Essential Medical Physiology

Designed for doctors and aspiring doctors seeking to refresh their knowledge in physiology, this course helps you systematically master the core physiological principles. You’ll develop a robust understanding of human body systems through real-world clinical scenarios that demonstrate the science behind day-to-day clinical practice. Each module reinforces previous learning and includes discussions and live sessions with an expert to deepen your understanding, preparing you for Royal College exams and future application.

• Module 1: Neuromuscular physiology
• Module 2: Cardiovascular physiology
• Module 3: Respiratory physiology
• Module 4: Renal physiology

Assessment format

• Exam-ready assessment design: Royal College exams use single best answer (SBA) format, so we’ve aligned our assessments to mirror professional examination standards. This ensures you’re not just learning physiology – you’re mastering it in the exact format you’ll encounter on exam day.
• Knowledge checks (20% total): Each module concludes with a randomised 15-question quiz (selected from a bank of 30 questions), designed to be completed in 30 minutes. These quizzes are worth 5% each and test both knowledge retention and clinical application – preparing you for the rapid decision-making required in professional exams.
• Comprehensive final examination (40%): Your final assessment mirrors the intensity of Royal College examinations: 30 questions in 60 minutes, drawn from a bank of 150 carefully crafted questions. This exam integrates content from all four modules while introducing new clinical scenarios that test your ability to apply physiological principles to novel situations.
• Active learning and clinical engagement (40%): During the course, you’ll participate in clinical discussions and complete diagnostic reasoning exercises. This approach recognises that exam success comes from active application, not memorisation.
• Why this assessment strategy works: Our multi-layered approach ensures you develop both the foundational knowledge and clinical reasoning skills that distinguish high-performing candidates. The combination of frequent knowledge checks, comprehensive synthesis and active clinical engagement creates the cognitive pathways essential for both exam success and clinical excellence.

By the end of the course you will be able to:

• explain how electrical signals in nerve fibres propagate, how synaptic transmission occurs and how nerves are used to control different tissues within the body
• describe the relationship between pressure, flow and resistance in the cardiovascular system, and how control of the heart and arterioles allows this system to cope with different challenges
• explain the interrelationship between ventilatory activity and blood gas levels, and the consequences of ventilation-perfusion mismatch
• recognise the role of the kidney in both osmoregulation and extracellular fluid volume regulation, and the importance of the latter in blood pressure regulation
• apply basic physiology to clinical scenarios.

On successful completion of the course, you’ll receive a certificate from the University of Cambridge and a digital badge to display on your LinkedIn profile. These Cambridge credentials not only showcase your knowledge and expertise, but also demonstrate your commitment to professional development – helping to future-proof your career.

The course is ideal for medical doctors and healthcare professionals who want to refresh their knowledge, including:

• Qualified medical doctors and residents preparing for professional exams.
• Healthcare professionals who need a deeper understanding of physiology (for example, anaesthetists, adult medical specialties, paediatrics, emergency medicine).
• Any healthcare professionals who need a refresher in physiology to plug knowledge gaps.
• Doctors planning to move country and need a refresher in medical physiology to pass relevant exams.
• Doctors planning to take postgrad exams in home country (primary group: UK-based doctors).
• Global postgraduate medical trainees in USA, Canada, India and Europe.
• Dentists and physiotherapists interested in the topic .
• Paramedics and nurses who want to know physiology at a more basic level for their exams and job requirements.

This course would also be useful for:

• Current medical students, including MBBS students, who want to deepen their understanding beyond the standard curricula.
• Undergraduate students or anyone who has a science-related bachelor’s degree.
• Advanced high school or sixth-form students (18+) preparing for medical school applications seeking to strengthen their physiological foundation and enhance their portfolio.
• Physiotherapists, pharmacists, occupational therapists or dentists.

The course is also valuable for industry bodies and hospitals that want to ensure doctors have the most relevant and up-to-date training and can progress in their career.

Our flexible, online courses – delivered via a world-leading learning platform – reflect the University of Cambridge experience and values, with low learner-to-tutor ratios and academically rigorous standards.

Our online learning model is designed to help you advance your skills and specialise in emerging areas that address real-world challenges. We will help you build your network through an engaging and impactful learning journey that encourages collaboration with academics and fellow learners.

Courses are delivered in weekly modules, allowing you to plan your time effectively around existing commitments. There is an optional weekly live session, which is recorded for anyone who can’t attend. The assessment criteria will be presented to you at the start of the course, so you can approach your studies with confidence and motivation, knowing exactly what’s expected of you and how to meet those expectations.

Throughout your online learning experience with Cambridge Advance Online, you’ll have digital access to a dedicated course tutor, an expert in the field, who will help steer your learning and provide you with support and guidance every step of the way.

Level of knowledge and experience

• A level of spoken and written English sufficient to allow you to participate and succeed in the course (we recommend that you have an English Language level equivalent to an IELTS score of 7, as outlined in section 5 of our Terms of Purchase).
• This course is pitched at an undergraduate level and is suitable for medical doctors or anyone with a healthcare or science-related background, who wants to refresh their physiology knowledge or is interested in learning more about the subject. The level of the content would not be more advanced than the undergraduate medicine curriculum at the University of Cambridge. You must be aged 18+ to take the course.

Materials and equipment

• No specialist software or equipment needed.
• Sufficient internet speed and stability for video streaming (2 Mbps up/down).
• Please see our recommendations on web browsers (opens in a new tab).

Access to Virtual Learning Environment
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You can ask for support from your employer to fund this learning as part of your professional development.

Our Employer Funding guide has practical tips and templates to help you feel more confident asking for funding.

If your employer is funding your course or programme, we have several payment options available, including bank transfer (BACs), credit or debit card, and PayPal.

You can request a quote or an invoice for your organisation via our online course booking form, which will include a payment date and next steps for completing your payment.