项目介绍

2021年8月2日

About the course

Based in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine (RDM), this DPhil research programme is aimed at basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in pursuing research in a scientific field related to medicine, particularly in cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, epidemiology and clinical trials, haematology and pathology, immunology, regenerative medicine and stem cells, and acute stroke.

You will be admitted directly onto a research project with one of RDM’s world-leading scientists, who will act as your supervisor. In most cases, students choose a project from our advertised project list, but in some cases students design their own project in collaboration with their proposed supervisor. In either case, you will be expected to play an active role in shaping your project over the course of the DPhil. Graduate students are a valuable part of the department and they are encouraged to be involved with the scientific and social life of the department at all levels.

Your project and development during your DPhil studies will be guided by a specialised team led by your academic supervisor.

Your training will be tailored to your particular needs, drawing from the vast range of training available at Oxford and covering both specialist scientific methods and techniques and transferable skills. Please note that there is no formal taught component of the DPhil in Medical Sciences.

Much of your training will take place in the lab, where you will be trained by your supervisor or members of the lab team in the variety of techniques and protocols used. A brief statement of the training you will receive in the lab is included in the training description of your chosen project.

As a member of the Medical Sciences Graduate School you will be entitled to enrol on courses run by the Medical Sciences Skills Training programme. You will be able to attend the wide variety of sessions covered through the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) Methods and Techniques course, and if your research is on a topic related to cardiovascular medicine you will be able to benefit from the British Heart Foundation Centre of Research Excellence hosted by the University. RDM also runs a successful mentoring scheme, which all students are encouraged to join.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Radcliffe Department of Medicine and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff. Under exceptional circumstances a supervisor may be found outside the Radcliffe Department of Medicine.

As well as your academic supervisor, students also have one or more formal co-supervisors, who can provide additional scientific and/or practical advice in their specialist areas and offer another viewpoint on the student’s project. Together, they form the specialised team that will advise you on your academic progress.

You will also have the support of a Graduate Advisor, the Director of Graduate Studies and the Graduate Studies Manager. All activity relating to graduate students within the department is overseen by the Graduate Studies Committee.

Assessment

Students begin the DPhil in Medical Sciences programme as a probationary research student (PRS). Before the end of their fourth term students are required to apply for Transfer to DPhil Status. For this they write a report outlining their project plans and data obtained so far. This is evaluated by two academic assessors, who are not directly involved in the student’s supervision. Continuation on the DPhil programme is subject to passing the Transfer of Status assessment. By the end of their ninth term students must apply for Confirmation of Status. This requires a presentation in which they give an overview of their thesis work and a clear outline of their plans to completion. Progress and plans are discussed in an interview with two independent assessors, who will assess whether their doctoral work is of the expected quality to culminate in a thesis. Students are expected to submit their thesis between the ninth and twelfth terms from being admitted as a PRS. Deadlines will vary slightly depending on whether the DPhil course is for three or four years. Theses are defended in an oral examination (viva voce).

Graduate destinations

Recent graduates from the DPhil in Medical Sciences have gone on to take up postdoctoral research opportunities within universities and in the pharmaceutical industry. Graduates with previous medical training have continued their clinician- scientist careers both within the University of Oxford and elsewhere. You can ready more about the career paths of former students on the RDM website.

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.

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