Program Overview

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Introduction to the DPhil in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease

The DPhil in Inflammatory and Musculoskeletal Disease is a research-based doctoral training program designed for UK-based medical students. This course explores inflammation, rheumatic disease, pain, tissue engineering, clinical trials, and data science through interdisciplinary projects.

About the Course

The program provides a world-leading research training experience in musculoskeletal and inflammatory diseases. Students participating in the scheme will be offered:

• A choice of interdisciplinary cutting-edge research projects
• The opportunity to gain in-depth knowledge of the fundamentals of inflammatory and musculoskeletal diseases and patient care through advanced level seminars
• A world-renowned research environment that encourages originality and creativity in research
• Opportunities to develop skills in making and testing hypotheses, developing new theories, and planning and conducting experiments
• An environment to develop skills in written work, oral presentation, and publishing research results in high-profile scientific journals

Attendance and Duration

The course is full-time and requires attendance in Oxford. Full-time students are subject to the University's Residence requirements. The program typically lasts 3-4 years.

Resources to Support Study

As a graduate student, you will have access to the University's wide range of resources, including:

• Libraries: The Bodleian Libraries is the largest library system in the UK, holding more than 13 million printed items and providing access to e-journals.
• IT Services: Available to support core university IT systems and tools, as well as many other services and facilities.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Doctoral Training Centre. You will be allocated at least two supervisors, one of which will be a clinical academic.

Assessment

Students will be admitted to the course as a Probationer Research Student (PRS) and, by the end of the fourth term, will transfer to the status of DPhil Student upon successful completion of their Transfer of Status milestone. The doctoral work culminates in a thesis of no more than 50,000 words, defended in an oral examination (viva voce).

Graduate Destinations

All graduates are expected to return to their ongoing training in undergraduate clinical medicine upon completion of the course. Graduates may be anticipated to follow a clinical academic career path after graduating in clinical medicine.

Changes to the Course

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision.

Research Areas

You will have the opportunity to undertake research within the specialized themes of this course, which include:

• Inflammatory mechanisms
• Inflammatory and rheumatic disease
• Pain
• Clinical trials
• Epidemiology, computational and data science
• Tissue engineering and remodelling

Entry Requirements

Proven and Potential Academic Excellence

The requirements described below are specific to this course and apply only in the year of entry that is shown.

• Medical students currently at Oxford: Should have successfully completed the Pre-clinical Course (First BM) and hold or be predicted to achieve a first class or strong upper second-class BA Honours in Medical Sciences.
• Medical students who are currently undertaking a primary medical qualification within the UK: Should provide evidence of successful completion of at least the first two years of a primary medical qualification and should hold or be predicted to achieve the equivalent of a first class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with Honours in a relevant discipline.

English Language Proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement.

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course.

Supporting Documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including:

• Official transcript(s)
• Statement of purpose: A maximum of 500 words, describing how your background and research interests relate to the program.
• Letter of Permission: From your medical school confirming permission to intercalate for the duration of the course.

Funding

All applicants who are offered a place on this course will be offered a fully-funded scholarship, covering all course fees for the duration of their course and a living stipend.

Costs

Annual Course Fees

The fees for this course are charged on an annual basis. For the academic year, the annual course fees are:

• Home: ｣10,470
• Overseas: ｣34,700

Living Costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course. The range of likely living costs for a single, full-time student is between ｣1,405 and ｣2,105 for each month spent in Oxford.

College Preference

Students enrolled on this course will belong to both a department/faculty and a college. You will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed or ask us to find a college for you.

How to Apply

Before you begin an application, we recommend that you consult the Medical Sciences Graduate School's website to identify the most suitable course for your intended area of research. You should refer to the information on the course page when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents.