Young Doctors Summer School Detailed Outline (In-Person)

This page provides a detailed outline of the in-person Young Doctors Summer School, showing how the course develops across two days – from learning how doctors communicate with patients and gather information, to understanding key systems of the body, and finally to applying that knowledge in diagnosing conditions and responding to medical emergencies.

The course is taught through a combination of discussion-based sessions, structured activities, and practical exercises, including patient role-play, diagnostic case studies, and hands-on suturing. Students are encouraged to ask questions, think carefully about evidence, and work collaboratively as they develop their understanding of clinical practice.

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

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Day One – Communication, Cardiology, and the Respiratory System
Day Two – The Nervous System, Sensory Perception, and Trauma Medicine

Across the two days, students explore core areas of medicine including cardiology, respiratory medicine, and neurology, while developing key skills such as patient communication, structured diagnosis, and clinical reasoning. By the end of the course, they will have practised taking patient histories, interpreting symptoms, and carrying out a fundamental surgical technique.

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

10.30 – 12.30 Working with Patients – The Art of Asking the Right Questions

Doctors don’t just diagnose illnesses – they also need to ask the right questions to understand their patients’ symptoms. But how do doctors know what information to look for?

In this session, students will explore the key techniques doctors use to gather patient histories, learning how to ask clear and effective questions. They will focus on the SOCRATES method, a structured approach to describing and categorising pain, helping doctors pinpoint what might be wrong.

Through an interactive role-play exercise, students will step into the shoes of a doctor, taking turns to question a ‘patient,’ gather information, make a diagnosis, and explain the condition and treatment options. By the end of this session, they will have developed essential communication and patient interaction skills used in real-world medicine.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 3.30 Introduction to Cardiology – How the Heart Keeps Us Alive

The heart is one of the most powerful muscles in the body, pumping blood through an intricate network of arteries and veins. But what happens when things go wrong?

In this session, students will explore the structure of the heart, learning about its four chambers, valves, and blood flow. They will investigate what happens when the heart doesn’t develop properly, leading to conditions like valve malformations and congenital heart disease.

Students will also learn how doctors listen to heart sounds to detect abnormalities. By the end of the session, they will understand how heart problems are diagnosed and treated – sometimes even requiring life-saving surgery.

3.30 – 4.30 The Respiratory System – How We Breathe

Breathing is something we do without thinking – but how does it actually work?

This session will take students through the mechanics of breathing and gas exchange, explaining how oxygen enters the blood and how the body gets rid of carbon dioxide. Students will have the chance to test their own lung capacity, just like doctors do when assessing a patient’s breathing.

The session will also explore how diseases like asthma, tuberculosis, and cystic fibrosis affect the lungs. Students will learn how doctors diagnose and treat these conditions, using real-world examples of respiratory medicine in action.

10.30 – 11.30 Introduction to Neurology – How the Brain and Nervous System Work

The brain is the most powerful organ in the body, controlling everything from movement to memory. But how does it send signals to the muscles and organs?

In this session, students will get a grounding in neurology, learning about how the brain transmits signals through neurons, synapses, and the spinal cord. They will explore how the nervous system allows us to react to the world around us, and what happens when communication between the brain and body goes wrong.

11.30 – 12.30 Vision, Hearing, Sensation, and Reflexes – How We Experience the World

Our senses are our window to the world, but how exactly do they work?

This session introduces students to the science of sensory perception, covering how we see, how we hear, and how our bodies detect pain, temperature, and touch. Students will take part in interactive experiments, testing their own reflexes, identifying sensory blind spots, and seeing how doctors assess neurological function.

By the end of this session, students will have a deeper understanding of how doctors diagnose neurological disorders using sensory and reflex tests.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 3.00 Neurological Conditions – When the Nervous System Goes Wrong

What happens when the nervous system malfunctions?

Using real-world case studies, students will examine conditions caused by neurological problems, with a particular focus on multiple sclerosis (MS). They will explore the symptoms, diagnosis, and treatment of MS, learning how doctors identify neurological disorders and manage their effects.

By the end of the session, students will have a better understanding of how neurological diseases impact movement, coordination, and sensation.

3.00 – 4.30 Suturing and Trauma – Emergency Medicine in Action

In a medical emergency, doctors need to act fast to treat injuries. One of the most common types of trauma they deal with is lacerations – deep, irregular wounds that require stitches.

This session introduces students to the fast-paced world of emergency medicine, showing them how doctors assess and treat serious cuts, wounds, and trauma injuries. Students will then get a chance to practise suturing themselves, learning how to perform the horizontal interrupted stitch on practice materials.

By the end of the session, students will have first-hand experience of a key surgical skill, giving them a glimpse into what it’s like to work in trauma medicine.

This outline provides a detailed view of the themes and topics explored during the in-person Young Doctors Summer School. The programme is designed to introduce students aged 11-14 to how doctors understand the body, investigate symptoms, and make clinical decisions, while also giving participants the opportunity to apply these ideas through patient role-play, diagnostic case studies, and practical medical exercises.

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