Learning and teaching at Brunel Medical School

You'll be taught by clinicians and academics in modern facilities which include ‘smart’ classrooms, video-enabled clinical communication suites, and simulated hospital wards. You'll benefit from the use of interactive manikins, to hone your clinical and teamwork skills on campus.

Bringing depth, efficiency and flexibility to your learning 

Our curriculum has been designed by academics and clinicians working in partnership to integrate the latest insights of the medical sciences with clinical practice. By embedding digital technologies, we'll ensure that our curriculum delivery is agile and adapted to the challenges of an ever-changing scientific and clinical landscape.You'll be able to access our digital platforms from your laptop, mobile phone, or tablet 24/7.Our platforms provide integrated support for all aspects of your learning experience, including timetabling, access to online resources, virtual microscopy, use for classroom learning, feedback, workplace-based assessments, peer interactions and student support. This approach will facilitate your learning, whether it is in your own accommodation at home,on campus, whilst travelling, or in the healthcare setting

Digital health 

Our digital health curriculum is one of many ways that our MBBS programme aims to prepare you for the future of medical practice, both in the UK and globally. As well as being a tool to enhance your learning, you'll also learn about the use of digital technology in healthcare practice.Digital health already pervades many  aspects of medical practice, from the doctor-patient consultation, to choosing and interpreting AI-facilitated diagnostic tests, making a diagnosis and prescribing safely. Our modern curriculum will equip you with the core competencies to progress in your medical career.

We're among the increasing number of medical schools worldwide using TBL as a method for classroom instruction. We have utilised the experience and expertise of our  community of TBL practitioners to support the development of the MBBS curriculum.  We have established expertise in Team-Based Learning (TBL) which is a highly engaging, interactive, ‘flipped classroom’ approach.  The TBL process, with its underpinning digital learning system provides on-going feedback to guide your learning, enabling your teachers to tailor their teaching according to the needs of the class. It'll also provide learning analytics to help the school identify students who may need more support, and to continuously improve the way our curriculum is delivered.

Watch our TBL video.

 

How does it work?

TBL sessions are run by experienced TBL facilitators with medical and health professionals (content experts) in the subject area being taught. This creates a highly interactive and collaborative learning environment for our students. In TBL, you'll carry out some pre-study and then come together with their team. First, you'll assess your own knowledge before working in your team - learning together. You'll collectively solve clinical problems by applying your knowledge to real-life medical situations. You'll be assigned to a team of six students at the beginning of the academic year and will remain in this team for the whole year.This will allow strong bonds to be created so that peer-to-peer learning can be maximised. Moreover, the   TBL approach develops your communication skills through working with your team colleagues and when addressing the whole class to explain your ideas. In this way TBL also enhances your listening skills and leadership potential.

TBL also helps prepare you for your clinical placements in hospitals starting in Year 3; equipping you with the knowledge and communication skills required to thrive confidently in the clinical environment.

 

Anatomy, the study of the structure of the body, is a key part of medicine. At Brunel Medical School, anatomy is presented in a modern technological advanced learning environment that offers a variety of learning resources including human specimens and imaging facilities like ultrasound.

The teaching is facilitated by expert teachers with clinical and academic backgrounds. Over the first two years of the MBBS, you'll study the anatomy of the different systems of the body, learning to identify and describe parts of the body and how these parts work together.

Anatomy helps you build your knowledge of the language of medicine which you will employ in all facets of medicine.

Clinical Anatomy Suite 

The learning and teaching of anatomy takes place in our purpose-built Clinical Anatomy Suite which has been designed for a modern medical curriculum. The suite has ten tables, each with its own large wall mounted digital display screen.

Task lights at the tables, screens to separate the room into different sections and acoustic ceiling panels that buffer sound ensure an ideal teaching and learning experience. 

Display cabinets showcase anatomical models that are used in during the sessions.

The Clinical Anatomy Suite also incorporates disability accessible feature at a table, enabling accessible teaching and learning for a wheelchair user.

Practical teaching 

The teaching of anatomy is hands on, using the human specimens, anatomical models, ultrasound equipment and a variety of radiological images.

There's an emphasis on the clinical application of anatomical knowledge, facilitated by an experienced team of expert teachers with clinical and/or anatomical backgrounds. 

As part of the anatomy sessions, there are opportunities to visualise the structure of the body in the living using ultrasound. The ultrasound sessions are guided by experienced clinicians and academics and supported by a technical team.

The practical teaching in the Clinical Anatomy Suite is linked to Team-Based Learning that takes place in other parts of the MBBS.

Plastinated specimens 

At Brunel Medical School you have the unique opportunity to learn anatomy using plastinated human specimens which have been professionally dissected to display the structures of interest. 

These human specimens have been freely and generously donated by individuals for the education of students. The human specimens are a precious and unique resource entrusted to us that we use with gratitude and respect. 

You'll be using hand-held ultrasound scanners on volunteers to examine anatomy and explore physiological function in real life.