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Master of Surgery

A

1.  Any person may supplicate for the Degree of Master of Surgery provided that:

  • (a)  either

    • (i)  he or she has been admitted to the Degree of Bachelor of Surgery and has entered upon the thirtieth term from his or her matriculation, or in the case of a person who has incorporated as a Bachelor of Surgery, the thirtieth term from the date of matriculation at the University of Cambridge, or in the case of a person who has been admitted to the Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine under the provisions of the appropriate regulation, the twenty-first term from his or her matriculation;

    • or

      (ii)  he or she holds the Degree of Master of Arts of the University (other than a degree by decree or special resolution or a degree honoris causa), has previously been entered in the Register of University Medical Students and has passed the First Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine of this University, holds a medical degree of another British university qualifying him or her to practise medicine, and has entered upon the thirtieth term from his or her matriculation;

  • (b)  he or she has passed the FRCS or equivalent examination, and passed the examination hereinafter prescribed.

2.  The examination shall consist of a thesis, and may include a viva voce examination to test the candidate's general competence in his or her own field.

3.  No candidate shall be admitted to the examination earlier than the sixteenth term from the date of passing the Second Examination for the Degree of Bachelor of Medicine or an equivalent final medical examination from a university approved by Council i.e. a university approved for the purpose of senior status or a university especially approved for the purpose of this clause.

4.  A candidate shall submit as evidence of his or her fitness to supplicate for the degree a thesis upon a subject previously approved by the Medical Sciences Board, or with the previous approval of that board a book or papers which have already been published under his or her own name. A candidate may submit joint publications provided that a substantial portion of the work submitted has been written solely by him or her. He or she shall make his application to the Medical Sciences Board through the Registrar, and shall at the same time submit:

  • (a)  evidence that the subject of his or her thesis or published work has been approved by the Medical Sciences Board;

  • (b)  four printed or typewritten copies of an abstract, of around 400 to 450 words and not exceeding 600 words, summarising the scope of the thesis or other evidence, the techniques used, and the principal findings;

  • (c)  a certificate from the proper officer of his or her society that his or her application has the approval of that society;

  • (d)  the fee prescribed in the appropriate regulation;

  • (e)  such number of copies of his or her evidence in such form as the board may by regulation direct.

The thesis or other evidence shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by the candidate indicating that it is the candidate's own work except where otherwise indicated. If the thesis or published work has not been submitted for examination before the sixteenth term after approval has been given under this clause, the candidate is required to seek reapproval of his or her submission.

5.  On receipt of any such application, the Registrar shall submit it to the Medical Sciences Board. The board shall thereupon appoint two examiners whose duties shall be:

  • (1)  to consider the evidence sent in by the candidate under the provisions of the preceding clause; provided that they shall exclude from consideration in making their report any part of the evidence that either

    • (a)  has already been accepted, or is being concurrently submitted for any degree in this or any other University, and shall have the power to require the candidate to produce for their inspection the complete thesis so accepted or concurrently submitted; or

    • (b)  does not represent the candidate's own work;

  • (2)  if they think fit to examine the candidate orally;

  • (3)  to report to the board through the Registrar;

  • (4)  to return to the Registrar, with their report, the copy or copies of the evidence submitted by the candidate.

6.  On receipt of the report of the examiners, it shall be the duty of the board to decide whether to permit the candidate to supplicate for the Degree of Master of Surgery, but permission shall in no case be given unless the examiners have reported that the work as embodied in his or her evidence and tested by his or her examination has resulted in an original contribution to knowledge deserving publication (whether or not already published) based on clinical and/or experimental observations, and that it is in their opinion of sufficient merit to entitle the candidate to supplicate for the Degree of Master of Surgery.

7.  If the board approves the evidence as of sufficient merit for the degree, the board shall notify its decision in the University Gazette and one copy of the thesis or of each of the papers and books submitted as evidence shall remain in the possession of the University for deposit in Bodley's Library.

B

M.Ch.

1. Dissertations, theses, or published work for the M.Ch. must be submitted in English unless for exceptional reasons the Medical Sciences Board otherwise determines at the time of approving the subject of a dissertation or thesis, or granting leave to submit published work, as the case may be.

2. Candidates are required to send three copies of any dissertation, thesis, book, or papers submitted. Dissertations or theses must be either printed or typewritten and should not normally exceed 50,000 words (excluding appendices and case reports). Only in exceptional circumstances and with the approval of the Medical Sciences Board is it permitted to exceed this limit.

3. Candidates are required to submit at the same time as their application four printed or typewritten copies of an abstract, of around 400 to 450 words and not exceeding 600 words, summarising the scope of the dissertation, thesis, or published work, the techniques used, and the principal findings. One copy of the abstract will be used for the appointment of judges or examiners. One copy must be bound into the copy of the dissertation or thesis which, if the applicant is successful, will be deposited in the Bodleian Library. The abstract may also be bound into the other two copies of the dissertation, thesis, or published work if the candidate so desires. Each copy of the abstract shall be headed with the title of the dissertation, thesis, or published work, the name and college of the candidate, the degree for which it is submitted, and the term of submission.

4. Unless the board has excused the candidate from this requirement, the dissertation or thesis must be typed on one side of the paper only with a margin of 3 to 3.5 cms on the left-hand edge of each paper. The dissertation, thesis, or published work must have a stabbed binding with covers of stout manila or stiff cardboard and a canvas back, or must be stitched and bound in a stiff case. (It should be noted that the dissertation, thesis, or published work must be bound and that a loose-leaf binder of the screw-in type is not acceptable.)

Candidates are advised to pack each copy of the dissertation, thesis, or published work into a separate parcel, ready in all respects, except the address, to be posted to the judges or examiners when appointed. Each parcel should bear the candidate's name and college and the words ‘M.Ch. THESIS’ as appropriate in BLOCK CAPITALS in the bottom left-hand corner. The separate copies thus packed should be sent to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford OX1 4BG, in one covering parcel.

5. Oral Examination for the M.Ch.

  • (1) The examination may be attended by any member of the University in academic dress. No person who is not a member of the University may attend it except with the consent of both judges or examiners.

  • (2) The place, day, and hour of the examination shall be fixed by the judges or examiners, who shall be responsible for informing the candidate thereof by post prepaid, and it shall be the duty of the candidate to ensure that any letter addressed to him is forwarded to him if away. The judges or examiners shall allow reasonable time for receiving an acknowledgement from the candidate of their summons. The day shall be fixed by the judges or examiners to suit their own convenience, but they are asked, in order that the candidate may know what arrangements he may safely make, to give the candidate early information of the date fixed, even though it may be some considerable time ahead.

  • (3) Notice of the examination shall be given by the judges or examiners to the Registrar.

  • (4) If, owing to illness or other urgent and unforeseen cause, a judge or examiner is unable to attend the examination, it shall be postponed to a later date, provided that, if the Vice-Chancellor is satisfied that postponement will be a serious hardship to the candidate, he may authorise another person to attend the examination as a substitute. Such substitute shall not be required to sign the report, but he shall receive such remuneration as the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors shall determine.