Medical Pharmacology (BSc)

Core knowledge and understanding will be acquired via lectures, seminars, group discussions, tutorials and other group work.  In years 1 and 2, some modules are specifically devoted to training and practice of written, poster and oral presentation of scientific data.

Year 2 includes a dedicated ‘practical-only’ module and a ‘research techniques’ module, designed to bridge the gap between theory and practice in pharmacology.

If you choose the four-year programme you will follow an experiential Professional Placement lasting 9-12 months. This time will be spent within a single organisation, giving greater scope for the project work.

In the final year high level critical and synthetic activities are developed through presentations and a research project. A 10-credit module is also devoted entirely to training in evaluation of scientific literature.

All level 6 modules require a high level of independent study of published material.

Both the 3 and 4 year BSc (Honours) Programmes in Medical Pharmacology and Medical Pharmacology (with a Professional Placement Year) respectively seek:

• To stimulate and encourage an attitude of enquiry and interest centred on the acquisition of knowledge to satisfy curiosity and a desire for understanding
• To provide a broad theoretical and applied pharmacological background should you wish to undertake further study and research in pharmacology, or in a related subject or if you wish to study pharmacology no further than first degree level
• To provide adequate instruction to permit entry for suitably qualified graduates to Year 2 of the Cardiff University MBBCh Medicine Programme (the A101 course).
• To stimulate and sustain your enthusiasm for, and enjoyment of, pharmacology and enable you to engage the subsequent phases of your career with initiative and confidence in your ability
• To encourage an appreciation of social, ethical and commercial aspects of the application and exploitation of pharmacological knowledge and techniques.

Programmes aims:

• To impart knowledge and develop understanding of pharmacological facts, terms, methods, concepts, principles and relationships and to appreciate their importance
• To develop technical and organisational skills commensurate with good laboratory practice, safe working practices and the acquisition of sound scientific data
• To develop the skills of locating and retrieving information from a variety of sources
• To develop the skills of logical and critical evaluation of: scientific data, the methods by which they were obtained, the statistical analyses used and the inferences and conclusions drawn
• To develop the ability to communicate, both orally and in written work, and to participate constructively in discussion
• To gain awareness of the importance of experimental work and of the use of techniques drawn from other disciplines
• To provide you with a highly rewarding learning experience, drawn from our proven expertise in delivering high calibre scientific teaching and research. The main objective of the degree course is to promote knowledge and understanding at both conceptual and practical levels.

Professional Placement Year aims:

The aims of the Professional Placement Year are intended to provide you with the opportunity to:

• experience the environment of a real workplace and how needs are identified and resources are acquired, allocated and used for the purpose of achieving organisational objectives
• organise yourself so that you can receive, quickly understand and carry out instructions to the satisfaction of your employer as a means of developing towards the completion of more responsible work
• develop the interpersonal skills required to enable you to work efficiently as a member of a team trying to achieve organisational goals
• acquire and develop technical skills associated with the nature of your work
• identify, analyse and discuss with experienced practitioners how theoretical concepts are adapted and applied to suit practical requirements
• apply knowledge that will help you to plan and evaluate future study and career development.

How will I be supported?

You will be assigned a Personal Tutor at the start of term for help and support with academic and pastoral needs. You will normally stay with your assigned Personal Tutors for the duration of the course. Within the first week of term you should organise a meeting with your Personal Tutor to say “Hello” and arrange future meetings.  Each first year student will also be assigned a “parent” from the current year 2.  This is designed to welcome you to Cardiff, socially integrate you to the course and importantly provide a friendly face.

Should you need information or advice, your Personal Tutor should be your first contact. The Programme Director can also be consulted on any matter at any time.

 Course Handbooks will provide further details on the support available once you begin the course.

How will I be assessed?

Knowledge and understanding are assessed summatively through a variety of exam formats designed to test the depth, breadth, accumulation and application of pharmacological knowledge. Full details of module assessments may be found in Module Handbooks and the Assessment Handbook for the programme.

In Year 1 (level 4), there is a bias towards use of instruments such as single best answer (SBA), multiple choice questions (MCQ) and written short answer questions designed to assess knowledge with less emphasis on higher analytical and critical skills. Summative assessment is primarily by means of unseen written examinations, generally in combination with an in-course element.  In Year 1, all modules include an in-course element.

In Year 2 (level 5), the ability to integrate and synthesise material and demonstrate clear understanding is starting to be assessed through greater use of essays as compared to MCQ in summative assessment. You will be expected to develop a greatly increased knowledge base. Some of the modules are examined wholly by means of in-course assessments, with the remainder of modules all having an in-course element.

In Year 3 (level 5), the Professional Placement will be assessed as follows:

• Placement Supervisor's Assessment (15%)

• Critical Incident Reflective Portfolio (15%)

• Written Report (70%)

In the Final Year (level 6), the highest levels of understanding and a broad knowledge of the subject extending in selected areas beyond core material is expected.  In addition to assessment of this knowledge, understanding of scientific data and its interpretation is incorporated into questions in unseen written papers and forms the basis of the in-course assessment for the project and summative oral student presentation.

Formative feedback of knowledge and understanding is concentrated in years 1 and 2.  Formative in-course assessments of varying types are provided in several year 1 and 2 modules and will also be included in the Placement Year.  You may be tasked with peer marking followed by discussion of the correct and incorrect answers.

Feedback

Formative feedback will be communicated through electronic and written means in a timely manner.  Summative feedback on assessment will be delivered within the timeframe set by the University.

What skills will I practise and develop?

Core knowledge and understanding is acquired via lectures, practical classes, seminars, guided study and problem-solving learning.  More advanced knowledge and understanding is acquired by group and project work. You are also expected to undertake independent study, and increasing independence of learning is expected as the Programme progresses.

The Professional Placement Year provides an opportunity for you to gain first-hand research experience, demonstrating how new information is acquired.  Such an experience will allow you to acquire important practical skills and appreciate the advantages and limitations of different research techniques.  During the placement, you will acquire group and team working skills, while also being able to plan and carry out experimental work individually.

You will acquire and develop a range of valuable skills, both discipline specific and more generic ‘employability skills’. These include the following:

• IT competency, including presentation, graphics and statistics packages
• Performing and interpreting statistical analyses of data
• Working effectively as an individual and in a team
• Demonstrating effective time management and the ability to meet deadlines
• Showing awareness of ethical issues relating to biological sciences
• Enhancing self-directed study
• Developing good interview techniques
• Developing good communication skills (using all media)
• Populating personal portfolios with relevant material

As a result of engaging fully with this course, you should be able to:

• Describe the scope and range of pharmacological preparations, their origins, development and use;
• Relate the disciplines of anatomy, physiology, physics, chemistry, psychology, biochemistry and molecular biology, as relevant to understanding and investigating pharmacology;
• Appreciate how different systems of the body interact to maintain homeostasis, respond to environmental challenges, undertake physical and mental activity in health and in disease, and know the role of drugs in modulating these processes;
• Describe principles that underpin drug development, safety evaluation and the practice of evidence-based therapeutics;
• Demonstrate how knowledge has advanced in selected areas of pharmacology by evaluating experimental evidence from the scientific literature.
• Appropriately apply acquired scientific skill-sets to undertake further study, research or to work within a clinical healthcare environment.
• Demonstrate knowledge and understanding of pharmacological facts, terms, methods, concepts, principles and relationships and appreciate their importance.
• Demonstrate technical and organisational skills commensurate with good laboratory practice, safe working practices and the acquisition of sound scientific data.
• Demonstrate skills of logical and critical evaluation of scientific data.

What are the learning outcomes of this course/programme?

Knowledge & Understanding:

On successful completion of the Programme you should be able to demonstrate:

• the scope and range of pharmacological preparations, including acquisition of coherent and detailed knowledge regarding their origins, development and use from previous and current literature
• the related disciplines of anatomy, physiology, biochemistry and  molecular biology as relevant to understanding and investigating pharmacology
• how the different systems of the body interact to maintain homeostasis, respond to environmental challenges, undertake physical and mental activity in health and in disease, and the role of drugs in modulating these processes
• the principles that underpin drug development, safety evaluation and the practice of evidence-based therapeutics
• the complex biological and other inter-relationships involved in the health of individuals, communities and populations
• how knowledge has advanced in selected areas of pharmacology by critical evaluation and a sceptical approach to experimental evidence from the past and most recent scientific literature
• how to apply the methods and techniques that they have learned to review, consolidate, extend and apply this in order to initiate and carry out various projects
• how the underlying concepts and principles described above are applied outside the context in which they were first studied, including the application of these principles in an employment context
• the main methods of enquiry in pharmacological research and the ability to be sceptical and evaluate critically the appropriateness of different approaches to solving problems.

On successful completion of the PPY you should be able to:

• demonstrate a critical understanding of the methodologies/experimental/analytical techniques used during your placement and apply such knowledge in a wider context
• demonstrate the use of initiative in dealing with issues/problems in the working environment
• describe and define information from the scientific literature relevant to your placement, and in doing so evidence a critical understanding of the subject area
• recognise the limits of such knowledge, and relate the influence this may have on analyses and interpretations of acquired data
• demonstrate how a critical understanding of underlying concepts and principles learned during your first two years at University has been applied in an employment context
• identify and reflect on opportunities for informal learning and explain how such experiences have impacted on your personal objectives and development
• demonstrate a range of skills and attributes which will enhance your graduate employability (awareness of application/selection interview processes, communication, report-writing, time management, self-motivation, independence, adaptability and team working/networking).

Intellectual Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• the use of a range of established techniques to initiate and undertake critical analysis of information, and to propose solutions to problems arising from that analysis
• effective communication of information, arguments, and analysis, in a variety of forms, to specialist and non-specialist audiences
• the ability to undertake further training, develop existing skills, and acquire new competences that will enable you to assume significant responsibility within organisations
• the qualities and transferable skills necessary for employment requiring the exercise of initiative, personal responsibility and decision-making in complex and unpredictable contexts 
• the ability to manage your own learning, and to make use of scholarly reviews and primary sources.

Professional Practical Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

• an in depth conceptual understanding of current knowledge and critical analysis
• the application of evidence-based medicine and deal with complex issues systematically and creatively
• an ability for problem solving and decision-making by enabling  the effective utilisation of evidence and communication of important concepts to colleagues and others
• the ability, through the research-focused elements, to develop and enhance skills in literature review, critical evaluation, research design, research methodologies, data collection, data analysis and research principles
• the promotion of practical skills through fostering an interdisciplinary evidence-based learning environment where professionals learn about best practice within their own profession
• an appreciation of where your input and skills can be used effectively to complement those of other professionals involved in various fields including pure research, drug development and patient care
• assessment through reflection and show your ability to translate the research evidence into the working environment and critically appraise, in an objective manner, your own practice
• the development of excellent oral and written communication skills to aid team working and dissemination of research.

Transferable/Key Skills:

On successful completion of the Programme you will be able to demonstrate:

•     effective communication skills (using all media)

•     sensitivity to ethical implications of advances in pharmacological and health related fields

•     the construction of reasoned arguments and implement an evidence-based approach or practice

•     independent learning and thinking

•     effective working as an individual and in a team

•     effective time management and the ability to meet deadlines

•     enhanced self-directed study

•     good critical analysis/evaluation of data and written reports

•     imagination and innovation in their approach to new situations and problems

•     flexibility and creativity within organisational and professional contexts.