preclinical courses

preclinical courses

A term referring to the first two (or three) years of a four- or five- (or six-) year medical school programme, which includes pre- or non-clinical courses: anatomy, biochemistry, microbiology, physiology, molecular biology, embryology, statistics, and others. The pre-clinical courses are followed by clinical courses of approximately three years (in the UK), during which medical students work in hospital wards under the supervision of consultants.