Program Requirements
The M.Sc. in Surgical and Interventional Sciences; Surgical Outcomes Research program focuses on the science of
measuring and improving the outcomes of surgical patients. The program addresses research methods, biostatistics, and strategies to measure and improve postoperative outcomes. The thesis component of the program must focus on a topic in the field of surgical outcomes research.
Required Courses (33 credits)
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EXSU 610 Surgical Outcomes Research Foundations (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Comprehensive overview of strategies to measure and improve outcomes after surgery. Traditional and modern approaches to measure surgical outcomes, including clinician-reported, patient-reported and performance-based outcome measures. Contemporary strategies to improve postoperative recovery; topics include minimally invasive surgery (laparoscopic, robotic), enhanced recovery pathways and prehabilitation.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Gillis, Chelsia; Crump, Trafford (Winter)
3 hours/week.
Students will be required to attend mandatory visits to surgical outcomes research labs at McGill.
Language of instruction: English
Restrictions: Open to students enrolled in the M.Sc. in ExperimentalSurgery; Surgical Outcomes Research program. Other students require permission of the instructors.
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EXSU 690 M.Sc. Research 1 (4 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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EXSU 691 M.Sc. Research 2 (4 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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EXSU 692 M.Sc. Research 3 (4 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
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EXSU 693 M.Sc. Thesis (18 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Written and oral presentation of thesis proposal to the research Supervisory Committee.
Terms: Fall 2024, Winter 2025
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Complementary Courses (12 credits)
3 credits from the following:
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EPIB 600 Clinical Epidemiology (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Principles and methods of epidemiology, as applied to clinical practice and clinical research. Key principles of testing and measurement in the clinical context, as well as study design, analysis, and inference in the clinical research setting.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Course offered during the Summer Session only.
Restriction: Restricted to McGill Medical Residents and Clinical Fellows or permission of the instructor for other clinicians.
Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the third lecture day and withdrawal is the sixth lecture day.
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EXMD 600 Principles of Clinical Research (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Foundations for conducting clinical research including the principles underlying clinical studies, an overview of key methods in clinical research and the critical interpretation of peer-reviewed literature.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Rahme, Elham; Almeida, Nisha; Sewitch, Maida; Grover, Steven; Menzies, Richard Ian; McDonald, Emily; Fishman, Jennifer; Sebastiani, Giada; Ahun, Marilyn; Fortier, Isabelle (Fall)
There are no set prerequisites, but it is expected that the student will have some background in mathematics; understanding functions and basic algebra is essential.
3 credits from the following:
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EPIB 507 Biostats for Health Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : Basic principles of statistical inference applicable to clinical, epidemiologic, and other health research. Topics include: methods of describing data, statistical inference for means, statistical inference for proportions, non-parametric statistics, correlation and introduction to linear regression.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Levis, Brooke (Fall)
Prerequisite: Permission of instructor
Restriction: Restricted to students registered in the Faculty of Medicine, Dentistry, Human Nutrition, Medical Residents, and Clinical Fellows.
Course not opened to students registered in the Epidemiology and Biostatistics programs.
Due to the intensive nature of this course during the summer session, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the third lecture day and withdrawal is the sixth lecture day. The standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines apply for sections of this course offered during the Fall or Winter semesters.
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EXMD 634 Quantitative Research Methods (3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Medicine : Topics covered include: 1) An overview of common research designs based on examples from research currently undertaken in the Division of Experimental Medicine; 2) Types of data arising from these designs; 3) Basic methods for data analysis; and 4) Application of these methods to student research projects.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Dendukuri, Nandini (Fall)
Restriction: Must be registered for graduate or postdoctoral studies in the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science.
6 credits from the following:
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EPIB 521 Regression Analysis for Health Sciences (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : The aim of this course is to provide students with basic principles of regression analyses applicable to the health sciences so that they can understand and use appropriate statistical regression techniques for continuous and discrete data. The course will cover: Linear regression: Regression for two or more explanatory variables, Polynomial regression, Dummy variables, Inference for regression parameters, Confounding and collinearity, Effect modification, Model-checking, Model selection, Prediction. Logistic and Poisson regression: Logistic regression for one or more variables, Interpreting odds ratios, Inference for logistic and Poisson regression parameters, Confounding and interactions in logistic regression, Model selection, Prediction. A very brief overview of survival analysis.
Terms: Winter 2025
Instructors: Hollm-Delgado, Maria-Graciela (Winter)
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EPIB 629 Knowledge Synthesis (3 credits)
Overview
Epidemiology & Biostatistics : This course will provide a detailed description of the systematic review process, discuss the strengths and limitations of the method, and provide step-by-step guidance on how to perform a systematic review, and how to critically appraise systematic reviews. Specific topics to be covered include: formulation of the review question, searching of literature, quality assessment of studies, data extraction, meta-analytic methods, and report writing. The course will also cover statistical issues of meta-analysis.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Filion, Kristian (Fall)
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EXSU 500 Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
(3 credits)
Overview
Experimental Surgery : Introduction to artificial intelligence (AI) applied to issues in medical diagnosis, therapy selection and learning from health data. Various AI methods, electronic medical records, and ethical/security concerns. Machine learning approaches including deep learning and reinforcement learning without delving too deeply into the technical details.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Hooshiar, Amir; Fevens, Thomas; Barralet, Jake (Fall)
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FMED 625 Introduction to Qualitative Research in Health (3 credits)
Overview
Family Medicine : Introduction, discussion, and practice of qualitative methodologies and methods for conducting rigorous and reflective qualitative research projects in health, with particular focus on family medicine education and health professions education.
Terms: Fall 2024
Instructors: Rodriguez, Charo (Fall)
Prerequisite(s): Permission of the instructor if graduate student is outside of the Department of Family Medicine or the Institute of Health Sciences Education.
Course will be given in English. Course work may be submitted in English or French.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken or are taking HSED 625 or PSYT 625.
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PPHS 527 Economics for Health Services Research and Policy (3 credits)
Overview
PPHS : Key health policy topics in developed economies using analytic frameworks and tools from economics. Major topics include health insurance, health care financing, and the roles of individuals and public and private institutions in the health care system.
Terms: This course is not scheduled for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Instructors: There are no professors associated with this course for the 2024-2025 academic year.
Restriction(s): Not open to students who have taken EPIB 527.
NOTE: This course is open to graduate students and advanced undergraduates from all departments, with the permission of the instructor. A background in introductory economics is useful, though not required.
Or other relevant 500-, 600-, or 700-level courses upon approval of the student’s Research Advisory
Committee.
