Doctor of Medicine

1.1 These Regulations govern the awards of degrees of Doctor of Medicine.

1.2 In these Regulations, unless explicitly stated otherwise, Head of School may be taken to refer also to the Chair of the NBI Graduate School Executive for candidates based in the Norwich Bioscience Institutes, or their nominee. The Head of School’s nominee shall normally be the School Director of Postgraduate Research, and there may also be a nominated Institute Director of Postgraduate Research for candidates based in the John Innes Centre, Quadram Institute Bioscience, the Sainsbury Laboratory or the Earlham Institute.

1.3 A candidate may register for the degree of Doctor of Medicine in the Norwich Medical School.

2.1          Before being admitted to the degree of Doctor of Medicine at the University a candidate must:

1. Be approved by the Head of School as a candidate for the degree

2. Engage in advanced study under the direction of teachers in the University appointed by the Head of School as the candidate’s supervisory team

3. Undertake research in a field of study approved by the Head of School

4. Satisfactorily present the results of the research and study in a thesis, and pass such oral and other examinations as may be prescribed by these Regulations.

2.2          The supervisory team shall consist of at least two members of the University’s academic staff, or research staff based at one of the Norwich Bioscience Institutes (NBI) and affiliated to the NBI Graduate School. Where approved by the Head of School, a member of academic/research staff based at UEA or one of the Norwich Bioscience Institutes, and an honorary appointed clinical lecturer/supervisor can constitute the supervisory team. In the latter case, the primary supervisor must be a member of the University’s academic staff or research staff at an affiliated Graduate School, unless otherwise approved by the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College.

2.3          The degree of Doctor of Medicine (MD) may be awarded by the Senate on the recommendation of the Head of the Norwich Medical School at the University of East Anglia to a candidate who:

1. Has held, for at least three years at the time of submission of thesis, a qualification which is recognised for registration by the General Medical Council for the United Kingdom.

2. Is either a Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS) graduate of this University or a graduate of another approved university holding an appointment or an honorary appointment within a health or social care facility that has established research or teaching links with the University of East Anglia.

3. Has been employed for at least two years in appropriate clinical or scientific work, and has completed all the work for the       degree during that employment.

4. Has fulfilled any other University requirements.

2.4          Candidates will normally register on 1 February, 1 June or 1 October.

3.1          For candidates registering on the Doctor of Medicine on or before 31 December 2017, the period of study and registration shall be two years. This shall be by part-time study at 0.5 FTE.

For full-time candidates registering from 1 January 2018, the Period of Study for the Doctor of Medicine shall be two years and there will be a registration-only period of one year and a total period of registration of three years.

For part-time candidates registering from 1 January 2018, the Period of Study for the Doctor of Medicine shall be four years and there will be a registration-only period of one year and a total period of registration of five years. Part-time study will be at 0.5 FTE.

Full-time candidates are expected to devote a minimum of four full days per week to their research; part-time candidates are expected to devote a minimum of two full days per week to their research. No candidate should complete more than two unrelated work/clinical sessions a week.

3.2          The above periods of study and registration shall be subject to the following exceptions:

1. The candidate may, with the permission of the Head of School, spend not more than six months of the Period of Study at some other approved place of study or research. When the nature of the research requires that work should be undertaken elsewhere than in the University the Head of School may appoint an additional supervisor

2. In cases where the Head of School deems it appropriate, a candidate’s period of study and registration may be reduced by not more than six months

3. Permission to extend the normal Period of Study by up to six months may be granted by the Head of School on the recommendation of the candidate’s supervisor. The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may give special permission for further extensions to the period of study and registration on the recommendation of the Head of School

4. The Head of School may permit the interruption of the Period of Study if there are special reasons for doing so. The Head of School shall specify the length of interruption which may not exceed twelve months. In such a case the Head of School may also extend the period within which the thesis is to be submitted by not more than the length of the interruption.

4.1          There shall be an annual review of the progress of each candidate in each year of the candidate's period of study and/or registration undertaken by the candidate and supervisory team and monitored by or on behalf of the Head of School. During their first year of registration (first two years for part-time students registering after 1 January 2018), the status of Doctor of Medicine students as doctoral candidates is probationary and the Annual Review Meeting normally held in month 8 (or month 20 for part-time candidates registering after 1 January 2018), includes a Probationary Review Meeting to review their status.

4.2          The Probationary Review Meeting requires the involvement of an Internal Assessor who is not a member of the candidate’s supervisory team. As part of the Probationary Review Meeting, the Internal Assessor should agree a joint recommendation with the supervisory team on the candidate’s probationary status.

4.3          If there is evidence at a Probationary Review Meeting that the candidate is not making satisfactory progress or the Internal Assessor and the supervisory team do not agree in their recommendations, the candidate will be warned promptly in a formal letter from the Head of School that they may be asked to withdraw from the University. The letter will include an agreed clear list of measurable goals to be achieved and the timescale for achieving these. The candidate will also be required to attend a Second Probationary Review Meeting at which the Internal Assessor and supervisory team should reconsider the candidate’s progress and agree a joint recommendation as to whether the candidate should be confirmed as a doctoral candidate. Where there is evidence that a candidate is not making satisfactory progress at the time of a Second Probationary Review Meeting they will normally be required to withdraw from the programme.

4.4          If the Internal Assessor and the supervisory team do not agree in their recommendations following the Second Probationary Meeting and consensus cannot be established by the Head of School, the Head of School shall consider the evidence provided through the Probationary Review process and form a view as to whether there is sufficient evidence on which to base a decision regarding the candidate’s probationary status.

Where there is insufficient evidence or if for any other reason the Head of School needs a further opinion they shall recommend to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College the appointment of an additional Internal Assessor who shall review the available evidence, meeting with the candidate where necessary, in order to make a recommendation to the Head of School.

The Head of School shall act at all times in accordance with Research Degree Policy Document 12 ‘Guidelines for Probationary Review’.

4.5          The supervisory team shall also report to the Head of School at any time when the candidate appears not to be making satisfactory progress, is otherwise not fulfilling the conditions that have been laid down or appears unlikely to reach the standard of the degree.

5.1          A candidate is normally required to submit a thesis of not more than 65,000 words to the satisfaction of the examiners.

5.2          The thesis must be deemed to make an original contribution to the field in some subject of Medicine to the satisfaction of the examiners.

5.3          For candidates registering on or before 31 December 2017
A candidate may submit for examination no earlier than three months before the end of the period of study and registration, providing that, not more than two years have elapsed since their registration as a candidate for the degree, notwithstanding Regulation 3.

5.4          For candidates registering on or after 1 January 2018
A candidate who wishes to submit a thesis shall apply to the Associate Director (Postgraduate Research) (or nominee). A thesis may be presented for examination at any time after the beginning of the last four months of the candidate’s prescribed Period of Study provided that not more than three years for full-time candidates and five years for part-time candidates shall have elapsed from the date of approval as a candidate for the degree. The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may give special permission for extensions to the period within which the thesis must be presented on the recommendation of the Head of School.

5.5          A candidate for the degree shall, not later than three months before the submission of the thesis and in any case no later than three months before the end of the period of study and research, submit for approval to the Head of School the precise title of the thesis to be examined.

6.1          The Head of School shall recommend for approval by the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research the names of two or more examiners, at least one of whom shall be an external examiner. This recommendation shall normally be made not later than three months before the expected date of submission.

7.1          A candidate shall be examined orally on the thesis and on subjects relevant to it. The examination shall normally be held within three months of the date of submission. Exceptions to this shall require approval by the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College.

7.2          Prior to the oral examination of the thesis the examiners shall each prepare independent preliminary reports regarding the candidate’s performance.

7.3          In exceptional circumstances the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College may, on sufficient grounds submitted by the candidate and/or their supervisory team, with the agreement of the examiners, and on the recommendation of the Head of School, waive the requirement for the oral examination or agree to its replacement by an alternative form of assessment.

7.4          The examiners having examined the candidate shall send their joint final report and recommendation to the Head of School. If the examiners do not agree in their recommendations or if for any other reason the Head of School needs a further opinion, the Head of School shall recommend to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College the appointment of an additional external examiner who shall conduct a further examination of the candidate.

7.5          The Head of School having considered the final report and recommendation of all the examiners shall then proceed in one of the following ways:

1. If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are of sufficient merit the Head of School shall recommend that the candidate be approved for the award of the degree of Doctor of Medicine

2. If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are of sufficient merit, but that minor corrections are required, the Head of School shall recommend that the candidate be approved for the award of the degree of Doctor of Medicine, subject to completion of minor corrections within three months

3. If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are not of sufficient merit for the degree of Doctor of Medicine but there is a reasonable expectation that the thesis, if revised, could reach the standard required for the degree, the Head of School shall recommend that the candidate be asked to submit a revised thesis.  A candidate who submits a revised thesis shall do so within one year, may be required to undergo further oral examination, and shall be required to pay a reassessment fee.  A candidate shall not be allowed to submit a revised thesis on more than one occasion

4. If the thesis and performance in the oral examination are not of sufficient merit for the degree of Doctor of Medicine and the Head of School is not of the opinion that the candidate should be permitted to submit a revised thesis, they shall recommend that no degree be awarded.               

7.6          In all cases the recommendations of the Head of School shall be laid before the HAssociate Director (Postgraduate Research) (or nominee) who shall ensure that appropriate action is taken on behalf of the Senate.

8.1          A candidate shall submit an electronic copy of the final version of the thesis in accordance with rules approved by the Senate.

8.2          If a candidate is approved for the award of the degree the Associate Director (Postgraduate Research) (or nominee) shall deposit a copy of the thesis in the University Library where it shall be available for consultation. The Head of School, at the request of the candidate, may determine that a particular thesis shall, for a period of up to three years specified by the Head of School, be available only to those who have the candidate’s written permission to consult it.

9.1          Candidates for the degree of Doctor of Medicine will be designated as Category A (including faculty of Schools and such other candidates as Senate shall determine) or Category B. Candidates in Category B shall proceed to the degree of Doctor of Medicine in accordance with Regulations 1 to 8 above. Category A candidates shall be permitted to proceed to the degree of the Doctor of Medicine in accordance with Regulations 1 to 8, subject to the following modifications.

9.2          In the case of Category A candidates references to the Head of School in Regulations 2 (General Preconditions to an Award), 3 (Duration of Course) and 7 (Examination) shall be interpreted as references to theAssociate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College, or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest. Thus the examination of any Category A candidate for the degree of Doctor of Medicine shall be conducted exclusively by external examiners appointed by the Senate on the recommendation of the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College.

9.3          In the case of Category A candidates, references to the Head of School in Regulation 4 (Progress and Probation) shall be interpreted as references to the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research, or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest.

9.4          In the case of Category A candidates, references to the Faculty Associate Dean of Postgraduate Research in Regulation 6 (Appointment of Examiners) shall be interpreted as references to the Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College, or to their nominee if they have a conflict of interest.

9.5          The Associate Pro-Vice-Chancellor UEA Doctoral College shall be advised of any application from any Category A candidate to continue the Period of Study as a candidate for the degree after ceasing to be a member of staff.