The Master of Surgery (Latin: Magister Chirurgiae) is an advanced qualification in surgery. Depending upon the degree, it may be abbreviated ChM, MCh, MChir or MS. At a typical

medical school A medical school is a tertiary educational institution, or part of such an institution, that teaches medicine, and awards a professional degree for physicians. Such medical degrees include the Bachelor of Medicine, Bachelor of Surgery (MBBS, M ...

the program lasts between two and three years. The possession of a medical degree is a prerequisite. The ChM can be awarded on both clinical and academic competency or on academic competency. The regulations may ask for surgical experience and a thesis topic that is not purely medical.

History

The Masters of Surgery, or ChM is an advanced qualification in surgical medicine, established in Great Britain in the middle of the 19th century. The qualification was designed to be awarded as a higher degree to the Bachelor of Surgery degree (usually ChB). Many universities have stopped holding written and clinical examinations for the ChM, and focused solely on the thesis and oral examination. Only

Oxford and Cambridge Oxbridge is a portmanteau of Oxford and Cambridge, the two oldest, wealthiest, and most famous universities in the United Kingdom. The term is used to refer to them collectively, in contrast to other British universities, and more broadly to de ...

still have a ("Part One") examination before submission of the thesis and oral examination on the same for the degrees which they abbreviate as MCh and MChir respectively. Many universities stopped offering the ChM award when it became common for trainee surgeons to take the FRCS. examination of one or other Royal College of Surgeons in basic sciences and clinical subjects.

ChM Today

Following the success of its MSc in Surgical Sciences, the University of Edinburgh Medical School re-established the ChM award in 2011, as an online distance learning degree, in collaboration with the

Royal College of Surgeons Edinburgh The Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh (RCSEd) is a professional organisation of surgeons. The College has seven active faculties, covering a broad spectrum of surgical, dental, and other medical practices. Its main campus is located on ...

. The focus of the ChM was to prepare advanced surgical trainees for their FRCS examination, thereby reinstating the purpose of the ChM degree and aligning it with th
ISCP curriculum
The ChM therefore combines the academic and professional development of the surgeon approaching independent consultancy. The ChM consolidates the application of specialist surgical knowledge in any clinical setting and is of relevance to independent surgical practice anywhere in the world. The online distance learning ChM uses case and problem-based learning and combines both academic and research components. Each ChM degree programme carries 120

credits Credit refers to any form of deferred payment, the granting of a loan and the creation of debt. Credit may also refer to: Places * Credit, Arkansas, a ghost town * Credit River, a river in Ontario, Canada * Credit River (Minnesota), a river in ...

which are taught at postgraduate

SCQF The Scottish Credit and Qualifications Framework (SCQF) is the national credit transfer system for all levels of qualifications in Scotland. Awards are classified under the framework at ''levels'', and study undertaken at that level is valued ...

level 12.

The University of Edinburgh The University of Edinburgh ( sco, University o Edinburgh, gd, Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann; abbreviated as ''Edin.'' in post-nominals) is a public research university based in Edinburgh, Scotland. Granted a royal charter by King James VI in 1582 ...

and the Royal College of Surgeons of Edinburgh currently offer ChM degrees in 5 specialities (

General Surgery General surgery is a surgical specialty that focuses on alimentary canal and abdominal contents including the esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine, liver, pancreas, gallbladder, appendix and bile ducts, and often the thyroid ...

, Vascular & Endovascular Surgery, Urology, Clinical Ophthalmology and Trauma and Orthopaedic Surgery).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Surgery, Master Of Master's degrees Medical degrees