1. Title of the Course:
Master's of Science in Pharmaceutical Medicine

2. Main University organising the Course:
University of Surrey

3. Address of Secretariat of Course:
Postgraduate Medical School
University of Surrey
Stirling House
Surrey Research Park
Guilford
Surrey
GU2 7XP
United Kingdom

Telephone number: +44-1483-440848
Fax number: +44-1483-300359
E-mail address: e.davenport@surrey.ac.uk
Web site: http://www.surrey.ac.uk/pgms

Course Director: Dr Brian Gennery MB, ChB, Dip Pharm Med, (Lon & Edin)
Course Administrator: Mrs Beth Davenport

4. Year of Foundation of the Course: 1996
Language of the Course: English

5. Seminars/Modules:
Number of Seminars/Modules: Minimum of 12 out of choice of 15
Duration of each Seminar/Module: 3 consecutive Days teaching + 76 hours self study.
Frequency of Seminars/Modules: 1 every month - Students take on average 1 every 2-3 months
Distribution of Seminars/Modules over time: 1 complete cycle is available every 15-18 months (Students have 6 yaers for completion including a Dissertation)
Hours of teaching of the full course: 288 hours

Distribution:
Seminars (didactic lectures): 75%
Workshops: 20%
Group discussions: 5%
Distance learning or home work: yes
The course is taught: All in one place

The programme of the Course covers all items mentioned in the Syllabus of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine.

6. Hours of teaching:
Clinical Research: 48 hours
Regulatory Affairs: 24 hours
Pharmacovigilance: 24 hours
Statistics: 12 hours
Pharmaco-economics: 12 hours
Marketing & Business matters: 24 hours

7. Teachers:
Total number of teachers participating in the programme: 50
Of whom:
From Industry: 70%
From CROs: 10%
From Academia: 15%
From Regulatory Authority: 5%

8. Course material:
The course material consists of paper documents and CDs.
The course material is prepared by each teacher but is overviewed by a Board of Studies and by External Examiners.

9. Students:
Average number of students registering each year:
To the full course: 25
To individual Seminars: 6
To the examinations: N/A

Requirements to register for the course and the examinations:
A degree or equivalent,
or medical qualification
or professional qualification and/or practical experience sufficient to satisfy the Head of Department and the Programme Directors of the applicant's fitness to pursue the Programme of Study.
Usual ratio physicians to non-physicians: 25% to 75%

10. Examinations:
There are no written examinations within the course. Assessment is undertaken with the completion of an assignment involving a nominal 76 hours self-directed learning following attendence at the 3 days teaching and consisting of either essays, written exercises, short notes, or a combination of all three. Each module is worth 10 credits.

In addition a Dissertation of 25,000 - 30,000 words must be submitted and passed for the full award of the Master's in Pharmaceutical Medicine. A viva voce may take place in certain circumstances following the submission of a Dissertation.

11. Recognition:
The Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine of the Royal Colleges of Physicians of the UK is the professional body for Pharmaceutical Physicians in the UK, the core modules (1-8) of the Pharmaceutical Medicine MSc Programme contain material inherent in the syllabus for the examinations for Associateship of the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine (AFPM).  To be eligible for candidacy for these examinations, however, other criteria must be met (medical qualifications of an appropriate standard, experience in Pharmaceutical Medicine, etc.)  The Faculty has recently accredited modules 7 and 8 of the MSc in Pharmaceutical Medicine for Higher Medical Training.

12. Fees:
Registration fee: £205
Fee for the attendance to:
The full course: £669 per module with effect from 1 September  2003
Dissertation Fee: £669 with effect from 1 September 2003

SUMMARY
This study course counts 15 Modules of which 8 are compulsory and each student should choose another four for the Postgraduate Diploma and the Master’s degree. In addition to attending the Modules and passing the Module assignments, students must write a dissertation to obtain the Master of Science degree. Each Module is taught over 3 days at a frequency of one every 4-6 weeks; on average, students take one every 2-3 months and students are encouraged not to take more than 4 modules per year. One complete cycle is available every 15-18 months, but students have 6 years for attending the total of 288 hours of teaching given by over 50 teachers, of which around 30 are from Industry. Every year, about 25 students register to the full course. Generally, people with a university degree who are working in a health-related profession, are accepted on the course; applications of non-graduates are considered and eventually accepted based on both professional qualifications and experience. The ratio physicians to non-physicians are 25 to 75%. There is no final examination, but students are assessed at the end of each Module by written assignment. A dissertation has to be presented at the end of the course for those who want to obtain a MSc degree. On rare occasions, there will be a viva voce examination for students submitting their MSc dissertation. To obtain a diploma in pharmaceutical medicine, physicians will have to sit the examination at the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Medicine. Those physicians who pass the examination are entitled to apply for membership of the Faculty and to participate in the programmes of Higher Medical Training which lead to the Certificate of Completion of Specialist Training and the officially recognised title of Physician Specialist in Pharmaceutical Medicine. The registration fee is £205 for the full course.