Transferable Skills
The Department shares the policy of the University and Colleges in seeking to identify a set of skills and attributes, collectively referred to as transferable skills, which undergraduates can expect to acquire and develop throughout their University career. These skills, as well as enhancing academic performance, can be used beyond university, and are sought after by employers.
Students are encouraged to make use of the opportunities afforded to them to develop these skills, as they will stand them in good stead in later life. There are many such opportunities that are closely integrated with the Departments teaching programmes at the second, third and fourth year levels.
Summarized below are indicative examples of our contribution to the development of: intellectual skills, communication skills, organization skills, and inter-personal skills. In addition research skills, numeracy, computer literacy, and foreign language skills are essential for certain courses, and may be specifically developed by them, and are desirable for all students.
This document provides examples of the manner by which undergraduates within the Department of Pathology can, through the Departmental teaching programme and College based activities, acquire and develop these transferable skills.
Intellectual skills
Department: lectures, practical classes and problem-solving exercises, seminars, discussion groups.
College: supervisions (discussion, reasoning, argument, critical analysis).
Communication skills
Written:
Department: Writing reports of practical
projects and dissertations based on literature research.
College: Supervisions ( essays and short reports).
Oral:
Department:
Presentations of practical and literature-based project work.
College: Supervisions (discussion and interaction with peers and supervisors).
Organizational skills
Management of work and extracurricular activities.
Department: Working in a group (practical classes) or research team (practical projects). Working independently on literature-based research
Interpersonal skills
Department: Working with others in practical classes and during research projects. Participation in discussions with members of staff and research team members.
For clinical students, the Department hosts the administration of a ‘vertical’ course, Preparing for Patients, in which skills in interpersonal communication and reflection on experience of patient contact are developed.
Colleges: Living, working and socializing with a diverse group of people. Taking part in college activities, and taking positions of responsibility.
Research skills
Department: Third year practical research projects; designing, planning, and conducting experiments. Use of library for third year literature-based research projects and to follow-up references given in lectures (use of traditional references and electronic data bases); critical evaluation of literature.
Numeracy
Department: Data handling in practical classes and research projects.
Computer literacy
Department: Use of electronic data bases for third year projects; use of computers to analyse data from research projects; word processing (projects). Use of dedicated bioinformatics suite. Use of internet and e-mail.
College: Use of computing resources for the above.
Foreign language skills
Use of the University Language Centre. Opportunities to attend courses and take diplomas/certificates offered by the University.