The Podiatry with Independent Prescribing MSc is for practising podiatrists wanting to build on their skills and knowledge, advance their professional practice, and earn a further professional and academic qualification.
A range of optional modules means you can create your own study programme to suit your professional or personal aspirations, and includes the opportunity to blend podiatry with related disciplines.
You will learn from expert lecturers who are all active members of the SCP. This ensures that both the team and the curriculum stay up to date with podiatry policy and practice.
The University of Brighton developed and awarded the first degrees in podiatry in the UK and we have been recognised by podiatry's professional bodies for the standard of our teaching. You will have access to our excellent facilities including our own hospital, and Human Movement Laboratory.
On graduation, you will be able to fulfil advanced professional and autonomous roles as a non-medical prescriber. You will be able to confidently select appropriate medications for patients based on relevant physical examination, assessment, history taking and diagnosis.
The course is approved by the College of Podiatry. An annual monitoring process is in place to ensure the course continues to meet the highest standards for professional training.
Course structure
Lectures will be kept to a minimum as we encourage student-centred learning by utilising action learning sets, online learning, tutorial group discussions, seminars, workshops, facilitated group work, role play, practical skills sessions and laboratory based work, enriched with key note lectures from subject specialists.
You will share your professional experiences with fellow students who are all qualified and experienced health professionals. This provides a multidisciplinary perspective to group discussions, lively debate and a collective learning experience.
In order to gain annotation as an independent prescriber, you must also complete a minimum of 90 hours of supervised practice within your clinical practise setting. This must be supervised by a designated medical practitioner (DMP) who you have identified and agreed with the course team.
We are known for our flexible approaches to practice-based learning, with course durations and intensities that can be adapted to your outside commitments. Several modules in the graduate programme, including one developed for this course, make extensive or even exclusive use of online resources as a teaching medium. However the specific approaches used will vary depending on the modules that you choose.
Syllabus
Completing prescribing modules will enable you to understand and apply the legal context relevant to independent prescribing as it applies to podiatry (including controlled drugs, mixing of medicines and use of unlicensed, and off label products).
Modules:
Pharmacology and Therapeutics for Prescribers
Health Assessment for Prescribing
Clinical and Professional Aspects of Prescribing
A research methods module from the School of Health Sciences postgraduate education programme
Two core modules from the following list and one further option module from this list or from the School of Health Sciences postgraduate education programme
A 60-credit dissertation
Options:
Advanced Clinical Skills Through Competency and Work-based Learning
Foot and Lower Extremity Musculoskeletal Pathology and Clinical Biomechanics
The Foot in Diabetes
Diagnostic Imaging
Pathology and Microbiology
Anatomy for Podiatric Practice
Surgical Management of the Foot
Clinical Pharmacology
Injection Therapy 1 – Lower Limb and Regional Anaesthesia
Off-loading the At-risk Foot
Rheumatology and the Lower Limb
Facilities
Leaf Hospital:
You will have access to the Leaf Hospital in Eastbourne, our own fully-staffed clinical facility, which offers a podiatry service and a private practice physiotherapy service. This gives you a further opportunity to gain practical experience treating patients throughout your degree.
The Leaf Hospital has two main clinics and three further consulting rooms, allowing up to 28 patients to be seen at any one time. Clinical practice is supported by a complete range of diagnostic and therapeutic equipment, including gait analysis, imaging and more.
You will benefit from use of the orthotics department, where you will produce high quality orthotics and insoles for patients as part of the practical element of your course.
On the first floor there is a fully equipped operating theatre for minor surgical procedures and a human anatomy lab where you will study prosection and take part in lower limb dissection.
Human Movement Laboratory:
The Human Movement Laboratory is used widely by our physiotherapy, occupational therapy and podiatry students, and is also used for commercial consultancy.
In the lab you will use the latest technology to measure and assess all aspects of human movement, joints, muscles, soft tissue structure and nerves. The laboratory has equipment for conducting cardio-pulmonary investigations including Cosmed metabolic system and spirometry.
Careers and Employability
Masters-level education is an important component of advanced and specialist practice. It allows you greater autonomy and to accelerate personal and professional development or promotion in your practice.
Completion of the Podiatry with Independent Prescribing MSc will also prepare you for further study at MPhil and PhD level if you wish to continue pursuing an academic path.
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