The Bodleian, Sheldonian and Clarendon buildings at sunset
The Sheldonian and Bodleian at sunset
(Image credit: Sheng Peng (DPhil in Molecular and Cellular Medicine) / Graduate Photography Competition)

Doctor of Medicine (DM)

About the course

The Doctor of Medicine is a flexible, variable intensity, clinical research-based doctorate. You will pursue research that is in synergy with your medical practice. The degree will provide you with research skills, in-depth knowledge, understanding and expertise in your chosen field of research.

To apply to this course you must be medically-qualified (registered with the UK General Medical Council) and employed at the time of application at ST1 grade or above (including those who have completed their training) within the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, or in Primary Care within Oxfordshire.

This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly. For this course, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes where it has been provided.  Please carefully read the instructions concerning submission of your CV/résumé in the How to apply section of this page, as well as the full details about this pilot.

The Doctor of Medicine is a highly distinctive degree. It is flexible enough to allow you to study part-time for some parts of your degree and full-time for others, to balance time for Doctor of Medicine degree work with your professional duties (milestones will be set accordingly).

Your Doctor of Medicine project will be in synergy with your clinical work, but may be undertaken across the whole spectrum of medical science from basic biology to clinical therapies. Prior work, judged to be of adequate academic rigour and coherence with the Doctor of Medicine project by the Doctor of Medicine committee, may be included in your thesis.

At the start of the course, you will be placed in a host department within the University's Medical Sciences Division depending on the match between your research and the departmental expertise. Your admission to the Doctor of Medicine degree will be overseen by the Doctor of Medicine committee. At the commencement of the degree you will be expected to establish a clear work plan and timeline for your research.

You will be encouraged to attend lectures and seminars related to your programme of research and make the most of the doctoral training and research methods provision available across the Medical Sciences Division. The aim is to tailor this training to individual needs and bring all students up to a satisfactory level in background knowledge. Your later training is focused on the skills required for a successful career in independent clinical research.

You will need to ensure that your available time for study not only allows your research to progress but also permits you to attend any training that may be necessary for your research (or desirable for the development of transferable skills).

As an alternative route to undertaking research work, the Doctor of Medicine committee may, exceptionally, permit applicants to present an integrated thesis with an introduction and conclusion, drawing together a series of publications that represent a substantial body of original research, and submit this to be considered for the award of the degree.

In exceptional cases, if progress towards the Doctor of Medicine degree is inadequate, students may be admitted to study for the MSc by Research degree following initial assessment for Transfer of Status from probationary to DM status (see the Assessment section below for further details).

Doctor of Medicine students will be exempt from residency requirements. These are replaced by the employment requirements which are deemed to allow access to appropriate supervisory arrangements.

Supervision

The allocation of graduate supervision for this course is the responsibility of the Medical Sciences Board's Doctor of Medicine committee and it is not always possible to accommodate the preferences of incoming graduate students to work with a particular member of staff.

You will be expected to propose supervisors at the point of application. The Doctor of Medicine committee will adjudicate on their suitability and where necessary appoint co-supervisors in liaison with departmental Directors of Graduate Studies.

It is anticipated that you will meet monthly or termly with your supervisor, depending on the intensity of study you are undertaking and the relationship between the research project and your clinical environment.

Assessment

Students will be admitted to the course as a Probationer Research Student (PRS) and will transfer to the status of Doctor of Medicine student after successfully completing their Transfer of Status milestone. Students will subsequently be assessed for their Confirmation of Status milestone. The timing of relevant milestones will be established when a workplan is agreed at the commencement of this course of study. Assessment as having made inadequate progress at Transfer of Status may result in registration instead for the degree of MSc by Research.

Doctor of Medicine students must submit a thesis not exceeding 50,000 words that details the original research they have undertaken in the context of their overall field of study.   

At the end of the programme, Doctor of Medicine students will produce a written thesis, followed by an oral examination based on both this and a broader knowledge of their chosen area of research.

Graduate destinations

All Doctor of Medicine students will be medical graduates currently employed in clinical positions, and as such will already be highly employable. However, obtaining a Doctor of Medicine degree is likely to further enhance their professional standing and open up a range of opportunities as clinical academics. The return to clinical practice after completing a research degree is an important time in determining the future career path for clinical trainees. For all, research experience will enhance and refresh their professional practice. For many, there will also be a question of how best to retain their research activity and status. Oxford has a proven track record of developing clinical academics through the Oxford University Clinical Academic Graduate School.

Changes to this course and your supervision

The University will seek to deliver this course in accordance with the description set out in this course page. However, there may be situations in which it is desirable or necessary for the University to make changes in course provision, either before or after registration. The safety of students, staff and visitors is paramount and major changes to delivery or services may have to be made in circumstances of a pandemic (including Covid-19), epidemic or local health emergency. In addition, in certain circumstances, for example due to visa difficulties or because the health needs of students cannot be met, it may be necessary to make adjustments to course requirements for international study.

Where possible your academic supervisor will not change for the duration of your course. However, it may be necessary to assign a new academic supervisor during the course of study or before registration for reasons which might include illness, sabbatical leave, parental leave or change in employment.

For further information please see our page on changes to courses and the provisions of the student contract regarding changes to courses.

Other courses you may wish to consider

If you're thinking about applying for this course, you may also wish to consider the courses listed below, which provide alternative part-time routes to a doctoral qualification in the medical sciences.

Clinical Epidemiology and Medical Statistics DPhil
Clinical Medicine DPhil
Clinical Neurosciences DPhil
Evidence-Based Health Care DPhil
Experimental Psychology DPhil
Medical Sciences DPhil
Molecular and Cellular Medicine DPhil
Musculoskeletal Sciences DPhil
Population Health DPhil
Primary Health Care DPhil
Psychiatry DPhil
Translational Health Sciences DPhil
Women's and Reproductive Health DPhil

Entry requirements for entry in 2023-24

To apply to this course you must be medically-qualified (registered with the UK General Medical Council) and employed at the time of application at ST1 grade or above (including those who have completed their training) within the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, or in Primary Care within Oxfordshire.

Proven and potential academic excellence

Degree-level qualifications

As a minimum, applicants should hold or be predicted to achieve the following UK qualifications or their equivalent:

  • a first-class or strong upper second-class undergraduate degree with honours in Medicine; and
  • ongoing registration with the UK General Medical Council.

For applicants with a degree from the USA, the minimum GPA sought is 3.5 out of 4.0.

If your degree is not from the UK or another country specified above, visit our International Qualifications page for guidance on the qualifications and grades that would usually be considered to meet the University’s minimum entry requirements.

GRE General Test scores

No Graduate Record Examination (GRE) or GMAT scores are sought.

Other qualifications, evidence of excellence and relevant experience

Evidence of excellence in the area of clinical practice that is in synergy with the research project will be an advantage. 

Relevant experience  in the area of clinical practice that is in synergy with the research project will be a pre-requisite.

Relevant publications will be an advantage to all applicants.

It would be expected that graduate applicants would be familiar with the recent published work of their proposed supervisor and have an understanding of the background to the proposed area of study.

Candidates for the Doctor of Medicine degree who are post-graduate doctors in training will need to arrange their research workplan in conjunction with the relevant authorities overseeing their clinical training (Health Education England/NHS England) and where appropriate arrange to have a period of time 'Out of Programme'.

Candidates for the Doctor of Medicine degree, whether in training or in substantive posts, will need to make appropriate arrangements with their employers to ensure they have enough flexibility in their clinical duties to undertake this programme of research successfully.     

English language proficiency

This course requires proficiency in English at the University's standard level. If your first language is not English, you may need to provide evidence that you meet this requirement. The minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level are detailed in the table below.

Minimum scores required to meet the University's standard level requirement
TestMinimum overall scoreMinimum score per component
IELTS Academic (Institution code: 0713) 7.06.5

TOEFL iBT, including the 'Home Edition'

(Institution code: 0490)

100Listening: 22
Reading: 24
Speaking: 25
Writing: 24
C1 Advanced*185176
C2 Proficiency185176

*Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Advanced English or Cambridge English: Advanced (CAE)
Previously known as the Cambridge Certificate of Proficiency in English or Cambridge English: Proficiency (CPE)

Your test must have been taken no more than two years before the start date of your course. Our Application Guide provides further information about the English language test requirement.

Declaring extenuating circumstances

If your ability to meet the entry requirements has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic (eg you were awarded an unclassified/ungraded degree) or any other exceptional personal circumstance (eg other illness or bereavement), please refer to the guidance on extenuating circumstances in the Application Guide for information about how to declare this so that your application can be considered appropriately.

References

You will need to register three referees who can give an informed view of your academic ability and suitability for the course. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the types of reference that are required in support of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Supporting documents

You will be required to supply supporting documents with your application, including an official transcript and a CV/résumé. The How to apply section of this page provides details of the supporting documents that are required as part of your application for this course and how these will be assessed.

Performance at interview

The timetable for the majority of interviews will be aligned as closely as possible with recruitment for postgraduate research courses in the Medical Sciences Division. Interviews may be held on termly basis if the course remains open to applications after the March deadline.

By preference, interviews will be conducted in person, but when this is not possible interviews will be conducted online. Normally the interview will consist of a seven-minute presentation of the proposed project, supervisory arrangements and workplan by the applicant, followed by 15-25 minutes of questioning from the panel. There will usually be a minimum of two to three academics on the interview panel.

Supporting documents will be considered as part of the interview shortlisting process and the assessment criteria for these can be found in the How to apply section of this page. Questions arising from the Doctor of Medicine committee's deliberations on your application may be directed to you for a response (eg requesting clarification about the methods, sample size, the extent of the applicant’s role, etc) either in writing or as part of the interview process.

How your application is assessed

Your application will be assessed purely on your proven and potential academic excellence and other entry requirements published under that heading. References and supporting documents submitted as part of your application, and your performance at interview (if interviews are held) will be considered as part of the assessment process.

An overview of the shortlisting and selection process is provided below. Our 'After you apply' pages provide more information about how applications are assessed

Shortlisting and selection

Students are considered for shortlisting and selected for admission without regard to age, disability, gender reassignment, marital or civil partnership status, pregnancy and maternity, race (including colour, nationality and ethnic or national origins), religion or belief (including lack of belief), sex, sexual orientation, as well as other relevant circumstances including parental or caring responsibilities or social background. However, please note the following:

  • socio-economic information may be taken into account in the selection of applicants and award of scholarships for courses that are part of the University’s pilot selection procedure and for scholarships aimed at under-represented groups;
  • country of ordinary residence may be taken into account in the awarding of certain scholarships; and
  • protected characteristics may be taken into account during shortlisting for interview or the award of scholarships where the University has approved a positive action case under the Equality Act 2010.

Whether or not you have secured funding will not be taken into consideration when your application is assessed.

Initiatives to improve access to graduate study

This course is taking part in a continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications, in order to ensure that all candidates are evaluated fairly. For this course, the socio-economic data you provide in the application form will be used to contextualise the shortlisting and decision-making processes where it has been provided. Further details about this pilot, which applies to all applicants to this course, can be found in our pilot selection procedures section.

Processing your data for shortlisting and selection

Information about processing special category data for the purposes of positive action and using your data to assess your eligibility for funding, can be found in our Postgraduate Applicant Privacy Policy.

Admissions panels and assessors

All recommendations to admit a student involve the judgement of at least two members of the academic staff with relevant experience and expertise, and must also be approved by the Director of Graduate Studies or Admissions Committee (or equivalent within the department).

Admissions panels or committees will always include at least one member of academic staff who has undertaken appropriate training.

Other factors governing whether places can be offered

The following factors will also govern whether candidates can be offered places:

  • the ability of the University to provide the appropriate supervision for your studies, as outlined under the 'Supervision' heading in the About section of this page;
  • the ability of the University to provide appropriate support for your studies (eg through the provision of facilities, resources, teaching and/or research opportunities); and
  • minimum and maximum limits to the numbers of students who may be admitted to the University's taught and research programmes.

Offer conditions for successful applications

If you receive an offer of a place at Oxford, your offer will outline any conditions that you need to satisfy and any actions you need to take, together with any associated deadlines. These may include academic conditions, such as achieving a specific final grade in your current degree course. These conditions will usually depend on your individual academic circumstances and may vary between applicants. Our After you apply pages provide more information about offers and conditions

In addition to any academic conditions which are set, you will also be required to meet the following requirements:

Financial Declaration

If you are offered a place, you will be required to complete a Financial Declaration in order to meet your financial condition of admission.

Disclosure of criminal convictions

In accordance with the University’s obligations towards students and staff, we will ask you to declare any relevant, unspent criminal convictions before you can take up a place at Oxford.

Resources

As a Doctor of Medicine student, you will be based in one of the constituent departments of the University's Medical Sciences Division. The Medical Sciences Division is an internationally recognised centre of excellence for biomedical and clinical research and teaching, and the largest academic division in the University of Oxford. World-leading programmes, housed in state-of-the-art facilities, cover the full range of scientific endeavour from molecular to population levels. With our NHS partners we also foster the highest possible standards in patient care.

The Medical Sciences Division's website provides detailed information on the facilities of individual departments. All of the Division’s departments are in receipt of Athena SWAN awards that recognise advancement of gender equality: representation, progression and success for all.

Funding

The University expects to be able to offer around 1,000 full or partial graduate scholarships across the collegiate University in 2023-24. You will be automatically considered for the majority of Oxford scholarships, if you fulfil the eligibility criteria and submit your graduate application by the relevant December or January deadline. Most scholarships are awarded on the basis of academic merit and/or potential. 

For further details about searching for funding as a graduate student visit our dedicated Funding pages, which contain information about how to apply for Oxford scholarships requiring an additional application, details of external funding, loan schemes and other funding sources.

Please ensure that you visit individual college websites for details of any college-specific funding opportunities using the links provided on our college pages or below:

Please note that not all the colleges listed above may accept students on this course. For details of those which do, please refer to the College preference section of this page.

Further information about funding opportunities for this course can be found on the Medical Sciences Graduate School website.

Costs

Variable intensity fees

The fees for this course are charged in the same way for all students, regardless of their intensity of study in any given year. Course fees are charged in two parts. You will pay a registration fee (approximately 75% of total fees) at the start of your first year and a submission fee (approximately 25% of total fees) when you submit your thesis. The registration fee will be payable at the rate shown below. The submission fee will be payable at the published rate applicable in the year in which you submit your thesis, which may be higher than the rate shown below.

Fees for the 2023-24 academic year

Fee status

Registration fee

Submission fee

Home £9,120 £3,040
Overseas £9,120 £3,040

Information about course fees

Course fees are payable each year, for the duration of your fee liability (your fee liability is the length of time for which you are required to pay course fees). For courses lasting longer than one year, please be aware that fees will usually increase annually. For details, please see our guidance on changes to fees and charges.

Course fees cover your teaching as well as other academic services and facilities provided to support your studies. Unless specified in the additional information section below, course fees do not cover your accommodation, residential costs or other living costs. They also don’t cover any additional costs and charges that are outlined in the additional information below.

Continuation charges

Following the period of fee liability, you may also be required to pay a University continuation charge and a college continuation charge. The University and college continuation charges are shown on the Continuation charges page.

Where can I find further information about fees?

The Fees and Funding section of this website provides further information about course fees, including information about fee status and eligibility and your length of fee liability.

Additional information

There are no compulsory elements of this course that entail additional costs beyond fees (or, after fee liability ends, continuation charges) and living costs. However, please note that, depending on your choice of research topic and the research required to complete it, you may incur additional expenses, such as travel expenses, research expenses, and field trips. You will need to meet these additional costs, although you may be able to apply for small grants from your department and/or college to help you cover some of these expenses.

Living costs

In addition to your course fees, you will need to ensure that you have adequate funds to support your living costs for the duration of your course.

For the 2023-24 academic year, the range of likely living costs for full-time study is between c. £1,290 and £1,840 for each month spent in Oxford. Full information, including a breakdown of likely living costs in Oxford for items such as food, accommodation and study costs, is available on our living costs page. When planning your finances for any future years of study in Oxford beyond 2023-24, it is suggested that you allow for potential increases in living expenses of 5% or more each year – although this rate may vary significantly depending on how the national economic situation develops. UK inflationary increases will be kept under review and this page updated.

If you are studying part-time your living costs may vary depending on your personal circumstances but you must still ensure that you will have sufficient funding to meet these costs for the duration of your course.

College preference

All graduate students at Oxford belong to a department or faculty and a college or hall (except those taking non-matriculated courses). If you apply for a place on this course you will have the option to express a preference for one of the colleges listed below, or you can ask us to find a college for you. The Colleges section of this website provides information about the college system at Oxford, as well as factors you may wish to consider when deciding whether to express a college preference. Please note that ‘college’ and ‘colleges’ refers to all 45 of the University’s colleges, including those designated as Permanent Private Halls (PPHs). 

For some courses, the department or faculty may have provided some additional advice below to help you to decide. Whatever you decide, it won’t affect how the academic department assesses your application and whether they decide to make you an offer. If your department makes you an offer of a place, you’re guaranteed a place at one of our colleges. 

The following colleges accept students on the Doctor of Medicine:

Can I return to my former Oxford college?

If you'd like to return to your former Oxford college, but it is not included on the list above, you should contact your college office to ask whether they would be willing to make an exception. If your college indicates that it is willing to consider your application please contact Graduate Admissions before applying.

Before you apply

Our guide to getting started provides general advice on how to prepare for and start your application. Check the deadlines on this page and the information about deadlines in our Application Guide. If it's important for you to have your application considered under a particular deadline – eg under a December or January deadline in order to be considered for Oxford scholarships – we recommend that you aim to complete and submit your application at least two weeks in advance.

To apply to this course you must be medically-qualified (registered with the UK General Medical Council) and employed at the time of application at ST1 grade or above (including those who have completed their training) within the University of Oxford, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford Health NHS Foundation Trust, or in Primary Care within Oxfordshire.

Application fee waivers

An application fee of £75 is payable per course application. Application fee waivers are available for the following applicants who meet the eligibility criteria:

  • applicants from low-income countries;
  • refugees and displaced persons; 
  • UK applicants from low-income backgrounds; and 
  • applicants who applied for our Graduate Access Programmes in the past two years and met the eligibility criteria.

You are encouraged to check whether you're eligible for an application fee waiver before you apply.

Readmission for current Oxford graduate taught students

If you're currently studying for an Oxford graduate taught course and apply to this course with no break in your studies, you may be eligible to apply to this course as a readmission applicant. The application fee will be waived for an eligible application of this type. Check whether you're eligible to apply for readmission.

Application fee waivers for eligible associated courses

If you apply to this course and up to two eligible associated courses from our predefined list during the same cycle, you can request an application fee waiver so that you only need to pay one application fee.

Do I need to contact anyone before I apply?

You should identify two relevant supervisors in advance of applying and contact them to discuss their proposed area of Doctor of Medicine research. Where ‘prior work’ is requested to be considered, at least one of the supervisors will be expected to have been involved in its conduct and attest to its quality.

It expected that project ideas will arise in the context of your clinical practice and that in general you will be well placed to identify suitable supervisors. We anticipate that you will have extensive discussions with these prospective supervisors to refine the detailed project proposal prior to formal application.

Prior to application you will also need to gain permission from those you work for clinically and those overseeing any clinical training you are required to undertake to ensure sufficient flexibility to undertake the degree requirements.

Completing your application

You should refer to the information below when completing the application form, paying attention to the specific requirements for the supporting documents. If any document does not meet the specification, including the stipulated word count, your application may be considered incomplete and not assessed by the academic department. Expand each section to show further details.

Proposed field and title of research project

You must enter the project you are applying to under 'Field and title of research project' on the 'Course' tab of the application form.

You should not use this field to type out a full research proposal. You will be able to upload your research supporting materials separately if they are required (as described below).

Proposed supervisor

You should identify two members of staff willing to supervise you with the resources to support your proposed research project, listing them in order or indicating equal preference. Applicants who have not identified a potential supervisor will not be considered.

At least one proposed supervisor should write a reference relating to your application, to attest to the synergy between your proposal and your clinical work and your suitability to undertake this project.

Referees:
Three overall, academic preferred - at least one must be independent of your proposed supervisor(s) 

Whilst you must register three referees, the department may start the assessment of your application if two of the three references are submitted by the course deadline and your application is otherwise complete. Please note that you may still be required to ensure your third referee supplies a reference for consideration.

References should usually be academic, though professional references are acceptable where they relate to work within a research setting.

At least one reference should be provided by a supervisor you have proposed, to attest to the synergy between your proposal and your clinical work and your suitability to undertake this project.

At least one referee must be independent of your proposed supervisor(s). 

Your references will support intellectual ability, academic achievement, motivation, ability to work in a group and the synergy between your proposal and your clinical work and your suitability to undertake this project.

Official transcript(s)

Your transcripts should give detailed information of the individual grades received in your university-level qualifications to date. You should only upload official documents issued by your institution and any transcript not in English should be accompanied by a certified translation.

More information about the transcript requirement is available in the Application Guide.

CV/résumé
Full instructions and link to standard CV creation form

A CV/résumé is compulsory for all applications. You will need to upload a standardised CV to the graduate application form as part of your application. This standardised CV should be generated using the online form that requests certain information that you will likely have included on your CV. Once you have completed the form, you will have 15 minutes to download your CV as a PDF document.

This PDF document will be in the same format for all applicants and you should not modify the document before you upload it, or submit your CV in a different format.

Generate standard CV for DM applicants

Full instructions and a link to the standard CV creation form are provided on the Medical Sciences Division website via the button above. The instructions page contains links to example clinical and non-clinical CVs, with details of what to include and suggested answer formats.

If you require help or advice while generating your CV using the online form, please contact the Medical Sciences Graduate School for assistance (graduate.school@medsci.ox.ac.uk).

You can find more information about the standard CV form on our page that provides details of the continuing pilot programme to improve the selection procedure for graduate applications.

 

Statement of purpose/personal statement and research proposal:
Statement of a maximum of 500 words and a proposal of a maximum of 1,500 words

Statement of purpose/personal statement (maximum 500 words)

You should provide a statement of your research interests, in English, describing how your background and research interests relate to the programme. If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

The statement should focus on academic or research-related achievements and interests rather than personal achievements and interests.

This will be assessed for:

  • your reasons for applying;
  • evidence of motivation for and understanding of the proposed area of study;
  • the ability to present a reasoned case in English;
  • capacity for sustained and focused work; and
  • understanding of problems in the area and ability to construct and defend an argument.

It will be normal for students’ ideas and goals to change in some ways as they undertake their studies, but your personal statement will enable you to demonstrate your current interests and aspirations.

Research proposal (maximum 1,500 words)

You should submit a detailed outline of your proposed research, written in English, covering areas such as the background to the research, methodology, expected results and the contribution to the field of learning.

The word count does not include bibliography, brief footnotes, captions, titles or legends that are applied to images, tables or charts.  

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

Your research proposal will be assessed for:

  • comprehensive understanding of the subject area;
  • understanding of problems in the area;
  • synergy with the applicant’s clinical work;
  • accessibility, motivation and academic suitability; 
  • ability to construct and defend an argument;
  • powers of analysis;
  • powers of expression;
  • the feasibility of successfully completing the project in the time available for the course;
  • commitment to the subject, beyond the requirements of the degree course;
  • preliminary knowledge of research techniques;
  • capacity for sustained and intense work;
  • reasoning ability; and
  • ability to absorb new ideas, often presented abstractly, at a rapid pace.

Written work
A workplan of a maximum of 2,500 words

You will need to provide a timeline of your proposed work in the form of a Doctor of Medicine ‘workplan’. This should set out the periods of time across the period of study when you plan to work at full-time or part-time (and if the latter at what percentage full-time equivalent intensity) on your Doctor of Medicine research project. The workplan should not exceed 2,500 words.

If possible, please ensure that the word count is clearly displayed on the document.

The workplan must set out in sufficient detail how you propose to balance time for Doctor of Medicine research and academic training as a student of the University, alongside your professional employment with the NHS, postgraduate medical training and other clinical responsibilities.

If you are seeking for previous work to be counted towards your Doctor of Medicine (DM) studies, you will need to provide detailed information about the work you wish to include, when it was performed and under what supervisory arrangements (at least one of the proposed DM supervisors must have been involved). The justification for inclusion of this work will need to be particularly strong if it was undertaken more than 12 months prior to commencement of the degree.

The workplan is a key part of the application process and it must be agreed by both you and your employer before your application is submitted (or your application will be delayed until employer agreement has been secured). In many cases this will involve the local Deanery (or successor organisation), since it is the postgraduate Dean who is responsible for approving requests for time ‘out of programme’ (OOP) for doctors in training.

Start or continue your application

You can start or return to an application using the relevant link below. As you complete the form, please refer to the requirements above and consult our Application Guide for advice. You'll find the answers to most common queries in our FAQs.

Application Guide Apply