Timetable!

[deranged?]

Now that the first year of Swansea independently teaching medicine at it's university is halfway through the first year I was wondering if anyone could give me an insight into the amout of lectures and contact time involved each week?

I ask because I'm considering applying to Swansea and would like to know of how the course is run and whether it would be possible to commute to the uni from Cardiff.

Thanks

[scotjohn]

Hey there

I'm a first year on the Swansea course so can let you know that so far it's been amazing. The clinicians and lecturers are falling over themselves to prove how good the teaching is here and I can thoroughly endorse it.

A typical week is
Monday - 9am Case presentation
10am-1pm Anatomy
2pm - 4pm Physiology or other lectures
Tuesday - Reserved for LOCS but you only have to do minimum of 10 in the year and they can be on anyday so normally Tuesday is a day off. Every 3rd Tuesday we spend in a local GP surgery
Weds - Typically 9am - 12pm lectures, but often less. eg this week we had one hour at 9am.
Thurs - Half day alternate morning and afternoon. Clinical Skills Teaching
Fri - Expert Forum and a few other lectures, Medicine, Health and Society normally. Finish by 12.30 though sometimes later

As I mention you can do LOCS at anytime, including evenings and weekends. If you don't know what LOCS are then check out the course website for details, but basically they are the best bit about this course - patient interaction from day one )

[dreamyrover]

That timetable is really usueful thanks for posting it!!

I've managed to get a place for next year (Sept 2010) and was wondering if you could (or anyone) could please tell me when the holidays usually are? are they short or similiar to undergrad BSc holidays?

thanks

[scotjohn]

Holidays are few and far between! 2 weeks at Christmas, one week at Easter and 6 in the summer from end of July. We have exams before every holiday in the 1st year too, which I think continues into 2nd year.

[simos]

Holidays are few and far between! 2 weeks at Christmas, one week at Easter and 6 in the summer from end of July. We have exams before every holiday in the 1st year too, which I think continues into 2nd year.

For someone who has been working in a 'proper' job for a few years and also has a place to start this sept 9 weeks holiiday a year sounds amazing - more than double what i'm used to!

[dreamyrover]

actually 9 weeks isn't half bad considering I've not actually had any holiday time for the last 3 years because I've taken back to back postgrad courses with no break in between and been working as an FE teacher, where the students think your only life is to work for them 24/7!!

Simos you starting this september too???

Look forward to meeting you in the flesh!!!!