Covering the field of Cardiac & Pulmonary medicine this course goes in detail on the structures and systems used by the heart and lungs to keep the body going. Ranging from an in-depth look at the anatomy and physiology of the body to the practical and applied side of cardiac and pulmonary medicine this course covers all aspects of health regarding the cardiovascular system to prepare students for further study in a medical context.

Using our realistic clinical setting the Cardiac and Pulmonary Medicine course covers cardiac and pulmonary anatomy, cardiac and pulmonary disease and the use of NEWS charts and taking a patient history. Practical skills covered on the course include producing an ECG of your own heartbeat, learning CPR and emergency first aid, chest examinations and auscultation and exercise rehab for cardiac patients.

The Cardiac and Pulmonary course runs from 9:30am – 4pm for 5 consecutive days with an hour break for lunch. We teach at a low student to tutor ratio (8:1) meaning that students are supervised and encouraged throughout their course.

Day 1

Morning Session: Cardiac Anatomy

Following introductions to other students and lecturers, students will be given their own scrubs and stethoscopes. They will begin their week with an overview of cardiac anatomy including how to read an echocardiogram, gross anatomy of the heart, electrical anatomy of the heart and the major blood vessels and anatomical methods the heart uses to pump blood.

Afternoon Session: Auscultation and Electrocardiograms

Students will be taught in the use of their new stethoscopes, how they are put together and their usage. We will then cover the sounds of the heart in detail through the use of the stethoscope ranging from what a healthy heart sounds like to sounds of specific concern and their use as a diagnostic tool.

Following on from the auscultation session we will move onto one of the other primary methods we use to look at the heart; the electrocardiogram. Students will be taught the theory of how an ECG works as well as how to read an ECG before moving on to clear signs of concern and their uses in diagnoses. Students will also have the opportunity to try their own three lead ECG and print a trace of their heartbeat.

Day 2

Morning Session: Cardiac Disease

During this session we will cover the different types of cardiac disease, their typical root causes and risk factors. After this we will move onto atypical anatomy, unusual presentations and their potential issues as well as what we can do to limit the risks involved with these conditions.

Afternoon Session: Rehab and Benefits of Exercise

After exploring the anatomy and physiology of the heart, students will gain an understanding of how to look after a patient post heart attack including how to put together a care plan and include considerations for individual ability. Following on from this we will look more broadly at how exercise benefits the heart and what we can both encourage patients to do as well as do ourselves to ensure a healthier heart and the potential for a happier, longer life.

Day 3

Morning Session: Use of NEWS Charts and History Taking

The students will learn about the methods used to map a patient’s condition over time and how this can benefit us as caregivers. Following this, students will learn how to take a detailed patient history including how to carry out a head-to-toe exam and will be able to practice this with one another using pre-written mock scenarios with definite diagnostic outcomes which they can attempt to determine through taking a history and mock exam.

Afternoon Session: Chest examinations

During this session, students will learn how to carry out a basic cardiac and respiratory examination, exploring common abnormalities that may indicate sinister underlying causes in an emergency setting. To expand further on these signs, students will learn the basics of Chest X-rays and common X-ray findings that they might see in ED.

Day 4

Morning Session: Pulmonary Anatomy

Following on from the cardiac section of the course we now move onto pulmonary and initially covering the anatomy and physiology side of the pulmonary system of the body giving us an excellent grounding in the structures of the lungs and chest cavity from which we can build an understanding of what happens when this anatomy is damaged.

Afternoon Session: Pulmonary Disease and Trauma

In this section we will cover specific presentations of trauma to the lungs and chest and their risks, how we can treat them and what to expect. We will then go on to cover disease and its effects on the fine anatomy of the lungs, the public health aspects of pulmonary health and epidemics of pulmonary disease.

Day 5

Morning Session: CPR and Emergency Response

Students will have the chance to use what they have learned through the week about the heart and lungs to discuss emergency patient care including CPR, trauma response and the fundamentals of patient triage.

Afternoon Session: Class Debate and Quiz

We will close out the week by splitting the class into two to engage in a debate on some of the more pressing issues facing modern medicine. We follow this up with a final quiz on all that has been learned over the week with a prize for the winner!

• Students must be studying a minimum of A-Level Biology or Chemistry.
• The course supports university and work experience applications, as almost all universities and employers now require previous laboratory experience before considering an applicant.

During this 5-day course, students will learn skills beneficial for any university application including:

• Gain a detailed understanding of cardiac anatomy
• Learn how to use auscultation techniques to determine normal and abnormal heart sounds
• Read an ECG
• Carry out an ECG
• Understand the root causes of various cardiac diseases
• Put together a plan for a patient's cardiac rehab
• Use NEWS charts to diagnose and treat a patient
• Carry out a respiratory exam
• Develop in depth understanding of pulmonary anatomy
• Carry out CPR in an emergency scenario