Medical Science

OVERVIEW

This qualification provides you with the knowledge, understanding and skills in key scientific principles to support your progress to higher education or employment in areas of Medical Science, such as job roles in physiological sciences or clinical laboratory services. Each unit of the Diploma has a clear medical science purpose which focuses the learning of scientific knowledge, understanding and skills into a meaningful context.

YEAR 12

Unit 1: Human health and disease

You will develop knowledge and understanding of human anatomy and physiology, developing an understanding of the function of organ systems and some problems that can occur in these systems.

Unit 2: Physiological measurement techniques

This unit develops knowledge and understanding about the physiological measurements that can be made to assess the function of major body systems. It relates anatomy and physiology to physiological measurement test results, through an understanding of the principles of the measurement techniques.

Unit 3: Medical Science research methods

You will develop knowledge and understanding of planning, conducting and reporting of research in medical sciences using a range of methodologies and techniques.

YEAR 13

Unit 4: Medicines and treatment of disease

This unit develops knowledge and understanding about the science of medicines, and how they work through their interactions with body systems. It also introduces cancer, its relationship to genetics and the range of therapeutic treatments available.

Unit 5: Clinical Laboratory techniques

You will develop knowledge and understanding about the clinical laboratory techniques that can be used to assess body functions. It relates knowledge and understanding of human physiology and biochemistry to clinical measurement test results.

Unit 6: Medical case study

The content of this unit requires you to apply skills, techniques, knowledge, understanding and concepts from across the qualification content in order to complete the required assessment.

CAREER OPPORTUNITIES

This qualification equips you with scientific knowledge and understanding, as well as practical skills that would support progression to a range of job roles within health care. Job roles such as those within the areas of life sciences, i.e. carrying out a range of laboratory and scientific tests to support the diagnosis and treatment of disease, this could include microscopic examination of tissue samples, analysis of blood cells. Alternatively there would also be opportunities to progress to job roles within the physiological sciences, working directly with patients, measuring and evaluating particular organ and systems, such as scientists working in neurophysiology recording the electrical activity in the brain.

ENTRY REQUIREMENTS

5 grade 9-4’s GCSE or equivalent plus 5 in Science.