Heather McAdam

Introduction Social Sciences are an important part of the medical school curriculum, highlighted by the General Medical Council’s Outcomes for Graduates. However, the integration of social science in the clinical curriculum can be challenging. We sought to review the integration of social science in the clinical curriculum of a Scottish Medical School to identify gaps and opportunities. Methods We carried out an audit of the integration of key topics in the clinical curriculum. Fifteen key topics, taught under the title of ‘Social and Ethical Aspects of Medicine’ (‘SEAM’) were identified. All content for the clinical curriculum available on the virtual learning environment was reviewed and information extracted: what was taught, in what years, the teaching modality, and the type and level of knowledge provided, based on Bloom’s taxonomy. Results This review was carried out over January–July 2023 on the Edinburgh Medical School Year 4–6 MBChB Clinical Curriculum. In total, 449 SEAM learning experiences were identified (Year 4 n = 165; Year 5 n = 143; Year 6 n = 141). All SEAM topics introduced in the early years were covered at least once over years 4–6. The most common topic covered was “public health and health promotion” (n = 54) with the least coverage for “global public health” (n = 9). The majority of learning experiences represented the lower levels of knowledge - remembering ‘factual’ knowledge. Discussion Our findings from one medical school in which social science is a significant component of the early years curriculum suggest that while there was broad coverage of a range of relevant topics, there were limited opportunities for students to apply knowledge. Conclusion The integration of social sciences within the clinical curriculum should consider what the learning opportunities offer to support students’ understanding and ability to apply their social science knowledge to clinical education and practice.