Surgical Science and Practice MSc

**The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (November 2024). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas.** <br/><br/>The MSc in Surgical Science and Practice is a transformative part-time modular programme which attracts healthcare professionals from around the world and is completed over two to four years. <br/><br/>The taught component of the course comprises six modules, spaced over the year and each a week long, with teaching taking place in person in Oxford. A research project carried out over the course of a year completes the masters. It is usually a work-based project and is supported by an Oxford supervisor.<br/><br/>Run in collaboration with Oxfords Nuffield Department of Surgical Sciences, the MSc is designed for trainees and consultants in surgical disciplines as well as practitioners of other clinical disciplines interested in better understanding the systems within which they practice and increasing their effectiveness working in those systems. It particularly appeals to those who wish to develop a further dimension to their role, such as a leadership position, academic, teaching or research role, as well as those taking their career in new directions.<br/><br/>**Course objectives**<br/>The aim of the course is to give you a strong foundation in the most important non-clinical skills you will need to be effective and to lead others in providing safe, high quality, high reliability care. It will prepare you for life as an independent specialist, building skills and knowledge which are not fully represented or are omitted from graduate training curricula. Alumni of the course have used the MSc as a platform to:<br/><br/><br/>- Lead larger teams and take on greater organisational responsibility<br/><br/><br/>- Carry out significant quality improvement initiatives and introduce innovations in practice<br/><br/><br/>- Conduct and publish research including non-clinical healthcare research<br/><br/><br/>- Take on new leadership and academic roles, either alongside continuing clinical responsibilities or as a new direction in their career<br/><br/><br/>- Develop new educational programmes and training methods<br/><br/><br/>You can read about how some recent graduates have applied what they learned in the student profiles section of the departments website.<br/><br/>Healthcare professionals work as part of multi-disciplinary teams in complex organisations. Thus the syllabus covers leadership, teamwork, management skills, quality improvement and patient safety, development and implementation of new technologies and procedures, principles of medical education and how to appraise evidence to answer clinical questions. Students completing the course will have developed the skills and knowledge to:<br/><br/><br/>- Understand the principles of leading a team and how to foster a culture of effective teamwork<br/><br/><br/>- Understand the dynamics at play within healthcare organisations and healthcare systems, and how to increase your influence<br/><br/><br/>- Apply the principles of human factors and ergonomics to understanding error in healthcare and designing practices that maximise safety and reliability<br/><br/><br/>- Analyse and improve clinical care pathways and settings of care using quality improvement science and systems analysis methods<br/><br/><br/>- Develop further as a mentor and educator, including setting up and running courses, designing curricula and evaluating educational provision<br/><br/><br/>- Critically appraise clinical evidence and assess its validity and relevance to your practice<br/><br/><br/>- Understand basic business and financial aspects of the health care industry, and their relevance for understanding how to navigate your own organisation<br/><br/><br/>- Understand how to develop and implement innovations in healthcare including creating business plans and business cases for your own area of practice<br/><br/><br/>A more detailed description of the course curriculum can be found on the departments website.