MD

Overview

NFQ Level 10, Major Award

Admission

  1. To be eligible for consideration for entry to a programme of study and research for the Degree of MD, a candidate must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, in an approved primary degree of Medicine, or possess relevant professional and clinical experience to allow them to be considered under the University's policy for Recognition of Prior Learning for Admission to Research Degrees.
  2. All applications for admission to a programme of study and research for the Degree of MD shall be considered by the Postgraduate Affairs Committee of the School of Medicine, following recommendation of the Head of Department in which the programme is to be pursued.
  3. If a student's application is approved, s/he must register as a MD candidate for the years prescribed, as a minimum. Students will complete a minimum of 2 years, full-time, or 4 years, part-time, unless a shorter period of registration is approved at application stage by the School of Medicine on the basis of advanced academic standing.

General

  1. If a student wishes to change his/her subject area, the change must be approved by the Department and by the Postgraduate Affairs Committee of the School of Medicine.
  2. All MD students must register and pay fees each year until submission of their thesis.
  3. Students may be permitted, under certain circumstances, to take a Leave of Absence for a specific period, subject to the approval of the supervisor, Department/School and College. Students are not required to pay fees and will not have a student card during this period or have access to the university facilities. Approval for retrospective leave will normally only be granted on certified medical grounds.
  4. Students who do not formally request a Leave of Absence and fail to register or maintain contact with their supervisor will not be permitted to re-register and will be formally withdrawn by the Graduate Studies Office.
  5. The research for the Degree will be carried out in a UCC clinical site or laboratory or both. A candidate may present a thesis based on work completed in an off-site clinical setting under supervision of a local supervisor at that site. Data collection and analysis must all have been completed off-site to the satisfaction of the proposed UCC supervisor/co-supervisor and head of department. Appropriate evidence must be provided of compliance with ethical guidelines and internal procedures of the off-site institution and must be supported by written confirmation from the Chief Executive of the off-site institution.
  6. A candidate for a MD Degree will normally submit his/her thesis during the final year of approved registration. Candidates are allowed a maximum of four years in which to complete the Degree from their approved start date. If candidates do not complete the Degree within four years from their approved start date they must re-apply to the School for an extension and undergo a formal review.

Supervision

  1. The Head of Department/School will nominate the staff to supervise the candidate's research, following consultation with the Departmental/School Graduate Studies Committee. The name of the supervisor(s) should be forwarded when the candidate's name is submitted to College for approval.
  2. Team supervision of a thesis, by more than one member of academic or research staff, is encouraged and permitted, as outlined in the Policy on Models of Team Supervision at UCC. Team supervision should normally apply for all MD degrees but particularly in the following cases: where a proposed supervisor has not previously supervised an MD student to graduation; where the proposed supervisor is not a permanent member of staff; where the proposed supervisor does not have a doctoral degree; where a student is undertaking inter-disciplinary or multi-disciplinary research.
  3. In the case of sole supervision, the proposed MD supervisor must be a permanent member of academic or research staff whose contract (or age in the case of retirement) must be such that they will be at UCC for at least 2 years from the start of the MD.
  4. The candidate's research must be carried out, and the thesis for the degree must be prepared, under the direction of the supervisor(s).
  5. Each MD student should undergo regular reviews of their progress, including a review in the first year of registration. This will be overseen by the Graduate Studies Committee of the academic unit in which the student is registered, as described in the policy document: The Roles of Graduate Studies Committees and the Operation of Progress Reviews for Research Students. Please note an extension to MD study will not be granted unless a student has undergone a satisfactory progress review and outlined a plan for completion.

Examination

The regulations and procedures for the conduct of the MD examination can be found in the Procedures for Submission and Examination of MD Degrees in University College Cork.

MD by Prior Published Work

General

This is an entry route for the MD award. In the case of a graduate who wishes to submit a thesis for the degree of MD which is based solely on published work, then a reduced registration period (with a minimum period of one year) will be allowed. Furthermore, the published work must relate to a single theme, then the applicant, following the guidance of a UCC supervisor(s), can complete a publication based thesis and present it for examination in the normal manner. Please also see General MD Regulations.

Admission

  1. Potential applicants for the degree of MD through prior published work must have obtained a standard of at least Second Class Honours, Grade I, in an approved Medical degree, or possess relevant professional and clinical experience to allow them to be considered under the University's policy for Recognition of Prior Learning for Admission to Research Degrees. At least three years must elapse from the date of obtaining the degree of Bachelor of Medicine.
  2. In order to be considered for the MD through the entry mechanism of prior published work, a candidate should demonstrate a coherent theme in the publications that will form the basis of the MD thesis. A prospective candidate must lodge with the University, through the School of Medicine's Postgraduate Affairs Committee, and its Chairperson:
    • A Curriculum Vitae;
    • Four copies of each published work;
    • A summary of the contribution to knowledge represented by the published output;
    • A statement identifying where and when the research contributing to the published output was undertaken;
    • In cases where any work to be considered has been written in collaboration with other persons, the candidate shall submit a statement quantifying their contribution to the formulation, execution, analysis and publication of the research;
    • Statements from any co-authors: If the published work, or any part of it, appears under the names of more than one author, the candidate shall obtain a statement from the co-author(s), indicating as precisely as possible the contribution made by the candidate. Four copies of each of these original statements must also be lodged.
  3. The application will be considered by the School of Medicine's Postgraduate Affairs Committee who may invite the applicant to present in person their research, which will allow any issues to be clarified through questions. The Postgraduate Affairs Committee will determine whether the published works submitted prima facie constitutes a qualification for the MD degree. In forming a judgment the Postgraduate Affairs Committee may take account of the general criteria for the award of a MD.
  4. The Postgraduate Affairs Committee may consult with the Professor of the Discipline and external experts in arriving at their decision.
  5. The Postgraduate Affairs Committee will determine the appropriate registration period.

Supervision

  1. The Head of Department/School will nominate the staff to supervise the completion of the candidate's publication based thesis, following consultation with the Departmental/School Graduate Studies Committee. This would normally be the staff member who is supervising/supervised the actual researcher and is senior author on any publications accruing from the work. The name of the supervisor(s) should be forwarded when the candidate's name is submitted to College for approval.
  2. The publication based thesis for the degree must be prepared, under the direction of the supervisor(s).

Examination

The regulations and procedures for the conduct of the MD examination can be found in the Procedures for Submission and Examination of MD Degrees in University College Cork.