Young Doctors Summer School Detailed Outline (Online)

This page provides a detailed outline of the online Young Doctors Summer School, showing how the course develops across two days – from learning how doctors communicate with patients and gather information, to exploring key systems of the body, and finally to applying that knowledge through medical research, case discussion, and paediatric medicine.

The course is taught through a combination of live discussion, structured activities, independent research tasks, patient role-play, and diagnostic case studies. Students are encouraged to ask questions, think carefully about symptoms and evidence, and work collaboratively as they develop their understanding of clinical practice.

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Day One – Patient Communication, Cardiology, and Respiratory Medicine
Day Two – Neurology, Medical Research, and Paediatrics

Across the two days, students explore core areas of medicine including cardiology, respiratory medicine, neurology, and paediatrics, 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, researching medical conditions, and thinking about how doctors approach patients at different stages of life.

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

10.00 – 12.30 Working with Patients and Understanding the Heart

Students begin by exploring one of the most important skills in medicine: learning how to speak to patients. Doctors need to ask careful, sensitive and well-structured questions in order to understand what a patient is experiencing, what may be causing their symptoms, and what information is most relevant to diagnosis.

In this opening session, students are introduced to the techniques doctors use when taking a patient history. They consider the difference between open and closed questions, the importance of building trust with patients, and the role of structured approaches such as ICE and SOCRATES in exploring symptoms, concerns and pain. Through discussion and role-play, students begin to see how communication, observation and clinical reasoning work together in a medical consultation.

The morning then moves into cardiology. Students learn about the structure of the heart, including its chambers, valves, major blood vessels and electrical system. They explore how doctors listen to heart sounds, what murmurs can reveal about valve problems, and how conditions such as atrial fibrillation, atherosclerosis and aneurysms can affect the cardiovascular system.

By the end of the morning, students will have begun to connect patient communication with clinical diagnosis, seeing how doctors gather information, interpret symptoms, and start to build a picture of what may be happening inside the body.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 3.30 Medical Research, Case Discussion, and the Respiratory System

In the afternoon, students put their patient history skills into practice. They research a medical condition and use what they have learned to take part in a role-play consultation, thinking about how a patient might describe their symptoms and how a doctor might ask questions to reach a diagnosis.

The session then turns to respiratory medicine. Students are introduced to the structure of the lungs and the basic mechanics of breathing, before considering what happens when the respiratory system is affected by disease. Through case studies, they look at conditions such as tuberculosis and asthma, exploring how doctors use symptoms, history and clinical evidence to understand what is happening to a patient.

This part of the course gives students a clear sense of how doctors move between science and practice: understanding anatomy and physiology, listening carefully to patients, and using evidence to make reasoned clinical decisions.

10.00 – 12.30 Neurology – The Brain, Nervous System, and Senses

Day Two begins with neurology: the study of the brain, spinal cord and nervous system. Students explore how the nervous system controls movement, sensation, reflexes, thought and communication, and why even small disruptions in this system can have significant effects on a patient’s life.

The session introduces students to the main parts of the brain and nervous system, including the difference between the central and peripheral nervous systems. Students consider how different areas of the brain are linked to different functions, and how this knowledge helps doctors understand neurological symptoms.

Students also explore examples of what can happen when the nervous system goes wrong. They may consider conditions affecting speech, movement, vision, hearing, reflexes or sensation, and examine how doctors use tests and case histories to identify possible neurological problems. Case-based discussion helps students understand conditions such as multiple sclerosis and Huntington’s disease, while also showing how neurological illness can affect a person’s independence, communication and emotional wellbeing.

By the end of the morning, students will have developed a stronger understanding of how doctors investigate problems involving the brain and nervous system, and why neurology requires careful observation, logical thinking and sensitivity to the patient’s experience.

12.30 – 1.30 Lunch

1.30 – 3.30 Independent Research and Paediatric Medicine

In the afternoon, students build on the morning’s work through independent research into neurological conditions. This gives them the opportunity to investigate symptoms, mechanisms and treatment options in more depth, and to practise explaining medical ideas clearly.

The final part of the course introduces paediatric medicine. Students consider how treating children differs from treating adults, both medically and socially. They explore why children may be more vulnerable to certain infections, why vaccination matters, and how doctors take account of growth, development, family context and communication when working with younger patients.

Students also learn about childhood development, including key milestones in movement, language and social interaction. This helps them understand why paediatricians need to know what is typical at different ages, and how delays or changes in development can give important clues about a child’s health.

This closing session gives students a broader view of medicine as a profession: not just diagnosing disease, but understanding patients at different stages of life, communicating with families, and making careful judgements in complex and sometimes sensitive situations.

This outline provides a detailed view of the themes and topics explored during the online 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, independent research, and discussion-based medical activities.

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