MS Oncoplastic Breast Surgery (Part Time) (January Start)

Key details

MS ONCOPLASTIC BREAST SURGERY (PART TIME) (JANUARY START)

Start Year

2023

Attendance

Part Time

Award

Degree of Master of Surgery

Duration (years)

Breast cancer cases globally are on the increase. In 2011, Norwich Medical School, with support from the Royal College of Surgeons (England), Association of Breast Surgery (ABS), British Association of Plastic, Reconstructive and Aesthetic Surgeons (BAPRAS), developed this unique course for surgeons looking to develop skills in Oncoplastic Breast Surgery. UEA’s award-winning e-learning approach has resulted in a suite of new super-specialist courses, delivered entirely online, and requiring no travel by its students. 

This course has been carefully designed to integrate with the working lives of clinical practitioners. Students undertake six in-depth modules covering benign breast disease, malignant breast disease, oncoplastic breast conservation, oncoplastic breast reconstruction, research and service evaluation, and management and service improvement. 

The educational focus is on consultant-level critical thinking and decision-making for surgeons while they gain practical experience in their clinical posts. 

About

As a Specialist Clinical Mastership (SCM) student at Norwich Medical School, you’ll take part in fully-online discussions centered around realistic cases within our dedicated Virtual Learning Environment (VLE) – a thriving online community of specialists located all over the world. 

The course is based around six advanced modules, covering all areas of oncoplastic breast surgery and a host of relevant transferrable skills. Each topic will bring with it new expertise and insights directly applicable to your own clinical practice. As such, each tutor-mediated forum discussion will take on a life of its own, fueled by shared reading, personal experience, and tutor guidance. 

The course is designed to complement your day-to-day clinical practice, so each session is delivered asynchronously, meaning that you will not be required to log on at set times. Your online learning will be supported by formative assessments of your surgical knowledge, critical thinking, and decision-making. You will participate in virtual module training days and workshops with our expert tutors, which are also recorded for student revision purposes on the VLE. 

The course is designed for surgeons with demonstrable experience in core breast oncology. We accept breast or plastic surgery trainees from level ST5 level or above, from the UK and overseas. 

Should you demonstrate competency in core oncoplastic breast surgery procedures, you will be able to proceed onto the final dissertation year to obtain a Master’s degree. If you are unable to fully demonstrate operative competency, you will not move onto the final year and can complete your study with a Postgraduate Certificate or Postgraduate Diploma. In these cases, you will still benefit fully from the theoretical and decision-making skills that you have gained on the course. 

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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.

Assessment for Year 1

Each clinical module includes a written assessment, which – together with sufficient online participation in the formative tasks (a minimum of 80% engagement with online discussions and attempting online tests) – is worth 20 credits. Each clinical module is assessed by an end of module reflective case-based essay which is submitted and marked online, and can be included in your professional portfolio. 

Both your research and management modules will involve the online submission of a piece of written work developed during the module to consolidate your learning during the module.

All assessments are marked according to the UEA postgraduate senate scale and detailed feedback is provided based on this. 

Year one modules:

Benign breast disease and Malignant breast disease modules:

Formative assessment: topic quizzes, management plans
Summative assessment: reflective clinical case essay

Management and service improvement module:

Summative coursework based assessment

Structure

Our initial two-year course is comprised of six online modules, each lasting 16 weeks. These provide advanced learning in the following specialist areas: 

Each module is structured as two-week topics, with learning outcomes mapped to the UK postgraduate ISCP breast surgery curriculum. We designate time for background reading and revision, and you will be required to undertake approximately 10 hours of independent study each week, including: 

Reading core texts and the latest clinical papers 
Discussing an online clinical case with your peers to draw out learning opportunities and evidence-based practice 
Completing formative assessments to aid your learning, including multiple choice questions and script concordance tests (SCT), which help you develop your critical thinking 
Constructing a personal management plan for the clinical case to demonstrate your understanding of the topic and develop your decision-making skills

Each online module includes recorded lectures and practical workshops, tailored to the module’s content. In addition to providing valuable learning opportunities, these items allow you to meet your tutors. The online forums provide the chance to network with your peers and educators

Following adequate online participation and successful completion of a summative assessment covering the 16-week module, you will be awarded 20 credits. 

If you acquire 60 credits at the end of your first year and decide to leave the course, you’ll be awarded a Postgraduate Certificate. If you earn 120 credits (six modules) over two years and decide to leave you will earn a Postgraduate Diploma. However, if you demonstrate the required practical and operative skills at the OSCE, and choose to progress to complete your third year with its dissertation module, you’ll earn 180 credits and a Master of Surgery degree.

Year one modules:

Benign Breast Disease – online PBL clinical case discussions covering all aspects of benign and congenital breast disease, supported by a study day and ongoing formative assessments of progress.

Malignant breast disease – online clinical case discussions developing a multidisciplinary MDT approach to the management of malignant breast disease.

Management and service delivery – the opportunity to develop management knowledge and skills at consultant level including developing a business plan for service improvement

Teaching and Learning

All of our teaching takes place online and includes the use of postgraduate clinical teaching methods, including in-depth PBL case-based discussions and formative script concordance testing. 

Our tutors are all experienced senior clinicians working both in the UK and internationally, which maximises your exposure to global discussions and comparisons of best practice. 

Pre-recorded module workshops provide skills-based training in core oncoplastic breast conservation and breast reconstruction techniques, including planning and mark-up, in addition to technical procedures. 

Independent study

You will complete the course in parallel with your clinical duties in breast surgery to gain the required level of practical experience to progress onto your final year of study. Operative proficiency in core oncoplastic procedures will be evidenced by your workplace-based assessments and assessed at an OSCE in your second year of study, prior to your progression to your final year. 

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Assessment for Year 2

Year two modules:

Oncoplastic breast conserving and breast reconstruction modules:

Formative topic quizzes and management plans
Summative case-based reflective essays
Clinical OSCE

You will undertake an online objective structured clinical examination (OSCE) in your second year of study. The exam will allow you to demonstrate your knowledge of various aspects of planning and decision-making in topics related to oncoplastic breast surgery. 

Structure

Year two modules:

Oncoplastic Breast Conserving surgery – online PBL case discussions of interesting and complex clinical cases, developing critical thinking and decision making skills

Oncoplastic breast reconstruction – further case based discussions regarding mastectomy and reconstructive approaches both for malignancy and risk reduction

Research and service evaluation – an opportunity to develop your knowledge around design and implementation of a research project in preparation for your final year project

Teaching and Learning

All of our teaching takes place online and includes the use of postgraduate clinical teaching methods, including in-depth PBL case-based discussions and formative script concordance testing. 

Our tutors are all experienced senior clinicians working both in the UK and internationally, which maximises your exposure to global discussions and comparisons of best practice. 

Independent study

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Open Days

Please note that this course starts in January and students will take three modules in each calendar year in the order specified below. The dissertation starts in January of the third year of study.

Assessment for Year 1

Both your research and management modules will involve the online submission of a piece of written work developed during the module to consolidate your learning during the module.

All assessments are marked according to the UEA postgraduate senate scale and detailed feedback is provided based on this. 

Year one modules:

Benign breast disease and Malignant breast disease modules:

Formative assessment: topic quizzes, management plans
Summative assessment: reflective clinical case essay

Management and service improvement module:

Summative coursework based assessment

Compulsory Modules

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Open Days

Important Information

Whilst the University will make every effort to offer the modules listed, changes may sometimes be made arising from the annual monitoring and review of modules. Where this activity leads to significant change to a programme and modules, the University will endeavour to consult with affected students. 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. Availability of optional modules may be restricted owing to timetabling, lack of demand, or limited places. Where this is the case, you will be asked to make alternative module choices and you will be supported during this process.

Please note that this course starts in January and students will take three modules in each calendar year in the order specified below. The dissertation starts in January of the third year of study.

Assessment for Year 2

Year two modules:

Oncoplastic breast conserving and breast reconstruction modules:

Formative topic quizzes and management plans
Summative case-based reflective essays
Clinical OSCE

Compulsory Modules

APPLIED BASIC SCIENCES AND BENIGN BREAST DISEASE

Code MED-7061E

Credits 20

This module covers Benign Breast Disease and Mastalgia, Family History and Imaging, Congenital and Acquired Breast Anomalies, Nipple Discharge and Breast Infection, Screening and QA Process, Patient Declining Treatment / B3 Lesions and the Lymphatic System

MANAGEMENT OF MALIGNANT BREAST DISEASE

Code MED-7063X

Credits 20

This module covers Screening and DCIS, Management of the Axilla, Postmenopausal and Premenopausal Breast Cancer, Breast Cancer in High Risk Patients, Locally Advanced Breast Cancer and Metastatic Breast Cancer.

ONCOPLASTIC BREAST CONSERVING SURGERY

Code MED-7062E

Credits 20

This module covers Pre-Operative Decision Making, Local Glandular Displacement, Principles of Mammoplasty, Therapeutic Mammoplasty, Local Pedicle Flaps, Lipomodelling and Breast Symmetrization

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MS ONCOPLASTIC BREAST SURGERY (PART TIME) (JANUARY START)