What is Medical Bisocience?

Medical Bioscience involves the study of life at all levels of complexity; from atoms, to molecules, cells, tissues, organs, organisms, communities and ecosystems. This requires a multidisciplinary approach to understand life processes, both in health and in disease, and is therefore underpinned by subject areas that typically come under the umbrellas of biological and chemical sciences. However, the Medical Biosciences programme course structure is carefully designed to integrate selected subject areas from both of these streams to enable undergraduates with a background knowledge in either, to pursue a higher degree in specialist areas such as pathology, cell & molecular biology, biochemistry & genetics, bioinformatics, bioorganic & bioinorganic chemistry, as well as the molecular and biochemical processes that underpin life at different levels. The overall course structure therefore covers key topics that play a pivotal role in understanding health and well-being.

The Medical Bioscience MSc programme emphasises the practical and experimental nature of the selected key topics, where students gain training in a progressive and cumulative manner throughout the year in conjunction with conventionally taught academic modules that provide the contextual relevance to the practical training. Both the taught and the practical elements of the course are taught in an environment of current hypotheses rather than certainty, and thus highlight the nature of the natural variation encountered in new and empirical data in research.

The MSc course is taught using a variety of strategies that include:

• Conventional lectures, seminar and tutorials
• Self-directed study and research
• Interactions with science professionals
• Case studies and problem-based learning
• Peer and collaborative learning
• Reflective practice and portfolio building
• Laboratory classes and workshops
• Interactive sessions, including debates and oral/poster presentations
• Use of electronic multimedia

In addition to the taught elements, the Medical Bioscience programme is underpinned by a research project in the third semester, where extended specialist training is provided in research and experimental techniques, as well as design, and the use of appropriate statistical analysis.