An intercalated BSc in Primary Health Care - an outline of a new course

This paper describes a BSc in Primary Health Care. The course is in its fourth year, with seventeen graduates. We expect the nine currently enrolled to graduate in summer 2001. The aims of the course are to give students additional skills, that are generic to medicine (research methods etc.) and also specific to primary health care. The course consists of a taught component about the theoretical background to primary care, with input from the social sciences, epidemiology and public health. The self-directed component consists of a research project and, unusually for a BSc, a regular clinical placement. This course may help to change students' expectations that BScs are only for those who are interested in laboratory based medicine.