PAPER 12/PC/31
Social Sciences and Public Health (SSPH) Theme Report
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Theme Head: Professor Harry Campbell
Tel: 650 3218 Email Harry.Campbell@ed.ac.uk
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Deputy Theme Head: Dr Jeni Harden
Tel: 650 6991 Email Jeni.Harden@ed.ac.uk
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Theme Page on EEMeC: https://www.eemec.med.ed.ac.uk/node.asp?ID=pt030000
Programme Learning Outcome: The Edinburgh medical graduate will be able to implement, at a
clinical level, knowledge of how to understand the experience of illness and illness behaviour; to
prevent disease, prolong life and promote health through the organised efforts of society; and
demonstrate understanding of how to analyse a population's health problems, establish the causes
and effects of these problems and assist appropriately in implementing effective solutions.
Theme Description: This theme addresses learning outcomes relating to the social and public health
dimensions of medicine.
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Social scientific concepts provide a means to understand the varied responses of individuals,
groups and societies to illness and disease; to reflect on and better understand the
relationship between doctors and patients; and to appreciate the significance of social
factors that contribute to health, illness and the success of treatment and prevention,
including issues relating to health inequalities and the lifecourse.
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Public health is "the science and art of preventing disease, prolonging life and promoting
health through the organised efforts of society". The science of public health is concerned
with making a diagnosis of a population's health problems, establishing the causes and
effects of these problems, and determining effective interventions, often with a focus on
prevention. The art of public health is to create and use opportunities to implement
effective solutions to population health and healthcare problems.
Year 1
Significant changes were made for 2012-2013 to the semester 1, year 1 module Health, Ethics and
Society. This involved
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Revision to learning outcomes.
Changes to the mode of delivery: a reduced number of lectures and more tutorials.
Increased emphasis on supported independent learning.
Introduction of an essay to replace the exam short answer questions.
Performance
The essay worked well as an assessment tool and was commended by the external examiner. The
quality and depth of answers was notably better than in last year’s short answer questions. There
were 19 (9%) fails which we would hope to reduce next year by offering more help with generic
essay writing skills. David Hope is preparing some comparative data on performance in HES and the
Fundamentals of medicine, and on performance within the individual HES assessment components.
Feedback from students and tutors
Qualitative feedback from discussions with tutors and with students and the end of semester
questionnaires was encouraging. Many of the students engaged with the topics and saw its
relevance for their future practice. Tutors had positive experiences with students, on the whole,
coming prepared to class and enthusiastically engaging in discussion.
Areas for review/improvement:
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Clarity of ethics learning outcomes and connection to teaching.
Social science tutorials duration and content.
Review guidance and essay writing advice.
Consider dropping the tutorial participation assessment.
Future plans
Consideration will be given to the above areas and some minor changes made to the module for
next session. We plan to run the semester 1 module in the same format again next session. In the
longer term JH is exploring the potential to focus more on the community practical as the core of
students’ learning.
Problem Based Learning
The PBL cases have the potential to provide a bridge between the social and biomedical science
parts of the course but currently the link to social science is minimal and scored poorly in the
questionnaire. JH continues to be involved in the PBL management group and is working with Fred
Pender to review existing and introduce new cases.
Year 2
Significant changes in 2012 /3 – examination format improved to reduce inter-marker variation: all
answers marked by 5 markers (previously 12) with checking of marking in sample of answers and
following a clearer and more structured marking plan; more feedback given to students to
understand any low grades. This has resulted in fewer student challenges of grades awarded.
Increased number of SSPH questions in the year 2 examination.
Feedback from students and tutors
Student feedback still to be obtained for 2012/3; informal student feedback has been good.
Performance
Attendance on the course very good. Standard of answers in critical appraisal exercise generally
very good.
Areas for review / improvement
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Monitor performance of new year 2 exam questions
Continue to attempt to align examples in epi / stats teaching to topics being taught in year 2
to make connections across curriculum
Year 3
Significant changes were made in 2012-2013 to both the teaching and assessment.
Teaching- changes were introduced in response to the reduction in the teaching time given to SSPH
in the September Programme Theme week (from one and a half days to one day) and the increase in
overall class size which created problems for delivering small group teaching. The amount of time
given to lectures in the September teaching was decreased, with the time given to tutorials and
interactive teaching remaining the same. For the February half-day of teaching two changes were
introduced. The tutorials were repeated twice, in order to half the size of the tutorial groups. A new
lecture was introduced, ‘Public health at the bedside’. Presented by an NHS consultant on public
health, this lecture aims to give students a better understanding of what public health means for
their clinical practice from the perspective of the work that public health at the health board
undertakes.
Assessment- for the first time we will be contributing several public health questions to the
Programme Theme station in the end of year OSCA exam. The question format will be best of 5
and/or extended matching.
Performance
Attendance at the teaching sessions was high and students participated well.
Feedback from students and tutors
Despite the reduction in contact time the September teaching feedback was generally good. With
most questions scoring over 60% on agree/strongly agree.
Areas for review/improvement:
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Get feedback on the new February lecture.
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Assess how well the OSCA exam questions work compared to questions on other themes
Future plans
Consideration will be given to the above areas and, if appropriate, minor changes will be made for
2013/14.
Years 4 and 5
No significant changes were made for 2012-2013 apart from theme leader will take part in Final
orals for the first time.
Performance
SSC4 options within this theme continue to be popular (16 students since Jan 2012). Student
performance has been very good, both in terms of achieved marks and also presentations at
national and international meetings and numbers of publications in journals. Overall quality of SSC4
projects poorer since reduced time available following curricular change.
Feedback from students and tutors
Informal feedback from students on SSC4 projects has been very positive. Several students have
continued to be involved in SSC4 project activities after the SSC4 has been completed and remain in
touch after they graduate.
Areas for review / improvement
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Consider role of SSPH teaching staff and external examiner in the Final orals
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SSPH staff awareness that subject has little curricular “presence” in year 4 and 5 (although SSPH
principles are covered in modules through teaching on disease incidence / burden etc)
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Make case for change in timetable to return time available to SSC4 to previous levels
Medical Statistics support (Margaret MacDougall)
Statistical online resources have continued to develop in 2012/3.
Feedback from students and tutors
There has been a range of student response to the support with, increasingly (see below), some
students wanting more didactic support.
Areas for review / improvement
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SSC4 GP placement has had an adverse effect on ability to do statistics / self directed
learning in SSC4. This has led to students tending to rely on MM to do statistics rather than
using online resources
Continue to improve communication with supervisors about availability of online resources
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Make case for change in timetable to return time available to SSC4 to previous levels