The DClinDent in Paediatric Dentistry is a three-year, full-time programmes which allows the pursuit of specialist training, attainment of a Taught Professional Doctorate in Paediatric Dentistry and preparation for the Tri-Collegiate Specialty Membership Examination in Paediatric Dentistry administered by the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
The DClinDent aims to provide doctoral level educational opportunities to enable students to develop, consolidate and enhance their range of academic and clinical competencies to enable independent and reflective practice at the standard of a specialist in Paediatric Dentistry.
The programme commences with an initial module of four to six weeks based in the clinical skills laboratory to allow the postgraduate to become familiar with the rationale and clinical techniques used in the Department of Paediatric Dentistry at the Edinburgh Dental Institute. During the initial months, there is an introduction to the dental literature and to research methodology. The remainder of the programme follows a consistent pattern where six sessions each week are spent in the clinical care of patients. The remaining four sessions each week are dedicated to the academic and research programmes as well as personal study.
Programme structure:
Year 1
Year 2
As available in Years 1 or Year 2:
Year 3
The clinical component is taught mainly on clinic where students undertake supervised management of patients. In the first two years, the academic content of the programme will be delivered in the form of lectures and seminars with critical appraisal and discussion of the relevant literature. In the final year, the taught component of the course will be restricted to minimal use of lecture/seminar-format for the Systematic Review and Clinical Governance Project.
For Year 1 and Year 2 students, there will be a written assessment at the end of each term. In addition, Year 2 students will also be assessed on four unseen cases and on presentation of three personally-treated cases. Year 2 students will also submit a dissertation which they will defend during a viva-voce examination.
Successful completion of the first two years of the programme will allow students to proceed to Year 3 of the programme. In Year 3, students will be assessed on a clinical governance project, a systematic review of a topic related to Paediatric Dentistry, two fully documented patient case presentations and two unseen cases.
On completion of the DClinDent, the student will be able to:
The programme is aimed at qualified dental practitioners who wish to further enhance their evidence-based knowledge and skills in Paediatric Dentistry to attain a Professional Doctorate and also at individuals preparing for the Tri-Collegiate Specialty Membership Examination in Paediatric Dentistry.
The latter facilitates access to the United Kingdom General Dental Council Specialist Register in Paediatric Dentistry, allowing an individual to practice as a specialist and with further training, appointment as a substantive/honorary NHS Consultant.
Likewise, for overseas students attainment of both a Professional Doctorate and a College Speciality Membership normally allows appointment within their own country at the Specialist/Consultant level.
The DClinDent in Orthodontics is a three-year, full-time programme which will allow the candidate to achieve specialist-level training in orthodontics, together with a taught professional Doctorate, and will also prepare them for the Speciality Membership Examinations of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of the UK.
The DClinDent aims to provide doctoral level educational opportunities to enable students to develop, consolidate and enhance their range of academic and clinical competencies to enable independent and reflective practice at the standard of a specialist in each clinical discipline.
The programme begins with an introduction of core topics, followed by an introduction to laboratory facilities and the basics of wire-bending skills, appliance design and appliance construction and mechanics.
Clinical patient care is also established early within the first term and continues throughout the three year programme. Half of a student’s time is spent treating patients under supervision (20 hours per week).
Candidates will undertake a yearly audit project and will present this at the annual departmental audit day.
The academic programme is 9 structured terms of theoretical seminars and tutorials, with diagnostic tests of clinical ability carried out regularly.
For Year 1 and Year 2 students, there will be a written exam at the end of each term.
In addition to the above, at the end of Year 2, students will also be examined as follows:
Successful completion of the first two years of the programme will allow students to proceed to Year 3 of the programme. In Year 3, students will present the following:
a) a clinical governance project b) a systematic review of a topic related to orthodontics c) two fully documented patient case presentations d) two unseen (diagnostic) cases will also form part of this examination
The third year of the DClinDent programme will be structured over three semesters and during this time the student will be timetabled to four protected academic sessions each week with the remaining time dedicated to primarily independent clinical practice and inter-disciplinary patient management.
Programme structure:
Year 1 courses:
Year 2 courses:
Year 3 courses:
On completion of the DClinDent, the student will be able to demonstrate the following:
The programme is aimed at qualified dental practitioners who wish to further enhance their evidence-based knowledge and skills in their chosen discipline to attain a Professional Doctorate and also at individuals preparing for the appropriate Speciality Membership Examinations of one of the Royal College of Surgeons.
The latter facilitates access to the United Kingdom General Dental Council Specialist Register in the appropriate discipline, allowing an individual to practice as a specialist and with further training, appointment as a substantive/honorary NHS Consultant.
Likewise, for overseas students attainment of both a Professional Doctorate and a College Speciality Membership normally allows appointment within their own country at the Specialist/Consultant level
The DClinDent in Oral Surgery is a three-year, full-time programme which will allow the candidate to achieve specialist-level training in oral surgery, together with a taught professional Doctorate, preparing them for the Speciality examination of Membership in Oral Surgery (MOralSurg) of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons (Tricollegiate Edinburgh, Glasgow, England) UK.
The DClinDent aims to provide doctoral level educational opportunities to enable students to develop, consolidate and enhance their range of academic and clinical competencies to enable independent and reflective practice at the standard of a specialist in oral surgery.
This programme is for dental surgery graduates who wish to extend their knowledge, clinical practice experience and expertise in oral surgery.
The programme will give you theoretical and practical understanding of oral surgery and how it relates to other dental specialities.
The syllabus components are based on the core competencies for oral surgery training as set out by Specialty Advisory Committee (SAC) for Oral Surgery, The Faculty of Dental Surgery The Royal College of Surgeons of England (2014) :
For Year 1 and Year 2 students, there will be a written exam at the end of each term.
In addition to the above, at the end of Year 2, students will also have oral exams in June and in August/September.
Successful completion of the first two years of the programme will allow students to proceed to Year 3 of the programme. In Year 3, students will present the following:
a) a clinical governance project b) a systematic review of a topic related to Oral Surgery c) two fully documented patient case presentations d) two unseen (diagnostic) cases will also form part of this examination
The third year of the DClinDent programme will be structured over three semesters and during this time the student will be timetabled to four protected academic sessions each week with the remaining time dedicated to primarily independent clinical practice and inter-disciplinary patient management.
Year 1 courses:
Year 2 courses:
Year 3 courses:
This programme has been designed for dental surgery graduates who wish to specialise in oral surgery.
Our MSc Paediatric Dentistry course will equip you with the advanced academic knowledge and clinical skills required to practice as a specialist in paediatric dentistry.
This is a full-time, three-year master's degree that combines the taught and research elements of the MSc with a mandatory clinical training unit.
You will build up your knowledge of literature in this field, learning from consultants and specialists in paediatric dentistry. Taught elements are delivered in lectures, seminars, practical skills sessions and online learning.
You will develop your clinical skills at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester, with general anaesthesia lists running at Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Trafford General Hospital.
Clinical teaching involves close supervision of a personal cohort of patients with a broad range of paediatric dental needs, including those with dental anomalies, trauma and caries, under supervision by hospital specialists and consultants. Clinical training involves attendance at consultant new patient clinics.
Completing this course will prepare you to practice as a specialist paediatric dentist or pursue a clinical academic or research career in this field. You will be eligible to sit the Membership in Paediatric Dentistry tri-collegiate specialty membership examination upon completion of the course.
This course aims to:
We employ a diverse range of teaching methods, including clinical teaching both in the labs and on clinic, didactic lectures, and seminars to help you understand key course concepts.
Additional self-directed learning enables you to reflect upon your clinical work, skills and key concepts introduced within seminars.
Seminars are supervised by consultants and specialists in paediatric dentistry and will enable you to develop communication and presentation skills, as well as appreciate the relevance of scientific study to clinical practice.
In addition, the course is designed to provide a foundation in research skills and methodologies to prepare you for further research or to pursue a clinical academic career.
This complements the research project and dissertation, where master's students have the opportunity to demonstrate the collation and presentation of information in this field.
The varied blend of training methods aims to promote a stimulating and dynamic teaching environment. Inherent within the course is the expectation that you will acquire the skills to enable you to work independently and effectively in an interdisciplinary clinical environment.
Formal assessment for the Research Methods, Biostatistics, and Guideline Development and Implementation units will be undertaken via marked written assignments.
The CPD unit will be assessed via a combination of written and practical examinations.
For the clinical skills component, assessment is through examination of a variety of skills procedures carried out in the skills facility.
For the clinical component, case write-up and presentation, assessment is through marking of both the written component oral presentation of cases and clinical governance projects.
This course will have the majority of its clinical activity in the Paediatric Dental department in the University Dental Hospital of Manchester, with general anaesthesia lists running in the Royal Manchester Children's Hospital and Trafford General Hospital. Clinical teaching will be delivered by consultants and specialists in paediatric dentistry.
The dissertation is marked in line with all of our dentistry MSc dissertations.
Year 1
Year 2
Year 3
You will have access to a range of library and IT facilities across the University.
For the clinical aspects of the course, you may make use of your own premises and Ordsall Dental Health Centre. For the skills aspects of the course, the University's facilities are available.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
We will strongly encourage you to attend conferences and courses that will provide CPD. Attendance at journal club and selected seminars will also provide you with some CPD hours.
Paediatric dentistry is a stimulating and rewarding speciality, and offers a number of career opportunities. Paediatric dentists may work in private practice, the community dental setting and in dental hospitals.
In addition to this clinical role, many paediatric dentists participate in teaching and research. These interests can be combined with part-time clinical work or undertaken on a full-time basis.
In the UK, consultants in paediatric dentistry may work in a community or hospital setting and concentrate on the management of complex, multidisciplinary cases. They also play an important role in the management of the unit in which they work.
The DClinDent in Prosthodontics is a three-year, full-time programme which will allow the candidate to achieve specialist-level training in orthodontics, together with a taught professional Doctorate, and will also prepare them for the Speciality Membership Examinations of one of the Royal Colleges of Surgeons of the UK.
The DClinDent aims to provide doctoral level educational opportunities to enable students to develop, consolidate and enhance their range of academic and clinical competencies to enable independent and reflective practice at the standard of a specialist in each clinical discipline.
The programme addresses five components:
For Year 1 and Year 2 students, there will be a written exam at the end of each semester.
In addition to the above, at the end of Year 2, students will also have oral exams.
Successful completion of the first two years of the programme will allow students to proceed to Year 3 of the programme. In Year 3, students will present the following:
a) a clinical governance project b) a systematic review of a topic related to orthodontics c) two fully documented patient case presentations d) two unseen (diagnostic) cases will also form part of this examination
The third year of the DClinDent programme will be structured over three semesters and during this time the student will be timetabled to four protected academic sessions each week with the remaining time dedicated to primarily independent clinical practice and inter-disciplinary patient management.
Programme structure:
Year 1 courses:
Year 2 courses:
Year 3 courses:
On completion of the DClinDent, the student will be able to demonstrate the following:
This programme has been designed to help you specialise in prosthodontics.
Our three-year MSc (Clin) Endodontics course is ideal if you are a dentist looking to specialise in prevention of pathology and treatment of the dental pulp and surrounding tissues.
You will develop a knowledge and understanding of contemporary aspects of endodontics and learn how to use an interdisciplinary approach to comprehensive patient care, including advanced diagnostic and clinical skills.
The treatment of complex endodontics cases, which may be important to more comprehensive restorative treatment plans, will involve working with consultants/specialists in other disciplines.
This will improve your eligibility to sit the examinations to become a Member in Endodontics at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh.
In addition, a custom-designed communication course will introduce you to health services culture and governance.
You will also have the opportunity to interact with and be taught by national and international experts in their field, and attend recognised national courses.
The aims of the course are:
Expert teaching
Learn from consultants and specialists who will develop your abilities.
Member in Endodontics eligibility
You will become eligible to sit the Membership in Endodontics exam upon completion of this course.
You will be encouraged to attend specialist society meetings and to present your research findings and clinical work.
Teaching and learning methods are designed to encourage you to take responsibility for your own learning and to integrate work with formal educational activities.
The course usually consists of five clinical sessions a week with a mix of treatment and observation.
This course comprises four components:
Research Methods component (15 credits): Training in skills related to design, execution and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research.
Biostatistics component (15 credits): Training in skills in data collection, simple analysis and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research.
Specialist Clinical component : Gain an understanding of the scientific basis of endodontics, with particular emphasis on current theories relevant to the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management of adult patients.
The Specialist Clinical Component encompasses the following:
Research unit (dissertation, 30 credits): You will train in the identification, formulation and implementation of a specific research project and gain experience of working independently. Recent projects include studies related to bioactive materials, trauma and CBCT.
Course content for Year 1
Course content for Year 2
Course content for Year 3
You will have access to dedicated postgraduate suites at the University, as well as extensive library and online services to help you get the most out of your studies.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
We invite students on this course to participate in a number of conferences and courses. Some selected seminars will also provide CPD hours.
Graduates can develop careers in a range of areas including clinical practice, teaching and research. The course also will also prepare you for working at specialist level.
Teaching is aligned to the Membership in Endodontics collegiate specialty membership examination curriculum at the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh , and you will be eligible to sit this examination upon completion of the course.
Our three-year MSc (Clin) Orthodontics course combines the taught elements and research of an MSc degree with mandatory clinical training to enable you to develop the practical skills and knowledge you need to carry out contemporary orthodontic treatment techniques.
You will learn about the theory behind orthodontics through small group sessions, seminars, practical skills training, online learning and student-led enhancement sessions.
The clinical training part of the course involves attendance at clinics at the University and associated hospital trusts. During this time, you will provide treatment for approximately 150 carefully selected patients with severe malocclusions under direct supervision of consultant orthodontists.
You will also undergo training in research methods and biostatistics to help you plan and implement the research project that will form the basis of your dissertation, receiving guidance from highly experienced researchers in the process.
The research topic will examine an issue of relevance to your future work and will also provide the basis for a refereed publication.
Successfully completing this MSc (Clin) course will make you eligible to sit the Royal College of Surgeons exams for Membership in Orthodontics (MOrth).
The aim of the taught clinical component is to give you an understanding of the scientific basis of orthodontics. There is a particular emphasis on current thinking relevant to the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management of patients.
Teaching will include tutorials, seminars and clinical demonstrations. You are encouraged to attend other relevant seminars in other clinical disciplines to gain a broad perspective of orthodontics.
Instruction will also be given in clinical and laboratory aspects of orthodontics. These will take the form of demonstrations, seminars and practical laboratory exercises.
Clinical training involves attendance in clinics at the University Dental Hospital of Manchester and affiliated hospitals including Lancaster, Bury, Blackburn, Hope, Tameside, Chester, Stockport, Wythenshawe and North Manchester General. Attendance at clinics is mandatory.
You will treat a personal cohort of at least 100 patients, their care being supervised by named specialists. These cases will include the most complex malocclusions together with orthognathic and hypodontia needs.
You will be instructed in the use of the Straightwire technique, temporary anchorage devises, Lingual appliances and aligner systems.
Participation in journal clubs, local and regional audit meetings and mandatory training as directed by your training hospital and supervising clinicians is expected.
One day each week is devoted to academic teaching and practical demonstrations with typodonts.
There are four main components to this course.
Research Methods Component (15 credits): Training in skills related to design, execution and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research.
Biostatistics component (15 credits): Training in skills related to data collection, simple analysis and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research.
Specialist Clinical Component: Gain an understanding of the scientific basis of orthodontics, with particular emphasis on current theories relevant to the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management of adult patients.
The Specialist Clinical Component encompasses the following:
Please note that this course also provides instruction in aligner systems and lingual appliances.
Dissertation component : Research training in the identification, formulation and implementation of a specific research project.
Course content for Year 1
Course content for Year 2
You will undergo continued clinical training as the specialist registrars' cohort of patients move through their treatment (at University of Manchester Dental Hospital and affiliated District General Hospitals).
Also featured in this year:
Course content for Year 3
You will undergo continued clinical training dependent on the continuing care of patients under treatment started in Year 1 (at University of Manchester Dental Hospital and affiliated District General Hospitals).
Also featured in this year:
You will have access to dedicated postgraduate suites. You will also be able to access a range offacilities throughout the University.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
We will invite you to participate in a number of conferences and courses. Some selected seminars will also provide you with CPD hours.
Our three-year MSc (Clin) Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery course enables dentists to train in the specialty concerned with the diagnosis and management of diseases, injuries and defects affecting the mouth, jaws, face and neck.
All units are based on the speciality of oral surgery, but within the wider context of maxillofacial surgery. You will undertake minor oral surgery under supervision, carried out under local anaesthesia, conscious sedation and general anaesthesia. You will also attend theatre to assist and observe major surgery and attend consultation clinics, trauma clinics, ward rounds and carry out ward duties.
The clinical component of the course consists of units covering surgical basic sciences, reflective oral surgery practices, dental tissues, bone disease and injury, soft tissues, and salivary tissue, pain and the temporomandibular joint.
You will attend weekly interactive seminars led by senior staff and invited guest speakers. Some of these have actor patients present to allow you to rehearse your clinical skills.
If you study the full three-year MSc, you will also attend external teaching events such as residential blocks for basic science applied to surgery at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.
You will become eligible to sit the Royal College of Surgeons examinations for Membership in Oral Surgery on completion of this MSc course.
The course aims to:
Assessment is by essay and SBAs throughout the course and related to the taught units. You will also maintain a clinical surgical logbook and undertake a clinical competency test. There is also an oral examination.
Research Methods Component (15 credits): The aim is to equip you with skills related to design, execution and interpretation of clinical and clinically-related research.
Biostatistics component (15 credits): This unit aims to equip you with skills in data collection, simple analysis and interpretation of clinical and clinically related research.
Specialist Clinical Component: The aim of this component is to give you an understanding of the scientific basis of oral and maxillofacial surgery, with particular emphasis on current theories relevant to the diagnosis, treatment planning and clinical management of adult patients.
The Specialist Clinical Component encompasses the following:
Dissertation
Course content for year 1
Additional teaching and learning specific to the three year course:
Course content for year 2
Course content for year 3
You will have access to dedicated postgraduate suites. You will also be able to access a range offacilities throughout the University.
Practical support and advice for current students and applicants is available from the Disability Advisory and Support Service .
Some selected seminars will provide you with CPD hours.
MSc courses are designed for dental practitioners who wish to further their knowledge of surgery and are a useful foundation for specialist training in this field.
The three year course provides specialist oral surgery clinical training.
This flexible, three-year Master's programme blends online, distance learning with hands-on simulated clinical training and aims to support students' ongoing clinical work at the same time as developing their abilities.
Year one provides students with the basic knowledge required in paediatric dentistry and teaches some of the clinical techniques needed in a laboratory setting. Year two encourages more advanced and complex treatment planning and looks at other aspects of good patient care such as clinical governance. Year three consolidates the learning to date and provides the theoretical experience required for graduates to understand, critically appraise and potentially carry out research.
Students undertake modules to the value of 180 credits.
The programme consists of seven core modules (120 credits), and a research project/dissertation (60 credits).
The PG Diploma consists of seven core modules (120 credits); two years part-time.
The PG Certificate consists of four core modules (60 credits); one year part-time.
Core modules
Optional modules
There are no optional modules for this programme.
Dissertation/research project
All students undertake an independent research project which culminates in a dissertation of approximately 10,000–12,000 words.
Teaching and learning
The programme is delivered through a combination of seminars, online learning and hands-on sessions in our skills laboratory. Assessment will be through written and practical tests, logbook of patients treated in practice, case presentations, essay, and vivas throughout the programme. Contact days are as follows: Year 1 – one week in November, one week in March and an exam day in June; Year 2 – one week in November and an exam day in June; Year 3 – one week in December or January and an exam day in June.
Further information on modules and degree structure is available on the department website: Paediatric Dentistry MSc
Note on mode of study: Selecting the part-time mode allows you access to study loans, but students must complete their studies in consecutive years and may not take any time away from study without authorised Extenuating Circumstances. Those selecting the flexible mode of study cannot access loans. They are able to take a break from the end of a year of study but must complete the programme within five years.
It is not possible to transfer between modes of study so students need to select the option that suits their personal circumstances. Students will be taught together irrespective of their mode of study.
For a comprehensive list of the funding opportunities available at UCL, including funding relevant to your nationality, please visit the Scholarships and Funding website.
The first cohort of students on the Paediatric Dentistry MSc graduated in 2017, therefore no information on graduate destinations is currently available.
However, destinations of recent graduates of the institute’s Paediatric Dentistry Postgraduate Certificate (which this new programme supersedes) include: specialist registrar; senior dental officer, community dentistry; and clinical lead for dental salaried services.
Employability
As well as enhancing your clinical skills, this programme also supports the development of transferable skills such as the use of electronic resources, giving presentations and academic writing.
This is the only blended learning MSc programme to provide further training in paediatric dentistry, designed to support working dentists. The programme allows students to learn from expert teaching staff including: the BSPD editor for the International Journal of Paediatric Dentistry; a committee member for Paediatric Dental Care Pathways and Level II Practitioners in Paediatric Dentistry; MPaedDent examiners; BSPD representative for Intercollegiate Advisory Committee for Sedation in Dentistry (IACSD); a member of The Society for the Advancement of Anaesthesia in Dentistry (SAAD).
The programme offers excellent skills laboratory facilities including practical experience of inhalation sedation. The unit’s staff have expertise in caring for young patients with behavioural problems, dental trauma, craniofacial anomalies and severe medical conditions. Students will be offered help in the management of their own patients.
Dental anxiety and phobia are significant problems for many of our patients. Learning the tools that can be used to effectively manage these patients will allow you to broaden your clinical practice and increase the access to dental care for these patients.
Conscious sedation is a safe and effective way of facilitating routine and more complex dental care in patients who would otherwise not be able to have treatment done, including children and adolescents. You will also have the opportunity to explore other non-pharmacological techniques that can be used to effectively manage anxious patients in your daily practice.
This programme covers the core areas required to be able to provide safe and effective conscious sedation, including;
The programme fully complies with the Intercollegiate Advisory Committee on Conscious Sedation in Dentistry (IACSD) guidelines and therefore on completion you will be qualified to practice independently in conscious sedation.
The programme has been designed for dental practitioners either in primary or secondary care who wish to introduce this invaluable skill into their practice or formalise their existing training and experience.
Find out about the courses you will be studying on the programme.
This 60 credit programme is split into five courses. As conscious sedation is a practical skill, the programme has both online courses and a clinical course.
Online courses
The majority of the courses are delivered online to allow you to study the theory behind successful conscious sedation at a time and place most convenient for you. There are four 10 credit courses that each run over a period of five weeks.
Explore the relevant basic science that underpins practice in conscious sedation and the successful use of local anaesthetic in dentistry.
Examine a range of non-pharmacological techniques that can be utilised to manage an anxious patient and the importance of effective communication.
Explore the issues which relate to the suitability of a patient for dental-led conscious sedation and interpret the relevant clinical parameters.
Examine the current knowledge and practice within conscious sedation in dentistry, including more advanced techniques.
Clinical Course
The clinical course is a 20 credit course which runs alongside the online courses in the form of clinical practice days hosted at the Edinburgh Dental Institute. The first clinical practice day is in September and these run once a month until the following August.
The first clinical practice day is an Induction Day, and will include an introduction to the course, academic skills such as using the library, occupational health clearance and the required health and safety induction.
The second clinical practice day will cover medical emergencies in sedation practice and communication skills.
From the third clinical practice day you will start to provide the sedation for patients on the oral surgery clinic, and this will continue for the remainder of your clinical sessions. You will also have the opportunity to provide inhalational sedation.
Applicants should be aware that there is notable time commitment not only to the clinical days which are once a month hosted at the Edinburgh Dental Institute, but also to the online learning material and tasks which are estimated to take at least 10 hours per week. Participation in online discussion boards and journal club is expected on a weekly basis. Students are also strongly encouraged to maintain a reflective personal journal of their clinical experience alongside a sedation logbook as they progress through the programme.
The online courses of the programme are delivered on the virtual learning environment or VLE, which aims to provides a dynamic and collaborative learning experience using a variety of online learning methods such as discussion forums, an online journal club and clinical case studies. The online community will also be supported by the clinical practice days where you will have the opportunity to meet your fellow students and tutors.
To achieve the credits of the online courses you will be assessed on academic assignments such as a literature review or reflective essay. You will be supported in writing academically with advice given on searching the literature, examples of good academic and reflective writing and the opportunity for formative feedback on drafts before final submission. Two of the more clinically focussed online courses will be assessed through short written examinations consisting of single best answer and situational judgement test questions. Again, throughout these courses formative feedback will be given with the opportunity to practice these styles of question.
The clinical course will be assessed by submission of a clinical case presentation of a case treated on the programme alongside regular clinical assessment through the use of workplace based assessments. The student will submit four workplace based assessments to contribute to their final mark for the course.
This course is open to registered pharmacists with at least two years’ post-registration experience in a clinical, patient-facing role. Upon successful completion of the 40 credit module, you will be awarded the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing from the University of Wolverhampton. Your name will then be forwarded to the Registrar of the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC), and you will be eligible for annotation on the GPhC Register as an Independent Prescriber. This entitles you, with the support of your employer (unless self-employed), to practice as a Supplementary or Independent Prescriber.
In order to be awarded the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing Studies, you will also have to study an additional 20 credit module in Advanced Health Assessment Skills. Successful completion of both modules will lead to the award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing Studies, which will provide evidence to employing organisations of your ability to practice (including prescribing) at an advanced level in your chosen therapeutic area. However, this is entirely optional and you may choose to exit after completing only the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing (module code 7PY019).
1. Consultation, decision making assessment and review
2. Influences on and psychology of prescribing
3. Prescribing in a team context
4. Applied Therapeutics
5. Evidence- based practice and clinical governance
6. Legal policy, professional and ethical aspects
7. Prescribing in the public health context
It is a requirement of the GPhC that the Independent Prescribing course must include a substantial face-to-face teaching element. The timing of the face-to-face study days (one block of three days, followed by three individual study days) has therefore been arranged outside the main school holiday periods to facilitate the release of pharmacists from their existing posts in order to attend the University.
You will also have the benefit of being taught by tutors who are themselves Pharmacist Independent Prescribers, assisted by medical practitioners and other expert staff with wide experience of postgraduate teaching and learning.
After gaining the Practice Certificate in Independent Prescribing you will be eligible for annotation by the GPhC as an independent prescriber, and will therefore be entitled to practice in this capacity in a variety of roles throughout primary and secondary care pharmacy.
After obtaining the further award of the Postgraduate Certificate in Prescribing Studies you will, in addition, be able to demonstrate that you have advanced level skills in examining and assessing your patients. This qualification forms part of the West Midlands Advanced Clinical Practice Frameworkwhich is currently under development by Health Education West Midlands, and may lead on to the Advanced Clinical Practitioner programme which is now offered at Wolverhampton and other Universities within the West Midlands region.
At the end of this course you, the student, will be able to:
1. Prescribe safely, appropriately and cost effectively, in line with the legal, ethical and professional framework for accountability; within a prescribing partnership where appropriate.
2. Communicate effectively with patients, carers and other healthcare professionals, and make shared treatment decisions with these groups as appropriate.
3. Apply clinical assessment skills to recognize the signs and symptoms of illness, to take patient histories, to form a diagnosis and to formulate, modify and review treatment plans as appropriate.
4. Accurately choose and use appropriate diagnostic aids for prescribing and monitoring treatment.
5. Recognise, evaluate and respond to evidence-based information, advice, relevant national/local guidelines and individual patient requirements when prescribing.
6. Work within all aspects of current clinical governance frameworks.
The course is fully accredited by the General Pharmaceutical Council (GPhC).
