iBSc Women's Health

Our programme is distinct from but complementary to the core UCL clinical curricula for obstetrics and gynaecology and is also available to external applicants from other UK medical schools. The programme will enhance your experience by enabling a wider understanding of issues affecting healthcare for women and babies. You will be able to develop a broad knowledge base around cross-cutting themes relating to women’s health - including ethics and law, global health, research methodology, development of new technologies, service delivery, and patient and public engagement.

Teaching and support is delivered by experts at the Institute, through a blend of face-to-face and online academic learning, alongside practical learning opportunities and independent research work in a clinical or laboratory setting. Through assessments and learning activities across the programme, you will develop a range of key skills, including data collection, critical appraisal, analysis, interpretation, academic writing, oral presentation, communication and peer assessment skills.

The programme experience is designed to inspire you to specialize in women’s health after you complete your MBBS clinical training, but also teaches valuable generic skills and explores overarching themes that will be relevant to whichever branch of medicine you choose to pursue.

The programme structure and subject areas are clearly defined, designed to provide you with a rounded and coherent understanding of issues affecting healthcare for women and babies, both in the UK and globally.

Terms 1 and 2 are structured around the three core subject areas of maternal, fetal and neonatal health, reproductive health and women’s cancer, delivered via an interactive lecture course, with tutorials, small group teaching, peer and self-directed learning embedded within a blended learning approach. Your learning will also be facilitated via online activities which are linked to taught sessions. All students undertake experiential learning opportunities in hospital clinics and laboratory settings, including time spent on the labour ward, antenatal ultrasound clinics, women’s cancer clinics, fetal medicine clinics and reproductive medicine clinics. These clinical opportunities are integrated into the timetable within Term 1 in order to give a clinical context to the scientific taught content of the programme.

You will chose your independent research topic from a range of projects offered early in term 1 and will be supported to ensure that your project design and necessary approvals are in place by the end of term. You will work on your project in the course of term 2, with a submission date early in term 3.

The programme consists of four mandatory modules.

Mandatory modules

• IFWH3001 Women’s Cancer (30 credits)
• IFWH3002 Maternal, Fetal and Neonatal Health (30 credits)
• IFWH3003 Reproductive Health (30 credits)
• IFWH3901 Independent Research Project (Women’s Health) (30 credits)

Teaching and Learning

Summative assessment formats include a critical appraisal of new technologies within an area of maternal fetal or neonatal health; an academic report on an ethical issue related to reproductive or sexual health, with a linked lay report designed for a lay audience; a reflective piece on an observed encounter with a patient in women’s cancer; single best answer examinations; and a research project dissertation.

Formative and summative assessments encourage practice in searching for relevant source material, discussion of key issues, practice in applying concepts orally and in writing, analysis and interpretation of research evidence using data from published papers, and will ensure constructive, continual appraisal and feedback from tutors.

Subject specific knowledge, intellectual and practical skills are also developed through the independent research project process, where you can use the knowledge and practically apply the skills you have learned in the other modules, and receive individual tuition from your supervisor in the technical processes relevant to the project, and in the design, analysis and reporting back of practical work.

To be eligible for registration, you must have satisfactorily completed the required programme of study and assessments for MBBS Years 1 and 2 at UCL or another UK Medical School.

For external candidates, visit the iBSc website.

Further information available on the UCL School of Life and Medical Sciences iBSc programmes website.

"Women's Health was a great choice for me, I really wanted a broad variety of topics combined with some clinical experience and that is what this BSc provided. It gives you insight into community sexual health, gynaecological cancers, fetal and neonatal development, ultrasound imaging, and ethical and safeguarding issues relevant to women's health. There are opportunities to spend time on the labour ward, in cancer clinics, and in neonatal intensive care. This is a great BSc to prepare you for clinical medicine and enable you to think ethically." 2016-17 Alumni"One of my best years in UCL so far. We covered a broad range of topics throughout the year – not only just limited to the clinical and research aspects of Women’s Health, but the psychological and socio-political parts as well." 2016-17 Alumni“Overall, I am very happy I chose Women’s Health and I would recommend it to the year below! Thank you!” 2016-17 Alumni