Program Structure

The BHSc Program was designed so that our students feel prepared for the workforce in a health-related field. In order to ensure this, we balance the biomedical and social science aspects of human health, and focus on application of this content and development of practical competencies, or skills. In both the on-campus and online programs, courses are designed to make sure our students are thinking about the material being presented in online modules and extending it to real-life scenarios either through in-person classroom sessions or online discussions and assessments.

The Bachelor of Health Sciences degree has been purposely built to align with the educational frameworks of professional schools.

It has been specifically designed to develop these skills in students by ensuring that all assessments in the core courses match to these skills, or ‘competencies’. Students in the program will learn the content that matters and learn how to apply it through each of these competencies.

Upon graduation, students will have evidence to demonstrate in a job or professional school interview how they have achieved each of these competencies throughout the degree.

This could represent a significant competitive advantage over other applicants, especially in the application process for healthcare professional schools. Instead of being expected to achieve competence in these roles upon graduation from a professional program, our graduates can demonstrate their competence upon entering the program.

The following seven competencies, derived from the CanMEDS framework, have been interwoven throughout this program:

Collaborator

Leverages knowledge to negotiate relationships within a group that is greater than the summative value of its members.

Communicator

Fluently receives and relates visual, written, and oral, beliefs, evidence and knowledge to and from faculty, students and other stakeholder groups.

Advocate

Promote and defend scientific, moral, and/or ethical disciplinary values and principles in communicating with other students, faculty, and other stakeholders.

Leader

Leverages knowledge and interpersonal skills to guide, direct, and support (an) individual(s) and/or groups towards a predetermined and mutually beneficial goal.

Scholar

Integrates, and extends health sciences concepts, as demonstrated by interpreting and evaluating data and/or proposing or synthezing new information.

Professional

Upholds high standards in all endeavours to provide agreed upon products and services to stakeholders.

Content Expert

Integrating with the other competencies, a content expert interprets and connects health sciences information, developing a depth and breadth of knowledge of the health sciences.

This program aims to address a variety of themes that encompass the health sciences. Upon completing this program, students will have an understanding of:

1. How our cells keep us healthy

Develop an integrated understanding of mechanisms and pathways involved in biochemical, subcellular, and cellular function to articulate the underpinnings of tissue function in health and disease.

2. How our bodies function when we're sick and healthy

Integrate the functions of tissues and organs to identify when and why they deviate from normality.

3. How we change across our lifespan

Critically analyze the development of human structure and system function from birth to death and health to disease to recognize the need for intervention.

4. How drugs can help or hurt us

Predict the interaction between chemical and lifestyle interventions and the body (i.e. drug treatment, diet, exercise) to evaluate the potential benefits and adverse effects.

5. How organisms and cells live and fight within us

Characterize the role of microbes, immunity, and inflammation in health, infection, and disease in order to define their contributions to these processes.

6. How our environment shapes our quality of life

Evaluate the impact of social, physical, and cultural influences on individuals, communities, and populations to prepare graduates to be health advocates and educators.

7. How governments impact our health

Integrate previous and current policy, ethics, and law underlying health care systems to apply best practices when evaluating and implementing health initiatives.

8. How we build and evaluate knowledge

Use quantitative and qualitative research methodologies and critically evaluate scientific literature and data to fill gaps in knowledge.

Take a moment to explore a demo section of our interactive and engaging course modules! Students will work through content at their own pace, with opportunities for self-assessment and self-reflection of content learned throughout the modules.

IDIS 199 The Science of Well-being, Mental Health, and Resiliency

Explore the Bachelor of Health Sciences Learning Experience

Explore ANAT 100 Anatomy of the Human Body

BMED 386 Fundamentals of Immunology in Health and Disease

IDIS 280 Interprofessional Approaches in Healthcare

Core courses for the Bachelor of Health Sciences program are structured to enhance the student learning experience. Students will not only learn content curated by Queen’s esteemed faculty but will also extend and apply that learned knowledge in small group learning sessions mediated by course faculty and knowledgeable teaching assistants. This format will replace traditional lecture-style and allow students to interact closely with the content as well as the expertise of upper year students, graduate students, and faculty members right from the beginning of the program. This format promotes the development and mastery of program competencies, allowing students to hone these skills throughout their degree.

Course content

Course content will be primarily delivered in the form of engaging online modules, allowing students to work through the content at their own pace, spending more or less time on concepts as they wish. Interactive learning activities and self-assessment quizzes are built into each module to ensure that students understand how they are learning as they progress through the module. This will give students more autonomy, opportunity, and flexibility to study in the way they learn best.

Extension of course content

Important and/or difficult concepts will be reinforced in small group learning sessions with real-world examples, clinical case-studies, problem-based learning, and engaging discussion.

Course assessments

Quizzes, presentations, posters, case studies, and similar assignments will be assessed in the classroom setting. Students will begin giving small, low stakes presentations from first year, with an emphasis on developing the skill of communicating health information. In upper years, students will feel confident leading group discussions that synthesize their own information and experiences, ensuring success in their future education and/or professions.

Competency Framework