The University of Sheffield
The Medical School

Frequently asked questions

1. Where do I find information about the things I need to do each year of my study? Everything is listed on the Medical School's Website for Current Postgraduate Students.
2. How much holiday am I entitled to as a postgraduate student and how do I book this? Postgraduate research students are often concerned at the lack of clear guidance concerning holiday entitlements, since it is not governed by regulation. The requirements of your research will to a large extent determine the amount of holiday you take and you must, in the main, be guided by your supervisor and department.
You should also be aware that there is an optimum efficiency to be achieved by pacing oneself between work and recreation: some students become so exclusively work oriented that they take little or no time off, and they and their work consequently suffer.
Some students commencing research degrees are surprised that they are not entitled to the long vacation periods to which they have become accustomed as undergraduates. It should be noted that research students sponsored by the UK Research Councils may, subject to the agreement of their supervisors, take reasonable holidays, not exceeding eight weeks in the year (including public holidays, and the time between Christmas and New Year). Up to a maximum of four weeks holiday may be taken at the end of the period of award. These Research Council rules may be used as a guide by all full-time research students not subject to the rules of other sponsoring bodies.

To book these you need to request a holiday form from Jodie Burnham (MPhil-PhD) or Carol Fidler (MPhil-MD) in LU116, complete it, get it signed by your supervisor and return to either Jodie or Carol before you take leave.
3. Where do I find notes about the compulsory school RTPs? Please Click here for further information about the compulsory DDP modules MED6950 and MED6960. You will also be able to download presentations about each of these modules from the same page.

Click here for notes on Med6950 (Literature review) and here for notes on MED6960 (research skills).
4. I missed the annual induction day. What should I do? All the information you need should be available on the Medical School's current postgraduate student pages.

If you have any further queries, please contact either Jodie Burnham (MPhil/PhD) or Carol Fidler (MPhil/MD) for assistance.
5. My registration dates are wrong – how do I change these? If your registration dates are incorrect please inform Jodie Burnham (MPhil-PhD) or Carol Fidler (MPhil-MD).
6. When I am off sick, how do I report this? You should email or phone your supervisor immediately to tell them you are ill. You must also let either Jodie Burnham (MPhil-PhD) or Carol Fidler (MPhil-MD) in LU116. On return you must tell them exactly how many days you have been off for. If it is longer than 5 days you will have to supply them with a doctors certificate of absence.
7. Why do I have to do DDPs/RTPs? I thought this was a research degree? The DDP and RTP are intended to provide a formalised approach to either doing the things you should be doing as a research student (e.g. Literature review) without relying on your supervisor to initiate these, or providing you with skills required to complete your studies (e.g. Statistics and thesis writing courses). Since these have been introduced there has been a large improvement in student abilities and they are clearly beneficial, even if they do appear to create you more work.
8. I am a Staff Candidate, what deadlines should I be working towards for the compulsory DDPs and transfer report University staff candidates will be classed as full time students with regards to compulsory DDP Modules and MPhil to PhD/MD transfers, and will therefore work to full time deadlines. Please see the ‘requirements at a glance’ for Full Time Students for information. There is a level of flexibility however, on deadlines for such candidates, so if you wish to discuss this, please contact the PGR Administrators.
9. When should I complete a training needs analysis with my supervisor and what should I do after this? The training needs analysis should be completed when you start your postgraduate degree programme and annually thereafter. After you have identified where you need to improve your skills beyond what is available in your research group you should book yourself onto a suitable RTP/DDP.
10. Where is the list of available DDPs and how do I book a place on one? All information is available on the Doctoral Development Pages.
11. I need to take some time off for personal reasons. Whats the procedure for this. How will it affect my studies? If you have family, health or personal issues that mean you need to be away for several weeks then the best approach is to apply for a leave of absence. This effectively suspends your registration. However, it’s important to note that if you have a three year bursary / stipend, then this is not extended and as such you will need to support yourself for any leave of absence you take. Please refer to http://www.shef.ac.uk/ris/pgr/code/loa.html for further information and for an application form. If you are subject to the UK immigration regulations, you must speak to a University immigration advisor before submitting an application for a Leave of Absence. Your application will also require approval by your supervisor, your Departmental PGR lead and the University.
12. I am having some issues with my supervisor. What should I do? In the first instance you should go and discuss the issues with your personal tutor. They will be able to give you advice, act as a mediator between you and your supervisor or refer you on to someone who may be in a better position to help. In most cases, issues can be resolved easily although they may feel insurmountable to you. Often the supervisor is simply unaware of the problem.
13. I am having doubts that a post graduate degree is right for me. What should I do? If you can, discuss your doubts with your supervisor. If you don’t feel this is appropriate contact your personal tutor or post graduate tutor. It’s not uncommon for students to feel they have made the wrong choice. Often it’s because they don’t think they can cope with what their supervisor expects. Usually a process to address this can be worked out and the student goes on to complete successfully. Don’t bottle it up – seek help early.
14. How often should I be submitting supervisor meeting reports? The Supervisor reports should be completed once a month except in December (when the University is either closed between Christmas and New Year) and August (when most staff / students have a holiday). Forms should be submitted on or before the last day of the month to Carol Fidler. It’s really important these forms are submitted on time as they represent contact points that the University is required to monitor.
15. What’s the point of a personal tutor? They are there to act as a personal guide through your research degree. They ensure your project is progressing as planned, you have an experienced academic to chat to about things you don’t feel comfortable doing with your supervisor and a friendly independent person to help you sort any problems you may have. Pastoral care.
16. How do I find out who my personal tutor is? How often should I be meeting with them? You contact either Jodie Burnham (MPhil-PhD) or Carol Fidler (MPhil-MD) in LU116. They can tell you who your assigned tutor is. You need to meet with your personal tutor at least every 6 months when a contact form needs to be completed. You can see them more frequently if you prefer or at any point you have a problem.
17. I am being bullied by members of my research group. They make me feel stupid and unwelcome. What can I do? First port of call is your Supervisor. If they are not responsive, or involved, then see your Personal Tutor. They will be able to give you advice, act as a mediator or refer you on to someone who is in a better position to help. Alternatively, go and see your post graduate tutor who is experienced in dealing with such matters.
18. I am an international student. Can I work in the UK when I have finished Successful applicants to the Post Study Work (PSW) scheme will be allowed to remain in the UK to work for 2 years without needing a work permit or a job offer. Further information about this scheme can be found on the Union of Students website.
At this University, certain staff in Student Services (staff in International Student Services) and in the Union of Students have been trained to deal with student-related immigration matters and are authorised to advise, represent students to immigration authorities and so on.
International Student Services is part of the Student Support and Guidance section of the Student Services department and is located on Level 6 of University House.
19. 18. Examination of my literature review or transfer report has shown up areas of plagiarism. What will happen? In the first instance the postgraduate tutor will examine your work and determine if the software has correctly identified a case of plagiarism. If this is substantiated you will be asked to attend a plagiarism committee. At this you will be asked to explain your actions. The best case scenario is you will be given a period of time to submit a revision. The worst case is you will be expelled from the University with loss of all fees.
20. I have failed my transfer report. What happens? Your examiners send a report to the School Graduate Research Committee. They will look at the report and consider this along with your supervisor reports, DDP / RTP scores. They may also consult with your supervisor and head of Department. A course of action will be agreed, which will vary depending on the individual circumstances, feedback from the examiners and the view of the supervisors. You may be asked to do some additional work on your transfer report, or to resubmit your report for a second transfer viva, or you may be advised to submit for an MPhil. You will be offered a second attempt at the transfer before the final decision is made.