Clinical Science with Foundation

University of West London

Our BSc (Hons) Clinical Science degree provides a comprehensive grounding in clinical and medical sciences. Clinical scientists are medical and healthcare professionals who research and develop techniques and equipment to help prevent, diagnose and treat illness. As such, the aim of this course is to enable your understanding and ability to analyse the basis of human disease, diagnosis and treatment.

• microbiology
• genetics
• haematology
• immunology
• anatomy
• physiology
• pathology
• biochemistry. You will also develop an array of practical skills required for the diagnosis of disease. This includes learning how to communicate with other health professionals, developing analytical skills for finding patterns and unexpected outcomes in test results, and building important numeracy skills. 

This course aims to provide an understanding of key topics in clinical science alongside the practical skills needed in modern clinical science labs, for example within the NHS. In Year 1, you will focus on the core knowledge of basic biomedical science that underpins these areas, with increasing specialism in Years 2 and 3. Specific subject aims include:
• Clinical biochemistry and immunology – to build the knowledge and skills needed to work in a clinical lab or similar environment where routine clinical tests are run and interpreted
• Medical Physics – to develop the knowledge and skills needed to interpret medical imaging findings, including CT scans, X-rays, and MRI
• Diagnostics – to understand how the nature of disease determines the key tests used in diagnosis, with particular emphasis on biomarkers In the final year, you will undertake a clinical research project that focuses on one of the areas from the course and is based either in the lab or on the analysis of clinical data. This gives you the chance to work independently to produce work that contributes to our understanding of clinical science and provides an excellent grounding for those who wish to pursue a career in research. Careers after graduation may include working as a clinical scientist (subject to appropriate further postgraduate study), clinical research as part of a clinical trials team, or drug development within the pharmaceutical industry. There are also excellent opportunities for further study, including MSc Clinical Science, PhD studentships, and postgraduate entry to medical school.

There are many reasons for joining a foundation year course; you may not have the exact subjects or grades at A level to meet the entry requirements, you may have been living abroad or you may want to change direction with your career. Whatever your starting point, the foundation year offers a firm grounding in the skills and knowledge that you will need to get the most from your studies and thrive at University. Successful completion of the foundation year allows you to progress straight onto Level 4 of this course.