Topic outline

  • About the Clinical Doctorates in Medicine and Surgery

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    If you’re a doctor with at least 3 years practice in a clinical role and have a special interest in clinical medicine or want to become a clinical academic, this course is for you. The Professional Doctorate in Clinical Medicine provides you with an integrated learning programme with flexible study options so you can tailor your learning experience and gain high-level research expertise alongside clinical practice.  

    You will develop a foundation in the core knowledge and skills required to underpin high level clinical practice in the 21st century. This degree integrates clinical skills training with doctoral level research. Experienced clinical and academic staff will expose you to comprehensive, contemporary, and novel knowledge in medicine at a specialist level and provide advanced training in healthcare skills such as audit, service evaluation, quality improvement and clinical research, as well as clinical expertise and skills in speciality fields.  

    Your programme will be divided into three phases: 

    Phase One: Coursework - 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time study incorporating 8 modules from one of  three optional tracks, alongside 2 longitudinal modules in Professional Studies and Research into Practice.  This phase can be studied on campus or online.

    Phase Two: Placement and Coursework - 1 year full-time clinical placement in a UK NHS Trust working alongside clinicians with exposure to comprehensive, contemporary and novel clinical medicine practice, supplemented by 3 modules: Applied Research I, Applied Clinical Skills, Research II. 

    Phase Three: Research - 1 year full-time or 2 years part-time advanced study to complete an independent research project and dissertation that demonstrates the application of scientific method to a problem of relevance to your chosen subject. This phase can be studied on campus or online.

    About this site
    This site is designed to provide you with all the information you need to apply, and subsequently prepare for, the Clinical Doctorate in Medicine or in Surgery. Click through the tabs to learn more about the programme structure, the application process and applying for GMC registration, as well as some sample learning materials.

  • Applying for the Clinical Doctorate

    2025 DClin Med & Surg application roadmap

  • Programme structure

    The Clinical Doctorate programme is designed to enhance and advance your medical/surgical practice and expertise and help you develop your skills in other important aspects of healthcare, including clinical research, service evaluation and quality improvement, and reflective, evidence-based practice. In short, it is designed to help you become a leader in your field.



    The programme comprises three phases:

    -          Coursework (Year 1, or Years 1 and 2 if you are studying Phase 1 part-time)

    -          Clinical Placement and Coursework (Year 2, or Year 3 if you studied Phase 1 part-time)

    -          Research (Year 3, or Year 4  if you are studying part-time).

    You can learn more about each of these components in the pages below.


  • Applying for GMC registration

    You will require General Medical Council (GMC) registration before commencing your placement. 

    Obtaining GMC registration takes time, so depending on the study mode and approach you take, you must plan to start the registration process well in advance of applying for and starting the course. GMC registration requires that you have been engaged in clinical practice for the two years prior to application so if you are planning to study Phase 1 of the course on-campus in London, you will need to obtain GMC registration before you leave your home country.


  • Taster: Your learning experience

    To help you get a sense of what your learning experience at Queen Mary might be like, here are some sample learning materials from the DClin programme. 

    The following activities appear in Topic 3 of the Professional Studies module you will undertake in Phase 1 of the programme. Topic 3 focuses on how data and evidence guide medical practice. Please note that although these steps include discussion forums as an example of how we might use these within the course, the sample materials provide read-only access and you will not be able to post in the forums.