MSc Surgical Skills and Sciences

MSc Surgical Skills and Sciences

Introduction

The MSc in Surgical Skills and Sciences is run by the Barts CancerInstitute (www.bci.qmul.ac.uk) at Barts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry, part of Queen Mary, University of London.The Barts Cancer Institute is ranked fifth in the country for researchquality in cancer studies and is based in one of the UK’s top fourresearch-focused medical schools (Research Assessment Exercise2008). The mission of the Institute is to establish a major internationalcentre of excellence in both cancer research and clinical cancer careon the West Smithfield site at St Bartholomew's (Barts) Hospital and inCharterhouse Square.

The modernisation of medical education and reduced training periods will have a profound effect on the development of futuresurgeons. The operating room is therefore no longer the only idealclassroom for acquiring basic skills, especially for the newer video-based procedures. This MSc course fills the gap by giving students the ability to practice using our surgical simulation centre.

Simulation is the replication and modelling of real-life situations for training, testing, and other purposes. It removes the patient fromthe equation to allow novice learning and skill mastery to occur in alow-stress, high-feedback environment while protecting the patientfrom procedural inexperience.

Facilities in the Surgical Simulator Centre include state-of-the-artsimbionix virtual reality laparoscopy and endoscopy simulators, andbench models for training in anastomosis and knot-tying techniques.

Queen Mary, University of London 03

Contents

The Surgical Simulator Centre 04

Programme outline 05• Benefits of course• Learning outcomes• Educational aims• Career prospects

Programme structure 06• Core modules• Conferences and workshops• Assessments

Student experiences 07

Further information 07• Admission criteria• Information for overseas doctors• Fees• Note to applicant• How to apply• Enquiries

About us 10• Barts and The London School of

Medicine and Dentistry• Our campus• Queen Mary, University of London

The information given in this brochure is correct at the time of goingto press. The College reserves the right to modify or cancel any statement in itand accepts no responsibility for the consequences of any suchchanges.

The Surgical Simulator Centre

The MSc in Surgical Skills and Science willprovide you with a unique opportunity togain postgraduate training in both laboratory andclinical research methodology relevant to surgicalpractice. The skills component aims to acceleratesurgical training and improves surgical skills thatare essential for building confidence in clinicalpractice. Through completion of a dissertation,you should gain experience in research design,methodology, analysis, and presentationof work for publication.

The programme will provide a valuableopportunity for both home and overseas traineeswho wish to gain more experience inunderstanding basic research methodology,study an area of interest in depth, and writinga dissertation to obtain a higher degree beforeentering their higher surgical training. This MScprogramme will also enable trainees to enhancetheir surgical skills, thereby fast-tracking surgicaleducation.

The MSc Surgical Skills and Sciences courseis hosted by the Barts Cancer Institute, whichcurrently consists of six research Centres:

• Centre for Cancer and Inflammation

• Centre for Cell Signalling

• Centre for Haemato-Oncology

• Centre for Molecular Oncology

• Centre for Tumour Biology

• Centre for Experimental Cancer Medicine

04 Queen Mary, University of London

Programme outline

Awarding body/institutionQueen Mary, University of London

Teaching institutionBarts Cancer InstituteBarts and The London School of Medicine and Dentistry Queen Mary, University of London

Name of final awardMaster of Science (MSc)

Programme DirectorMr Bijendra P Patel

Benefits of course• Hands-on training using simulators in skills lab

• Training and skills acquired to build confidenceand competence in an operating theatre

• Flexible teaching so that you can studyalongside your NHS clinical job

Learning outcomesThe MSc in Surgical Skills and Sciences willdevelop your experience in the methodology and principles of conducting research withapplication to clinical medicine and surgery. At the same time you will improve your surgicaltraining using simulation and accelerate thedevelopment of your spatial skills and eye-hand coordination.

On completion of the course you will be able to:

• perform basic and advanced laparoscopy tasks

• perform laparoscopic suturing

• perform laparoscopic Cholecystectomy

• perform endoscopic tasks

• understand the tools and methodologies for conducting research.

Educational aims• To accelerate the development of cognitive

and motor skills, using a surgical simulatorspecifically for: laparoscopic surgery andupper and lower gastrointestinal endoscopy

• Learning and practicing anastomosistechniques using non-biological material,synthetic double layer bowel

• To develop skills in research methodology withapplication to clinical methodology and surgery.

Career prospects• Accelerates your surgical training and

improves technical skills

• Enhances future career prospects in generalsurgery

• Provides you with clinical and academictraining for career enhancement

• An excellent foundation for MDRes/PhDstudies.


Programme structure

Programme structureThe programme is comprised of the followingsurgical skills areas and a research/literatureproject:

Core modules:• Laparoscopic Skills: this module will provide

you with a broad understanding and practicalskills on laparoscopic instrument manipulationeg camera manipulation and orientation withprecise hand-eye coordination, bimanualmovement and depth perception.

• Laparoscopy Procedural Skills: this module isaimed at developing judgement andlearninginterpretation of anatomical and operativefindings of laparoscopic cholecystectomy. Youcan practice complete lap cholecystectomywith life-like sensations that mimic the feel of anactual lap procedure.

• Laparoscopic Suturing Skills: this moduleteaches proper skills on laparoscopic needlehandling and extracorporeal and intracorporealsuturing.

• Endoscopy Skills: this module is to developpsychomotor skills required for performingflexible endoscopy. The training exercises willhelp enhance the hand-eye coordinationrequired for precise manipulation of endoscopecamera and tools for performing diagnosticgastroscopy and flexible sigmoidoscopy.

• Research Methods: this module will provide youwith a clear understanding of the concepts andtheories surrounding the issues of research andcritical appraisal and the researchmethodologies required to conduct research.

• Dissertation: you will be required to complete amasters-level dissertation in an appropriateresearch area. This will be an independentpiece of research, requiring you to conceive,plan and execute an appropriate piece ofresearch based on academic foundations,application of relevant theory and methodologyand critical analysis of findings.

Conferences and workshopsYou will be encouraged to attend workshops andconferences throughout the year and will betaken to a national event relevant to the course toenhance knowledge and understanding of thefields of surgery.

Assessment• Practical skills assessments by simulation

and certification by the course tutor

• Written exam for Research Methods moduleand a final theory exam consisting of short andessay questions

• Continuous assessment

• Dissertation project write-up and presentation.

Find out more:Additional information on the course and Institutecan be found by visiting the Barts CancerInstitute website: www.bci.qmul.ac.uk


Student experience

Admission criteriaBoth UK and overseas doctors with adegree in medicine are eligible to apply.Some postgraduate experience in surgeryis desirable but not essential.

Target candidates• Surgeons in training – SHO or post-foundation

year trainees and specialist registrars

• Non-career grade surgeons – staff gradeand associate specialist.

Information for overseas doctorsIn addition to the above criteria, all overseasdoctors should provide scores of any Englishlanguage test, eg TOEFL/IELTS (minimum scorerequired TOEFL 590 and IELTS 6.5).

FeesSee www.qmul.ac.uk for the most up-to-date feesinformation.


“There are few MSc courses which offer suchpractical and hands-on teaching and training,which can directly be applied to the futurepractice of trainee surgeons. The emphasis onboth academic and practical aspects makes ita well rounded and interesting course. Highlyrecommended!”Dr Asim Hasan, graduate

“This was an excellent course. It is one of very fewcourses in the world where simulators are used fortraining and assessment. I was lucky to findsomething of this calibre in one of the UK’sleading universities.” Dr Y Rushdi, graduate

Further information

Further information (cont.)

Note to applicantIt is not essential to have passed PLAB or anyRoyal College Membership exam (MRCS).This programme does not involve any directpatient contact and hence GMC registration is not necessary.

Training is lab-based and surgical skill isacquired by simulation. On successfulcompletion of the MSc in Surgical Skills andSciences, you are not eligible to apply for GMCregistration. Further information on obtainingregistration can be acquired directly from theGMC, or you can visit their website for furtherdetails at www.gmc-uk.org

How to applyVisit www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/apply toapply for this course. You must provide your CV,transcript, personal statement and two academicreferences with your application form.

EnquiriesGeneral enquiriesTel: 0207 882 2081email: [email protected]

Programme DirectorMr Bijendra PatelMS, FRCS, FRCS (Gen Surg) Clinical SeniorLecturer (Laparoscopy & Upper GI Surgery)Barts Cancer InstituteQueen Mary, University of London Joseph Rotblat BuildingCharterhouse Square,London EC1M 6BQTel: +44 (0)20 7882 2081email: [email protected]



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About us

Barts and The London Schoolof Medicine and DentistryBarts and The London School of Medicine andDentistry is a major centre of medical and dentalteaching and research in London. It was formedin 1995 following the merger of the MedicalCollege of St Bartholomew's Hospital and theLondon Hospital Medical College, both importanttraining institutions with long and distinguishedhistories. This united the strengths of theseinstitutions and the skills of the staff who areinvolved in clinical care and internationallyacclaimed research.

Barts and The London offers international levelsof excellence in research and teaching whileserving a population of unrivalled diversity.

At the heart of the School’s mission lies world-class research, the result of a focusedprogramme of recruitment of leading researchgroups from the UK and abroad and a £100minvestment in state-of-the-art facilities.

Our campusBarts Cancer Institute is based on the beautifulgrounds of Charterhouse Square campus, in theheart of the City of London. The historical andmodern buildings set the backdrop for thisdiverse area of London, which is just a short tubejourney from the West End. The local area isbuzzing with cafes, restaurants, and markets,with the Barbican Centre on your doorstephosting year-round events and exhibitionsrelating to theatre, dance and music ensuringthere is something for everyone.

“Queen Mary has caught the mood of regeneration in east London.”Sunday Times Good University Guide

Queen Mary, University of LondonQueen Mary, University of London is one of theUK's leading research-focused higher educationinstitutions. With around 16,900 students, 3,800staff and an annual turnover of £300m, we areone of the biggest University of London colleges.We teach and research across a wide range ofsubjects in the humanities, social sciences, law,medicine and dentistry, and science andengineering. We are ranked in the top 150universities in the world (THE World UniversityRankings 2012) and this summer we joined theRussell Group of leading UK universities.

This guide has been produced by Marketing andCommunications for the Barts Cancer Institute –Teaching Centre – Pub9951

For further information contact:Barts Cancer Institute – Teaching CentreBarts and The London School of Medicine and DentistryJoseph Rotblat BuildingCharterhouse SquareLondon EC1M 6BQemail: [email protected]: +44 (0)20 7882 2081

The information given in this brochure is correct at thetime of going to press. The College reserves the right to

modify or cancel any statement in it and accepts noresponsibility for the consequences of any such changes.

Any section of this publication is available upon request in accessible formats (large print, audio, etc.). For further

information and assistance, please contact: Diversity Specialist, [email protected], 020 7882 5585

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MSc Surgical Skills and Sciences