Medicine Summer School - Detailed Outline (In-Person)

This page provides a detailed outline of the in-person Medicine Summer School, showing the themes and topics explored in each session across the five-day course. The programme below explains what students study on each day, from the fundamentals of diagnosis and patient communication to later sessions on neurology, medical ethics, paediatrics, oncology, and emergency medicine.

The course is taught through case-based learning, discussion, and practical activities, giving students a realistic insight into how medicine is studied and practised.

For further information about the academic level, teaching style, and who the course is best suited to, see the Medicine Summer School FAQ.

Prefer to view and download the PDF version of this outline? You can do so here.

Jump to a particular section:

Day One – Diagnosis, Communication, and the Science of Medicine
Day Two – The Heart, Lungs, and Life-Saving Interventions
Day Three – The Brain, Decision-Making, and Medical Ethics
Day Four – Children’s Health and Cancer Medicine
Day Five – Mental Health, Emergency Care, and Critical Medicine

Across the week, students explore how doctors gather information, interpret evidence, and make decisions in situations where the answer is not always clear. Beginning with the fundamentals of patient interaction and diagnosis, the course introduces key areas of medicine through a series of structured case studies, allowing students to work through real clinical problems step by step. As the week progresses, students encounter increasingly complex scenarios, from neurological diagnosis and ethical decision-making to cancer treatment and emergency care, where uncertainty and limited resources must be carefully managed. By the end of the course, participants have developed a clearer understanding of how medical reasoning works in practice, and how doctors combine scientific knowledge, communication, and judgement to care for patients.

Please note that for some groups, sessions may run in a different order.

10.30 – 11.00 Welcome and Introduction

The course begins with a short welcome session, where students meet their tutors and fellow participants and are introduced to how the week will run. From the outset, there is a strong emphasis on participation, discussion, and building confidence in speaking up.

Students take part in a short introductory activity designed to help everyone feel comfortable contributing, and to highlight that medicine is not just about knowledge, but also communication, teamwork, and thinking on your feet.

11.00 – 1.00 Working with Patients – Communication and Diagnosis

This session focuses on one of the most important aspects of medicine: interacting with patients and gathering the information needed to make a diagnosis.

Doctors rely on effective communication to understand a patient’s symptoms, but what happens when those symptoms are unclear or difficult to describe? Students explore the techniques medical professionals use to ask the right questions, interpret vague information, and build an accurate clinical picture.

They are introduced to how doctors structure a full medical history, learning how to explore symptoms in detail and consider factors such as past medical history, medications, lifestyle, and family background. Students also learn how symptoms can be analysed systematically, including the SOCRATES method for assessing pain, and apply this to cases such as chest pain, where the same symptom can have very different underlying causes.

The session is highly interactive, with students taking on the role of doctors in structured roleplay exercises, practising how to gather information and begin forming diagnoses. This gives an early insight into how clinicians move from questioning to reasoned judgement.

Students develop confidence in communication, structured questioning, and analytical thinking.

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.00 Radiology – Understanding Medical Imaging

In this session, students are introduced to how doctors use imaging to diagnose illness and guide treatment.

They explore how different technologies – including X-rays, CT scans, ultrasound, MRI, and fluoroscopy – allow doctors to see inside the body, and consider how these methods compare depending on the clinical situation.

Using real examples, students begin to recognise how doctors distinguish between normal and abnormal findings, such as identifying lung infections, tumours, or internal bleeding on scans.

They then apply this knowledge in clinical scenarios, selecting appropriate imaging and using the results to support a diagnosis. This reinforces the idea that imaging is not used in isolation, but as part of a wider diagnostic process.

This builds the ability to interpret complex visual information in a medical context.

3.00 – 4.30 Haematology – Blood Disease and Diagnosis

The final session of the day explores the role of blood in the body and how changes in blood can lead to disease.

Students are introduced to the components of blood and their functions, before learning about blood groups and why compatibility is essential in treatments such as transfusions.

They then apply this knowledge to clinical case studies, including conditions such as anaemia, as well as more acute and serious presentations such as septic shock and malaria, exploring how these conditions arise and how they are diagnosed and managed in practice.

Through these examples, students begin to see how doctors interpret symptoms and test results to build a coherent picture of what is happening inside the body.

Students develop problem-solving skills and confidence in applying scientific knowledge to real situations.

10.30 – 1.00 Cardiology – Understanding the Heart

The day begins with an exploration of the cardiovascular system and how the heart functions to pump blood around the body.

Students are introduced to the basic structure of the heart, including its chambers, valves, and electrical conduction system. They learn how the heart generates a heartbeat and how this can be measured using tools such as an electrocardiogram (ECG).

The session then moves on to what happens when things go wrong. Students explore common cardiac conditions such as atrial fibrillation, where the heart beats irregularly, and forms of valvular disease such as mitral stenosis and aortic regurgitation, where blood flow through the heart is disrupted.

Using case-based examples, students consider how these conditions might present in real patients, and how doctors use investigations such as ECGs and imaging to support diagnosis. This helps build an understanding of how physiological changes lead to symptoms such as palpitations, breathlessness, or chest discomfort.

Students develop confidence in linking symptoms to underlying physiological causes.

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.30 Pulmonary Medicine – The Respiratory System

This session focuses on the lungs and how the body exchanges oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Students learn about the structure of the lungs and how breathing is regulated, before exploring how respiratory diseases affect normal function. The difference between obstructive and restrictive lung disease is introduced as a key concept.

Students then apply this knowledge to real clinical scenarios. These include conditions such as asthma, where the airways become narrowed and inflamed, and tuberculosis, an infectious disease that can develop gradually over time, as well as conditions such as cystic fibrosis, which affect breathing in different ways.

Through these examples, students begin to understand how symptoms such as coughing, wheezing, or shortness of breath arise, and how doctors use investigations such as chest X-rays and CT scans to confirm a diagnosis.

Students practise moving from symptoms to possible causes, and using evidence to narrow those possibilities down.

3.00 – 4.30 Trauma and Suturing – Practical Skills

In the final session of the day, students are introduced to a more hands-on aspect of medicine: managing injuries and performing basic surgical techniques.

They begin by learning how doctors assess patients in emergency situations, using structured approaches to prioritise life-threatening conditions. This includes understanding how trauma is managed in a systematic and time-critical way.

Students are then introduced to the principles of suturing — the technique used to close wounds. Tutors demonstrate how sutures are performed safely and effectively, before students have the opportunity to practise the simple interrupted stitch under supervision.

This session provides a practical insight into surgical skills and allows students to experience a key aspect of clinical medicine in a controlled setting.

This develops practical confidence, manual dexterity, and the ability to work carefully under pressure.

10.30 – 1.00 Neurology – Understanding the Brain and Nervous System

The day begins with an exploration of the nervous system, focusing on how the brain and spinal cord control the body and how disruption to these systems can lead to disease.

Students are introduced to the structure and function of the brain, identifying the regions responsible for movement, language, memory, and personality. They then consider what happens when these areas are damaged, exploring conditions such as stroke, where blood supply to part of the brain is interrupted, and neurological disorders such as Parkinson’s disease and multiple sclerosis.

Alongside this, students are introduced to how doctors examine the nervous system in practice, including basic assessments of movement, coordination, and reflexes. This helps them begin to understand how clinicians “localise” a problem within the brain or nervous system based on a patient’s symptoms.

Students begin to practise linking symptoms to specific parts of the nervous system and explaining how those links support a diagnosis.

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.30 Neurology Case Studies – Applying Clinical Reasoning

In the afternoon, students return to neurology to apply what they have learned through more detailed clinical cases.

They are presented with patient scenarios involving neurological symptoms and work through the process of identifying possible causes, interpreting evidence, and narrowing down a diagnosis. These may include conditions such as Parkinson’s disease, multiple sclerosis, or myasthenia gravis, where subtle differences in symptoms can point to very different underlying problems.

Students are encouraged to explain their reasoning, consider alternative diagnoses, and reflect on how doctors deal with incomplete or uncertain information.

This session focuses on weighing up competing explanations and justifying a final diagnosis based on limited evidence.

3.30 – 4.30 Ethical case study – Allocation of Transplants

This session introduces the ethical challenges that doctors face when making decisions about patient care.

Students are presented with a realistic scenario involving the allocation of limited resources, such as organ transplants, and asked to consider how decisions should be made when not every patient can receive the same treatment.

They explore questions such as whether conditions linked to lifestyle factors – for example alcohol-related liver disease or smoking-related illness – should influence priority for treatment, and how doctors balance fairness, responsibility, and medical need.

Through guided discussion, students consider different perspectives and justify their own decisions, gaining insight into the complexity of real-world medical ethics.

Students develop critical thinking, ethical reasoning, and confidence in evaluating complex arguments.

10.30 – 11.30 Oncology – Understanding Cancer

This session introduces oncology, exploring how cancer develops and how it is treated.

Students are introduced to the basic biology of cancer, including how uncontrolled cell growth leads to tumour formation and how cancers can spread within the body. This provides a foundation for understanding why different cancers behave in different ways.

The session then moves to clinical examples, including cancers such as lung cancer and pancreatic cancer, highlighting differences in prognosis and treatment options. Students consider how cancer might present in patients, the role of investigations such as imaging and biopsy, and the range of treatments available, including surgery, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy.

This introduces the idea that diagnosis is only one part of the process, and that doctors must also think carefully about how and whether to treat a condition.

Students begin to consider how doctors present treatment options and support patients in making informed decisions about their care.

11.30 – 1.00 Oncology Case Studies – Diagnosis and Management

In this session students apply their understanding of cancer through case-based discussion.

They are presented with patient scenarios and asked to consider how cancer might be identified, what investigations would be needed, and how treatment decisions are made. This may include interpreting symptoms such as unexplained weight loss or persistent cough, and linking these to possible underlying disease.

Alongside this, students also explore how similar diagnostic reasoning is applied in paediatrics, working through a case such as pyloric stenosis, where careful interpretation of symptoms in a newborn is essential to reaching the correct diagnosis.

Students are encouraged to think about how doctors balance factors such as the stage of disease, patient health, and treatment risks when deciding on a management plan, and how these decisions are communicated clearly to patients and families.

Students practise working through extended cases, weighing competing factors, and explaining a clear line of reasoning from symptoms to treatment.

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 4.30 Paediatrics – Medicine in Children

The day continues with paediatrics, focusing on how medicine differs when treating children.

The session explores how children are not simply “small adults”, and how their physiology, communication, and care needs differ significantly. They are introduced to how doctors adapt their approach when working with younger patients, particularly in building trust and gathering information when a patient may not be able to describe their symptoms clearly.

The session then moves into clinical examples, where students consider common paediatric presentations such as respiratory infections and asthma, both of which can present differently in children compared to adults. They also explore how doctors work with parents or guardians to build a full picture of a child’s condition.

Through these cases, students begin to see how symptoms such as fever, coughing, or breathing difficulty are assessed, and how doctors decide on appropriate treatment.

Students practise adapting their questioning to different patients and working from incomplete or second-hand information to build a diagnosis.

10.30 – 13.00 Psychiatry – Understanding Mental Health

The final day begins with psychiatry, focusing on how doctors assess and manage mental health conditions.

This session introduces how psychiatric illness is diagnosed, and how this differs from other areas of medicine. Rather than relying on scans or blood tests, doctors must carefully assess a patient’s thoughts, behaviours, and emotional state through structured interviews and observation.

The session explores conditions such as depression and schizophrenia, highlighting how they can affect a person’s perception, mood, and daily functioning. Students consider how doctors build up a diagnosis over time, and how treatment may involve a combination of therapy, medication, and ongoing support.

Through case-based discussion, they begin to see how mental health conditions are identified and managed in practice.

Students practise interpreting less visible symptoms and building a diagnosis from conversation, behaviour, and pattern rather than tests alone.

1.00 – 2.00 Lunch

2.00 – 3.30 Emergency Medicine – How Doctors Make Life-Saving Decisions

This session focuses on how doctors respond to urgent and life-threatening situations.

Students are introduced to triage, the system used in Accident and Emergency (A&E) to prioritise patients based on the severity of their condition. They explore how doctors rapidly assess patients, decide who needs immediate treatment, and coordinate care under time pressure.

The session also considers how hospitals respond in more extreme situations, such as mass casualty events or outbreaks of infectious disease, where resources may be stretched and decisions become even more complex.

Through these scenarios, students begin to understand how structured thinking, teamwork, and clear communication are essential in emergency settings.

Students practise making quick, structured decisions and prioritising effectively when faced with multiple competing demands.

3.30 – 4.30 Intensive Care – Managing the Most Serious Conditions

In the final session of the course, students explore how doctors care for critically ill patients in intensive care settings.

They are introduced to the types of patients who require intensive care, and the advanced support systems used to maintain vital functions, such as mechanical ventilation and continuous monitoring. Students consider how doctors manage cases where multiple organ systems are failing, and how treatment decisions are made in highly uncertain situations.

The session also explores what happens when resources are limited, including how hospitals respond when critical care capacity is stretched, as seen during the COVID-19 pandemic.

This brings together many of the themes from the week, including diagnosis, monitoring, and decision-making under pressure.

Students work through complex situations where there is no simple answer, and see how doctors reach decisions even when certainty is impossible.

This outline provides a detailed view of the themes and topics explored during the in-person Medicine Summer School. The programme is designed to introduce students to how doctors approach diagnosis, interpret clinical evidence, and make decisions in complex situations, while also giving participants the opportunity to work through realistic case studies and practical activities.

If you would like to learn more about how the course works in practice – including the academic level, teaching style, and who the course is best suited to – please see the Medicine Summer School FAQ.

You can also return to the main in-person Medicine Summer School page for full details about the course and how to apply.