Happy Medics UK Medical Education
Acute Medicine COURSE
You know the medicine
– so why does the acute take still feel difficult?
For doctors managing undifferentiated patients under pressure.
Learn how to approach real acute presentations with clarity – not just guidelines, but how to apply them when it matters.
✔️ CPD-accredited up to 21 CPD points.
✔️ Aligned with NICE, BTS, ESC and UK national guidelines
✔️ 14 downloadable diagnostic frameworks
✔️ Blended learning format: 7 modules + full-day live teaching
7 modules. 14 hours of on-demand teaching. A full-day live session with case-based reasoning and clinical decision-making. Complete the course around your shifts.
Why Choose Us
Doctors who felt the same way you do
Jake W
Resident Doctor
Great guideline discussions!
“I knew guidelines before, but I couldn’t pull them together under pressure. The course gave me a repeatable structure for common presentations.”
Anjana S.
Resident Doctor
Highly recommended!
“I had my own way of working through cases, but this gave me a structure I can actually rely on, especially when the presentation isn’t textbook.”
Dhivyaa S.
Resident Doctor
Really clear lectures
“Electrolytes used to be my weak spot. The frameworks made something that felt random feel logical.”
Nabiil A.
Resident Doctor
Helped improve critical thinking
“My critical thinking has improved. I can see how the concepts apply to real patients, not just theory.”
The Problem
The problem isn’t knowledge
Most of the time, your clinical reasoning works.
You know the guidelines.
You can manage the common presentations.
But the acute take isn’t built for ideal conditions.
It’s:
– time pressure
– incomplete information
– multiple patients at once
– presentations that don’t fit neatly
And that’s where things break down.
Not because you’re not good enough.
But because the way you’ve been taught doesn’t always hold up under pressure.
52% of of our surveyed doctors say “handling uncertainty in undifferentiated patients” is the hardest thing to learn on the job.
90% fall into the “somewhat confident” to “hesitant” range on acute takes.
The Method
Comprehensive Acute Medicine teaching – grounded in framework-based reasoning.
Patients don’t present with diagnoses.
They present with symptoms – they present with problems you need to solve.
This course bridges that gap.
You’ll learn the acute presentations you manage most and how to approach them in a way that works under pressure.
Each topic is taught with both:
– the clinical knowledge you need
– and a structured way to apply it in real time
Patients don’t present with diagnoses, they present with symptoms. These frameworks start where your patients start.
The Method
What the Frameworks Do
What makes this course different is the structure.
Each presentation is taught through a diagnostic framework – a systematic way to:
– generate a differential
– direct investigations
– identify red flags
– make management decisions
The frameworks don’t replace your clinical judgement.
They give it a repeatable structure.
One that works whether it’s 10am or 3am, whether you’re fresh or 12 hours into a take.
Here’s what that looks like in practice:
Structure the differential
Work through diagnostic possibilities systematically – not just what comes to mind first.
Direct investigations toward clinical decisions
Focus on tests that change management, not just routine panels.
Flag what you cannot afford to miss
Identify high-risk diagnoses early and act on them.
Support defensible clinical decisions
Admit, discharge, escalate – with clear clinical reasoning behind each step.
Acute Medicine Course Modules
These are the cases where uncertainty matters most:
Each module covers recognition, investigation, diagnosis, and management – aligned with national guidelines and grounded in a structured approach you can use on your next shift.
01
Dyspnoea
Pneumonia, PE, asthma, COPD exacerbation, pneumothorax, heart failure. Assess breathlessness systematically, direct investigations, and act decisively.
02
Chest Pain
ACS, myocarditis, pericarditis, aortic dissection, and non-cardiac causes. Differentiate ischaemic from non-ischaemic pathology and know when to treat, refer, or reassure.
03
Sepsis
Recognition, risk stratification, investigations, and early management. A structured, evidence-based approach to the septic patient.
04
Headache
Primary vs secondary headache, red flags, subarachnoid haemorrhage, meningitis, raised intracranial pressure. Systematic assessment of a presentation where missed diagnoses carry high risk.
05
GI Bleed
Upper and lower GI haemorrhage. Risk stratification, resuscitation, investigation, and escalation decisions.
06
Falls
Assessment of the acutely fallen patient. Medical and mechanical causes, head injury evaluation, and the reasoning process behind admission vs discharge.
07
Electrolyte Disturbance
Hypo- and hypernatraemia, hypo- and hyperkalaemia, hypercalcaemia, hypocalcaemia, and more. Structured correction, monitoring, and escalation.
The Complete Framework Collection
The 14 Diagnostic Frameworks
Each framework gives you a structured approach to one acute presentation. They cover the presentations you’ll see most frequently on the acute take – and the ones where diagnostic error carries the highest risk.
and more…
All 14 frameworks are available as downloadable PDFs.
Print them, keep them on your phone, use them on your next shift.
Who This Course is For
This is for you if you’re already managing acute patients – but want to feel more confident doing it
This course is designed for doctors working with undifferentiated patients in acute and general medicine:
– Senior Clinical Fellows
– Medical Registrars
– Internal Medicine Trainees
Also suitable for FYs/IMGs and clinicians involved in acute care.
If you want a more structured, reliable approach to clinical reasoning, especially for complex or atypical presentations, this course was built for you.
Only 3% of doctors describe themselves as very confident managing acute presentations.
The other 97% are not lacking knowledge.
They’re lacking structure.
Only 3% of doctors we surveyed described themselves as ‘very confident’ managing acute presentations. The other 97% are not lacking knowledge. They’re lacking structure.
Be Both Confident and Competent
Here’s what changes:
You’re on the acute take.
A patient presents in a way that doesn’t fit neatly into one category.
Instead of relying on pattern recognition alone, you work through a structured approach.
The differential is clear.
The investigations are targeted.
You know what you’re ruling in or out – and what you can’t afford to miss.
You’re not just reacting.
You’re reasoning.
Course Details
Overview
Everything you need to improve your decision-making on the acute take:
- 14 hours of on-demand video teaching
- 7 modules covering core acute presentations
- Full-day live case-based teaching
- 14 downloadable diagnostic frameworks
- CPD certificate – up to 21 points
- 6 months access
Price: £300 £150 (until May 4th 2026)
Reason, don’t just recognise
The acute take doesn’t reward guesswork.
It demands two things:
– strong clinical knowledge
– a reliable way to apply it under pressure
This course gives you both.
The knowledge becomes clearer.
The thinking becomes structured.
The decisions become more confident.
The #1 topic doctors we surveyed asked for? How to approach the “generally unwell” patient who doesn’t fit a neat category.
Have a question?
Frequently Asked Questions
1. How long do I have access?
6 months from the date of purchase. Enough time to work through the modules and attend the live session around your rota.
2. What if I can’t make the live session?
You’ll be offered a place in the next cohort. Your access to all video content continues in the meantime.
3. Is the CPD certificate recognised?
Yes. Issued directly via CPD UK, valid for appraisal and revalidation.
4. Who is the course designed for?
Doctors managing acute and general medical patients – SCFs, Medical Registrars, IMTs. Also suitable for IMGs working in UK acute settings and allied health professionals assessing undifferentiated patients.
5. I’m earlier in training – will this still be useful for me?
Not at all.
The course is designed primarily for doctors already managing acute patients (SCFs, Medical Registrar and IMTs), but many doctors earlier in training also find it valuable.
If you’re starting to assess acute presentations and want a clearer, more structured way to approach them, this course can help you build that foundation early.
6. What makes this different from other acute medicine courses?
This is a comprehensive acute medicine course: 7 modules covering the presentations you’ll manage most on the acute take, aligned with current national guidelines. What makes it different is how it’s taught – every module is built around a diagnostic framework that gives you a structured approach from first contact to disposition. You get the clinical knowledge and a reliable reasoning system to apply it under pressure. Plus a full-day live session focused on case-based reasoning and clinical decision-making.
The Newsletter
Not ready yet?
Start here instead.
Download the A–E Assessment Guide + Chest Pain Framework – for free.
What you’ll get:
– Weekly Clinical Decisions Explained newsletter
– A–E Assessment Guide (practical, not textbook)
– Chest Pain Framework (one of 14 taught in the full course)
