University of Birmingham - College of Medical and Dental Sciences

BSc Biomedical Science, the new name for our highly successful BMedSc Medical Science course, explores the science of the human body and the causes of diseases that affect humans. Based at the University of Birmingham Medical School, our programme explores the major body systems right down to the cellular and molecular level and is constantly updated to reflect the latest developments in the field. You’ll learn from experts who carry out medical and fundamental scientific research in these areas.

You’ll be taught in our state-of-the-art newly refurbished laboratories, including our modern prosectorium, where you’ll find out how research translates into advances in clinical practice. You’ll have the opportunity to undertake a 10-week research project with our internationally recognised research groups as well as the chance to take an optional placement year either in an industrial or a clinical setting. Financial support is also available to some students opting to take on summer projects in the College’s laboratories.... [-]

Dental Hygienists and Dental Therapists work closely with other members of the Dental team. They are able to carry out preventive and periodontal treatments for adults and children. They carry out a variety of treatments on a wide range of patients including fillings, radiographs and impressions. They may also extract deciduous teeth, undertake pulpotomies and place preformed crowns on children’s teeth.

This is an integrated programme, approved by the General Dental Council, leading to a qualification in both Dental Hygiene and Dental Therapy. It is a collaborative programme which is delivered by the Birmingham School of Dental Hygiene and Therapy, which is part of the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust. The funding is provided through the Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Trust and the BSc in Dental Hygiene and Therapy is validated by the University of Birmingham, via the collaborative agreement.... [-]

Dentistry is a challenging and rewarding profession. In the context of an ageing population who are retaining teeth into old age, the importance of understanding interactions between general and oral health is paramount. Excellent communication skills are needed to enable dentists to treat patients as individuals and a sound understanding of the biological basis of oral disease and preventive approaches to care are essential foundations of dental practice. Advances in technology and dental materials have increased the scope of practice and the expansion in the numbers of Dental Care Professionals (DCPs) has led to an emphasis on the dentist’s role as a diagnostician and team leader together with the dentist focusing on undertaking complex, rather than routine, dental treatments. The course at Birmingham is regulated by the General Dental Council (GDC) and will provide you with a solid foundation of learning on which to base your clinical experience and patient care. The ongoing strand of whole patient care in Clinical Practice enables you to integrate speciality teaching and perform the most appropriate treatment for your patients.... [-]

Artificial hip and knee joints, replacement blood vessels and heart valves, artificial teeth and fillings, contact lenses, modern drug delivery systems and tissue engineering are just a few of the growing number of applications of biomedical materials. This degree offers you the opportunity to gain a comprehensive background in the medical science and engineering of materials for repairing or replacing damaged, diseased or missing tissues in the human body.

The Biomedical Materials Science course is one of the few courses focussing equally on the biological and material sciences and our graduates, therefore, find career opportunities in a wide range of areas related to medical and dental sciences. “As long as humans cannot replace lost tissue like a salamander, the development of biomaterials and biomaterials-based tissue engineering scaffolds will be crucial for the well-being of an ageing population. Characterisation and development of novel biomaterials are what the Biomedical Materials Science course is about.” Dr Mike Hofmann, Biomaterials Researcher Also referred to as 'The Biomaterials Course', the programme is multidisciplinary and taught in several departments, including Dentistry, Medicine, and Metallurgy and Materials. The course is centred around the Biomaterials Unit one of the principal research units within the School of Dentistry, which links clinical work with both clinical and scientific research. Our state of the art laboratories are based at the brand new Dental Hospital.... [-]

In addition to our five-year Medicine and Surgery MBChB programme, we have the four-year MBChB for graduates with a first degree in a life science.

We will consider only those applicants for this programme who are classified as Home/EU.

We also offer a three-year training programme for qualified dentists wishing to pursue a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Further information is given within the course details tab (then, select ‘entry requirements’).

This four-year degree programme is designed specifically for graduates and is an excellent opportunity to develop the skills you need to become a medical practitioner. Right from the start, you’ll experience the practice of healthcare in the community with an attachment to a general practice, allowing you to see how your studies translate into clinical practice.... [-]

The University of Birmingham gives you the first-class opportunity you need to develop the skills to become a medical practitioner.

Academically able with a natural aptitude for science, you’ll have a strong interest in human affairs, a concern for the welfare of others, a flair for communication and the desire to make a real difference. You’ll also need a lot of drive to complete this demanding degree course. Throughout your time with us, you’ll be treated as an individual and we’ll encourage you to develop and explore your own professional interests.

With five-and-a-half million people in the West Midlands area, you’ll be studying in the country’s largest healthcare region, offering a variety of clinical placements. One of these is the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham, located next door to the Medical School, which opened in 2010 and has state-of-the-art healthcare facilities. This means you will have plenty of opportunities to gain experience in the diversity of medical disciplines, learning how to manage a wide range of patients from different backgrounds and cultures. Right from the start, you’ll experience the practice of healthcare in the community with a fortnightly attachment to a general practice, allowing you to see how your studies translate into clinical practice.... [-]

Suitable for all healthcare professionals with an interest or involvement in delivering training and education, the main aims of this programme are to provide you with:

Simulation is becoming increasingly prevalent as a tool for teaching and learning in healthcare because it provides a safe environment in which students can develop clinical skills and non-technical skills via guided debriefing. The aim of this programme is to provide healthcare educators and other healthcare professionals with the knowledge and skills required to design, develop and facilitate effective simulation training and education for their learners. Why study this course Academics from the University of Birmingham, with experience in education and simulation-based training, and experienced clinicians based at the University Hospital Birmingham have designed this programme. The programme offers you the opportunity to study the principles of experiential learning theory in healthcare simulation, the process of creating simulation scenarios and the concepts underlying safe and effective debriefing. In addition to the theoretical study, the course aims to promote the wider use of simulation modalities, non-technical skills and human factors in healthcare teaching, learning and practice.... [-]

Physician Associate (formerly known as Physician Assistant) is a rapidly growing healthcare role in the UK, working alongside doctors in hospitals and in GP surgeries. Physician Associates support doctors in the diagnosis and management of patients. They are trained to perform a number of roles including taking medical histories, performing examinations, analysing test results, and diagnosing illnesses under the direct supervision of a doctor. We are currently taking applications for January 2017 entry. January 2014 saw the re-opening of the Physician Associate Studies programme (formerly Physician Assistant) at the University of Birmingham in partnership with the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (University Hospital Birmingham NHS Foundation Trust) and other hospitals and practices in the Midlands. We are delighted to offer this opportunity to graduates to make a valuable contribution to the nation’s health. The development of the profession has been led by the Department of Health and has involved the Royal Colleges of Physicians and of General Practitioners as well as the profession itself through the former UK Association of Physician Associates (UKAPA) which is now the Faculty of Physician Associates at the Royal College of Physicians. University of Birmingham staff has taken a key role in the development of the programme at a national, as well as a regional, level in response to the need, identified by local healthcare providers. Successful completion of the programme will qualify you to practise as Physician Associates (PAs) in the UK (NB: the UK PA training programme does not qualify you to work in the... [-]

This program is aimed at allied healthcare professionals, nurses, and midwives. It offers you the opportunity to advance your practice through a selection of modules designed to enhance your ability to take on roles in advanced practice. Invaluable to your career progression this program will enable you to lead and transform service delivery through research-informed clinical practice.

MSc in Advanced Clinical Practice is approved and supported by Health Education England working across the West Midlands and the West Midlands Universities Advanced Practice Group.

*Exit awards available are:

MSc in Clinical Neuropsychiatry

This interdisciplinary programme is for experienced professionals working with people with neuropsychiatric disorders associated with neurodegeneration, brain injury, and other neurological illness(principally doctors, neurologists, psychiatrists, psychiatric nurses, clinical psychologists and psychologists intending to become clinical psychologists). It is also open to psychology and other neuroscience graduates who want to develop their academic and clinical skills.

Duration:

MSc – 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

PGDip - 1 year full-time, 2 years part-time.

PGCert - normally completed in 1 year, full time.... [-]

MSc in Clinical Oncology

This is a programme for healthcare professionals from diverse backgrounds who wish to expand their knowledge of theoretical and practical aspects of oncology. The full-time programme is particularly suitable for medical professionals with an interest in clinical, medical, surgical and translational oncology.

Details

The aim of this programme is to give you a scientific understanding of the cellular and molecular biology of cancer, its epidemiology and pathology, and to place this in a clinical context. We will then address how this knowledge effects therapeutic approaches and disease management.

The programme aims to allow you to understand the research process, drawing on examples within the department and its associated clinical trials unit. A key part of the Master's programme is the planning, execution and reporting of a piece of independent study leading to submission of a dissertation.

The course tries at all levels to encourage interactive rather than didactic learning and lecturing. Therefore, this Masters level programme will require you not only to assemble and learn facts but also to consider some of the philosophical challenges which underlie the treatment of cancer.... [-]

The course is especially designed for healthcare professionals from a range of backgrounds. It follows a syllabus specified by Health Education England (HEE) for training NHS staff in Genomic Medicine, and HEE has ring-fenced funding to allow NHS staff to study for the MSc (Genomic Medicine) at accredited provider institutions, including Birmingham.

Further information about HEE funding is now available. You can choose to study for the full Masters, the intermediate qualifications of Postgraduate Diploma or Postgraduate Certificate, or select individual modules as CPD.

The course is also suitable for other Home/EU or international students who wish to learn about the advances in genomics and bioinformatics particularly as relevant to medical applications, and the challenges of introducing the technology into a healthcare system.... [-]

The MSc in Health Economics and Econometrics is ideal for new graduates hoping to pursue a career in health economics or for those currently working in the healthcare sector who wish to develop skills in health economics.

This programme gives you the opportunity to follow a more econometrics based pathway underpinned by microeconomic theory while taking the core modules required to study Health Economics (Economic Evaluation and Modelling for Health Care Decision Making).

The programme is targeted at those with an undergraduate economics-based degree and a desire to obtain a technical training relevant to a career in which these skills can be applied to the healthcare sector nationally and internationally. With its blend of applied health economic modules and specialist economic modules, the MSc in Health Economics and Econometrics is ideal for individuals wishing to embark on a career as a health economist in industry, the health service or academia. This is an area identified as a priority for the health service and health economists with these skills are in short supply – hence the provision of three fully funded NIHR studentships.... [-]

MSc in Health Economics and Health Policy

This programme, aimed at healthcare professionals and managers, as well as new graduates, provides an introduction to the central issues in health economics and health policy involved in the management of primary health care.

Duration: 1 year full-time; 2 years part-time. This programme is delivered via block sessions of 3 or 5 days

Start date: September. There is no official closing date for applications but where possible you are advised to apply by the end of June for admission in September. However, later applications will be considered if places are available

Entry RequirementsThe normal entrance requirement for our MSc programmes is a good Honours degree (upper second-class or above), or an equivalent professional qualification and professional experience.... [-]

Our most reliable knowledge derives from appropriate, timely, high-quality research.

This programme will equip you with the skills needed to understand the critical elements in planning, undertaking, and analysing research in health care. These are vital skills for anyone wanting to develop or enhance their career in health care and health-related research.

Our modules can be accessed in a variety of ways including as standalone modules (10 or 20 credits each) or through the 60 credit PG Certificate; 120 credit PG Diploma or the 180 credit Masters

If you wish to study this programme to Postgraduate Diploma level then you will need to complete the taught elements of the programme but will not need to complete a dissertation, which is only available to those studying for the Masters.... [-]

MSc in Immunology and Immunotherapy

This is a full-time 1 year MSc programme suitable for biomedical or life scientists who wish to acquire an extensive knowledge and key skills relating to the fundamental molecular and cellular regulation of immunity and its application to the treatment of disease. The programme will be delivered by world leaders at the forefront of immunology and immunotherapy research, each with an internationally renowned research group.

Over the past few years, significant advances have been made in our understanding of the molecular and cellular control of immune responses. These discoveries are now being translated into the design and testing of immunotherapeutic interventions for a range of diseases including cancer, autoimmunity and inflammatory disease. This programme is for biomedical or life scientists who wish to extend their knowledge and skills in both immunology and its translation to immunotherapy.... [-]

MSc in Occupational Health

This programme is organised by the Institute of Occupational and Environmental Medicine (IOEM) at the University of Birmingham. It is designed to meet the needs of postgraduate training in the prevention and control of work-related ill health and to understand the issues of ill health and its effect on work in the 21st century. It is open to graduates with relevant first degrees and those with appropriate work experience. This includes doctors, nurses, hygienists, and health and safety personnel.

The programme has been established for over 15 years and more than 200 students from ten different countries have now completed it. It is based on a multidisciplinary approach to tackling a wide range of occupational health issues and is accredited by both the Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (IOSH) and the British Occupational Hygiene Society (BOHS) for graduate membership... [-]

This Masters level Physician Associate programme is designed for students who have already graduated with a PGDip in Physician Assistant/Associate Studies from a UK or Irish university.

This programme is studied on a full-time basis for 4 months. There is also a flexible option which needs to be completed within 6 years of graduation from PGDip Physician Assistant/Associate Studies. You will find information on the University of Birmingham PGDip Physician Associate programme on our web pages.

You will complete a research methods module (unless you have relevant previous research experience, in which you may be exempted) and then identify a research project in liaison with a Birmingham academic, probably from the core Physician Associate faculty. You will then be supervised through gathering data, analysis and write-up and hopefully publication.... [-]

MSc in Trauma Science

DetailsThe overall aim of the programme is to enable exploration of the theoretical basis of trauma science in general with a route to particular specialisms depending on the cohort need. For example, there are clear paths of specialism for Physiotherapists, Nurses, Doctors, Engineers, Scientists and Military personnel.Using the process of scientific reasoning as its framework, the programme will integrate the key issues central to the theoretical aspects in these specialist areas with communication skills, management approaches, timely and reasoned decision making, identification of treatment options, best practice etc.You will have the opportunity to tailor your learning experiences and backgrounds to meet your own personal and professional needs. You will also have the opportunity to develop your leadership skills within a multidisciplinary setting that cares for trauma-afflicted patients. Enquiry-, evidence-based learning will be a key feature of the programme through problem-based learning and journal clubs. In addition, you will have the opportunity to take part in a substantive research project, allowing you to develop research skills, project management, oral/poster presentation and writing a research dissertation. Research projects may be undertaken in an academic laboratory or can be in a clinical setting.... [-]

This modular multidisciplinary programme in public health offers a Postgraduate Certificate, Postgraduate Diploma or a Masters of Public Health.

Designed to provide academic training to professionals currently working in, or who wish to work in, the public health field, students attend compulsory modules then choose from a wide range of approved modules. Students also have to attend a non-assessed introductory week at the beginning of the course which provides an introduction to Public Health in particular in the context of health services in the UK (29 September 2014).

If you wish to study this programme to Postgraduate Diploma level then you will need to complete the taught elements of the programme but will not need to complete a dissertation.... [-]

Master of Research in Biomedical Research (Integrative and Translational)

Details:

You will graduate equipped with essential skills for training to PhD level with an excellent grounding for future careers in biological research, the pharmaceutical industry or higher education.

A Home Office Personal Licence, for which training is provided, is a prerequisite for this course (seehere for further information).The research project will require students to carry out licensed procedures. This module will be taught at the beginning of the MRes.

A practical in vivo research skills module involves progressive training with equipment using in vitro and ex vivo approaches. In vivo research modules provides seminars from research-active scientists about their approaches, and a series of taster projects where you observe current research projects in action. A research methods module gives theoretical and practical instruction in common techniques, experiemenal design and data analysis. The in vivo research project takes 20 weeks and gives you the opportunity to develop your skills in publishable-quality research.... [-]

Master of Research in Cancer Sciences

The Cancer Sciences MRes programme is designed to offer life and biomedical science graduates the opportunity to gain research training through practical experience in a leading cancer research centre.

The programme consists of three introductory taught modules and an extensive project within a research group in the School of Cancer Sciences. The lecture modules will be taught by leading cancer experts and will cover such topics as the cellular and molecular basis of cancer, the pathology of selected cancers and how translational research is applied to diagnosis and treatment of cancers. The projects will generally be laboratory-based and will provide skills in designing and implementing research strategies to answer fundamental questions relating to cancer causes, diagnosis and/or treatment.... [-]

Master of Research in Health Research

Details

This programme provides a first step in research training for health professionals currently working in clinical areas who want to develop a health-related research component to their career. Guided by a supervision team you will undertake a research project and gain confidence in using research methods, project management, and research governance.

There is an opportunity to work alongside existing research staff on established research projects. In Nursing and Midwifery, we are particularly interested in supporting applicants who wish to research palliative and end of life care across the lifespan, and in various healthcare settings.... [-]

Undergraduate degree course/programme Medicine and Surgery MBChB Graduate Entry Course A101

In addition to our five-year Medicine and Surgery MBChB programme, we have the four-year MBChB for graduates with a first degree in a life science.

We will consider only those applicants for this programme who are classified as Home/EU.

We also offer a three-year training programme for qualified dentists wishing to pursue a career in Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery. Further information is given within the course details tab (then, select ‘entry requirements’).

This four-year degree programme is designed specifically for graduates and is an excellent opportunity to develop the skills you need to become a medical practitioner. Right from the start, you’ll experience the practice of healthcare in the community with an attachment to a general practice, allowing you to see how your studies translate into clinical practice.... [-]

The MPharm is one of several world-renowned healthcare courses in the College of Medical and Dental Sciences. The programme is designed specifically to equip you with the skills and knowledge pharmacists will need in the future, so at every stage, you’ll find yourself experiencing real-life or simulated clinical and patient situations. This practical element is supported by fundamental pharmaceutical and medical science studies, taught by our research-active academic and professional staff. It’s the ideal balance of hands-on learning and in-depth study. While at Birmingham, you will be taught the science underpinning the use of medicines, including physiology and anatomy of the human body, the effect of medicines on the human body, and how medicines are designed. Alongside this, you will be trained in clinical communications, problem-solving, and decision making to ensure you have the skills to enjoy a rewarding career in pharmacy contributing to patient care. You’ll have a supportive learning environment, with small group teaching sessions to re-enforce your learning. You’ll also have an opportunity to work with other healthcare students (such as doctors and nurses) as an undergraduate. You’ll also have significant clinical placements in all 4 years of the course in primary care, community pharmacy and hospital pharmacy. Pharmacists have a unique mix of scientific and professional knowledge which makes them the healthcare experts on medicines. They are the third largest healthcare profession and work in a wide variety of roles in community and primary care pharmacy, hospitals and in the pharmaceutical industry. In addition to completing... [-]

Providing you with an in-depth knowledge of the field and allowing you to gain practical experience working as part of leading research groups in the Centre for Cardiovascular Sciences you will investigate molecular, physiological and pathological processes underlying cardiovascular homeostasis in health and disease.

The programme consists of compulsory taught and research elements. The taught aspects include training in key research skills including scientific writing, critical analysis of literature, presentation skills and a research toolkit module covering key experimental techniques. You will also study a specific module on cardiovascular science to ensure that you have a basic grounding of all aspects of the field and to introduce the topics and research questions on which your project will be based.... [-]