Course summary

The information provided on this page was correct at the time of publication (October/November 2022). For complete and up-to-date information about this course, please visit the relevant University of Oxford course page via www.graduate.ox.ac.uk/ucas. The DPhil in Musculoskeletal Sciences is intended to provide clinical and non-clinical graduates with a wide variety of research skills, in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in specific musculoskeletal-related fields of research. Furthermore, as part of your training you will be exposed to a range of topics such as critical appraisal, epidemiology and medical statistics. This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly. For this course, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes where it has been provided. After a short induction period in Michaelmas term, during which some basic training is provided, you will start a research project in your supervisor’s unit. There are a wide range of projects that can be undertaken under this title, including projects on epidemiology, clinical trials, pathophysiology of various musculoskeletal disorders, bioengineering, cancer biology, stem cell and epigenetics, cartilage and tendon biology, among others. Most research groups have weekly meetings where members present and discuss their research results with other members of their team. You are likely to be asked to regularly present your work in progress seminars, which are attended by other research groups working in related areas. Whilst working on your research project you will participate in a comprehensive, flexible skills training programme which includes a range of workshops and seminars in transferable skills, generic research skills and specific research techniques. There are also numerous seminars and lectures by local and visiting scientists and you are provided with many opportunities to meet leading scientists. 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 Musculoskeletal Sciences. However, you will develop your research skills through a range of research training in your first year, including compulsory attendance at core subject lectures on a variety of topics such as an introduction to pathophysiology of musculoskeletal disorders, epidemiology, basic immunology, clinical trials and rehabilitation. During your first year, you will be expected to attend a number of topic-related modules. Attendance on a two-day Data Analysis: Statistics Designing Clinical Research and Biostatistics course is compulsory to assist you with appropriate research design. You are also encouraged to work with your supervisor(s) on your research-specific literature review and to develop a study design for your thesis within the first term (two terms for part-time students) of your research training. You will be required to attend and present at postgraduate seminars, not only to develop your presentation skills but also to benefit from the feedback, support and interaction from your University peers and senior academics. As a member of Medical Sciences Graduate School, you will be entitled to attend various workshops run by the Medical Sciences Skills Training programme. Further academic and pastoral support will be provided for by the Departmental Graduate Studies Team which consist of the Director of Graduate Studies (DGS) as well as the departmental Graduate Studies Officer (GSO) and Assistant (GSA). Further support is available from your college advisor.