Course content
The course consists of a central stem of lectures and seminars common to all students and a specialist module chosen from areas of surgery.
Course Structure
The course consists of:
- A programme of core and stem lectures, together with seminars in which students are given instruction in the basic sciences that apply to the whole of surgery. This runs throughout the first six months.
- A specialist module in one of the following:
- General Surgery (including HPB Surgery)
- Urology
- Cardiovascular Surgery
- Orthopaedic and Accident Surgery
- Surgical Specialties (e.g. ENT, Plastics, etc.)
For the specialist module, students are attached to a clinical team and also undertake a surgical research project on a particular aspect of clinical or applied basic research.
In May and June, an examination will take place in the stem programme subjects, surgical science in general, and in the candidate’s chosen area. Towards the end of August the candidate will present a thesis on a topic in which he or she has been supervised. This thesis would usually be based upon laboratory or clinical work, within a programme of research. It may however be a review of a particular clinical topic, provided there has been a comprehensive literature review, with independent conclusions drawn.
Course Timetable
The stem programme (Tutor: Dr C J Ryan) will take place during the first two ten-week terms and will be provided by staff from Imperial College. The subjects covered will include:
- Infectious Diseases
- Intensive Care
- Immunology
- Principles of Molecular Biology as Applied to Surgery
- The Principles of Medical Statistics
- Imaging
- Laboratory Practice
Students will also be instructed on how to manage a literature review and will be taught computerised literature retrieval.
The stem programme includes two sessions of research project presentations: one in the first term, which provides students with the opportunity to present their research protocols to the departmental staff, and the second towards the end of the course, when students will be expected to present the results of their research work to date.
Students will spend the remainder of each week pursuing their specialist module: split between working on a research project, attending clinical sessions, and participating in ‘journal club’ tutorial sessions. Precise timetables will vary according to the specialist module.
The lectures/seminars/tutorials will take place in the Hammersmith Hospital and associated hospitals.
