项目介绍

2021年7月30日

About the course

This programme provides research-based doctoral training for Oxford medical students, offering a choice of interdisciplinary, cutting-edge research projects in an environment that encourages the student’s originality and creativity in their research.

Please be advised that this course only accepts applications from current University of Oxford medical students. Students will need to have successfully completed the Pre-clinical Course (First BM) in order to apply (see ‘Entry Requirements’ for further details).

In the programme, students will receive a world-leading research training experience in musculoskeletal and inflammatory diseases. Students participating in the scheme will be offered:

• a choice of interdisciplinary cutting-edge research projects;
• the opportunity to gain a working in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of inflammatory and musculoskeletal diseases and patient care through advanced level seminars;
• a world-renowned research environment that encourages the student’s originality and creativity in their research;
• opportunities to develop skills in making and testing hypotheses, in developing new theories, and in planning and conducting experiments; and
• an environment in which to develop skills in written work, oral presentation and publishing the results of their research in high-profile scientific journals, through constructive feedback of written work and oral presentations.

At the end of their DPhil course, students should:

• have a thorough knowledge of the basic principles of research into inflammatory disorders, including the relevant literature and a comprehensive understanding of scientific methods and techniques applicable to their research;
• be able to demonstrate originality in the application of knowledge, together with a practical understanding of how research and enquiry are used to create and interpret knowledge in their field;
• have developed the ability to critically evaluate current research and research techniques and methodologies;
• be able to act autonomously in the planning and implementation of research; and
• have the grounding for an influential researcher of inflammatory diseases in the future.

Our research themes are as follows:

• Basic mechanisms of inflammation
• Inflammatory and rheumatic disease
• Pain
• Clinical trials
• Epidemiology, computational and data science
• Tissue engineering and remodelling

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. A supervisor may be found outside the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre. Students will be allocated at least two supervisors, one of which will be a clinical academic. Students will meet their primary supervisor weekly or fortnightly in the early stages of their project.

Assessment

Students will be admitted to the course as a Probationer Research Student (PRS) and will transfer to the status of DPhil Student upon successful completion of their Transfer of Status milestone. By the end of the 9th term, students will be assessed for their Confirmation of Status milestone with the doctoral work culminating in a thesis of no more than 50,000 words that will be defended in an oral examination (viva voce).

Graduate destinations

All graduates are expected to return to their ongoing training in undergraduate clinical medicine at Oxford upon completion of the course. Graduates may be anticipated to follow a clinical academic career path after graduating in clinical medicine. 

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.