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Monash University: University handbooks: Undergraduate handbook: Units indexed by faculty
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Bachelor of Medicine/Bachelor of Surgery

Course code: 0040 + Course abbreviation: MB BS + Total credit points required: 240 + 5 years full-time

Study mode and course location

On-campus (Clayton - F/T only)

Course description

The five year MB BS curriculum is designed as an integrated structure incorporating four themes, within which units are taught by staff from across the faculty, in an interdisciplinary fashion. This course, leading to the degrees of Bachelor of Medicine and Bachelor of Surgery (MB BS), may be awarded at either pass or honours standard.

During the early years of the course, the basic medical and behavioural sciences (anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, immunology, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology, psychology and sociology) are introduced within interdisciplinary units. These units will all have a major focus on clinical issues through clinical case studies.

The course is delivered in about 20 formal contact hours per week. This provides opportunity for self-directed study, and for students to be given the time and opportunity to be in control of their own learning and to develop skills in problem-solving and the critical appraisal of information.

For first year, semesters are of 13 weeks duration. In second year, semesters are of 14 weeks duration. In third and fourth years, the course has been structured as two semesters of 18 weeks each. In fifth year, the semesters are a notional 18 weeks, although there may be some requirement for more flexible arrangements.

The basic knowledge, skills and attitudes that form the curriculum will be related to clinical and other problems or issues. Learning in an appropriate medical context is an overarching principle of the curriculum.

Patient-centred learning activities

A patient-based learning model will be used, where the knowledge, skills and attitudes that form the content of the curriculum are brought to life via formal patient-centred teaching exercises. Most of the learning activities are designed to support students as they work with patient-centred scenarios.

The themes

The faculty has adopted a four-theme structure. These themes are:

  • Theme I – Personal and professional development
  • Theme II – Population, society, health and illness
  • Theme III – Foundations of medicine
  • Theme IV – Clinical skills

The four themes will run through all years of the course, but will not be of equal weight; nor will they be of constant weight throughout the course.

‘Personal and professional development’ will focus on the doctor as an individual. This theme concentrates on the personal attributes and qualities needed by medical students and, ultimately, medical practitioners. It covers elements of communication skills, information technology, medical informatics and computing skills, ethics and legal issues, and clinical effectiveness.

‘Population, society, health and illness’ provides the structure to develop students' abilities to deal with broader society and population issues. Students will consider the social, environmental and behavioural contexts of illness and the practice of medicine, including an emphasis on rural and remote Australia. Other elements of this theme will be built around health promotion, epidemiology, public health, community diversity, population and global health, and a range of other societal issues. The history and philosophy of the scientific approach to medicine will also be included, extending this to approaches to knowledge and information, and an understanding of evidence-based medicine.

‘Foundations of medicine’ includes much of the human systems-based teaching in the course. As the term 'foundations' implies, much of the knowledge and concepts that underpin medicine, both in the basic medical sciences and in the clinical sciences, will be delivered within this theme. In the early semesters, the basic sciences of anatomy, biochemistry, genetics, microbiology, pathology, pharmacology, physiology and psychology of each system will be taught in an integrated manner and from a relevant clinical perspective.

The ‘Clinical skills’ theme encompasses the whole range of clinical skills, from the earliest to the later parts of the course. Practice in clinical skills (including procedural skills) is stressed early and often. The approach in clinical skills development will be to develop defined clinical competencies. This will begin with clinical aspects of communication skills and move through history taking and physical examinations to the more advanced clinical and procedural skills.

In the early years of the course, this theme will include general practice and rural visits, and an introduction to community clinics and hospitals. Multi-professional education will be promoted through educational interactions with nurses, paramedics, radiographers and other health care professionals. The rural health activities in the early years of the course will provide opportunities for our students to interact with a range of health care professionals. The later years will include advanced elective experience in diverse medical work places, both within and outside the hospital environment.

Community Partnerships Program

The Community Partnerships Program (CPP) is an integral and innovative component of the new MB BS course for second-year medical students. CPP provides a meaningful context for future medical practitioners to gain an understanding of issues that relate to social justice, equity and diversity in the wider community. The Centre for Medical and Health Sciences Education in partnership with key community-based organisations are responsible for the administration and coordination of CPP.

Students complete a community-based placement, attend orientation and integration lectures, and complete a report so that they understand the context and links between health and illness, medicine and social justice.

Rural practice

The five-year curriculum will include a minimum of nine weeks experience in rural areas for all students. Approximately 25 per cent of the class will receive 50 per cent of their clinical education and training in rural areas. In second semester of the first year, groups of about 25 to 35 students are attached to a rural community for one week. In semesters three and four of second year, students are attached to a rural community or a rural GP in pairs or as individuals for a fortnight; half of the class in semester three, half in semester four. The other half of the class will be involved in a two-week, metropolitan-based clinical skills activity.

In the later years of the course, a minimum of nine weeks will be spent in medical specialties and general practice placement in a rural area. Additionally, students are encouraged to join the faculty’s Rural Students Club – Wildfire.

Special requirements

Health requirements

For the protection of other students, patients and themselves, students in the MB BS course should comply with certain precautionary procedures.

This policy is in accordance with the National Health and Medical Research Council advice that educational institutions training students in health sciences should ensure that such students are protected as far as possible by vaccination against risks of infection.

The faculty’s own policy requires that all students accept responsibility for having a satisfactory immunisation status at the commencement of the MB BS course. Immunisations include diphtheria, tetanus, polio, measles, mumps, rubella and hepatitis B.

Prospective students should note that, on enrolment, they are provided with detailed written information about the effect that HIV, Hepatitis B or other infections may have on the ability of health care workers to practice their profession. During the early weeks of year one, arrangements will be made by the faculty for students to have consultations with medical practitioners, to check that their immunisation status is satisfactory and to receive personal advice regarding infectious diseases and their personal health.

Working With Children and Police checks

It is essential that all MB BS students have current Working With Children and Police checks regarding their suitability to undertake clinical and community placements. All enrolled and prospective students are advised that they will be required to obtain both checks prior to undertaking their course. As the Working With Children checks cover a five year period, most students will only need to obtain a free check at the commencement of year 1, whilst students must apply and pay for a Police check annually. Note that some community partnered programs require a Police check be renewed every six months.

Student registration

All MB BS students must register with the Medical Practitioners Board of Victoria in keeping with the student’s professional responsibilities.

Course structure

Years one and two

In the first week of the first year of the course, students will attend a residential transition program, designed to focus on transition to university life, personal ethics, healthy lifestyle, group support and introduction to communication skills.

Throughout the first two years, blocks of systems-based sub-units will be presented with a mix of basic medical science content, patient-based presentations and discussions in small groups. These sub-units combine basic content with generic skills and are set in appropriate clinical contexts, largely through the use of patient-oriented learning. Topics include molecules, cells and tissues; human development and growth; genomics; metabolism; musculo-skeletal; cardiovascular; respiratory; renal; endocrinology; neurosciences; reproduction; human behaviour; gastrointestinal; nutrition; immunology and infection.

Years three and four

In the third and fourth years, the clinical content is delivered in blocks of clinical rotations, with a mix of advanced and applied medical science, patient-oriented presentations, and discussions in small tutorial groups. A diversity of clinical settings is used, including a range of hospitals, ambulatory clinics and the rural environment. The emphasis will be on students gaining real clinical experience, participating in patient care and understanding how health care teams work.

In the third year, students will study ‘Integrated medicine and surgery’ which will be taught together with a series of problem-based and core-based learning sessions. The fourth year will be largely taken up with the core clinical rotations of ‘Women’s and children’s health’ and ‘General practice and psychological medicine’. The major hospitals involved in these rotations include Monash Medical Centre (Clayton and Moorabbin campuses), The Alfred, Caulfield General Medical Centre, Box Hill, Cabrini, the Epworth, Frankston and Dandenong hospitals, Maroondah, Latrobe Valley and various other country hospitals.

Year five

The fifth year of the course is focused on facilitating the transition of students into the medical workplace as trainee interns and will be structured as a series of clinical rotations.* Students will participate in a range of learning experiences designed to substantially enhance their clinical reasoning, diagnostic and case management skills. Students will consolidate and enhance their knowledge, clinical skills and professional behaviours in five clinically orientated rotations: aged care, emergency medicine, medical, surgical and specialty. In addition, students will undertake a student elective rotation in a clinical area of personal interest, subject to faculty approval.

    * Students choose from a range of placements offered by the faculty.

Course requirements

First year
First semester
Second semester
Second year
First semester
Second semester
Third year
First semester
Second semester
Fourth year
  • MED4071 General practice and psychological medicine
  • MED4082 Women’s and children’s health
  • MED4000 Year 4 final grade
Fifth year
  • MED5091 Advanced clinical practice I
  • MED5092 Advanced clinical practice II
  • MED5102 Contemporary developments in clinical practice: patient safety
  • MED5100 Final MBBS Grade

Contact details

Telephone: +61 3 9905 4327, email: medicineadmissions@med.monash.edu.au or visit www.med.monash.edu.au/medical/

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