MRes Clinical Science

Key details

MRES CLINICAL SCIENCE

Start Year

2020

Attendance

Full Time

Award

Degree of Master of Research

Duration (years)

Our MRes Clinical Science is your chance to experience the reality of cutting-edge clinical research. You’ll develop a broader, more considered approach to a specific area of medical research, gaining expertise in the intellectual and practical skills of scientific research in the process. And you’ll gain a deeper understanding of the underlying theories, and greater comprehension of the importance of critical review in the practice of evidence-based medicine.

Driven by the research interests of our students, our programme is incredibly diverse. You choose the project that you want to work on, and we provide the close expert mentoring and the learning to help you develop advanced research skills.

Whether you want to explore the design and deployment of new drugs, or you have a desire to optimise the delivery of primary care, we can accommodate you. And the research skills you’ll acquire will be entirely transferrable, so your project doesn’t have to fall within a discipline you aspire to working in.

Your year with us will be dominated by your dissertation research project, and you will also undertake four learning modules. Our approach throughout is designed to promote a thorough understanding of the diversity and breadth of medicine, the benefits of research, and the value every health professional can add by contributing to the advancement of collective medical knowledge.

It’s our hope that you will find your experience of conducting your own research enjoyable, liberating, fulfilling and useful, and that the skills you learn will provide you with a research base to build a career upon for the foreseeable future.

About

Clinical Science research underpins every aspect of modern medicine. Clinical research and practice operate as quite separate entities, but it is now widely accepted that advanced research skills develop a greater depth of understanding in doctors – and have a hugely positive impact on their practice.

Our Master’s course in Clinical Science is designed to enable practicing medical professionals to develop a mature approach to a specialist area of research. We believe that an interested student is a motivated student, so we accommodate the full spectrum of clinical scientific research, letting you select and define the question you wish to pursue.

The programme includes four learning modules, but your Master’s dissertation will be your main focus throughout the year. As well as arming you with key research skills, which will prove invaluable to your career, we aim to instill a love of research in you, and to contribute positively to your future practice.

WHATEVER YOU LOVE, GO FURTHER

Whether you want to diversify or specialise – explore your options.

GO FURTHER >

Course Reference Number: 663458

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the courses listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the regular review of course programmes. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes, there will normally be prior consultation of students and others. Changes may for example consist of variations to the content and method of delivery of programmes, courses and other services, to discontinue programmes, courses and other services and to merge or combine programmes or courses. The University will endeavour to keep such changes to a minimum, and will inform students.

Students must successfully complete the Core modules, including the Research Dissertation to gain 160 credits.

Assessment for Year 1

You will need to submit coursework for the majority of the taught modules, however only one of the modules involves a written test. You will need to achieve a pass in all four modules.

The dissertation module, which represents the majority of your Master’s, is comprised of three elements: a review of the literature, a research paper, and piece of reflection.

Compulsory Modules

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH ETHICS AND GOVERNANCE

Code MED-7019D

Credits 20

This module gives an overview of research ethics and research governance. It will enable the students to understand the research governance frameworks and it will help them to understand the ethical implications of their planned research. In addition, it will help the students to write participant information sheets (PIS), informed consent forms, and lay summaries of their protocols. It will also address crucial issues for successful funding applications such as patient and public involvement (PPI).

RESEARCH DISSERTATION CLINICAL SCIENCE

Code MED-7023X

Credits 100

In this module students will focus on communicating the work they are undertaking and the rationale for it. Students will consider writing for peers and for the public, preparing abstracts, posters, papers and grant applications and giving oral presentations. Learning outcomes By the end of the module students will be able to formulate hypotheses, write protocols, assess literature, acquire, analyze and interpret data and will have developed the cognitive abilities required for these tasks. Assessment The research plan will be composed from up to 1,500 words and will be illustrated with a timeline or Gantt Chart, it will be evaluated formatively by course director and mentor independently who will both provide oral feedback to the student. Reflective report will be composed from up to 5,000 words and will provide details of all training so far undertaken and plans for completion of the research being undertaken and write-up of the dissertation. It will be evaluated formatively by course director and mentor independently who will both provide oral and written feedback to the student. The Dissertation will be composed from three sections. The first will be a review of 6,000 – 7,500 words, the second a research paper of 6,000 – 7,500 words and the third a reflective report providing a synoptic description of the research, training and enabling procedures undertaken by the student during the course of the year and will be between 1,500 and 2,000 words. The complete dissertation will be 13,500 – 15,000 words. 15,000 words

TRANSFERRABLE SKILLS FOR RESEARCH

Code MED-7024F

Credits 20

At masters degree level the purpose of PGT research masters degrees are primarily to familiarise and prepare students for careers with significant but diverse research components. This course meets the central need of all Clinical Researchers to communicate effectively in formats that are either written or oral and to a variety of audiences from their peers as researchers to members of the public. In this module students will focus on communicating the work they are undertaking and the rationale for it. Students will consider writing for peers and for the public, preparing abstracts, posters, papers and grant applications and giving oral presentations. By the end of the module students will have: • Written lay and professional abstracts • Assembled a poster • Given a presentation • Prepared a grant application

INTRODUCTION TO RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7021D

Credits 20

The purpose of this module is to provide students with a broad introduction to the methods used in Health Science Research. . The skills to be developed include being able to 1: recognise basic quantitative and qualitative research designs 2: recognise different data collection techniques 3: acquire a basic understanding of both statistical analysis and qualitative analysis; 4: critically appraise of the research literature.

Optional A Modules

(20 credits)

SYSTEMATIC REVIEWS AND RESEARCH SYNTHESIS

Code HSC-7057E

Credits 20

Findings from systematic reviews have been increasingly used by health policy makers, clinicians and patients for making decisions. A systematic review of available evidence is also often required for developing new research, and for interpreting findings from a primary study. The module will include the following contents: 1. Introduction, framing questions and inclusion/exclusion criteria 2. Sources of evidence and literature search strategy 3. Data extraction and validity assessment 4. Synthesizing evidence from qualitative studies 5. Synthesizing evidence from quantitative studies 6. Quality of systematic reviews and overview of reviews 7. Recent development in research synthesis methods 8. Systematic review protocol. The learning outcome will provide you with the skills and understanding to appraise and interpret published systematic reviews, to develop a protocol and undertake a systematic review. By the end of the module, you will be able to: • Frame questions appropriate for a systematic review • Design an appropriate literature search strategy • Assess the relevance and quality of primary studies • Qualitatively and quantitatively synthesize data from primary studies • Appropriately interpret findings of a systematic review and meta-analysis • Understand common pitfalls in systematic reviews and meta-analysis • Become familiar with recent method research relevant to systematic reviews.

FURTHER QUANTITATIVE RESEARCH METHODS

Code MED-7013E

Credits 20

This course builds on the quantitative methods covered in Introduction to Research Methods. It will add depth to the basic knowledge already acquired in that module on measurement, survey instruments, study designs and statistics. Students will also take part in practical sessions where they will apply the statistical knowledge gained to describe and analyse datasets.

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring, review and update of modules. Where this activity leads to significant (but not minor) changes to programmes and their constituent modules, the University will endeavour to consult with students and others. It is also possible that the University may not be able to offer a module for reasons outside of its control, such as the illness of a member of staff. In some cases optional modules can have limited places available and so you may be asked to make additional module choices in the event you do not gain a place on your first choice. Where this is the case, the University will inform students.

MRes CLINICAL SCIENCE