Integrated Medicine Courses

What Is An Integrated Medicine Course?

Integrated Medicine Courses teach scientific knowledge alongside clinical training – so you’ll learn the material by topic, rather than by discipline. For example, when you learn about the digestive system, you will learn all of the physiology, biochemistry, anatomy, clinical skills etc which are relevant to it.

The General Medical Council recommends this approach to Medicine – and most universities now use this method of teaching.

It’s different from a Traditional Medicine Course, where you learn the science first in the pre-clinical years and then move to a clinical setting.

Which Universities Teach Integrated Medicine Courses?

Most Medical Schools teach Integrated Medicine Courses.

The difference between these universities is whether they use problem-based learning, case-based learning, or enquiry-based learning to deliver the Integrated Courses. You can find out more about this in our guide to teaching approaches.

Is An Integrated Medicine Course Right For Me?

Integrated Medicine Courses give you the chance to get some early clinical exposure, while still offering the support structure of scientific teaching delivered in the form of lectures and seminars.

Benefits of Integrated Medicine Courses:

• If you like to learn in a hands-on way, this will suit your learning style
• You get to dive in and interact with patients from an early stage of the course, so you’ll have plenty of time to get used to this aspect of working as a Doctor
• It’s a good middle ground, so it could be a safe bet if you’re unsure about doing a Traditional Course

Downsides of Integrated Medicine Courses:

• Because patient contact happens early in the course, you might feel unprepared
• You might prefer to develop a deeper academic understanding of Medicine first, before moving into a clinical setting (a Traditional Course offers this approach)

Take our quiz to see if you’d suit an Integrated Medicine Course.