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Postgraduate taught
| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | 1 year full time 2 years part time 3 years part time |
| Entry year | 2021 |
| Contact | Programme director: Dr Malcolm Hilton and Dr Mark Hannaford (founder of World Extreme Medicine) |
| Entry requirements | 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. |
|---|---|
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | Over 2 years |
| Entry year | September 2020 |
| Contact | Programme director: Dr Malcolm Hilton and Dr Mark Hannaford (founder of World Extreme Medicine) |
| Entry requirements | 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. |
|---|---|
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
| UCAS code | 1234 |
|---|---|
| Duration | Over 1 year |
| Entry year | September 2020 |
| Contact | Programme director: Dr Malcolm Hilton and Dr Mark Hannaford (founder of World Extreme Medicine) |
| Entry requirements | 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. |
|---|---|
| Campus | St Luke's Campus |
| Discipline | Healthcare and Medicine |
Due to COVID-19, we are continually reviewing the delivery of our courses. Our priority is to ensure that safety of all our students and staff, and we are currently planning for flexibility and resilience in our approach so that whatever the year brings we will still be delivering the high level of teaching that we always have. You can stay updated on our website as the situation progresses.
Research Excellence Framework 2014
Research Excellence Framework 2014 based on the percentage of research categorised as 4* and 3*
Normally a 2:2 Honours degree (or equivalent) in a relevant discipline. Relevant clinical experience will be required (see details below).
Individuals who don't meet the normal entry criteria but have relevant professional experience may also be welcomed on to this MSc programme. Qualifications and experience will be assessed on application. Informal enquires are welcome before the formal application stage and we can discuss which areas of the course may need particular attention or advise on pre-course study to maximise your learning engagement. Should you wish to discuss this please contact our Student Recruitment and Admissions Team.
The full-time course is suitable for some intercalating medical students. Applicants need to have completed a minimum of 3 years of their undergraduate medical degree programme and able to evidence previous relevant experience of travelling or working in remote or hostile environments.
• IELTS: Overall score 6.5. No less than 6.0 in any section.
• TOEFL: Overall score 90 with minimum scores of 21 for writing, 21 for listening, 22 for reading and 23 for speaking.
• Pearson: 58 with no less than 55 in all communicative skills.
Please visit our entry requirements section for equivalencies from your country and further information on English language requirements.
Please visit our international equivalency pages to enable you to see if your existing academic qualifications meet our entry requirements.
International students are normally subject to visa regulations which prevent part-time study. It is recommended that international students apply for the level of the final award you intend to complete i.e. PGCert, PGDip or Masters, due to the associated cost and requirements for a Tier 4 student Visa.
We are happy to advise further on an individual basis and it will depend on your existing qualifications and academic background and your healthcare experience to date. In previous years we have had participants with nursing, paramedic, midwifery and sports medicine qualifications take the course.
People wishing to consider taking the course who do not have a primary medical qualification (medicine, nursing, paramedic) are strongly advised to have completed a course to FREC level 4 in order that they have familiarity with pre-hospital medical assessment and care. Offers will only be made if prospective candidates can demonstrate they bring equivalent experience and knowledge. Completion of an FREC course does not guarantee an offer and it is only one piece of information used to assess an application.
If you are concerned about your qualifications being suitable for entry, please contact the Admissions Team.
With the increased awareness of global burdens such as humanitarian crises and sudden onset disasters, more than ever there is a need to be delivering healthcare in highly complex and demanding situations.
This unique programme is delivered in partnership between the University of Exeter Medical School and World Extreme Medicine, the world's leading provider of specialist training courses for medics taking their skills into challenging environments.
This is medicine at its best, crossing geographical and professional boundaries.
You will learn the practical skills, knowledge and understanding needed to perform at the highest possible level in the field of extreme medicine. You can also choose to undertake a specialism in Cold Environments, Hot Environments or Humanitarian Relief.
Who this programme is suitable for:
• Paramedics
• Medics
• Nurses
• Medical scientists
• Allied healthcare professionals
• Military medics
• Intercalating medical students
The Extreme Medicine course is a distance-learning programme, delivered through attendance at residentials in the UK or overseas. These are not University of Exeter-delivered field trips, but rather the in-person delivery of the course, provided by World Extreme Medicine, will take place at the relevant delivery site for the module. No teaching is delivered on the university campuses.
Due to the residential content featured in this programme, places are limited to 60 for the academic year 2021-2022.
Throughout this programme you will critically examine the challenges of providing safe and effective healthcare in a range of challenging environments. Key to this learning to recognise and evaluate the unique ethical, professional and legal challenges of delivering medical care in these environments.
You will undertake a number of residential courses to help you develop these skills, as well as giving you the opportunity to learn with and from your peers.
A highlight of this course is that most modules are taught in authentic outdoor and wilderness locations. You will not be spending time in lecture theatres. Along your journey you can expect to develop a comprehensive portfolio of knowledge and technical skills that could support any professional work you might undertake later in remote and wilderness settings. The course faculty provide regular formative feedback during the modules on these attributes.
Expert tutors will facilitate group discussions and project work and provide support for independent learning. Assessments are designed to provide opportunities for personal reflection, critical appraisal, evaluation and analysis to demonstrate the knowledge and skills gained throughout the programme.
The formal assessments that determine your final grade all relate to written assignments that test your ability to analyse, critically appraise and link concepts from a range of primary research and educational resources.
You are able to specialise in particular areas of Extreme Medicine. This specialism will be reflected in your award title provided you have taken the appropriate modules specified below, and completed an independent research project in the relevant field.
Depending on the specific modules taken, students may receive one of the following named awards:
• MSc in Extreme Medicine (Cold Environment)
• MSc in Extreme Medicine (Hot Environment)
• MSc in Extreme Medicine (Humanitarian Relief)
Your eligibility for the particular award will be confirmed by the final Assessment Progression and Awarding Committee (APAC) on the basis of the modules that have been completed. In order to graduate with a particular named award in parentheses, you will need to notify the programme support team accordingly. Otherwise the award name will be MSc in Extreme Medicine.
The programme is also divided into units of study called ‘modules’ which are assigned a number of ‘credits’. The credit rating of a module is proportional to the total workload, with one credit being nominally equivalent to 10 hours of work, a 15 credit module being equivalent to 150 hours of work and a full Masters degree being equivalent to approximately 1,800 hours of work. Therefore, for applicants who are working full time (or close to full-time), we recommend applying to complete the Masters degree over 2 or 3 years rather than 1 year.
To gain a Masters qualification, you will need to complete 180 credits at level 7.
The MSc course can be taken as a full-time course over 1 year or spread over 2 or 3 years of part time study. The contact teaching is concentrated in short, intensive residential blocks for each module.
It is also possible to exit with a PGCert after completing 60 credits of taught modules or a PGDip after completing 120 credits of taught modules. The list of modules below shows which are compulsory.
The face to face component of the course is delivered in intensive residential modules, requiring quite a lot of time away. It would be extremely challenging to complete the course while working full time. The schedule will allow most people taking the full-time option to do some paid employment as a locum during the quieter periods of the course.
The only difference between the one year course and the two and three-year course is that the modules are all compressed into a single academic year. The net effect is that the residential and assessment schedule is more intensive. Deadlines for assignments typically extend to six weeks post module, but on the full-time course you may have already attended another module by then with a fresh assignment to consider. You will also need to be preparing your independent research project concurrently.
The course is set up to use contact time as efficiently as possible in residential locations. Where possible we structure the contact time around high fidelity environments that are in a variety of UK and overseas locations. There is no compulsion to visit the Exeter campus although you are obviously very welcome!
View the draft timetable of contact days for 2020/21
(Please note: these dates are draft and subject to change)
The modules we outline here provide examples of what you can expect to learn on this degree course based on recent academic teaching. The precise modules available to you in future years may vary depending on staff availability and research interests, new topics of study, timetabling and student demand.
The award comprises compulsory programme modules, 30 credits of the cold environment specialist modules, a research project in the relevant field, plus optional modules for the remainder of the programme credits.
| Module | Description | Credits |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM074 | Special Environment – Polar | 15 |
| HPDM077 | Special Environment – Winter Alpine Medicine | 15 |
| HPDM073 | Special Environment – Mountain | 15 |
The award comprises compulsory programme modules, 30 credits of the hot environment specialist modules, a research project in the relevant field, plus optional modules for the remainder of the programme credits
| Module | Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM086 | Special Environment – Desert | 15 |
| HPDM072 | Special Environment – Jungle | 15 |
The award comprises compulsory programme modules, 30 credits of the humanitarian relief specialist modules, a research project in the relevant field, plus optional modules for the remainder of the programme credits
| Module | Description | Credit |
|---|---|---|
| HPDM070 | Humanitarian and Disaster Relief - Theory | 15 |
| HPDM071 | Humanitarian and Disaster Relief - Practical | 15 |
On top of our residential modules, we have established some fantastic links with external agencies that our students can exploit whilst they are on the programme. These include:
• Fellowship Principles of Space & Aviation Medicine at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) - students enrolled undertaking year 2 or 3 of this programme are eligible to apply for this unique opportunity. Places are competitive and will require a month’s residency in Houston, Texas.
• We have a number of exchange places with the European Space Agency and their Physician Training Course in Cologne open to those enrolled on our MSc.
Fees are subject to an annual increment each academic year.
Standalone module fees: UK and International: £2,200 per 15-credit module
In Year Two a number of Special Environments optional modules have a supplementary cost in addition to the annual tuition fee.
Please view Extra Fees section
In Year Two a number of Special Environments optional modules have a supplementary cost in addition to the annual tuition fee.
These are:
Polar £1,250
Jungle £500
Mountain £1,500
Desert £250
This may be the location of the course in the UK or an agreed meeting place, for an overseas course.
World Extreme Medicine provide information and a point of contact in the joining instructions each student receives when registering for the course.
British residents - As with any time spent away from home, we suggest that student check their contents and/or personal insurance to confirm whether their belongings will be covered for any incident which may occur away from their home address.
International residents - International students will need to ensure that they have adequate insurance to cover their personal belongings and check with their home country to confirm their access to medical attention whilst in the UK.
British and international residents – All will require adequate travel insurance which covers them for medical expenses and personal belongings and allows for trekking at altitude/winter activities (as appropriate, depending on the course attending) and lists helicopter evacuation in the event of an emergency.
Students may prefer to source their own insurance but if required, we can direct them to a good quality insurance provider we work with.
A kit list which will be supplied to students for each residential, but as a list of essential items, the following items are suggested:
These are basic items which any medic wanting to work in challenging environments will use again and again but you may choose to acquire additional kit or gadgets. Item price ranges extend from basic adequate kit to high end regular use kit.
Postgraduate loans of up to £10,609 are now available for Masters degrees. Find out more about eligibility and how to apply.
There are various funding opportunities available including Global excellence scholarships.
The University of Exeter is offering scholarships to the value of over £4 million for students starting with us in September 2021. Details of scholarships, including our Global Excellence scholarships for international fee paying students, can be found on our dedicated funding page.
The College of Medicine and Health is delighted to offer the Pro Vice Chancellor's NHS Postgraduate Scholarship of £5000 to two NHS staff who accept a place to study on one of our Masters programmes enrolling in 2020. Please check your eligibility before applying.
In the College of Medicine and Health, our purpose is to deliver transformative education that will help tackle health challenges of national and global importance.
Face-to-face learning on modules is typically structured around an intensive residential course supported by online distance learning. The residentials include locations in the UK as well as environment-specific modules in various locations around the world, and are dependent on the modules you choose. This means that you are not required to live in Exeter when undertaking this Masters.
The residentials are typically 2-4 days duration and designed to provide the challenge of learning in an unfamiliar environment and rely on the collaboration and support of the other participants. There is a strong focus on working collaboratively and learning from each other in small teams. Following the residentials, you will work towards a related assessment task.
All material is designed for Masters level and will involve distance learning with keynote lectures, case studies, seminars and group discussion in addition to the residential programme.
There is considerable scope within modules for you to direct your learning towards fields of particular interest, for example in your guided independent study and through your choice of dissertation project.
Studying for a Master’s is a step up from undergraduate work. You will be more challenged in your studies and can expect to learn in a different way. In particular, you will be required to think much more critically about the concepts and underlying principles of the subject in a way that is more intellectually demanding than undergraduate study.
You should be aware that a Master’s degree is primarily an academic qualification where you learn and demonstrate enhanced cognitive skills at level 7 learning. There is no professional accreditation aligned with the degree.
Taught modules will be assessed through literature reviews, essays, and written reports. An integral part of the programme is the residential postings to UK and international locations which additionally contextualise your learning.
Each student is allocated an academic tutor who is available for advice and support throughout your studies. The Programme Lead is also available to help with further guidance and advice.
For the independent research project, you will have a dissertation supervisor as a mentor. There is provision for you to have up to 10 meetings (that can be remote eg. Skype) of 30 minutes over the course of the academic year to advise on your project and there are formative submissions during the year of your project pro forma, interim results and progress reports that allow your supervisor to be confident that you are on track
Extreme Medicine is an emerging specialty. Graduates of the programme will enhance their medical skills to practice in challenging and remote environments. They will acquire field based knowledge and skills to demonstrate their strategic understanding of expedition operations, to potential employers and to the wider deployment team.
Potential roles may include:
You will be working or looking to work in situations of rapid change and uncertainty and you will be looking to demonstrate capabilities that extend beyond clinical competence into areas such as leadership, communications, teamwork, resilience, humanitarian relief, planning and logistics.
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