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Preventive Cardiology (Masters/PDip)

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Course Overview

This course equips students with the knowledge and skills required to make meaningful contributions to the discipline of preventive cardiology. The taught modules address the pathophysiology of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease and its complications, the development and practical use of cardiovascular disease risk estimation tools, implementation of healthcare policy, behavioural change strategies, lifestyle approaches to risk factor modification and medical management of risk factors including hypertension, dyslipidaemia, diabetes mellitus, obesity and smoking.

Students have the opportunity to actively engage with patients participating in various preventive cardiology programmes at the National Institute for Preventive Cardiology in the Croí Heart and Stroke Centre adjacent to the NUI Galway campus. Small group case-based discussions, workshops and clinical activities supplement the didactic lecture programme. The course has excellent online learning and guided self-directed learning dimensions as well as residential elements, enabling students to adapt their learning to their professional lives.

Students completing the Masters track are supervised in designing an original research project which addresses a specific research question in any aspect of preventive cardiology. Contributors are drawn from clinical departments at Galway University Hospitals, scientific and healthcare disciplines at NUI Galway, the Croí clinical team, and the International Centre for Circulatory Health at Imperial College London.

Applications and Selections

Who Teaches this Course

Dr. Gerard Flaherty, Physician and Senior Lecturer in Clinical Medicine and Medical Education, NUI Galway
Dr. Jenni Jones, Honorary Senior Lecturer in Cardiovascular Health Promotion, NUI Galway (Physiotherapist)
Ms. Irene Gibson, Honorary Clinical Fellow, NUI Galway (Nurse)
Ms. Claire Kerins, Honorary Clinical Fellow, NUI Galway (Dietitian)
Ms. AnneMarie Walsh, Honorary Clinical Fellow, NUI Galway (Nurse)
Ms. Jane Windle, Physiotherapist, Croí, West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation, Galway
Ms. Caroline Costello, Exercise Therapist, Croí, West of Ireland Cardiac Foundation, Galway
Prof. Kieran Daly, Honorary Clinical Professor in Medicine, NUI Galway
Dr. James Crowley, Consultant Cardiologist, University Hospital Galway
Dr. Faisal Sharif, Consultant Cardiologist, University Hospital Galway
Dr. Yvonne Finn, Lecturer in Clinical Methods and Clinical Practice, NUI Galway
Prof. Martin O’Donnell, Professor of Translational Medicine, NUI Galway
Prof. Timothy O’Brien, Professor of Medicine, NUI Galway
Dr. Francis Finucane, Consultant Endocrinologist, University Hospital Galway
Ms. Gloria Avalos, Lecturer in Medical Statistics and Research Methods, NUI Galway

Requirements and Assessment

Key Facts

Entry Requirements

Successful applicants will possess at least a Second Class Honours, Grade 1 degree in an appropriate life science, biological science, medicine or nursing. For those who do not hold a primary degree at the required level, a special case will be made if they have demonstrated aptitude for the course material through at least three years of high quality work experience in a relevant field of cardiovascular health. Entry to the Master’s programme is conditional upon achieving at least 60% in the core compulsory modules of the Postgraduate Diploma. Candidates coming to Ireland from abroad or who do not have a degree from Ireland or the UK will be asked to provide evidence of an acceptable result in one of the recognised English language proficiency tests, e.g., IELTS total score of 6.5. All prospective candidates will be interviewed by telephone or Skype.

Additional Requirements

Duration

12 months (Masters), 9 months (PDip)

Next start date

September 2018

A Level Grades ()

Average intake

30

Closing Date

Please see the review/closing dates.

Next start date

September 2018

NFQ level

Mode of study

ECTS weighting

90 (Masters), 60 (PDip)

Award

CAO

PAC code

GYM02 (Masters)
GYM03 (PDip)

Course Outline

MODULES

ECTS

Semester

Assessment

MCQ, written papers, essays, assignments, poster preparation, practical examination, dissertation

 Core Compulsory Modules:

 

 

Continuous

End of Module

Fundamentals of Preventive Cardiology

15

1

√

√

Research Methods

5

1

√

√

Reflective Clinical Practice

10

1&2

√

 

Research Project and Dissertation (MSc only)

30

1&2

√

√

Elective Advanced Modules:

 

 

 

 

Health Promotion Approaches in Preventive Cardiology Practice

30

2

√

√

Medical Risk Factor Management

30

2

√

√

Lifestyle Risk Factor Modification

30

2

√

√

Why Choose This Course?

Career Opportunities

The course is undergoing formal accreditation for CME/CPD purposes. Graduates of the course will be positioned as leaders in cardiovascular disease prevention and will find ample opportunities to apply their learning in primary care centres, hospital wards and outpatient clinics. There will also be employment opportunities in the pharmaceutical industry and in public health, healthcare management, academic and research settings. Clinician graduates will benefit from career advancement within their chosen disciplines. Master’s students completing the 5,000-word ‘ready-for-publication’ dissertation will be supported in preparing their work for submission to a peer-reviewed journal, which will further augment their career prospects.

About you (i.e., the prospective student)

Are you interested in the risk factors which underlie heart disease? Are you motivated to prevent heart disease rather than merely treating its manifestations? Do you want to influence national healthcare policy by demonstrating the patient and economic benefits of cardiovascular disease prevention. If so, then preventive cardiology may be the course for you!

Why choose NUI Galway?

At NUI Galway we take pride in working closely with postgraduate students to develop their fullest potential. We understand the challenges of combining your personal and professional lives with a postgraduate programme and we work hard to support you in every way on this journey. The excellent course materials and innovative e-learning platform will enable you to make optimum use of your private study time. NUI Galway’s unique collaboration with Croí means that up-to-date, relevant information will always be close at hand and you will get to appreciate the translation of evidence-based preventive cardiology into clinical practice.

Who’s Suited to This Course

Learning Outcomes

 

Work Placement

Study Abroad

Related Student Organisations

Course Fees

Fees: EU

€6,500 for M.Sc.; €5,000 for PG Dip. 2017/18

Fees: Tuition

€6,276 for M.Sc.; €4,776 for PG Dip. 2017/18

Fees: Student levy

€224 p.a. 2017/18

Fees: Non EU

€14,000 p.a. 2017/18
EU fee for M.Sc. = €6,500; EU fee for P.G. Dip. = €5,000

Find out More

Dr Gerard Flaherty
Senior Lecturer in Clinical Medicine and Medical Education
School of Medicine
NUI Galway

T +353 91 49 54 69 
E gerard.flaherty@nuigalway.ie

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