Clinical Science (Diabetes)

MSc Clinical Science (Diabetes)
Mode: part-time (2-6 years)

Interim awards are also available:

• Clinical Science PgDip / PgCert
• Clinical Science (Diabetes) PgDip / PgCert
• Diabetes PgCert

The programme acknowledges the Report of the Academic Careers Sub-Committee of Modernising Medical Careers and the UKCRC which highlights the value of Masters programmes as a prelude to a doctoral degree and the opportunities it provides as a first stage of training in health personnel such as research methodology and ethics.

The programme is designed to meet these needs and those of busy medical and healthcare professionals by adopting a blended learning approach, by offering a range of interim awards, ensuring opportunities to pursue and develop their own areas of professional and/or clinical interest, including the opportunity to gain a specialist qualification in Diabetes.

For staff interested in developing academic careers there is an option to develop medical educator skills as part of the programme. This is an innovative programme with no comparable programme available locally.

Other specialist pathways (in sports medicine, palliative care, and public health) are currently in development and should be available in January 2007 following successful validation.

The programme is led by Professor Alan Sinclair (Professor of Medicine and Associate Dean) ably supported by a first class programme team.

The programme team are established medical and healthcare educators with experience spanning undergraduate and postgraduate medical, nursing and allied healthcare education and training, and includes Clare Morris, Associate Dean, who is leading the Medical Educational pathway.

Visiting experts will make regular contributions to study days, masterclasses and on-line activity.

Why choose this course?

• The newly established Bedfordshire and Hertfordshire Postgraduate Medical School has a strategic campus at Putteridge Bury and links to all the major clinical and academic centres in both counties
• The teaching teams comprise leading NHS specialists led by Professor Alan Sinclair as Programme Lead. Professor Sinclair is a leading international figure in Medicine and Diabetes
• Close links with the University of Bedfordshire’s Institute of Health, and the Universities of Hertfordshire and Cranfield ensure collaborative partnerships are present, and research opportunities are available

Teaching/learning methods and strategies

The programme aims to model best practice in learning, teaching and assessment and draws upon a wide range of established and innovative approaches to learner support and development. This includes a combination of face to face and on-line learning approaches. In particular the programme will include:

• Face to Face Study days – wide range of learning and teaching methods including lectures and presentations, small group work, individual and peer group activity.
• Independent study – including individual and group work, peer discussions, use of a reflective diary, use of on-line resources (such as the University's Virtual Learning Environment (Blackboard), on-line/remote access to the University's learning resources and other on-line resources.
• A range of assessment methods closely aligned to learning and teaching methods and to the development of appropriate research skills and relevance to individual’s workplace activity.

Assessment
The assessment strategy for the programme is being developed to ensure: mapping against learning outcomes and University of Bedfordshire Level M descriptors;

Appropriate alignment with learning and teaching methods used;
relevance and application to workplace based activity of participants;
development of a wide range of clinical research skills and relevant transferable skills.

The assessment strategy is designed to incorporate both assessment of learning and assessment for learning elements, and includes both formative and summative methods.

Assessment methods used will depend on the chosen pathways and special option modules undertaken but will include:

• Essays and academic papers
• Research Grant Applications and Extended Research Proposals
• Critical Reviews of Literature and Systematic Reviews of Evidence
• Presentation of a scientific paper
• Reflective portfolios
• Critique of clinical research activity in chosen field
• Extended case study(s)
• Research project
• Profession-related Project

Dissertation/project and research

The project module is designed primarily to assess students ability to design, implement and evaluate an individual research or practice-based project related to their chosen field of interest.

The aims of the project are:

• To give students an opportunity to design a small scale research project
• To engage in a critical appraisal of relevant literatures and research studies
• To identify a coherent research strategy and adopt appropriate methods to gather, code and analyse data
• To critically evaluate research findings or their impact on their own practice.

Recommended reading

Each module provides a suitable reading list which naturally varies for each topic covered. Students will be expected to study textbooks, medical journals, and acquire information from other on-line sources including materials made available in the University's virtual learning environment 'Blackboard'.

Entry requirements

• Undergraduate degree in a Health-related profession or a medical degree with at least 1 year of full-time practice (or equivalent) at post-registration level.
• Healthcare professionals without a degree but who have a professional qualification with normally 3 years experience post-registration will be eligible to apply.

Special entry requirements

Familiarity with the national health service (NHS) and some clinical or service experience will be very helpful to applicants.

Those applying for the specialist pathway in diabetes should be able to demonstrate previous experience in the clinical care of people with diabetes. Those who later opt to undertake part of the Medical Education programme are likely to have some teaching and/or training responsibilities.

Applicants require basic computing skills and should have ready access to off campus word processing and internet facilities (broadband desirable).

The University of Bedfordshire English language qualifications for international students apply.

APL routes are potentially available to those with 60 M Level credits from comparable programmes (e.g. Healthcare Science or Clinical Science courses at other universities).