The Australian School of Advanced Medicine

Courses

Surgery

Enrolments are being accepted for:

Master of Surgery (MSurg)
Master of Advanced Surgery (MASurg)

These will be undertaken in 2009 at Sydney's Dalcross Hospital, which is a teaching hospital of Macquarie University. The first scholar to be accepted is Deepa Soni MD, from the Brigham and Women's Hospital, Harvard Medical School who is enrolled in a Master of Advanced Surgery (Cerebrovascular).

Inquiries: sharon.cleland@mq.edu.au

Research

Enrolments are being accepted for:

Master of Philosophy (MPhil) that may be completed by 1-2 years of research
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) which requires 3.5 years of research

Higher degree research inquiries: paul.pilowsky@mq.edu.au

Master of Surgery (MSurg)

This program is for surgeons enrolled in advanced surgical training who wish to acquire a university qualification which signals their:

mastery of surgical competencies appropriate to the speciality in which they are enrolled (40 credit points) and
achievement of an appropriate level of competence in ethical surgical practice (8 credit points) and in teaching and research (16 credit points)

Enrolment
It is anticipated that the majority of candidates enrolled full-time will achieve completion in 2 years.

Prerequisites
MB BS degree or equivalent.
Registered medical practitioner or equivalent.
Enrolment in an advanced surgical training program.
Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Master of Advanced Surgery (MASurg)

This program is for surgeons who have a specialist qualification as a surgeon who wish to acquire a university qualification which signals mastery of additional skills and competencies in a sub-specialty. These include:

spine surgery
cerebrovascular surgery
cardiothoracic surgery
otolaryngology and head and neck (OHN) surgery
neuro-oncology
orthopaedic surgery

The program comprises:

surgical competencies (24 credit points)
achievement of an appropriate level of competence in ethical surgical practice (4 credit points)
teaching and research (4 credit points)

The pathway for this program can be full-time or part-time. The full-time program is recommended for recently qualified surgeons. The part-time program may suit surgeons who are already in active practice and who wish to enhance their skills in a particular field by combining short blocks (usually 4 weeks) at Macquarie with the ability to put into practice what they have learnt in their own workplace.

Enrolment
A candidate enrolled full-time could complete the program in 12 months (2 semesters).

Prerequisites
Fellowship of the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (or equivalent).
Proficiency in written and spoken English.

Master of Advanced Medicine (Musculoskeletal Medicine)

This program is for medical practitioners who wish to acquire a university qualification which denotes expertise in the diagnosis and management of patients suffering from pain and dysfunction of musculoskeletal origin. The program comprises six Units of Study, four of which are studied in sequence over a two-year period.

The program comprises

These four Clinical Units are:

Lower body musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction (6 credit points)
Upper body musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction (6 credit points)
Head and neck musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction (6 credit points)
Interrelated and global musculoskeletal pain and dysfunction (6 credit points)

The remaining two Non-Clinical Units are:

Ethics, law and professionalism (4 credit points)
Basic concepts in education and critical appraisal of the medical literature (4 credit points)
The practical and clinical aspects of the program will be undertaken during two nine day teaching blocks each year.

Enrolment
Enrolment is part-time, and candidates should normally complete the program in two years (four consecutive semesters).

Prerequisites
MB BS

Candidates will be fully registered medical practitioners with appropriate general practice qualifications and experience.

International medical graduates will require an IELTS (or equivalent) English language proficiency of at least 7.0 overall, with a minimum of 6.5 in all bands.

Master of Higher Education in Medical Education

This program is for medical practitioners who wish to acquire a university qualification which signals mastery of basic skills and competencies as an educational specialist in medicine.

The program comprises

demonstration of mastery of educational concepts relevant to higher education (12 credit points)
demonstration of mastery of educational concepts relevant to medicine (12 credit points)
achievement of an appropriate level of competence in ethical practice (4 credit points), and in teaching and research (4 credit points)

Enrolment

One year full-time or two years part-time.

Prerequisites

Bachelor degree.
Current or prospective contribution to a medical education program.

Master of Philosophy

This degree is for graduates who wish to acquire a university qualification that signals rigorous training and an original research contribution to medical science.

For those combining clinical and research training, the two elements will, in general, be closely aligned. The required level of clinical competence will be that of an expert in the field. The research component will be judged on the quality of publications.

Prerequisites
Honours 1 equivalent. (An undergraduate or graduate degree in medicine is generally considered to be Honours 1 but will be considered on a case by case basis). The University Higher Degrees Research Committee regulates admission to, and management of, candidature.

Duration
It is anticipated the majority of candidates will achieve completion in 1 to 2 years.

Doctor of Philosophy