About the Department of Surgery
Central to our research strategy in the Department of Surgery is a strong clinical emphasis and a shared mission to improve the surgical management of disease through basic and translational research, together with clinical trials. Our ‘bench to bedside’ focus links laboratory work to applied clinical research and a key feature of the Department is the close integration of University and NHS surgeons. Our clinical themes are transplantation, trauma and orthopaedic surgery, and urology, which are aligned to world class underpinning research strengths in stem cell medicine, immunology, organ perfusion, cell biology and surgical oncology.
We are committed to high-quality education, including clinical and non-clinical students, at undergraduate and postgraduate levels. We look to train the next generation of academic surgeons and enjoy a large and vibrant academic surgical training programme including Specialised Foundation Doctors, Academic Clinical Fellows and Clinical Lecturers. We collaborate widely within the School of Clinical Medicine, more widely across the University, and externally, both nationally and internationally.
3 course(s) offered in the Department of Surgery
Medical Science (Surgery) - MPhil
We offer our MPhil degree full-time over 12 months or part-time over 24 months. This is a research-based degree during which students undertake a research project and produce a thesis. Assessment is by oral examination based on the thesis and a broader knowledge of the chosen area of research.
The research area and supervisors should be confirmed prior to the application process. All students will have a principal supervisor and an adviser, and alongside regular progress meetings, day-to-day support will be provided within the research team.
Surgery - PhD
Our PhD course is a three to four years full-time, or five to seven years part-time research-based course.
The research area and supervisors should be confirmed prior to the application process. All students will have a principal supervisor and an adviser, and alongside regular progress meetings, day-to-day support will be provided within the research team.
At the end of their course, students produce a thesis of 60,000 words maximum, followed by an oral examination based on both their thesis and a broader knowledge of their chosen area of research.
Candidates wishing to take a shorter course of research may apply for the MPhil in Medical Sciences, which is also examined by thesis and viva voce.
Surgery - MCHIR
The Master of Surgery (MChir) by thesis is a part-time research degree which is open to clinicians only and serves an important role in the development of the career of trainee surgeons, affording them an opportunity to carry out academic research, in a clinical (or laboratory) setting across a broad range of departments and faculties.
Applicants for the MChir must be medically qualified. This degree is aimed at rotational trainee surgeons in the East of England, who rotate through Cambridge University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust (CUH), who would like to formalise research experience during clinical training. Similarly, it would provide an opportunity for clinical surgical fellows, for example those attached to CUH for 1-2 years, to undertake translational research in Addenbrooke's and have this recognised by the University of Cambridge.
Applicants should aim to confirm the support of a Cambridge University academic supervisor in advance of making their formal application. The degree supports an interdisciplinary approach. Supervisory teams can be drawn from different areas of the University (e.g. departments within the Schools of Clinical Medicine and Biological Sciences and the Department of Engineering) as well as clinicians working within the Cambridge University Health Partnership (CUHP) or other health trusts within the East of England.
Applicants are asked to submit a detailed research proposal with their application.
Like the MPhil by Research, the MChir is examined by thesis and viva. The minimum period before which a thesis can be submitted is one year, and the maximum period before which it must be submitted is four years. Generally, students should expect to study for a minimum of two years. It is only under exceptional circumstances that a student would be permitted to submit their thesis after only one year - this would be discussed with your proposed supervisor prior to making your application.
2 course(s) also advertised in the Department of Surgery
MD (Doctor of Medicine) - MD
From the Faculty of Clinical Medicine
The MD degree is a doctorate, specific to the University of Cambridge, awarded to clinicians who undertake an extended period of scientific research into the science, art, or history of medicine. It provides an opportunity for doctors to receive recognition of research achievement within an approved academic programme.
The MD programme, on a par academically with the PhD, spans a maximum of six years on a part-time basis, allowing candidates to undertake their research alongside clinical or other responsibilities, at the end of which their thesis is examined by Viva. Any candidate working in a Cambridge University Health Partner institution will be assigned a University supervisor and will become a registered student of the University and a member of one of the Colleges. Any candidate intending to work at an institution outside Cambridge must already hold a Cambridge primary degree and must apply to take the MD by Special Regulations.
National Institutes of Health Oxford/Cambridge Programme NIH Ox/Cam - PhD
From the Department of Medicine
This innovative programme was established in 2002 as a collaboration between the University of Cambridge and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) in the US. Its aim is to train outstanding students in biomedical research, taking advantage of the excellent research environments in Cambridge and the US. Students work on collaborative projects organised by co-supervisors in Cambridge and the NIH, spending two years at each institution. Students have access to all NIH facilities and are paid by the NIH. The PhD is awarded by the University of Cambridge.