Introducing medical students to global health issues: a Bachelor of Science degree in international health

• Published in: The Lancet (British edition) 2003-09, Vol.362 (9386), p.822-824
• Main Authors: Yudkin, John S, Bayley, Olivia, Elnour, Shaima, Willott, Chris, Miranda, J Jaime
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Academic degrees; Anthropology; Biological and medical sciences; Charitable foundations; Core curriculum; Curricula; Curriculum; Delivery of Health Care - standards; Developing countries; Developing Countries - statistics & numerical data; Education, Medical, Undergraduate - methods; Educational Status; Global Health; Health care; Human rights; Human Rights - education; Humans; Inequality; International; LDCs; Life expectancy; Maternal & child health; Medical schools; Medical sciences; Medical students; Modules; Poverty; Public health. Hygiene; Public health. Hygiene-occupational medicine; Schools; Schools, Medical - organization & administration; Science education; Students; Students, Medical - psychology; Teaching; Teaching - methods; Teaching. Deontology. Ethics. Legislation; United Kingdom; University colleges
• ISSN: 0140-6736; 1474-547X
• DOI: 10.1016/S0140-6736(03)14276-6

The Royal Free and University College Medical School (RUMS) is one of the largest medical schools in the UK, with about 350 students per year. Most of the basic science teaching takes place at University College London (UCL), one of the component parts of the School. Student intake largely comprises school leavers, who may have taken a gap year, although an increasing proportion of students have taken a previous degree, or worked, in another discipline. The medical degree, the MBBS, comprises a 5-year course. However, most medical students in the UK take an additional year to study one subject in depth, in pursuit of a Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree, which is termed an intercalated BSc. RUMS, with several other UK schools, has adopted a universal 6-year course, for which all students are required to choose an intercalated BSc. The content and timing of this BSc year has traditionally been a basic science topic studied after the second year or preclinical part of the course. At UCL, anatomy, neurosciences, cell biology, and physiology are especially popular. But increasingly, perhaps because of students' anxieties about the restrictions of training after graduation, more unorthodox choices are being made. Thus, intercalated BScs in medical anthropology and history of medicine are becoming a common choice, and also attract students from other medical schools in the UK.