Subject Guide to Medicine & Healthcare

Family and Personal Care Services Health Studies Medicine (General and Para-medical)

Medicine and Healthcare Postgrad Programs A Masters in Medicine and Healthcare can help you to decide if you want to pursue a career in medicine (ie as a doctor) or pursue an alternative career in another aspect of medicine and healthcare. To do a masters degree in this area, you will need to demonstrate a keen interest in the field, and this can be done by having a previous undergraduate degree in medicine or one of the sciences.

There is a whole range of specialisms within the area of medicine and healthcare, which can be surgical, clinical – for example biomedical science – or related to a specific area of illness or disease. If there is a specific topic you are interested in, then you should check to see if there is a masters program in this particular field. This can be done by using our course search facility to see what postgraduate programs are available. It may also be a good idea to use a search engine like Google to get some idea of what courses are out there.

Degree programs in health will cover a variety of different aspect of healthcare. Unlike a medical degree program, a healthcare course will focus more on the emotional and practical sides of health – and students may be accepted onto a healthcare program without a science background. Healthcare programs will often teach students skills in organisation, management and planning, and when studied at masters level are ideal for those students wishing to pursue a career in hospital management.

Areas of study

Here are some of the more popular areas of study within the field of Medicine and Health Care

Cancer Research

An area of vital importance and one incredibly worthy of postgraduate study is that of cancer research. Some of the most up-to-date research in this field of anywhere in the world is being done right here in the UK. Research degrees will include looking at genetic, molecular and environmental factors in causation and the development latest preventative and treatment protocols.

Biomedical Research

The field of biomedical research is one of the most promising areas of medicine in terms of potential medical breakthroughs the field has the potential to produce that could have a massive impact on lives across the world. As such a postgraduate degree in biomedical research is becoming a particularly popular destination for both medics and science graduates. This type of postgraduate study tends to start off at a masters level, with a large percentage of those who commence biomedical research masters taking it onto PhD study..

Neuroscience Research

An excellent choice within the field of medicine is that of neuroscience. A huge percentage of the NHS budget is taken up with neurological problems including Parkinson’s Disease, Motor Neurone Disease, Dementia, Autism, Multiple Sclerosis, Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder. As such, a large percentage of the UK’s overall medical research funding is being directed in this area. Programs include masters degrees focusing on Integrative Neuroscience, Neurodegeneration and Mental Health, as well as more specialised PhDs which will likely lead on to research careers.

Conversion to Medicine

Medical careers continue to be one of the most popular conversion routes for postgraduate students across the UK. Approximately twelve of the UK’s universities offer these type of course, which tends to last between four and five years. They normally demand a minimum of a 2.1 degree in a hard science subject for you to be considered.

Global health

Global Health is an expanding and wide-ranging subject that encompasses students from all sorts of backgrounds including medicine, other health professionals and those working in the humanitarian sector. Postgraduate courses in this field are often interdisciplinary and can have academic staff from areas as diverse as medicine, geography, and education all involved in research and teaching. You can find out more about studying Global Health postgraduate programs here.

Find postgraduate programs in HEALTH STUDIES

Types of postgraduate qualifications

There is a variety of postgraduate qualifications you can do in medicine and health, including Masters of Science/Clinical Masters (MSc), Research Masters (MRes), Masters of Education (MEd), Masters of Public Health (MPH) and PhDs. To embark on PhD study, you will first require a masters qualification.

Entry requirements

To pursue postgraduate studies within the UK, you will be required to have done an undergraduate degree, in which you have obtained 2:1. Some courses and institutions may not require a 2:1 but for postgrad study it is the norm. You should email the course administrator to enquire further.

For postgrad study in the UK and Europe, you will be required to have taken English fluency tests such as IELTS and to achieve a certain score to study a masters degree. Please go to your preferred university website for further details on this.

You will also have to demonstrate your interest in medicine and explain why you want to study in this field. This can be done by giving details of any previous qualifications or jobs.

Career prospects for medical postgraduates

Doctor

To become a doctor, you will need to demonstrate an interest in patient care, show experience of working in the medical field, and achieve excellent academic grades. This is a much respected career, taking up to five years to complete in the UK and sometimes even longer in other universities across mainland Europe. Becoming a doctor can be a long process and involves many postgraduate training years, but it is a very worthwhile and rewarding career.

Surgeon

Becoming a surgeon is also a long process, longer than becoming a doctor. It is also still highly male dominated and breaking down the gender barriers can be somewhat difficult, but not impossible. Interestingly, if you become a surgeon, you will lose your Doctor title and instead become a Mr or Miss/Mrs! Becoming a surgeon will allow you to work in an area of interest for you such as cardiology, ENT, etc.

Medical Researcher

There may be some of you who prefer the research side of medicine, rather than the practical part. Becoming a specialist researcher in your area of interest will enable you to dig deeper into a specialist area and exercise your expertise to find new cures for diseases and make use of new resources.

Physician Assistant or Physician Associate

The term physician assistant and physician associate refer to the same medical role, it is a well-trained healthcare professional who provides crucial support required by doctors, GPs, surgeons, etc, and has direct contact with the patients. A physician associate can diagnose illnesses, manage them and even develop treatment plans with and for the patients. Physician associates can also prescribe medications to patients.

European universities specialising in medical programs

When it comes to studying medicine and healthcare at a European university your choices are vast, and to start you off in your search, we’ve listed a couple of highly-ranked European universities that specialise in medicine in Europe, with some details about what master’s degrees are offered. However please bear in mind that this is just three institutions in a continent that offers literally hundreds of top quality higher education institutions.

Imperial College London, United Kingdom

Imperial College London is widely known across the UK and has some of the best facilities for pursuing a master’s degree in medicine. This university has a whole range of master’s of sciences, clinical masters and research-based masters programs in a variety of different medical-related topics. Topics covered include cardiology, surgical, cancer, allergy, molecular medicine and more. An MSc program at Imperial College London will be highly competitive but will offer you both theoretical and practical work.

University of Oxford, United Kingdom

The University of Oxford is globally renowned and has an acclaimed Medical Sciences department. A world leader in its genetics, immunology and epidemiology programs, it also has a wide range of masters degree programs in the field of medicine such as Biochemistry, Psychology, Pathology, Paediatrics and more. It will be extremely competitive to apply for these courses so be sure you have enough experience and academics achievements in this area.

Université Pierre et Marie Curie (UPMC), France

UPMC is one of the best medical schools in France and is well-known across Europe. The university, which is based in Paris, is the largest medical facility in France and has been ranked as one of the top universities in the world. This university will give you a great insight into the medical field and offer you world-class training to pursue a career in medicine.

American universities specialising in medical programs

The United States is renowned for its exceptional medical institutions, attracting students from around the world seeking excellent education and medical training. Here we have details on some of the best medical schools in the US – read our article on the Top 8 Medical Universities in the USA for more information.

Harvard University, Boston, Massachusetts

Harvard University School of Medicine, in Boston, Massachusetts, is renowned for its exceptional medical education. Harvard is ranked as one of the top universities in the USA, consistently ranking amongst the top five world universities. Harvard’s School of Medicine features a rigorous curriculum, renowned faculty and cutting-edge research programs, preparing students to become leaders in the medical field.

Stanford University, California

Stanford University School of Medicine in California focuses on interdisciplinary programs such as Biomedical Informatics and Bioengineering, Stanford helps bring together medicine, technology and other fields. This approach gives students the skills to address the evolving, unique challenges of modern healthcare.

Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland

Recognised globally for its leadership in medical research and patient care, Johns Hopkins University (JHU) School of Medicine in Baltimore, Maryland consistently ranks among the top medical institutions in the world. JHU has a strong focus on translational medicine, which aims to bridge the gap between scientific discoveries and their practical applications.

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