PROFESSIONAL AND EXPERIMENTAL SKILLS 1 - 2026/7

Module Overview

The module will give students an understanding of the broader context in which they will operate as medical physicists and of the of the importance of correct information retrieval.
It will also introduce them to working safely, to experimental work and data analysis and to collaborating effectively in a team.

Module provider

Mathematics & Physics

Module Leader

PANI Silvia (Maths & Phys)

Number of Credits: 15

ECTS Credits: 7.5

Framework: FHEQ Level 6

Module cap (Maximum number of students): N/A

Module Availability

Year long

Prerequisites / Co-requisites

none

Module content

Experimental skills
- Elements of statistics
- Radiation laboratories (sem 1)
- Group project (sem 2)
- Risk assessment

The profession of the medical physicist
- The NHS
- Elements of health economics
-Risk assessment
- Ionising radiation regulations
- Reflective practice

Information retrieval
Journal club

Assessment pattern

Alternative Assessment

n/a

Assessment Strategy

The assessment strategy is designed to provide students with the opportunity to demonstrate their understanding of the medical physics context, including the importance of correct identification of scientific resources, and their experimental, groupwork and data analysis skills.

Thus, the summative assessment for this module consists of:
¿ A lab report on one of the Semester 1 experiments.
¿ A journal club presentation on a scientific paper and reflection on peer assessment.
¿ A risk assessment on a workplace-based activity.
¿ A group report on their Semester 2 project.

Formative assessment
Students will be able to test their understanding of the topics during interactive exercises that will be an integral part of the workshops.
During the report writing session, students test their understanding of the correct structure for a lab report by working in group on scoring reports from previous year.


Feedback
Students will receive written feedback on their submitted coursework and verbal feedback throughout the module.

Module aims

• Equip the students with a set of skills and knowledge necessary to work in healthcare, research or industry
• Prepare them as effective communicators to a scientific audience
• Provide the student with the comprehensive understanding of the experimental use of radioac-tive materials, radiation counting, spectroscopy equipment, dosimetry measurements and stand-ard radiation experimental techniques

Learning outcomes

Methods of Teaching / Learning

The learning and teaching strategy is designed to expose students to the variety of aspects that make up the scenarios in which they will operate as medical physicists.
They will be engaged in academic- or expert-led discussions and group work, and work effectively in a team to solve problems and design investifations.


The learning and teaching methods include:
¿ Lectures
¿ Interactive workshops with academic- or expert-led discussion of case studies
¿ Laboratory sessions in which students will work in pairs or small groups on scripted experiments
¿ A group project in which students will develop an investigation independently

Indicated Lecture Hours (which may also include seminars, tutorials, workshops and other contact time) are approximate and may include in-class tests where one or more of these are an assessment on the module. In-class tests are scheduled/organised separately to taught content and will be published on to student personal timetables, where they apply to taken modules, as soon as they are finalised by central administration. This will usually be after the initial publication of the teaching timetable for the relevant semester.

Reading list

https://readinglists.surrey.ac.uk
Upon accessing the reading list, please search for the module using the module code: PHY3076

Other information

The Faculty of Engineering and Physical Sciences is committed to developing graduates with strengths in Digital Capabilities, Employability, Global and Cultural Capabilities, Resourcefulness, Resilience, and Sustainability. This module is designed to allow students to develop knowledge, skills and capabilities in the following areas: Digital Capabilities: Students will engage with scientific publication databases and will learn to distinguish between different sources of information. They will use specialist software for data acquisition and data analysis. Employability: The module will give students an understanding of the structure and mission of the NHS and elements of health economics, which will prepare them for a career in healthcare. They will also learn how to carry out risk assessments which are an essential skill for any job involving experimental activities. Global and Cultural Capabilities: Students will learn to engage with their peers and with scientific audiences through journal club activities. This will give them an appreciation of the importance of appropriate communication registers in their interactions. Resourcefulness and Resilience: Problem solving is a key component of this module. Students will be required to draw upon individual and collective resourcefulness and develop a problem-solving mindset as they work on their experiments. The assessments for the module are mostly open-ended activities, which will encourage the students to gain independence.

Please note that the information detailed within this record is accurate at the time of publishing and may be subject to change. This record contains information for the most up to date version of the programme / module for the 2026/7 academic year.