Norwich Medical School

MS MASTER OF SURGERY IN PRINCIPLES OF COLOPROCTOLOGY

Overview

Our e-learning Masters course, developed with support from the Royal College of Surgeons (England) offers a flexible and innovative training programme to help you achieve your goals. Currently, this course is the only programme to qualify specialists in colorectal surgery.

Our philosophy is to promote setting standards at this specialist level, tailored to your individual circumstances. Our aim is to prepare, assess and qualify you for year –1 level consultant specialist practice. This will be achieved through a combination of rigorous and engaging online activities and practical assessment of your surgical, communication and decision-making skills.

About the Course

Flexible Training

Supporting flexible study patterns is more important than ever when balancing working time directives with the highest quality training. The University of East Anglia (UEA) Masters Course in Coloproctology meets this challenge, and offers added advantages over face-to-face delivery: our bespoke, flexible approach offers excellent opportunities for problem based training and assessment, access to a large specialist faculty, seamless communication with e-tutors/mentors, access to online resources, evidencing progress and development.

Our Curriculum

Our programme is linked directly to the Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum Programme and is set at a more advanced level than the exit FRCS. We achieve this through a comprehensive syllabus with defined outcomes to ensure that you acquire expert subject knowledge. For the Post Graduate Diploma (PGDip) and Masters level, you can tailor the course to suit your career path. Surgical skills training combined with e-tutoring and access to the specialist faculty resource that this will offer, provides an exceptionally rich training experience, complementing and surpassing the knowledge requirements for the FRCS exam exit.

A Masters Degree tailored to professional development

The syllabus has been designed by our specialist faculty team to complement your real-world professional development. The Clinical Leadership and Management module develops clinical leadership, inter-personal skills, conflict resolution, developing new service and innovation, evaluation and delivery of the latest government policies. Our Integrated Research module empowers trainees to conduct and supervise research within the NHS setting, writing and succeeding in submitting research protocols, evaluating research methodologies and literature reviews.

Teaching and Learning

You should plan on around 165 hours of study per 16-week module. There will be 35 hours per module of e-tutor support, in the format of mediated discussions of case presentations. We use a Problem Based Learning approach in two-week blocks with follow-up online assessment. For each task, we provide links to relevant literature and resources directly through our VLE, saving you time and allowing you to progress in a targeted way.

Assessment

You will need to demonstrate a minimum of 80% online engagement to receive CPD accreditation for each module. You will also have the option to take a summative written assessment for each module; complete it successfully and you’ll be awarded 20 university credits. Acquire 60 credits and, in addition to your CPD accreditation, you’ll also be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate. Successfully complete assessments for 6 modules and you’ll acquire 120 credits and receive a Postgraduate Diploma.
If you then decide to complete a 60 credit Master’s dissertation project, you’ll achieve 180 credits in total, and a Master’s degree. The assessment format is a reflective essay, which will be submitted and marked online, and which can also be utilised as evidence towards your professional portfolio. Your research and management modules will involve the online submission of a piece of written work, marked according to the UEA postgraduate senate scale.

After the Course

Our aim is to prepare, assess and qualify you for year –1 level consultant specialist practice.

Course Modules

Course Structure

The course allows you to decide to which level you wish to train:

For the PGDip, you’ll need to complete six compulsory modules
For the Master’s level qualification you will follow the same as the PGDip, and, in addition, you will need to complete a year-long Dissertation module

Modules commence in January, May and September. Students will be permitted to select one or two modules that are available at each start point. Dissertation can only be commenced following successful completion of the preceding 6 modules.

Option Range A

MODULES AVAILABLE COMMENCING IN JANUARY EACH YEAR
Students will select 20-40 credits from the following modules:

INTEGRATED RESEARCH MODULE

Code: MED-7065E Credits: 20

The module examines service improvement and innovation and provides the scope and skills for you to undertake an evidence-based service improvement project. At the start of this module you must begin to think about their Research Dissertation. It is your responsibility to find a local Supervisor, who will be the primary contact during the dissertation, to arrange sponsorship, funding and ethics.

INFLAMMATORY BOWEL DISEASE

Code: MED-7083E Credits: 20

This module will cover IBD & Ulcerative Colitis, Acute Severe UC, Crohn’s and Enterocutaneous Fistula, Crohn’s and Perianal Disease, Chronic Inflammatory Mass, Dysplasia and Cancer, Patient & Ileoanal-pouch Surgery.

Option Range B

MODULES COMMENCING IN SEPTEMBER EACH YEAR
Students will select 20-40 credits from the following modules:

CLINICAL LEADERSHIP AND MANAGEMENT

Code: MED-7066D Credits: 20

This module is about developing candidates as clinical leaders. It covers - How to write a business case, Innovation and strategy, Personality and leadership, High performance teams, Understanding your organisation, Managing resources and Healthcare economics.

COLORECTAL EMERGENCIES

Code: MED-7081D Credits: 20

At the end of this module, candidates will be able to demonstrate knowledge of principles of operative management options for large bowel obstruction. They will be able to evaluate the role of conservative, laparoscopic and open surgical options in patients with perforated diverticular disease and demonstrate understanding of indications for early surgery. Scenario topics include colonic perforation and diverticular complication and large bowel obstruction.

Entry Requirements & Fees

Entry Requirements

You must meet the following entry requirements for the course:

ST 5 or above or equivalent
Speciality Doctor/Associate specialists (two years in colorectal surgery) or equivalent
GMC or equivalent
MRCS or equivalent

You will also need to be available to attend (non-virtual) regional training days to discuss cases, and meet your tutors and fellow trainees.

We welcome applications from students whose first language is not English or those whose degree was not taught in English. To ensure such students benefit fully from postgraduate study, we require evidence of proficiency in English. We also will require a certain standard to be achieved on the written element of the test. Our usual entry requirements are as follows:

IELTS: 7.0 (minimum 7.0 in all component)
PTE: 76 (minimum 76 in all components)

All scores must be less than two years old.

Fees

Fees for the full course running from Jan 2023

UK & International Students: £7,500

£1000 per 20 credit module. £1500 for the 60 credit dissertation module.

Part-time students can pay per module studied. However, module fees may be subject to an annual increase.

If you choose to study part-time, the fee per annum will be half the annual fee for that year, or a pro-rata fee for the module credit you are taking (only available for Home students).

We estimate living expenses at £1,023 per month.

Further Information on tuition fees can be found here.

How to Apply

You can apply online at: www.uea.ac.uk/study/postgraduate/apply. You will be required to include the following information with your application:

Two references (one should be an academic reference)
Your CV
A personal statement
Your GMC registration number or equivalent
Copies of your graduation certificates

Please refer to the website for application closing date. All applications for postgraduate study are processed through the Admissions Office and forwarded to the School for consideration.

Admissions Live Chat

Open Days