Pre-clinical medicine
Behavioural science & medical psychology
Behavioural science, also called medical psychology or behavioural medicine, teaches how thoughts, feelings, relationships and society shape health and illness. It is a medical student's first formal introduction to psychology and to how patients experience being ill.
Depth by stage, Pre-U → Consultant (details)
What is it?
This subject brings psychology and sociology into medicine. Students learn how people learn and remember, how personality and emotions develop, how stress affects health, and how culture, family and income shape illness.
It also covers illness behaviour (why some people seek help early and others late), adherence to treatment, coping with chronic illness and death, and the doctor-patient relationship.
In many Malaysian medical schools it is taught in the early years, sometimes by psychiatrists and psychologists, and links to communication skills and community medicine.
Why does a psychiatrist need it?
This is the seedbed of psychiatry. Concepts first met here, including conditioning, cognitive biases, attachment, stress and coping, the sick role and stigma, are developed in depth during specialist training. Students who enjoy behavioural science often discover an interest in psychiatry early.
What level is expected at each stage?
Scale: 1. Aware → 2. Understands → 3. Applies → 4. Masters / Teaches. What the levels mean.
- Pre-UNot expected
- Pre-clinicalUnderstandsUnderstands key psychological and social concepts in health and illness.
- ClinicalUnderstandsUnderstands illness behaviour and the psychological impact of disease on patients met on the wards.
- HousemanshipUnderstandsUnderstands how stress, adherence and family factors affect patient care.
- Medical officerUnderstandsUnderstands psychosocial factors when managing patients.
- Psych traineeAppliesApplies psychology in depth as part of basic sciences and formulation.
- Specialist / consultantMasters / TeachesMasters and teaches the psychosocial dimension of illness to students and colleagues.
What are the key topics?
Psychology basics
- Learning: classical and operant conditioning
- Memory and attention
- Perception and cognition
- Motivation and emotion
- Personality: traits and theories
Development across the lifespan
- Infant attachment
- Child cognitive development (Piaget)
- Adolescence and identity
- Ageing, loss and bereavement
Stress, coping and health
- Stress response and life events
- Coping styles
- Health beliefs and behaviour change
- Pain as a psychological and physical experience
Social aspects of illness
- Illness behaviour and the sick role
- Stigma, especially around mental illness
- Culture, religion and health beliefs in Malaysia
- Socioeconomic status and health inequality
Doctor-patient relationship
- Communication and trust
- Adherence to treatment
- Breaking bad news (introduction)
- Doctors' own stress and wellbeing
How is it learned and assessed?
- Lectures, small-group discussions and reflective writing
- Integrated PBL cases
- MCQ and short-answer questions; some OSCE communication stations
- Psychology revisited in depth in MMed Part I and MRCPsych Paper A
Typical textbooks and resources
- Psychology for Medicine and Healthcare — Ayers and de Visser (SAGE)
- Behavioural Sciences for Medical Students and Health Professionals — local and international texts used by schools
- Medical Sociology — Scambler (Elsevier), or similar
- Health Psychology — Ogden (Open University Press)
Titles are widely used examples; editions change. Use university libraries or legitimate purchases.
Common questions
Is behavioural science the same as psychiatry?
No. Behavioural science covers psychological and social aspects of all health and illness. Psychiatry is the medical specialty that diagnoses and treats mental illness. Behavioural science is an important foundation for it.
Why do all doctors learn psychology?
Because every illness has a psychological side, and how patients think and feel affects whether they seek help, follow treatment and recover.