The Monash course was formerly approved by the General Medical Council of Great Britain. The Australian Medical Council (AMC) now has the responsibility for the accreditation of medical schools in Australia. This accreditation `is required to provide assurance to State and Territory Medical Boards of the continued satisfactory standard of graduates from all Australian medical schools.' In 1993 the Monash Medical course was accredited for ten years - the maximum period attainable.
Quota
The quota in the first year of the medical course is 145 places which includes students who are permitted to repeat the year, and those who are taking up a reserved place after deferring admission. In addition to these places the faculty offers up to fifteen first-year places to suitably qualified overseas students on a full-fee paying basis.
Prerequisites
The prerequisites for entry into medicine at Monash from 1994 are:
(a) a grade average of A in English;
(b) a grade average of A in Chemistry
(c) a grade average of A in Specialist Mathematics or Mathematical Methods and a grade average of C in Physics or Biology;
or
(d) a grade average of A in Specialist Mathematics or Mathematical Methods and a grade average of C in Physics or Biology.
Selection procedures
Selection for the course will continue to be based primarily on academic merit as indicated by VCE results. In addition, for students with a VCE score in the `middle band,' the results of a structured interview to assess personal qualities will be part of the process of selection.
1. Tertiary Entrance Rank (TER)
VTAC will calculate a TER as a percentile (eg 99.00) for each applicant.The TER will be calculated using English and the next three best study scores (other than English) and 10 per cent increments for two additional studies (one may be a first-year university subject).The university will receive this information in January, not December when it is received by students.
2. General selection criteria
The `middle band' will initially consist of all candidates above a certain minimum TER (eg 96.00 or 97.00) as determined by the faculty after the TER lists are provided to the university. The TER score used by the Faculty of Medicine will already include an adjusted score taking into account the equivalent of a 10 per cent bonus for Physics. It is expected that few, if any, applicants will be considered to be above the `middle band' and offered places on the basis of TER score alone. Those remaining in the `middle band' will be re-ranked, together with possible interstate school leaver applicants. Re-ranking will be done using considerations explained in 3 and 4 below. Most, and perhaps all applicants still in consideration after re-ranking the `middle band', will be required to attend a structured interview.
3. Selection from within the `middle band'
The `middle band' will initially contain 500 to 600 applicants. However only 300 to 400 of these will be invited to attend for a structured interview. In the re-ranking process particular attention will be given to the applicant's performance in the prerequisite studies.
* Applicants with exceptionally high scores in English and Chemistry may be elevated within the `middle band'.
* Similarly, those with high scores in Biology, Mathematics or Physics may be moved upwards.
* Those who have taken more than two years for Units 3 and 4 may be moved down within the `middle band'.
4. Interviews
Those 300 to 400 applicants ranked most highly after `middle band' adjustments described above, will be required to attend a structured interview during mid January.
5. Final selection
The final ranked list of applicants from which places will be offered will take into account the applicant's middle band ranking and performances at interview. Applicants will be offered places in the order of this final ranking until the quota of places is filled.
Structured interview
The structured interview of approximately twenty minutes is conducted by a panel of trained interviewers consisting of a member of the Faculty of Medicine, a doctor in practice and an outside person who is not involved in medicine.
The interview questions have been designed to determine which applicants have relevant personal qualities such as leadership ability and motivation to succeed in the medical course. The style of questions will fall into two groups.
(a) Accomplishment questions. Applicants are asked about what they have accomplished in the past that would indicate to the panel that they have a particular personal quality.
(b) Situational questions. Applicants are asked what they would do in the future if a particular situation arose.
The personal qualities sought in the applicant at interview fall into four fields - quality of motivation, appropriateness of approaches to learning, appropriateness of interpersonal style and verbal communication skill.
1. Quality of motivation. This can be looked at in three stages: knowledge and understanding of what is involved in the medical course and in a career in medicine; motivating factors - a realistic desire to become a doctor, including underlying issues such as idealism, developmental history and identification and perseverance - the ability to persist in the face of setbacks and frustrations.
2. Appropriateness of approaches to learning. Several qualities have been agreed to be worth looking for: originality - independent thought, constructive imagination and significant innovation; flexibility - ability to adapt to new situations (not rigid or obstinate); eclecticism - selection of ideas from diverse sources according to their utility and validity; relativism - both the epistemological and ethical senses - appreciation that neither knowledge, nor right and wrong are absolute, and tolerance of ambiguity - acceptance of the reality that decisions and actions may be necessary in the face of uncertainty.
3. Appropriateness of interpersonal style. Leadership - the ability to inspire other people; teamsmanship - ability to work within a collaborative unit; the ability to listen and be nonjudgemental; maturity - an indication that a person has reached an age-appropriate level of psychological development with an emerging sense of an independent self.
4. Communication skill. The ability to communicate effectively with others, both in statement and in manner. As part of the assessment of communication skill, applicants will be asked to `detechnicalise' a scientific issue, ie to explain the issue in non-technical terms. Applicants will also participate in an `active listening exercise' in which they will be expected to summarise and answer specific questions concerning a saga. The saga will be presented by one of the panel members.
Interviews will be conducted at the Faculty of Medicine, Wellington Road, Clayton, during mid-January, following the university's receipt of VCE results from VTAC.
The Faculty of Medicine will determine those applicants who are to be interviewed. Applicants may not request an interview.
Admission to first year with equivalent qualifications
Students who have not achieved their entrance qualifications in Victoria must hold qualifications which in the faculty's opinion are equivalent to those held by local candidates. The qualifications must include the same prerequisite subjects as those for local candidates outlined above. Such applicants must demonstrate at least the same level of academic merit as that which is required for local applicants. As an indication, local applicants who gain entry usually come within the top 1 per cent of all VCE students within Victoria.
Applications from non-school leavers
Applicants presenting with either partially complete or completed tertiary qualifications may be considered for entry to the medical course. In considering such applications the faculty selection committee will take account of an applicant's entire academic record and motivation as evidenced by extracurricular or employment experience. These are two of the criteria used in short-listing applicants for interview. Interviews are usually conducted in the latter months of the year preceding entry. Many more applicants are able to demonstrate some suitability for the course than there will ever be available places. Competition for places in the medical course is extremely competitive both for school and non-school leavers. Each year there are approximately 1,200 non-school leaver applicants for a maximum of six to eight places. In most cases applications are only considered for entry to the first year of the medical course. In exceptional circumstances applications for later-year entry may be considered. Applicants for later-year entry must clearly demonstrate to the faculty selection committee that the content of their previous studies is at least equivalent to the appropriate Monash medical course components for which they are seeking exemption.
If you wish to apply for the Monash medical course, please note that the Guide for prospective students which contains the appropriate application form is published by the Victorian Tertiary Admissions Centre (VTAC), 40 Park Street, South Melbourne, Vic. 3205. This guide is available from VTAC in July or August and applications for courses close during September.
Non-school leaver applicants must also complete the faculty's supplementary information form, obtainable from the faculty office during September. Applicants must include copies of all relevant documentation with the supplementary information form.
Monash University students applying solely for a transfer to the Monash medical course must complete a form obtained from the faculty office during September. A VTAC application is not necessary.