University of Calgary : Medicine, Medical Science MDSC

Medicine, Medical Science MDSC

Contact Information Location: Health Sciences Centre, Room G321
Faculty number: 403.220.6852
Fax: 403.210.8109
E-mail address: medgrad@ucalgary.ca
Web page URL: http://www.ucalgary.ca/mdsc

1. Degrees and Specializations Offered

Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Master of Science (MSc), thesis-based

Students in the MSc and PhD degree programs are normally considered full-time. Students can specialize in an area covered by one of the Faculty of Medicine Research Institutes and include topics as wide-ranging as Medical Education to Physiology. Cancer Biology, Critical Care Medicine, Mountain Medicine and High Altitude Physiology, Joint Injury and Arthritis, and Medical Education also have their own specializations within the Medical Science Graduate Program. A part-time option may be available within these specializations. In addition to these areas students may also specialize in Biomechanics and Biomedical Ethics. Students may select additional areas of specialization with the approval of the Graduate Program Director.

In co-operation with the Department of Surgery, a Master of Science program with a specialization in surgery is also offered through the Surgeon Scientist Program.

2. Admission Requirements

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Medicine requirements, the Medical Science Graduate Program requires:

a) For applicants required to provide proof of proficiency in the English language, a minimum TOEFL score of 600 (paper based test), 100 (internet-based test), or a minimum IELTS score of 7.0, or a minimum MELAB score of 84, specializations may have additional requirements;

b) Two reference letters;

c) For admission to the Master of Science program with a specialization in surgery, prior admission to the surgery residency program is required. Students will normally apply to the Master of Science program in the third year of the surgery residency program. For admission to the Surgeon Scientist Program prior admission to the Medical Science Graduate Program is required.

3. Application Deadline Students may be admitted for September, January, May, or July. Contact the Medical Science Graduate Program office for general application deadlines.

4. Advanced Credit Advanced credit is not normally given in a thesis-based program. See “Medicine Programs”.

5. Program/Course Requirements

In addition to Faculties of Graduate Studies and Medicine requirements, the Department requires:

Master of Science
a) A minimum of two half-courses;
b) Regular attendance and presentation at a journal club and a final seminar which precedes the thesis defence, although specific training programs may have additional requirements.

Doctor of Philosophy
a) A minimum of three half-courses;
b) Regular attendance and presentation at a journal club and a final seminar which precedes the thesis defence, although specific training programs may have additional requirements.

6. Additional Requirements Attendance at a half-day Research Integrity Day seminar during their program. Students must attend this seminar before they are approved to defend their thesis. The seminar is held only twice per year, once in January and again in April. Contact the Graduate Program Administrator for more information.

7. Credit for Undergraduate Courses Graduate credit may be given for 500-level courses. No more than one half-course of credit will be allowed in a two half-course program (e.g., if a 500-level full-course is taken, only one half-course credit is allowed toward the completion of program course requirements).

8. Time Limit

Average completion time for students in the MSc program is 2.5 years, 4.5 years in the PhD program.

Leaders in Medicine - Expected completion time is four to five years in the MD/MSc program, six to seven years in the MD/PhD program.

See “Medicine Programs” for maximum completion times.

9. Supervisory Assignments Students in thesis-based programs have identified a supervisor at the time of admission. In consultation with their supervisors, students must select a supervisory committee consisting of their supervisor plus two other faculty members (MSc) or three other faculty members (PhD) within three months of the appointment of the Supervisor. The Graduate Program Director must approve the composition of the supervisory committee. Specializations may have additional requirements.

10. Required Examinations See “Medicine Programs” entry in this Calendar.

11. Research Proposal Requirements See “Medicine Programs” entry in this Calendar.

12. Special Registration Information None.

13. Financial Assistance

Financial assistance may be available to qualified students. For information on awards, see the Awards and Financial Assistance section of this calendar.

Information and deadlines for Medical Science Faculty of Graduate Studies’ award competitions will be provided throughout the year.

14. Other Information None.

15. Faculty Members/Research Interests Information about institutes in the Faculty of Medicine can be found at http://medicine.ucalgary.ca/research/institutes.

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