APPLICATION HANDBOOK

MEDICAL TOXICOLOGY

PG Cert
PG Dip

Medical Toxicology
Course Leader
Dr Maria Finn
Maria.Finn@bsuh.nhs.uk

Programme Administrator
Tracy Kellock
T.Kellock@brighton.ac.uk

Contents
Introduction ............................................................................................................................................ 3
Aims and Learning Outcomes for the Course ......................................................................................... 3
Aims .................................................................................................................................................... 3
Learning Outcomes ............................................................................................................................. 3
Entry Requirements ................................................................................................................................ 4
Structure of Course ................................................................................................................................. 4
Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Toxicology ................................................................................. 5
Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Toxicology..................................................................................... 5
Module Descriptions ............................................................................................................................... 6
Medical Toxicology (1 & 2).................................................................................................................. 6
Disaster and Environmental Toxicology.............................................................................................. 6
Research Methods and Critical Appraisal ........................................................................................... 6
Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care ................................................... 6
Leading and Transforming Services .................................................................................................... 6
Timetable ................................................................................................................................................ 6
Fees ......................................................................................................................................................... 6
Teaching Staff.......................................................................................................................................... 7
Teaching and Learning Methods............................................................................................................. 7
Assessment ............................................................................................................................................. 7
Teaching Sites ......................................................................................................................................... 7
How to Apply........................................................................................................................................... 8
And Finally.. .......................................................................................................................................... 8

Introduction
This course aims to provide advanced professional education for doctors especially those working
in situations where Medical Toxicology forms a significant element. The goal is to train you to be the
clinical leaders of the future by providing a blend of clinical knowledge with learning in the three key
professional domains of Research, Leadership and Communication & Learning, along with the
development of research and publishing skills. The toxicology content of the programme provides
comprehensive learning to meet your professional development needs.
The Postgraduate Certificate and the Postgraduate Diploma are both taught at Postgraduate (M)
level and will be awarded on gaining 60 and 120 credits respectively. The course is under further
development with a view to offering an MSc option at a later stage.
This course is validated by the University of Brighton.

Aims and Learning Outcomes for the Course

Aims
The course aims to provide advanced professional education for doctors for whom medical
toxicology forms a significant part of their workload. The goal is to train people in medical
toxicology, to enable them to recognise toxidromes and patterns of poisoning, to empower them to
deal with emergency situations and to develop medical toxicology services at their workplace, thus
greatly improving patient care and patient safety. The content of the Masters programme provides
comprehensive learning to meet the professional development needs of this group of practitioners.

Learning Outcomes
Graduates from this course will be expected to demonstrate:
an understanding of toxicology and basic principles as applied to clinical practice and the
skills to diagnose poisoning along with the knowledge base for recognising clinical
toxidromes and initial management of poisoned patients
an understanding of toxicology and its principles as applied to clinical practice along with
the skills to manage major toxicological incidents and the knowledge base for managing
occupational toxic exposure and environmental toxicology
an understanding of research methods and critical appraisal
an understanding of the organisational and policy context and the drivers for change to
enable clinicians to contribute more effectively to improving the design, delivery,
outcomes and cost effectiveness of services
an advanced level of understanding of communication and teaching in relation to
patients and colleagues of all levels
the ability to analyse and synthesise data from a wide variety of sources to inform
evidence-based practice

On successful completion of this course, students will be able to demonstrate the following skills:
An ability to access and search different databases and sources of literature and data
The analysis and synthesis of data
The ability to use evidence appropriately to inform clinical practice
Professional writing and presentation skills
Advanced levels of communications in clinical and non-clinical settings
Developing and submitting research proposals
Negotiating research ethics and governance procedures
The ability to relate clinical knowledge and judgment to organisational settings and
priorities
The ability to communicate with members of different professional groups

Entry Requirements
Students will normally have a degree in Medicine and at least three years post-registration
experience. Applications will also be encouraged from professionals in other disciplines for whom
Toxicology forms a major focus of their work.
Applications will be made direct to Postgraduate Medicine, BSMS. Applicants will be interviewed.
They will be expected to be aware of the latest trends and developments in Toxicology, e.g. through
reading appropriate journals.
Applications are welcomed from international students with appropriate qualifications and
experience. (This course is offered for part-time study only in 2013-14. Full-time study will be
available from September 2014). Students for whom English is not a first language must
demonstrate an acceptable standard of comprehension and communication in the English Language
(IELTS: minimum overall score of 7.0 and 7.0 for the writing element).
Claims for the Accreditation of Prior Learning (APL) will be considered to a maximum of 50% of the
total credits.
There will be an Induction Day at Falmer on the 18th September 2013 for all successful applicants
and new students are strongly encouraged to attend.

Structure of Course
There are two mandatory modules for the PG Cert Medical Toxicology. These are:
Medical Toxicology (1 & 2)
Disaster and Environmental Toxicology
There are five mandatory modules for the PG Dip Medical Toxicology. These are:
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Medical Toxicology (1 & 2)

Disaster and Environmental Toxicology
Research Methods and Critical Appraisal
Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care
Leading and Transforming Services
Year 1
A high level of critical analysis of original research is required throughout the course of study,
therefore MDM10, the Research Methods & Critical Appraisal module, will be taken at the
beginning of the academic year. This is followed by the two clinical modules Medical Toxicology
Part 1, which is scheduled for November, Medical Toxicology Part 2 which runs in February and
Disaster and Environmental Toxicology which will run in April.
Year 2
The two remaining professional modules Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and
Social Care and Leading and Transforming Services will be taken in the second year.
Each module runs over one week of five consecutive days. There is no distance learning.

Postgraduate Certificate in Medical Toxicology

Module

Status

MDM129 Medical Toxicology (1 & 2)

Mandatory (40 credits)

PLUS
Mandatory (20 credits)

MDM130 Disaster and Environmental Toxicology

Postgraduate Diploma in Medical Toxicology

Module

Status

MDM129 Medical Toxicology (1 & 2)

Mandatory (40 credits)

PLUS
MDM130 Disaster and Environmental Toxicology

Mandatory (20 credits)

PLUS
Mandatory (20 credits)

MDM10 Research Methods and Critical Appraisal

PLUS
MDM122 Communication, Learning and Teaching in
Health and Social Care

Mandatory (20 credits)

PLUS
MDM110 Leading and Transforming Services

Mandatory (20 credits)

Module Descriptions
Medical Toxicology (1 & 2)
This module is in two parts. Part 1 provides an introduction to Medical Toxicology. It also covers
analytical and forensic toxicology as well as the first part of therapeutics. Part 2 covers Core Medical
Toxicology, including toxidromes, recognition and management of drugs overdoses as well as plant
and animal toxicity.

Disaster and Environmental Toxicology

This module provides an advanced coverage of principles of toxicology including mutagenesis &
carcinogenesis. It applies them to situations which impact on individuals and society and covers the
Toxicology of Major Disasters and Environmental and Occupational Toxicology.

Research Methods and Critical Appraisal

The module aims to provide students with an understanding of how to use evidence in their
specialist area. It aims to provide students with an understanding of research methods in health and
social care and the ability to relate appropriate methods to research questions. Students will be
equipped to search and critically review the literature, to develop and justify a research proposal,
and to anticipate potential ethical issues in their research proposal.

Communication, Learning and Teaching in Health and Social Care

This module aims to facilitate the development of practitioners as communicators and educators,
promoting the development of knowledge, skills, attitudes and practices of a competent clinical
practitioner.

Leading and Transforming Services

This module aims to provide an overarching understanding of the organisational context for change
in health & care service settings to enable managers, practitioners and professionals to contribute
more effectively to leading and improving the design of service models and new organisational
bodies, and to the delivery, cost effectiveness and outcomes of services.

Timetable
A complete list of the modules and dates will be available from June at the following link:
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/hss/courses/gphss/returning-bsms/
Please contact the Programme Administrator for further information.

Fees
For fee information please contact: enquiries@brighton.ac.uk or visit the following link:
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/studentlife/money/
6

Teaching Staff
Academic staff from the Brighton and Sussex Medical School and Brighton and Sussex University
Hospitals are involved in the provision of teaching in a modular format at Masters (M) level.
Specialist teaching is provided by consultants, specialists and other clinical staff from Trusts and
organisations in and around the region. The extensive contribution of expert practitioners to the
teaching of the modules is a distinctive feature of courses at BSMS.

Teaching and Learning Methods

As with all Masters courses, there is a considerable degree of independent study. Teaching
methods encompass lectures, whole group discussions, small group discussions, critical appraisal
workshops and individual tutorials. Maintaining employment throughout the course ensures the
transfer of knowledge and skills from the course into the workplace.

Assessment
Assessments are held at the end of each module and vary as follows:
2,000 4,000 word written assignment
90 minute written examination
Observed Structured Clinical Examination (OSCE) which tests clinical skills
The assessments for each module are broken down into different components which are
processed together to obtain an overall mark.

Teaching Sites
The three professional modules are taught at the University of Brighton Falmer campus:
http://www.brighton.ac.uk/maps/falmer/index.php?PageId=756
The three clinical modules are primarily taught at the Audrey Emerton Building, Royal Sussex County
Hospital, Brighton:
http://www.bsuh.nhs.uk/hospitals/our-hospitals/royal-sussex-county-hospital/

How to Apply
Please apply online via the following link:
http://www.bsms.ac.uk/postgraduate/taught-degrees/

And Finally..
If you have any further questions please contact the Programme Administrator at the email address
given on the cover page of this handbook.