大象传媒

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鈥檚 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.

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鈥檚 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.