MRes Medical Sciences: The University of Manchester

Course description

It is recognised by the Research Councils, universities and employers that a gap has opened up between the skills possessed by new medical graduates and the skills normally expected on entry to a research degree or an industrial research career. The MRes in Medical Sciences has been specifically designed to bridge this gap.

The purpose of the MRes is to provide a Masters-level programme that will equip students from the medical and dental sciences with the skills and knowledge they need to pursue a research-based career in academic medicine. It focuses on medical research rather than biological science research.

Students interrupt their clinical training after Year 4 to undertake the programme. Applications are also welcome from other eligible candidates.

Module details

The programme comprises of four compulsory components

• Research skills units
• Clinical Masterclass
• Tutorial/Seminar
• Two full time research placements (10 and 25 weeks), including one written project and one final report

Students usually stay in the same research group for both placements, which has the advantage of allowing them to become an integrated part of the team and, by progressing through each project, gradually increase the depth and complexity of their research.

Entry requirements

Academic entry qualification overview: Candidates are selected from the students admitted to the MBChB undergraduate course of The University of Manchester, including those from The University of St Andrews. The minimum criterion for admission is satisfactory achievement in years 1 to 4 of the undergraduate medical programme, with no failure at any examination in the past 2 academic years.

For University of St Andrews students, this includes their three-year degree programme and the following two years spent in Manchester (years 3 and 4 of the Manchester programme). We also accept home medical and dental graduates and international medical graduates who can demonstrate relevant experience and commitment to biomedical research.

English language: Students whose first language is not English require a minimum of IELTS 6.5, TOEFL 575 paper-based or TOEFL 230 computer-based.