International Masters Programmes in Trauma Sciences - Prospectus

Overview

Barts and the London School of Medicine, Queen Mary University of London; TRAUMA.ORG and the Royal College of Surgeons of England are pleased to announce the start of two innovative new Masters programmes - A Masters in Trauma Sciences and a Masters in Trauma Sciences (Military & Austere).

These international Masters programmes are delivered in a modern e-learning environment as part-time distance-learning courses over two years. The course is tailored to the needs of international graduates from all healthcare and health sciences backgrounds. We are building these courses to provide high-quality learning no matter where you are in the world, and to develop the leaders of the future in the science and practice of trauma.

Masters in Trauma Sciences

Trauma is one of the world’s biggest killers and is responsible for the loss of more life-years than any other disease. All countries recognise the importance of trauma to their health care systems. Many countries are actively pursuing rationalization and specialization programmes. This distance-learning course will provide you with a broad and critical understanding of the most up-to-date science and practice of trauma care. A summer school incorporating simulated scenario training (consistent with your scope of practice) will complement the didactic learning to provide practical knowledge and experience of decision-making and the safe, professional delivery of core clinical functions in the management of seriously injured patients.

Masters in Trauma Sciences (Military & Austere)

War is predicted to be the sixth leading cause of death by 2020 and humanitarian disasters are rife across the world. Opportunities for the training of military trauma care specialists are extremely limited, and many defence agencies rely on the deployment situation as the primary training for their personnel. All countries, developed and developing recognise the importance of trauma to their health care systems. With global disasters, humanitarian crises and mass casualty events on the rise, the importance of specialist training in the science and management of these events is increasingly important.

This distance-learning course will provide you with a broad and critical understanding of the most up-to-date science and practice of trauma care in these environments. A summer school incorporating simulated scenario training (consistent with your scope of practice) will complement the didactic learning to provide practical knowledge and experience of decision-making and the safe, professional delivery of core clinical functions in the management of seriously injured patients.

Educational Aims of the Programmes

The aim of the courses is to ensure that graduates have acquired a broad and critical understanding of the science and practice of trauma care. Graduates will have developed the knowledge, technical skills, decision-making and professionalism to safely deliver a core set of clinical functions in the management of injured patients, consistent with their scope of practice. During the course of the programme participants will develop a critical understanding of the science of trauma, including:

• Trauma epidemiology, types of mechanism of injury, the systemic, immunological and metabolic response to injury and blood loss, the basic processes of wound healing and scarring.
• Ability to demonstrate a scientific and evidence-based approach to professional activities principles of initial and ongoing fluid resuscitation, transfusion practice and use of blood products.
• The scientific and evidence-based approach to professional activities, indications and diagnostic limitations of special investigations, non-invasive imaging techniques and monitoring equipment.
• Principles of triage, treatment priorities, techniques and evidence for use in the pre-hospital arena, emergency department, theatre, intensive-care and ward environments.
• The principles and application of damage control strategies in Trauma and related pathologies.
• Demonstrate a critical understanding of organ and system-specific injuries, their operative and non-operative treatments, and complications thereof and apply the appropriate clinical, diagnostic and procedural skills;
• Demonstrate through reflective practice on case-studies (where appropriate), the integration of current clinical skills with new knowledge of the principles of rehabilitation medicine with respect to trauma.
• Apply the principles of critical care, ventilation, organ support and the physiology of SIRS, MODS and other relevant pathophysiological states.

Participants will develop a strong transferable skill set and will:

• Understand the organisation of trauma systems, trauma registry management, trauma scoring systems, clinical governance and quality assurance.
• Understand the principles of injury prevention with the ability to work effectively within relevant healthcare systems and teams, engaging effectively with the cultural and social environment in which trauma science is practised.
• Undertake, with critical awareness, analysis of complex, incomplete,‘cutting edge’ or contradictory areas of key research and applicable research methodologies associated with injury and shock.
• Develop team and leadership skills applicable to trauma care enabling the application of appropriate clinical, diagnostic and procedural measures.
• Undertake a scientific and evidence-based approach to prepare a dissertation related to the organisation of trauma care in their home country/region.
• Work effectively within relevant healthcare systems and teams, engaging effectively with the cultural and social environment in which Trauma medicine is practised.
• Undertake, with critical awareness, analysis of complex, incomplete, ‘cutting edge’ or contradictory areas of clinical and scientific knowledge for implementation of a research project in Trauma science and medicine

Practically, the participants will be able to:

• Make decisions in complex and unpredictable situations for the immediate management of trauma patients.
• Act autonomously in planning and implementing tasks for the resuscitation and management of trauma patients.
• Demonstrate a detailed systematic knowledge, critical awareness and application of the principles of mass casualty management.
• Synthesise information in a manner that may be innovative, utilizing knowledge or processes from the forefront of the discipline/practice and from a wide range of sources to undertake a dissertation.

Participants will be encouraged to reflect on own learning and training styles, and hence identify own training needs and personal strengths and weaknesses.

Course Structure

The Trauma Sciences postgraduate programmes are structured as distance learning part-time course taken over two years. The first year comprises a taught course culminating in a 2-week summer school on the Queen Mary campus. The second year consists of a final dissertation project.

Year One

In the first year, the programme is taught over three semesters. Structured around 6 modules plus the summer school. Each module is worth 15 credits except where otherwise indicated. Each module includes the formative and summative assessment.

Seven out of eight modules are compulsory. The first six modules will be taught in the predefined order. The structure of the first two semester of the programme is fixed and no alternative pathways are possible. In the third semester students will have the opportunity to choose one of the two offered elective modules. Students will choose by considering which one is the most suitable for their career development plan. After completion of the elective module, a compulsory Research Module is taught. This module is a prerequisite for the dissertation project which has to be completed by the end of the second year of study.

Semester 1

1. Trauma: The Disease
2. Haemorrhage and the Response to Injury
3. Torso Trauma

Semester 2

4. Brain & Spinal Cord Injury
5. Critical Care & Trauma
6. Fracture Biology & Extremity Trauma

Semester 3

One optional module of either:

7A. Burns & Wound healing
7B. Trauma Nursing
7C. Military & Austere Trauma - Leading to a Masters in Trauma Sciences (Military & Austere)

8. Research Methods

Summer School

The 2-week summer school will have to be completed at the end of summer term of the first year of study and attendance is mandatory. The programme will be tailored towards students but will include practical courses in trauma surgery as well as group discussions and practical skills labs. Skills labs will take place at on the Queen Mary Campus and in the Eagle education centre at the Royal College of Surgeons of England.

Year Two

Students willing to obtain a MSc degree must complete the second year of study by delivering the final dissertation project (60 credits). The dissertation project will be carried out independently by the student.

Course Delivery

The programme will be entirely delivered online, via online web content, video presentations, asynchronous case-based discussions and open-forum sessions. The majority of the learning resources for this programme will be hosted on the Trauma.Org website which is the primary site for trauma health care professionals and was founded by Karim Brohi for trauma education & community services worldwide.

The Virtual Learning Environment [Blackboard] of QMUL will be the platform for the programme and will include learning materials, on-line discussions, assessments andgiving feedback on student coursework assessments. This resource will also be used to track student engagement activity; course management; tutorial and pastoral support; provision of come content and linking to the content hosted on Trauma.Org.

Blackboard will be the primary means of delivering the course, and the primary learning content will be hosted on Trauma.Org. The Trauma.Org content will be linked to Blackboard, and will thus be situated in the context of learning activities. Further guidance will be sought from the Head of E-Learning (Sam Brenton) as this programme is developed.

The total notional study time for each module is calculated to be 150 hours, divided between student independent time (120 hours) and student/lecturer interaction time (30 hours).

The contact time with the students is approximately 30 hours for each module. Different methods to deliver course content will be chosen to provide the best possible learning experience to students. The following methods will be used to deliver the course contents:

• Lectures: lectures will be delivered by members of the faculty (average two hours time per lecture). Power point presentation will be available to students. When needed, lectures will be followed by a online discussion group. Considering different time zones, lectures will also be recorded and uploaded into the system to be available as podcast.

• Seminars: specific topics will be analyzed in dedicated seminars. Seminars will be delivered in real time. Time will be set so to accommodate students participating from different location and time zone. Discussion will be encouraged and an up to date review of specific topic will be accomplished.

• Clinical case discussion: held via email discussion group or video conference sessions. Each student will be encouraged to participate.

• Printable PDFs and videos: especially linked to the Trauma.org website.

• Weekly reading list: students will be supplied with a selection of articles, journals and new relevant updates to the topic in an electronic format.

• Online discussion groups with a member of the faculty available to answer questions submitted via the Blackboard.

Students will be asked to work together and to discuss different topics with each other in a culture of open learning. This open discussion sessions are intended to create an intellectually stimulating environment and to facilitate interaction and group relationships between the students.

The materials for each module will be uploaded via Blackboard the day of the session. Students will also have the opportunity to access the QMUL online library. This provides access to a considerable number of e journals and key reference books.

The full MSc programme comprises 8 distance-taught modules (to the total value of 120 credits) & a Summer School in year 1 with a dissertation (equivalent to 60 credits) undertaken in their second year of study, with each credit contributing equally to the final mark (0.56% of the final mark). A 15 credit module represents therefore 8.4%, 120 credits represent 67.2%, and the Research Methods module/Dissertation, worth 60 credits, represents 33.6%.

Awards will be classified according to the Academic Regulations – i.e.:

• College Mark of 70.0% to 100.0% and a Module Mark of 65.0% or more in Dissertation to get a Distinction
• College Mark of 65.0% or more to get a Merit
• College Mark of 50.0% to 64.9% to get a Pass

Students who satisfactorily pass the 120-credit taught modules (minimum 50% pass each) will be eligible to proceed to the 60-credit year 2 Dissertation module. Likewise the QMUL regulations for Masters programme regarding condoned failure of modules (i.e. up to 30 credits condoned fails) will also be allowed.

The award of the degree will be made only when all modules are satisfactorily completed. In the event of a candidate achieving an average score of <50% for the taught modules, the candidate may take a single re-sit of the required module(s) during the next academic year. Re-sits will be capped at 50%.

The form of assessments will reflect the nature of the material that is studied, but will normally include:

• Critique of research literature
• Practical assessments in the research methodologies and clinical setting /portfolio-based assessments
• Written evaluative assignments
• Written examinations

Modules will largely be appraised by remote examination whereas written coursework will be submitted online for assessment. This will be set, collected and marked in Blackboard, and marks and feedback relayed to students in the same environment.

We will be guided by College regulations regarding the written examinations [e.g. 2-hours] and in-course assessments [word count, e.g. 2000 words] for a 15-credit level 7 module. For the Masters component: a Dissertation [10,000 words]

Entry Requirements

• Medical degree or Nursing degree (2.1 or higher)
• Overseas qualifications at degree level from a university or an institution of university rank
• Suitable professional experience and expertise
• Computer skills and access to suitable PC facilities (with microphone, webcam, broadband connection to the internet)
• International students must provide evidence of proficiency in English

Tuition Fees

For September 2011 entry, annual tuition fees in UK pounds sterling are:

UK and EU students: £4250 / year
International students: £7500 / year

Contact

To apply please see http://www.qmul.ac.uk/postgraduate/applyfortaughtprogrammes/index.html

Deadline for applications is 20th September 2011 (Course start date 5th October 2011).

For more information please contact

Dr. Sara Tacci
Trauma Sciences
Blizard Institute
Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry
4 Newark Street, Whitechapel, London E1 2AT

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tel: +44 20 7882 2283
Fax: +44 20 7882 2180

Samantha Rose-Bucknor
Teaching Administrator
Centre for Neuroscience and Trauma
Blizard Institute
Barts and The London School of Medicine & Dentistry
4 Newark Street, London, E1 2AT

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Tel: +44 20 7882 2288

Professor Karim Brohi
Trauma Sciences
Blizard Institute
Barts & the London School of Medicine & Dentistry
& TRAUMA.ORG

Email: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) or .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

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