The Doctor of Medical Science (DMedSc) is a graduate research doctorate offered by the Melbourne Medical School only open to senior medical graduates of the University of Melbourne and other recognised universities. The DMedSc is designed for medical graduates to develop advanced skills in carrying out independent and sustained research at the doctoral research level.

Under the supervision of academic staff and an Advisory Panel appointed by the enrolling department, DMedSc students complete a thesis of approximately 50,000 - 80,000 words over a maximum period of up to four years full-time. The degree may be completed in less time if the student's academic progress as judged by the advisory panel, supports earlier submission.

Undertaking the DMedSc can broaden the medical graduate's career pathway, developing you as a researcher and enhancing leadership opportunities in your specialty practice area.

Research projects are available in the areas of:

• Adolescents
• Cancer
• Cardio metabolic disease
• Cardiovascular disease
• Child health
• Chronic disease
• Diabetes
• General practice
• Gynaecology
• Imaging
• Integrated clinical medicine
• Medical education
• Mental health
• Musculoskeletal
• Neuroscience
• Obstetrics
• Ophthalmology
• Otolaryngology
• Paediatrics
• Primary care
• Psychiatry
• Radiology
• Rural health
• Stroke
• Surgery
• Women's health

The DMedSc at the University of Melbourne seeks to develop graduates who demonstrate academic leadership, increasing independence, creativity and innovation in their research work. In addition, professional doctoral studies provide advanced training designed to enhance professional knowledge in a specialist area, and encourage the acquisition of a wide range of advanced and transferable skills.

The University expects its DMedSc graduates to have the following qualities and skills:

• An advanced ability to initiate research and to formulate viable research questions.
• A demonstrated capacity to design, conduct and report sustained and original research.
• The capacity to contextualise research within an international corpus of specialist knowledge.
• An advanced ability to evaluate and synthesize research-based and scholarly literature.
• An advanced understanding of key disciplinary and multi-disciplinary norms and perspectives relevant to the field.
• Highly developed problem-solving abilities and flexibility of approach.
• The ability to analyse critically within and across a changing disciplinary environment.
• The capacity to disseminate the results of research and scholarship by oral and written communication to a variety of audiences.
• A capacity to cooperate with and respect the contributions of fellow researchers and scholars.
• A profound respect for truth and intellectual integrity, and for the ethics of research and scholarship.
• An advanced facility in the management of information, including the application of computer systems and software where appropriate to your field of study.
• An understanding of the relevance and value of your research to national and international communities of scholars and collaborators.
• An awareness where appropriate of issues related to intellectual property management and the commercialisation of innovation.
• An ability to formulate applications to relevant agencies, such as funding bodies and ethics committees.