Unit 7. Medical Education and National Health Service in the uk

Text:

A medical school in the UK is generally a department within a university involved in the education of future medical practitioners. Entry to British medical schools is very competitive. The medical education takes five years which consists of two years of preclinical training in an academic environment and three years of clinical training at a teaching hospital. Medical schools and teaching hospitals are closely integrated.

Traditionally, the delivery of medical education has been divided into two types: problem-based learning (PBL) and lecture-based teaching. PBL encourages students to work in groups (10 students) on solving clinical and ethical cases. But there is an opinion that PBL is more suitable to teaching graduate students. They can more benefit from it due to basic knowledge of academic subjects (Anatomy, Physiology).

More traditional courses are conducted in the form of lectures, which are divided into preclinical or theoretical teaching (Anatomy, Physiology and Microbiology) and clinical teaching (communication, diagnosis, etc.).

Having graduated from the medical school all students receive the Bachelor of Science Degree. After graduation they work for another year under high supervision and cannot practice independently. After completing all possible specialization courses and getting a license a doctor is prepared to start his medical career.

The majority of General Practitioners (GP) and specialists take part in the service called National Health Service (NHS). The NHS came into being on July 5, 1948. It was designed to improve mental and physical health and to provide prevention, diagnosis and treatment of illnesses. Everybody in Great Britain can use the NHS because most of the cost of health care is paid through general taxation and National Insurance system. The public is free to use the NHS or private sector of the service.

Professional attention of a family doctor is available to everyone in Great Britain. Patients may choose the doctor they wish, they may change him. Doctors have the same freedom to accept or refuse the patients.

If a serious illness develops or diagnosis is difficult a doctor may call a consultant or get hospital treatment for his patients. District general hospitals provide treatment and diagnostic facilities for in-patients, day-patients and out-patients. There are maternal department, infectious disease units, psychiatric and geriatric units, intensive care units with all kinds of specialized treatment.

Central Government is directly responsible for the NHS – planning and management of all health services, training of medical professionals, pharmaceutical and dental services. The Government’s aim is to raise the standards of health care in Great Britain.

New vocabulary:

1. to involve in the education – вовлекать в процесс обучения

2. entry to medical schools – поступление в медицинские школы

3. competitive - конкурсный

4. academic environment – аудиторные занятия

5. the delivery of medical education - проведение обучения медицинским предметам

6. problem-based learning (PBL) - обучение, основанное на постановке задач для самостоятельного решения

7. lecture-based teaching – традиционное обучение через лекции и семинары

8. to encourage students – поощрять студентов

9. to be more suitable - подходить больше

10. to benefit from – получить пользу, выгоду

11. due to basic knowledge – благодаря основным знаниям

12. to be conducted - проводиться

13. Bachelor of Science Degree - степень Бакалавра естественных наук

14. under high supervision - под пристальным наблюдением

15. to get a license – получить лицензию

16. the majority of General Practitioners (GP) – большинство врачей общей практики

17. National Health Service (NHS) – Национальная служба здравоохранения

18. to come into being – возникать, начинать свое существование

19. general taxation – общее налогообложение

20. National Insurance system – национальная страховая система

21. internationally recognized center –центр признанны во всем мире

22. to be available – быть доступным

23. to accept or refuse patients – принимать или отказывать пациентам

24. diagnostic facilities – диагностическое оборудование

25. planning and management of health services – планирование и управление службами здравоохранения

Answer the following questions:

1. What is a UK medical school?

2. What are the two types of delivering medical education?

3. What are the traditional courses divided into?

4. What degree may the medical students get after graduation?

5. When can they begin their independent medical practice?

6. When did the NHS come into being?

7. What was it designed for?

8. Can everyone in Great Britain use the NHS?

9. Where do patients get treatment?

10. Can everyone in GB have a family doctor?

11. What happens in case of a serious illness or a difficult diagnosis?

12. What departments are there in a general hospital?

13. What is the Central Government responsible for?