Masters Degrees (Endoscopy)

If you're an Advanced Nurse or a member of a related profession looking to study gastroenterology and endoscopy to progress your career as an independent practitioner, this is the programme for you.

Gastroenterology and endoscopy is a growing field for nurses who wish to expand their scope of practice. This programme gives you the skills and knowledge to plan, perform and develop care to meet patient needs.

It is ideal preparation to work as a practitioner in a wide variety of settings including endoscopy units, clinics, MDT, cancer care, IBD, satellite units, GP practices and in the community.

We offer this program full-time for overseas students only and as a part-time course for UK students. Full-time start dates are available in January, June and September. The part-time programme starts in September.

Study information

You undertake a variety of modules. These include a research module and a specialist module within your area of practice, which are offered as an online programme via eBridge. The final 60 credits for the MSc are gained by completing a dissertation.

You need only attend the University for the set workshops which are available to support each module, enabling students to fit their studies around work and life commitments.

The modules themselves are delivered using weekly tasks addressing the advanced issues around the subject of practice. This aims promote interaction within the student group using tutor and peer feedback to encourage productive discussion and interactive learning.

* All modules are subject to availability.

Future prospects

The program will enable you to become a competent, safe and motivated practitioner within the field of gastroenterology, with professional attitudes, values and perspectives.

It aims to produce enthusiastic, reflective and analytical thinkers who can interpret and apply theory to their professional practice, providing high quality patient-centred care within the endoscopy setting.

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Programme description
Distance Learning option available

Designed as both a thorough introduction and update in the fields of gastroenterology, hepatology and nutrition, this programme is aimed at clinicians wishing to gain strong knowledge of the sciences underpinning clinical diseases and their management. It offers a focus on the relevant basic sciences and research techniques.

The PgDip runs from October until April. To gain the MSc you take research projects that runs from April until August.

The Centre has two endoscopy training simulators, and training on these simulators is included if you are a full time student, you will also have opportunities to observe clinical meetings, audits, clinics or endoscopy sessions mainly in the latter half of the year.

For the distance learning option, teaching is recorded and uploaded to the internet. Regular live online tutorials and meetings will be run with senior members of the Faculty.

For selected high-achieving students there are opportunities to stay in the Centre as clinical research fellows studying for higher degrees such as MD(Res) or PhD.

Programme outline
Module 1: The Scientific Basis of GI Diseases
Module 2: Liver and pancreatic diseases
Module 3: Adult GI diseases: Luminal diseases
Module 4: Neurogastroenterology: Advanced functional GI diseases
Module 5: Paediatric and adolescent GI, liver and nutritional diseases, including GI infections
Module 6: Introduction to endoscopy

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If you're an Advanced Nurse or a member of a related profession wishing to study colonoscopy and endoscopy practice to progress your career as an independent practitioner, this is the course for you.

Colonoscopy is becoming a growth area for nurses who wish to expand their scope of practice. As a practictioner, you have the opportunity to work in a wide variety of settings to develop advanced skills.

You will learn skills and knowledge empowering you to perform advanced therapeutic procedures and plan, perform and develop care which addresses patient health care needs within gastroenterology.

We offer this programme full-time for overseas students, and part-time for UK students. Full-time start dates are available in January, June and September. The part-time programme starts in September.

Study information

You will undertake a variety of modules. These include a research module and specialist module which are offered as an online programme via eBridge. The final 60 credits for the MSc are gained by completing a dissertation around the subject of colonoscopy.

The majority of learning can be done online meaning that you can fit your studies around work and life commitments. You need only attend University for the set workshops which are available to support each module. The modules themselves are delivered using weekly tasks addressing the advanced issues around the subject of practice.

* All modules are subject to availability.

Future prospects

This program enables you to become a competent, safe and motivated practitioner within the field of gastroenterology, with professional attitudes, values and perspectives.

It aims to produce enthusiastic, reflective and analytical thinkers who can interpret and apply theory to their professional practice, to provide a high quality patient-centred care within the endoscopy setting.

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Research degrees may be undertaken in the three main areas of research interest in the Laboratory. The growing number of academic staff are supported in their research by the technical staff and post-doctoral research fellows.

We make every attempt to allocate you to a supervisor directly in your field of interest, consistent with available funding and staff loading. When you apply, please give specific indications of your research interest – including, where appropriate, the member(s) of staff you wish to work with – and whether you are applying for a studentship or propose to be self-funded.

Visit the website https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/18/chemistry

About The School of Physical Sciences

The School offers postgraduate students the opportunity to participate in groundbreaking science in the realms of physics, chemistry, forensics and astronomy. With strong international reputations, our staff provide plausible ideas, well-designed projects, research training and enthusiasm within a stimulating environment. Recent investment in modern laboratory equipment and computational facilities accelerates the research.

The School maintains a focus on progress to ensure each student is able to compete with their peers in their chosen field. We carefully nurture the skills, abilities and motivation of our students which are vital elements in our research activity. We offer higher degree programmes in chemistry and physics (including specialisations in forensics, astronomy and space science) by research. We also offer taught programmes in Forensic Science, studied over one year full-time, and a two-year European-style Master’s in Physics.

Our principal research covers a wide variety of topics within physics, astronomy and chemistry, ranging from specifically theoretical work on surfaces and interfaces, through mainstream experimental condensed matter physics, astrobiology, space science and astrophysics, to applied areas such as biomedical imaging, forensic imaging and space vehicle protection. We scored highly in the most recent Research Assessment Exercise, with 25% of our research ranked as “world-leading” and our Functional Materials Research Group ranked 2nd nationally in the Metallurgy and Materials discipline.

Research areas

- Applied Optics Group (AOG):

Optical sensors
This activity largely covers research into the fundamental properties of guided wave interferometers, and their application in fields ranging from monitoring bridge structures to diagnostic procedures in medicine.

Biomedical imaging/Optical coherence tomography (OCT)
OCT is a relatively new technique which can provide very high-resolution images of tissue, and which has a major application in imaging the human eye. We are investigating different time domain and spectral domain OCT configurations.

The Group is developing systems in collaboration with a variety of different national and international institutions to extend the OCT capabilities from systems dedicated to eye imaging to systems for endoscopy, imaging skin and tooth caries. Distinctively, the OCT systems developed at Kent can provide both transverse and longitudinal images from the tissue, along with a confocal image, useful in associating the easy to interpret en-face view with the more traditional OCT cross section views.

The Group also conducts research on coherence gated wavefront sensors and multiple path interferometry, that extend the hardware technology of OCT to imaging with reduced aberrations and to sensing applications of optical time domain reflectometry.

- Forensic Imaging Group (FIG):

The research of the forensic imaging team is primarily applied, focusing on mathematical and computational techniques and employing a wide variety of image processing and analysis methods for applications in modern forensic science. The Group has attracted approximately £850,000 of research funding in the last five years, from several academic, industrial and commercial organisations in the UK and the US. The Group also collaborates closely with the Forensic Psychology Group of the Open University.

Current active research projects include:

- the development of high-quality, fast facial composite systems based on evolutionary algorithms and statistical models of human facial appearance

- interactive, evolutionary search methods and evolutionary design

- statistically rigorous ageing of photo-quality images of the human face (for tracing and identifying missing persons)

- real and pseudo 3D models for modelling and analysis of the human face

- generating ‘mathematically fair’ virtual line-ups for suspect identification.

- Functional Materials Group (FMG):
The research in FMG is concerned with synthesis and characterisation of functional materials, as exemplified by materials with useful optical, catalytic, or electronic properties, and with an
emerging theme in biomaterials. The Group also uses computer modelling studies to augment
experimental work. The research covers the following main areas:

- Amorphous and nanostructured solids
- Soft functional material
- Theory and modelling of materials

- Centre for Astrophysics and Planetary Science (CAPS):
The group’s research focuses on observational and modelling programmes in star formation, planetary science and early solar system bodies, galactic astronomy and astrobiology. We gain data from the largest telescopes in the world and in space, such as ESO’s Very Large Telescope, the New Technology Telescope, the Spitzer Space Telescope and the Herschel Space Observatory. We also use our in-house facilities which include a two-stage light gas gun for impact studies.

Staff are involved in a wide range of international collaborative research projects. Areas of particular interest include: star formation, extragalactic astronomy, solar system science and instrumentation development.

Careers

All programmes in the School of Physical Sciences equip you with the tools you need to conduct research, solve problems, communicate effectively and transfer skills to the workplace, which means our graduates are always in high demand. Our links with industry not only provide you with the opportunity to gain work experience during your degree, but also equip you with the general and specialist skills and knowledge needed to succeed in the workplace.

Typical employment destinations for graduates from the physics programmes include power companies, aerospace, defence, optoelectronics and medical industries. Typical employment destinations for graduates from our forensic science and chemistry programmes include government agencies, consultancies, emergency services, laboratories, research or academia.

Find out how to apply here - https://www.kent.ac.uk/courses/postgraduate/apply/

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Gastroenterology Courses Online

Diploma MSc is an award-winning provider of online medical education for Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Courses. We are now pleased to add a Postgraduate Diploma and Masters Course in Gastroenterology to our expanding range of courses. Our online Gastroenterology courses are offered in conjunction with our partner, the University of South Wales, who have developed a strong reputation for delivering innovative learning.

The Postgraduate Diploma and MSc Online course in Gastroenterology has been designed to help physicians interested in the field of Gastroenterology to further their knowledge and improve their clinical judgement.

This theoretical course is designed to facilitate a better understanding of common gastroenterology disorders typically found in the community and will enable students to up-skill in diagnostic and management of gastroenterological disorders. Students will also be able to be better equipped to read and interpret endoscopy reports, an increasingly important element of practice. This is not a course that will assess or develop endoscopic procedures as this is not the focus nor would it be possible to achieve without residential training and supervision. This course is therefore designed to improve knowledge which is an essential complement to clinical practice.

With increasing competition for employment in the healthcare arena, and increasing specialisation, the purpose of the course is to promote and enhance professional skills and knowledge amongst students that have a direct relevance and application to the demands of their working roles.

Applicants taking our courses in gastroenterology will typically be GPs, doctors, nurses, physicians and pharmacists. For healthcare professionals who successfully complete a qualification, career progression would likely be facilitated, as well as the direct opportunity to improve patient care.

Postgraduate Diploma in Gastroenterology

The Postgraduate Diploma in Gastroenterology has been specifically designed to help physicians interested in the field of Gastroenterology to further their knowledge and improve their clinical judgement. We believe that the course answers the need for enhancing professional skills and knowledge in the field of gastroenterology, as there is increasing competition for employment in the healthcare arena, as well as increasing specialisation.

On completion of the gastroenterology postgraduate course, you will be able to:

• Articulate professional decisions, incorporating an evidence based rationale, in a variety of diverse and complex situations related to gastroenterology.
• Demonstrate the critical application of gastroenterology research to clinical practice.
• Apply life-long learning and advanced problem solving skills to clinical practice.
• Demonstrate leadership in the delivery and advancement of gastroenterology related care.
• Demonstrate leadership of teams in multi-agency, multi-cultural and/or international contexts.
• Demonstrate evaluation skills in the delivery of care to patients

Course Structure

Module 1 - Oesophagus

Module 2 - Stomach

Module 3 - Pancreas

Module 4 - Liver

Module 5 - Small bowel and nutrition

Module 6 - Colon

Assessment

The course puts assessment at the heart of learning by using clinical scenarios to facilitate problem-solving, critical analysis and evidence-based care. The scenarios act as both the focus for learning and assessment thus embedding assessment within the learning process.

Each of the 6 modules has the same assessment format. Due to the online nature of the course, students are expected to login and participate in the course regularly throughout the module (ideally on a daily basis).

Students use the skills gained during the lectures to engage with the different activities (see below).

Clinical case scenarios with case based discussion - 40%

Individual learning portfolio - 10%

Group/individual activity - 20%

Case based examination - 30%

Teaching Methods

Each module has the same format. Using an online platform and one tutor per 10-15 students, the self-directed distance learning is guided by tutor stimulated discussion based on clinically rich case scenarios. Group projects are undertaken alongside independent projects. Reflective practice is recorded in a reflective portfolio to help students consider how the learning can be translated into everyday work and practice.

Teaching starts with 1 day of introductory lectures. Students may attend these lectures in the UK (Glyntaff campus, University of South Wales)

The lecture series are delivered by the faculty and tutors, they are a pre-course organiser, giving students the tools required to undertake the online course such as:

• Scientific writing
• Levels of evidence
• Harvard referencing
• Reflective writing

The lectures series give an opportunity to meet face to face with tutors/other students prior to the online course.

Students are not required to attend the lectures however those who attend do benefit as they get a "jump start" to the course. Students who are not able to attend, should request a skype/telephone call to orientate them onto the course and are advised to review the lecture slides.

MSc in Gastroenterology

The gastroenterology masters course provides a progression route from the Postgraduate Diploma course in Gastroenterology.

The MSc in Gastroenterology runs over 1 calendar year. Starting with an initial 12-week online module to develop skills in critical appraisal and knowledge of research methodologies, students then choose either the professional project module which consists of a 1,500 word proposal and 10,500 word professional.

On completion of our Masters in Gastroenterology, you will be able to:

• Develop graduates who can articulate professional decisions, incorporating an evidence based rationale, in a variety of diverse and complex situations related to gastroenterology.
• Critical application of gastroenterology research to clinical practice.
• Articulation of professional decisions, incorporating evidence based rationale, in a variety of diverse and complex situations related to gastroenterology.
• Application of life-long learning and advanced problem solving skills to clinical practice.
• Leadership in the delivery and advancement of gastroenterology related care.
• Leadership of teams in multi-agency, multi-cultural and/or international contexts.
• Evaluation skills in the delivery of care to patients.

Course Structure

Module 1 - Research Methodologies and Critical Appraisal: Gastroenterology

Module 2 - Professional Project: Gastroenterology

Teaching Methods

Module 1: Research Methodologies and Critical Appraisal - MSc teaching methods for this module are similar to the PG Diploma course modules, however it is run over 12 weeks.

Module 2: Professional Project - To produce the professional project, students continue to use the online course; however much of the work is self-directed.

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