ChM in General Surgery

Overview

This two-year part-time Masters programme delivered through the University of Edinburgh’s virtual learning environment, taught entirely online, is designed to give you the freedom to study flexibly.

Based on the UK Intercollegiate Surgical Curriculum, the programme provides the opportunity for trainees in General Surgery to select those advanced modules relevant to their declared subspecialty, and supports learning for the Fellowship of the Royal College of Surgeons (FRCS) examinations.

Trainees are taught by experienced tutors, all leading clinicians in their field, and have access to a large structured learning resource of educational material, including an unparalleled online library facility. Illustrative cases cover technical skills and procedures as well as core knowledge and clinical skills.

In the first year of the programme, compulsory core modules cover the basic elements of the subspecialties. Modules are taught and assessed using a clinical problem-based approach, supported by systems-based review of the course material.

In the second year, trainees undertake a tailored academic module that reflects their subspecialty interest. Academic modules (core and specialist) explore research and teaching methodology, as well as developing skills to ensure an ability to analyse published evidence and explore interactive and written clinical communication skills. Trainees are required to complete an academic critique in an appropriate subspecialty area of work undertaken during the two-year period of study such as that resulting from a publication in a peer-reviewed journal.

On completion of this programme, trainees will be able to:

Demonstrate in-depth knowledge of their chosen surgical subspecialty, and be able to apply this knowledge to the systematic assessment and management of surgical patients in the elective, urgent and emergency clinical setting;
Recognise the leadership contribution and responsibilities of the surgeon in the multidisciplinary management of complex surgical disease;
Critically reflect upon day-to-day surgical practice in the context of recent advances, and engage in critical dialogue with peers and experts in other sub-specialties;
Apply the general principles of clinical study design, ethics, and statistics to critically evaluate the scientific literature in surgical research, and make informed judgements on new and emerging issues in surgery;
Exercise a high level of autonomy and initiative in professional activities at a level of independent surgical practice.

Tweets

Eligibility Criteria

Prospective entrants would normally have acquired their MRCS (or equivalent assessment milestone) and be an Advanced Trainee in General Surgery - ST5 or greater [Specialist Training years] in the UK, or equivalent outside the UK.

Eligible candidates will have completed a minimum of 5 years speciality training in general surgery before the proposed date of admission to the programme and will be pre-FRCS status.

For those candidates who already hold FRCS status, we will look at each application on a case-by-case basis and may accept if there is a substantive training element in their current post. However if you have passed Section 1 but not Section 2 of the FRCS you are still eligible to apply.

The ChM in General Surgery programme is accredited by:

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Programme structure of ChM in General Surgery

Year 1

Semester 1 September to January	Emergency Trauma and Critical Care 1 12.5 credits	Vascular and Transplant 10 credits	Breast 5 credits	Endocrine 5 credits
Semester 2 February to June	Emergency Trauma and Critical Care 2 12.5 credits	Oesophago gastric 5 credits	Colorectal 5 credits	Hepato Pancreato Biliary 5 credits

Total credits: 60

Year 2

Semester 1 September to January	Emergency Trauma and Critical Care 3 10 credits	Core Academic Activity 20 credits
Semester 2 February to July	Specialist Academic Activity 30 credits
	Examination

Total credits: 60

Cumulative credits: 120

Fee information

ChM in General Surgery Fees for academic year 2023/24

Students on full-time and part-time programmes of study of more than one year should be aware that annual tuition fees are subject to revision and are typically increased by approximately 5% per annum. This annual increase should be taken into account when you are applying for a programme.

https://www.ed.ac.uk/tuition-fees/find/postgraduate-taught/2023-2024

Please see the scholarships page for full information on the range of Edinburgh Surgery Online Scholarships available.

There is no doubt that this program has led to a significant improvement in my clinical ability

I am currently a year 2 student in the ChM in General Surgery. I pursued this Masters degree as I was keen to undertake a postgraduate degree without taking time out of formal training. I was also attracted to this program as it covers all components of the FRCS examination. Participation in the ChM in General Surgery has been a very positive experience. Although this is a part-time program it covers all topics required for the FRCS examination. There is no doubt that this program has led to a significant improvement in my clinical ability. The ChM in general surgery is taught by consultant surgeons who are proven trainers and experts in their field and the faculty is drawn from the United Kingdom, Australia/New Zealand and the USA. In addition to the formal teaching there is the opportunity to complete a research project in a sub-speciality interest that gives students experience in research. The ChM has undoubtedly enhanced my knowledge base. I feel adequately prepared for the FRCS examination in general surgery and in addition it has allowed me to complete a research project that is relevant to my future career aspirations. I would recommend this program to any senior surgical trainee who wishes to complete a postgraduate degree that will adequately prepare them for the FRCS examination without taking time out from formal training.

Mr Darren Porter

2018 Graduate

I highly recommend this two year course to those who intend to appear for the FRCS Exam

I chose to enrol in ChM in General Surgery because it offered me the flexibility to study at my own pace and time as the course is taught entirely online. The course helped me gain knowledge based on the UK surgical curriculum and acted as the pivot in my preparation for the FRCS Exam. I found the experience very fulfilling and consider myself lucky to have interacted with a few excellent tutors who are experts in their respective fields and some very knowledgeable students from different parts of the globe throughout the course. The quality of interaction in the Virtual Learning Environment was excellent and the knowledge I gained helped me pass Section 1 of the FRCS Exit Exam and I hope to carry this knowledge to pass Section 2 in the near future. One thing I liked about this course was the liberty I had in participating in discussion boards at my convenience without the need to attend generic classroom lectures on a designated date, time and place. I highly recommend this two year course to those who intend to appear for the FRCS Exam in the near future and to those who are willing to further their surgical knowledge and gain insight and understanding of the intercollegiate surgical curriculum and national guidelines in the United Kingdom.

Mr Tanveer Adil

2017 Graduate

It was a very enjoyable two years and I would highly recommend this course to colleagues

The ChM program run jointly by the University of Edinburgh and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh is a fantastic two-year part-time online masters that is a great compliment to the general surgery curriculum. I found that doing an online masters was the best fit with my training path and was an ideal way to obtain a masters degree. The curriculum of the ChM is practically identical to the FRCS curriculum and is an excellent way to start revision for the intercollegiate exams. The masters covers all aspects of general surgery and challenges us in ways that we do not necessarily get challenged on our day to day jobs. An added advantage is the international students, and tutors, that take part in the course and offer a different perspective to difficult cases. It was a very enjoyable two years and I would highly recommend this course to colleagues.

Mr Fadlo Shaban

2017 Graduate

Programme team

Mr Ewen Harrison
ChM General Surgery Programme Director

MB ChB, PhD, FRCS

Mr Harrison is a consultant surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh and a Senior Lecturer in General Surgery at the University of Edinburgh. As well as his clinical practice, he is interested in science and statistics. Mr Harrison did his undergraduate medical training at the University of Glasgow and higher surgical training in Edinburgh, during which he was President of the Association of Surgeons in Training, a role which saw him develop his interest in the education and training of young surgeons. He completed a fellowship in liver transplantation and hepatobiliary surgery in Groningen, the Netherlands. He now works as a Lecturer/Specialist Registrar in hepatobiliary and Transplantation Surgery in Southeast Scotland.

Mr Harrison is a committed clinician-scientist and performs laboratory research aiming for rapid progression to first-in-human trials of promising therapies. His research group are investigating novel agents which reduce organ damage in transplantation. He is the recipient of MRC (Medical Research Council) and Academy of Medical Sciences grants for his continued work in this area. He also has a keen interest in outcomes after surgery and is Principal Investigator on a European collaborative trial examining outcomes after donation after cardiac death liver transplantation and is involved in a number of ‘big data’ projects in collaboration with Healthcare Improvement Scotland and NHS Scotland Information Services Division.

Mr Richard McGregor
ChM General Surgery Year 1 Director

FRCS(Ed), Phd, MFSTEd

Mr Richard McGregor is a consultant Oesophago-Gastric Surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh. He has an interest in clinical outcomes research and clinical human factors science. Having completed his surgical training in South East Scotland, he understood a minimally invasive UGI fellowship in Brisbane, Australia.

Interested in this course?

To find out more about the ChM in General Surgery

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