[Until 1 October 2013: B

1. 1. One three-hour paper will be set.
2. 2. Candidates will be required to show an elementary knowledge of the following topics with special reference to their application in the study of Biochemistry and Physiology: Physical Chemistry. Ionic, covalent, and hydrogen bonds; partial ionic character of bonds; bond energy; resonance; atomic and molecular orbitals and their application to stereochemistry of carbon compounds and metal complexes; Van der Waals forces; dipole moments and dipole interactions; conformational differences, and geometrical and optical isomerism shown by simple organic molecules. First and second laws of thermodynamics and their application to physical and chemical changes; Raoult's Law; ideal and non-ideal behaviour of gases and solutions; Donnan equilibrium. Kinetics of first and second order reactions. Simple treatment of collision and transition state theories. Catalysis and elementary enzyme kinetics. Electrode potentials; concentration and redox cells. Measurements of e.m.f. and its applications. Factors affecting conductivities of solutions of electrolytes. Acid, bases and buffers; electrolyte behaviour of amino acids and proteins. Spectrophotometry: principles and application. Organic Chemistry. Relation between physical properties and chemical constitution. Mutual influence of functional groups. Mechanisms of ester hydrolysis, substitution and addition reactions. Steric effects in organic reactions. Topics to be illustrated by reference to simple aliphatic compounds, containing one or two of the following functional groups: halogen,>C=C<,>C=O,—CN,—NH,—OH,—SH,—COOH and its derivatives; simple organic derivatives of phosphoric acid, including anhydrites and mixed anhydrides. Aromaticity as illustrated by benzene and its simple derivatives, purines and pyrimidines. Glucose: properties and evidence for structure (including ring structure, but not proof of configuration). Simple glycosides, glycogen. Structure and properties of simple lipids. Principle of amino acid sequence determination.

1. 1. One three-hour paper will be set.
2. 2. The syllabus for the examination is as follows: The nature of living organisms; differences between viruses, bacteria, plants, and animals. Metabolism. The organisation of cells. Organs and tissues. Co-ordination; evolution of nervous system and sense organs. Outline of vertebrate embryology.Man's place in the animal kingdom; parasitism. Principles of classification. The nature and mode of action of the gene. Cells, chromosomes, mitosis, and meiosis. Mendelian inheritance, sex determination, linkage and crossover, and mutation. Introduction to population genetics. Genetic variability in populations and its maintenance. Inheritance of quantitative characteristics. Evolution and its ecological implications. Nature and origin of species.
3. 3. Candidates preparing for the examination before coming into residence should note that they will be required to show an elementary knowledge of the following: The nature of living organisms. The differences between viruses, bacteria, plants, and animals. The general nature of metabolism, including the relationship between photosynthesis and respiration, and the way in which the sun's energy is used by living organisms. The structure of animal cells, cytoplasm and nucleus, somatic and germ cells. The microscopic structure of the main tissues of animals, together with sufficient knowledge of the function of these tissues to make their structure intelligible. A survey in broad outline of the animal kingdom and Man's place within it, more particularly, an elementary knowledge of protozoa, platyhelminthes, annelids, insects, molluscs, and the seven living classes of the vertebrates. The evolution of the ear and the heart and arterial arches of vertebrates, as illustrating the evolution of organ systems. The nature and results of the parasitic way of life, particularly as illustrated by Taenia when compared with free-living platyhelminthes. The elements of embryology. Cleavage, the formation of the germ layers and the extra-embryonic membranes in Gallus. Cleavage, germ-layer formation, morphogenetic movements, the origin of the alimentary canal, the heart, the nervous system and the brain in Rana. The nature of the gene. The chromosomes, meiosis, mitosis, gametogenesis and fertilization. The Mendelian laws. The genetical consequences of the cytological events visible in the cell. Means of producing genetic variability and stability. Mutation, linkage, and crossing-over (omitting numerical treatment). Sex determination, sex linkage. The interaction between heredity and the environment. Asexual and sexual reproduction and their evolutionary consequences. The types of evidence for evolution. The mechanism of evolution and its ecological background. The principles employed in classifying animals. The concepts of homology and analogy. Candidates are required, by the Friday of the week prior to the commencement of the examination, to submit to the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, a certificate signed by a graduate teacher of Biology confirming that they have dissected a representative mammal and a representative amphibian in sufficient detail to demonstrate the gross anatomical features of the principal systems of the body.

A Core Syllabus and a Composite Syllabus (Core plus Extension) for both Parts I and II will be published annually at the start of Michaelmas Term by the Medical Sciences Board. The syllabuses will make appropriate reference to related issues of clinical significance. In each subject, candidates will be expected to have a general understanding of the subjects specified in the syllabus, including methods of study and quantitative analysis of experimental results.

In subjects 1, 2, 3, 5, 6, and 7 two papers will be set, Paper A and Paper B. Paper A shall be no longer than 1 hour and 25 minutes in duration, and shall be a computer-based assessment of breadth of knowledge and understanding of the Core Syllabus. Paper B shall be set to examine deeper knowledge and understanding of a choice of topics included in or closely relating to the Composite Syllabus. For Subjects 1, 2, and 3, Paper B shall be two hours in duration, and for Subjects 5, 6, and 7, Paper B shall be three hours in duration.

Part I

1. 1. Organisation of the body
2. 2. Physiology and Pharmacology
3. 3. Biochemistry and Medical Genetics
4. 4. Medical Sociology for Medical Students One one-and-a-half-hour paper will be set on the syllabus specified in the Core Syllabus for Part I.

Part II

1. 5. Systems of the Body: Integrative Aspects
2. 6. The Nervous System
3. 7. Principles of Pathology
4. 8. Psychology for Medicine One two-hour paper will be set on the syllabus specified in the Core Syllabus for Part II.

General Regulations of the First Examination

1. Candidates shall submit notebooks, initialled as satisfactory by the demonstrators, or other certified evidence of satisfactory practical work in the courses associated with each subject of the First Examination with the exception of Medical Sociology and Psychology for Medicine. The practical course for Subject 2 includes the course in elementary statistics defined in the Composite Syllabus for Part I. Each notebook shall be accompanied by a certificate signed by the candidate indicating that the notebook submitted is the candidate's own work. The notebooks or evidence shall be available to the examiners at a time prescribed by the examiners prior to the written examination and shall be taken into consideration by them. Candidates whose notebooks or other evidence are unsatisfactory may be required by the examiners to submit to further examination. Failure to submit an initialled notebook or certified evidence shall result in the candidate being failed in the relevant subject of the examination, unless the candidate has an adequate attendance record at the relevant practical classes and provided the examiners are satisfied, after taking account of the candidate's examination script and any further examination as they shall deem necessary, that the candidate has a satisfactory knowledge and understanding of the practical course. The Director of Pre-Clinical Studies or his or her deputy is required to make available to the examiners evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) to certify that each candidate has a satisfactory attendance record for each practical course defined in the preceding paragraph. Evidence of satisfactory practical work and of attendance at a practical course is normally admissible by the examiners for a period extending no longer than to the end of the academic year following the year in which the course was pursued. The Director of Pre-Clinical Studies or his or her deputy is required to make available to the examiners evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) to certify that each candidate has participated satisfactorily in the Patient and Doctor Course. Candidates may be required to undergo oral examination.

The examination will be in two parts. A core syllabus and an extension syllabus for both Parts I and II will be published annually at the start of the Michaelmas Term prior to the examination by the Medical Sciences Board.

Part I

The examination will assess candidates in the areas of core knowledge and understanding of core material, and in clinical skills and critical-appraisal skills. Candidates must pass all seven components listed below in order to pass the examination. Candidates who fail any component(s) of the examination at the first attempt need re-sit only the component(s) that they have failed provided that all components are passed within a single academic year; except that, where a candidate has been granted leave by the Board to sit a paper or papers for a third time (under the Provisions of the General Regulations for Part I of the Preliminary Examination in Medicine), the Board may also, at its discretion, waive the requirement for the candidate to pass all components within a single academic year.

1. 1. Core Material Candidates will be required to demonstrate their knowledge and understanding of the principles of basic medical science as defined in the core syllabus for Part I. Two papers will be set. Paper One (one hour) will consist of questions requiring short answers, and may require candidates to select answers from a list of options. Paper Two (two hours) will be in the format of problem-based questions. Each question will be marked pass or fail, and a cumulative pass/fail mark will be given for the candidate's overall performance in the two papers. The marks from these papers will not contribute to the award of a Distinction.
4. 2. Paper 3: Ethics (one hour) Candidates will be required to write one essay in response to a choice of topics.
5. 3. Paper 4: Systems of the Body (one and a half hours) Candidates will be required to write one essay from a choice of questions which will relate to extension topics notified to candidates at the start of the academic year. Candidates will be given credit for demonstrating their breadth of reading beyond the core syllabus, for their ability to synthesise evidence from different sources and produce a coherent argument, and for discussion of experimental evidence from primary literature. Candidates will have access during the examination to such databases of medical literature as may be prescribed from time to time by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates at the beginning of the academic year.
6. 4. Paper 5: Critical Appraisal (two hours) This paper will assess candidates’ ability to critically appraise primary research material. The primary research paper, or extracts from a number of papers, may report laboratory-based or clinical research. The literature will contain experimental, public health or clinical data for interpretation but may also include descriptions of experimental methods. Candidates may be required to offer criticism of the experimental method, or of the interpretation of the results, or to draw their own inferences from the published data. Candidates must attempt all questions.
7. 5. Clinical Skills Candidates will be required to demonstrate, in a practical examination, ability to take a clinical history and to perform a clinical examination of the systems of the body specified in the core curriculum and, applying such practical skills as may be defined in the core syllabus published by the Medical Sciences Board. The examination will include an assessment of the candidate's communication skills with patients, orally and/or in writing, and of his or her professional behaviour.
8. 6. Submitted Essay: Systems of the Body
   1. (i) Form and subject of the essay Candidates will be required to submit an essay on a topic approved by the examiners. The submitted essay shall be of not more than 3,000 words, excluding any tables, figures, diagrams or references. It must be in a format prescribed by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and published in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. A list of suggested essay titles, and the topics to which they relate, approved by the Chairman of Examiners in consultation with the module organisers, shall be published no later than the end of Week 5 of the Michaelmas Term in the academic year of the examination. Candidates may also propose their own titles. The essay may relate to any of the topics set out in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine except that candidates may not submit an essay that closely relates to work that they have previously submitted for any university examination. A candidate wishing to offer an essay with a title not on the approved list must apply for approval of their proposed title by no later than the end of Week 0 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination. Application shall be made via the Course Administrator in the Medical Sciences Office and shall include the proposed title, a brief outline of the subject matter, and the topic or topics to which it relates. Decision on the application shall be made by the Chairman of Examiners in consultation with the module organisers and shall be communicated to the candidate as soon as possible and in any case not later than Week 2 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination.
   2. (ii) Registration No later than the end of Week 0 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination, every candidate must register the title of their essay via the Course Administrator in the Medical Sciences Office.
   3. (iii) Authorship The essay must be the candidate’s own work. Candidates’ tutors, or their deputies nominated to act as advisors, may discuss with candidates the proposed field of study, the sources available, and the method of treatment, but on no account may they read or comment on any written draft. Every candidate shall sign a certificate to the effect that this rule has been observed and that the essay is their own work. The certificate, sealed in a separate envelope, should be addressed to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part I and submitted alongside the essay.
   4. (iv) Submission The essay (two paper copies and an electronic copy) must be submitted to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part I, c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than noon on the Friday of Week 0 of Trinity Term.
9. 7. Longitudinal case study combined with Behavioural Sciences Commentary Candidates will be required to complete a longitudinal case study during their clinical course, details of which will be published each year in the clinical course handbook. This coursework must be submitted to the candidate’s GP Tutor by Friday of Week 9 of Hilary Term. The clinical course organiser will then forward each case study to the Chairman of Examiners by the end of Week 0 of Trinity Term, together with a certificate, signed by the relevant clinical supervisor, of satisfactory performance by the candidate in the longitudinal case study. Candidates will separately submit an essay covering an aspect of Behavioural Sciences which will relate to the longitudinal case study. This essay will contribute to the award of a Distinction.
   1. (i) Form and subject of the essay Candidates will be required to submit a Behavioural Sciences commentary, relating to the patient described in the longitudinal case study, in the form of an essay of not more than 3,000 words, excluding any tables, figures, diagrams or references. It must be in a format prescribed by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and published in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. The essay must refer to aspects of Behavioural Sciences from a list published at the beginning of the academic year by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and included in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. The number of such topics to be covered in the essay will be determined from time to time by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and will be published with the list and included in the Notes of Guidance.
   2. (ii) Authorship The essay must be the candidate’s own work. Candidates’ tutors, or their deputies nominated to act as advisors, may discuss with candidates the proposed field of study as it relates to the patient, the sources available, and the method of treatment, but on no account may they read or comment on any written draft. Every candidate shall sign a certificate to the effect that this rule has been observed and that the essay is their own work; and the candidate’s tutor or advisor shall countersign the certificate confirming that, to the best of their knowledge and belief, this is so. The certificate, sealed in a separate envelope, should be addressed to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part I and submitted alongside the essay.
   3. (iii) Submission The essay must be submitted (two paper copies and an electronic copy) to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part I, c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than noon on the Friday of Week 0 of Trinity Term.

General regulations for Part I of the Preliminary Examination in Medicine

The examination will be set at the end of the extended Trinity Term and at the end of the Long Vacation.

Examiners may award Distinctions for outstanding performance in Papers 3, 4 and 5, together with the Submitted Essay and Behavioural Sciences element of the Longitudinal Case Study, by candidates sitting the examination for the first time.

Candidates may be required, at the discretion of the examiners, to undergo an oral examination which may include a further clinical examination.

No candidate may enter for the examination on more than two occasions, save in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Medical Sciences Board following application from the candidate’s society.

Part II

The examination will consist of seven components. Candidates must pass all seven components listed below in order to pass the examination. Candidates who fail any component(s) of the examination at the first attempt need re-sit only the component(s) that they have failed provided that all components are passed within a single academic year; except that, where a candidate has been granted leave by the Board to sit a paper or papers for a third time (under the provisions of the General Regulations for Part II of the Preliminary Examination in Medicine), the Board may also, at its discretion, waive the requirement for the candidate to pass all components within a single academic year.

1. 1. Paper 1: Medicine (two hours) This paper will contain tests of core knowledge and understanding through problem-based questions. This material may include basic and applied science, differential diagnosis of common diseases and simple first-line clinical investigations. The paper will be marked pass/fail only. The marks from this paper will not contribute to the overall mark in the examination, nor to the award of a Distinction.
2. 2. Paper 2: Clinical Science (two hours) This two-hour paper will relate to extension topics notified to candidates at the start of the academic year and will require candidates to answer two questions. Candidates will be given credit for demonstrating their breadth of reading beyond the core syllabus, their ability to synthesise evidence from different sources and produce a coherent argument, and for discussion of primary literature.
3. 3. Paper 3: Data Interpretation (two hours) This paper will assess candidates’ ability to critically appraise primary research material. The primary research paper or papers (normally not more than two), will report clinical research. The literature will contain experimental, epidemiological, or clinical data for interpretation, including Public Health data. Candidates may be required to offer criticism of the experimental method, or of the interpretation of the published data (including epidemiological data), or to draw their own inferences from the published data. Candidates must attempt all questions.
4. 4. Extended Essay on a Public Health topic
   1. (i) Form and subject of the essay Candidates will be required to submit an essay on a topic related to Public Health aspects of the diagnosis or management of a clinical case they have seen during their clinical attachments in the second year of the course. The submitted essay shall be of not more than 3,000 words, excluding any tables, figures, diagrams or references. It must be in a format prescribed by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and published in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. The essay must refer to aspects of Public Health from a list published at the beginning of the academic year by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and included in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. The number of such topics to be covered in the essay will be determined from time to time by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and will be published with the list and included in the Notes of Guidance.
   2. (ii) Validity Candidates must submit with their essay a certificate from the Clinical Tutor in Medicine or in Surgery, or from a consultant in charge of the patient, confirming that the student has seen the patient described in the essay. As a prologue to the essay, candidates should include a summary of the clinical case to which the essay refers. The summary should not usually exceed 250 words, but will not be included in the overall word count for the essay.
   3. (iii) Authorship The essay must be the candidate’s own work. Candidates’ tutors, or their deputies nominated to act as advisors, may discuss with candidates the proposed field of study, the sources available, and the method of treatment, but on no account may they read or comment on any written draft. Every candidate shall sign a certificate to the effect that this rule has been observed and that the essay is their own work. The certificate, sealed in a separate envelope, should be addressed to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part II and submitted alongside the essay.
   4. (iv) Submission The essay (two paper copies and an electronic copy) must be submitted to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part II, c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than noon on the Friday of Week 1 of Trinity Term.
5. 5. Extended Synoptic Essay on a Science topic
   1. (i) Form and subject of the essay Candidates will be required to submit an essay on a topic approved by the examiners, illustrating a technique or scientific application across several fields of clinical or basic science. The submitted essay shall be of not more than 3,000 words, excluding any tables, figures, diagrams or references. It must be in a format prescribed by the Graduate-entry Education Committee and published in the Notes of Guidance for the Preliminary Examination in Medicine. A list of suggested essay titles, and the topics to which they relate, approved by the Chairman of Examiners in consultation with the Chairman of the Graduate-entry Education Committee, shall be published no later than the end of Week 5 of the Michaelmas Term in the academic year of the examination. Candidates may also propose their own titles. Candidates may not submit an essay that closely relates to work that they have previously submitted for any university examination. A candidate wishing to offer an essay with a title not on the approved list must apply for approval of their proposed title by no later than the end of Week 0 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination. Application shall be made via the Course Administrator in the Medical Sciences Office and shall include the proposed title, a brief outline of the subject matter, and the topic or topics to which it relates. Decision on the application shall be made by the Chairman of Examiners in consultation with the Chairman of the Graduate-entry Education Committee and shall be communicated to the candidate as soon as possible and in any case not later than Week 2 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination.
   2. (ii) Registration No later than the end of Week 0 of Hilary Term in the academic year of the examination, every candidate must register the title of their essay via the Course Administrator in the Medical Sciences Office.
   3. (iii) Authorship The essay must be the candidate’s own work. Candidates’ tutors, or their deputies nominated to act as advisors, may discuss with candidates the proposed field of study, the sources available, and the method of treatment, but on no account may they read or comment on any written draft. Every candidate shall sign a certificate to the effect that this rule has been observed and that the essay is their own work. The certificate, sealed in a separate envelope, should be addressed to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part II and submitted alongside the essay.
   4. (iv) Submission The essay (two paper copies and an electronic copy) must be submitted to the Chairman of Examiners in the Preliminary Examination in Medicine Part II, c/o the Examination Schools, High Street, Oxford, not later than noon on the Friday of Week 1 of Trinity Term.
7. 6. A clinical long case, followed by a viva Candidates will be assessed on their clinical history and examination skills, including their communication skills and professional behaviour, and knowledge of differential diagnosis and first-line investigations.
8. 7. An Objective Structured Clinical Examination or similar problem-based clinical assessment Candidates will be assessed on their ability to perform a clinical examination of systems specified in the core curriculum, and on their practical skills, and on their ability to interpret and use clinical data.
9. 8. In addition to the above examination, candidates are required to have satisfactorily completed the following courses of instruction during Year 2:
   1. (a) Practical skills and procedures (defined in the core curriculum) to be assessed in-course. A completed checklist of these skills and procedures, signed by the appropriate Clinical Tutor or other representative nominated by the Course Director, is required as a qualification for entry to the examination. These skills may be re-sampled during the end-of-year clinical assessment.
   2. (b) The Laboratory Medicine Course (as prescribed for the Second Examination for the Degree of BM, Year 1)
   3. (c) Medicine (as prescribed for the Second Examination for the Degree of BM, Year 1)
   4. (d) Surgery (as prescribed for the Second Examination for the Degree of BM, Year 1)

General regulations for Part II of the Preliminary Examination in Medicine

The examination will be set towards the end of Trinity Term and at a time to be specified by the examiners during the Long Vacation.

Examiners may award Distinctions for outstanding performance in Papers 2 and 3, and the two extended essays, by candidates sitting the examination for the first time.

Candidates may be required, at the discretion of the examiners, to undergo an oral examination which may include a further clinical examination.

No candidate may enter for the examination on more than two occasions, save in exceptional circumstances at the discretion of the Medical Sciences Board following application from the candidate’s society.

1. 1. Syllabus and Examination The Second Examination shall be divided as follows: YEAR 1 In Year 1, students are required to satisfy the examiners in:
   1. (a) The Laboratory Medicine Course (concerning the application to human disease of the principles of Laboratory Medicine, including Histopathology, Microbiology and Infection, Clinical Biochemistry, Immunology and Haematology);
   2. (b) Medicine;
   3. (c) Surgery.
   4. Each candidate will be assessed according to the methods of assessment approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction.
   5. Candidates must satisfy the relevant head of department or his/her deputy, or the Director of Clinical Studies or his/her deputy, that they have attended a course of instruction, and attained the necessary skills and knowledge in:
      1. (a) The Patient Doctor 2 Course (being an introduction to clinical methods, history taking and physical examination);
      2. (b) Anaesthetics;
      3. (c) Clinical Pharmacology;
      4. (d) Communication skills;
      5. (e) Medical ethics and law;
      6. (f) Primary Health Care;
      7. (g) Radiology;
      8. (h) Special Study approved by the Medical Sciences Board.
   6. No candidate shall commence Year 2 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 1, unless the Director of Clinical Studies at his or her discretion should, in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to Year 2 on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.
2. YEAR 2
3. In Year 2 , students are required to satisfy the examiners in:
   1. (a) Orthopaedic, Rheumatology and Emergency Medicine;
   2. (b) Neurology (including neurosurgery);
   3. (c) Obstetrics and Gynaecology (including Genito-urinary medicine);
   4. (d) Paediatrics;
   5. (e) Palliative Care;
   6. (f) Primary Health Care;
   7. (g) Psychiatry;
   8. (h) Public Health Medicine.
   9. Each candidate will be assessed according to the methods of assessment approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction.
   10. Candidates must satisfy the relevant head of department or his/her deputy, that they have attended a course of instruction in, and attained the necessary skills and knowledge in:
   11. (a) Clinical Geratology;
   12. (b) Dermatology;
   13. (c) Ophthalmology;
   14. (d) Otolaryngology;
   15. (e) Palliative Care.
   16. No candidate shall commence Year 3 until he or she has satisfactorily completed Year 2, unless the Director of Clinical Studies at his or her discretion should, in exceptional circumstances, decide that the candidate may proceed to Year 3 on condition that he or she should undertake remedial work and if necessary be reassessed at a later date.
4. YEAR 3 In Year 3 students are required to satisfy examiners in General Clinical Studies and Vocational Skills. Each candidate will be assessed according to the method approved by the Medical Sciences Board and notified to candidates before the commencement of each course of instruction. Students who fail an assessment will have to forfeit part or all of the elective for a period of intensive clinical training.

1. 1. General Clinical Studies Students are required to satisfy the examiners in:
   1. (a) Medicine and Surgery encompassing communication skills, radiology, and clinical pharmacology; and
   2. (b) Specialties studied but not previously formally examined (namely Clinical Geratology, Dermatology, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, and Palliative Care).
   3. Candidates must satisfy the Director of Clinical Studies that they have attended a course of instruction in Special Study and Clinical Options approved by the Medical Sciences Board.

1. 2. Vocational Skills Students are required to satisfy the Director of Clinical Studies or his/her deputy that they have provided work to a satisfactory standard in:
   1. (a) Special Study and Clinical Options approved by the Medical Sciences Board;
   2. (b) A Course to prepare students for work as a Foundation 1 doctor;
   3. (c) An Elective (students who fail an assessment may be required to complete remedial clinical work. These students will forfeit some or all of the elective and instead will be required to produce a satisfactory report at the end of an additional clinical attachment);
   4. (d) A student assistantship with a clinical team; and
   5. (e) An assessment in procedural skills.

1. 2. Assessment YEARS 1, 2, AND 3 Proposals for the assessment of candidates in Years 1, 2, and 3 of the examination shall be drawn up by each specialty group, or in the case of Year 3 by the Board’s Clinical Education Committee and submitted for approval to the Medical Sciences Board, at such times as the Board shall determine. The form or forms of assessment are chosen from among the following:
   1. (a) clinical examination including long and short cases;
   2. (b) competency check sheets, logbooks, or portfolios;
   3. (c) examination and comment (written or viva voce) on specimens;
   4. (d) objective structured clinical examinations;
   5. (e) poster presentations;
   6. (f) case presentations;
   7. (g) written tests, which may consist in whole or in part of for example multiple choice questions, short-answer questions, extended matching questions or essays;
   8. (h) case histories and commentaries;
   9. (i) prepared essays;
   10. (j) viva voce examination; and
   11. (k) other tests individually approved by the Board.
   In clinical subjects, all assessments shall include a test of clinical competence. In addition, reports on candidates’ attendance and general aptitude shown during the course of instruction shall be made by those responsible for the courses and taken into consideration in association with the performance of candidates in the assessment. A candidate shall be warned (in writing with a copy to the Director of Clinical Studies) by those responsible for the course in question before the assessment takes place, if his or her attendance and general aptitude are such as seems likely to jeopardise his or her chances of passing the assessment. The first assessment of candidates shall be carried out during or at the conclusion of each component of the course by the staff, as appointed by the head of the relevant department, or, in the case of Year 3, by the examiners and/or assessors. Candidates in Years 1 and 3 shall be permitted a maximum of three attempts to pass an assessment. In Year 2 the Examination Board may require candidates to be assessed in a specified module on one further occasion. Candidates in Year 2 shall be permitted a maximum of two attempts to pass Year 2. It shall be the responsibility of the staff concerned, under the supervision of the divisional board, to give the candidates and the relevant examiners reasonable notice of the dates on which the assessment will be made, to decide on the outcome of each assessment, and to keep departmental records of each assessment. A candidate should not normally be assessed exclusively by staff members who have been responsible for his or her instruction. YEAR 1 A candidate in Year 1 who fails to reach a satisfactory standard in any part of the assessment at the first attempt may offer himself or herself for reassessment on one further occasion and will only be required to be reassessed in those parts of the assessment they have failed. If a candidate fails to reach a satisfactory standard at the second attempt in any part of the assessment, the head of department concerned, or his/her deputy, shall require the candidate to be reassessed in the part of the assessment previously failed after completing the necessary coursework; this assessment shall be carried out and adjudged by the staff appointed by the relevant head of department and in the presence of an external examiner. In the event that a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this third attempt then his or her name shall be removed from the Register of Clinical Students subject to appeal by the Medical Sciences Board. YEAR 2 A candidate in Year 2 who fails to reach a satisfactory standard in any individual course module assessment at the first attempt and is required by the Examination Board to be reassessed, will only be required to be reassessed in those parts of the assessment they have failed. A candidate who does not reach the threshold pass mark for Year 2 (from the sum of cumulative marks awarded from each assessment unit) will be deemed to have failed. A candidate in this position will be allowed only one further attempt to pass Year 2 and will be required to repeat the second year of the course in its entirety. In the event that a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this second attempt then his or her name shall be removed from the Register of Clinical Students subject to appeal by the Medical Sciences Board. YEAR 3 A candidate in Year 3 who fails to reach a satisfactory standard in the first attempt in any part of the assessment in medicine and surgery will be deemed, normally, to have failed the complete assessment and may offer himself or herself for reassessment on one further occasion. This reassessment will be in the presence of an external examiner. A candidate in this position will usually be required to offer himself or herself for reassessment in all parts of the assessment, unless the examiners specifically direct that there be reassessment only in the part or parts in which the candidate has failed to achieve a satisfactory standard. If a candidate fails to reach a satisfactory standard at the second attempt in any part of the assessment, then the candidate shall be deemed to have failed the complete assessment. The examiners shall require the candidate to be reassessed after completing the necessary coursework; this assessment shall be carried out and adjudged by the examiners, which shall include an external examiner. In the event that a candidate’s performance is judged to be unsatisfactory at this third attempt then his or her name shall be removed from the Register of Clinical Students subject to appeal by the Medical Sciences Board.

1. 3. The duties of the examiners YEAR 1 In the first assessment of candidates in Year 1 each relevant pair of examiners shall be required to attend, and if they so wish participate, on at least one occasion each year. In the reassessment of any candidate who has been deemed to have failed the whole assessment in Year 1, the external examiner shall be present and may participate if he or she wishes. Year 3 examiners may assist with the assessments in Year 1. YEAR 2 In the first assessment of candidates in the individual course modules of Year 2 each relevant pair of examiners/specialty advisors shall be required to attend, and if they so wish participate, on at least one occasion in each year. YEAR 3 Assessment of General Clinical Studies In the examination of a candidate, the Chairman of the Year 3 Examiners and the relevant subject examiners shall arrange and conduct the examination (provided that the Chairman and one relevant subject examiner in each subject shall conduct the examination when fewer than ten candidates present themselves). In considering whether a candidate shall have passed the assessment, the examiners may fail a candidate who does not satisfy them in one part of the assessment, even if he or she has satisfied them in other parts at that stage. Assessment of Vocational Skills Candidates shall be required to submit to the examiners such evidence as they require of the successful completion of their work. In considering whether candidates shall have passed the assessment, the examiners may fail a candidate who has not provided evidence of satisfactory completion of one part of the course, even if he or she has satisfied them in other parts of the course.

The syllabus shall be published annually in Trinity Term by the Medical Sciences Board. Candidates shall be required to submit notebooks, initialled as satisfactory by the demonstrators, or other certified evidence of satisfactory practical work associated with the course. The examination will consist of in-course assessment of a form approved by the Medical Sciences Board. Any candidate whose performance in any part of this assessment is judged to be unsatisfactory may be reassessed during the course or at some duly advertised time during the Long Vacation by such means as may be deemed appropriate by the examiners. In determining whether a candidate has passed the examination, the examiners will take account of the candidate's overall record of assessment without necessarily requiring a satisfactory performance in every constituent part.

The Director of Pre-Clinical Studies or his or her deputy is required to make available to the examiners evidence (in the form of a list of names, signed by the Director or his or her deputy) to certify that each candidate has a satisfactory attendance record at the course in the Principles of Clinical Anatomy. Any candidate whose record of attendance is deemed unsatisfactory by the examiners shall be liable to additional examination by such means as may be deemed appropriate by the examiners, or he or she may be failed at the discretion of the examiners.

Candidates may be required to undergo oral examination.

DM

1. 1. Admission Students qualified under the appropriate regulation may apply for admission as a Student for the Degree of Doctor of Medicine to the Medical Sciences Board through the Registrar. Such application shall be accompanied by:
   1. (i) a completed application form (obtainable from the Higher Degrees Office);
   2. (ii) a statement of not more than 1,500 words outlining the proposed scope of the research to be undertaken and provisional thesis title; and, in the case of students wishing to submit published work, the following additional information:
   3. (iii) a list of the works to be submitted, details of their publication, and a statement on whether any part of the work to be submitted has previously been accepted for a degree. A student who submits work that has been produced in collaboration shall state in respect of each item the extent of his or her own contribution. This statement must be certified by each of the senior and primary authors (where he or she is not the student) in the case of each piece of collaborative work submitted.
   4. A set of published works may constitute an acceptable dissertation but only if with the addition of a general introduction and general conclusion they form a continuous theme.

1. 2. Confirmation of Status Students who have been admitted to DM status, and intend to submit a dissertation for a thesis, must, not later than six terms and not earlier than three terms after admission to DM status, apply for confirmation of that status. The requirements for confirmation of status are:
   1. (i) completion by the student of the appropriate form (obtainable from the Higher Degrees Office);
   2. (ii) submission by the student of a report of no more than 2,500 words on the work undertaken since registration, including a comprehensive outline of the research topic, details of progress made, and the anticipated timetable for submission of the thesis;
   3. (iii) completion of the appropriate form (obtainable from the Higher Degrees Office) by the Adviser at the place where the work is being undertaken.
   The application shall be directed to the Graduate Studies Committee of the Medical Sciences Board, which shall appoint two assessors competent in the student's area of research (who may include the Adviser in Oxford in the case of students working outside Oxford). The assessors shall submit to the board's Graduate Studies Committee a report (using a form obtainable from the Higher Degrees Office) after considering the student's report and, if necessary, interviewing the student. Before a decision is reached on whether or not confirmation of status should be approved the Graduate Studies Committee shall take into account the comments made on the application by the Adviser at the place of work and that Adviser's biannual reports. If the Graduate Studies Committee does not consider that the student's progress warrants confirmation of status it may either: (a) permit the resubmission of the application on one further occasion not later than the third term after the original application; or (b) reject the application. A copy of the assessors' report, amended as necessary by the Graduate Studies Committee, will normally be made available to the student.

1. 3. Theses The requirements for the submission of a thesis are as follows:
   1. (i) The completion by the student of the appropriate form (obtainable from the Higher Degrees Office). The form may be submitted immediately in the case of students submitting published work as a dissertation and up to four months in advance of submitting the thesis in the case of other students.
   2. (ii) The submission of two printed or typewritten copies of the thesis and two printed or typewritten copies of an abstract, formatted and supplied according to the instructions obtainable from the Medical Sciences Board through the Higher Degrees Office.

1. 4. Oral Examination
   1. (i) The place, day, and hour of examination shall be fixed by the examiners, who shall be responsible for informing the student by post, and it shall be the duty of the student to ensure that any letter addressed to him or her is forwarded to him or her if away. The examiners shall allow reasonable time for receiving an acknowledgement from the student of their summons. The day shall be fixed by the examiners to suit their own convenience but they are asked, in order that the student may know what arrangements he or she may safely make, to give the student early information of the date fixed, even though it may be some considerable time ahead.
   2. (ii) Notice of the examination shall be given by the examiners to the Higher Degrees Office.
   3. (iii) If, owing to illness or other urgent or unforeseen cause, an examiner is unable to attend the examination, it shall be postponed to a later date, except that, if the Proctors are satisfied that postponement will be a serious hardship to the student, the Proctors may authorise another person to attend the examination as a substitute. The substitute shall not be required to sign the report, but he or she shall receive such remuneration as the Vice-Chancellor and Proctors shall determine.

M.Ch.

1. 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. 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. 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. 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.)
5. 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.

1. 5. Oral Examination for the M.Ch.
   1. (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. (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. (3) Notice of the examination shall be given by the judges or examiners to the Registrar.
   4. (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.]