Fundamental Skills for Medical Scientists
| Module title | Fundamental Skills for Medical Scientists |
|---|---|
| Module code | CSC1004 |
| Academic year | 2025/6 |
| Credits | 30 |
| Module staff | Dr David MacDonald (Convenor) Dr James Butler (Convenor) |
| Duration: Term | 1 | 2 | 3 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Duration: Weeks | 11 | 11 | 0 |
| Number students taking module (anticipated) | 180 |
|---|
Module description
Designed to help you to get the most out of your BSc Medical Sciences degree, this module will take you through your first steps in developing essential scientific and professional skills that will be useful in your future career. In this module, you will explore topics relating to safe and accurate laboratory work, statistical analysis of data, coding in health data science, communication in formal and informal environments, and employability.
You must complete the ELE (Exeter Learning Environment) module 'Academic Honesty and Plagiarism' prior to submitting your first piece of coursework and you will seek guidance from your Academic Tutor or the module lead if further advice is required.
In order to take this module you must normally have an A Level (or equivalent) in Biology.
Module aims - intentions of the module
This module introduces you to the key principles of safe laboratory practice, statistical analysis of data, introductory coding skills in health data science, scientific writing and communication skills, and employability. You will gain a good working knowledge of scientific writing, critical appraisal and referencing, how to interpret and make sense of experimental data using statistical analysis, and an introduction to advanced research methods used in medical sciences. Further emphasis will be placed on personal development planning to make sure you have the transferable skills necessary to enhance your performance in all academic stages as well as to improve your Professional Training Year and your future employability prospects.
Intended Learning Outcomes (ILOs)
ILO: Module-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 1. Demonstrate knowledge of what it means to work safely in the laboratory and to gain competence in basic laboratory procedures supported by virtual on-line resources.
- 2. Communicate effectively and with probity to expert and non-expert audiences (by written, oral and visual means)
ILO: Discipline-specific skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 3. Accurately analyse, interpret and present scientific data (data handling).
- 4. Use on-line literature databases to gather scientific information.
- 5. Synthesise and critically evaluate current scientific knowledge, with appropriate referencing.
ILO: Personal and key skills
On successfully completing the module you will be able to...
- 6. Manage time, workload and information effectively, both independently and as part of a team.
- 7. Identify transferable skills acquired from academic and extra-curricular activities and apply these to future academic development and career planning through reflection and review processes.
- 8. Conduct yourself in a professional manner
Syllabus plan
Whilst the module’s precise content may vary from year to year, an example of an overall structure is as follows:
The module is broadly divided into four competency sections. 1) Developing your laboratory and statistical analysis of data skills. 2) Working in small groups under the guidance of an expert facilitator to develop skills in literature searching, critical analysis, scientific writing and oral presentation. A series of supporting workshops will lead you step by step through this process. 3) Learning about advanced research methods and their application to contemporary research fields within medical science. 4) Learning how to enhance your employability skills through undertaking a CV and cover letter writing assessment.
Throughout the module, you will be required to engage with the Arena Seminars (clinician-scientist-patient forum) and other advertised academic and employability-focused sessions.
Learning activities and teaching methods (given in hours of study time)
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching Activities | Guided independent study | Placement / study abroad |
|---|---|---|
| 90 | 210 | 0 |
Details of learning activities and teaching methods
| Category | Hours of study time | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 15 | Laboratory-based practical classes |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 65 | Lectures, workshops and tutorials on academic/personal skills and employability, including module induction and feedback, delivered as pre-recorded video, on-line synchronous or face-to-face as appropriate |
| Scheduled Learning and Teaching | 10 | Engagement with academic/employability events (e.g. Translational Science Seminars, research seminars, Arena sessions etc.) |
| Guided Independent Study | 20 | Virtual learning environment tasks relating to practical classes and data analysis |
| Guided Independent Study | 100 | Literature search and reading for literature review |
| Guided Independent Study | 60 | Completion of formative and summative assessments |
| Guided Independent Study | 30 | Workshop preparation and consolidation |
Formative assessment
| Form of assessment | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|
| Virtual learning environment tasks | 4 x 1 hour | 1,2,5 | Online |
| Scientific literature review plan | 1 page | 2-6 | Written and oral |
| Statistics exercise | On-line MCQ quiz | 2,5 | Online |
Summative assessment (% of credit)
| Coursework | Written exams | Practical exams |
|---|---|---|
| 80 | 20 | 0 |
Details of summative assessment
| Form of assessment | % of credit | Size of the assessment (eg length / duration) | ILOs assessed | Feedback method |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Practical problem sets | 20 | Online assessments | 1,3,6,8 | Online and model answers |
| Statistical Analysis of Data exam | 20 | 1hr written exam | 3 | Written |
| Scientific literature review | 30 | 3.5 pages | 2,4-6,8 | Written |
| Oral presentation | 10 | 6 minute individual oral presentation | 2,4-6,8 | Written and oral |
| Job application | 10 | 2 page CV + 1 page cover letter | 2,7-8 | Written |
| Professionalism Award | 10 | Academic Tutor professionalism report | 7-8 | Written and oral |
Details of re-assessment (where required by referral or deferral)
| Original form of assessment | Form of re-assessment | ILOs re-assessed | Timescale for re-assessment |
|---|---|---|---|
| Practical problem sets (20%) | Online assessments (20%) | 1,3,6,8 | August Ref/Def |
| Statistical Analysis of Data exam (20%),1 hour written exam | Statistical Analysis of Data exam (20%) | 3 | August Ref/Def |
| Scientific literature review (30%), 3.5 pages | Scientific literature review (30%) | 2,4-6,8 | August Ref/Def |
| Oral presentation (10%), (6 minutes) | Oral presentation (10%) | 2,4-6,8 | August Ref/Def |
| Job application (10%), 2 page CV + 1 page cover letter | Job application (10%) | 2,7-8 | August Ref/Def |
| Professionalism Award (10%) | Professionalism remediation meeting (10%) | 7-8 | August Ref/Def |
Re-assessment notes
For the summative oral presentation assessment, students will be offered either a referral or a deferral re-assessment opportunity, which can be completed in-person or live-synchronously on-line as appropriate. No extensions will be offered for the oral presentation assessment.
In the event of you failing the professionalism award assessment component and failing the module overall, you will be required to meet with your Academic Tutor as soon as possible to remediate this failure as a referred assessment. This will involve submitting any outstanding components required for this award, and, if necessary, undertaking any actions required by the Academic Tutor to remediate for any unprofessional behaviour. In the event of you failing the Professionalism Award component but passing the module overall, you will be required to meet with your academic tutor for an individual meeting to remediate this outcome at the beginning of the following academic year.
In the event of you failing the Academic Honesty quiz, the module will be capped at 39 until it is passed.
Please also refer to the TQA section on Referral/Deferral: http://as.exeter.ac.uk/academic-policy-standards/tqa-manual/aph/consequenceoffailure/
Indicative learning resources - Basic reading
Indicative basic reading list:
Cottrell, S. The Study Skills Handbook. Palgrave
Cottrell, S. Critical Thinking Skills. Palgrave.
Boyle, J. & Ramsay, S. Writing for Science Students. Palgrave.
Harris, M., Taylor, J. & Taylor, G. Catch Up Maths & Stats: for the life and medical sciences. Scion Publishing.
Rumsey, D. J. Statistics For Dummies. For Dummies Publishing.
De Vries, A. & Meys, J. R for Dummies. For Dummies Publishing
Access to online versions of the reading list can be found here: CSC1004-Reading-List
Indicative learning resources - Web based and electronic resources
All basic material required for this module will be provided on the Exeter Learning Environment (ELE), which can be accessed here: https://vle.exeter.ac.uk/course/view.php?id=9074
| Credit value | 30 |
|---|---|
| Module ECTS | 15 |
| Module pre-requisites | None |
| Module co-requisites | None |
| NQF level (module) | 4 |
| Available as distance learning? | No |
| Origin date | 30/03/2016 |
| Last revision date | 02/03/2023 |
