The MSc in Experimental Medicine (Digital Health Innovation) and the MSc in Experimental Surgery (Digital Health Innovation) focus on the basics of clinical epidemiology, medical artificial intelligence, clinical innovation, and applied data science to help trainees develop digital health solutions to unmet clinical needs. Students are grounded in the fundamentals of AI applications in medicine, methods to employ big data in clinical tool development, mathematical principals underpinning digital health and big data, design thinking methodology in clinical innovation, and the utilization of high-volume streams of clinical and health-related data from clinical systems, wearables and social media.
Program Requirements
Completion of the 2-year Digital Health Innovation concentration requires successful completion of courses and an MSc thesis. Coursework will be completed during the first year of the program, and the second year will be dedicated to MSc thesis research.
As the program is jointly offered by the Departments of Experimental Medicine and Experimental Surgery, the credit requirements vary slightly for students in each department. As detailed below, 15 of the 45 required credits are the same, with differences between students from each department in the remaining 30 credits.
All Students (15 credits)
3 credits from the following:
EXMD 634. Quantitative Research Methods.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
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.
- Restriction: Must be registered for graduate or postdoctoral studies in the Faculty of Medicine or the Faculty of Science.
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EPIB 507. Biostats for Health Sciences.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Faculty of Medicine & Hlth Sci)
Terms offered: Summer 2025
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Summer 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
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.
- 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.
- 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, 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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EDPE 575. Statistics for Practitioners.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Educational&Counselling Psych (Faculty of Education)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Understanding and interpreting basic statistical procedures used in basic and applied research, including graphs, measures of central tendency and variability, hypothesis testing, and correlations, t-tests, and basic ANOVA designs.
- Offered through Continuing Education and Summer Studies.
- Prerequisite EDPE 602
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3 credits from the following:
EXMD 642. Experimental Medicine Topic 3.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Study, through guided reading, visits, practicals, assignements, of an elected and approved topic of importance in medical science.
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EPIB 600. Clinical Epidemiology.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Epidemiology and Biostatistics (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Summer 2025
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Summer 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
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.
- Due to the intensive nature of this course, the standard add/drop and withdrawal deadlines do not apply. Add/drop is the second lecture day and withdrawal is the fourth lecture day.
- 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.
- 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 second lecture day and withdrawal is the fifth lecture day.
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All of the following (9 credits):
EXSU 620. Surgical Innovation 1.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
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Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
The process of surgical innovation and acquisition of hands-on skills necessary to work within a multi-disciplinary team in the creation of a novel, need driven, and marketable prototype used in the care of the surgical patient. This is the first of a 3 part course introducing concepts and performing needs analyses.
- Corequisite(s): EXSU 619
- Prerequisite(s): Permission of instructors.
- Restriction(s): Course requires entry to surgical theatre; this is subject to hospital approval.
- 1) Students may be subject to interview.
- 2) Contact hours 46.5 , 31.5 hours lectures, 15 hours workshops and hospital visits.
- 3) Language of instruction: English, French available.
- 4) Minimum number 6, maximum 30
- 5) Subject to completion of medical requirements/immunization record.
- 6) Professional conduct and dress required at all times in hospital visits when in potential contact with patients.
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EXMD 601. Real World Applications of Data Science and Informatics.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Training in practical applications of health care data science.
- Prerequisites: EDPE 575, EPIB 507 or EXMD 634 or equivalent; EPIB 600, EXMD 642 or equivalent; or permission of the instructor.
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EXSU 500. Artificial Intelligence in Medicine
.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Surgery (Faculty of Medicine & Hlth Sci)
Terms offered: Fall 2025
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Fall 2025 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
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.
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Experimental Medicine Students (30 credits)
6 credits from approved electives:
- e.g.
EXMD 630. Developing Digital Innovations for Health Impact.
Credits: 3
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
Terms offered: Winter 2026
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Winter 2026 in Visual Schedule Builder.
Description
Advanced innovative thinking, knowledge and skills that will aid in the development of innovative digital health solutions. It will integrate mind mapping strategies, design
thinking, and usability evaluations that form the core of developing and refining an innovative digital health solution aimed to solve a well-defined clinical/public
health problem.
- Restriction: Permission of the instructor
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Thesis (24 credits):
EXMD 693. Master's Thesis Research 4.
Credits: 12
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
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EXMD 694. Master's Thesis Research 5.
Credits: 12
Offered by: Medicine (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
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Experimental Surgery Students (30 credits)
Thesis (30 credits):
EXSU 690. M.Sc. Research 1.
Credits: 4
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
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EXSU 691. M.Sc. Research 2.
Credits: 4
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
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EXSU 692. M.Sc. Research 3.
Credits: 4
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Independent research work under the direction of the Thesis Supervisor and the Supervisory Committee.
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EXSU 693. M.Sc. Thesis.
Credits: 18
Offered by: Surgery (Graduate Studies)
This course is not offered this catalogue year.
Description
Written and oral presentation of thesis proposal to the research Supervisory Committee.
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