As a medical or dentistry student, you may choose to take a year out from your medical course and study on one of our intercalated Medical Science degree programmes. The Intercalated BMedSc degree in the History of Medicine aims to provide a broad and comprehensive introduction to the history of medicine.
The degree programme will emphasise its social context, concentrating on specific areas from antiquity to the present day, which have particular relevance to our understanding of modern medical practice. It also offers a unique opportunity for medical students to acquire transferable research skills and undertake an original piece of medical history research. During this year you will acquire skills in analysing and interpreting research papers and also gain substantial, direct experience of novel research.
The key aims of the degree programme are to:
- introduce you to the wider social, cultural and political issues that are central to the study of the history of medicine.
- provide the opportunity to study particular topics of historical and contemporary interest in depth with specialist historians of medicine.
- promote transferable reading, writing, and critical and presentational skills.
- enable you to develop research skills and pursue an advanced research topic of their own choosing.
The programme is based on a series of taught courses in the first semester, aimed at acquiring the background and skills essential for research into the history of medicine. The second semester is spent undertaking research, individually structured to meet your interests. It is possible to spend a period abroad studying sources and collecting material. The success of the research element is the key to the success of the degree programme as a whole.
The module is based in the Centre for the History of Medicine, which has a growing reputation for teaching and research, and unlike many other similar centres in the UK, is an integral part of the life of the College of Medical and Dental Sciences.