MSc in Surgical Science and Practice

About the course

The MSc in Surgical Science and Practice has been developed for surgeons and other clinicians carrying out technical procedures.

It has been designed as a part-time course to be completed in two to four years by people working full-time. The modular nature of the course allows you to fit study around your work.

The aim of the course is to give you a strong foundation in the most important non-clinical skills you will need to be effective and to lead others. It will prepare you for life as an independent specialist and focuses on skills and knowledge which are not fully represented or are omitted from graduate training curricula.

The masters course has been designed to appeal to trainees and consultants in surgical disciplines as well as any medical discipline that involves technical skills. Successful applicants have included interventional radiologists, anaesthetists, physicians performing invasive procedures (cardiologists, gastroenterologists, etc) and advanced nurse practitioners.

Students on the PGCert in Patient Safety attend some of the masters modules so the range of students on the programme often includes nurses, allied healthcare professionals and managers as well as doctors. This mix reflects the healthcare workplace and enriches classroom discussions during the taught module week. Some PGCert students whose work involves technical procedures (for example nurse practitioners, physicians' assistants, cardiac perfusionists) have successfully applied to continue on to the Masters programme. This is subject to a further interview.

For simplicity the descriptions below will use the term ‘surgeon’ to include not only surgeons but also others carrying out technical procedures.

Surgeons work as part of multidisciplinary teams in complex organisations, and will need to adapt and develop new skills and roles throughout their professional lives. The MSc syllabus covers management skills, quality improvement, leadership, teamwork and patient safety, development and implementation of new technologies, as well as an introduction to the principles of medical education and clinical research methods. It also includes taught material on research skills. The knowledge gained during the course will stand you in good stead throughout your career.

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of the following UK qualifications or their equivalent: a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in medicine, which must be recognised by the GMC and the MRCS. Applicants whose undergraduate degree is in biomedical science, rather than medicine, will also be considered for entry to the course. For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA normally sought is 3.6 out of 4.0.