The value of Life Sciences in an Integrated Curriculum: A Reflective Perspective of studying two Life Sciences Degrees a decade apart and the challenges faced in professional life

Abstract

In a recent MedEdPublish article by Keenan and Jennings (2017), I was interested in why some Life Sciences are under-represented in the wider medical literature. The article states anatomy to be the dominant discipline within medical schools and describes a close link between anatomy and educational research with the presence of an "established medical education research community and social media community linked to anatomy". Unfortunately, this does not appear to be the case with other scientific disciplines. In my career, I have been fortunate to have studied both Pharmacy and Medicine as an undergraduate. I also possess an MSc in Clinical Pharmacy and am undertaking an MSc in Clinical Research. I have seen at first-hand how integral the Life Sciences are in the practice of Pharmacy and Medicine. It is therefore necessary that, like anatomy, other Life Sciences should enjoy a similar commitment to "maintaining a scholarly approach to teaching and learning (Keenan and Jennings, 2017). Currently, I am an Academic Clinical Registrar in Anaesthesia working in the North-West. I am part funded by the National Institute for Health Research (NIHR). Considering my background, I would like to share a personal reflection of my experience of undergraduate training and professional life. I will compare the undergraduate teaching styles I experienced whilst studying for my Pharmacy and Medicine degrees. I will also describe the challenges I faced and the moments of enlightenment I felt when I chose to embark on a career in academia with clinical practice.Keywords: Life Sciences; Basic Science; Integrated Curriculum; Research; Medical Education Personal ReflectionAs a Pharmacy undergraduate, a large proportion of my curriculum consisted of basic science. We had lectures and