Medicine

The taught modules are designed to stimulate a deep and critical knowledge of research. The optional modules allow you to develop a comprehensive knowledge of different approaches to medical research.

The Paper Criticism module enables you to develop subject-specific skills, such as an understanding of the ethical issues of medicine and knowledge of the current requirements for the governance of medical research and its publication. You apply your knowledge of research methods to published papers and enhance your critical skills.

The Analytic Research module provides a critical awareness of research planning and methods and develops your research skills. It includes topics on the structure of analytic research investigations; the analysis of the data obtained in analytic studies, especially the metrics used; the problems resulting from bias and confounding and how they are dealt with; basic statistics of precision and comparison;dealing with unequal duration of follow-up in cohort studies; and critical appraisal of published research.

The Capturing and Handling Data in Research module is an introduction to the collection and handling of health research data. It will include topics on: social inclusion in research; sampling from populations; types of data; collecting data through questionnaires; how scales and tests are used to collect data; and how data are collected and described using various fractions such as rates, ratios, risks and odds; recording quantitative and qualitative data in suitable formats; using computers in the analysis of data; the importance of the statistics that summarise quantitative data; and an introduction to the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data. Critical appraisal of published research will underpin theory.

Course structure

These are typical modules/components studied and may change from time to time. Read more in our Terms and conditions.

Modules Year 1

Compulsory modules

• Analytic Research 15 credits
• Intervention Research 15 credits
• Capturing and Handling Data in Research 15 credits
• Research Project in Medicine 120 credits

Optional modules

• Applied Qualitative Health Research 15 credits
• Paper Criticism in Medicine 15 credits

For more information on typical modules, read Medicine MRes in the course catalogue

Learning and teaching

There are few formal lectures in the MRes programme. Most of your time is devoted to planning and conducting the research project, usually working with a small team of researchers or healthcare professionals.

Interactive tutorial sessions are shared with students on other Masters programmes in the School of Medicine, intercalating medical students and health professionals.

Assessment

There is one examination in May for the Paper Criticism module. Other modules are assessed by the submission of coursework, workbooks, reports and reviews.

Exit awards of Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Research (120 credits) or Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Research (60 credits) are available for this programme.