THE UNIVERSITY of EDINBURGH

DEGREE REGULATIONS & PROGRAMMES OF STUDY 2021/2022

Information in the Degree Programme Tables may still be subject to change in response to Covid-19

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DRPS : Course Catalogue : Deanery of Biomedical Sciences : Biomedical Sciences

Undergraduate Course: Academic Surgery (BIME10058)

Course Outline
SchoolDeanery of Biomedical Sciences CollegeCollege of Medicine and Veterinary Medicine
Credit level (Normal year taken)SCQF Level 10 (Year 4 Undergraduate) AvailabilityNot available to visiting students
SCQF Credits10 ECTS Credits5
SummaryThe aim of the Academic Surgery course is to enhance student understanding of the general principles of clinical study design, statistics, and critical review of the medical literature. In addition, students will produce an on-line ePortfolio comprising critical analysis of 3 research papers and a log detailing their reflections upon their experiences and learning. This course will enable students to assess the quality of clinical research and facilitate self-directed learning and continuing professional development to encourage students to refine and improve their practice and learning.
Course description This course is designed to complement the linked 20-credit Surgical Sciences course delivered in Semester 1. Students will attend a series of journal clubs and discuss surgery research papers. This activity will focus upon the use of key research principles such as framing a research question or hypothesis and the use of appropriate methods and study design. Potential sources of bias in research papers will be discussed in clinical and scientific research. Students will be led through the critical appraisal of research papers including the statistical analyses employed. Students will identify key strengths and weaknesses of the research and suggest areas for further research in the area.

Students will be required to keep a reflective log of their critiques of 3 research papers as well as the teaching activities (20-credit Surgical Sciences course and 10 credit Academic Surgery course) delivered September to March in the form of an ePortfolio. Reflective practice is a key part of self-directed learning and continuing professional development. It encourages students to refine and improve their practice, and provides a reference point to demonstrate development over the course of the Honours BMedSci programme. An on-line Reflective ePortfolio will be completed by the student during the Academic Surgery course allowing the opportunity to critically reflect upon first-hand experiences as well as medical texts, in order to develop a critical, evidence-based approach to surgery.

Through self-directed learning, on-line content will support and reinforce key concepts relating to surgical study design (formulating a hypothesis and research questions and use of appropriate methodology to address these questions), critical appraisal and reviewing research papers and statistical analysis of data.

The Academic Surgery course will explore in more depth and from a research perspective the lectures and seminars delivered during the 20-credit Surgical Sciences course in Semester 1. Students will be required to keep a reflective log of the teaching activities (20-credit Surgical Sciences course and 10 credit Academic Surgery course) delivered September to March in the form of an ePortfolio.
Entry Requirements (not applicable to Visiting Students)
Pre-requisites Co-requisites
Prohibited Combinations Other requirements None
Course Delivery Information
Academic year 2021/22, Not available to visiting students (SS1) Quota:  16
Course Start Full Year
Timetable Timetable
Learning and Teaching activities (Further Info) Total Hours: 100 ( Seminar/Tutorial Hours 20, Programme Level Learning and Teaching Hours 2, Directed Learning and Independent Learning Hours 78 )
Assessment (Further Info) Written Exam 0 %, Coursework 100 %, Practical Exam 0 %
Additional Information (Assessment) An ePortfolio comprising critical appraisals of 3 research (60%) papers and a reflective ePortfolio (40%)
Feedback Formative feedback will be provided in the journal clubs throughout the course.
A structured questionnaire will be used to gather feedback on the components of the course.
No Exam Information
Learning Outcomes
On completion of this course, the student will be able to:
  1. Apply general principles of clinical study design, ethics, and statistics
  2. Search for, evaluate, and use the best available evidence in order to manage the surgical patient
  3. Appraise the relationship between evidence, audit and observed variation in clinical practice
  4. Be open to new ideas, methods and ways of thinking
  5. Communicate information, ideas and arguments effectively in written, visual and oral forms
Learning Resources
Review articles
Original relevant research journal articles
Additional Information
Graduate Attributes and Skills Students will develop key graduate attributes including:
- In-depth knowledge of specialist discipline
- Development of new understanding by exercising critical judgement and challenging existing knowledge
- Become a self-directed learner
- Solve problems effectively taking ethical, professional and environmental issues into account
- Use information responsibly in a range of contexts
- Collaborate with others, capitalising on their different thinking, experience and skills
- Communicate (oral, written, online) effectively, respectful of social and cultural diversity
- Application of numeracy
- Application of information and communications technology
KeywordsEvidence-based medicine,surgery,study design,critical appraisal.
Contacts
Course organiserDr Oluseye Ogunbayo
Tel: (0131 6)51 4930
Email: oogunbay@staffmail.ed.ac.uk
Course secretaryMs Kimberley Bruce
Tel: (0131 6)50 3717
Email: kimberley.bruce@ed.ac.uk
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