Clinical Neurology

Gain practical clinical exposure and apply the fundamentals of neuroanatomy and physiology to understanding the clinical features of patients with neurological diseases. You'll attend hospital outpatient clinics, undertake hands-on neuroanatomy dissection and experience cutting-edge clinical research.

Course description

Lead academic: Dr Jon Wood and Dr Esther Hobson

The understanding of the causes and treatments for neurological diseases has rapidly advanced due to translational research over the last decade. You’ll learn how insights from the laboratory are translated, via clinical research, into benefits for patients and their carers. This includes practical experience in the neuroanatomy dissection room, attendance at NHS clinics, interaction with patients and clinicians, and exposure to qualitative and quantitative clinical research. You will develop presentation, lay communication, critical thinking, and ethical and clinical research skills.

The course contains several themed modules, each focussing on a different pathophysiological branch of neurological disease, where disease-centred lectures and small group tutorials provide theoretical knowledge into state-of-the-art diagnostics and therapeutics. You will examine diseases such as dementia, stroke, epilepsy and multiple sclerosis, exploring aspects such as anatomy, genetics, immunology and biopsychosocial models of therapy. You will learn from expert clinicians and scientists developing cutting-edge treatments such as gene therapy and stem-cell transplantation.

In the final term, you will undertake a Clinical Research Project (Route A) or a Clinical Neurology Experiential Learning Module (Route B).

Students taking Route A will choose from a range of clinical research projects based at SITraN or within the Royal Hallamshire Hospital. Students opting for Route B will attend hands-on NHS clinics and the inpatient neurology unit, experiencing clinical teaching from experts in their field who will emphasise recent advances in clinical practice. Currently, Route B provides sufficient experience to be recognised by the GMC as a clinical attachment.

This course will especially benefit those wishing to develop a career within the expanding field of translational clinical neuroscience and has served as a stepping stone to a range of careers in healthcare, academia and industry for our graduates. The course will also benefit medical graduates with an MBChB or equivalent qualification, who wish to develop sub-speciality experience in neurology.