Medical Sciences DPhil

University of Oxford

Based in the Radcliffe Department of Medicine (RDM), this DPhil research programme is aimed at basic scientists and clinicians with an interest in pursuing research in a scientific field related to medicine, particularly in cardiovascular medicine, diabetes, endocrinology and metabolism, epidemiology and clinical trials, haematology and pathology, immunology, regenerative medicine and stem cells, and acute stroke.

You will be admitted directly onto a research project with one of RDM’s world-leading scientists, who will act as your supervisor. In most cases, students choose a project from our advertised project list, but in some cases, students design their own project in collaboration with their proposed supervisor. In either case, you will be expected to play an active role in shaping your project over the course of the DPhil. Graduate students are a valuable part of the department and they are encouraged to be involved with the scientific and social life of the department at all levels.

Your project and development during your DPhil studies will be guided by a specialised team led by your academic supervisor.

Your training will be tailored to your particular needs, drawing from the vast range of training available at Oxford and covering both specialist scientific methods and techniques and transferable skills. Please note that there is no formal taught component of the DPhil in Medical Sciences.

Much of your training will take place in the lab, where you will be trained by your supervisor or members of the lab team in the variety of techniques and protocols used. A brief statement of the training you will receive in the lab is included in the training description of your chosen project.

As a member of the Medical Sciences Graduate School you will be entitled to enrol on courses run by the Medical Sciences Skills Training programme. You will be able to attend the wide variety of sessions covered through the MRC Weatherall Institute of Molecular Medicine (WIMM) Methods and Techniques course. RDM also runs a successful mentoring scheme, which all students are encouraged to join.

Part-time study

It is possible to study for a doctorate on a part-time basis. Completing the DPhil on a part-time basis normally requires between six and eight years of study, compared with a full-time DPhil which normally takes three to four years to complete. Part-time study is not suitable for all projects and you will need to check with your supervisor that they are able to accommodate part-time study.

As a part-time student, attendance is required for a minimum of thirty days of university-based work each year, to be arranged with the agreement of their supervisor, for the period that their names remain on the Register of Graduate Students unless individually dispensed by the Board. During a candidate’s probationary period the attendance arrangements must take account of relevant induction and training events scheduled by the Board. You will have the opportunity to tailor your part-time research in liaison with your supervisor and agree your pattern of attendance.