School applications.

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Students who fail the summative assessments in May/June must attend a group debriefing
session shortly after the publication of results. Students will also receive an appointment with
a student support tutor within two weeks of the notification of results, which they are expected
to attend. Students are also welcome to discuss their results with their personal tutor. Students
who fail at the second attempt are required to attend a compulsory appointment with the
Divisional Tutor and a Student Support Tutor and are not normally eligible to continue on the
programme.

Required course work

Before entry to the examinations for Year 2, a candidate must have completed the full
prescribed course of study to the satisfaction of the Divisional Tutor and submitted a portfolio
containing all required course work including a completed procedures card, and satisfactory
progress in student selected components.

Required course work in Year 2 includes:

• completed course work set in the student selected components (SSCs)
• a completed portfolio
• a completed practical procedures card

A candidate whose required coursework is incomplete may be precluded from entering the
examinations.
A candidate, who is found, after examination entry has been confirmed, to have incomplete
required course work will not be permitted to progress to the next year of the programme until
all requirements are fulfilled.

SSCs must be completed to a satisfactory standard in order to progress to the next year of the
course.

Extenuating circumstances, re-sit examinations and MBBS Year 2 exam regulations

Information regarding extenuating circumstances, re-sit examinations and MBBS examination

regulations can also be found on the assessment web pages: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-
school/staff-students/assessments

Plagiarism
Plagiarism is defined as the presentation of another person’s thoughts, words, artefacts or
software as though they are your own. UCL and the medical school take plagiarism very
seriously and the penalties for serious offences of plagiarism are severe. In some instances,
marks are subtracted; sometimes a mark of zero may be given; sometimes you will receive a
formal reprimand or Fitness to Practise hearing, which will remain on your file. All cases of
suspected plagiarism will be reported to the Divisional Tutor for disciplinary action to be taken
as appropriate.

Failure to observe any of the provisions of the College policy on plagiarism or of approved
Medical School guidelines constitutes an examination offence under the regulations for
proceedings in respect of examination irregularities. Under these regulations students found to
have committed an offence may be excluded from all further examinations of the University of
London or of University College London, or of both.

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All coursework must be submitted through Turnitin® software before handing it in. Turnitin®
gives access to billions of sources worldwide, including websites and journals, as well as work
previously submitted to the Medical School, UCL and other universities.

Professionalism
An assessment of professionalism and fitness to practise underlies all parts of the MBBS
course and assessments. Mark schemes and progression criteria include provision for
teachers and examiners to submit reports of Concerns over Professional Behaviour(s) (CoPB)
if any aspect of a candidate’s performance during the course or assessments gives cause for
concern about engagement, attendance, behaviour, attitude or fitness to practise. CoPBs are
reviewed at pre-examination boards before presentation at examination boards and can lead
to a student failing to progress and to awards of merit and distinction being rescinded. Further
information about CoPB’s can be found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-
students/general-information/a-z/#copb

Attendance and Engagement

UCL MBBS regulations require students to attend for not less than 56 months of full-time study
(excluding the iBSc) with 104 weeks in clinical placements. EU requirements are that all
undergraduate medicine courses are for a minimum of 5,500 hours of theoretical and practical
studies.

To achieve this level of attendance MBBS students are expected to attend between 9-00am –
5.00pm on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays, between 9.00am and 12.55 on
Wednesdays and to attend occasional teaching events starting at 8.00am or finishing at
6.00pm. Students are also expected to spend a minimum of ten hours per week in additional
study outside the prescribed course. Please refer to the medical Schools A-Z Policies and
Regulations for more details http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/general-
information/a-z/#attendance

Learning activities at UCL Medical School are organised to ensure that you have access to lots
of different opportunities and we expect students to fully engage with all learning opportunities
whether they be formal teaching activities or work-based learning opportunities. You are
expected to attend every weekday in term time in line with the Medical School attendance
policy:
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/general-information/a-z/#attendance and
any out of hours sessions organised within the modules.

We expect students to take a professional approach to attendance and engagement. Ensuring

adequate attendance is the responsibility of the student and we reserve the right to ask
students to provide evidence of compliance with the above. Under UCL regulations, students
whose attendance is persistently poor or who do not engage in the course may be barred from
examinations, suspended or have their studies terminated for academic insufficiency (See
https://www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/academic-manual/c1/agreements/barring)

Whilst the Medical School acknowledges there will be times when absence is unavoidable,
such as illness or emergencies, we expect absences to be kept to a minimum. Details of
absence reporting can be found here: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-
students/general-information/a-z/#absence

Attendance at 80% of the course is the minimum for completion of each module in Year 1&2.
If attendance is falling below 80% during a module, then this may trigger ‘Concern over
Professional Behaviours’ (CoPB) proceedings which will entail referral to the Divisional Tutor
and the possibility of being placed on close supervision.

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Section 2: Year 2 modules

Details of all the modules including timetables, more information, reading lists and resources
are found at the Year 2 Moodle site or on the medical school web pages
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/course-information/year-2

Module 1: Movement and Musculoskeletal Biology

This six-week module aims to provide you with an outline of core knowledge relating to normal
and abnormal development, and the structure and function of the musculoskeletal system. By
making use of example cases, this module aims to place this core knowledge in a clinical
context and to examine the impact, on the individual and society, of disorders of mobility,
locomotor function and infection.

Aims of the module:

The module aims to provide:
• a review of the normal structure and function of the musculoskeletal system at the
molecular, cellular, organ and whole-body level
• a consideration of the effects of disorders of the musculoskeletal system on individuals,
society and the health care system
Module 2: Neuroscience and Behaviour
This module introduces you to the integrative functions of the central nervous system. It is
essentially about how we walk and talk, how we feel and experience the world about us.
Modern real time imaging techniques are leading to a greater understanding of how the brain
functions when undergoing specific tasks involving attention, memory and movement, as well
as providing powerful tools for clinical diagnosis of brain pathology. We will look at how the
brain receives, processes and relays sensory information; how signals are transmitted from
cell to cell in the nervous tissue by chemical transmission and synapses. We will also study
how brain chemistry can malfunction in diseases, such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s
disease, and we will look at the effects of drugs on the brain. We will also investigate the impact
of brain disease and mental health problems on the life of individuals, their community and
society.
Aims of the module:
The module aims to provide:
• an understanding of the structure and function of the central nervous system
• knowledge of the origin of common diseases of the nervous system
• an introduction to the principles behind and skills needed to test nervous system function
in clinical practice

Module 3: Endocrine Systems and Reproduction

This module introduces you to the integrative functions of the major endocrine axes. The
module is concerned with how the major hormones are produced and how they each act to
integrate metabolism and fluid balance. We will investigate the role of selected endocrine axes
in maintaining a stable environment for cells to function within the body, and will consider how
defects in hormone production and/or action can lead to profound clinical symptoms. We will
also look at how the production and metabolism of each hormone is normally controlled by
feedback loops and how these can go wrong in disease.

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Aims of the module:
The module aims to provide:
• definitions of the clinical prevalence of endocrine disorders, including iatrogenic states,
thyroid disease, diabetes and other syndromes of insulin resistance, disorders of
reproductive physiology
• knowledge and understanding of each of the major endocrine axes, emphasising the
clinical significance of normal and abnormal feedback loops
• knowledge and understanding of the scientific basis of treatment options available for
specified endocrine disorders
• a comparison of the mechanisms of action for hydrophilic and hydrophobic hormones,
explaining those factors that can act in an endocrine target tissue to modulate the actions
of hydrophilic and hydrophobic hormones
• an appreciation of (and explanations for) the variation in clinical measurements between
different hormone assays and the possible impact of such variation on clinical
management decisions.
Module 4 Genetics, Development, and Cancer
This module starts by introducing you to modern genetics and vertebrate development in detail.
The module will also look at the clinical application of these topics, focusing specifically on the
genetic basis of disease and developmental abnormalities. The module then introduces you to
the nature of cancer, its fundamental elements and their molecular basis. The factors causing
cancer and its effects on individuals are considered in the light of understanding the elements
of cancer development. The course then briefly covers clinical aspects of this knowledge. It
also acts as the first step in the Cancer patient pathway which you will continue in Year 4.

Aims of the module:

The module aims to provide:
• knowledge and understanding of the developmental and genetic processes that
contribute to the development of a healthy individual
• a foundation for understanding the clinical basis for developmental abnormalities and
genetic disease
• knowledge and understanding of the fundamental elements and complexity of cancer,
with emphasis on its molecular basis
• an understanding of the relevance of genetics, developmental and cancer biology to
clinical practice

Student Selected Components

Student selected components (SSCs)
• SSCs are run as a series of half days as a single block of 8 weeks within term 1.
Students can choose from up to 30 different SSCs including taught medical,
humanities and science modules, language courses, and self-organised projects
including volunteering activities. Teaching and assessment varies between each SSC
but generally each SSC involves considerable interaction, creative thinking, group
working and writing and presentation skills
• Year 2 students must complete one SSC in Year 2
• Further information about SSCs and selection of projects will become available and
students should check http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/course-
information/ssc for further, up to date information

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Introduction and Orientation Module to Year 3
Next year, most of you will undertake your iBSc which is a major part of your development as
'Doctor as Scholar and Scientist’ (Tomorrow's Doctors: Outcomes for Graduates GMC 2009).
During this week after you have completed your Year 2 summative assessments, you will be
involved in a number of activities which will introduce you to the iBSc.

Aims of the module:

The module aims to provide:
• an orientation and foundation to your studies in the iBSc year
• tips to enable you to make the best use of the iBSc year
• an understanding of how the iBSc year contributes to your overall development as a
UCL Doctor

For those of you who will be progressing directly into Year 4 there are still competencies that
you need to develop as part of the curriculum orientated to your development as a 'Doctor as
Scholar and Scientist' as defined by the GMC in the document Tomorrow’s Doctors: Outcomes
for Graduates. Therefore, you are advised to attend the majority of the activities in this week.

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Section 3: Clinical and Professional Practice (CPP) in Year 2

As you will know from Year 1, there are many CPP modules in the MBBS curriculum; organised
into three groupings. These groupings are:
• Integrated Strands
• Overarching Themes
• Student-centred Learning, Person-centred Learning
The CPP modules are key to understanding medicine as an integrated whole. Although linked
where possible to the system based module in which the teaching takes place, they have their
own internal coherence over the six years of the course.

Addressing CPP learning: everybody’s business

Teaching that is orientated to the themes of CPP will take place in all modules. These themes,
such as use of medicines, use of evidence, the social determinants of health, and clinical
communication, are central to the practice of medicine and good patient care. In Year 2, CPP
learning is delivered through a range of activities including: lectures, small group work, tutorials,
self-directed learning, patient centred activities; through the virtual learning environment
(Moodle), through completion of the portfolio, the cardiometabolic and integrated and
community care patient pathways and within teaching sessions embedded in the system based
modules. These are all important parts of delivery of learning in CPP but they are not the whole
picture: addressing CPP is everybody’s business and the themes and understanding
developed in dedicated CPP activities are taken up and augmented in many other teaching
and learning activities.

In Year 2 these sessions are mostly, but not exclusively, on Friday mornings. They are
generally delivered in small group sessions but also include some lectures, seminars and
patient based activities. For some sessions you will stay on the central campus. For others you
will travel to a different campus or a community venue. It is important therefore to look at your
timetable carefully and ensure you attend in the right place and the right time. Full details of all
CPP teaching can be found by visiting the Year 2 Moodle site, the Year 2 web pages or the
CPP Moodle site.

In Year 2 the following CPP domains will be addressed:

Anatomy and imaging

• The functional anatomy of the musculoskeletal system and associated clinical imaging;
further anatomy of the pelvis with emphasis on the reproductive system; basic clinical
anatomy of the head and neck including neuroanatomy, neuroscience and imaging of
the head, neck and brain
Clinical skills and procedures
• Neurological Motor Examination, Locomotor Examination, and Neurological Sensory
Examination

Pathological sciences
• Principles of the pathology of bones & joints; endocrine disease; disease of the fetus;
cancer; neuropathology

Use of evidence
• Finding and using evidence: developing key skills in searching for evidence concerning
the effectiveness of specific health care interventions

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 • Understanding research evidence: case-control studies; intervention studies; growth
charts and the calculation and interpretation of the relevant measures used in their
interpretation; assessment of the accuracy of measuring instruments; communicating
the results of complex randomised controlled trials (RCTs); systematic reviews of RCTs,
their methodology and critical appraisal; interpretation and application of the results of
systematic reviews as presented in Forest plots
Use of medicines
• Basic pharmacology linked to the conditions and presentations addressed in the system
based modules: taught through lectures, practical sessions and tutorials. Pharmacology
practicals written up as part of the portfolio.
Mental health
• Drug misuse and self-care, pharmacology of psychotropic drugs (delivered by the Use
of medicines team), further psychology lectures addressing Psychological Concepts of
Health and Illness, psychological factors that contribute to the onset & course of illness
(pain, risk behaviours, lifestyle factors, coping, equality) , stages and changes,
behaviour and theories of behaviour change in health, adherence to prevention,
treatment and medical regimes, human decision making, cognitive factors in health,
theories of personality, cardiac illness and personality, stress and coping, psychological
aspects of various disorders, psychological factors in physical illness & the
psychological sequelae of physical illness.

Social determinants of health

• Focus on doctor-patient communication, health promotion and individual experience of
health and healthcare; linked to community visitors, disability workshops and
community/GP placements.
Synthesis and professional practice
• Synthesis and professional practice: good medical practice; person centredness; giving
and receiving feedback; self-care (including drugs and alcohol); the patient and
complementary therapies; error, safety, and multisource feedback (peer feedback on
performance and contribution to small group work)
• Communication Skills: empathy and person-centredness, discussing risk and
uncertainty, communicating when there are barriers (speech and language impairment,
sensory impairment, English as a second language)
• Ethics and law: assisted dying; abortion and conscientious objection
• E-health: confidentiality and data protection issues
Patient pathways
• Integrated and community care pathway activities take place across Years 1 and 2. In
Year 2 you will:
o gain further exposure to patients, carers, health and social care professionals from
all walks of life and to a range of health and social care services in the community;
meet patients/clients, professionals and community volunteers in small group work
and undertake community visits to discuss experiences of health/illness and of
delivering support
o learn to explore people’s personal histories and take account of their social context
when considering health support needs
o consider how diversity, inequalities and discrimination affect people’s lives and their
access to services
o participate in disability awareness workshops

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 • The cardiometabolic patient pathway takes place in Year 2 from January – March on
Friday afternoons. It consists of small group work sessions, some of which involve
patients with either cardiovascular or diabetic disease. The sessions are facilitated by
doctors who are specialists in cardiometabolic disease. Week by week, the tutors
introduce you to skills of history taking and investigative techniques used in diagnosis
and explore the impact of illness on their patients. You will be encouraged to interact
with patients and practise your communication skills within this supported environment.
Assessment includes an essay which you will include in your portfolio on a chosen area
of interest related to a patient you have met during the module
Portfolio
• Maintaining a portfolio is an important part of professional life. The MBBS portfolio
includes evidence of achievements together with evidence of reflection, and personal
and professional growth. You will be keeping a portfolio throughout your undergraduate
years and professional life. The contents of the portfolios may serve as a basis for
discussions with your personal tutors and some items will be brought forward, to be
loaded into the electronic portfolio which is used from Year 4.
• Portfolio items are designed to help you to begin to prepare for practice, to make the
most of your Clinical and Professional Practice module experiences, to improve your
reflective thinking and to help you to record the development of your generic skills which
is a key part of your development as an undergraduate. In the later years of the course,
it will be based on a wider range of learning experiences that help you prepare for
practice.

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Section 4: Medical Student Code of Conduct

UCLMS enjoys a reputation as a world class medical school and prides itself on creating
Tomorrow’s UCL Doctors - highly competent and scientifically literate clinicians, equipped to
practise person-centred medicine in a constantly changing modern world, with a strong
foundation in the basic medical and social sciences.

As a medical student you will study for a degree that automatically allows you to work as a
Foundation doctor. The Medical School has a duty to ensure that its students can fulfil the
requirements of the General Medical Council, both for studying medicine and for working as a
doctor, and it fulfils this duty by enabling students to acquire the knowledge and to develop the
skills and attitudes appropriate to their future role. These include professional behaviour and
fitness to practise right from the start of the programme.

This code of conduct sets out the School’s expectations of you as a UCLMS student and should
be read in conjunction with:

• Medical School policies set out at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-

students/general-information/a-z.
Policies specific to conduct include:
o Absence reporting o Fitness to Practise proceedings
o Additional placement-related o Freedom of information
experience o Harassment and bullying
o Attendance and engagement o Health clearance /Immunisations
o Communications and BBV
o Concerns over Professional o Honesty and probity
Behaviour(s) o Patient confidentiality
o Dress and Behaviour o Patients in medical education
o Disclosure and Barring Service o Personal beliefs
checks o Use of social media
o Duties of a doctor and student o Student Support Card
ethics o Substance use and misuse
o Exceptional Leave

• GMC policies set out at:

o http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice.asp
o http://www.gmc-uk.org/guidance/good_medical_practice/duties_of_a_doctor.asp
o http://www.gmc-uk.org/education/undergraduate/professional_behaviour.asp

If you anticipate any difficulty adhering to any element, please make an appointment with a
Student Support Tutor who will discuss with you how best to reconcile it. A copy of the code
of conduct is signed on entry to the School as confirmation of your understanding and
agreement to abide by it. We recommend that you keep a copy for your records.

In the interests of public safety, in accordance with Tomorrow’s Doctors, and in your own best
interests, information pertinent to your educational achievements and to your fitness to practise
may be shared by UCL Medical School with training providers, employers, regulatory
organisations and other medical schools. Additionally, details of students who are excluded
from medical school on fitness to practise grounds will be shared with the Medical Schools
Council (MSC) for inclusion in their database of excluded students, which is accessible only to
other schools with courses leading to entry to a registered profession in the UK. Students are
advised to join either the MDU or the MPS, both of which offer free student membership and
provides advice in instances of medical student negligence.

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(cont. from previous page)

As a UCL medical student:

I agree to:
• abide by the medical school code of conduct and policies at: www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-
school/staff-students/general-information/a-z
• where applicable, carry a student support card outlining any restrictions to my practice
or any special requirements and to present the card to each educational supervisor to
whom I am attached so that they are aware of my circumstances
• update the Portico website (www.ucl.ac.uk/portico) with any change to personal or
contact details

I understand that:
• my personal demographic details will be shared with placement providers for allocation
purposes (name, UCL student ID, UCL email address)
• my personal details and UCL email address (student ID number, title, full names, date
of birth, gender, home address, telephone numbers and photograph) will be passed to
the General Medical Council for the purposes of provisional registration
• when/if eligible for an NHS Bursary, my personal details and UCL email address (full
names, home address, telephone numbers) will be passed to the NHS Bursaries Office
for the purposes of confirming eligibility
• where information relating to specific learning support needs to be shared with
placement providers, explicit consent will be taken within a Medical Student Learning
Agreement
• where concerns relating to fitness to practise and risks to patient safety need to be
notified to placement providers or other external bodies, decisions will be made on a
case-by-case basis and students will be informed of any such decision(s).

I consent to:
• my photograph being made accessible to teaching/professional services staff at UCL
and associated NHS Trusts and Primary Care colleagues
• my examination results being emailed to my UCL email account
• my examination results being copied by email to my Personal Tutor
• details of fitness to practise outcomes declared on admission to UCLMS to be shared
with Medical Schools Council

1. Attendance must be satisfactory throughout the programme. You are expected to attend
between 9am – 5pm on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and 9am – 12.55pm on
Wednesday and to attend some teaching events starting at 8.00am or finishing at 6.00pm
During Years 4-6 there may be times when you are also expected to attend in the evening,
early morning and at weekends. We expect you to spend a minimum of 10 hours per week
in personal study outside the programme.
2. You are required to inform us of any absence from teaching following the process set out
in the School’s attendance and engagement policy. Exceptional leave may only be taken
with prior permission after completing the process set out in the School’s exceptional leave
policy.
3. You are expected to listen to patients and respect their views, treat them politely and
considerately, respect patients' privacy and dignity and respect their right to refuse to take
part in teaching.
4. You should not allow personal views about a person’s age, disability, lifestyle, culture,
beliefs, ethnic or national origin, race, colour, gender, sexual orientation, marital or parental

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 status, social or perceived economic status to prejudice your interaction with patients,
teachers, professional services staff or colleagues.
5. You are expected to be honest. You should not abuse the trust of a patient or other
vulnerable person. You should not plagiarise material from other sources and submit it as
your own work. You should not present false information or omit important information in
your dealings with the Medical School or in any application related to your studies, including
UCAS form and Foundation School application. Dishonesty is a fitness to practise issue.
6. You should not enter into an improper personal relationship with another person, for
example, with a school pupil whom you are mentoring or a member of staff who is teaching
you.
7. You must always make clear to patients that you are a student and not a qualified doctor.
Introducing yourself as a “medical student” or “training to be a doctor” is preferable to
describing yourself as a “student doctor”. You must always act within the direction of your
educational supervisor(s) and within the remit and competencies of a medical student.
8. You are bound by the principle of confidentiality of patient records and patient data. You
must therefore take all reasonable precautions to ensure that any personal data relating to
patients that you have learned by virtue of your position as a medical student will be kept
confidential. You should not discuss patients with other students or professionals outside
the clinical setting, except anonymously. When recording data or discussing cases outside
the clinical setting you must endeavour to ensure that patients cannot be identified by
others. You must respect all hospital and practice patient records.
9. You are expected to maintain appropriate standards of dress, appearance, and personal
hygiene so as not to cause offence to patients, teachers, or colleagues. The appearance of
a student should not be such as to potentially affect a patient’s confidence in their
professional standing.
10. You are expected to be aware of safe drinking guidelines for alcohol and to adhere to these
guidelines. Misuse of alcohol and any use of an illegal drug is a fitness to practise issue.
11. To ensure appropriate communication, students are required not to cover their faces in any
part of the programme, including assessments/examinations, except where clinically
indicated.
12. You are required physically to examine patients of both sexes (which includes touching and
intimate examinations) in order to establish a clinical diagnosis, irrespective of the gender,
culture, beliefs, disability, or disease of the patient. In order to qualify as a doctor in the
UK, it is required that the practitioner is willing to examine any patient as fully and as
intimately as is clinically necessary.
13. You are required to attend Trust inductions before taking up placements and to adhere to
local Trust policies and procedures.
14. You are required to keep your health clearance and immunisations up-to-date and to inform
the Divisional Tutor of any changes which might affect your ability to undertake Exposure
Prone Procedures, e.g. exposure to, or infection with, blood-borne viruses. Exposure Prone
Procedures (EPPs) are practical procedures which carry a risk of transmission of blood-
borne viruses. If you have not had HIV and Hepatitis C testing prior to entry to Medical
School, then you will either need to undergo testing as part of your OH clearance or you
will not be able to do EPPs. If you opt not to undergo testing and are not cleared for EPPs,
you will need to carry a student support card to present to your clinical placement supervisor
explaining that you are not cleared for these procedures and you will not be able to perform
or assist in some surgical procedures, for example episiotomy in Obstetrics, and much of
Orthopaedic surgery. This will not stop you qualifying but may have a bearing on your future
career.
15. You are required to adhere to the local NHS Trust policy on infection control, which may
include bare arms, during your clinical placements.
16. You must inform us if you are investigated, charged with, or convicted of a criminal offence
during your time as a student at UCL Medical School. Although you are required to have a

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 Disclosure and Barring Service check upon entering the programme, we also need to know
if you receive a subsequent warning, reprimand, caution or conviction.
17. You must inform us if there is any significant change to your health that might affect your
fitness to study medicine or to practise as a doctor. It is a student’s responsibility to
recognise when they are ill, to seek medical advice, to accept appropriate treatment, and
to recognise when their fitness for clinical work is, or could be impaired.
18. You are required to maintain a portfolio and to present it as requested.

Professor Deborah Gill (Director of UCL Medical School)

Dr William Coppola (Divisional Tutor)

Please sign to confirm that you understand all the information and your obligations and that
you agree to abide by them.

Printed name: Signature: Student Number: Date:

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Section 5: Further information and contacts

Further Information

Study Skills
At Medical School you are expected to learn independently; this means taking responsibility
for your own study. Many of the academic skills you are expected to use whilst at university
will be new to you. Some of the skills you will need to develop are: Reading and Note-making;
Research & Evaluation; Critical Thinking Skills; Writing Skills; Referencing; Group work &
Presentations; Examination Skills. Some useful resources to help you master these academic
skills can be found at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/transition/study-skills-resources.

Virtual Learning Environment: Moodle: https://moodle.ucl.ac.uk/

Moodle is a virtual learning environment. To access Moodle, go to www.ucl.ac.uk/moodle,
and log in using your IS username and password. The list of Moodle courses for which you
are enrolled is then shown. You should be enrolled for all the relevant Moodle courses
automatically. Moodle should be your first port of call for information about the course.
Among other things it contains:
• Information from course tutors about the organisation of the course
• PowerPoint presentations, and in many cases Lecturecasts, to accompany many
lectures
• Quizzes and interactive on-line tutorials to accompany many lectures
• Further material to follow up after practical and problem-solving classes
• Feedback on assessments
• Links to sample past assessment and exam papers, teaching material on other web-
sites, etc.

Revision tool: Moodle Snapshot (Archive)

The Snapshot (archive) is a copy of all UCL Moodle courses taken in mid-June each year and
is made available for reference (it's read only). The purpose is to retain an accessible digital
record of each course for students and staff. Courses will be kept in the archive for up to seven
years. Students can therefore use the Moodle Snapshot as a revision resource and access
all their Moodle courses from previous years.

The archive is available for all members of the UCL community who have a valid UCL
username and password, but only those enrolled on courses this year will be able to access
them in the archive next year. It is highly recommended therefore that students do not manually
un-enrol themselves from courses as otherwise they will be unable to access these in the
archive in future years.

The Moodle archive can be accessed at https://moodle-snapshot.ucl.ac.uk/ or within Moodle

itself by clicking the top Services menu and then selecting Moodle Snapshot from the drop
down list.

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Important contacts

The Medical School Offices

The Medical School Offices are situated in the Medical School (Rockefeller) Building, 74
Huntley St entrance. This is where you should come for most enquiries. If you change your
address, you must inform the Office as well as the Registry. You will be able to change your
contact details held by UCL Registry via the Portico system.

Year 2 enquiries
All enquiries regarding the Year 2 course should be directed to the MBBS Years 1-3 Team.
You can visit the team in person or e-mail [email protected]

If your concern is more specific, you can find contact details, including telephone numbers, for
all members of UCL staff using the electronic directory at: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/directory

Student Support
Student Support Clinics are held throughout the week during term time. Both well-being and
academic matters can be discussed during these sessions. The majority of appointment times
are pre-booked. Bookings for Support Appointments should be made via Medical Student
Administration either in person in the Student Support office or by email to medsch.student-
[email protected] or by telephoning 0207 679 0842.
However, we do appreciate that from time to time emergencies will arise and administrative
staff will make every effort for a student to be seen by a member of staff in a genuine
emergency. Students needing an emergency appointment should either contact or be referred
to Carol Farguson ([email protected]; 020 7679 0844). Please see
http://www.ucl.ac.uk/medical-school/staff-students/student-support for further details about
Medical School student support provision. For more information on support and welfare
services available to you from UCL see: http://www.ucl.ac.uk/srs/our-services/student-support-
and-wellbeing

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 Staff contact details
MBBS Management Contacts
Head of MBBS Management Years Carol Farguson 020 7679 0844
1-3
Y1 and Y2 Manager Fahmina Begum 020 7679 0861 [email protected]
Y1 and Y2 Administrator Andy Houghton 020 7679 0863 [email protected]

Academic Leads
Academic Lead for Year 2 Prof Lionel Ginsberg Contact via
Deputy Academic lead for Year 2 Dr Shane Minogue Fahmina Begum
Student Selected Components
Academic Lead Dr Greg Campbell [email protected]
Administrative Lead Fahmina Begum 020 7679 0861 [email protected]

Clinical and Professional Practice teaching

CPP Academic Lead Dr Faye Gishen
Head of MBBS Management CPP Izzie Jay All via
CPP Teaching Co-Ordinator Tor Wright [email protected]
CPP Administrator Ayana Sakey
Student Support
Divisional Tutor Dr Will Coppola [email protected]
Student Support Administrator Purvangi Dave 020 7679 0842 medsch.student-
[email protected]
Personal Tutors Stephanie Woods [email protected]
Module Leads
Movement and Musculoskeletal Dr Sandra Martelli [email protected]
Biology
Neuroscience & Behaviour Prof Chris Yeo [email protected]
Endocrine Systems & Reproduction Dr Pam Houston [email protected]
Genetics, Development and Cancer Dr Shane Minogue [email protected]
Module coordinators
Movement and Musculoskeletal Christine Williams [email protected]
Biology
Neuroscience & Behaviour Mila Bruger [email protected]
Endocrine Systems & Reproduction Mila Bruger [email protected]
Genetics, Development and Christine Williams (G&D) [email protected]
Cancer Rose Clark (Cancer Biology) [email protected]

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